Authoritative institutions’ findings tell us that, from 1980 onward, poverty has decreased: in last 20 years, only in sub-Saharan area, poverty has decreased by 5 percentage points.

But we must admit that percentages and averages often are not very reliable: if we analyse figures using absolute parameters, the result is different. According to UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) last analysis, in the world there are 767 million people – especially young adults – who live with less than 2 $ a day.

In sub-Saharan Africa, people who are below poverty line are about 400 million, and this has been the actual situation for years and today we can find 50% of people considered below poverty line by UNHCR in sub-Saharan Africa.

Africa, especially the sub-Saharan area, has a very high poverty rate – about 60% – and a human development index which is one of the lowest in the world: there are some efforts for improvement, but they are slowed down by continuous and unstoppable population’s growth.

There are lots of studies on this subject, but one of them, “Human Development for Everyone” by UNDP, analyses the possibility of achieving a level in everyone’s quality of life that can be considered acceptable.

Different elements have been analysed, such as an adequate participation in political decisions, respect of human rights, guarantee of living in a healthy place, the possibility of achieving wellness, not only an economic one.

Using these evaluation criteria in African context, it is usual to clash with governments’ inability to fulfil these fundamental conditions that could promote a development worthy of its name.

Instead, in graphs and schemes, Africa often emerges as the heart of non-development: just think about the life of a child forced to work in a slum.

This child will live with no education, no food and no adequate medical assistance, lacking all those incentives which turn a person into a citizen. When he is an adult, his family will start from strong cultural and social gaps, with no awareness about its rights and its potentialities to achieve an active citizenship.

A wasted occasion for him and a wasted occasion for the entire society.