Cause of poverty and means of overcoming it
Answers
Explanation:
Meaning: Poverty can be defined as the lack of basic needs that are necessary for one to lead a relatively comfortable life. Such requirements may include shelter, clothing, food, education, and healthcare.
Causes of poverty:
1. Over-population: When too many people live in a geographical location, they compete for the available resources. The chances are that the resources are not always going to be enough to support everyone. Those who miss out will have to struggle to make ends meet. Overpopulation can result in the unavailability of land which is an important factor of production. Even without formal employment, those who have land can cultivate crops for food and sale.
2. Illiteracy: Lack of education can lead to poverty in different ways. When people go to school, they become equipped with skills and techniques that make them employable. They can thus earn good incomes and lead good lives. On the other hand, people who have not gone to school will either be employed as casual laborers with minimum wages or completely be without a means of getting income. Education opens a path to success even for people who are born into low-income families. Illiteracy also means that an individual lacks the intellectual capacity to make sound financial decisions. It can result in poor investment moves or bad spending habits that cause poverty.
3. Casteism and Untouchability: Caste systems deny those who are considered as less worthy a fair shot at success. It condemns them to a mediocre kind of life even when they have the potential to be great and find success. It means that if one is born into the wrong caste, he or she will be confined to the living standards of it.
4. Gender inequality: This is still a major problem in the 21st century. Even though there have been some remarkable improvements in addressing the issue of gender equality, a lot of challenges still exist. The phenomenon of unequal pay based on gender has caused more women than men to live in poverty. The failure to educate the girl child by several communities around the world condemns them to a life of poverty. They have to depend on men to provide for them and sometimes get married just to escape poverty. Some societies do not let the girl child inherit property such as land from a parent. They, therefore, have no means to generate income and make a good life for themselves.
5. Economic inequality: Inequal distribution of wealth especially in countries where the ruling elite come from a certain region usually lives those who are not represented in government wallowing in poverty. They are denied basic infrastructures that are critical to the development and have to contend with the little resources available. This creates a cycle of poverty and many socio-economic problems.
Effects of Poverty
1. Hinders economic prosperity of the nation: The economic growth of a country is mostly driven by the business ventures of its citizens. If many of them are poor, the country will be underdeveloped.
2. Crimes: It has been established that crime rates are usually higher in areas or countries with high levels of poverty compared to those that are experiencing rapid economic growth and good amounts of income per household.
3. Malnutrition: Insufficient food and the inability to afford a decent meal results in malnutrition. Many people who live in poverty forego several meals and sometimes when they eat, the food lacks essential nutrients necessary for good growth.
4. Health problems: Many people living in poverty are unable to afford good healthcare. They are therefore plagued by different health problems since they cannot afford treatment. The poor living conditions may also cause diseases.
5. Less liberty: They say money is not everything but nevertheless, it is important to have it. It can afford you the best things in life and give you different options to choose from. Poor people do not get to choose their professions because they have to make do with what is available. Many will get you a good education and make it possible to study the career of your choice.