Hi Adrian. I really hope so. I don’t think we in the west are fully aware of what many people in third world countries have to go through daily just to survive not live decent lives, just survive.
Imagine you earn $2 a day to cover food for a family of 7 with no Medicare system, no pensions and no unemployment so when someone gets ill it becomes a choice of go sell something or stay sick. You pay the doctor upfront or he won’t see you.
Our family in Burma are confronted with that reality daily and no matter how we help them it’s the system that oppresses their lives and they just can’t rise above the struggle.
There is no Medicare, unemployment benefits or pensions in Burma so one is at the mercy of circumstances and the goodwill of family and friends if things go bad you often won’t get help. It’s broken systems like this where the people need some support. I really hope their circumstances change as so many around the world suffer silently but nobody sees what they go through. Out of sight, out of mind as the saying goes.
Even in the Solomon Islands there is no welfare system, but they do have a medical system.
Education is not free though, people with no income can not get education for their children, thus the cycle of poverty repeats, while the few well to do keep feeding their wealth.
To me it all points towards a change in mindset is needed, a spiritual solution to the economic problem is required.
I am optimistic that can happen, because we see it does happen, people do choose to give away wealth to others of their own free choice.
Regards Tony