TOPIC 4.POVERTY
POVERTY
Indicators of Poverty
Meaning of Poverty
Define
poverty
Poverty refers to a situation where a person cannot attain the
minimum level of well-being. The concept of well-being can be applied to
different dimensions like consumption, income, education and other basic needs.
·
Poverty is characterized by severe deprivation of basic human
needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health,
shelter, education and information.
·
Poverty is also characterized by lack of income and productive
resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods, hunger and malnutrition, ill
health, limited or lack of access to education and other basic services. Poverty
also includes homelessness and inadequate housing, social discrimination and
exclusion.
·
It is also characterized by lack of participation in decision
making and civil, social and cultural life.
The main poverty line used in the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union is based on “economic
distance” - a level of income set at 60% of the median household income. This
states as follows:
1. In
1985, a poverty line set as US $ 14.40 a day per person. This was suggested for
industrialized countries like the USA.
2. By
1987, a poverty line set at US $ 2 a day per person. This was suggested for
Middle East and North African countries.
3. In
1990, a poverty line set as US $ 4 a day per person. This was suggested for
Latin America.
4. In
1990, a poverty line set as US $ 4 a day per person. This was suggested for
Eastern Europe and Commonwealth independent countries.
5. In
2008, a poverty line set at US $ 1.25 a day per person. This was suggested for
sub-Saharan African countries.
The International Poverty
Line gives us a convenient way of understanding the state of poverty. However, it is a very blunt instrument for measuring a complex
phenomenon. This is because:
1. It does
not take into account the cost of living differentials within countries. US $ 1
will buy different amounts of goods in urban and rural areas. For instance,
food may cost more in urban areas.
2. It does
show who lives in permanent poverty and who lives in temporary poverty.
3. It does
not consider the distribution of income within the household. Distribution of
income is sometimes affected by gender.
4. It only
values goods which are delivered in the market. In many poor countries people
grow and rear food and animals respectively for their own consumption.
Different Levels and Types of Poverty
Point out different levels and types of poverty
Levels of poverty
The
assessment of levels and trends of poverty is complicated by the lack of
consistent information and absence of officially recognized poverty lines. This
problem has forced some studies to develop and usetheir own lines. Thus, the
lower lines donate basic food needs based on specific assumptions about eating
habits, nutritional requirements and cost, while the upper lines cover in
addition to such food requirements, and other essential needs such as clothing,
housing, water and health. A poverty line of US $ 1 per day in real terms has
been used by the World Bank to facilitate comparison with other countries.
The situation and level of poverty varies among community
members and can be grouped into three categories depending on the degree of
dependency and possession of valuable assets.
1. The
first group consists of those who have no money or possessions and have lost hope. They do not have enough
food and in most cases depend on charity for survival. They are unable to
sustain themselves. Most of these people are either too old or young and
handicapped to work. Within this group also is a small fraction of the less
poor who consist of few families - mainly single parents, widows and women
married to irresponsible alcoholic husbands. They have inadequate standards of
living and are often the most vulnerable in society. For those families,
meeting the most basic needs is a daily struggle. These people are the source
of cheap labour in communities.
2. The
second group consists of people who can meet their basic needs but do not have sufficient income to have
any surplus income. This group comprises of many workers who are being paid low
or insufficient salaries - asalary whichenablesthemto meet onlytheirbasic
needs.
3. The
third group consists of the rich. At a
village level, a rich person has all the material necessities of life such
asadequate food to feed their children properly and live in good houses made of
bricks and roofed with corrugated iron sheets. They are able to assist others
or hire their labour. They have a reliable source of income either from
livestock or agriculture. They produce in surplusandpossess valuable assets
such as radios, television, bicycles, and motorcycles, and have money to
purchase basic essentials like clothes.
The
World Bank has set the International Poverty Line at an expenditure level of $
1 for every person a day. This figure represents the minimal amount on which a
person is considered to be living in absolute poverty, if his or her income
falls below this line. By this measure, at the present time about 1.2 billion
people are living below this line calculated using purchasing power abilities
which take into account difference in prices of goods in different countries,
and allows us to compare poverty levels internationally. However, if someone is
below the poverty line it is probably the person is living in a community
without access to clean water, but this is not always the case and some
countries have managed to reduce elements of human poverty than income poverty.
A developing country is a nation where the average income is
much lower than in industrial nations; where the economy relies on a few export
crops, and where farming is conducted throughprimitive methods.
Types
of poverty
1. Absolute and relative poverty. Absolute
(extreme) poverty refers to a set standard which is consistent over time and
between countries. The World Bank defines extreme (absolute) poverty as living
on less than US $1.25 per day, and moderate poverty as less than US $ 2 a day.
It estimates that in 2001, 1.1 billion people had consumption levels below US $
1 a day and 2.7 billion lived on less than US $ 2 a day.
2. Relative poverty views
poverty as socially defined and dependent on social context, hence relative
poverty is a measure of income inequality. Usually, relative poverty is
measured as the percentage of population with income less than some fixed
proportion of median income. Relative poverty measures income inequality rather
than material deprivation or hardships. The measurements are usually based on a
person‟s yearly income and frequently take no account of total wealth.
Indicators of Poverty
Identify
indicators of poverty
The
indicators of poverty include high rates of morbidity and mortality, prevalence
of malnutrition, illiteracy, high infant and maternal mortality rates, low life
expectancy, poor quality housing, inadequate clothing, low per capital income
and expenditure, as well aspoor infrastructure. Others include high fertility
rates, lack of access to basic services such as safe water, food insecurity and
poor technology. These features can be used to identify poor and non-poor
individuals, households or communities. An individual, household or community
found to be characterized by some or all of these features can be identified as
being poor.
Most
elements of indicators of poverty are mainly based on economic considerations.
Consequently, many of these indicators are quantifiable. Recently, the
definition of poverty has been further broadened. The new definitions
incorporate problems of self-esteem, vulnerability to internal and external
risks, exclusion from the development process and lack of social capital. The
new definition of poverty captures the qualitative aspect of socio-economic
well-being. A combination of the quantitative and qualitative definitions of
poverty are utilized to identify who the poor are and the extent of their
poverty, where they live and what they do for a living. These definitions also
influence the design of pro-poor policies for economic growth, public
expenditure, safety net programmes and tools for assessing the impact of
programmes and projects on poverty reduction.
Generally
poverty is a result of many and often mutually reinforcing factors including
lack of productive resources to generate material wealth, illiteracy,
prevalence of diseases, natural calamities such as floods and drought, and
man-made calamities such as wars.
At the
international level, an unequal economic and political partnership, as
reflected in unfavourable terms of trade and other transactions for developing
countries, is also a major cause of poverty in these countries. Some causes of
poverty are not direct, for example traditions and norms which hinder effective
resource utilization and participation in income –generating activities.
Poverty is one of the global problems that have hindered
socio-economic and political development of many societies.
Different Indicators of Poverty to the Tanzanian Situation
Relate
different indicators of poverty to the Tanzanian situation
The
Tanzanian economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about
50 percent of the gross Domestic Product (GDP). Agriculture provides 85 percent
of exports, and is by far the largest employer. Lack of technical know-how,
agricultural input, capital, unpredictable climate and unreliable markets
contribute to low levels of output.
Lack of
clean and safe water in a community is one of the major indicators of poverty.
Tanzanian statistics show that by 1993, this service was provided to 75 percent
of urban dwellers compared to only 46.4 percent of those living in the rural
areas. As discussed earlier, more than 70 percent of Tanzanians reside in rural
areas; therefore the majority of the population has no access to clean and safe
water. Women and children are the most affected citizens. Traditionally, women
have the role of fetching water for the family; they have to walk many
kilometers looking for water. Currently, community members rely on swamps and
other dirty water sources, which are mostly used by cattle and wild animals.
It is
estimated that up to 1977, 73 percent of Tanzanians had basic literacy skills.
However, this has been declining year after year. For example, in 1993 it had
declined to 63 percent, while only 68 percent of all children of school going
age were enrolled in primary schools.
The
main reason for the decline is the introduction of the cost-sharing system in
the 1990s whereby every family was required to pay school fees and other
school-related costs, which were previously covered by the government. As a
result of the poverty in the country, many rural families found it difficult to
meet the costs. Thispartly contributed to the increased number of illiterate
cases and school dropouts in the country.
The per
capita income of Tanzania is estimated at about $ 250 per year. Through
experience the $ 250 would not last for more than three months in a normal
Tanzanian family which in most cases includes children and members of the
extended family.
The
situation of family income, particularly in rural communities, is probably
worse today because most families are heavily dependent on agriculture which in
turn isaffected by unpredictable rainfall, lack of capital, agricultural inputs
and unreliable market. This has led toa higher rate of poverty among rural
communities, and distorted the traditional Tanzanian support system.
There
is a common belief that traditionally, the extended family in Tanzanian
societites provides social and economic support for its family members in times
of need. This has shown a high degree of self-reliance in the past in coping
with other social disasters including famine, drought and economic hardships.
Under this system, majority of the family members spend their resources
supporting and caring for a person in need. However, as result of poverty,
members of the extended family find it difficult to meet the traditional
obligations for all members of their extended family and in some cases, even their
children.
Inadequate
health services are another sign of poverty in the country. Most illness are
associated with poverty. In Tanzania, poor health services have been
responsible for the prevalence of infectious diseases such as diarrhea,
malaria, and tuberculosis. For example, according to Health Statistical
Abstract (1977) there was one hospital bed per one thousand people.
A high
mortality rate is another sign of poverty. According to the Health Statistical
Abstract (1977), the average life expectancy at birth in Tanzania is 50 years
compared to life expectancy of 77 years in developed countries. The infant
mortality rate is 96 per 1 000 live births compared to 7 in developed
countries.
Women–to-women
marriages are another classic example of poverty situations in rural
communities. This behavior is common in the northern part of the country, in
areas including Tarime and Serengeti districts in particular. Through this,
rich women choose young women from poor families and pay their bride price in
terms of cash or materials, such as land, cows or crops, to their parents. The
rich women later identify any man of their choice to be boyfriends of the
chosen young women so that they can reproduce. The offspring then belong to the
husband, who in this case are the rich woman. The poor families, including
their married daughters, get involved in this system because of the economic
hardship they experience. This puts poor women at risk of being infected with
HIV and AIDS.
Causes and Effects of
Poverty in Tanzania
The Causes of Poverty in Tanzania
Analyse
the causes of poverty in Tanzania
The
incidence of poverty varies greatly across the country but is highest among
rural families living in arid and semi-arid regions that depend exclusively on
livestock and food crop production. People of the central and northern
highlands are nutritionally the most deficient, while coastal and southern
highlands zones register the severest levels of poverty. From the point of view
of policy and strategy design, no region is significantly better off than
other, and are very poor by any international standard.
Poverty
is caused by both internal and external factors. Whereas the internal causes
can be clustered into economic and social factors, the external factors relate
to international trade, the debt burden and refugee issues.
Internal
Causes of Poverty
1. A poor agricultural sector contributes
to poverty in acountry. Failure in the agricultural sector contributes to the
increase of poverty. It is claimed that though agriculture is the backbone of
the economy, the support given to the sector over the years has not been
relative to its importance. This is indicated by poor rural infrastructure,
lack of modern farm equipment, lack of fertilizers and pesticides at reasonable
prices, low prices for agricultural produce, and lack of irrigation schemes.
2. A low level of science and technology has
contributed to poverty in Tanzania. The use of scientific and technological
knowledge inproduction helps to increase the economy of an individual country.
In Tanzania, poor and/or inappropriate technology is still being used; this
leads to low productivity in all sectors of production. For instance, a
majority of farmers are still using hand hoes. This act has contributed a lot
to the increase of poverty in Tanzania.
3. Government taxes contribute
to poverty. Increasing taxes without considering people's ability to pay
contributes to the increase of poverty in Tanzania.
4. Lack of self-motivation to
perform one's duties due to laziness and irresponsibility has contributed a lot
in increasing poverty. At the government level, officials do not deliver
relevant services and goods to the people as required. This habit has hindered
many people in implementing their various projects; for instance the issue of
land and right of occupancy.
5. Mismanagement of public funds that
could develop the common people. This is done by the government officers and
top leaders who ought to set a good example. As a result, our country loses a
lot of public funds through mismanagement. For instance, government officers
and politicians are paid big allowances and use very expensive cars.
6. Common and communicable diseases such malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, TB and anemia are the main
causes of death in Tanzania. Children youngerthan five years old are the most
affected. Explosion of diseases such as HIV and AIDS, cholera and typhoid have
increased the poverty problems. The government and family members are spending
a lot of money for curative and preventive measures- money which could have been
used to finance the agricultural and industrial sectors is used to fight such
diseases.
7. Education. Majority of people of Tanzania, like other
Africans are uneducated; this limits their ability to participate in the
development of their country's profitably. For instance, FAO's1974report on the
state of food and agriculture shows that Africa's annual population growth from
1952 was 2.2% while food production growth from 1952 to 1962 was 0.0%. World
Bank‟s Development Report of 1982 shows that Africa's annual population growth
from 1960 to 1970 was 0.1%. The same report bythe World Bank shows that
Africa's annual population growth from 1970 to 1980 was 1.1% while food
production growth dropped by 1.1%. This low percentage in food production in
relation to high increase percentage in population growth indicates ignorance
and lack of technical know–how.
External
Causes of Poverty
1. External debts burden. The government spends
the little resources ithas to pay external debts.
2. Unequal exchange in
international trade has contributed to poverty in Tanzania. The developed or
rich countries control the “world market" and developing or poor countries
have no say in the world market as they are economically poor. Tanzania is one
of the developing countries, so the prices for her imported and exported goods
and goods are fixed by rich countries. The prices offered to the goods from
developing countries are very low but are high for those from developed
countries. This imbalance of trade has forced poor countries like Tanzania to
remain poor. This trade relationship is difficult to break.
Activity 2
Suggest some possible
measures which can be taken by the Tanzanian government toreduce or alleviate
internal causes of poverty to her people.
The Effects of Poverty in Tanzania
Analyse
the effects of poverty in Tanzania
There
is widespread poverty Tanzania,which has contributed to numerous effects. At
present, about 38 percent of people living in rural areas are classified as
poor. This progress is reflected in the United Nations Development Programme's
Human Development Index for Tanzania, which rose from 0.3% in 1991 to 0.4% in
2002.
Poverty
in Tanzania is more common in rural areas. About 85 percent of the country's
poor people live in rural areas and rely on agriculture as their main source of
income and livelihood. According to the Household Survey of 2000/01, some 20
percent of rural people live in extreme poverty and about 39 percent are
considered poor. Within the agriculture sector, food crop producers are
generally poorer than cash crop farmers, but both operate under cyclical and
structural constraints, and are subject to frequent natural calamities (drought
and flooding) and lack market linkages, inputs, credit and irrigation water.
Income
inequality for rural areas has remained more or less constant and is rooted in
inequitable access to productive assets, including land, financial services,
livestock and education. According to a poverty profile survey of rural
households, the percentage of the rural population producing food for home
consumption has dropped by 10 percent in the last decade. Fewer rural
households have access to safe drinking water, primary education and medical
treatment. There is also clear evidence that poverty increases with the
distance from markets, drinking water supplies and health clinics.
Observations show that
poverty has caused a lot of socio–economic and political effects in Tanzania,
such as:
1. Increase inilliteracy; normally,
poor societies fail to send its children to school. There are so many cases of
parents failing to pay school fees for their children after they have been
selected to join secondary schools.
2. People cannot afford to use modern equipment and machinery such as electric or gas cookers. Hence, they rely on cheap
sources of energy like charcoal and firewood, which causes deforestation.
3. Lack of modern agricultural machinery such as tractors forces people to use hand hoes which leads to
lowagricultural yields.
4. Increase in illness. Poverty in local
communities has contributed to the increased number of malnutrition and infant
mortality, disruption of Tanzanian traditional support systems and the spread
of HIV and AIDS in the country.
5. There
is an increase of criminal acts such as
robbery, prostitution, drug abuse, and theft. Many people are forced to indulge
themselves in these social evils because of poverty.
6. Poor people cannot afford a balanced diet; this
leads to malnutrition and failure to engage in economic activities for
development.
Activity 3
Why do you think poverty in Tanzania is more common in rural
areas?
Strategies for
Poverty Alleviation in Tanzania
Strategies in Place for Poverty Alleviation in Tanzania
Analyse
the strategies in place for poverty alleviation in Tanzania
The
United Republic of Tanzania is the only country in Africa, and perhaps in the
world, that within a span of 40 years has gone through rapid and radical
transformations - from a colonial system to a systemlinking rural households to
social services and to a market economy - without sacrificing basic democratic
ideals and social equanimity.
During
the process, all of the country's social, political and economic institutions
underwent drastic transformations to adjust and conform to rigid national
guidelines and priorities. Such changes seriously affected the economy, and
resulted in a gradual and protracted decline of all growth indicators during
the 1970's and 1980's. Since then, the country has recovered significantly,
mainly through the implementation of various structural adjustments and
restructure programmes led by the government with the help of a coalition of
donors.
The
strategies suggested by the international community to alleviate poverty in
this country, at grass-root level in particular, have been ineffective. This is
mainly because the poor people were not involved in the designing,
implementation, or evaluation of the poverty reduction strategies. However, a
way forward should be astrategy which seeks full representation of the poor and
other stakeholders in the designing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
of the poverty alleviation strategy. The strategies should address the actual
needs of the poor communities and target them directly.
After
independence in 1961, Tanzania developed different strategies and policies to
alleviate poverty such as the Arusha Declaration of 1967, in whichthe
Government nationalized all means of production such as land, industries and
mining. In 1986, the government embarked on Structural Adjustment Policies
(SAPs) including trade liberalization, public sector reform, elimination of
price controls and established monopolies, multiparty system and good
governance. These strategies were suggested by the international community and
were set as a condition of accessing loans and other assistance.
Despite
all these efforts, the situation of poverty in Tanzania is worse than it was in
the 1970s. The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) findings conclude that
poverty in Tanzania has stagnated, and that some social indicators have
worsened, but that the main characteristics of the poor have remained
unchanged.
One of
the intervention measures suggested by the government of Tanzania is;
The
introduction and implementation of social and economic policies which address
the issue of poverty both at national and individual level. This may
necessitate increased state intervention in education and other social welfare
services, and the creation of an enabling environment for private investment in
the production sector.
In
addressing the key challenges instrategizing to reduce pervasive poverty,
Tanzania prepared and adopted aDevelopment Vision 2025 in the year 1999 and
aNational Poverty Eradication Strategy (NPES) in 1997 which spell out a vision
for the society with object poverty and improved social conditions. The NPES
that was adopted in 1997 aimed at providing guidance to all stakeholders in
identifying, formulating, implementing and evaluating their poverty.
The
overall goal of NPES was to provide a framework to guide poverty eradication
initiatives in order to reduce absolute poverty by the year 2025. For achieving
the goals of NPES, the government identified five key sectors, namely
education, health and nutrition, water, agriculture and rural roads.
The
NPES has identified three areas of strategic interventions, namely creating an
enabling environment for poverty eradication, building the capacity for poverty
eradication and eradicating poverty. The strategy has also spelt out roles at
various levels for poverty eradication initiatives. This vision 2025 is in line
with the international developing goal.
Strategies
to eradicate poverty are viewed as instruments for channeling national efforts
towards broadly agreed objectives and specific inputs and outputs. The
elaboration and implementation of the strategy are fundamentally an ongoing
process. While a wide variety of key interventions have already been launched,
the preparation of strategies for certain sectors such as agriculture and
education are still under way. The implementation of reforms aimed at shifting
the responsibility of formulating and monitoring poverty reduction intervention
by districts, municipalities, and communities at the grass roots.
The
fight against poverty is nationwide. The government's role is to ensure that
its people are free from poverty and live a decent life including putting in
place an enabling environment for all stakeholders to effectively participate
in poverty eradication activities. The government should also strengthen good
leadership and coordination mechanisms for poverty eradication initiatives.
The
government recognizes the role of the private sector in poverty eradication.
The private sector has a role of creating employment opportunities by
increasing investments. The private sector needs to invest in the provision of
social services, provision of credit facilities and dissemination of
information on poverty eradication efforts. Non –Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) have the ability to contribute effectively in poverty eradication
efforts because their activities are based at the grass roots. Non-Governmental
Organizations play a role of sensitizing people and expand participation of
beneficiaries in poverty eradication.
The
National Poverty Eradication Strategy (NPES) recognizes the important role of
donors and other stakeholders; hence they are included in the implementation of
poverty eradication plans and programmes.
People
are the main stakeholders in bringing about decent living conditions. It is
their duty to denounce poverty and carry out efforts to eradicate it. At
different levels, people themselves have to identify the available resources at
their disposal and direct them into poverty-eradication programmes.
Therefore,
the strategies for poverty alleviation in Tanzania are;
1. The Arusha Declaration of 1967,
whereby the Government nationalized all means of production.
2. In 1986
the government embarked on Structural
Adjustment Policies (SAPs), including trade liberalization, public
sector reform and elimination of price controls.
3. Tanzania
prepared and adopted the Development
Vision 2025and the National Poverty
Eradication Strategy (NPES) in 1999.
Effectiveness of the strategies in place for Poverty Alleviation
Assess the
effectiveness of the strategies in place for poverty alleviation
The effectiveness of the strategies in place for poverty
alleviation rests withTanzanians as well as their government. As far as the
effectiveness of the strategies is concerned, some significant changes have
been observed. These include:
1. Agricultural
output has grown at 3.7 percent per annum since 1990.
2. Mining
has begun to generate higher output as a result of the investment undertaken by
multinational corporations.
3. Social
service sectors like health and education have expanded rapidly since the 1990s
due to government consideration of them as a priority sector, as well as the
expansion of the private sector into social service sector.
4. The
government is paying more attention to cross-cutting issues like environment,
gender, HIV and AIDS, employment, and malaria and restructuring local
government.
5. Policy
formation and strategy are more transparent than before.
Ineffectiveness
of the strategies in place for poverty alleviation
The
vision 2025 strategy projected a future free of poverty and characterized by
good governance and the rule of law. But the document did not provide a
strategy of how to achieve them. The National Poverty Eradication Strategy of
1997 defined areas for economic growth, income levels, primary education,
literacy, access to water and sanitation, unemployment, mortality and health
and infrastructure. This strategy failed to specify priorities among many
planned activities. It did not incorporate the costs and targets to be made.
The
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) was a strategy for poverty reduction
with the country's own ongoing processes and agenda. The shortcoming of PRSP
were the lack of concrete operational guidelines and costing of interventions.
The proliferation of poverty-eradication strategies made it harder for
officials and other stakeholders to see the PRSP differently compared
toprevious attempts.
Exercise 1
Answer the following questions.
1. Briefly
explain the main types of poverty.
2. Mention
any five indicators of poverty.
3. Explain
why ignorance is believed to be one of the reasons for poverty in Tanzania.
4. Describe
the external causes of poverty in Tanzania.
5. Alleviation
and eradication of poverty do not demand only internal support but also the
external push. Discuss.
6. Despite
Tanzania being endowed with natural resources it is
still poor. Elaborate.
- Show the impacts of poverty on socio-economic development in Tanzania.
- Debts burden in Tanzania can be avoided. Discuss.
- How can good leadership and government help to alleviate the poverty problems in African countries?
- Suggest strategies that the Tanzanian government can take to alleviate poverty.