CIVICS FORM THREE – POVERTY

This means the non-sustainable economic system which dominated by in sufficient provision of goods and services to the people.

They so called Developing nations are the victims poverty e.g. Tanzania.

Poverty is a social and economic problem

There are two levels of poverty which are: –

1. Individual (personnel) poverty
   

   This is a situation where by a person is unable to afford the basic needs like food, shelter and clothes.
   

2. National poverty
   
   

   This is a situation whereby a country is economically depending on external assistance to finance the basic needs of the people and the expenditure of the government
   

   Therefore the general meaning of poverty is
   

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TYPES OF POVERTY

There are two types which are known as:

1. Absolute poverty
   

   This is a type of poverty which is dominated by in sufficient resources in the whole country that reached at a level where the victims no longer live as human beings. Usually under absolute poverty the per capita income is less than 1 US Dollar per day and per head. This is the highest degree of poverty found in rural areas in the developing countries.
   

2. Relative poverty
   

   This is another type of poverty whereby the resources are in sufficient in some parts of the country normally under relative poverty; the people‘s income is more than 10 US Dollars per head and per day. This type of poverty prevailing in urban areas in the developing countries.
   

   Therefore, types of poverty based on comparison availability of resources and the people‘s income
   

   INDICATORS OF POVERTY
   

   Poverty is mainly noted through the following indicators: –
   

3. Low per capita income: Of a country is the average income of the people of a given country in a particular year. It is calculated by diving the total annual income of the country in by the population of that country. The total annual income of a country is also referred to as the Gross National Product (GNP) or the Gross Domestic product (GDP). It is always given in monetary terms.
   

   

4. Low level of science Technology
   
5. Low cross domestic products
   
6. High infant mortality rate
   
7. High maternal mortality rate
   
8. Short life expectancy of the people
   
9. High illiterate rate.
   

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CAUSES OF POVERTY IN TANZANIA

The major causes that contribute to poverty in Tanzania

• Uncertainty climate condition
  

  The development of most Tanzania depends on agriculture and pastoralism activities but frequent climatic changes affect the production as a result production is low.
  

  For example in 2006, Tanzania critical shortage of electricity power due to drought in the country.
  

• Low application of science and Technology
  

  For example about 80% of farmers in Tanzania use local tools and traditional methods of farming. As a result the production is low and
  

  • Poor economic plans
    

    Which do not involve the masses to contribute their ideas on how to implement the plans.
    

   

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  of poor quality. Thus has affected even the gross domestic production of the country.
  

• Eruption of diseases and natural hazards
  

  Many Tanzania are suffering from disease like HIV/ AIDS, Malaria, Typhoid (TB) and others. This situation affects the production of goods and services in the country also natural hazards like food and droughts may cause the destruction of crops and loss of lives. Hence disturb the development in the country.
  

• The practice of bad culture aspects.
  

  Such as witchcraft too much leisure and killing albinos creates fairness among the people and misuse of resources
  

• Illiteracy
  
  

  This has accelerated poverty in many places. Usually the illiterate people are victims of diseases, great number of dependents and other social-economic power problems. Hence poverty increases.
  

• Unfair competition between developed and undeveloped countries
  

  In international trade, the poor nations like Tanzania cannot be dominated and exploited by the developed nations.
  

• Colonial legacy
  

  This is which created dependent economy to the poor nations.
  

  EFFECTS OF POVERTY IN TANZANIA
  

  Poverty is a big problem in Tanzania and it has been affecting Tanzania in the following ways:
  

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1. It has created inability among the people to get the basic needs such as balanced diet, quality clothes, good housing. Many people in Tanzania are getting in sufficient basic need & social services because of having low income of production and high price of goods and services.
   
2. It has created dependent government economically and social because the government in Tanzania is not sustainable financially and economically. As a result 40% of the national budget is financed by donors as loans and grants. Therefore many government economic plans cannot be achieved.
   
3. It causes the increase a mortality rate of infant children, expectant mothers and other people in the society. This is due to lack of proper and sufficient medical services and due to high cost of the available medical sense. As a result the life expectancy of the people is decreasing.
   
4. It causes the increase of illiteracy rate in the country because many people do not access education services. This is due to shortage of schools high cost of education services and also due to bad cultural beliefs for example some societies do not educate girl. As a result a number of people, who cannot read, write and count to increasing in the country.
   
5. It has created regional differences in economic and social development in the country. The level of economic and social development in Tanzania is not equal due to unequal nglish-swahili/distribution” target=”_blank”>distribution of the national resources and social services e.g. the northern and eastern and central part of Tanzania.
   
6. It causes the increase of crimes in the country especially in urban areas, due to lack of employment and difficult life. As a result many people have attempted to involve in crimes like robbering. Corruption and killing of albinos.
   
7. Cause insufficient and poor provision of social services in the country e.g. health services e.t.c
   

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STRATEGIES OF POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN TANZANIA

Since independence in 1961 the government in Tanzania had established and implement several strategies of development for the purpose of alleviating poverty in the country

Tanzania is a low developing county which is dominated by three enemies of development namely: –

Poverty, ignorance and disease. Therefore in order to eliminate poverty and other development enemies, the government has introduced and implement for main strategies of development from 1961 up to 1980’s those strategies were: –

• Focal point approach
  
• Transformation approach
  
• Improvement approach
  
• Frontal approach (Ujamaa rural development approach)
  

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FOCAL POINT

Focal point approach was the first strategy of development in Tanzania mainland introduced in 1961. It was an economical and political strategy of development since it dealt with the large scale farmers only and not small scale farmers.

The government concentrated on large scale farmers who promised quickest return and most of them were settlers and African petty Bourgessisie.

They dealt wish cash crop production for exports but the majority (peasants) were not supported by the government as a result poverty increased in rural area so the strategies proved failure.