This Heifer International Organization came to our school and discussed with us, fifth grade students about the inequalities in Vietnam and around the world. Meanwhile, they also inform and educate us on many surprising facts and the impact of these inequalities. It was very special, getting to talk with experts working with inequalities. Ms. McMacken reminded us that these people are people who work with inequalities as their full-time jobs. I couldn't believe there are people working on this challenging topic. I could be one someday:) I will answer some questions about this organization.
- How does Heifer help?
That's how Heifer " helps ". They proudly spoke that they help others in poverty by teaching them how to make money from their business. This means that if Heifer gives some money to them, they will spend it all and it will end. That leads them to poverty again. Heifer tries to give them a little money and educate them on how to make even more from it. As they have more money, they can send their kids to school and with proper education, the kids can help the families live without poverty. I could see how they are thinking very deeply into this and it's a cycle obviously.
- What facts did you learn from the presentation that surprised you?
One of the most shocking data I heard from the presentation was about the average income of citizens in Vietnam. The average income of a poor citizen in Vietnam $1000 a year. That's not even 1 month of our tuition at AIS. For rich families, they make fairly $12.475 a year. That's approximately the cost of our tuition at our school for a year. That indicates that our families make much more than that. The comparison demonstrates that people in Vietnam isn't making barely enough money to afford a normal life. The poor only makes about $83.3 every month, that's about 1.8 million VND . According to numbeo.com, an apartment with 1 bedroom outside of the city centre costs 7,444,289.47 VND. That's about 4 times larger than the money they earned. However, this is an apartment so it might cost more when some workers choose to rent a room in a private home which is much cheaper. Otherwise, they might live in houses they possess. I am sure that the middle or rich people have a much more comfortable life than those in poverty.
- Why don't they just give money to the poor?
As mentioned before, I consider that they have chosen to not give money to the poor because they could see that as soon as the money is spent, what will the poor do next? Sitting there and waiting for them to come back and feed them? Of course not. Helping them is already so special and they don't have so much money that they can keep assisting the same people over and over again. There are about 870 million people in poverty around the world so they can't possibly come back and give the poor guys money again. They know that " Knowledge is power. " and that's why I believe they have chosen to give the poor citizens the skills needed to grow their little amount of money.
- What can YOU do about world hunger and poverty?
Honestly, I know that I am just a fifth grader and whatever I do doesn't really impact a lot on this community. But, I believe that with some small actions and a true heart, things could start to change. My parents respect those in poverty and they always find ways to help. My dad isn't always in the city so he helps with the cash he earned. My mom has her own sources of income so she helps in her own way too. She usually buys food items and donate them to people who live in faraway places. Sometimes, she pays for an organization and that organization gives free healthcare or elderly people. Moreover, there are some areas on the mountains that isn't well-educated. Mama donates some money to an organization or whatever and that organization hires teachers or educators to come and give the kids small lessons on how to read. I always felt proud about what my mother did because those thoughtful actions of her did change some parts of me. Nevertheless, as I reflect on it, I can see that my mother aren't really helping them as much. She is just giving them stuff, not actually teaching them on how to feed themselves. My plan is to talk to my mother about this so that the next time she works on this, she can find more solutions on how to help effectively. I think that my conversation with Mama will change something and I believe I will help in a special and " secret " way. That's how I believe kids help!