West Africa
West Africa is home to some of the world’s worst poverty. Five countries in West Africa—Sierra Leone, Niger, Burkino Faso, Mali and Guinea-Bissau—are in the top 10 poorest countries in the world.
This poverty means that many children go to bed hungry each night and some of them are very sick. The situation is the worst in the countryside.
More kids in Sierra Leone die before their fifth birthday than anywhere else in the world.
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West Africa Poverty Facts
- Almost three-quarters of people in Sierra Leone are living on less than $2 a day.
- Almost half of people in Ghana are living on less than $1 a day.
- The four countries with the most kids who die before they turn five are all in West Africa.
Write It Out
Next time you sit down to do homework, take an extra five minutes and choose one of the major causes of poverty. Why does this happen in the world? What could change to make this situation better?