Shortage of Beds and Mattresses
Malawi, Africa … Being in one of the poorest nations in the world does not mean the same thing it means to be poor in one of the nations of the west. In fact, there is no comparison, and extremely difficult to explain the difference to someone who has not been to Africa and experienced it first hand. But what does it mean to live in “one of the poorest nations in the world.” It all depends on what you are doing at the time, and what your needs may be.
Being in one of the poorest nations in the world means the stores will frequently run out of the commodities you need. Salt, sugar, milk, bread, vegetables, whatever … you are not surprised when you go into the store and learn they are currently out of what you need.
Being in one of the poorest nations in the world means you are not surprised when you pull into a gas station only to learn they are out of diesel, or regular fuel, and they do not know exactly when they will get the next shipment.
Being in one of the poorest nations in the world means if your house catches fire there is no fire department to call. Your house will probably burn to the ground, if your neighbors cannot get to a water source and carry enough of it to hand to assist in putting it out.
Being in one of the poorest nations in the world means if a thief breaks into your house there is no phone with which to call the police, and even if you can contact them, in most cases, they do not have a car with which to get to your house.
Being in one of the poorest nations in the world means when you get sick and need to pick up some sort of drugs from the nearest pharmacy there is a good chance they will not have what you need, and they do not know exactly when they will get the next shipment.
Being in one of the poorest nations in the world means when you get sick and need to go to the hospital you may find yourself laying on a mattress on the floor, or worse than that finding the only bed and mattress are the ones pictured here.
Unlike being poor in the west, it is an entirely different situation when you are in one of the poorest nations in the world.