Osai Ojigho’s Post

💔 Heartbreaking Reality: Poverty's Grip on Humanity 💔 As I scroll through the news feeds filled with laughter and joy, my heart sinks for those trapped in the clutches of poverty - a battle that scars countless lives. It's time we lend our voices and open our hearts to the struggles of the less fortunate, for their pain is our collective responsibility. Poverty, an invisible enemy, leaves no one untouched. Families torn apart, dreams shattered, and innocent souls robbed of a fair chance at life. It's like a never-ending cycle, where generations are trapped in a web of despair, struggling to break free. The negative effects of poverty are far-reaching, reaching beyond the immediate lack of material possessions. It deprives individuals of education, robs them of healthcare, and stifles their potential. It creates a breeding ground for crime, addiction, and hopelessness. How can we turn a blind eye to this vicious cycle? But amidst the darkness, a glimmer of hope emerges. Solutions are within our grasp, waiting to be embraced. Education, a powerful weapon, holds the key to breaking the chains of poverty. By providing quality education to those in need, we can empower them to build a better future for themselves and their communities. Creating sustainable job opportunities is another step towards alleviating poverty's grip. By investing in skill development programs and supporting small businesses, we can help individuals attain financial independence and regain their dignity. Together, let's advocate for fair wages, equal opportunities, and social welfare systems that truly support those in need. Let's foster a society where no one is left behind, where compassion and empathy prevail. But let's not forget the power of our individual actions. Reach out to your local communities, volunteer, donate, and lend a helping hand to those struggling. A small act of kindness can ignite a spark of hope that has the potential to change lives forever. Today, I urge you to pause, reflect, and stand united against poverty. Let's be the voice for those unheard, the beacon of light in their darkest days. No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, your contribution matters. Let us strive to create a world where poverty is nothing more than a distant memory, replaced by compassion, opportunity, and equality. Together, we can make a difference. ©️IFEADIKACHI OKOH-NNAMANI. #StandAgainstPoverty #EndTheCycleOfDespair #TogetherForChange

Poverty traps are intricate systems of circumstances that entangle individuals and communities in cycles of deprivation. This complexity extends beyond mere economic challenges. In this overview, we'll explore some key insights. While these insights provide a glimpse into the complexities of poverty traps, it's crucial to acknowledge that these issues are far more intricate. We'll touch on key aspects from a generalized perspective. Poverty traps are multifaceted challenges with no simple solutions. 🎒 Lack of Access to Quality Education: Among the most significant contributors to poverty traps is the lack of access to quality education. Research consistently demonstrates that children from impoverished backgrounds attend schools with insufficient resources, leading to diminished educational outcomes. This educational disadvantage perpetuates across generations. 🏥 Healthcare Disparities: Limited access to healthcare services also plays a pivotal role. Studies reveal that individuals living in poverty confront barriers to essential healthcare, resulting in higher illness rates and decreased productivity. This health burden further compounds economic struggles, trapping families in a cycle of poverty and ill health. 🏦 Scarce Financial Resources: Many individuals in poverty lack access to crucial financial resources like savings, credit, and insurance. This absence of a financial safety net renders them vulnerable to economic shocks, such as job loss or medical emergencies, which deepen their poverty. Effective interventions must provide financial tools and resources to enable individuals to build assets and withstand economic volatility. 👯Social Exclusion and Discrimination: Poverty traps are frequently reinforced by social exclusion and discrimination. Marginalized groups, including ethnic minorities and women, encounter barriers to education, employment, and other opportunities, perpetuating poverty cycles within these communities. Tackling systemic inequalities and fostering inclusive economic growth are essential steps toward breaking these cycles. 💰Vicious Cycle of Debt: High-interest loans and predatory lending practices ensnare individuals in a perpetual cycle of debt, making poverty escape increasingly challenging. Interventions like microfinance programs offer low-income individuals access to affordable credit and financial services, empowering them to invest in income-generating activities and break free from the cycle of indebtedness. Understanding these multifaceted poverty traps is paramount for crafting effective interventions and policies to alleviate poverty and foster sustainable development. By addressing the root causes of poverty and prioritizing investments in education, healthcare, financial inclusion, and social equity, we can pave the way for individuals and communities to break free from poverty's grip and build brighter futures. #PovertyTraps #EducationForAll #HealthcareEquity #FinancialInclusion #BreakTheCycle

Does America lack the resources to eliminate poverty, or do we lack the desire? In his latest book Poverty by America, Matthew Desmond uses 2020 census data to estimate that an investment of roughly $177 billion could eliminate poverty in the sense of bringing all low-income households up to the federal poverty line. That figure certainly can--and should--be compared to line items of more questionable value that contribute to the federal government's $6.8+ trillion annual budget. But it is a slap in the face to compare it to how much money we spend on nothing at all. For example: the FDA estimated that $161 billion worth of food was wasted or thrown away in 2010; inflation-adjusting it to 2020 dollars for level comparison, this is around $191 billion. $177 billion. $191 billion. We could end official poverty in one stroke if we just stopped wasting our damn food. Yes, the real-life cause-and-effect chain here would have kinks and nuances, but let's not use logistical caveats to shield ourselves from the glare of a wrong that demands to be righted. The food waste example connects to another main point of Desmond's book: we are all responsible for abolishing poverty. Yes, there are policy-level interventions that only the government can enact, and we should hold our elected officials to account for how they legislate (or don't legislate). But we all bear responsibility as individuals, as well, in just the same way that large corporations are not the only ones with carbon footprints that need some reducing. Like me, do you enjoy travel reward points from credit cards, low-cost delivery of food and widgets at the click of a button, and the promise of a retirement secured by capital gains in blue-chip stocks? Desmond shows how this all is financed under the hood: by shaking down individuals at the bottom of the economic totem pole for their last cent. If, like most Americans, we say that we disapprove of economic injustice, Desmond calls us to put our money where our mouth is: "Consumer activism brought us cheap goods and services borne on the backs of others, and consumer activism can help reverse this trend... Since exploitation pays, this could dampen our portfolios' stock performance. Banking and shopping in ways that express solidarity with the poor could mean we pay more... Doing the right thing is often a highly inconvenient, time-consuming, even costly process, I know. I try, fail, and try again. But that's the price of our restored humanity." Does America care enough to end poverty? Honestly, I think we do. But to build a powerful movement of poverty abolitionism, we need to understand the problem and be able to explain it to others. In his new book, Desmond has provided a clear and meticulously researched primer for us all. Read it! https://lnkd.in/eBtCsiB4

The chart below shows how the poverty percentage has changed since 1960. Amazingly, since President Lyndon Baines Johnson launched the War on Poverty, the poverty rate has been worse five different times. So much for solving a recognized problem. That’s why I compare this result to healthcare, where we have a choice right now to “solve” this problem – we could spend an enormous amount of money (and effort), only to find in 50 years that we've made it worse (note: when Medicare was created, it became part of the Social Security Act.) And looking at the graph, it looks like poverty had already decreased BEFORE enactment of the war. From my book: “Why is poverty so difficult to defeat? The war on poverty began in 1964, just after a precipitous decline in the early 1960s (some would argue this is like wearing a belt and suspenders—the belt would have been sufficient, but LBJ ushered in the war on poverty anyway). LBJ declared a 'war on poverty' in January 1964, and $22 trillion later (per Robert Rector, The Heritage Foundation, September 23, 2014) we have poverty today at the same level as when we started. The poverty rate has oscillated between 10 percent and 15 percent since 1965. How could that be, especially since the goal was to eliminate poverty in one generation? Either we should not attempt to manage a system that works best on its own, or our definition of poverty is too antiquated and always shows a problem in need of fixing. Amazingly, other than for CPI, the definition of poverty has remained static since 1969. Updating the definition may be good news, that the war on poverty was more successful than thought, or vice versa. That begs for an updated definition. Do we really want to conduct a war on healthcare like the war on poverty? What if twenty trillion dollars later we still have the same healthcare problems in fifty years? We would look back and say we shouldn’t have spent the money. With healthcare, barriers likely will forever impede the ability to enable all individuals to have coverage. Cost versus wait time will be the tradeoff. ‘Wouldn’t it be ideal if everyone had coverage?’ At what cost? With wait times like in Canada and the UK?” You may be wondering why I'm sharing parts of my book on LinkedIn. Yes, I receive the retail price of the book when you purchase it. But that offsets my publishing costs, so I've actually lost money to date. I hope to spread my message and sell books to offset my cost. One avenue I found is getting my message out to #Healthcare with its 9 million followers (if you click on #Healthcare, you can see how many people follow this hashtag, and get an idea what's going on if you were to follow it). My book is available for purchase at my publisher here: https://lnkd.in/gdUwfa4W. Rich Yurkowitz #MedicareForAllReally?! #Medicare #HealthCare #Health #HealthCareReform #HealthInsurance

Once again, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) renews our focus on tackling one of the worst societal injustices: poverty. Last week’s webinar followed the release of their pioneering Poverty in the UK report that found that poverty has remained high across the six subsequent administrations after rising rapidly during Thatcher’s reign. A disgraceful 14.4 million, or over one in five, people live in poverty and the crisis is “deepening.” The average person in poverty has an income of 29% below the poverty line, whilst for those in very deep poverty it is 50%; they would have to double their income to lift themselves out. These overall rates mask unacceptable levels of poverty for some groups, namely the self-employed, renters, single parents, disabled people and those from ethnic minority groups. Children have consistently had the highest poverty rates. Despite the prevailing Government rhetoric that work is the best route out of poverty, 64% of adults in poverty are in working households, implying employers have questions to answer. The Trussell Trust’s Helen Barnard told how food banks changed their opening hours to be accessible for those in work. She also argued that the scale and depth of poverty exceeds what charities can deal with, “we are a sticking plaster, but the wound has got too big,” and they are now compensating for the failures of successive governments. Shirley Widdop shared her powerful testimony, pointing out that “carrots” should be favoured over “sticks” and the framing of issues should centre compassion and justice. Fundamentally, a decent standard of living necessitates security and stability with regard to income, housing and support when misfortune strikes. JRF advocate for a suite of policies that comprehensively address this serious and shameful issue, whilst Sir Stephen Timms called for the issue to feature prominently in manifestos. Introducing a universal credit essentials guarantee to ensure that benefit rates are realistically set, rather than just being erratically and randomly uprated, will go some way in addressing immediate challenges. You can see the JRF’s recommendations and more information here: https://lnkd.in/e8r4tHbD

Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been gaining momentum as an innovative solution to the challenges of poverty and inequality, rooted in centuries of economic and philosophical thought. From early advocates like Thomas Paine in the 18th century to modern experiments around the globe, UBI stands out as a radical proposal to ensure everyone access to a decent standard of living, regardless of their employment status. The idea of providing all citizens with a fixed amount of money unconditionally has been debated by economists, philosophers, and politicians for centuries. From Paine’s proposed "ground rent" to Bertrand Russell's "social dividend," UBI was envisioned as a way to distribute a society’s wealth more equitably. In the 20th century, figures like Martin Luther King Jr. endorsed the idea as a strategy to combat poverty and promote social justice. UBI moved from theory to practice with a series of experiments worldwide, from small communities in Namibia and Canada to broader programs in Finland and Alaska. These tests aimed to understand UBI’s effects on poverty, employment, health, and social dynamics, offering valuable insights into its potential benefits and challenges. The Kenyan Experience In Kenya, a country marked by economic disparities and an innovative spirit, UBI found fertile ground for one of the most ambitious experiments to date. Initiatives focused on providing regular, unconditional cash transfers to Kenyan citizens aimed not just at mitigating direct poverty but also at empowering people to invest in their own solutions to local challenges. Implementing UBI in Kenya involved overcoming significant logistical challenges, leveraging mobile money technology to facilitate safe and efficient transfers. Beneficiaries reported not just an immediate improvement in their living conditions but also an increase in autonomy and the ability to invest in education, health, and businesses, generating a virtuous cycle of local economic development and growth. Preliminary results in Kenya offer an encouraging view of UBI's potential to transform societies. The lessons learned underscore the importance of careful adaptations to local realities and the need for ongoing research to optimize UBI's benefits. As the world observes and learns from the Kenyan experience, it becomes clear that Universal Basic Income holds a bold promise for the future. It represents not just a tool to combat poverty and inequality but also an opportunity to reimagine our societies' economic foundations, promoting more inclusive and sustainable development. The journey of UBI in Kenya, from its philosophical inspirations to practical implementation, demonstrates the power of innovative ideas when applied with intention and care. As we move forward, the personal and collective transformation stories emerging from Kenya will serve as valuable inspiration for the continued exploration of UBI as a tool for global social and economic progress.

Harnessing the power of cash transfers...

A LARP to help people understand poverty. I think the premise is very good - especially if it elicits an emotional response of frustration from the participants. I'd like to know if they also include elements such as systematic racism in the experiences. I understand the limitations in trying to attract participants and so keeping the event to about 3 hours is important. But I would love to see a comparison done on how participants feel after a full 8 hour simulation. A lot of it rides on the skill of the moderators and their ability to enact situations that feel not only urgent, but also inescapable. There's also the possibility that if someone doesn't allow suspension of disbelief and become emotionally engaged in the process, that they will come out of it with only an intellectual understanding of obstacles. Although, it might seep into their opinion and sway it if they had to work hard at subduing their frustration... because this is an emotional load unto itself. I wonder what the demographic of the participants is... are they mostly left leaning? It would be great if this was attended by people who hold on to the "bootstrap" mentality. But if it's only attended by liberals, it's not making the impact it could make. Either way, I think it's a good start and if it chips away at poverty bias, then it's making a difference. What do you think? #LARP #poverty #roleplaying

🌍 Genius Shiksha: Fighting Wars of Poverty to Map Change 🌱 In a world filled with territorial conflicts and geopolitical struggles, there exists another battlefield that often goes unnoticed – the war against poverty. While wars between nations are typically fought to alter political maps, the wars of poverty are waged with the noble aim of changing the socio-economic landscape for the better. At Genius Shiksha, we believe in the transformative power of education as a key weapon in this crucial battle. 🗺️ Changing Maps vs. Mapping Change Traditional wars among nations are often characterized by territorial disputes, power struggles, and the redrawing of maps. Borders shift, political alliances evolve, and the aftermath leaves a physical imprint on the global map. However, wars of poverty operate on a different plane altogether. They focus not on altering geographical boundaries but on transforming the lives of individuals, communities, and nations. The phrase "Wars of Poverty" encapsulates the multifaceted struggle against inequality, lack of access to education, and economic disparities. Instead of redrawing borders, these wars seek to redraw the trajectory of lives, providing opportunities and breaking the chains of generational poverty. 📚 Genius Shiksha: A Beacon of Change At Genius Shiksha, we recognize that education is the cornerstone of any meaningful war against poverty. Our mission is to empower individuals with knowledge, skills, and confidence, enabling them to break free from the shackles of poverty. Through innovative educational programs, we strive to create a map of change that transcends traditional boundaries, fostering a world where everyone has the chance to succeed. 🌱 Planting Seeds of Change In the wars of poverty, the battleground is often the minds of individuals. By investing in education, we plant seeds of change that have the potential to grow into flourishing landscapes of opportunity. Genius Shiksha serves as a cultivator, nurturing the intellectual growth of students and providing them with the tools to navigate the challenges of the modern world. 🌐 Visit Us and Help the Nation Thrive We invite you to join us in this transformative journey. Visit Genius Shiksha and become a part of the movement to eradicate poverty through education. By supporting our initiatives, you contribute to the creation of a new map – one where access to quality education is not a privilege but a fundamental right. 🚀 The Power of Collective Action Just as nations come together to address global challenges, combating poverty requires collective action. Genius Shiksha serves as a rallying point for individuals, organizations, and communities to unite in the shared goal of mapping change in the fight against poverty. 🔗 Connect with Us Explore our website, engage with our educational programs, and become a catalyst for positive change. Together, let's redefine the maps of opportunity