One of the most memorable topics I learned about in this class was poverty and how to impact suffering communities effectively. Before taking this class, I never considered how many forms of ‘giving’ may not actually benefit those living in poverty long term at all. It has proven to be extremely important to consider needs from an economic perspective and to not just give for the sake of giving. Especially considering the time of year, I thought this would be a good topic of discussion as many people desire to give Christmas gifts to those underprivileged communities. While it seems like the most effective long-term ‘gifts’ are education and resources to encourage individuals towards entrepreneurship, there are certainly some material gifts that benefit these communities more so than others. According to an article published in the World Bank Blog, providing clean water can reduce infant mortality rates by 35-50% and only cost about $10 per person per year. An even less expensive gift at $0.50 a year is deworming treatments for children. Insecticide-treated bed nets can also reduce the prevalence of malaria which is a leading cause of death in children in developing countries. These cost 5-10 dollars. While it is still crucial to consider the specific needs of the country in which you are giving, these gifts will benefit not only the individual and their family but also the country as a whole. These are just some small ways we can impact poverty together.
https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/evaluating-the-best-ways-to-give-to-the-poor-guest-post-by-bruce-wydick