poverty

Eric Dossekpli, 49, is a farmer and father of six in the town of Anfoin Avele,Togo. He says he can no longer sell his crops as a result of the pandemic.

The Pandemic Pushed This Farmer Into Deep Poverty. Then Something Amazing Happened

11:40am March 07, 2021

by Malaka Gharib

Togo wanted to distribute millions of dollars to its citizens in dire straits. There was just one daunting problem: How could it identify the neediest of the needy?

A sign outside a U.S. Social Security Administration office in Mount Prospect, Ill., in October last year. Closed SSA offices across the country are being blamed for a 30 percent drop in applications for an aid program for the most vulnerable.

National

Huge Drop In Federal Aid For The Poorest Is Blamed On Closed Social Security Offices

8:30am February 19, 2021

by Gabrielle Emanuel

It's estimated that more than 120,000 low-income Americans have missed out on payments.

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How Poverty Makes Workers Less Productive

6:31am February 02, 2021

by Greg Rosalsky

A new study adds to the growing mountain of evidence that says that poverty impairs people's ability to think.

He is "the white tiger" — a poor villager, Balram, portrayed by actor Adarsh Gourav, who is determined to use his intelligence to escape a life of poverty.

Health & Safety

What Indians Who've Known Poverty Think Of Netflix's 'The White Tiger' Movie

12:57pm January 29, 2021

by Kamala Thiagarajan

The movie, based on an award-winning novel, traces the unlikely journey of a poor villager in search of wealth. Does it ring true to those who know what it's like to be poor in India?

Steve Davis is a longtime advocate for the poor. In his new book, Undercurrents: Channeling Outrage to Spark Practical Activism, he writes about five promising trends that could help lift people out of extreme poverty.

Why A Champion For The Very Poor Is Not Pessimistic. In Fact, He's Optimistic!

4:00pm October 28, 2020

by Nurith Aizenman

Steve Davis lays out the reasons for his (relatively) rosy outlook In his new book: Undercurrents: Channeling Outrage to Spark Practical Activism.

Portraits Of Resilience: How 19 Women Around The Globe Face The Pandemic

6:13pm October 09, 2020

by NPR Special Report

Women often bear a heavier burden at times of crisis. They take care of the kids, the house, the survival of families. NPR photographed and interviewed 19 women over 3 weeks. Here are their stories.

Demonstrators march in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood in June to demand a lifting of the Illinois rent control ban and a cancellation of rent and mortgage payments. The pandemic's financial pressures are causing many Americans to struggle with rent payme

'No One Can Live Off $240 A Week': Many Americans Struggle To Pay Rent, Bills

8:02pm September 23, 2020

One in six households reported missing or delaying paying bills just so they could buy food, an NPR poll says. And many are having trouble paying the rent, especially African Americans and Latinos.

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Median household income rose sharply last year, while poverty declined to 10.5% — the lowest since records began in 1959, according to the Census Bureau.

Economy

American Incomes Were Rising, Until The Pandemic Hit

4:14pm September 15, 2020

by Scott Horsley

Median household income jumped to $68,700 in 2019, the highest since record-keeping began in 1967. Many of those gains have likely been erased this year, as the pandemic left tens of millions jobless.

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When Nancy Perez contracted COVID-19 in March, she stayed in her room for a month, isolating herself from her sons and grandson. The mutual aid group Bed-Stuy Strong regularly sent volunteers to her home with meals for her family.

Health & Safety

'Love And Solidarity': Amid Coronavirus, Mutual Aid Groups Resurge In New York City

7:00am July 26, 2020

by Elizabeth Lawrence

Filling in the gaps of a strained safety net, volunteers give their time and resources to help neighbors hit hard by the pandemic and its economic fallout.

Residents of the Colombian capital Bogotá hang red rags from their windows and balconies to signal their need for help with food during the coronavirus pandemic.

During Colombia's Coronavirus Lockdown, Needy Residents Signal SOS With Red Rags

10:58am May 27, 2020

by John Otis

"It's not just city hall that has to act. You have to promote solidarity among neighbors," says a mayor who encourages residents sheltering in place to hang red rags so others will know to help them.

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