“It is the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference”

Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Laureate 2004.

 

Finally, it comes to this, the little things that each one of us can do to end child poverty. This last September, assembled at the United Nations in New York, the global community- in adopting the Sustainable Development Goals – committed to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere” before 2030. This is a profound moment, that many have been waiting for, an unequivocal commitment by all nations and actors to end poverty in this lifetime.

This week, as the world commemorates the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we remind ourselves that the impact of poverty on children is often irreversible. Poverty robs children of their future, their health, education, security and overall well-being. Indeed child poverty is easily the worst kind of poverty imaginable and the kind of poverty that should command the most urgent and greatest of our attention and resources.

To this end, we commit to engage in advocacy, action and building partnerships at local, national and global levels to end child poverty. We call on the faith communities, civil society organizations, governments, intergovernmental bodies, local and international organizations, tomake ending child poverty central to their mission and development agenda.

The question then becomes, to quote from the immortal words of the late Professor Wangari Maathai, Nobel peace laureate,

what little thing will you do? What is the little thing that each one of us will do to end child poverty and all forms of poverty, worldwide?

Fred Nyabera,

Director, End Child Poverty – Arigatou International