Poverty and inequality

My brother is one of the people I admire the most in this world! As the younger sister, I have always been a rebel while my brother was the wise and protective. He is the cleverest person I know and he always knows to find the right book for me to read. This time he has certainly picked the right one as a graduation gift –Pelle Eroberen (Pelle the Conquer) is about this poor farmer boy who grows up and fights for the poor in Denmark and for the unions of Denmark… which are part of the reason why I am now living in such a rich and equal society. If it had not been for the unions and for the fight that was fighted generations before me, then I probably would never had studied economics and traveled the world.  In the beginning of the book my brothers words to me were; “may you always be dangerous”. These words make me so proud, because as a referral to the book, I know that it means that I should continue my fight for the poor –around the world. My brother and I live very different lives, but the past years we have found to enjoy our time together more and more. And these words make me so happy because I feel he is proud of me despite our differences.

That I am reading this book now while I am experiencing a country which is in the same state as Denmark was when this book was written makes me think a lot…. And one question can’t leave my mind… a question which I still haven’t formulated properly but which I feel gains more and more importance in my heart…. It is a question regarding the relation between poverty and inequality…. I have previously mentioned that poverty will not be eradicted unless everybody wants it…. As I have explored this thought more, compared it to my reading and what I see here….. I realize it is because I don’t believe eradiction of poverty can truly be unless some people settle for less…. In Denmark this is not as much the case as it is here in Bangladesh… in Denmark inequality is rising but it is still so so far from being a threat to the welfare of all poorest people as it is here in Bangladesh…. Or for that sake, in Latinamerica where inequality is also a huge matter…

And why, why should someone have more than they can handle while others don’t even have enough to eat every day…. Some families are taking turns on getting food and some families throughout what several families could have eaten. Some families have more rooms than they use and some families just have a spot under the bridge… I’m sorry, but I simply get’s so sad and frustrated!!!!

And what makes me even sadder is that I don’t know what to do. I am frustrated with myself…. No matter how much I want to be the friend of the poor and help those who are struggling the most, then I cannot find my way f doing so. I was not born and raised with poverty and I don’t know their lives, I am not one of them…and they know it at least as well as I do…

I am walking around the streets of Dhaka and the beggars are coming to me… but I don’t give them money nor food… Either I feel intimidated, or I am afraid how many of them will get attracted by the money I give to one or I am afraid that someone who is desperate will see the money and hurt me… I don’t give them food neither, I could take them to a place or buy something for them… but again, I don’t… I feel sad about the situation and that they need to beg.

Afterwards I am questioning if giving to the beggars is the solution…. The known excuses that one cannot give to all of them or that they should not get used to beg pop up… but at the same time I fell I am telling myself a lie… I feel like a coward who just doesn’t dare to do what is needed…

I hear about people who live on the street with the homeless and people who really engage with these unfortunate people… I end up spending my money on comfort like taxis and american burgers. And I don’t what I am actually afraid of… deep in me is a belief in the best in people and I feel ashamed about my comfort. Sometimes I wish I was born less fortunate and could fight the battle side by side with poor… Now I will always miss the good life that I know, attract attention in the slum and face a risk of desperate people abusing my wish to help.

I don’t know what to do, which part I should take in the poor people’s fight…. I only know that everybody should want things to change…. But how can I do anything about this??? I have a dream but I don’t know what to do about it….

(written the 22nd and 23rd of October)