Getting to Know Your International Contacts-1

Neither one of my contacts have responded to my question on poverty, so I goggled poverty in Singapore and I found a podcast on poverty Singapore Hidden Poverty Problem, and a article on Singapore Hidden Poverty Problem. Singapore is ranked as the sixth most expensive country in the world to live in. Singapore has both the highest number of billionaries and millionaries in the world with an average per capita income over $52,000. There is no distinct difference between urban towns and rural villages. Singapore is a small island where both the poor and wealthy live in proximity to each other (Cho Christina, 2015).

One tenth of Singapore population is living in poverty which makes it the 26th most disparate income out of 136 countries. People living in poverty are living in 13 square feet government apartments who rent is determined by how much they can afford to pay. Impoverished children school fees are subsidized by the government and the food is provided not by wages earned but by charitable donations (Cho Christina, 2015).

In the video the mother was not able to pay for her child's asthma medication who has a family of six children. Poverty is seen behind closed doors and not in the streets, One member of the government has been trying to raise the awareness of poverty, and in the video the government is planning to add more funding into its budget for people living in poverty so that benefits may start to trickle down.

Resources:

Cho Christina. 2015. Singapore Hidden Poverty Problem.
Video. 2014 Singapore's Hidden Poverty Problem