What Can $1 Do?

February 19, 2013
| 126 Comments
| Reflections

What does $1 buy in America? Let’s see, maybe a can of soda, a coffee from McDonald’s, a bag of M&Ms, one can of soup, 30 minutes on a parking meter downtown, 1/3 of a tall latte from Starbucks, or a pack of gum.

While $1 dollar in America can only buy us things of little significance, it can make a world of difference in other countries. In Kenya it can buy you 8 cups of milk. In Ghana you can purchase 87 tablets of Penicillin. A family of four in Bangladesh is estimated to spend 80 cents a day on food and fuel combined.  In Costa Rica you could buy a watermelon, a papaya, and a pineapple and in India it can get you can get you a hearty meal of boiled rice, dal, vegetables, pickles, chutney and papads.

What if we gave up a pack of gum a week? Or that coffee we didn’t really need. While $1 dollar a week seems dispensable to the average American, it could make a huge impact on a family in Bangladesh or Ghana. As Mother Teresa said, “We cannot do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” With an informed mind and good intentions, even the smallest actions can make the greatest difference.

So what does a dollar mean to you? Or better yet, what can you make it mean to someone else?