Notes from the Cape

Did you know that if you are earning R4000 per month, you are in the top 14% of the richest people in the world? If you earn R15000 per month, you are in the top 10%.

Doesn’t that make you feel good? A bit richer perhaps? Please consider donating just a small amount to help some of the poorest people in the world. Many of their lives could be improved dramatically or even saved if you donate just one hour’s salary.

The world’s 225 richest people now have a combined wealth of $1 trillion. That’s equal to the combined annual income of the world’s 2.5 billion poorest people.

Did you know that three billion people live on less than $2 per day while 1.3 billion get by on less than $1 per day. Seventy percent of those living on less than $1 per day are women.

Every single day, 30000 children are dying as a result of extreme poverty.

There are three websites where you can make a difference:

Make Poverty History At www.makepovertyhistory.org, you can pledge your support and make a donation, and be "part of a unique worldwide effort in 2005 to end extreme poverty – you’re saying that it’s time to stop the deaths of more than 200,000 people every single week from preventable diseases."

Their mission can be summarised in 9 words: "TRADE JUSTICE. DROP THE DEBT. MORE AND BETTER AID"

They bring together a wide cross section of over 300 charities, campaigns, trade unions, faith groups and celebrities who are united by a common belief that 2005 offers a unprecedented opportunity for global change.

By wearing a white armband campaign, you can support them and show your commitment and support to their cause.

Care International Global Rich List allows for you to asses your wealth, and to make a donation to Care International. This money is used to assist them to work in some of the poorest countries of the world where it acts for the poor and vulnerable – during crises and over the long term. Operating on a global scale, CARE counters hunger and fights poverty and inequality. Last year alone its projects touched the lives of nearly 25 million people across the globe.

They try to shift our perception of wealth from looking at how many people are more wealthy than us, to how many are poorer than us.

How rich are you?>>

World Vision The last site is Worldvision, which allows for you to make a once off donation, or to sponsor a specific child almost anywhere in the world. Sponsorship of a child costs less that R6 per day. The money is used to provide essentials like safe drinking water, basic healthcare, education, food and immunisation against the killer diseases. They are are a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty.

When you sponsor a child, you receive photographs, letters from the child, and annual ‘report cards’ about the child’s well-being and education.

It is the duty of the ‘haves’ to assist the ‘have nots’.

If we all help in a small way, we can collectively make a large difference.

Are you going to make a difference?

Written by Craig