1.

Types of poverty

Absolute Poverty
It is the extreme kind of poverty involving the chronic lack of basic food, clean
water, health and housing. People in absolute poverty tend to struggle to live and
experience a lot of child deaths from preventable diseases like malaria, cholera
and water-contamination related diseases. This type is usually long-term in nature,
and often handed to them by generations before them. This kind of poverty is
usually not common in the developed world.
 Relative Poverty
This kind is usually in relation to other members and families in the society. For
example, a family can be considered poor if it cannot afford vacations, or cannot
buy presents for children at Christmas, or cannot send its young to the university.
Even though they have access to government support for food, water, medicine
and free housing, they are considered poor because the rest of the community
have access to superior services and amenities

Situational Poverty (Transitory)

People or families can be poor because of some adversities like earthquakes,
floods or a serious illness. Sometimes, people can help themselves out of this
situation quickly if they are given a bit of assistance, as the cause of their
situations was just one unfortunate event. 

Generational or Chronic Poverty

This is a more complicated type and we will see a detailed example here. This is
when poverty is handed over to individuals and families from generations before
them. In this type, there is usually no escape from it, as people are trapped in its
causes and have no access to tools that will help them get out of it.

2.Where are the poor?

Sub Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America have been known to have large
areas of chronic poverty. In the last decade, joint efforts by governments,
authorized organizations and charity groups have improved the situation for many,
but there is still a lot of poverty in these areas. 

Here are some more facts on the region:

1. Of the 22 countries in the region, 310million people live in its 12 worst
countries.
2. 150 million live on less than 1USD a day.
3. Countries in this region include Angola, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Somalia, Sudan
and Zambia

Latin America
In many parts of this region, particularly Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and
Colombia, there has been an impressive improvement in economic growth.
Haiti and Bolivia are exceptions, as many of them are still in extreme
poverty. Inequality levels are extreme and among the worst places in the
world. It is estimated that between 30% and 40% of the extreme poor
population in Latin America and the Caribbean is chronically poor: between
16 and 22 million people.
South Asia
Particularly Southern and Western India, Bangladesh has been among the
world's chronically poor, although the headcount ratio has declined
significantly. This region has extremely high populations with estimated 135
to190 million people – including 110 to 160 million Indians, 9 to 13 million
Bangladeshis, 10 to 15 million Pakistanis, perhaps 5 million Afghans, and 2
to 3 million Nepalese.

3.Who are the poor?

A. Poor or destitute
People in this group tend to be the elderly, especially widows with no
assets. They also include the disabled, who are usually not empowered
to come into public. They fall into the category of the absolute and
chronically Poor. They are also dependents because of some adverse
health conditions that does not allow them to help themselves.
B. Dependents
Poor households have more members, living together in single rooms or
small houses, a greater share of dependents (non-working age), less
education, less land, and less access to running water and electricity.
Poor households have significantly fewer years of education whether one
looks at the household-level average or at the years of schooling of
household heads.
C. Economically poor
People in this group move in and out of poverty, usually vulnerable to
spells of personal shocks such as illness, family deaths, or job losses.
General shocks such as floods, fires, droughts, conflicts or earthquakes
can also cause this kind of poverty. People in this group tend to be in
their working life, but largely live in rural areas, working on small
subsistence farms. About 60% of Africans who are poor tend to be in
this group. They usually lack assets and access to services that can
enhance their economic development. Households with many children or
dependents also tend to be poor.
4.Factors that cause poverty
1. Income inequality
Research shows that when a country grows economically, overall poverty reduces.
If the national income is not equally distributed among all communities in the
country, there is a risk that poorer communities will end up poorer, and individuals
will feel it most.

2. Conflicts and Unrests

About 33% of communities in absolute poverty live in places of conflict. In the
past, countries like Rwanda and Sri-Lanka have suffered poverty as a result of
years of tribal and civil wars. In recent years, Afghanistan, Iraq and the like are all
going through difficult times and poverty is rife in these areas. Unrests result in
massive loss of human lives, diseases, hunger and violence, destruction of
property and infrastructure, economic investments and quality labour. It is also a
put-off for foreign investments. Wealth can never be created in such an
environment.

3. Location, adverse ecology and location

Location of countries, as well as communities within the country can make people
poor. Geographic and ecological factors such as mountains, swamps, deserts and
the like have also made living conditions unbearable in many places. This is why
some rural areas are poorer than others, even in the same country. For example,
poverty in the Andes, Peru is six times higher than communities in the Amazonian
region. 

In other instances, some communities are cut off from the main economic centers
of the country. They find themselves located so far from roads, markets, health
services, schools and economic facilities. This makes it just impossible for the
locals to access support and assistance, and also makes it discouraging for
economic investors to consider investing there. In Bangladesh for example,
poverty is severe in areas of physical remoteness, as indicated by the fact that
seven rural districts are home to half of the country’s severely stunted children.

4. Natural disasters
Droughts, floods, hurricanes and other unexpected natural events cause deaths,
illness and loss of income. In Ethiopia alone, there were 15 droughts (and famines)
between 1978 and 1998 that led to the displacement, injury, or death of more
than 1 million people. In better connected communities, families are able to come
out of poverty and get on with their lives, but other remote and less accessible
communities suffer for longer periods.
 5. Ill Health and Disability
Poverty can also get worse if communities are affected by diseases such as Malaria
and HIV Aids. Diseases cause many deaths and children are left with no parents or
caregivers. Household wealth can also drain quickly from family members with
disabilities. In many communities, disabled members are looked down upon and
not allowed to inherit assets. They are considered a stigma and excluded from
public events and exposure. This mentality can adversely affect the well-being of
families. For example, the incidence of poverty is 15-44% higher in households
with a disabled head or adult.

6. Inheritance of Poverty
Families that have had a lifetime of poverty tend to pass on the situation to their
children. They cannot afford education for their children and children grow with no
skills. Children work on the same family farms, and marry into families with similar
conditions as they turn adults. They, in turn, pass on the tradition to their children.

7. Education, Training and skills

People who are educated or had some training or skills are in a better position to
apply ideas and knowledge into fixing basic problems and enhancing their
livelihoods. They are able to plan, follow instructions and get reach out to access
information, tools and support that can improve their livelihoods. In the absence of
training, skills or education, people cannot help themselves. They cannot prevent
diseases, and cannot apply new ways of doing things. The result is that their
poverty situation is worse of and are even more vulnerable than before.

8. Gender discrimination
In many African communities, girls were not allowed to be in school. Families
preferred to invest in boys’ education than in girls. Women were also not allowed
to do major economic activity and had less ownership of lands and assets. This
idea negatively impacts on the well-being of women, and the development of their
children is also impacted negatively.

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/poverty/news/2014
/09/17/97287/the-top-10-solutions-to-cut-poverty-and-grow-
the-middle-class/
1. Create jobs. ... 
2. Raise the minimum wage. ... 
3. Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit for childless workers. ... 
4. Support pay equity. ... 
5. Provide paid leave and paid sick days. ... 
6. Establish work schedules that work.
7. 7. Invest in affordable, high-quality child care and early education

8. Expand Medicaid

9. Reform the criminal justice system and enact policies that support
successful re-entry

10. Do no harm