By Salt 106.5 TeamTuesday 17 Oct 2023The Long Lunch with SteveNewsReading Time: 2 minutes

Today is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (17 October). After decades of progress in the fight against extreme poverty, experts are now warning the United Nations will miss its goal of ending poverty by 2030.

For the first time in two decades, the global poverty rate has increased and progress in reducing extreme poverty has faced numerous setbacks.

In 2016, the United Nations committed to the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, recognising that “eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.”

Now, halfway to the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), experts are suggesting only 15% of the SDGs are on track.

Compassion Australia‘s Senior Executive Jono Kirk joins Salt 106.5’s Steve D for International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, to discuss this latest report and what the church can still do to support those living in extreme poverty.

Listen to full interview in the player above. 

COVID-19 dealt the biggest setback to global poverty in decades and then rising food and energy prices — fueled by climate shocks and conflict among the world’s biggest food producers — have hindered a swift recovery.

Clare Steele, Compassion Australia’s CEO, says, “At Compassion, it is our mission to see all children released from poverty. We cannot and will not give up. We’ve been empowering local churches and seeing the significant difference it has made. There is a transformative and exponential impact when local churches are resourced to help their communities.”

The local church is continuing to provide opportunities to young people that will lift them out of poverty and change the future of these communities. Noirine Khaitsa, from Uganda grew up in poverty and now works as a senior manager for Compassion International based in Uganda, helping to connect others with the programme that changed her life.

“I believe that we can’t eradicate poverty on our own. We don’t have the power to be able to do that. But I think God does. And God works through people. So be the vessel that God is using to eradicate the poverty,” Noirine said.

For more information on the work of Compassion visit www.compassion.com.au