Minimum standards
In this world there is a huge divide between the rich and the poor. Now as a Canadian I see people who are homeless, suffer from mental health issues and worse. In Canada there are also a lot of people who are living paycheque to paycheque with little to no money left over before their next payday.
I do not belittle those people's hardships as they are very real and very challenging.
However, I have also been to the Philippines and I have heard stories from those who live in places like Nigeria, Pakistan and Venezuela. In those countries there are even more serious challenges. Security challenges, reliability challenges, infrastructure challenges and more. In Canada we have social safety nets which aren't perfect but at least give people a chance. In many other countries those social safety nets simply do not exist.
Basic necessities
It is absolutely unfair the economic divide between countries and I'm not going to say otherwise. It wasn't long ago that I read an article about African women who were up in arms about the price of sanitary napkins. Now in Canada you can drop by the dollar store and buy sanitary napkins for a very cheap price. Indeed I could walk around a park or two and pick up enough discarded pop cans or beer bottles to pay for a months supply. They may not be the nicest or best brand but I'm going to assume that something is almost always better than nothing for an item like that. Women feel free to correct me if I"m wrong.
However, what is considered a negligible expense here may be the difference between eating a meal and not in some other nations. If every spec of income is devoted to just paying for food to survive then everything else falls by the wayside.
But some things just can't be ignored. When I have a migraine I don't give a single thought to food but I would do a great deal to get a dose of ibuprofen to treat the headache. Sometimes those choices are tough though. Medicine for a child? Soap for sanitation? Clean water for drinking? A safe place to sleep? Clothes that aren't in tatters? Food to keep going? Where do you draw the line for necessary vs not necessary? I'm very glad I'm in a situation where I don't have to make those decisions.
Affluence vs Sanitation
So the Hive Learners today asked: Does affluence lead to better cleanliness? Or I believe the prompt "Money begets Hygiene". I had to think carefully about this. In the end I have to say that in general there is a correlation but it isn't as strong as you might think.
In the Philippines there are many people who don't have a lot of money. However, even when people are barely making ends meet I see that they take cleanliness very seriously. I'm sure there are lots of reasons for it. Washing clothes? Super important. Even if you are broke you don't want to look broke or be that "smelly person". In addition smart mom's everywhere know that if you keep things clean they tend to last longer. If the kids are neat and clean they are more likely to be accepted and more importantly they are less likely to get sick. Dirty wounds? Expensive infection. Dirty homes? Pests which eat the food you are fighting hard to eat yourself.
Staying clean and hygienic saves people money in the long run. A dollar or two spend on soap and cleaner can save huge amounts on food (less pests), and medication (fewer diseases) as well as better economic prospects because you are better able to be presentable for job interviews or just fit into social situations.
On the other side of things? Well, my son works as an electrician apprentice in Canada. In that job he makes good money and he works with people who make good money. We are talking about people who have good paying jobs and can easily afford any type of cleaner or personal care product they could ever want or need.
Yet at his work my son sees the signs "Please wear deodorant", "Please wash before coming to work", "Please wash your hands after using the toilet" and more. Indeed my son tells me of co-workers he really hates working with. When I ask why? His response... I'm working out in the hot sun and sweating. It's unpleasant. If I'm working beside someone who thinks deodorant is optional not it is how, sweaty, and smells soooo bad.
Now you may think that it is just construction workers. How about Marilyn Monroe. Well not sex symbol and actress. A woman who hung out with rich and powerful people. Yet she was known to be a slob and rumors are that her person hygiene wasn't great. Howard Hughes another rich and powerful man was also known to have hygiene issues. Do I know those people first hand? No. But I believe the sources and even if just for illustration...some rich people don't care about hygiene.
Rich of poor doesn't make a difference
I know many less affluent people who treat sanitation and person hygiene as a must have right up there with food and internet. I have seen rich people who don't care if they can be smelled before they can be seen. In that regard I can't say there is a direct correlation between money and hygiene.
Except
Money does count
Unfortunately we live in a world where even basic necessities aren't guaranteed.
Some people have no access to reliable water. If you can't even access water how can you keep yourself clean?
Some people don't have enough money to eat. If you can't afford food how can you afford soap?
At the very lowest end of the economic scale there are people who simply cannot access water to clean themselves or their clothes. If you can't afford clothes you certainly can't afford to clean them.
It is tragic. In a modern age everyone should have access to hygiene. Everyone should be able to keep themselves clean and presentable. Rich people should make it available to everyone even if they are only thinking of themselves. If poor people get sick...they transmit it to rich people. If poor people can't keep things cleanliness and pests comes? Those same pests end up in rich peoples houses. Making sure everyone can be clean and have access to sanitation helps everyone.
Sure, some rich people don't care and act like slobs. Some people don't care if they smell so bad other peoples eyes water. That's a different problem.
Still. Very poor can't afford. Poor people or rich people can afford but whether they do or don't? Depends on the person and smart people will take care of themselves and protect their health with a simple bar of soap.
Just my thoughts and if you care to disagree then feel free to leave a comment. I love comments :)