Poverty exists in every community; you can find poor people living next door to affluent households. Aren’t there better remedies to prevent poverty? Poverty can be defined as the lack of resources to live a socially acceptable life. The government defines poverty in terms of per capita income, but often, these numbers are skewed to favor the government. The top 8 wealthiest people accumulate as much income as the bottom 4 million combined. Wealth has become concentrated in the hands of a few.

Those in power often advocate for economic growth, claiming that expanding the economic pie will benefit everyone, even those with the smallest share. If the problem were solely about insufficient food, health care, or income, then increasing these supplies should solve the issue. However, poverty is more complex; it is a pervasive social reality rooted in exclusion from work, inequality, and environmental degradation.

There are several myths about poverty. The first is that poverty is inevitable and will always exist. The second is that poverty is simply about the lack of money. The third is that poverty is self-inflicted. In future discussions, we will explore these myths and potential solutions to poverty.