One contributing factor in inspiring me to volunteer for BeadforLife was Jeffrey Sachs’ book The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time. It is the clearest, most readable, and most hopeful of any economics book I have ever read. Sachs, one of the world’s leading economists, describes his goal to end extreme poverty by 2015.
Through extensive research and engaging tales of his experience working as an advisor for developing countries such as Bolivia, Russia, India, China, and various nations in Africa, Sachs delves into the causes of extreme poverty and what can be done to stop it. He highlights the need to help the poorest of the poor, those subsisting on less than a dollar a day. These people need help to reach the first rung on the “ladder of economic development” so they can rise above a mere subsistence level and contribute to global economic growth.
Sachs’ plan, which is embodied in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, requires the help of rich nations. He emphasizes that extreme poverty would be eliminated if rich nations contributed what has already been promised for foreign aid. With this aid, developing countries can improve infrastructure (roads, power, and ports) and human capital (health and education), which are powerful engines of economic growth. He stresses that it is not only the extreme poor and developing countries, but the rest of the interconnected world that will benefit from this economic growth.
Sachs’ description of extreme poverty and his plan for sustainable economic development is exactly what BeadforLife is working to address.
Erik Nyhus BeadforLife Volunteer
Erika has volunteered with BeadforLife for 1 year. Erika is currently working on her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She holds a B.A. in psychology and anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley. Her background in anthropology combined with her travels in Morocco and Central America have led to a desire to help people from poor regions of the world. BeadforLife’s focus parallels her belief that aid should focus on creating opportunities for sustainable economic growth.
Tags: Africa, BeadforLife, Millennium Development Goals, poverty, Uganda