An example of relative poverty is Jo Goodwin Parker’s story.
Parker, 1971 states
“Poverty is getting up every morning from a dirt- and illness-stained mattress. The sheets have long since been used for diapers. Poverty is living in a smell that never leaves. This is a smell of urine, sour milk, and spoiling food sometimes joined with the strong smell of long-cooked onions. Onions are cheap. If you have smelled this smell, you did not know how it came. It is the smell of the outdoor privy. It is the smell of young children who cannot walk the long dark way in the night. It is the smell of the mattresses where years of “accidents” have happened. It is the smell of the milk which has gone sour because the refrigerator long has not worked, and it costs money to get it fixed. It is the smell of rotting garbage. I could bury it, but where is the shovel? Shovels cost money.”
The full story of Jo Goodwin Parker can be read here: https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/135/JGParker.html
A real life example of relative poverty is Agnes’ story. Agnes lives in Uganda, Africa, she is sixteen years old, and she doesn’t have much of her family left to support her. She lost both of her parents due to AIDS, her older sister ran away from home and has no contact with her anymore, leaving Agnes alone to look after her two brothers and sister. One of her brothers was hospitalized for showing signs of phsycological distress, and the other two are living at home depending on their older sister to look after them. Agnes worked six days a week, trying to work as much as she could to keep her family safe.
Agnes’ full story can be read here: http://www.unicef.org/sowc/uganda_29786.html
This is a youtube video of Children living inside a subway in Romania.
Sources:
N.d,”What is Poverty”,[https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/135/JGParker.html], (14/11/12)
Unicef, 2005, “Uganda-A Ugandan village rallies around children orphaned by AIDS”, [http://www.unicef.org/sowc/uganda_29786.html], (14/11/12)
World Poverty 