News | Overcoming Extreme Poverty

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Every attitude, every gesture has to fight poverty and exclusion. There are many ways to act, regardless of our skills and availability. These messages, these testimonials reflect. Feel free to contribute.

Testimonies are published under the responsibility of the author. They are subject to validation: these will be published only if they comply, in form and substance the spirit of this day as defined in the International Charter for October 17.

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Testimonies

Haiti

fighting poverty in Haiti through Education

My name is Franckel Wally Jeanrisca I was born and raised in Kenscoff, Haiti. I am the Executive Director of Christian’s Group for the Integrate Development, INC a 501(c) 3 non-for profit organization founded in March 2009.

It Mission is to provide opportunity for people in chronic poverty to transform their lives. Articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world. Be a motor in rural areas that helps young people to get organized and to become critical leader that transform their regions and countries. Teach all Haitians the key to community building: a sense of trust, cooperation and group accountability, community, unity, group competitiveness, and academics.

Now we are working in a new leadership plan which is a new alternative investment that will encourage all Haitians in the diaspora no matter which country they are living, give them opportunities to contribute to Haiti’s sustained economic development. Working to build the capacity of Haitian’s peasant organizations and communities to lead their own development processes and to sustainably improve their agriculture, livelihoods, health, and resiliency.

In order to eradicate the poverty and tackle the Education problem in Haiti, CGID has decided to focus on a remote area called Robin in Kenscoff. Kenscoff is a city in the Port-au-Prince Arrondissement, in the West department of Haiti, located in mountainous country some 10 kilometers to the southeast of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The altitude is approximately 1,500 meters. Because of its altitude, the temperature is on average cooler than the capital and during winter months it can become quite cold; cold enough to warrant a sweater or a jacket. It has a population of around 52,200. In addition, Robin has a population of around 15,000 people about 4 kilometers of Kenscoff. Due to the lack of facilities, only 15% of children go to the only schools in the area. Unfortunately, not even one of the schools follows the educational standards.

CGID and partners undertake the construction of a18-class rooms building to change the lives of the students in the area by providing them a school with proper tools for the student to have a better education.

"the combine efforts of millions of concerned citizens could do wonder to help the impoverished.BB

Date: 27/07/2016

Auteur: Franckel Jeanrisca

United Kingdom

The Fine Line

The Poverty Truth Commission brings together some of Scotland’s key decision makers with those living at the sharp end of poverty. We work together towards overcoming poverty in Scotland; ensuring that those affected by decisions are central to decision-making. The Commission believes poverty will only be truly addressed when those who experience it first-hand are at the heart of the process.

Some of us have just begun to meet together fortnightly to write and tell our stories in the way we want to tell them. This poem, inspired by Edwin Morgans 'A View of Things' is our first joint effort.

The Fine Line

what I love about water is the light bouncing off it

what I hate about shoes is their not living in the cupboardness

what I love about lying on the kitchen floor is it makes me feel childish

what I hate about winter is its coldness

what I love about the end of the day is going to bed

what I hate about welfare cuts is the thud

what I love about giving a witty reply is it makes people smile

what I hate about benefitscheats and hardworkingfamilies is the calculated division

what I love about summer is the freshness of bed sheets and towels

what I hate about realising a friend has got me to do something I didn’t want to is I notice it - first thing the next morning

what I love about books is being the swash-buckling hero

what I hate about traffic is the smell, and the noise

what I love about perfume is the fragrance

what I hate about supermarkets is the impatience

what I love about being well-off is having choices (the wee things)

what I hate about having choices is having to choose (the big things)

what I love about poverty is the laughter, resilience and life

what I hate about money is it’s always in the future

what I love about people is there’s so many cultures

what I hate about mornings is their eternal grumpiness

what I love about campaigning is its anger

what I hate about meetings is the disappointment when people don’t turn up

what I love about sharing stories is the solidarity

what I hate about money is its association with success

what I love about foodbanks is togetherness

what I hate about banks is their bureaucracy

what I love about rain is its patter

what I hate about unemployment is stigma

what I love about having no money is being creative

what I hate about driving is nobody wants to stop to give way – Bottleneck!

what I love about autumn is matching

what I hate about Ian Duncan Smith is everything

what I love about money is it gets you a trolley in the supermarket

what I hate about automated phone calls is they sound so unfriendly

what I love about school is it is routine

what I hate about school is the school meals or lack of it

what I love about poverty is its sharing

what I hate about richness is its power

what I love about sharing is its kindness

what I hate about poverty is lack of education

what I love about life is its celebration

Date: 15/10/2015

Auteur: Poverty Truth Commission, Glasgow

Ireland

Forgotten people

The first 3 of the last five years I did mark the 17 October with an event through schools. I did that as recommended in the Mission Alive book of the time.

In everyday life I assist with communities impacted by big business and the demands on me in this area are immense. I also attend to asylum issues at a policy and personal level.

It was in this latter spirit that I marked 17 October in 2012. Because of other demands it had to be very simple. I invited four asylum seekers who had been at the former celebrations for a meal in a local cafe to get to know them more personally. Three came - one Afghan, one Pakistani and one Kenyan, all long years in the asylum system. One of their sons now does some volunteer work in my office and in the spirit of my own Institute, of Jesuit Refugee Services and ATD I remain attentive to the plight of the forgotten people.

Date: 25/03/2013

Auteur: Majella Mc Carron OLA sister, Ireland.

Canada

Dorchester Penitentiary

My name is James LeBlanc & I will be speaking in Dorchester Penitentiary ( New Brunswick Canada).

Date: 01/10/2012

Auteur: James Leblanc

Ireland

Standing beside the poorest and working for a better world.

The stories of people who struggle in their daily lives are an inspiration to all of us, they encourage us to stand beside them and work for a better world.

Date: 01/11/2011

Auteur: Barbara

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Proposition theme for October 17 2019

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The following two themes, which take into account the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2019, are proposed for the October 17 commemoration this year: 1...