It Takes a Village: How Global Community Helps Alleviate Poverty & Inequality
- Prachi Raizada
- 13 minutes ago
- 5 min read
‘We have to rely on each other. We have to share knowledge, collaborate, elevate solutions.’
As of June 2025, approximately 808 million people live in extreme poverty, that is 9.9% of the entire world’s population. UN data shows that ‘more than three-quarters of the global extreme poor will live in sub-Saharan Africa or in fragile and conflict-affected countries.’ While extreme poverty has declined since the 1990s, progress has slowed in recent years.
World leaders may be the ones with power to debate policy, but change doesn’t have to begin in parliaments – it can begin in the circles we already move in.
Start at Home
We always hear ‘change starts at home’ when it comes to social impact issues, but what does that really mean?
While speaking about multilateralism and global development, Saru Duckworth once said, ‘no one actor has all of the knowledge to deliver on any one of the SDGs’. That doesn't apply to only governments or large institutions, it also applies to individuals, within our own communities. Why not think about the role of you, your friends and family in creating an impact?
Think of it like this. Imagine organizing a trip with your friends with each individual contributing differently: one picks the location; one researches attractions or plans the activities; one manages the schedule; one acts as the mediator, handling any conflicts between members, and one knows each individual of the group so well that they tell that one person to arrive at 7pm, knowing they will show up at the originally designated time of 8pm. The point of the matter is, it takes a village, and everyone brings their own skills to the table to benefit each other personally, and overall as a collective.
Communities work the same way. They support and empower each other. Global community is incredibly vital and valuable. Everyone has something valuable to offer. When we collaborate, share knowledge, and uplift each other, we create ripple effects that strengthen everyone, especially when it comes to tackling poverty and inequality. This prospect isn’t just anecdotal; studies show that strong communities lead to better economic outcomes.
What the Research Says
A longitudinal study in the Netherlands explored how social capital (community networks) interacts with structural inequality to influence economic mobility. This was done by tracking individual socioeconomic trajectories and social networks over time. Researchers found that neighbourhoods with stronger connections across income levels saw higher long-term economic mobility for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Similarly, in a previous study, Chetty et al. (2022) discovered that strong cross-class social ties in neighbourhoods, friendships and relationships between people of difference income levels, boosts economic opportunities for low-income individuals. Similar patterns were observed in the Netherlands: ‘we observe a pattern that closely mirrors previous findings - neighbourhoods with higher levels of economic connectedness tend to foster better long-term economic outcomes for individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.’
The support systems we create at home build us into the individuals we are, the values we hold, and what has brought you here to read this piece – because you have an innate need to make a change, but might not know where to start.
Simply put: where communities thrive, people rise.
A Lesson From Home
I saw this in my own childhood neighbourhood, where a group of ambitious people decided to share our ethnic culture in a white-dominated area. Some people from the South Asian community decided to invest their earnings to create a temple for immigrants who were struggling to accumulate basic needs, or who were seeking solace and guidance to carry on. The temple was free, but at first, nobody came.
Knowing that this place could really bring people together and create comfort during hard times, in an isolating location, where people were overwhelmed with supporting their families first and foremost, some of the women invested their time, money, and efforts into cooking food for the community. People began to come. Whether it was for the food, company, or guidance, it brought people together and created a sense of warmth, and encouragement. To this day, people use that temple to spread culture, community, and real support, which helped to improve the stress and burdens of daily life and hardships that so many faced.
As the community grew and developed, people were welcome to share their local businesses, volunteer opportunities, such as providing small educational classes, and were given awareness to help with other real causes from less fortunate people in developing countries. Throughout this, the entry and food always stayed free, and the temple showed support to anybody who visited and needed help or guidance.
Why This Matters
So, how does this show that community is relevant in terms of tackling poverty and inequality? Because it shows us how simple it can be to begin at home, amongst the people or resources that are not far out of reach. This experience taught me that community doesn’t need to be complicated. Change doesn’t always start in policy rooms or big institutions, sometimes, it starts in kitchens, classrooms, or local halls, where people show up for each other.
Constantly thinking about the broader scope of poverty and inequality can overwhelm young people, making us feel helpless, thus resulting in more inaction than action. But there are things going on all around us – all you need is a bit of intention, research, and curiosity to find it. Or if you have the courage, to create it yourself.
Do More
Gather your community this week!
Get Educated: Think of someone from an older generation you know; maybe a grandparent, neighbour, or family friend. Ask them about community-driven activities they took part in or witnessed in their time. Get inspired by what’s been done, and made any size of difference.
Engage: Look for a volunteer initiative near you that supports people in need. It could be a food bank or local charity. You know those young people or campaigners on busy streets handing out leaflets? Pause. Talk to them and find out what you can do to support.
Empower: Scroll through any social media you have; Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. If you’ve decided to detox for a bit, ask somebody you know. Find a story where someone talks about experiencing inequality or exclusion. Comment or share showing empathy, then research how you can get involved in tackling this issue to prevent it happening to others.
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