On most days I photograph high-end luxury penthouses in Medellin, Colombia. That’s what keeps the lights on and puts food on the table!
I may shoot luxury penthouses, but at the end of the day I return to my modest little apartment.
Sometimes I think that I am doing something wrong. How could I live in such a regular little apartment when others are living in lavish penthouses with rooftop jacuzzis overlooking the city?
Why am I watching Netfilx on a 13″ MacBook Pro when others have dedicated 70 inch curved Panasonic TV’s in their living rooms?
Who knows…Some of these people may have been born into wealth, while others worked hard and earned every cent they have. Either way, seeing all that luxury distorts reality and sometimes makes me forget how rich I am relative to about 95% of the world’s population.
Based on several reports I have read, it seems like a pretty undeniable fact that 1% of the world’s population now controls about 50% of the world’s wealth. That means the other 99% of the population divide the other 50%.
To break things down bit further, check out this chart below which show’s that 71% of the world’s population live on less than $10/day.
Source: PewResearch Center
I Just Found Out – I AM RICH
I have come to the shocking realization that I am part of a very elite group of people called – The Rich! We are the 7 percenters….those who make more than $50 per day.
Over the past 4 weeks I have become very appreciative of what I have. I’ve been working with a family of four from Cauca who were displaced by the war to get settled in Medellin. If you’re interested, you can read their story in a complete blog post written by my friend Andrew Macia: http://medellinbuzz.com/the-perez-family-displaced-by-war-in-colombia/
To make a donation to this project please click on the donate button below to go to PayPal.
These are some photos I took today of the place that they are renting.
The prices that the Perez family pays for different recycling materials. They are currently paying more per kilo than any other recycling business in the neighbourhood.
One of the best possible outcomes from empowering others to make real changes in their lives is that they in turn help others to better their lives. We’re extremely happy to see that this is the case with the Perez Family. They’ve has already started to Pay it Forward by hiring others in the neighbourhood to help with the recycling. 3 more individuals how have a way of making money and putting food on their tables.
The Scale: One of the most important tools needed to run a recycling business.
