Poverty Stimulation Follow Up

POVERTY SIMULATIONFOLLOW UP

Name: Minah

Now that you’ve been a part of, and completed, the poverty simulation, its time to think about what happened and your reactions and feelings as well as some ongoing action you may want to take.
Individually and/or in groups think about and answer the following questions/statements.

How did it feel to be poor? It felt really bad and very stressful. It's like you want to stop and take a break but you have to know you're competing out with other poor people to, whether it's trying to get to the buyer first or something else. But, you also have to understand it's essential to work very hard, even if your're poor and weak and don't feel like it, because you feel responsible for feeding your family. It made me, and probably everybody else, very grateful and privileged for what we have.

Do you have a better understanding about poverty? What specifically did you learn from the simulation? I specifically learned, that although sometimes, it seems like to me, most of the people in poverty resort to begging. But from the facts that Mr.Collet also told us, lots of people, use their very limited resources, efficiently and as neat as possible to create cheap products. That's how they manage to get by everyday.

Is poverty just about not having money? If its not, what else is involved? Poverty is not only about money. Although the things you need can be acquired by money. Like a potable water source, shelter, food, these things can be acquired by having a good income. Although there is a part to it that involves your moral code, like stealing. During the activity some people "stole" but in a business like this, stealing would be your last option because even though you are going through poverty you still want to do it honestly. And it's a very tempting option, and a hard decision to make.

Who had the most and least power in the simulation? The buyer for sure, had the most power at the end of the day, because even if you worked really hard the buyer could just reject your offer, if he/she doesn't need it. The least power, has to belong to your family probably, or somebody waiting back home for your money because as much as they wish for it, they cannot be in control of how good the quality of your work will be because they're not there physically to help you. And therefore they don't have power over the way you work, which could affect your salary for the day.

What are possible (and realistic) ways out of poverty for those like the paper bag makers and millions of others in their situation in the world today? Remember almost one billion people in the world live on less than a dollar a day. A possible way would probably be that, even though it can be difficult, but job oppurtunities be provided for everybody. And for there to be a rule that in local schools, they have free education given to the children aged under 10 years old. Slowly, then when kids get education and share around knowledge will it be easier for them to get jobs and collect the needed money for the family and the tuition after they turn 11 years old.

Poverty Game: "my name is Minah, I'm now 13 years old. I don't go to school because I don't have enough money and neither do my parents. When I am helping them out on the family farm, during the rainy season I make an income of the average for poor living, my parents only make below the average of decent living. My eldest sibling goes to school, but only for a year because we realized we cannot afford it right now. My mother gets sick very often so most of our income is taken out so she can go to the hospital and get the local medicine for her condition. But I cannot complain because there is not point, I do not have clean water to drink, and every second or third night I have to go without food. I don't have friends here, because I do not have time to interact with people that live near our shed, during the rainy season crops grow very good. But during the winter they die and the winter here is followed by summer which also makes the crops die. But in my life this is all normal, I just hope one day that my income rises to the average of a decent living so I will be able to not only be happy, but also be able to finally attend school."