Who profits the most from the poverty industry?

The documentary Poverty, Inc. offers plenty of proof that international relief efforts often amount to little more than subsidizing donor organizations and well-connected corporate interests.

Some of stories include:

An American couple went to Haiti to open an orphanage only to discover an orphan factory. Most of the children have at least one living parent who simply saw a way to feed and educate them. The couple decided to start a business to employ Haitian moms and dads and give them the means to keep their families together.

A Haitian entrepreneur whose business produced solar panels. His company struggled to stay afloat once the World Bank started providing streetlights in 2010: “They didn’t know there was already a solar company there. They have this conception that in Haiti there’s nothing. Before the earthquake we sold an average of 50 solar streetlights a month. After the earthquake, we sold five.”

A software designer from Ghana likewise who indicts what he calls the “new colonialism,” describing his company’s struggle to compete with the unfair advantages enjoyed by European businesses. After one European company lobbied its legislators to make a loan to Ghana’s government, it won a large contract despite a higher bid and less expertise.

The West has made itself the protagonist of development, giving rise to a multibillion dollar poverty industry.

From TOMS Shoes to international adoptions, from solar panels to U.S. food aid, the film challenges each of us to ask the tough question: Could I be part of the problem?

Here is the Offical Trailer:

Use this link to read the full review from World Magazine.