Poverty | Civics Form Three Notes
Poverty is
a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial
resources for a minimum standard of living.
Levels of poverty
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.
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 - a salary which enables them to meet only
their basic needs.
Types of poverty
1. Absolute poverty
Absolute poverty is lack of human needs like: clean
water, food, shelter, clothes and education.
2. Relative poverty
Relative
poverty is the condition of having fewer resources or income as compared to
others within a society, country or worldwide.
Indicators of Poverty
1.
Lack
of clean and safe water
In poor countries, many people do not have access to
clean and safe water. Only 57 percent of Tanzania’s population of 57 million
have access to an improved source of safe water. Under these circumstances
people, particularly women and girls, spend a significant amount of time
traveling some distance to collect water.
2.
Poor
health services
In
poor countries, health care is poor. Also poor people are not able to
afford health care costs. For example in Tanzania, poor health services have
been responsible for the prevalence of infectious diseases such as diarrhea,
malaria, and tuberculosis.
3.
Low
Life expectancy
Poor
countries experience low life expectancy. 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.
4.
Illiteracy
Illiteracy
is unable to read or write. Many people in developing countries are illiterate.
5.
Unemployment
Many
people in poor countries are unemployed. This is different from developed
countries where by unemployment rate is low.
6.
Low
per capital income
Per
capital income is an average income earned per person. Poor country have low
per capital income as compared to developed ones.
The Causes of Poverty in Tanzania
1.
poor
agricultural sector
Many
Tanzanians rely on agriculture. However, agriculture is not
doing well which causes many people to be poor.
2.
Low
level of science and technology
In
Tanzania, poor 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
Increasing
taxes without considering people's ability to pay contributes to the increase
of poverty in Tanzania.
4.
Laziness
Some people don't work because
of laziness. This situation causes poverty.
5.
Mismanagement
of public funds
Some leaders are misusing failed public
funds. There are poor social services provisions because leaders are using
public funds for their own benefit.
6.
Diseases
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.
Unequal
exchange
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.
The Effects of Poverty in Tanzania
1.
Increase
in illiteracy
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.
Deforestation
This
is because people cannot afford gas and electricity, hence, they rely on cheap
sources of energy like charcoal and firewood, which causes deforestation.
3.
Low
agricultural yields
This
is because people use hand hoes in production which leads to low agricultural
yields.
4.
Increase
of diseases
Because of poverty, many young people
have become involved in the business of prostitution,
and this causes them to contract HIV AIDS.
5.
Increase
of criminal acts
Many
people are forced to indulge themselves in these social evils because of
poverty. They become involved in crime to earn money
to provide for their families.
6.
Malnutrition
Malnutrition
occur because poor people cannot get balanced diet because of poverty. In poor
countries, malnutrition has affected many people especially children.
Strategies for Poverty Alleviation in Tanzania
After
independence in 1961, Tanzania developed different strategies and policies to
alleviate poverty such as the Arusha Declaration of 1967, in which the
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.
Therefore, the strategies for poverty alleviation in
Tanzania are;
1. The Arusha Declaration of 1967, whereby the Government nationalized
all means of production.
2. Structural Adjustment Policies (SAPs)
of 1986, including
trade liberalization, public sector reform and elimination of price controls.
3. Development Vision 2025 and the National Poverty Eradication
Strategy (NPES) in 1999.
Effectiveness of the strategies in place for Poverty
Alleviation
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.
6. Corruption is reduced and officials are held
accountable for their crimes.
Answer the following questions:
1.
Briefly
explain the two 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 the internal support but also the
external push. Discuss.
6.
Despite
Tanzania being endowed with natural resources it is still poor. Elaborate.
7.
Show
the impacts of poverty on socio-economic development in Tanzania.
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