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
I'm venezuelan and I definitely need this :( probably we need kind of luck sometimes, I've posted 4 articles and I haven't obtained anything....
No suerte amigo si no también muchas ganas de trabajar¡¡¡ Vamos poco a poco
Greetings to the Community steemit, I'm also from Venezuela very good your post @stellabelle. Although sometimes we do not get the reputation that is needs and support everything can sometimes change with effort and dedication is achieved the goals you want to achieve
You have to take your time and build your audience...
Now a question. On your Medium article you stated that you earned $125 for the article and you posted screens hot of it. But hear now on the steemit article it says $54.61. Can anybody explained what happened? Is this because of personal powerdown, network powerdown or because of the article downvotes? Or you just paid out something?
Please explain, this is not clear.
I actually don't the answer to this question. I know that the price of steem affects this....that's my only guess. Also, the reward pool is affected for 7 days, and so it shifts the payout.
Good luck, I'm still struggling to get even 1$...
My best advice to you is to make friends and comment on other people's posts. It takes a while, for people to notice others, but when you give, you end up receiving....that's what i did anyway, it worked for me.
I know constant dropping wears away a stone.
Patience :)
I got to work for it.
The Rock Says:
Go on bro, you can achieve it. Only write and have fun.
I'm going to put my head down and work for it.
Yes, this comment makes my life. Write and have fun. Rest will be taken care of automatically.
I'm new here too, and I'm struggling to even handle the entire purpose of the platform, it's so unreal. But I'm managing so far!
First read about basics and then crete some content.
I suggest you to write your first introduction post and tag it: introduction steemit community introduce steemsquad
Take a photo of you with a sheet of paper with #steemit
hey look! You just made $1.70 on just this comment! You have almost reaced TWICE your goal!
Lol :)
HAHAHAHA In my case even 0.5$
Pero si es una guía para venezolanos, ¿por qué la haces en inglés? :c. O sea, la entendí, solo que me es un poco más complicado. De todas formas excelente artículo, lo tendré en cuenta.
Me lo tradujeron en español
it's done and en espanol: https://steemit.com/venezuela/@stellabelle/sosvenezuela-gui-a-pra-ctica-para-ganar-5usd-al-di-a-en-steemit
Tal vez porque se gana más en inglés. Aquí principalmente estamos para escribir artículos con contenido útil y también ganar dinero. Me encantó el mensaje, muy claro y lleno de sentimientos. Gracias
@stellabelle
Pense igual haha... pero lo encontre en español en este sitio https://medium.com/steem-stories/sosvenezuela-gui%CC%81a-pra%CC%81ctica-para-ganar-5-al-di%CC%81a-en-steemit-11d82f5d4d4d
Resteemed this post!
I have been trying to promote Steemit to the venezuelan audience since forever!.. I even ran a facebook ad a campaign destined to people who currently live there!.. I believe it is a way for people over there to overcome "extreme" poverty and I have seen some great examples on this platform of whom I am really proud of: @betamusic, @luisucv34 and @elyaque really stand out for instance.
On my side I am trying to upvote anyone that is from Venezuela and uses the tag #venezuela, It is the less I can do as a Venezuelan living abroad.
Thanks a lot @stellabelle for bringing this issue to your followers, you are top class!
Yes, i love your writing and overall, i think you're an amazing person. Your writing on Medium is very good.....I am happy we know each other.
wait, are you living in Venezuela right now?
or are you from Venezuela?
I left Venezuela in 2013, right before shit hit the fan
wise move, but were you born in Venezuela?
Amazing initiative @stellabelle and @dana-edwards !
I will share this on some Facebook-groups and Twitter! Hope we reach the people
me too. i feel awful since i learned what's happening. we can make a difference. it's just in getting the word out.
I appreciate your work! If you need any help let me know.
Steemians for Steem!
share it on as many platforms as possible.
thank you
This is brilliant Leah! Unfortunately I don't speak Spanish ha ha...but I speak Afrikaans if you at one point want to target the South African market. Here $ 5 would be able to feed a family of four easily for a day.
oh feel free! anywhere and everywhere.....this perhaps is what the world actually needs: a place where people can make $5 per day.
Definitely! You are such a clever girl! LOL!
i prefer "Idea Machine"
Amazing post. I'm from Venezuela and can Tell you that steemit is an oportunity to me, because IM a medicine student and i don't have the time foto have a job right now, but here i can make some money (and fun) with one of my hobbies.
PS: i can help with traslation
ok great. Let me know when you have it done. Just send a message in here, in this post comments......
Working on it
THANKS
Done :). How can i send it to you?
send it to DashForNewbiesATgmail.com
Hey, do you receive it?
@stellabelle if you dont have anyone who will translate to spanish i can do it for you. Let me know :) great initiative!
darn it, i responded to someone else already, but thank you
No problem @stellabelle! He probably can make much better use for it being that he is in Venezuela. And since its about helping #Venezuela, it makes sense. I am sure there will be a next time ;)
thanks to you
Helping the poor is VERY HARD WORK.
The rich do not understand the mentality of the poor.
nor do the poor understand the mentality of the rich.
Capitalism is great, until people start knocking out the bottom rungs of the ladder to protect their current position.
Currently millennials will never move into home ownership like the baby-boomer generation did. The prices are great than any wealth the millenial will see in their lifetime.
Also, the previous generations have claimed every square foot of land. You can't just go out and start farming on a vacant piece of land. The BLM owns it all. Things were fine when there was room to grow; to get a foot hold. But now any upward movement is constrained by regulations.
To help the poor, you not only need to give them land, you also have to give them skills to work that land. Then you need to retrain their mind to see possibilities.
The difference between a poor farmer and a middle class farmer? One weeds their garden. Guaranteed to increase yields by 25%. So, why don't the poor do so?
Also, Venezuela's people did deserve what they got. They kept pounding the drum of socialism, never seeing the destruction that was heading their way.
Just like americans are deserving what is coming their way.
But, it is a whole other topic to explore how to change the situation that years of corruption have wrought.
are you from Venezuela?
Nope. I am just one of those engineering types that saw this coming a decade away.
You truly reap what you sow.
And americans in The USSA are heading for a worse catastrophe. The swamp will be drained one way or the other.
Hello, I'm a native spanish speaker, and studied english translation. I might be interested in translating for you.....
yes, yes yes.
can't remember if it was my last post or the one saved for tomorrow that addresses the same idea - this platform really does have the potential to be quite the life-changer. you and I are two cases. and yeah - $5/day would go a LONG ways for alot of people in developing nations.
feeling optimistic once again about the possibilities for what good may come here... :-)
the more we work together on this idea, the bigger it will become in social media:
"You can earn $5 Per Day on Steemit.."
That is a realistic goal!
YES! feels like a great community, just been a couple of days here and made almost 8 bucks. it´s trully fascinating to be part of steemit because of the potential we see (refering to your writting comparing face to steemit! hehe). Following, upvoting, resteeming & retweeting it! God bless.
thanks a lot. Glad to hear of your success....it's not easy for all....
yes very true... I am currently in Mexico, here I´m attending a christian church, Casa de Oracion in Guadalajara, is the 2nd. biggest city in Mexico but you can find a lot of people to help just around us. poverty and social marginalization is rampant...
I can tell you that many are economically in a not so "good situation" but are helping others even being theirself in that precarious situation, it is incredible how human compassion & passion are working here... God blessing...
Most helpful guide for me ..i'll follow this guide .thanks
are you in Venezuela?
You are absolutely right @stellabelle I am one of those people that thanks to steemit I have financial freedom, and here in my country venezuela I am always commenting to my friends and the people that I know of this beautiful platform to help them overcome this
terrible crisis!!!
Hi @stellabelle, actually a income of 5$ per day in Venezuela is near to my salary like engineer and with that here can buy a very good breakfast, lunch and dinner at the day.
Obvious reason that´s why i am here.
That´s why i believe you idea is very good. Here the social networks are very populars, so if it become mainstream the grow of Steemit will be exponencial.
Also here the people need to learn about bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and blockchain, to avoid some scams, that are growing in my country around the cryptocurrencies.
I am with your idea and if you need traduction of the post i am to the order.
Regards
@jocra
Poverty is a disease and a mind virus. The blockchain is the cure. Thanks for sharing your story. :)
you're welcome.......I wrote my book, Un-Crap Your Life, while I had a day job......I was able to cleanse out a lot of suffering that way.
Thanks for sharing, this is inspiring and helpful. I'm sure I'm going to come back to this post over and over again.
Yep @stellabelle, like an old time steemit user and also a venezuelan living currently in venezuela, I certainly can back up everything you've said in this article from the front row dear. The things over here, each darn day, are becoming extremely difficult & ugly way too quickly for everyone of us. The inflation rates are next to parallel those of Zimbabwe soon and therefore sweeping away with all hope of surviving on our meager national currency incomes anymore. That's why I'm finding so important your efforts to bring awareness about our dreadful hardships and encourage all those who still can, join us here on #steemit. :)
As a venezuelan, I need to thank you for your very empathic and generous gesture darling. And also thanks to my pal @denmarkguy who resteemed your post and that was the way how I found out your article.
Well, and like I always seem to arrive late to everything on steemit, I'm glad that my countryman @efrageek has already provided you with the Spanish translation you were requesting. Otherwise I would have done it myself.
Cheers and keep doing your great work!!
¡Upvoted & Resteemed! :)
Great article - wonderful that steemit is providing a lifeline for people in distressed/developing countries. And it's very revealing that a platform that EMPOWERS people is doing so much good - in contrast to government programs that keep people trapped and powerless.
Very cool that you want to help the people of VZ and a great idea. STEEM is inflating almost at a negligible rate vs the bolivar
I did some research and was appalled and ashamed that I have so much, and yet people are giving up their children in Venezuela because they cannot feed them. This is actually the least I can do.
Its is insanely bad there. Good for you for trying to do something positive. You have a good heart :)
thanks for sharing this @stellabelle !!
this is really encouraging :)
This comment has received a 0.15 % upvote from @speedvoter thanks to: @abhisteem13.
Sounds like the potential for an exciting project; I look forward to updates on the success. Thanks for sharing.
youre welcome.
Thank's for your support. Good luck!.
found this article why searching on how to make money on steemit
I' hope you don't mind me asking. But where is the practical guide? I mean read through your post, but I failed to find the practical part, although I did like the encouraging back story.
Hi im newbie here at steemit i hope
And as of now im starting to read articles like this. Thanks anyway for inspiring
Excellent article! Like your writing
thanks
me encantó tu contenido, en serio me dieron ganas de seguir publicando, soy de Venezuela tambien y realmente NECESITO esta ayuda de steem, me encanta escribir, a veces solo necesitamos un poco de inspiración. He publicado 4 o 5 posts y no he obtenido mucho, pero definitivamente no me rendiré.. GRACIAS POR LA INSPIRACIÓN
I loved your content, I really want to be better now, im also from Venezuela and I really NEED steemit. I love to write, but sometimes we just need a little bit of inspiration. I have published like 4 or 5 posts, and not received a lot of money, but I will not give up. THANKS!
Señorita @stellabelle, gracias por estas palabras, realmente en la fecha de su publicación no tenía ni idea de que esto sucediera y mucho menos la cantidad de personas que estaban en esa posición, hoy día en venezuela estamos en un proceso degenerativo y me duele aceptarlo pero nos toca hacer de tripas corazón y subsistir. Igualmente evoco tus palabras al señalar que la escritura es para los privilegiados, realmente tienes razón! Aunque me preocupa que la mayoría de nuestros alumnos graduados de bachiller no tengan la misma fluidez al escribir como las generaciones donde veníamos de una escuela pública, pero bien educados, pobres pero honrados, donde el hogar era la primera escuela, evoco mis recuerdos mas intimos y solo encuentro a mi madre con un afán de que hiciera la tarea para el día siguiente, hoy día se ha perdido eso! y solo un gobierno populista no le importa la calidad si no la cantidad de graduandos. sin importar como estan letrados esos jovenes, porque ni siquiera pasan por un filtro las maestras de esas fulanas misiones del gobierno donde se busca la llamada cero analfabetismo, si lo buscan graduar la mayor cantidad posible de alumnos. Bueno dejare para mi blog esta retaliación donde seré mas preciso y menos apasionado. Felíz noche.
Thank you so much!!! Very Inspiring :)
This is a great article, definitely more people needs to know that cryptocurrecies are not just speculation, and there is tech to solve this problems
I am glad you were able to make it out alive! I agree, people that haven't been there don't know. The government has classified me under poverty level my entire life, I am now 28, but I am not poor. I am actually self employed, Steemit and BTC trading are a very small amount of my income. I make most of mine from blogging/internet and affiliate marketing via "regular" social media. But I am free now, and now I am happy. Like I said, I don't make much money but I make enough to pay for what my family needs and still have a little bit of money for vacations every 2 years or so. I didn't feel right when I had to work 40+ hours a week to make someone else rich. I could see where I was fitting in their big corporate machine and I didn't feel any purpose. And I believe that is part of it, people need to be able to FEEL THEIR PURPOSE. It sounds like Steemit helped you find yours. I don't care if you are rich or poor monetarily, if you don't feel purpose to the work you are doing, it will eat at you inside. Good luck to everything in the future. Make the Earth great again.
yeah, here's to freedom.....
Brilliant idea!!
thanks
Another Stellar Article
By @stellabelle
(catches flying lips)
XOXOXO
it's fun isn't it?
Yes my Dear. Believe it or not, I am enjoying this as much as you.
In a land of voids, one relishes the smallest of gestures.
This Stellar Article does show your creative and generous side that is sometimes hidden. I am sure you will find a QUALIFIED candidate who will help translate it into SPANISH so that your message WILL reach the people in VENEZUELA.
or forget all the silly faux poetry crap.....this is another way I feel:
Ahh... :D
While sipping on a cold one!
Cheer's!
Beautiful post, @stellabelle-- kudos to both you and @dana-edwards! Resteeming...
What's interesting is that there are many discussions here about UBI (Universal Basic Income) and there are a number of alt coin projects being created around the idea of UBI... and what gets overlooked is that fact that Steemit already has the mechanism in place to help people in developing and war torn areas supplement their worlds.
One of the things I'm hoping the eventual "Communities" feature will add to Steemit is multi-language sub-channels; accessible to all, but organized by language (or language group), making Steemit truly globally accessible.
And you're absolutely right, rich people have NO idea of what poor people need... and "handouts" are not the answer.... but some kind of leg up to help give yourself a new start is. Could have used that when I was sleeping on a bench at the nearby municipal golf course, when I was in my 20's...
EXACTLY.
Your way of describing what Steemit is compared to facebook was really good!
I am from the Philippines, and I am sure that 5USD a day is too good for a college student here. In any case, I don't mind helping out with PH translation. It's my first 2 days on steemit, though, so I'd need more time to get familiar with the system.
like in my friends movie Hell or High Water (My friend Kevin wrote it, along with Sicario, Zootopia, ) , the main character explains why he is robbing banks, because he needs to buy back the house the bank took away from him, to pass it down to his family, because "Poverty its like a sickness, a disease passed down from generation to generation"
ut yeah my friend kevin wrote like every big hollywood blockuster from 2014 till this year! Arrival, HardcoreHenry, he wrote the Nw Jurassic World, he wrote the New Starwars AND he wrote Rogue One! I saw the essay he wrote before he sent it to the CIA through Facebook, and they promised to pay him but NEVER DID and I am going to start telling everyone. I saw the fucking essay he wrote in 2014, called Transcending AmericanFacsim in the 21st Century where he gave the CIA a fucking playbook for the entire obama administration...Even the idea to start a war in Syria to push people into Europe, was all Kevins idea to fucking use GERMANS to teach ARABS how to fucking respect women and to stop hating jews! And if anyone can teach muslim arabs how to start sucking up to Jews, its the Germans! The Germans have GONE THROUGH all that dark age crap the muslims are still stuck in! And so Kevins plan was to use Germany to heal t he whole middle east situation!
Anyway though back to my point, kevin wrote basically every blockbuster thats come out since 2014...And The Counseler with Fassbender (Michael or Walter from Prometheus, AlienCovenent) all about how wealthy Americans should never fucking get involved with the cartels ....sicario was his big masterpiece....I can even explain all sorts of crazy shit you would NEVER be able to know about all the big movis of last few years!
HAH inside out? Written by some pyschologist NOPE written by my friend kevin! And the PROOF that Kevin wrote all of these movies and not the "writers" is that ALL of these movies ive mentioned, have SHARED WRITING CREDITS between like a dozen people! NO sorry but 11 peeople dont write a movie script together! ONE person has a vision and maybe a second person helps make some changes but just reemmber, when you fucking see the "credits" for the movie Inside out, they actually PLACED Kevins FIRST AND LAST NAME into the fucking FIRST TWO NAMES of the credits at the end of Inside Out! They literally have the first two names in the credit list have teh first name on the list someoen with afirst name Kevin, and second name on the list someoenwith last name LYON and his name is KEVIN LYONS lol its a joke....And for all of you who think me or my frienis delusional, I can basicaly explain all sorts of backstories an easter eggs and shit that only the creator could know...
Hollywood has basicaly NO creativity left! They literally take college essays and go through them, looking for kids with creative ideas to steal! Big time hollywood producers are trying to give people classes on how to write movis, NO sorry you cant LEAR that its an inate talent that only a FEW can even become close top mastering....i am lucky to have a friend who basically shaped the entire democratic party agenda for the last 4 years of obama administration.....such a joke! And of you think there is anyone smarter than my friend who works for the govrnment you are wrong
Excellent article, i'm new here and all thanks to you, best of luck in the future from venezuela
Thanks a lot for this , as a venezuelan I can honestly vouched for the 5$ a day being near a fortune
good article!
Nice post @stellabelle, although it seems to me only like a big intro, and not a 'practical guide' as in the title. :)
By the way do you guys know of some indian/african/venezuelan success stories thanks to steemit?
meep
que bueno ver que las personas del mundo se interesan en lo que esta pasando en #venezuela por eso es que cada dia le doy gracias a dios por las cosas y personas buenas que nos toca
hola @stellabelle Excelente articulo, esto sin duda alguna podria ayudarnos con la crisis que vivimos los venezolanos
Thank you for your contribution. ...Greetings from Venezuela
gracias por tu aporte. ...saludos desde Venezuela
Thanks for taking time creating this post! ^_^
Hi your a practicle guide story brought me here and I want to say thanks and I can really relate to many of the things about poverty that you talked about and you gained a follower!
https://medium.com/steem-stories/a-practical-guide-to-make-5-per-day-on-steemit-com-sosvenezuela-386f8fd289f7
Its a good read,
Thanks for sharing.
keep on writing awesome stuffs.
I'm from Venezuela too (More like CubaZuela) and i know exaclty how hard it is, we live in literally dark times, with the power short, last christmas was a living nightmare for everyone, hopefully this network seems like a light at the end of the tunnel for me, i expect to create quality content here for people to enjoy and make them know the truth of our contry