Around 659million live under extreme poverty in the world. Many of these individuals suffer from malnutrition, excessive work, and despair due to a lack financial resources. Many families remain stuck in poverty for generations because they lack the financial means to make changes.
Many people in poverty are not only found in poor countries, but also first-world countries such as the United States and Australia.
Because money makes money, many of these nations continue to see a wider gap between the rich- and the poor.
A better education access can help young people break the cycle that leads to poverty. Education is a pathway to a productive future. Many students of low income can’t afford school. Students in low-income areas are more likely to experience stress due to displacement, hunger and social unrest.
Education offers these students the chance to have a positive impact on their futures and opens up more possibilities for the next generation. Increasing access to education is a way of investing in the world’s future.
Support Nutrition:
In 2020 2.9 millions American households were extremely hungry. This meant that neither the parents nor the children in the household had the means to cook healthy meals. A further 7.2% American family households had adults who were food insecure.
Many schoolchildren eat while they are at school. This has led to students losing access to resources during virtual learning seasons. Children are less able to concentrate and retain information when they are hungry. Also, malnourished young children can experience delayed neurological growth.
To make education more accessible to low-income families, it is important to support programs that nourish their bodies. Many non-profit organizations and volunteers helped fill this gap after school closed. The key to financial security and restoration of family finances is the support of poverty-stricken families.
You can also support organisations working to alleviate hunger across the globe. Education, agriculture, law, and politics all play a part in solving the global hunger crisis many countries are experiencing.
Thinking Optimally:
Impact investing is another method to aid children’s access and success in education. Traditional investing aims to make more money. Most often, it is for the investor’s benefit. Many investors will then donate the money to their communities or to causes that they care about.
However, impact investing goes even further. This kind of investment uses ethical filter to support causes and communities throughout the investment process. These investments can help money grow while making a positive contribution to society.
This type of investment is able to be used to support the environment, provide access to healthcare, or offer education to students who can’t afford it. There are many opportunities to invest in impact investing. Opportunities are increasing as more institutional investors become interested.
In general, impact investors receive a 6.4% returns on their investment , as opposed to the 7.4% return from more traditional investments. Investors often consider the 1% difference to be worth it, as they see the impact their funds have on others.
Provide Resources:
An additional way to improve educational accessibility is to help students get the materials, support, and guidance they need. Every child has different educational needs. But many don’t get tutors or other supplementary programs to help them reach that full potential.
Sometimes, children don’t have enough resources to afford education. Many teachers found that their students couldn’t access virtual learning during lockdowns as a result of the lack of digital resources. Many families were limited to one computer or did not have Wi-Fi access.
In many developing countries, schools can be so far away that students have two ways to get there. Schools often struggle with the ratio of students to teachers. Additionally, many schools may have outdated or insufficient learning materials. The lack of resources may limit the education of students, despite them being there.
Locally, you could support students by volunteering to help or supporting organizations offering learning resources for students. You can also access learning materials from many libraries. You can also support organizations on a global scale that train and send teachers, create schools, and make learning material available to students worldwide.