Education to Conquer Poverty in Tanzania

Julius Nyerere, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania postulated that, “Education is not a way to escape poverty – It is a way of fighting it.” I share similar sentiments like Nyerere because I believe that through education poverty can be conquered. Poverty in Belize is a growing concern, and if Belizeans continue to ignore this problem, it will progressively increase. According to the statistics from Professor Compton Bourne, PhD O.E., the president of the Caribbean Development Bank, Belize is the country second in line, with a poverty rate at 30%- 40% of the population. Presently, it is evident that poverty is an issue among our children on a daily basis. “The price that children who are born in poverty pay is unbelievably high. Each year, increasing numbers of children are entering school with needs from different circumstances, one main reason is poverty”. Poverty has an impact on mental health and the counseling process in profound ways; however, counselors may fail to recognize the importance of poverty in clients’ lives. Research states the I-CARE Model may help counselors develop insight about personal biases, acknowledge harsh realities of poverty, remove barriers to growth, and expand on the clients’ own strengths.

People who live in poverty face challenges to nearly every aspect of their survival, including food insecurity, unsafe housing, and limited access to the resources needed to live optimally. Currently, in our classrooms we can identify many students from the lower socioeconomic status. Hence the reason that teachers and counselors need to be cognizant of what poverty is and how it affects our students in their education. Counselors are encouraged to understand clients’ diverse economic backgrounds to assist them in exploring poverty’s impact on well-being. Counselors need to fully recognize how bias can interfere with this process and they must aim to reconcile their own experiences with approaches to counseling that benefits the client. Additionally, as a professional counselor, I would be able to relate to poverty because I grew up poor. My neighborhood was surrounded by wooden homes that had been through several hurricanes. At school we couldn’t donate materials, pay school fees or even buy new clothes. I got most of my shoes from carnivals that I was a part of.

Another example of a social issue that I can relate to was that my parents were illiterate and from what I can recall they did anything from washing to doing other diverse jobs to provide for us. For years, my mom sold pepetos, conch fritters and tambran sweets until she finally got a job. It was then that the way we lived slightly improved; however, her mental state limited her in everything. Poverty has a long-standing correlation with mental illness. My mother was a victim of the circumstances in which we lived in and her mental state deteriorated as the years went by. Research postulates that counselors may be unaware of the impact of poverty on mental health and daily functioning or may fail to understand how poverty might have a negative impact on the counseling process. Counselors may also avoid discussions of money, discount the impact of income, or want to focus on traditional therapy instead of the more complex considerations related to helping clients meet pressing needs for resources. In response to the mental health care needs of the poor and the challenges faced by counselors who work with this population, Foss et al. (2011) developed the CARE (cultivate a strong relationship, acknowledge realities, remove barriers, and expand on client strengths) Model for counseling people living in poverty.

In some cases, I believe that poverty is a choice because I’m a direct product of it. For example, another social issue that I experienced was teenage pregnancy because even though I went through poverty throughout my childhood, I still repeated the same story of my mother. I hardly had anything and the cycle continued with my children, seeing me as we call it “catch and kill” to survive. However, I realized that I wanted a better life for myself and I knew that the only way I could combat poverty was by getting a higher education. According to research, “Education fosters self-understanding, improves quality of life and raises people’s productivity and creativity.” Thus, education doesn’t only helps an individual fight poverty but it also generates productivity gained in economic growth. I decided to enter a new chapter in my life, currently; I’m a University student, striving to eradicate from poverty. Instead of saying “I’m poor” we need to be proactive, dedicated, persevere and achieve our goals.

According to research, counselors bring their own set of cultural norms, expectations, and values about diverse groups to the counseling session, which could be problematic depending on the extent of each counselor’s cultural encapsulation. Indeed, I have my own expectations and values because I have been through a lot of difficulties, therefore; I would be open to create a bond with my clients because I know what it is to suffer. I would motivate my clients that our circumstances doesn’t determine or shape what we will be in the future because we can work arduous and become successful in life.

A predominant cultural issue in Belize is that some people have become complacent with the “getting it free” type lifestyle. I believe that poverty in some cases is a choice because it has to do with our decisions and attitude. On September 6th, 2011, our Prime Minister made a truce with the gang members of South Side Belize cash for no-violence. However, the crime rate is still high. The area of South Side Belize is considered to be the poorest in Belize and why? Because some of them don’t think that it is necessary to work, yet their children suffer. Some even go to the extreme and sell their votes and later after the money is gone, they live to regret it. I believe that we need to have several counselors in this area to assist these adults to change their behavior because their children tend to mimic what they observe at home. These children need to grow up with a positive mindset so that we can a better South Side Belize.

Lastly, counselors are encouraged to explore their own beliefs about poverty and consider how these assumptions affect their work with their clients. In general, counseling can provide people living in poverty with a safe space to uncover and resolve pain or feelings of shame, thereby promoting growth. Using the I-CARE Model, a counselor demonstrates deep respect for the humanness of the client and faith in the client’s ability to more effectively cope with challenging life circumstances. The counselor treats the client as an active participant in the counseling process, instilling hope that the client is truly capable of success.