Definitions of poverty

I thought I will just share some of the stuffs I read from Jeffrey Sachs book, some basic information that I never knew, and I think my blog readers don't as well.

"As a matter of definition, it is useful to distinguish between three degrees of poverty: extreme (or absolute) poverty, moderate poverty, and relative poverty. Extereme poverty means that households cannot meet basic needs for survival. They are chronically hungry, unable to access health care, lack the amenities for safe drinking water and sanitation,cannot afford education for some or all of the children, and perhaps lack rudimentary shelter-a roof to keep the rain out of the hut, a chimney to remove the smoke from the cook stove and basic articles of clothing, such as shoes. Unlike moderate and relative poverty, extreme poverty occurs only in developing countries. Moderate poverty generally refers to conditions of life in which basic needs are met, but just barely. Relative poverty is generally construed as a household income level below a given proporation of average national income. The relatively poor, in high-income countries, lack access to cultural goods, entertainment, recreation, and to quality health care, education and other perquisites for upward social mobility.

The World Bank has longed used a complicated statistical standard-income of $1 per day per person, measured at purchasing power parity- to determine the numbers of extreme poor around the world. Another World Bank category, income between $1 per day and $2 per day, can be used to measure moderate poverty....They estimated that roughly 1.1 billion people were living in extreme poverty in 2001, down from 1.5 billion in 1981...1.6 billion moderately poor."

The End of Poverty, Jeffrey D. Sachs

By this, it seems that the people we are helping in Manila are the moderately poor. We will be building for illegal settlers at Taugig City. A bit disappointed we are no longer going to the rural areas. :( Sigh.

Anyway I am so tired. But good that I went to CG yesterday. It was a good praying together with the people there. :O I know that God calls us to be accountable to one another, and that is to protect us from the evil one- a lone ranger is easy to be attacked. Ofcos we can retain our own individuality in a group, being in a group doesn't mean we lose our brains (I hope!). How we all need christian friends to pray with. How we all need each other in our imperfections. How we need each other even when we can't don't agree with each other. How being together with others teaches us humility and contrition. How God teaches us to love through loving imperfect people. The more we hang out with others, the more we find out abt their flaw/strengths, the more we discover our own weaknesses too.