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PO Box A524
Sydney South NSW 1235, Level 11, 227 Elizabeth Street Sydney NSW 2000

Telephone: 1800 812 164

© 2024 Opportunity International AustraliaABN 83 003 805 043

Coming Together To End Poverty

By Ariadne Sofianidis

Between now and 2015, we must make sure that promises made become promises kept. The consequences of doing otherwise are profound: death, illness and despair, needless suffering, lost opportunities for millions upon millions of people.

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

In 2010, Ban Ki-moon stood up and spoke about the importance of the year 2015 in the fight to end global poverty.

And now the year is almost over.

Tomorrow, 17 October, marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. And we can definitely say that many of the promises made have been kept if the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are anything to go by:

  • More than 1 billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty
  • The proportion of undernourished people in the developing countries has fallen by almost half
  • Enrolment in primary education in developing countries reached 91 per cent
  • 2.6 billion people gained access to improved drinking water sources.

“Building a sustainable future: Coming together to end poverty and discrimination” is the theme for this year, highlighting the importance of the international community working together to ensure a long-term solution to poverty is found. The theme is also a segway into the newly adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which United Nations (UN) member states adopted this September, agreeing to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere.” And for the first time it looks like this might be possible. Just recently the World Bank announced that extreme poverty is set to fall below 10% with, Jim Yong Kim, the President of the World Bank stating that:

It is now within the realm of possibility that by the time the SDGs expire in 2030, we could see an end to extreme poverty – and you can be a part of the solution.

Opportunity International Australia is at the forefront of tackling poverty and on this day we ask you to join us in our fight.

The cycle of poverty is vicious and it’s our goal to help families leave poverty behind permanently by giving them a hand up through small loans to start their own businesses.

With the income earned from these businesses, mothers are able to provide for their families, giving them nutritious food, clean water, shelter and education they couldn’t afford before. It also empowers them with valuable skills that will stay with them for the rest of their lives and can be passed down to their children. We’re currently reaching more than 3.1 million families throughout Asia – and this number is increasing year by year.

The statistics and stories speak for themselves. Change is happening. If we work together, we can eradicate global poverty and find those “lost opportunities for millions upon millions of people”.

Take a stand against poverty today by:

Donating
Did you know that $70 is enough to help a mother grow a small business so that she can provide for her family?

Starting a fundraiser
Opportunity offers some great ideas for fundraising, and it can be as simple as having a get together with your friends over a good meal!

Getting social
Show your support by liking our Facebook page and following us on Twitter and Instagram – we'd love to hear from you!

Ariadne Sofianidis is the Communications Intern at Opportunity International Australia. Presently studying a double degree in Commerce and Arts, she generously offers her time, skills and experience to assist in a range of communications activities.

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