Gospel for Asia

For those in poverty, dental care is a luxury beyond their ability to afford. And yet, oral hygiene is needed in order to maintain overall health. According to one study, “oral infection, especially periodontitis, may affect the course and pathogenesis of a number of systemic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, bacterial pneumonia, diabetes mellitus, and low birth weight.” [1] Most people don’t realize the cyclical nature of many diseases for those in poverty. For instance, dental hygiene is affected by how the mouth is cared for and what goes into the mouth. If someone in poverty does not have access to clean water or healthy food, then their dental care will suffer and the rest of their health will suffer because of all these factors. Very closely related, though we may not want to think of it, is a person’s access to proper sanitation or waste management. Many rural villages in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have difficult cycles of no sanitation, leading to contamination o...

The Poverty Impact Network defines hygiene poverty as “an inability to afford everyday hygiene products, such as shampoo, toilet paper, grooming products, dish soap, etc.” [1] How this looks for each person or family may be different, but the results are often the same: shame, avoidance of other people, inability to get work, not going to school, and more. This “tends to be a vicious cycle,” reports the Poverty Impact Network. “Once a person falls into it, they face challenges in digging out. Without proper hygiene, adults struggle to find employment because they can’t put their best foot forward during job interviews and children struggle to succeed in school. Poor hygiene for children can actually lead to death.” [2] Part of the struggle for proper hygiene for those in poverty is a lack of safe toilet options. If a village or town does not have the infrastructure for bathrooms of any kind, then the people are forced to go to the bathroom wherever they can find a semi-secluded place,...

Sanitation poverty is when a person lacks a private space for bathroom needs with proper waste management that prevents illness and disease. Those of us with abundant access to facilities may not have ever considered this side of poverty before. As UNICEF explains, “Universal access to adequate sanitation is a fundamental need and human right. Securing access for all would go a long way in reducing illness and death, especially among children.” [1] Imagine being a little girl in South Asia. It’s nearly bedtime, but before you can lay down to sleep, you need to go to the bathroom. There is no toilet in or near your home, so you make your way through the bushes and brush to find somewhere to go, but it’s dangerous outside. The dangers include wild animals, improper hygiene and predatory men. This is the reality for millions of people worldwide. [1] [2] It’s not just about that little girl. It’s about the villages, communities, and countries that suffer greatly because of lack of proper ...

The term toilet poverty might be new and disconcerting to you, but the impact of this reality needs to be understood in the larger context of sanitation poverty. Sanitation poverty is when a person does not have access to a bathroom with proper waste management, leading to health conditions and possible illness. We generally aren’t comfortable talking about a subject like this one because we understand it to be a private matter that is taken care of out of sight. In developed countries, we know our waste is taken away from our homes and dealt with safely. It all happens quickly, privately and in a healthy manner. However, this uncomfortable the side of poverty is a reality that needs to be addressed. UNICEF reports, “Among the 1.7 billion people without basic sanitation services in 2020, nearly a third (494 million) used no form of toilet and practised open defecation. In 55 countries, more than 5 percent of the population practised open defecation in 2020. Open defecation is most wid...

The extreme poverty definition according to the United Nations is anyone “struggling to fulfill the most basic needs like health, education, and access to water and sanitation,” to name a few. The majority of people living on less than $1.90 a day live in sub-Saharan Africa.” [1] Approximately 10 percent of the world’s population live below this devastating income level, or about 700 million people. [2] In the UN’s publication Why It Matters, they answer why we should care of these definitions and numbers: “…because as human beings, our wellbeing is linked to each other. Growing inequality is detrimental to economic growth and undermines social cohesion, increasing political and social tensions and, in some circumstances, driving instability and conflicts.” They also say, “The private sector has a major role to play in determining whether the growth it creates is inclusive and contributes to poverty reduction. It can promote economic opportunities for the poor.” [3] Organizations like...

When asking, “ What does poverty mean ?” it’s helpful to understand how the United Nations defines it: “Nearly half of the world’s population currently lives in poverty, defined as income of less than US $2 per day, including one billion children. Of those living in poverty, over 800 million people live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than US $1.25 a day.” [1] In addition to these statistical parameters, people in poverty also lack access to proper nutrition, clean drinking water, and adequate health services. Often improper or dangerous housing is part of their situation, as well. The United Nations has several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of global issues that need to be addressed. Their number one SDG is “No Poverty.” [2] Their top three goals in this area include: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day. By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ag...

Though the accepted international rate of poverty is $1.90 a day income, it must be understood that this is a global standard based on many factors and is not reflective of an individual’s or family’s true understanding and experience of poverty, meaning the actual impact and daily realities it brings to them. [1] The rate is mostly helpful in gathering statistics worldwide in order to understand the scope of those living at a certain level of income. The World Bank estimates that around 700 million people live at this level of income. [2] The experience of poverty is far beyond a number used for statistical purposes. For example, a family may have two parents working in the fields nearly every day for long hours. Their combined income is enough to provide roughly enough meals to keep from starving but not enough to pay for their children’s school fees or clothes or medical attention. In addition, their village may not have enough safe drinking water, which means one or both parents o...