I lied in the headline... it's -almost- time to meet the Lucky Iron Fish.

First, I need to quickly explain about iron deficiency, and why it matters. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, with almost half of the world's population experiencing it. Consequences of iron deficiency include weakness, tiredness, and dizziness. Being iron deficient makes a long day's work even more difficult than it already is, and holds people back from achieving their goals. If iron deficiency is left unchecked, it can lead to iron deficiency anemia, which can result in irregular heartbeat, complications during pregnancy, depression, and delayed growth in children. 

It all sounds pretty bad... and people should probably just get more iron into their diets. But the problem for people living in extreme poverty, is that iron-rich foods are often ones that they can't afford. Red meat, fish, and dark green vegetables are great sources of iron, but these food items aren't within the daily reach of many people. And vitamin tablets? Well if you can't afford to buy a fish, you're not going to be down at the pharmacy browsing jars of supplements, hey. In Cambodia, for example, around six million people are iron deficient. 

Ok, now it's time to meet the fish

Problems like these require innovative solutions, and entrepreneurs across the world are dedicated to finding new ways to help people to improve their lives. The Lucky Iron Fish is made of recycled iron, is smaller than a pack of cards, and is here to help. It works by releasing iron particles into boiling water, so all people need to do is to drop the fish into their cooking pot when they're boiling water or making soup. The iron particles are then absorbed by the human body, and trials have found that the rate of iron deficiency is halved for people who use the lucky fish. The fish cost around $5 each, and can provide much-needed iron to a family for up to five years.

The startup business that is behind the fish is determined to benefit the Cambodian community in as many ways as it can. It manufactures the fish locally, employs local women to hand-weave the packaging out of palm leaves, and uses a local PR agency to promote the product. The fish is now receiving worldwide attention, and orders are flowing (swimming?) in from different countries.

This is a great example of a simple, affordable, and effective response to a problem facing people living in extreme poverty. Some of the most unexpected and impressive poverty-crushing stories are coming out of the entrepreneurship scene, and I'll be featuring more businesses like this on Global Citizen over the course of the year!

Editorial

Defeat Poverty

It's time to meet the Lucky Iron Fish

By Michael Wilson