But in the countries where Five Talents works, the picture is very different. Two of the poorest countries in the world are Burundi and South Sudan. And all the areas where we work still include great poverty. In low human development countries, 48 percent of adults are illiterate, and only 17 percent of the population has access to the Internet. The disparity is greatest among women, and the gender gap is widest in low human development countries. So, we are at a fork in the road. The lives of people in these countries who experience the greatest poverty are very fragile, especially during a pandemic. In the years ahead, some could join the countries experiencing great improvements, and some could remain as they are--or move deeper into poverty--along with the associated suffering and death that extreme poverty brings. Our job is to do everything we can to help them move into the group of millions living better lives. There is no shame in being poor. And in almost all cases, our program participants are not poor because of any fault of their own. We at Five Talents believe our role to be part of the solution, to support the local leaders in these countries that are making a huge difference. Thank you for walking with us and being part of the solution, too. |