Just under 75 euros - the shopping for the next few days is done. I carry two full bags of fruit, vegetables, milk, bread and other groceries to the car. Afterwards, a quick trip to the drugstore and the family is taken care of for now.
At home, I open the letters, most of which contain bills: Water, gas, electricity, garbage collection - everything is debited automatically. I file everything away neatly.
I open the newspaper: A headline catches my eye: "700 million people live in extreme poverty". I think... the first Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations 2030 Agenda is "No poverty". Poverty? What does that actually mean? By definition, people who have less than 1.80 euros a day at their disposal are poor. My math skills are good enough to quickly work out that all my shopping and bills that day far exceed this figure. The 2030 Agenda goes even further: it defines poverty as a state in which basic needs cannot be met and access to the material and non-material foundations of a decent life is severely restricted. Goal 1 is to greatly reduce this poverty; it is also an essential prerequisite for achieving all other sustainability goals. Among other things, it also includes the sub-goal of supporting particularly poor and vulnerable people in adapting to climate change and enabling equal access to economic and natural resources for all.
In recent years, considerable progress has already been made in many countries in East and Southeast Asia. Positive developments have also been observed in some parts of Africa; however, 42% of people south of the Sahara still live below the poverty line. And unfortunately, poverty has increased again worldwide as a result of the pandemic in recent years.
Thoughtfully I close the newspaper again, what can I do to counteract this inequality in the world? Where could I provide support?
The Artemed Stiftung helps to alleviate poverty by implementing sustainable solutions that address the core of the problem. This includes, for example, strengthening the role of women or securing basic income for families through small businesses.
