Childhood poverty influences life choices and limits opportunities, perpetuating a cycle that lasts for generations. Understanding the global landscape of poverty helps us to build impactful programs and create change in the communities we serve.
Simply put, poverty is more than just a lack of income. It negatively impacts virtually all aspects of a person’s well-being. According to the United Nations, living in poverty includes:
The global population living in extreme poverty has been dramatically reduced over the past three decades, from nearly 40% of the world living below the poverty line in 1990, to less than 10% today. This means that the number of people living in poverty or extreme poverty has been reduced by more than 1 billion.*
*“Poverty” refers to a lack of basic resources, while “extreme poverty” is a more severe form of poverty in which people lack access to even the most fundamental necessities for survival. “Extreme poverty” is commonly defined as living on less than a certain income per day, such as $1.90 or $2.15, while “poverty” can be defined by a broader range of indicators, such as household income, access to resources like clean water, and overall well-being.
Unfortunately, there are still roughly 700 million people on our planet suffering from extreme poverty. And when we speak in the broader sense of “relative poverty,” (meaning the lack of a minimum income needed to maintain an average standard of living within one’s society or community; also known as “national poverty”) about 3.5 billion people - or 44% of the global population - fall into this category.
The bottom line is that poverty remains a significant problem throughout the world - even in middle and high-income nations - although it remains most dire for those living in poverty in developing countries, with the fewest resources for social safety measures.
How does poverty impact health? Does inadequate education cause poverty or does poverty create a lack of education? And how can poor health impact the learning process? Everything is intertwined, and where problems actually begin can be hard to pinpoint. What isn’t hard to see is the need for support in the areas of health care, education, life skills, employment opportunities and more - and that’s where our programs help to fill the gaps.
Children living in poverty often have greater health problems and are more likely to suffer from disease because of a lack of proper treatment. Poor health can keep children from school for weeks or even years at a time, holding them further back in a system that was already overburdened. Our programs provide children with access to health and dental care, health education, health education and psychological wellness courses and activities, so they can focus on becoming educated, helping their families, and just being a kid.
The problem of education and poverty isn’t simply a matter of inadequate educational systems. The lack of resources and available support in these communities means children often fail to attend school, then fall behind and eventually drop out. Education is essential for children to acquire the tools they need to create lasting change in their lives and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families.
How can you apply for a job if you’ve never seen a resume? Or haven’t been taught how to speak to employers? Or where to even look for work? Youth in impoverished communities find themselves without the basic life skills to land a job. Our programs provide youth with the skills they need to seek and secure formal employment in their local communities and put them on track to a better future.
Many children in poverty have never seen a life outside the deprivation and struggle of their current circumstances. One of the most important gifts we can give a child in poverty is the vision for a better future. Our empowerment programs foster social responsibility, instill leadership skills, and offer employment training to help children develop the hope and confidence to free themselves and their families from poverty.
The problem of global poverty can feel so overwhelming that you may wonder where to start and if your donation could even make a difference. The answer is: Yes! Your support is a huge help for the children and families we serve. Working together, we create lasting change for the children in our programs worldwide. How do we know? We’ve seen the results. Learn more about how your donation or sponsorship can make an impact:
We live in a technologically enabled society, and access to technology is a crucial part of moving lives and communities forward. Certain regions of the world have access to the internet, mobile phones and computers, while others are almost completely left out, leaving them further disadvantaged and stuck in a cycle of poverty. Learn more about the implications of disconnection and how to help.
Hunger isn’t simply a matter of an absence of food. It can mean a lack of the right food, too. Some areas of the world suffer from scarcity while others have food without the right vitamins, minerals or nutrition, leading to an epidemic of obesity. According to the World Bank, conflicts, weather extremes, and global economic instability have all contributed to an increase in food insecurity for the sixth consecutive year in 2025. Understand more about the problem of food disparity and how you can help.
Poverty isn’t only a developing world problem. Child poverty is seen everywhere, even in developed countries like the United States. It’s in every size of city and small town across the country. Read more about poverty in the U.S. and the far-reaching consequences it has on children living in these communities.
The continent of Africa, where half of the population are children, is home to some of the world’s poorest people and least prosperous countries. The most concentrated poverty and the harshest conditions are generally found in sub-Saharan African nations like Zambia, where underserved communities and lack of opportunities make it nearly impossible for people to break the cycle of poverty without the right interventions. Read more about what we can do to help meet sustainable development goals and create change for Africa’s children.
With a large percentage of foreign governmental assistance recently being reduced, many of the world’s poorest countries are struggling to fill those gaps. Coming on the heels of the economic devastation caused by the covid pandemic, the cumulative effect on those living in poverty is potentially grim - especially for children. According to some estimates, nearly 23 million children are at risk of losing access to education, and as many as 95 million people could lose access to basic healthcare.
The latest global data shows that the proportion of people facing acute food insecurity has consistently exceeded pre-COVID-19 levels in recent years, impacting nearly 22% of the world’s population. Between 2019 and 2023, approximately 150 million more people suffered from malnutrition, affecting an estimated 730 million people worldwide.
Together, through global and local partnerships, monthly sponsorship donations, and other recurring gifts, we are breaking down barriers that prevent children and families from being able to escape generational poverty. By keeping children healthy, providing educational interventions, empowering them with skills and knowledge, and - as they move toward adulthood - assisting them on their path toward sustainable employment, we are creating meaningful change across the globe.
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