In a recent interview with CNN’s Connect The World with Becky Anderson, the director of the UN Food Scarcity Organization, David Beasley, stated that billionaires must “step up now, on a timely basis” and that they can help solve world hunger with a fraction of their net worth. “$6 billion to help 42 million people that are literally going to die if we don’t reach them. It’s not complicated,” he added, condensing the basic idea. The Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations aim to eradicate poverty by 2030.

Poverty is undoubtedly a major issue throughout the world, regardless of continent, though it is widely assumed that African countries are the most affected. Malnutrition affects children in many African countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda. However, this is not a problem limited to Africa. According to the 2018 Policy Brief on Poor Children in Rich Countries, “on average across the OECD countries, one in seven children live in income poverty- defined as living on a disposable income that is most half of the national median.”

Famous people unquestionably have the power to influence society; thus, any difference encouraged by such influential people, whether negative or positive, will be grasped by society.

The first is Malala Yousafzai, the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, who established the Malala Fund to invest in education programs, giving back to girls in poverty. Joshua Coombes is a London-based hairdresser who initaited the hashtag #DoSomethingForNothing. He gave free haircuts to the homeless on the streets of the United Kingdom, and now this small gesture has spread around the world. Muzoon Almellehan, also known as “Malala for Syria,” is a figure who fights for girls’ right to education, as education is one of the most effective tools for eradicating poverty in the future.

Among the few people serving the cause is  the  A-Listed Hollywood Actress Angelina Jolie. “ I have learned more from [refugees] about family, resiliance, dignity and survival that I can express”. Jolie told Vogue in 2020. She has traveled to several war-torn countries with the UN and used her public platform to try to find ways to help. She has also made financial contributions to the UNHCR and has assisted in the funding of long-term health and conservation programs. She has also aided in the construction of schools for refugee girls. She established the foundation after adopting her child Maddox from Cambodia. One of the major goals of the “Maddox Jollie-Pitt Foundation” is to alleviate poverty.

A child for all children in her country; Mari Copney, an amazing 12-year-old who has been working to help fellow children in her home town of Flint, Michigan in the United States. She has raised over $500,000 through her “Pack Your Back” initiative, and the fund has assisted students in purchasing necessary school supplies, toys, bicycles, and clean water. As a result of the impact she managed to create at the time, President Barack Obama paid a visit to Flint to learn more about the problems they face.

When it comes to famous people who fight poverty in the twenty-first century, Bill Gates is unquestionably a figure worth discussing. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a private foundation founded in 2000 which is the world’s second largest charitable foundation. Their goal is to expand access to digital financial services so that the world’s poorest people can build security and prosperity for themselves, their families, and communities.

BTS, one of the music industry’s most well-known and rising stars, can be added to the list. With a massive global fanbase, they continue to inspire many people to volunteer for a variety of worthwhile causes. In 2014, they collaborated with Love Food Bank to deliver food to children in Korea experiencing food insecurity. This initiative continues to serve children as they work to keep children from going hungry.

Among those mentioned above are people from various industries, different age groups, male and female serving ONE purpose to the best of their abilities, reminding us that we are all capable of change regardless of our age or social identity.

As Audrey Hepburn once said, “As you grow older you discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping other.” Wealth and fame, in the end, are just gold-plated fancy jewels that dazzle breifly before losing their luster. Real gold is that whose worth will be remembered, debated, and glorified in history if only contributed to making a positive difference. As is frequently stated, fame and fortune are undeniably good servants in the hands of the right master who knows how to use them for the right cause.

Written by Rtr. Hiruni Fernando