On the world's list of priorities literacy is very low. Less than 3 per cent of official development assistance is spent on education, with just a fraction of that going to literacy programs. While it would cost just $7 billion to teach every person to read and write the U.S. and Europe alone spend upwards of $18 billion every year on makeup products.

The state of medical care in developing countries is a global concern. Many nations are in dire need of qualified medical personnel. People often die of illnesses that can be easily prevented or treated. If those who are sick and suffering can reach a health care facility, they are often faced with overworked doctors, broken equipment, and a lack of medical supplies and resources.

The world is experiencing a global housing crisis. Nearly 2 billion people around the world live in slum housing and over 100 million are homeless. Families are trapped in a daily struggle to survive amid substandard and often inhuman living conditions.