For the Children

Children hold the potential of a brighter future.  In their heart and in their spirit rests the promise of a better world. Planet Aid is dedicated to honoring the promise and potential of all children by eradicating poverty and creating conditions for lasting development.

Unfortunately, the economic downturn that began in 2008 has been a major factor in expanding the ranks of the very poor.  The rate at which people become impoverished in the U.S. has risen faster than any other comparable period since the early 1980s.  Today 15.4 million Americans live in extreme poverty.  This number is the largest ever recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau.  Extreme poverty for a family of four in the U.S. means that their cash income is about $30 a day or less.

Beyond the U.S. borders the problem is more serious. Currently there are approximately 3 billion people in the developing world trying to live on less than $2 per day.  The World Bank estimates that in 2010 alone an additional 64 million people were pushed into extreme poverty in developing nations.  Across Africa, South and Central America, and Asia, villages are beset by growing hunger, starvation, and disease. Many individuals, particularly children, are caught in a struggle just to survive.

Planet Aid uses the net proceeds it generates from its clothing operations to support poverty reduction projects that enable smallholder farmers to increase their income and become more food secure,  strengthen educational opportunities (especially among women and young girls), fight diseases that can decimate families and orphan children, and facilitate community development projects that make a real difference in the lives of the poor. Among the many types of development models we support is the Child Aid project. Child Aid seeks to create safe and supportive living conditions for children and their families across all sectors of a community.  It embraces a “people centered” approach that empowers participants to become agents of change. Read more at www.planetaid/ChildAid.

By John Nagiecki. This blog is part of a series in recognition of the UN's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Oct. 17.