In September 2000, the United Nations put forth the Millennium Development Goals, eight objectives intended to be completed by 2015. The goals demanded that leaders dedicate themselves to fighting poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. By 2015, the Millennium Goals had reduced extreme poverty rates from 52% to 15%. While the World Bank estimates that, by 2030, it would be possible to end global poverty, such an endeavor would require efforts by not only world leaders, but by average citizens as well. Although it may seem daunting, there are plenty of ways to end global poverty from home. Here are five:

Get Educated
Nelson Mandela once said that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Indeed, ample education about the impacts of global poverty and organizations looking to alleviate it proves conducive to enabling advocacy and ending the situation. Through reading informational documents such as “Ending Poverty – Why it Matters” provided by the United Nations, contacting aid organizations such as Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross and learning about global poverty overall, you can begin the work of bettering the global community.

Call Congress
Each week, the United States Congress tallies issues that constituents contact them about. With the support of as few as 10 people, leaders tend to support bills. This tactic is instrumental in ensuring the elimination of global poverty: by taking 30 seconds out of your day to call Congress in support of proposed bills to provide foreign aid, you can make a substantial impact on the lives of thousands throughout the world.

Go on FreeRice.com
Funded by the World Food Programme, www.freerice.com provides online quizzes ranging in topic from math to foreign language vocabulary, from chemistry to SAT preparation. For every question you answer correctly, the World Food Programme donates ten grains of rice to vulnerable individuals in need of food. Not only does this website provide ample amounts of fun—it also allows you to end global poverty from home.

Sponsor a Child through Global Organizations
Organizations like Children International allow you to sponsor specific children throughout the globe. For a monthly gift of only $32 a month—an amount that proves negligible for many individuals—you can provide a child with access to life-changing benefits like medical care, educational support, and life-skills and job training prior to graduation. In response, you will also learn about your child and will have the opportunity to visit them.

Attend an Event
In communities around the country, groups such as the Aga Khan Foundation constantly host events to demonstrate their support for global poverty reduction tactics. Through events such as walks/runs, golf outings and galas, you can enjoy yourself and also take part in actions that end global poverty. While you certainly need to leave home to have fun at these events, registering simply requires the click of a button.

Ultimately, by participating in these five things, you can help end global poverty from home. Through ongoing dedication and the beneficence of citizens who care about the world around them, caring individuals can help make the goal of ending global poverty by 2030 into a reality.

– Emily Chazen

Photo: Flickr