There’s a richness in being poor, and an exit to poverty

Jun 27, 2009 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
The word “Poverty” can entail several meanings. There can be cultural poverty, social poverty, political poverty and last but not least, economic poverty. Poverty, therefore, can be described, at best, as a set of circumstances which affect the lives of people in an adverse manner.
But, it must be clearly understood that people, who are accustomed to living in a set of adverse circumstances, will in the long run accept these circumstances as their way of life.
Therefore, it is essential that those in the developed world do not impose their way of living and thinking on the under-developed and unprivileged, i.e., the poor.
Any improvements to alleviate the poor will have to be taken in a gradual and timely manner which suits their needs.

While two-thirds of the world’s inhabitants live in some sort of poverty, the main attribute to any poverty stems from the economic aspect of poverty.
To attempt to alleviate economic poverty, we must analyse specific examples where such a circumstance exists. Let us, therefore, look at a village, and take the following into account:
1. The village has approximately twenty families, totalling about one hundred persons.
2. Of these people, there are forty adults and sixty children (male and female).
3. The ages range for adults 25-60; children from babies to ten years – 25; from ten years to fifteen years – 25; from fifteen to eighteen years – 20.
Let us assume that the adult population has twenty men and twenty women and look at their economic activities.
The children between the ages of ten to fifteen will probably help their mother or learn some sort of craft from their elders. The females in this age group will follow their mother. The adult males will probably hunt, fish and do some sort of agriculture. The children, male between fifteen and eighteen, will also probably take their father’s foot-steps.

What we find here is the following:
1. Almost all villages are located near a source of water.
2. There is no formal education, only what is learnt from the elders.
3. There is no source of power i.e., electricity, only firewood from the forest.
4. There is no savings – hence there is no production or extra savings
5. By the time the adolescent population reaches the age of eighteen (in some cases younger), there begins to be population growth. This is necessary to alleviate the extent of the burdening chores. In the long run, however, this growth will have an adverse effect on the entire village. What is in effect occurring is that poverty grows geometrically. It is like being in a circle, where the beginning and the end are the one and same thing.

We can now ask how can we alleviate or abolish poverty all together.
To alleviate and eventually abolish poverty we must look at the following – proper housing; adequate nutrition; enhancing or putting into place a proper health care system; form a financial system or network where there can be savings and certain incentives for investments or production; have some form of Government or Political institution.
For these basic steps to be taken, we shall need experts in each field. We must also remember that we are dealing with people who may or may not seek a change in the way they live. As such, an anthropologist may be needed.

1. In the housing, we have to seek the help of engineers and architects. These should be able to look at a situation and see first of all, if in the area, what types of materials are available and the skills of the workforce.
Since health is important, proper sewage systems have to be put into place. Water must be purified and pumps installed. Since there is no electricity, solar or wind power may have to be substituted. Training people in areas according to their ability is a definite pre-requisite.

2. A health care system, though obvious, may result in refusing certain types of medical care, medicine, etc. Almost in all these communities, there are medicine men. It may be a good idea to get them on your side. As it may also be a good idea to have a first hand look as to how they deal with certain illnesses. Who knows, some of their medical practices, issuing herbs or other indigenous materials, may be beneficial to the outside world. This could result in a source of income. We only have to look at China and Brazil to verify this. China earns at least half of a billion dollars from its ancient medicines.
Nutrition is another factor we have to look at carefully. To become a healthy society, it is necessary to have proper food. The fact that these people were able to endure so long means that their source of food was basic enough for survival.
Agriculturalists, soil surveyors and agronomists will be needed. Perhaps, with proper cultivation methods, different species of plant and animals, crops can be increased. With the increase in agricultural products, there may be some exports.

In all steps, we have to put a lot of emphasis on the prospect of increasing economic outlook. To solidify this growth, we will have to look at financial institutions, in their basic forms. The need for savings is necessary to carry out further economic growth.
Hence, there will be need for a good educational system. People must know the economic compensations between ideas and which one has to be implemented at the least economic cost.
While computers may look alien to these people, we must realize that teachers and financiers must be aware of the people’s problems and the best and least complicated way to solve them. We again have to trust financiers as they are the owners who have to give resources for the implementation of certain products. The whole idea of abolishing poverty can only become easier if there is some form of political institution. There must be a head, people who are responsible for the day to day functioning of the community. In other words, there must be a form of Government.

This form of government must ensure that the community becomes to some extent, self sufficient and not rely on handouts. Handouts, whether be it food or financial contributions, will not succeed in abolishing poverty in any community. It will only exacerbate it — put the community back into a circle of poverty, from which it is desperately trying to remove itself.
Concluding therefore, we must have to analyse all people in different countries. We have to look at their basic needs and any Government must give any aid whenever possible, if the financial prospects exist.
I know, as well as many of you, the poor should no longer exist — they must be given the opportunity to enhance their lives as well as the future ones to come.
I shall end this by saying there is a richness in being poor and there is an exit to poverty.
Anthony Kissoon, MSc (LSE)

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