A Charitable Organisation^* Dedicated to Ending World Poverty.

The Poverty Project is a campaign created by two Year 8 students, Anna and Mizuki. For a school assignment, we chose to raise awareness about poverty—a topic close to our hearts. Both of us have learned a lot about poverty through writing speeches and participating in the 40 Hour Challenge in 2024 and 2025.

Our goal is to educate others about poverty because it’s a difficult challenge faced by many children around the world. While researching, we were deeply moved by the stories and facts we discovered (we even cried during class at times).

As part of our project, we will be making our first donation to World Vision, funded by money raised from our school project display. We’ll be selling cookies, and all proceeds will go directly to World Vision. While we are not a registered charity organisation, we hope our campaign will grow and make an even bigger difference in the future.

Poverty is one of the most serious social issues facing the world today. Poverty is a state where someone lacks the socially acceptable amount of financial resources to get basic needs such as healthcare, education, shelter and food and much more. It is a big problem worldwide affecting 1.1 billion people in poverty and 2 billion people lacking access to daily resources globally. Poverty means living on less than $2.15 a day. That is nowhere near enough for a person to live daily on this income which is why poverty remains a huge problem to this day.

There are many causes of poverty, and they vary depending on the location and circumstance. In many developing countries poverty is caused by factors such as war, political instability,poor infrastructure and lack of education. In more developed nations, poverty can result from unemployment, low wages, systemic inequality and lack of affordable housing. Natural disasters and climate change are also increasing the risk of poverty by destroying homes and livelihoods.

Poverty can impact children's development affecting their physical and mental health and social emotions. Many children born into low income households or poverty face deprivation, stress, and increased risks of malnutrition, illness, and schooling. The most daily resources kids need is school and nutritious food.

School is very important from a very young age but most people who are in poverty can't go, due to doing house work or helping out your family just so they can afford to feed you a loaf of bread, this is many situations family and kids face meaning they can't go to school or can't afford it.

Absolute poverty is when people lack the minimum resources required to maintain a basic standard of living , such as the world bank's international poverty line of $1.90 a day.

Relative poverty considers a person’s standard of living compared to others in society. Even if someone can afford basic needs, they might still struggle to participate fully in society

Generational poverty is a cycle where families remain poor for two or more generations due to a lack of resources, poor education, and other systemic issues, resulting in limited opportunities for social and economic advancement.

Poverty is caused by a combination of systemic, economic, and individual factors, including a lack of jobs and education, poor governance, conflict, climate change, discrimination, inadequate healthcare, and poor infrastructure. The covid 19 pandemic pushed another 70 million people into poverty.

Currently more than 700 million people survive on less than 700 million dollars per day. That's less than one dollar per day each.

If current trends continue, 8.9 per cent of the world’s population may still be living in extreme poverty by 2030 and only one in five countries will have halved their national poverty levels

The fight against poverty begins at the local level. Many communities lack access to fresh, nutritious food, leading to health issues and economic instability. By supporting local initiatives such as our cookie sales, you can help fund disadvantaged families to grow their own food, create sustainable sources of income, and foster a sense of collective responsibility. Our programs help to fund the necessary tools, seeds, and education to ensure these projects thrive, making a tangible difference one neighborhood at a time. All profits from our cookie project are donated to existing charities such as Oxfam Aotearoa, World Vision NZ and the Hunger Project.

Education is one of the most powerful tools for breaking the cycle of poverty. Without proper education, children are less likely to secure stable, well-paying jobs as adults. The Poverty Project NZ encourages chilren to learn about the causes and reality of poverty. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to learn and reach their full potential, regardless of their family's economic situation. An educated community is a resilient community, capable of building a brighter future.