CONSEQUENCES OF POVERTY

                JSS 2 SOCIAL STUDIES

 WEEK 7

CONSEQUENCES OF POVERTY

1. LOW QUALITY OF LIFE: Those who are poor can hardly take a good meal in a day. They depend on few clothes which are usually old and dirty.

2. IT GENERATES SOCIAL PROBLEMS: Some children from poor homes usually engage in stealing, prostitution, crimes, drug abuse, cultism etc. Most of them also engage in thuggery, gangsterism etc.

3. IT LEADS TO UNDERDEVELOPMENT: Poverty limits an individual ability to develop himself and acquire higher skills. This in turn causes Underdevelopment in a country because individuals will not be able to contribute meaningfully to socio economic development of the nation rather retard it.

4. IT CAUSES TEENAGE PREGNANCY: Some girls from poor homes do engage in pre marital sex which most often leads to unwanted pregnancy.

5. IT MAY LEADS TO DIVORCE AND BROKEN HOME: The inability of a man to provide basic necessities of life may force the wife to divorce him. This will eventually lead to a broken home where children fend for themselves.

6. IT LEADS TO INABILITY TO HAVE BASIC FORMAL EDUCATION: Most children from poor homes hardly have the opportunity of attending school. Some drop out of school due to inability of their parents or guardians to pay school fees and buy school uniform.

POVERTY ALLEVIATION STRATEGIES

1.FREE QUALITATIVE EDUCATION: The government at different levels should ensure that the Universal Basic Education policy is rigorously pursued. This will help children from poor homes to receive basic education needed to succeed in life.

2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SKILL ACQUISITION CENTRES: The government should create more skill or vocational centre where children from poor homes can have opportunity of learning some trade like furniture making, vulcanizing, panel beating .etc.

3. GOOD PAY FOR WORKERS: Government should restructure the salary scale in such a way that workers on low grade levels receive a relatively good pay that can sustain them and their families.

4. GOOD SAVING HABITS: Workers on lower salary cadre should be educated on how to save for future personal investment. They should be encouraged to join cooperative societies or open account with reliable micro finance banks which can assist them to finance small businesses.

5. ESTABLISHMENT OF JOB GENERATING INDUSTRIES AND AGENCY: Government should make the economy conducive for industrialists to set up more industries.