The Edge of Ideas

Recently I have seen and heard a lot about topics and events that are of little importance. This post is to highlight two important issues that more people need to pay attention to and tell you how to improve them. Both topics are nothing new, but both are of extreme importance to the well-being of the world.

1. World Hunger. World hunger is the leading cause of death in the world. It kills more people than HIV/AIDs, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. 795 million people in the world don’t have enough food to eat everyday. That number translates into one in every nine people in the world. One of every four kids in the world have stunted growth as a result of not eating enough. 45% of deaths in children under five are caused by malnutrition. Possibly the most disturbing fact about world hunger is that the world has enough food to feed everyone. The problem is that the people do not have enough money to buy the food they need. This leads right into the second topic.
2. Poverty. 1.4 billion people in the world make only $1.25 a day. Multiply that by 365 days, and 20% of the world’s populations’ salary is $456.25 a year. Two billion people in the world live on just $2 a day. Then, look at the fact that one-quarter of the people in the world live without electricity. That means 1.75 billion people can’t read this article. Two million children die each year because of treatable sicknesses, such as pneumonia and diarrhea, simply because they can’t afford the proper treatment.

Now lets look at how we can solve these problems. WorldHunger.org says that poverty is the main cause of world hunger, which means that if we lower the poverty rate, world hunger will also be lowered. Here is what you can do:

1. Give! There are tons of organizations that accept donations of any kind. You can donate food, money, old shoes, old clothes, furniture, blankets, and books. The next time you walk through a city and see a homeless person spare some change for them or if you don’t like to give money, give them some food. Giving to the people around you helps your community and the world.
2. Volunteer! If you can’t afford to give money then give your time. Just a couple of hours helping at a homeless shelter goes a long way.
3. Spread the word! You can easily tell your friends and family about these huge problems in today’s society. It takes 5 seconds to share any of the websites I’ve left a link to in this article. It takes almost no time and energy, and it helps to get the word out about important issues.

Thank you for reading! Hopefully you enjoyed! If you have an opinion on this subject please comment below. Any input from readers helps a ton!

Image via: ffl.org