Effects of Poverty on African People’s Lives

If you had all the money in the world to buy anything you want, what would it be? Many people would say a car, a mansion, start a business, or buy clothes, shoes, and food—anything that would satisfy their needs. But would you ever think of using that money to help those in poverty with resources that can help them continue living sustainably? One of the most common continents that deals with poverty is Africa. Many Africans in poverty lack resources such as food, clothing, shelter, education, and medication to live a sustainable life. According to the World Bank, estimates show that the rate of poverty decreased from 56% in 1990 to 43% in 2012. However, about 63 million people in Africa are still living in poverty today (World Bank, 2012). Those who are most affected by this way of living are African children. They are at a higher risk of developing diseases and starving to death. Additionally, many children are not able to attend school to get an education because they cannot afford it.

Impact of Poverty on the Lives of African People

Poverty in Africa worsens as time passes. It hinders Africa’s productivity and economic development. When it comes to poverty, food is the most common resource that many people don’t get enough of to live. People starve to death because they don’t have enough food to feed themselves or anything else to eat. Africa has the highest prevalence of undernourishment, estimated in 2016 to be 20% of the population (FAO, 2016). Many people around the world cannot find food to feed themselves or, even worse, a whole family. Much of Africa’s agriculture cannot harvest any products because of droughts and other extreme weather conditions, making it hard for people to receive food and causing problems in productivity development. Not many food products are being sold because there isn’t enough to go around, which causes starvation. Sometimes the prices of produce are too high for people to afford. According to the World Bank, in 2013, 42% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa lived on $1.90 or less per day, making it difficult to buy food with that amount (World Bank, 2013). Many people go days without eating anything, or they find something simple such as leaves, insects, or other resources to substitute for actual food.

About 34% of the population in Africa suffers from malnutrition and starvation. It’s heartbreaking to know that families cannot eat at all because they don’t have the money to buy food or simply can’t find any due to weather conditions. In poverty-stricken areas, health is also a major problem. People are forced to live in environments that can make them sick. When someone gets sick, it’s nearly impossible to seek help. If people see that you don’t have the money to pay for medications or the equipment being used, they won’t attend to you at all. The people of Africa are not able to afford the proper healthcare needed to stay alive. Diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, polio, and others are more likely to affect adults and children in poverty. Children living in poverty are most likely to get infected with a disease and die because they don’t have the opportunity to pay off medical bills. The spread of these diseases increases more in Africa because people don’t get the help they need to improve their condition. Have you ever seen a video or commercial on social media or television of a child in Africa with a swollen stomach? The swollen stomach is called Kwashiorkor. It is a severe form of malnutrition, caused by a deficiency in dietary protein (Mayo Clinic, 2021). Children in Africa are most likely to have that condition because they lack nutrition.

Education and Its Impact on Poverty

Children who live in poverty don’t really get the education they need to learn. These children cannot afford to attend school because they don’t have the resources to use, or they have to attend school miles away from home and can’t make it there. Africa has some of the highest rates of children not attending school in the world. About 43% of children in Africa are not attending school (UNICEF, 2020). Children who don’t go to school lack the information they need to understand their surroundings better. The majority of the gender group who do not attend school are mostly girls. According to UNICEF, “studies have shown that educated mothers tend to have healthier, better-nourished babies who are more likely to attend school; thus, helping break the vicious cycle of poverty” (UNICEF, 2020). Some areas in Africa do provide education for students, but the majority of schooling is of poor quality. There are few teachers who effectively educate students to read and write, which causes children not to learn at all. Education in poverty is a less fortunate topic for children in Africa, limiting their ability to learn about many things that can be useful in their lives.

Conclusion

As a whole, poverty has numerous effects on people’s lives. The lack of resources a person needs to survive is very minimal to many. By including this information about poverty in Africa, it should provide a more detailed image of what poverty is and how it can affect the lives of many people, especially young children. In many parts of the world, poverty's lack of resources includes food, medication for health, and supplies for education. Addressing these issues is crucial for improving the quality of life for those affected and fostering sustainable development.

References

• FAO. (2016). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/a-i6860e.pdf
• Mayo Clinic. (2021). Kwashiorkor. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/kwashiorkor/symptoms-causes/syc-20352023
• UNICEF. (2020). Education. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/education
• World Bank. (2012). Poverty & Equity Data. Retrieved from https://databank.worldbank.org/source/poverty-and-equity
• World Bank. (2013). The World Bank in Africa. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/overview