In Asia, Poverty Affects How Many People?

Statistics for 2021 show at least 98 million people are living in poverty in just one country in Asia.[1] Though there is much work to be done, this is a staggering improvement over 2011 figures that estimated 21.6% of this country’s entire population lived in poverty, but it’s seeing it’s poverty rate improving.

This is largely due to the growth of it’s gross domestic product (GDP).[2] A country’s GDP measures the monetary value of goods and services bought by consumers that are produced in a country in a given period of time.[3] This country’s growth in the last two decades has been exponential. The more industry and goods there are, the more jobs are available.

Sustainable reductions in poverty come from many targeted solutions, but one proven way to help people escape from and remain out of poverty is by giving them a means of income. According to NGO Upaya, “Those in extreme poverty often turn to irregular income activities such as begging, day labor, and trash picking. Because income is so unreliable, many find themselves in a vicious circle where their unmet basic needs make it impossible to maintain a regular income stream.”[4]

This is why GFA World prioritizes methods of assistance that give those in poverty the tools they need to secure positions with skills and items that help them create a business. GFA’s Gift Catalog is full of exciting ways to set people free from poverty.

One such gift is a sewing machine. For just $100, you can give a woman the tool that will help her start a business right where she is. This is a fraction of what most people spend on a cell phone, yet its lasting impact on her, her family and the following generations will be profound.

Starting a sewing business and being able to take on garment work will provide the reliable income that many women long for in impoverished countries. So many of them simply want a way to provide for their families, especially their children and their education.


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