The eight goals

Today there are over 238 million young people around the world living on less than one dollar a day.

© UNICEF/HQ99-0640/Pirozzi

Soran, 12, sells fruits and vegetables at the market in the northern city of Erbil, Iraq. Rampant poverty has caused an increase in the school dropout rate, resulting in a growing number of street and working children.

Goal 1 is about lifting people out of extreme poverty by providing them with the basic things they need to live a decent life: nutritious food, clothes, clean water, a home, and health care.

What needs to be done?

A lot! The world has taken big steps to end global poverty, but we still have a long way to go. Most of Asia and Northern Africa are on track, but there has been little or no progress in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. In Western Asia, poverty has actually increased! To reach Goal 1, governments must increase funding to education and health, increase agricultural productivity with new techniques, improve infrastructure (such as power and water supplies, transportation, roads and schools), and promote human rights and sustainable development.

How are young people affected or involved?

Young people are often the hardest hit by poverty and that is why we need people like you to really get moving. Who better to speak for young people than young people? Many groups are already taking action. National youth councils and other organizations have already begun working on poverty reduction strategies and youth-driven anti-corruption projects, but more young people should be consulted in poverty reduction plans and getting involved. We must make our voices heard, because it is our future we are fighting for!

The information in this section comes from the Millennium Campaign’s Youth MDG Campaign Kit.