5 Things We Can Learn about Finances from Homeless People

There’s not much good that comes out of being homeless. Whether one loses it all as a result of addiction, mental illness or just plain ol’ bad luck, life on the streets teaches hard lessons. Some of those lessons are definitely positive ones however. Now, setting aside the unfortunate people who are on the streets due to drug or mental conditions, here are 5 things we can learn about finances from homeless people.

1. Poverty With A Smile

You might be surprised to know that there are a lot of homeless people who are quite content with their lot in life. They are happy to be out of the rat race and free of the trappings and the cost of those trappings that the rest of us have in our lives. Not only that, many homeless people remain upbeat and positive despite what life has thrown their way as far as the breaks go. Money doesn’t necessarily dictate a happy life.

2. Every Penny Counts

If you think you know how to stretch a dollar, think again. Homeless people know the value of a dollar in a way few of us can understand. And they know how to make it last. Heck, the same can be said for every quarter, dime, nickel or penny that comes their way. You won’t see a homeless person buying a $5 coffee and we could learn a thing or two about spending wisely from them.

3. Resourcefulness

We’re conditioned from a pretty early age to work 9 to 5, get that pay check, and then buy what we want. Hey, it works but homeless people don’t have this luxury and they know where every soup kitchen is, when every bakery disposes of their “day-olds” and the insides of every Good Will or Salvation Army store. Many of them get by very well without having to sit in an office all day. They feed and clothe themselves on their own initiative and savvy. We should all try to cultivate this kind of resourcefulness. It helps to out from where we can get superior value against the same amount of money.

4. Leading by Example

Being homeless is no picnic for those unfortunate enough to find themselves on the street, and that should never be forgotten. However seeing them every day can help us to be thankful for what we have and truly appreciate the roof over our heads. There are a thousand daily comforts we take for granted that homeless people never get to enjoy. We have these small luxuries and we mustn’t lose sight of that. Also, we should truly enjoy what we have because, in the end, we’re no different than anyone else, and tragedy could befall us as well. So, what are you grateful for today?

5. Perseverance Pays Off

A homeless person will stand at a corner all day begging for change or look for any kind of work. True, this is born of necessity but they tough it out for as long as it takes, every day, to get enough money to eat and maybe a bed for the night. They don’t get sick days or vacations and many of them refuse welfare handouts, choosing instead to work for every penny they get. No matter what our economic status, we should all be willing to do the same.

This article was written by Andrew Salmon. He writes for LifeCover.ca – a website with information about term life insurance.

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A Little Comparison: Part 2

These are pictures of some of the many street children of Bangladesh. Observe this pictures and compare it with your childhood. This might help you to be grateful for what you have.

Picture courtesy by Hasibul Sakib Haque. The photographer's contact id: insane_capture@yahoo.com

I often brag about my childhood and cry out loud about how miserable it was. But really it is not such a big deal. It could have been much worse. There are more than 674,000 street children in Bangladesh. 75% of them are from the capital Dhaka, the city where I am from. I easily could have been one of them.

85% of these street children never receive any assistance form the government or different NGOs. They have to fight to survive when my little brother can easily watch cartoon network. They are deprived from education, so it is really hard for them to turn their fortune around. And it is more likely that their children will also belong to the streets. In 2001 their average daily income was 0.55 us dollars. With this money they have to eat and sometimes have to support their family.

What should be the initiative to change this dirty fact? What can we do? I don’t know. But I’d like to help.

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Bloggers Unite: Hunger and Hope

Thanks to Bloggers Unite for giving me the floor to write this post on Hunger and Hope.

I am feeling a little embarrassed as I am writing a post about hunger with a full stomach. I will not dare to ask for forgiveness to my readers and the 963 million hungry people for this.

What is hunger?

Hunger is not just a feeling; it is the most extreme form of poverty. Hunger is not the need to have another hamburger; it is the need to eat something today so that you can live to fight another day.

Some dirty facts

Even though the world currently produces enough food to feed 12 billion people, it is failing to properly feed 6.7 billion people. Due to whatever reasons almost a billion people are considered “hungry”. In the last 19 years (from 1990), the number of hungry people in the world has been increased by 120 million people. On the average, the earth loses one person every second as a result of hunger. 60% of all child deaths are caused by hunger. On the average, a child dies every five seconds due to extreme hunger. Are these numbers enough to move us?

Hunger and Hope

As we are the more privileged people of the world, it’s our duty to extend our hands to the poor and hungry people. We have to give them some light of hope so that they can dare to dream about a better future. We have to start this moral uplifting movement in our local areas first and grow from there gradually. Many charity organizations are already working for this purpose. We can join them (World Food Program, Operation Blessing International) and donate money to help the people in need. You can also choose and buy a meaningful gift from Heifer International's gift catalog and help the hungry people. Moreover we can try to get poor people on there feet so that they don’t have to be hungry anymore. At least we can feed some hungry people once in a while.

Remember, we are not isolated islands. Everyone of us is connected to one another. If half of your body is paralyzed, will you feel happy or do nothing about it? If your answer is “no” then the poor condition of the hungry people should concern you. Then you should try your level best to lessen their pain.

Peace

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Fighting for a Cause
let's Open Our Eyes
Bloggers Unite: Earth Day 2009

Burning Heat Pouring Down

Bangladesh is in its mid summer right now. It’s so hot and humid out there. Even inside my room, with the fan spinning at full speed, it’s really hard not to sweat. Outside it’s 35 degrees Celsius or 95 degrees Fahrenheit. I wonder what the man at Asad-Gate is doing now! I bet he has no place to go but the roadside shed where he is seen all the time. No one is waiting for him with a cool glass of water with ice floating on top. Hmm… I must be real fortunate.

Rain should come pouring down in 2-3 weeks. I guess then the heat will be reduced at least a little. Waiting for the rainy season to come… I love to bathe in the rain sometimes.

But the rainy season also brings disasters with it. Every year during this season Bangladesh suffers from terrible flood and inevitably after that, famine. Flood washes away a huge portion of our corps.

I blame us for this regular flood. If we didn’t fill up all those canals and marshy lands for our own “property development” we could have reduced the severe ness of the floods. It’s a matter of common sense that if we fill up low lands, water will eventually come up to the higher lands and will overflow everything.

I wonder what that person feels about the upcoming rainy season! I wonder what that man will do during that season! Does he have any favorite season? Which one will it be then? Summer- when he has to burn in heat? Monsoon- when he has to get drenched in every rain of the season? Or Winter- when he has to cover his body with only a torn piece of cloth?

I must be real fortunate.

Fighting For a Cause

Bloggers! It’s once again the time to match our voices and shout out that we care for the world around us. Bloggers Unite has arranged an event to help us unite in a noble cause. All we have to do is to join this event and write a post about Hunger and Hope on 29 April, 2009.

Let’s join thousands of caring bloggers and try to put an end to this horrible feeling of hunger. Let's start to weave a hope for better world, better future. Let's give ourselves a chance to say that “at least we tried”. Let’s care.

Some thoughts to get you started:

* Right now, more than 500 million people are living in "absolute poverty" and more than 15 million children die of hunger every year.

* World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the population is underfed and another third is starving.

* Even in the United States, 46 percent of African-American children and 49 percent of Latino children are considered chronically hungry.

Join this event. Put a badge. Write the post.

I’ll definitely be posting on 29 April. I’ll be also posting on 22 April which is the Earth Day. You can also join this event.

related posts:
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Bloggers Unite: AIDS

We Can Bring a Change : Election

For over 5 months now I am noticing this person in this same place. He definitely doesn’t work and I don’t see him going to person to person and begging for money. I wonder how he manages to buy food. I wonder how he managed the sweater and the cap which he is wearing now. His character strikes me as mysterious and interesting. I don’t know what but there is something about this lonely and poor guy which has made me to like him. I would definitely like to talk to him someday.

There are millions of people just like him in my country who are homeless and suffering a lot in winter. I can’t think of living under the open sky in these fogy and extremely cold winter nights.

The national election of Bangladesh is only 8 days away (29 December, 2008). I hope the people of our country wisely choose the person they are going to vote for. I hope the election result reflects the long cherished desire to bring a change in our country. A change, which will help people like that person in the picture. A change which will bring peace in this country, in the soul of the countrymen. I want to see a place named Bangladesh where no one is hostile to another person, where everyone gets up from a decent bed in the morning and can have a plate full of something to eat. I want to see a place where everyone is more or less helpful to one another. I definitely don’t want to see hundreds of people dying in the winter in cold or in hanger.

I hope this 9th national election brings a change… no matter how small it is. It has to start from somewhere.

I hope I am not living in ‘dreamland’.

What Will Be Your Answer ?

Elaine Clermont, my facebook friend and fellow blogger, asked me a question while a conversation on facebook. I am quoting it below.

I would pose you a question, one that my daughter just posed to me ... "if we woke up tomorrow, and everyone did what you wanted them to do, if everything was properly balanced and funded and there was peace and justice in the world, what would you do with your life? Would you still have the same job, or would it be obsolete? What would you talk about?"

Actually I had to think quite a bit to find a reply to this question. I don’t think that I’d want everyone to listen to whatever I say. That would be morally wrong. Besides it will get boring after sometime. I think different views and opinions help us to see things from a different angle and find a better solution to our problems. Besides I might not be 100% right all the time. So if everyone did what I wanted them to do then it might bring chaos rather than bring peace and unity.

I know that the world can’t be 100% balanced. But if somehow everything WAS properly balanced and funded and there was peace and justice in this world, I would be content with my life. But I don’t think that I’d be happy. In my opinion there is a huge difference between being happy and being content. IMO to be content we just need to find a way to ‘get rid of’ our problems and needs, but to be happy we need to ‘overcome’ them. We need to DO or achieve something to be happy. But that’s just my opinion. I’d love to hear what you have to say about this issue.

I think that if everything in that question became true than life would become seriously boring. So I think I’d talk about how to add diversity to our lives and be happy. I want to see peace and justice for all. And I also want to see everyone happy, not just ‘content’. I hope that answers the (very hard) question.

I’d like to hear your reply…

Irtiza

(You can consider subscribing to this blog and stay connected)

Child Rights: As I See It

Before talking about child rights allow me to introduce to you my little brother who has just turned 10 on last month. He is a wonderful kid and is very different from me. He never argues, never disobeys mom, doesn’t waste time on the computer and almost always stays ahead of the class.

His exams are scheduled to start on 12th November. Because of the exams the amount of pressure he is in has really caught my attention. I don’t know about others but I know that this is the outcome of the faulty educational system of ours. A kid of his age (he is in third grade) shouldn’t be under pressure this much. He hasn’t gone out to play for many weeks now. And I’m sorry to say that this is not only happening in his case, all his friends and classmates are going through this same kind of situation. Kids of his age should be able to live a care-free life, they should be able to play, have fun and watch Tricky TV on nick instead of thinking just about their studies.

But still, these are the fortunate kids who can afford to have the luxury of education. But what about the millions of kids worldwide who have literally nothing. Every child has some fundamental rights besides food, safe water, education and medical treatment. They have the right of living without any kind of threat or fear. They have the right of proper mental growth and support. And most importantly they have the right of having a mother and father- a loving family. But it’s a matter of sorrow that we fail to give them what they deserve.

Here are some facts. In many places parents sell their babies (even early teens) for a certain period of time. Children of poverty stricken families of Niger, Mauritania, Chad and Mali have to undergo this kind of situation. I wonder how the kid feels like- living away from its parents! Millions of kids in Bangladesh and India have to work really hard to get a little meal. Many have to work in factories and do hard physical labor to avail them the next meal. Some sell flowers during traffic jams to survive. Due to poverty and other social and political reasons many kids end up fighting others wars. Currently there are 200,000-300,000 child soldiers (under the age of 18) world-wide according to ILO.




No, this is not the way a kid should be treated. And it is our responsibility to make sure that they have a better present and a brighter future.

I am just another guy and this is how I see and feel things. I’m sure you have a better take on this matter. Please share your wisdom and let’s connect.

Let's try.

Peace


Related Post:
Let's Open Our Eyes
We Can Bring A Change
I Do My Part

What are You Grateful for Today?

It has been raining for 3 days now. It’s really chilly and windy outside. So I guess the winter is finally here. I don’t know why but every year winter seems to come with this kind of rain.

It’s really hard to go outside in this weather. I am really fortunate to have a solid roof over my head. At least I have the warmth of my home to come to. But what about the millions of people who are spending their lives in streets? I wonder what they are doing now.

Sometimes a little comparison is necessary to be content, to be grateful. My fellow blogger Ann asked me “What are you grateful for today?” That day I couldn’t answer this question right away.

Today the answer could be something like this-
1. I don’t have to spend the night outside in the cold.
2. I don’t have to get wet as I have a roof over my head.
3. I won’t have to go to bed with an empty belly.
4. I can cover myself with a clean blanket.
5. If I still need another blanket I can fetch one from the locker.

Dear readers, what are you grateful for today?

Related Post:
A Little Comparison
Let’s Open Our Eyes

I Didn't Know That

A friend of mine, Parvez, mailed me today about a news in today’s newspaper. After reading it I just couldn’t but react to it.

As you all know, food price around the world is rising very rapidly and obviously people around the globe are suffering for that.

But I didn’t know that the people of the South-Asia are directly responsible for this rapid growth of food price. According to President Mr. J. W. B. - excessive eating habit of the people of this region (S. Asia) -has caused/is causing- a food crisis and thus the food price -has gone/is going- up.

South Asia means Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri-Lanka and British Indian Ocean Territory (read more: Wikipedia). Some also consider Afghanistan and Myanmar to be countries of S. A.

Last time I checked, the population here is 1.58 billion and over 40 percent people living in this region live below the poverty line- just managing to survive. So I was shocked hearing this statement. Because of statements like this people around the world get a wrong idea about the people living here. The powerful people around the world make this region look like a cancer cell in a human body. And that hurts me…

Now here’s a little survey:

Germany: Millender Family- 2 adults, 2 kids- weekly food cost 500 USD

USA: Revi Family- 2 adults, 2 kids- weekly food cost 342 USD

Japan: Ukita Family- 2 adults, 2 kids- weekly food cost 317 USD

Mexico: Kasales Family: 2 adults, 3 kids- weekly food cost 189 USD

Egypt: Ahmed Family- 7 adults, 5 kids- weekly food cost 69 USD

Bangladesh: Hussain Family- 3 Adults, 2 kids- weekly food cost 40 USD (my family)

Bhutan: Namge Family: 7 adults, 5 kids- weekly food cost 5 USD

Chad: Abu Bakar Family- 3 adults, 3 kids- weekly food cost 1.25 USD


Tell me what you think about it and how much do you spend weekly over food? How can we fight this price hike?

Peace

P.s. I am sorry if I’ve hurt anyone through this post.

Related Post:
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We Can Bring a Change
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A Little Comparison

Let's Open Our Eyes

Answering the call of Blog Action Day and my inner-self

:What is poverty?

To me poverty is hunger, poverty is thirst. It is houses made out of polybags, made on dumps. Poverty is the constant sufferings of the parents, constant crying of the infant. It’s the cause of dropping out from elementary school. Poverty is the devil which forces children as tender as 7 to look for ways to make some money. Everyday I see many street children, younger than my younger brother, trying to sell cheap flowers and bottles of water, during the traffic jam, to ensure that they can avail themselves the next meal. You can almost feel the fear of uncertainty in their eyes. That’s poverty.

I’m not talking the talk which is talked in the T.V. or in the newspapers, I am saying what I see everyday. Each day I see at least two hundred day laborers standing by the road beside the market, waiting for someone to offer them some work to do for that day. And you know what… they will get just a little over 2 USD (150 BDT) for a days hard labor. Yes, that’s poverty.


:What can we do?

I know through personal experiences and observations that we often choose to ignore the dirty facts about this “beautiful” world of ours. Does choosing not to see do us any good? I don’t think so. Like everywhere else, in my country to, the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider by the minute. There is nothing connecting these two groups of people except exploitation (in most cases). Correct me if I’m wrong but that’s the way I feel.

Actually I can’t tell how we can REMOVE poverty. But I know that raising awareness about it (blogging and talking) can be a good start.

However, I can give some advice which can lessen the acuteness of the effect of poverty.

1. Give charity/donate money.
2. Help people to get on their feet.
3. Feed some hungry kids once in a while.
4. Bear the educational expenses of a needy child if you can/as long as you can.
* Don’t just think about your own family.
* Let's believe that we can bring a change.
* Don’t ignore. Come, let’s see…

That’s all for now. If you like this post then feel free to comment and subscribe. Let me know your thoughts about this global issue.

Peace
Irtiza


Related posts:
I Do My Part
We Can Bring A Change

About Blog Action Day 2008

This Wednesday, October 15 is the Blog Action Day and the aim for this year is to write about “poverty”. If you have a blog and willing to blog about the given subject then I’d suggest you to register your blog at BlogActionDay.



Let’s blog and talk about poverty on the given date. Let’s discuss about the world of poverty. Let’s feel the sufferings of the poor and let’s try to make a difference. Let's show the world that we CAN bring a change.



Dear friends, how up close have you seen poverty? How much do you feel for the poor? What do you think we should do to reduce/uproot poverty? I want your opinions…

Irtiza



*You can also read I Do My Part
**If you publish a post on POVERTY please give me the link. I'd love to read your post.

A Little Comparison

A couple of days back when I was going through Dhaka I took this picture. Have a look at it.
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What do you see?

Look at the picture. You can see a “house” on the left- made out of blue and yellow polybags. The house is standing on a roadside dump. And the man (probably the owner of the house/tent) is trying to find something in the waste, probably to sell it.

This is just the picture of one of the many tents that are found on this street...

Dear friends, we have a solid roof over our heads, food to eat, fresh water to drink and internet to blog, surf and socialize. How come we are not still satisfied with our lives?

I Do My Part

On 21st September a lot of bloggers blogged about the current condition of world peace. It’s nice to see so many people who care and write for the/a cause.

Now let’s talk about our part in promoting global peace and the current condition of our world. I think that even the tiniest change that you make can have a huge impact (gradually) over the world. Use this power. Start acting now. Start changing the world around you… (If you are planning on living in Mars then you don’t need to read this post)

1. Don’t waste water. Shut the tap carefully after you are done. Today 1.42 billion* (and counting) people have no access to safe drinking water. Can you imagine what they have to go through to dring some water?

2. Let’s switch off. Don’t leave the light on after coming out from the bathroom. Don’t leave the computer or the TV on standby because it consumes much hard earned electricity. Today more than 1.57 billion* people are living without any electricity.

3. Don’t drive if you can walk the small distance (0.5/1 km etc.). It will reduce pollution, traffic jam and will save you some cash (do I need to talk about the price of fuel?). I’ve heard some of my friends saying that “the person who can’t bye a car rides the bus”. I don’t agree with it. Riding the bus isn’t an insult.

4. Don’t spend $1000 on shopping. Spend $995 and give that extra $5 to someone who needs it more. If you are a Muslim then give Zakat. Feed a hungry kid once in a while. Don’t throw away old cloths. Instead give it to charity. In my country each year during Dec-Feb many rootless people die only because of the cold weather even though we live in South Asia.

5. Let’s recycle. Let’s carry bags with us when ever we go shopping. Avoid poly-bags. Use paper bags and recyclable polythene instead.

6. Have a working knowledge about politics. Know who you are voting. Know your rights and power. Know that you are not alone. You can do almost anything if you want to.

7. LET’S NOT BE SELFISH. Love others, care about others, care about your country and the world.

If you like this post please subscribe. If you really like it then you can add one of these badges to your blog and let the world know that you care. You can also create your own sticker. But please LINK THE STICKER TO THIS POST.

Check out the facts about YOUR world: Poverty Facts and Stats, World-O-Meters*, Population Below the Poverty Line

Related Articles: My Other Post, My Other Post, Enjoy The World's Post

We Can Bring a Change

Just the short distance from my campus to Dhaka reveals some ‘below the poverty line’ scenes which can not but hurt ones feelings. If you look out through the window you’ll see people living on dumpsters in a ‘home’ made out of plastic and polythene. They are deprived of ALL basic and fundamental human rights. Let alone “proper” food they can’t even avail themselves pure water. Everyday minimum 3 individuals get on our bus and beg for money. Another common sight in Dhaka is that many people sleeping in footpaths covering themselves in a dirty rag. I bet you’ll cover your nose when passing by these people as they don’t have a place to get “cleaned”.

I am Irtiza and this is my world. No one is going to fix it for me. I have to come forward to do something. Running from the problems never did anyone any good - I can never support getting a good score in the exams and flying to another country JUST for better salary. The world is dying around me and I will die with it if I don’t act soon. War, poverty and pollution are my creations and only I can do something about it.

And it feels great to finally meet some people with the same vision, goal and patriotism. Keeping in mind the poor condition of our country (if not the world) we have decided to create a nonprofit organization which helps the people who are needed to be helped. You can call it our little effort to make this world a little better place to live in.

Remember, the most difficult part of any job is the beginning. Star helping people around you. You have to start from zero and grow from there.
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