NEWS > Appeals and Stories > Now more than ever
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Donate NowChange the lives of the world's most vulnerable.
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Now more than ever The World Bank says the economic crisis will hurl 53 million people back into extreme poverty. 53 million more trying to survive on less than $1.25 a day. Consider, then, what this crisis is doing to the world’s poorest people, who have no hope of earning even $1.25 today? People with disabilities, who are so often discriminated against, shut out of employment and education. Based on these World Bank estimates, an additional 10 million people will be living with the double disadvantage of poverty and disability.  Like many affected by disability, Abe was once able to support his family well. Now though, Abe's life has collapsed in ways he can never overcome without your help.When Abe and his wife had their first child, Aliyah, she was born with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and mental impairment. Today Abe watches his daughter with love, but hopelessness. "Look at my child. She doesn't think. She doesn't move." Then he says something so tragic. "Her sister is the same." When Aliyah was four, her sister was born ... with the same disabilities. Disability is rampant in the world’s poorest places. "If I was a wealthy person," Abe says, "I would take my children to a hospital, but I don't have money. It is difficult for me to live." That is still not the end of this poor family's woe. You see, something terrible happened to Abe's wife Habiba. For two years she has been paralysed from the waist. "It started from my toes," Habiba said. "Then it gradually went up my legs to my hips. I cannot move."  No wonder Abe is in despair. He is surrounded by disability, and in the face of this economic crisis he is utterly powerless to help the family he loves.This is what the President of the World Bank meant when he said recently, "In London, Washington and Paris people talk of bonuses or no bonuses. In parts of Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, the struggle is for food or no food." That is what Abe faces, with no work available and prices skyrocketing, plus the constant care of his family. Now more than ever, your gift will help those being crushed by the weight of economic crisis and disability. - Blind people whose sight is restored will have a far greater chance of finding work or growing food; - Children whose parents have disabilities will not be forced to drop out of school to help the family survive; - Those normally barred from jobs because of their disability will get crutches, wheelchairs or other assistance ... and so have a chance to find precious work. For those being hit hardest, like Abe and Aliyah, the economic crisis is not about money, it can be about life and death. So please be as generous as you possibly can. To donate please click here. |
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