Why in a world of plenty, are people dying from hunger?

Since a young age, I've know that poverty existed. My mum would be the first to remind me of starving children in Africa when I didn't want to eat my veg! At school we would learn about different countries and I would feel sorry for the poor children who couldn't go to school but I never felt empowered to do anything. I remember my old RE teacher would say the poor will always be with us, and I think I just excepted it. Then the Make Poverty History campaign was launched in 2005 and everything changed. Poverty was placed on my doorstep, it became personal to me. Through organisations like Christian Aid and CAFOD, I felt empowered to do something about it. So I got involved; signed postcards, lobbied MPs, organised and attended protests. I was 16 at the time and slightly naive to think we could Make Poverty History in a year but nevertheless the campaign stirred me to act. Since living here in Ghana, I've had moments where I do feel sorry. I walked through a shanty town and encountered people who could barely afford to live and sympathy was my instinct reaction. Then anger. Why in a world of plenty, are people dying from hunger? Why do I have so much but thousands more have so little? Out here I sometimes feel a little helpless, that poverty surrounds me here yet all we're doing is building some toilets and doing a little teaching. However I know that this is just the beginning and that are real work is to be done back home. To engage young people in development issues and campaign to Make Poverty History. It's not about charity, it's not about sympathy, it's about justice. Ghana is a country rich in resources, many of the chocolate you eat will have come from here. You may pay 40p for the enjoyment yet the people who slaved away in the cocoa plantations only receive a very small fraction (unless you buy fair-trade of course!) We must challenge and change the systems that keep people poor. Please take action today and make change happen: www.christianaid.org.uk/actnow