Myth: Hard work determines one’s economic success.
Truth: The “birth lottery” plays the most significant role in determining our place on the “economic ladder”.
The Nobel prize-winning social scientist Herbert Simon estimated that around 90% of what people earn is based upon their social capital – the places, networks, and opportunities that make up their present circumstances. It’s a hugely uneven playing field, where some of us are much more empowered than others, from the moment we’re born, to solve our own problems.
At Humanitix, we believe that hard work is important to achieve our goals - but for the 719 million people living in extreme poverty, it takes hard work every day just to survive, and for many, that’s not enough to even cover basic needs. As a result, people are forced to choose between fundamental necessities like food and other important needs, such as education. However, we know that education is a powerful tool that can change the trajectory of a person’s life.
How we can change the odds
The exciting news is that there are opportunities to make a difference in people's lives. The Life You Can Save, an organisation that researches and identifies cost-effective and high-impact non-profits, has a list of education non-profits, grouped in the Education for All Fund:
- Teaching at the Right Level: In the poorest areas, less than 1 in 5 children excel in basic literacy or numeracy. Challenges like large class sizes and unrealistic curriculum goals lead to poor outcomes. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Teaching at the Right Level is addressing this issue with innovative pedagogy.
- Educate Girls: Universal literacy is especially vital for women and girls, with studies showing that improved literacy rates help reduce child marriage and early pregnancies while also increasing workforce participation. Educate Girls is working to bridge gender gaps in India's education system.
Double your impact
The Life You Can Save
‘The collaboration between Humanitix and The Life You Can Save has the potential to unlock millions of dollars to provide critically needed education to help individuals and their communities overcome the disadvantages associated with losing the “birth lottery.”’– Charlie Bresler, Co-founder and Executive Director of The Life You Can Save
Humanitix is partnering with The Life You Can Save by matching the first $25,000 donated to their Education for All Fund. Let's work together to empower those who have the misfortune of living in the poorest parts of the world.
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Humanitix Limited
Address: Level 1, 1-5 Hickson Road, The Rocks NSW 2000 Australia