Breaking the myths of poverty

The world was a different place when Dale Hanson Bourke was a student at Wheaton College.

Missionary work was seen as the best way to serve the needs of impoverished countries. A wall at Wheaton College mapped out all the places where students served as missionaries throughout the world.

Missions are still strong today, but Bourke said the missionary understanding of global poverty has evolved, and people need to learn those basic lessons as well.

"People got into different parts of the world and realized that a Bible was not going to feed people," Bourke said.

Bourke is the author of a new book, "The Skeptic's Guide to Global Poverty." Her goal is to answer the basic questions average people have about poverty, while setting the record straight about some misconceptions they may have.

"I've found that people are afraid to ask the questions that would really change their minds about poverty," Bourke said.

For instance, the idea of living off government assistance forever isn't even possible, she said. Law changes limit an individual to five years of government assistance for their whole lifetime. Illegal immigrants don't even qualify for assistance.

"I'm not trying to question the agenda," Bourke said. "I'm not trying to make a case for increased government welfare. I'm saying let's at least know what the facts are. Let's have a rational argument about these issues."

Bourke knows a thing or two about poverty. She currently serves as the president of the Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia. She also sits on the board of Opportunity International, an Oak Brook-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting global poverty through initiatives such as small business loans.

In Africa, she's found the idea of poverty and disease to be a chicken and an egg phenomenon. Both are capable of causing the other.

Several countries in Africa had made great strides against poverty, but found themselves struggling once again when AIDS epidemics broke out, cutting labor forces by as much as 25 percent at times, Bourke said.

If there's one idea Bourke wants to shatter the most, it's the stereotype of impoverished people in general.

"The bottom line is that people who are poor want an opportunity," Bourke said. "They want a chance. They don't want a handout."

How much do you know about Global Poverty?

Dale Hanson Bourke created this quiz to test your knowledge of global poverty. Answer each one true or false. Answers appear below.

1. There has been little progress made in reducing global poverty in the last decade.

2. The United States gives more money per capita to help alleviate poverty than any other nation.

3. Overpopulation is part of why sub-Saharan Africa is so poor.

4. Malaria kills more children in Africa than any other disease.

5. Obesity threatens the life expectancy of some developed countries.

6. The main job of the United Nations is to help the poor of the world.

7. The poorest people in the world are most likely to become terrorists.

8. Prostitution is illegal in most of the world.

9. Child labor is mostly found in sweatshops.

10. Illegal immigration is having a negative effect on the U.S. economy.

Quiz Answers

1. FALSE. Over the past decade, much progress has been made on many fronts to reduce poverty, improve living conditions of the poor and help increase health and education.

2. FALSE. While the U.S. gives the most amount of money overall, it does not rank in the top 20 in per-capita giving to the poor.

3. FALSE. Sub-Saharan Africa is not densely populated except in a few major cities.

4. TRUE. Approximately 3,000 children die each day from malaria.

5. TRUE. More than 300 million people worldwide suffer from obesity and related health conditions.

6. FALSE. It was originally founded to prevent future wars and still exists primarily to facilitate cooperation among countries in a variety of areas.

7. FALSE. Most of the poorest of the poor lack the energy or resources to do much more than survive daily life. Terrorism tends to come from lower or middle class unrest.

8. FALSE. Prostitution is actually legal in a number of countries and is not actually illegal in some (such as England) although solicitation is.

9. FALSE. According to UNICEF, most children work in agriculture, sell products on the street or are employed as domestic workers.

10. TRUE and FALSE. Overall, the United States needs more workers, and people coming to the U.S. illegally tend to fill jobs in agriculture and other areas. But pockets of the United States economy are hurt because of U.S. workers losing their jobs to labor willing to work at a lower cost.