We hear heartbreaking stories on a daily basis of famine; loss of life and family; displacement; civil and racial war; abuse. Yet there are so many stories of hope that could be told. In the last 10 years measles deaths have reduced by 74%. In the last 20 years the number of maternal deaths has decreased by almost 50%, in 2008-2009 the Australian Governments Overseas Aid program put $318m into Education projects around the world. For people living in poverty, these things can be like a new lease on life. For people living in poverty, these things can be like a new lease on life.
It sounds impressive, but do you ever wonder what these big numbers really mean? Ultimately they represent transformations in the lives of real people, yet we hear so little about the human stories behind them. How do we better explain how these ‘big numbers’ represent the true impact on people’s lives?
International aid and development is making a difference when it comes to reducing poverty and improving lives, so why is so difficult to get these stories of hope out there in the same way as we do the crises? Do people simply prefer to hear about tragedy, or are the complexities of international aid and development too difficult to effectively portray? Tweet