Poverty is one of mankind’s biggest challenges. Those who suffer from it face great hardships. If no help is given to them, it becomes a vicious cycle with generations of the family remaining poor. Poverty has many reasons, some can be addressed by the governments while others need looking into by all stakeholders- the government, NGOs, charities, and many more.
Poverty is omnipresent all across the world- practically no country can say they have no poor people. The main difference lies in the reasons for poverty. To help poor in need, many governments dole out subsidies and allowances to help the poor fend for themselves. Additionally, various charities run soup kitchens, food banks, give vocational training, provide subsidized housing, and do much more to help the poor come out of poverty.
Sometimes, governments and charities do not know how to tackle poverty. In this post, we’ll discuss ways that can help reduce poverty worldwide.
Develop Sustainable economic growth programs
The poor should be encouraged to contribute to the nation’s growth with the help of economic programs that solve many of the challenges they face. For example, many governments make health, education, and nutrition free for the poor, so that they can focus on working hard to lift themselves out of poverty. Another way is to offer them interest-free loans or organize the poor in Self Help Groups.
Better management of water and other natural resources
As most rural poor depend on agriculture or other natural resources for their livelihoods, local governments can help manage these resources better so that everybody gets a fair amount for their sustenance.
Invest and implement agricultural programs
To help boost crop yields, the governments can subsidize and provide training to poor farmers in modern techniques using the latest equipment and machinery. Besides this, the governments should ensure the poor farmers get a fair price for their crops. This way, the poor farmers would be able to come out of poverty with the assistance of the government.
Create employment
When the government or the private sector creates employment opportunities, the poor have a reason to participate and get themselves out of poverty. Many governments also encourage entrepreneurship by subsiding loans and equipment or providing the necessary training to those who would have remained poor otherwise.
Providing social services to all
Local governments should ensure social services like education, sanitation, food, shelter, and clean water are available to everybody. This includes the rural poor, for whom accessing such social services is difficult, especially in developing countries.
Develop social security systems for all
For those who do not have the means to sustain themselves, the government can assist them by giving tax credits, allowances, and other social security measures for them to live with dignity. Though many countries have such systems in place, the benefits do not reach the poor due to corruption. However, there are some success stories. The UK, for example, is renowned for giving various allowances for the poor to sustain themselves.
Provide access to innovation and technolog
Innovative technologies help solve many of mankind’s woes. Instead of limiting access to such technologies for the rich, governments and NGOs should train the poor in using technologies that solve various challenges. For example, using better techniques in agriculture to increase crop yield, better equipment to make the lives of the poor easier, and so on.
Last word
Eradicating poverty will need the help of all stakeholders- the government, NGOs, individuals, and the poor themselves. To achieve the aim of eradicating poverty, we all have to come together and help those in need. You can do your bit by choosing Catholic charities to donate to, or you could also volunteer at an NGO. After all, helping someone stand on their own feet will give you that person’s blessings for life.