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Page 15 of 39
2.3 The poor will always be with us
This statement is a classic: that there is no point in doing anything to help the poor because there will always be poor people. They will always be with us.
Undoubtedly, some discrepancy in income and wealth among people will always exist. (Yunus, 2003, p. 262) The point now, however, is not to eradicate poverty completely, but to eradicate extreme poverty (Sachs, 2005 p. 24), although Yunus hopes to see ultimately only a middle class and a luxury class (2003, p. 262). Everyone has the right to the bare essentials to live: to food, clothing, shelter. They also deserve the chance to improve their lives through education, health care, microcredit, etc. (Sachs, 2005, p. 20) However, the poorest of the poor do not have these critical necessities (Sachs, 2005, p. 20) and thus face not just destitution but even death from disease and starvation.
But as shown by the story of microcredit, when the poor are given the opportunities that we in the rich world take utterly for granted, they grab them with both hands and do an exceptional and inspiring job of improving their lives (Yunus, 2003). The poor indeed may always be with us, but that is no excuse for ignoring the extreme destitution and suffering that we can help to alleviate.
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