Poverty may be defined as the lack of the minimum food and shelter necessary for maintaining life. 1.4 billion people in developing countries live on less than $ 1.25 a day. Another 842 million people, or one in eight people, do not have enough to eat. Almost two billion people lack access to clean water and 22,000 children die each day due to conditions of poverty. It is a complicated social phenomenon. The causes of poverty are many as-

  • Overpopulation
  • Illiteracy
  • Casteism and Untouchability
  • Gender Inequality
  • Economic Inequality
  • Natural Causes
  • Resistance to change
  • Wastage of resources

Ill-effects of poverty on children

The effects of poverty are serious, children who grow up in poverty suffer the most.

Poverties.org-" Nearly all possible effects of poverty have an impact on children's lives."

Center For Hunger & Poverty, 1998- " Poverty leads to permanently retarded physical growth, brain development and cognitive functioning."

  • Children born in poverty have underweight that leads to many mental and physical disabilities.
  • Children raised in poverty tend to miss school due to illness. They are twice likely to have impaired vision and hearing, iron deficiency anemia, and higher levels of lead in blood that can impair brain function.
  • Poverty leads to violence in families, child and elder abuse. Poor families experience much more stress than middle-class families. These families are vulnerable to illness, depression, job loss, criminal victimization and negative events.
  • Poor families have to face disruption in work, school, family relationships, and friendships.
  • Poverty often becomes a self-perpetuating cycle. Children of poor families are at extreme disadvantage in the job market and inability to find good jobs leads to continued poverty.

Solutions to Poverty

A few effective solutions to poverty are-

  1. Creating good jobs is a good way to reduce poverty. When people have jobs they have income, they can get themselves out of poverty.
  2. Educating Women- The education of girls and women impacts the societies where they live. A woman's education is linked to the age at which she marries and has children, to her health and diseases, to her economic opportunities, to her social standing, and for her general future well-being.
  3. Micro financing to supply loans, savings and other basic services to the poor. This way poor people get small loans and become self-sufficient.
  4. Gender Equality- When women have equal access to education, and go to participate fully in business, and economic decision-making, they become a key-driving force against poverty. Better gender-equality raises household incomes and turns into better prospects and greater well-being of children.
  5. Canceling National Debts-The debt burden of the world's poorest, most indebted countries should be of sustainable growth, development and poverty reduction. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have created the initiative for heavily indebted poor countries. The initiatives helps with the debt relief to currently 23 countries that are committed to eradicating poverty.
  6. Access to Clean Water and Sanitation is one of the most cost-effective and development interventions, and is critical for reducing poverty. Access to clean water would lower the healthcare burden for many poor children and the time spent by women in fetching water would be used for agricultural production and thus increase income.
  7. Adequate Nutrition is an important indicator of a person's ability to get out of poverty, later in life. Malnourished children have a higher risk of lifelong physical and mental disability and that's why they get rapped in poverty.
  8. Access to Healthcare- Universal Health Insurance coverage in all countries can help achieve the goal of ending extreme poverty. 100 million people are poor due to spending money on health issues and other 150 million face severe financial hardships. Universal Health Insurance can relieve poverty globally.
  9. Raising Wages can increase the health and well-being of millions, as they would meet all their needs.
  10. Transparency in Government Spending will help reduce corruption in Governments and they should be accountable to citizens for all their expenditures.