Andy from CARE is talking about development aid.

First Andy talked through the problems: 1 billion people live on less than a dollar a day. 3 billion live on less than 2 dollars a day. 125 million school-aged children are not enrolled in school (2/3 are girls). 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS.

Next Andy talked about how much of our current international aid does not go to real poverty-reduction programs and about how important it is to do give smart aid, to good governments for programs that will build the infrastructure that will truly make a difference.

The average American thinks the US spend 24% of our budget on development assistance. They want it to be 10%.

In reality, the U.S. gives 0.39% of our budget to poverty-reduction development aid. (data from 2005)

One dollar in development saves seven dollars in emergency relief. Every year of education for girls, yields great gains for health and economic indicators. Development aid eradicated polio and nearly eradicated smallpox.

You can flip through Andy’s full presentation here.