POVERTY

JSS 2 SOCIAL STUDIES

                       WEEK 6

                     POVERTY

 Poverty is the inability to meet or provide the basic necessities of life according to acceptable standard of living. Poverty subjects its victim to a low quality of life.

Poverty implies hunger, joblessness, inability to send children to school etc.

                CAUSES OF POVERTY

1. RAISINGA LARGE FAMILY: Raising a large family without a corresponding income to adequately take care of the children is a major cause of poverty. Many African men believe in having many wives and children but such people lack sufficient income to meet the basic needs of the children.

2. EXTENDED FAMILY SYSTEM: The African society believes in shouldering the responsibilities of the extended family. Apart from his nuclear family, a man may still have cousins, nieces, nephews and parents to take care of in terms of paying their school fees, giving them monthly allowance, providing them food and clothing.etc. The Man will remain poor as he struggles to distribute his little income among his nuclear family and other relatives he is caring for.

3. POPULATION GROWTH: Per capita income tends to be low if population grows uncontrollably. When the per capita income is low, the standard of living of most people in the country will also be very low.

4. LACK OF GOOD EDUCATION: Those who cannot obtain good certificate to get jobs with higher income may face the problem of poverty.

5. ILL- HEALTH: A situation where someone falls ill every time with heavy hospital bill to pay may cause poverty. Such hospital bills drain the family financially and make them poor even if they earn good income.

6. RECKLESS SPENDING: A major cause of poverty is reckless spending. When someone spends heavily on funerals, wedding and naming ceremonies and other social functions he may likely become poor no matter what he earns.

7. BAD LIFESTYLES: Some are poor because they drink heavily, take hard drugs, engage in pools betting and love wasteful spending on immoral relationship.

8. LAZINESS AND UNUTILIZED TALENTS: Poverty could occur where an individual refuses to utilize his God-given talents. Some people who are naturally endowed with skills that can make them rich prefer loitering around, sleeping, playing board games and attending parties every now and then.