At the beginning of my challenge if you asked what me what I knew about poverty and what it meant to me, I would probably have recited the statistic that 1.4 billion people are today living in poverty. I have since realised, as a result of the challenge, this in itself means very little. Poverty isn’t a statistic nor is its pervasiveness adequately captured by monetary measures alone.  It’s an individual, human experience that has multiple dimensions.

In my opinion, statistics whilst useful and potentially hard-hitting, depersonalise poverty. They also often make poverty seem insurmountable; an ill that is too great to possibly overcome. This being said, two questions need answering: 1) What does poverty mean to me now? 2) If poverty is not insurmountable, what can be done?

What does poverty mean to me now? What is poverty?

• Aches and pains in the back and cuts to head (from banging into bedside tables)
• A slight cold
• An inability to climb into bed, pull the duvet over my head and pretend problems don’t exist

On a more serious note, it is:

-          An individual, human experience

-          A set of emotions and feelings

-          A lack of/limit on opportunities

-          A daily struggle 365 days a year for everyday survival

-           An inability to adequately express ones’ needs, wishes and desires

-          A mentally and physically draining experience

So, to the second question: what can be done?

When poverty is broken down and seen as a human experience as opposed to a statistic it becomes clear that there are many ways in which we can all contribute to the alleviation of it. For example, even by engaging with a conversation with a homeless person, and in doing so acknowledging their existence, on the street, is, in my opinion, a contribution. Poverty is not just a lack of money so whilst it’s important we continue to campaign for increases in development aid and pay our direct debits to Oxfam,  CAFOD, Shelter, etc, it is also important that we more recognise that there are many other things that can, and must, also be done.