The idea of poor people can often be offensive and even scary. When you hear about the effects that poverty can have on a person, it is easy to forget about the individual and how we as humans appreciate their existence. Certain individuals are not responsible for their poverty; they live in a deprived area, where there are limited jobs or opportunities. Poverty alleviation can help people who have been affected by past events become less affected by them in the future. Often, these people are referred to as being at the bottom of the pyramid. They are the ones that need help the most because society has failed to help them out of their predicament.
Worldwide, 2.2 billion people live on less than $2 a day and 1.4 billion live on less than $1 a day. This means that nearly one-fourth of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty and has limited opportunities for growth (World Bank). Poverty can have devastating effects on not only an individual, but also a community or even a nation as a whole. According to UNICEF, millions of children in developing countries die every year from poverty-related diseases and poor nutrition.
Poverty Alleviation:
The idea of preventing people from falling into the trap of poverty is often referred to as poverty alleviation. People often see this method as a way to help an individual or a group get out of the miry clay which was created because of poverty in the first place. It will ensure that these individuals do not have to live with any kind of destitution and can lead an easy life where they are not dependent on anyone for their daily needs. Poverty alleviation denotes the reduction of poverty; it aims to help people become less poor through direct or indirect means. The goal behind poverty alleviation is to help people improve their standard of living to a level where they can live with dignity and respect. Poverty alleviation does not have a single definition but it can be described as working actively towards achieving this goal using different methods.
In order to understand Poverty Alleviation, it is necessary to first understand the concept of Poverty.
Poverty:
Poverty is defined as a state in which a person lacks the resources to satisfy their basic needs. The term is used by people to describe their lack of wealth, level of living, or living standard. Poverty can be determined by factors such as low income, unemployment, poor social conditions and so forth. Poverty can be either temporary or irregular in nature and it can be caused by any kind of event that makes it difficult for someone to achieve some goals they had set before. For example, poverty can represent low wages, low productivity or even political instability. The term ‘poverty’ is used in different contexts and has a different meaning depending on the context that is being analysed. Poverty is often seen as a national problem, which it is. Various factors such as low productivity and lack of economic growth are the key contributors to poverty. It is often the case that poverty can hinder economic growth and the process of development because it creates uncertainty in the minds of investors (World Bank). In addition to this, poverty also has an adverse effect on politics and society itself. In recent years, there has been a paradigm shift towards transnational issues and multinational problems. Poverty is one of these issues, which has been a constant concern in recent years. Poverty alleviation is a process that is aimed at improving the standard of living while helping individuals to achieve sustained growth and development.
Need for Poverty alleviation:
Poverty is seen as a global problem and acts as a barrier to sustainable growth and development. Poverty has contributed to political instability and even poverty. This, in turn, lowers the standards of living by affecting economic growth, making it difficult for people to get jobs and move up the social hierarchy (UNICEF). The existence of those who are poor is seen as a threat to the prosperity of those who are wealthy, which means that poverty can negatively influence people’s lives and influence their lives in a negative manner. As such, it affects economic growth due to low productivity and low income. The presence of people who are poor also contributes to the politics of a place. For example, the number of poor people in any place determines if they have a strong enough voice to be heard by politicians and their policies. Poverty contributes towards the price spiral which includes food, energy and essential commodities etc. while making it difficult for people to pay their bills. Poverty not only affects individuals but also society as a whole. It affects communities by creating an environment where crime rates go up and there is tension among different groups in society. It can lead to civil unrest, which means that a civil war can break out due to poverty-related issues or tensions between opposing groups (UNICEF).
Conclusion:
Poverty is a major problem in today’s world and so it is crucial that we find solutions to this problem. The above article has explained what poverty is, what causes poverty and its effects on a country’s economy. There are many different ways of alleviating poverty, which have been outlined in the article. We need to understand that eradicating poverty is quite a difficult task and it is important that people work together towards this goal. Poverty alleviation strategies need to account for all the different factors that contribute towards the development of a country.