In our cynical world full of the latest human and governmental tragedies, it is very difficult to believe that any real solutions exist to end poverty. After all, the saying goes,

The road to hell is paved in good intentions.

Let’s face it, rich people can never truly help poor people by only giving them bags of rice.

Only a poor person understands the impact of poverty and what it does to a person’s mind. And even though I was raised in a middle-class family, got a college degree, had a professional career, I fell through the cracks, ended up a single mother, and lost everything. In essence, I became a sad statistic that befalls many women all over the world. My mind got altered from poverty, I suddenly found myself having to fill two roles: breadwinner and nurturer, and if it weren’t for my parents, I’d probably be homeless and impoverished. I definitely wouldn’t be here writing this. Writing is for privileged people.

The mental scars of having nothing and feeling helpless, alone and desperate for several years left their mark on my psyche.
I will never forget it. I still haven’t fully recovered since I am afraid to buy even the barest necessities for myself: underwear, clothes, shoes. But this story is not about me. I was one of the lucky ones. I got out last year when I found Steemit.

The reason most non-profit organizations fail is because rich people don’t really understand the mentality of poor people.

Poor people need useful tools so that they can create their own solutions to their own poverty.

They need to be the drivers of their own change, because if not, they will embody the crushing victim mentality, and poverty will just continue on through their children. Poverty is a mindset, a learned behavior or a consequence of location/discrimination.

There exists something that is already helping people all over the planet help themselves, lifting them out of poverty. It may not sound like much, but earning $5 a day on Steemit.com can make a huge difference for a lot of people in the world. And I heard that people in India are flocking to Steemit right now in large numbers.

Location still determines wealth to a large degree on the planet. And Venezuela is suffering massively right now due to a corrupt leader. The Venezuelan people did nothing to deserve the hell that is now their reality. I became aware of this because I run the Dash For Newbies Facebook page and I noticed that 99% of the people responding to our Dash Facebook ads were from Venezuela.

They need a solution.

It’s here now. It is Steemit, a next-generation social media platform that anyone can join and benefit from. It’s community-driven which means anyone can earn, invest or become influential within it. I’ve been earning on Steemit for nearly a year now, and I can see clearly how it could potentially change the world into a better place. The reason I didn’t write this earlier is because Steemit had a number of social problems that was causing people unnecessary grief. Those problems have mostly been solved, so I feel happy again telling others about it.

Usually, these corny-sounding proclamations are empty hopes, but I’m living proof that the Steemit concept actually works to alleviate poverty.

I went from $0 to wealth in one year of solid and consistent blogging on Steemit. It changed my life, because I'm now financially free.

I’ve been living off my Steemit earnings alone for almost a year, and even though this reality might not be possible for people in Western countries, someone living in India, Venezuela or Nigeria could make enough money every day on Steemit to survive. It’s quite possible to make $5 per day just by posting, commenting and making friends in Steemit.

A friend of mine from Nigeria, who followed me into Steemit last year, has done very well as far as his earnings from Steemit. I think he has saved up more than $4o,ooo USD, all of which he earned from his writing in Steemit. He’s an exceptional writer, though. Most people don’t have that kind of drive, talent and ambition. But $5 per day is a very realistic and achievable reality for everyone. This post by Dana-Edwards is what inspired me to write this article, and I have to credit @dana-edwards with the idea. Thanks.

It’s something that is available right now. And no, I’m not selling anything. I am trying to figure out how I can get this message sent to the people of Venezuela, and all other disadvantaged friends, who desperately need help feeding themselves and their families. They need financial independence and a stable currency so they can survive, so they can feed their children. This is exactly what Steemit.com provided for me, so it would be unfair of me not to try to get this message sent far and wide.

So, what is Steemit?

Steemit.com is a decentralized, blockchain-based social media platform that rewards its users for posting and voting. But that sounds complicated. Let me break it down in a simpler way:

If Facebook had a built-in digital wallet, was run on a transparent bookkeeping ledger, removed advertising and paid its users to post content, you’d get Steemit.

You may not believe me, but my own poverty ended when I found Steemit.com. See for yourself, check my online wallet. All of our wallets are transparently displayed online and mine is protected from theft in a special Steem account. This transparency removes fraud. You get $7 worth of Steem just for creating a new account.

I earned all of my Steem from writing and contributing to Steemit, through voting on other people’s posts and interacting with other people.

Please send this article as far and wide as you can.

It could make a difference in someone’s life.

Thank you,
Stellabelle

ps- you’re probably think I work for Steemit, Inc. I don’t. I am user of Steemit but I get no referral rewards, no commissions or gain from writing this, other than if the value of the Steem network increases. I earned all my Steem which makes me care more for the success of the platform. More than anything, I want people to understand they have options to improve their lives. When we share, everyone wins.

Who wants to do a Spanish translation of this article? I'll pay you 25% of whatever this post makes in Steem for the translation. I'll be putting the Spanish translation on Medium, too.
Thanks