World Vision released on Tuesday a list of ten reasons to resolve to take action against poverty this year.
As one of the largest Christian relief and development organizations in the world, World Vision encourages people to make presentation at church, join an advocacy campaign, inspire the youth group, donate time and money, and pray for this giant problem in 2006.
The ten reasons are as follows:
1. Half the world’s population (2.8 billion) lives on less than $2 a day
Source: The World Bank Group Annual Report 2004
2. 300 million children suffer from hunger
Source: UNICEF 2005
3. Every day, nearly 29,000 children under age 5 die, mostly from malnutrition or preventable disease.
Source: UNICEF State of the World’s Children 2005
4. Man-made food crises have more than doubled since 1992.
Source: FAO State of Food insecurity in the World 2005
5. In the developing world one in five children does not have access to safe water.
Source: UNICEF State of the World’s Children 2005
6. 90 percent of deaths from war since 1990 have been civilians. 80 percent of these have been women and children.
Source: UNICEF State of the World’s Children 2005.
7. 40 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS
Source: UNAIDS Epidemic Update 2005
8. Today, 15 million children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS
Source: UNAIDS Epidemic Update 2005
9. Of the total number of young people infected by HIV/AIDS in Eastern and Southern Africa, 76 percent are women.
Source: UNICEF/UNAIDS 2004
10. Life expectancy in South Africa: Today, 43; before HIV/AIDS, 6.
Source: U.S. Census International Database
Since it was established in 1950 to care for orphans in Asia, World Vision has grown to embrace the larger issues of community development and advocacy for the poor in its mission to help children and their families build sustainable futures. The organization currently serves in nearly 100 countries across the world and "helps communities help themselves" through emergency relief, education, health care, economic development and promotion of justice.
For more information and statistics visit: http://www.worldvision.org/donate.nsf/child/tawv_poverty_12212005
