Asian Development Bank

Before I moved to the U.S., poverty was a part of my life. I wouldn't call it all-time-low-bottom-of- the- totem- pole poverty, but we weren't middle class either. My dad had a garden so we had food, even if we were malnourished. It wasn't much but at least it was something. A full day’s meal for us back then is just a single meal for us today. We also got money from my aunt that was already living in the United States. Having clothes wasn't a problem either because each of us kids had at least a bag of clothes. My family didn't have much compared to what we have now, even though we did have electricity and my aunt and uncle did have a small television with a few channels. Life was tough yet simple. Nobody in my family had a job and yet it wasn't a total problem because they were still keeping us kids fed even if it wasn't much. My parents would in most cases barely eat so that we kids could have more to eat. My dad didn't have a job but he did work. My mom stayed at home and took care of us while my dad went and worked at his garden.

Poverty Levels In The United States (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/09/11/ST2009091100188.html)

Many people today have a picture in their minds that poverty only happens in third world countries but the truth is it happens to every nation in the world. “A new comprehensive economic survey shows that the recession has plunged 2.6 million more Americans into poverty, wiped out the household income gains of an entire decade and pushed the number of people without health insurance up to 46.3 million.” written by Carol Morello and Dan Keating on washingtonpost.com. This data was collected in the spring, and since then others have lost their jobs. In 2007, the poverty rate was 12.5 percent and in 2008 it rose to 13.2 percent according to the Census Bureau data. “Although incomes went down for all races, Hispanics experienced some of the biggest losses. Income declined 5.6 percent for Hispanic households, 4.4 percent for Asians, 2.8 percent for African American families and 2.6 percent for non-Hispanic whites. Hispanics and Asians also showed the biggest increase in poverty rates,” said Washington Post Staff Writers, Carol Morello and Dan Keating. At Poverty.com it says that “about 25,000 people die every day of hunger or hunger-related causes...” “That’s one person every three and a half seconds.” Poverty.com also says that “the problem is that hungry people are trapped in severe poverty”. Doesn't that sound crazy?!?

A group that has been helping my cause is the ADB or the Asian Development Bank. The Asian Development Bank’s mission is to help improve quality of life and reduce poverty of its people in developing member countries. ADB was established in 1966 and is headquartered in Manila. ADB's main instruments are grants, technical assistance, loans, advice, and knowledge. The Asian Development Bank also helps a group called Asian Development Fund or ADF. ADB’s donor member countries are funding the Asian Development Fund. Through concessional financing, the Asian Development Fund has helped the Asia-Pacific areas maintain equitable and sustainable development. Both of these groups go hand in hand because they both offer loans and grants at very low interest rates which help reduce poverty in ADB's poorest borrowing countries. Although challenges to development remain in the Asia-Pacific region ADF has been an important tool for positive change. ADB through funds from ADF has helped so many people in the Asia-Pacific area and is getting closer to its goal on ending poverty every day.

Something I could do to help make a difference about poverty in the world would be to give money to the ADB to help fund the group. I could print out papers on poverty and what impact it has on the U.S. and the world. I could create a group that donates all its money to the Asian Development Fund. Creating a Facebook group wouldn't be a bad idea either; I could start there and then start asking people to donate money to the Asian Development Fund. I could make a Myspace group about poverty too. I could also start an after-school group that meets at my church or at school that donates to ADF. I think everyone, even if they only give a little bit, can help end poverty.