What do we mean by poverty alleviation? In fact, how do we measure poverty? All agree that hundreds of millions of people are moving up out of extreme poverty. However, hundreds of millions more still live with great deprivation. Some argue that the poor always will be with us. In relative terms, that is true: there always will be those at the bottom of any economic distribution, but those who live with the fewest resources can make progress improving and stabilizing their lives when given access to affordable solutions. Affluent people, far removed from those who live on one or two dollars a day, tend to glaze over at numbers like "2,600,000,000 people lack sanitation" or "3,000,000,000 people cook directly over smoky campfires." These are numbing numbers; they make people feel guilty and helpless. In actuality, anyone can do something to help people help themselves. However modest the effort, it makes a difference to someone.
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