essay of poverty in short

English Compositions

Short Essay on Poverty [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF

In this lesson, you will learn to write short essays on Poverty . Here I will be writing three sets of essays on the same topic covering different word limits relevant for various exams.

Table of Contents

Short essay on poverty in 100 words, short essay on poverty in 200 words, short essay on poverty in 400 words.

Poverty is when people do not have enough money to meet their basic needs including food, clean water, clothing, shelter and medical necessities. Today, more than 689 million people are living in poverty around the world. In India, about 6% of our total population of around 86 million people are poverty-stricken.

These people do not have enough to even eat two full meals a day. Many of them live on the streets and have no jobs. Those who have jobs work in extreme conditions and still do not get paid enough to provide for themselves or their families. Although governments around the world have taken measures to help these people, the situation wouldn’t get better unless better steps are taken to ensure that people get an education, enough food and an opportunity to live a dignified life. 

Poverty is often described as a state in which people are unable to meet their basic needs including food, clean water, clothing and medical necessities because they do not have enough money. Today, more than 689 million people are living in poverty around the world.

These people often don’t get to eat two full meals a day. Many of them live on the streets, in deplorable conditions, without any proper access to clean water. And these people aren’t all adults, there are little children, old men and women as well as disabled people. Most of them cannot find jobs even if they try to. Those who do find a job have to often work in extreme, unhygienic and inhuman conditions where others wouldn’t dare to work. 

Looking at the struggles of poverty-stricken people often makes one think about why do these poor people have to suffer so much. Now, on one hand, there are the mega-rich people who have more than they could ever need and on the other than there are extremely poor people who would be grateful if they could get one proper meal a day. If only we can bridge the gap between the two, everyone would be able to live well.

The governments around the world have taken some measures to help poverty-stricken people, but the situation wouldn’t really improve unless proper steps are taken to ensure that these people have the access to education, enough food and an opportunity to live a dignified life. 

The father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, once said – “poverty is the worst form of violence”. And it is true indeed. Poverty is when people do not have enough money to meet their basic needs including food, clean water, clothing, shelter and medical necessities. Today, more than 689 million people are living in poverty around the world.

Many of them live on the streets, in deplorable conditions, without any proper access to clean water, and don’t have food as well. When we compare this to the huge number of millionaires and billionaires we have in this world, it does paint a really cruel picture. 

Looking at the struggles of poverty-stricken people often makes one think about why do these poor people have to suffer so much. We have more than enough resources on this planet to provide for everyone.

The mega-rich in this world have more than they would ever need while the people living below the poverty line would be grateful if they could even get one proper meal a day. If only we could bridge this gap and bring everyone together, if only we could share what we have and help each other, there wouldn’t be so much suffering in this world. But the reality is that in this capitalist world, most people lack compassion and do not want to share.

The governments make some policies here and some changes there and make it seem like they are going to deal with the issues but by the time the help actually reaches those in need, it is negligible. 

The effects of poverty on a person’s life are manifold. A poor person who doesn’t have enough to buy bread for himself or his family can not think of sending his children to school. These kids who remain uneducated do not get the opportunity in life to rise above their situation or do something good for themselves and end up repeating the same cycle.

Some families remain poverty-stricken for generations, not knowing how to find a way out of it. Their situation can only improve if the government makes proper plans to provide education, food, shelter and jobs for them. It is important that the plan doesn’t just stay on the paper but is actually put to action. 

People who live below the poverty line are also human beings like us. We must always remember that and do our best to help them. Everyone deserves to live a dignified life. 

In this session, I’ve discussed the topic of poverty from a very wide perspective in simple words that everybody understands. If you still have any doubts regarding the topic, kindly let me know through the comment section below. 

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• Poverty Essay for Students in English

Essay on Poverty

Poverty is a disease that has no cure. The deeper this disease is, the deeper its wound. By the way, man lives under compulsion. But usually one wants to avoid it. Poverty is a condition of extreme poverty for any person or human being. This is a situation when a person starts to lack important things in his life such as the roof, necessary food, clothes, medicines, etc. to continue his life.

The causes of poverty are excessive population, fatal and contagious diseases, natural disasters, low agricultural yields, unemployment, casteism, illiteracy, gender inequality, environmental problems, changing trends in the economy of the country, untouchability, little or limited access to people's rights, Problems such as political violence, sponsored crime, corruption, lack of encouragement, inaction, ancient social beliefs, etc. have to be faced.

Poverty has become a big problem of the world, efforts are being made across the world today to remove poverty, but the problem is that it does not take the name of ending. This problem affects a human's economic and daily life. Poverty teaches man to live like a slave in which he has to change the place over time, in this situation due to the lack of education of the poor, his nature and speech also make a difference. Living in a world of poor people has become a curse. Getting enough money to get food is like getting relief from a curse for the poor, that's why they do not have access to education.

Reasons of Poverty

There are many reasons that have continued with carrying it for a long time. Because of this,  freedom, mental and physical fitness, and lack of security in a person remains. It is very important that in order to live a normal life, the country and the whole world will have to work together to bring proper physical and mental health, complete education, a home for everyone, and other important things.

In today's time, there is the problem of poverty which gives all the pain, pain, and despair to the poor. Due to the lack of money from poverty, I show the lack of many things. Poverty makes children spend life in compulsion. If forced to make bread, sometimes in bringing children's books. At that time he is also unable to raise children.

We can tell poverty in many ways like it has become a common thing in India. Most of the people here are unable to get the things they need. Here a vast section of the population is illiterate, hungry, and forced to live without clothes and a home. About half of India's population suffers from this epidemic of poverty.

A poor person lives his life without possession of basic things like food for two times, clean water, house, clothes, proper education, etc. There are many reasons for poverty in India. Incorrect distribution of national income is also a reason. People in the low-income group are much poorer than those in the high-income group. Children of poor families never get proper education, nutrition, and a happy childhood environment. The main cause of poverty is illiteracy, corruption, growing population, weak agriculture, the growing gap between rich and poverty, etc.

Measures to Control Poverty

Corruption has to be erased.

Unemployed will have to give proper employment

A growing population will have to be stopped

Farmers have to be given proper facilities for farming

Education should be provided to children for proper education

Poverty is not just a human problem but it is a national problem. It should be solved by implementing some effective methods on a quick basis. Every person should be united by ending corruption. A problem has been created in which he does not get even the basics. That is why at present, many measures are being taken to prevent poverty so that the standard of living of people around the world can be improved.

Short Essays on Poverty

Poverty is akin to being a slave, as a person cannot achieve anything he desires. It has various faces that alter depending on who you are, where you are, and when. It can be defined in various ways depending on how a person feels or experiences it.

Poverty is a state that no one wants to be in, but it must be removed owing to cultural norms, natural disasters, or a lack of adequate education. The individual who is experiencing it frequently wishes to flee. Poverty is a call for poor people to earn enough money to eat, have access to education, have adequate shelter, dress appropriately, and take steps to protect themselves from social and political violence.

It's a problem that goes unnoticed yet significantly impacts a person's social life. Poverty is an entirely avoidable problem, but there are various reasons why it has persisted in the past.

Poverty robs people of their freedom, mental health, physical well-being, and security. Everyone must strive to eradicate poverty from the country and the world, ensuring appropriate physical and mental health, full literacy, a home for all, and other necessities for living a simple life.

When a person cannot do anything according to his will, he is said to be in poverty. Many different faces alter depending on who you are, where you are, and time. It can be characterized in a variety of ways, depending on how the person feels or what they have achieved. Poverty is a circumstance that no one wants to be in, even if it is forced upon them due to a lack of experience, nature, natural disasters, or a lack of suitable education. Humans have won it, but they prefer to stay away from it. Poverty is a call for needed clothing and protection against social and political violence for the poor to earn enough money to buy food, receive an education, and find a suitable place to live.

This is an unseen problem that harms a person's social life. Even though numerous factors have contributed to its long-term persistence, poverty is a perfectly preventable problem. As a result, a person's freedom, mental and physical well-being, and sense of security are all compromised. It is critical to bring poverty and poverty from worldwide to work together to live everyday life, provide adequate physical and mental health, complete education, a home for everyone, and other essential things.

FAQs on Poverty Essay for Students in English

1. What are the Effects of Poverty?

When people are not able to afford their basic necessities. For example medications and hospital fees are impossible to afford for that means they choose crook ways of obtaining money i.e. stealing, robbery, etc.  

2. What are the Possible Ways to Remove Poverty?

Since India is a developing country, eliminating poverty here is much tougher than in other countries but still some measures can be taken and government assistance would be much helpful in this step which requires some relevant planning and policies for those who fall under the poverty line. Another major factor of poverty is illiteracy and unemployment. Therefore education is the most efficient tool to confine the poverty line in the country. 

3. What is the Poverty Line?

The Below Poverty Line (BPL) signifies the state of people who fall under poverty status. It also symbolizes an economic drawback. In addition, it is used for people who are in need of help and assistance from the government.

4. What are the causes of poverty?

Poverty has several causes, including a lack of access to essentials such as water, food, shelter, education, and healthcare. Poverty is also caused by inequities such as gender or ethnic discrimination, bad governance, conflict, exploitation, and domestic violence. These disparities not only cause a person or a society to fall into poverty, but they can also prevent people from receiving social assistance that could help them get out of it. Due to political upheaval, past or present conflict, corrupt authorities, and lousy infrastructure that restricts access to education, clean water, healthcare, and other essentials, children and communities in fragile states confront greater poverty rates.

5. What can we do to put an end to extreme poverty?

We can aid in the eradication of extreme poverty by determining what causes it in a particular community and then determining what needs to change. Because poverty manifests itself differently in different regions and is caused by different circumstances, the work to end extreme poverty differs depending on the situation. More economic resources are needed to assist people in increasing their income and better providing for themselves and their families. To ensure that poverty does not return, the work must be sustainable, regardless of the solution. As a result, the community must be involved at every stage.

6. What criteria are used to assess poverty?

Each country's government determines poverty levels by conducting home surveys of its citizens. The World Bank, for example, assists and may conduct their surveys, although data collecting is time-consuming and slow. New high-frequency surveys are being created and tested, leveraging estimations and mobile phone technologies. If you want to learn more about these topics, download the Vedantu App that has been specifically designed and curated for students by experts.

7. What is the poverty cycle?

Poverty can be a catch-22 situation. To escape poverty, a person requires access to possibilities such as education, clean water, local medical services, and financial means. Poverty creates a generational cycle if these critical factors are not there. If parents cannot afford to take their children to school, they will struggle to find work when they grow up. Even natural disasters and conflicts can exacerbate the poverty cycle by bringing more people.

8. What are the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of goals for countries worldwide to work together in a global partnership for the benefit of people, the environment, and prosperity. The Sustainable Development Goals aim to abolish extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030 and to reduce the proportion of people living in poverty in all forms by at least half. In September 2015, the United Nations member states accepted this objective as one of 17 to end extreme poverty.

7 Essays About Poverty: Example Essays and Prompts

Essays about poverty give valuable insight into the economic situation that we share globally. Read our guide with poverty essay examples and prompts for your paper.

In the US, the official poverty rate in 2022 was 11.5 percent, with 37.9 million people living below the poverty line. With a global pandemic, cost of living crisis, and climate change on the rise, we’ve seen poverty increase due to various factors. As many of us face adversity daily, we can look to essays about poverty from some of the world’s greatest speakers for inspiration and guidance.

There is nothing but a lack of social vision to prevent us from paying an adequate wage to every American citizen whether he be a hospital worker, laundry worker, maid or day laborer. There is nothing except shortsightedness to prevent us from guaranteeing an annual minimum—and livable—income for every American family. Martin Luther King Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?

Writing a poverty essay can be challenging due to the many factors contributing to poverty and the knock-on effects of living below the poverty line . For example, homelessness among low-income individuals stems from many different causes.

It’s important to note that poverty exists beyond the US, with many developing countries living in extreme poverty without access to essentials like clean water and housing. For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .

Essays About Poverty: Top Examples

1. pensioner poverty: fear of rise over decades as uk under-40s wealth falls, 2. the surprising poverty levels across the u.s., 3. why poverty persists in america, 4. post-pandemic poverty is rising in america’s suburbs.

• 5. The Basic Facts About Children in Poverty
• 6. The State of America’s Children 
• 7. COVID-19: This is how many Americans now live below the poverty line

10 Poverty Essay Topics

1. the causes of poverty, 2. the negative effects of poverty, 3. how countries can reduce poverty rates, 4. the basic necessities and poverty, 5. how disabilities can lead to poverty, 6. how the cycle of poverty unfolds , 7. universal basic income and its relationship to poverty, 8. interview someone who has experience living in poverty, 9. the impact of the criminal justice system on poverty, 10. the different ways to create affordable housing.

There is growing concern about increasing pensioner poverty in the UK in the coming decades. Due to financial challenges like the cost of living crisis, rent increases, and the COVID-19 pandemic, under 40s have seen their finances shrink.

Osborne discusses the housing wealth gap in this article, where many under the 40s currently pay less in a pension due to rent prices. While this means they will have less pension available, they will also retire without owning a home, resulting in less personal wealth than previous generations. Osborne delves into the causes and gaps in wealth between generations in this in-depth essay.

“Those under-40s have already been identified as  facing the biggest hit from rising mortgage rates , and last week a study by the financial advice firm Hargreaves Lansdown found that almost a third of 18- to 34-year-olds had stopped or cut back on their pension contributions in order to save money.” Hilary Osborne,  The Guardian

In this 2023 essay, Jeremy Ney looks at the poverty levels across the US, stating that poverty has had the largest one-year increase in history. According to the most recent census, child poverty has more than doubled from 2021 to 2022.

Ney states that the expiration of government support and inflation has created new financial challenges for US families. With the increased cost of living and essential items like food and housing sharply increasing, more and more families have fallen below the poverty line. Throughout this essay, Ney displays statistics and data showing the wealth changes across states, ethnic groups, and households.

“Poverty in America reflects the inequality that plagues U.S. households. While certain regions have endured this pain much more than others, this new rising trend may spell ongoing challenges for even more communities.” Jeremy Ney,  TIME

In this New York Times article, a Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist explores why poverty exists in North America.

The American poor have access to cheap, mass-produced goods, as every American does. But that doesn’t mean they can access what matters most. Matthew Desmond,  The New York Times

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released its annual data on poverty, revealing contrasting trends for 2022. While one set of findings indicated that the overall number of Americans living in poverty remained stable compared to the previous two years, another survey highlighted a concerning increase in child poverty. The rate of child poverty in the U.S. doubled from 2021 to 2022, a spike attributed mainly to the cessation of the expanded child tax credit following the pandemic. These varied outcomes underscore the Census Bureau’s multifaceted methods to measure poverty.

“The nation’s suburbs accounted for the majority of increases in the poor population following the onset of the pandemic” Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube,  Brookings

5.  The Basic Facts About Children in Poverty

Nearly 11 million children are living in poverty in America. This essay explores ow the crisis reached this point—and what steps must be taken to solve it.

“In America, nearly 11 million children are poor. That’s 1 in 7 kids, who make up almost one-third of all people living in poverty in this country.” Areeba Haider,  Center for American Progress

6.  The State of America’s Children  

This essay articles how, despite advancements, children continue to be the most impoverished demographic in the U.S., with particular subgroups — such as children of color, those under five, offspring of single mothers, and children residing in the South — facing the most severe poverty levels.

“Growing up in poverty has wide-ranging, sometimes lifelong, effects on children, putting them at a much higher risk of experiencing behavioral, social, emotional, and health challenges. Childhood poverty also plays an instrumental role in impairing a child’s ability and capacity to learn, build skills, and succeed academically.” Children’s Defense Fund

7.  COVID-19: This is how many Americans now live below the poverty line

This essay explores how the economic repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic 2020 led to a surge in U.S. poverty rates, with unemployment figures reaching unprecedented heights. The writer provides data confirming that individuals at the lowest economic strata bore the brunt of these challenges, indicating that the recession might have exacerbated income disparities, further widening the chasm between the affluent and the underprivileged.

“Poverty in the U.S. increased in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic hammered the economy and unemployment soared. Those at the bottom of the economic ladder were hit hardest, new figures confirm, suggesting that the recession may have widened the gap between the rich and the poor.” Elena Delavega,  World Econmic Forum

If you’re tasked with writing an essay about poverty, consider using the below topics. They offer pointers for outlining and planning an essay about this challenging topic.

One of the most specific poverty essay topics to address involves the causes of poverty. You can craft an essay to examine the most common causes of extreme poverty. Here are a few topics you might want to include:

• Racial discrimination, particularly among African Americans, has been a common cause of poverty throughout American history. Discrimination and racism can make it hard for people to get the education they need, making it nearly impossible to get a job.
• A lack of access to adequate health care can also lead to poverty. When people do not have access to healthcare, they are more likely to get sick. This could make it hard for them to go to work while also leading to major medical bills.
• Inadequate food and water can lead to poverty as well. If people’s basic needs aren’t met, they focus on finding food and water instead of getting an education they can use to find a better job.

These are just a few of the most common causes of poverty you might want to highlight in your essay. These topics could help people see why some people are more likely to become impoverished than others. You might also be interested in these essays about poverty .

Poverty affects everyone, and the impacts of an impoverished lifestyle are very real. Furthermore, the disparities when comparing adult poverty to child poverty are also significant. This opens the doors to multiple possible essay topics. Here are a few points to include:

• When children live in poverty, their development is stunted. For example, they might not be able to get to school on time due to a lack of transportation, making it hard for them to keep up with their peers. Child poverty also leads to malnutrition, which can stunt their development.
• Poverty can impact familial relationships as well. For example, members of the same family could fight for limited resources, making it hard for family members to bond. In addition, malnutrition can stunt the growth of children.
• As a side effect of poverty, people have difficulty finding a safe place to live. This creates a challenging environment for everyone involved, and it is even harder for children to grow and develop.
• When poverty leads to homelessness, it is hard for someone to get a job. They don’t have an address to use for physical communication, which leads to employment concerns.

These are just a few of the many side effects of poverty. Of course, these impacts are felt by people across the board, but it is not unusual for children to feel the effects of poverty that much more. You might also be interested in these essays about unemployment .

Different countries take different approaches to reduce the number of people living in poverty

The issue of poverty is a major human rights concern, and many countries explore poverty reduction strategies to improve people’s quality of life. You might want to examine different strategies that different countries are taking while also suggesting how some countries can do more. A few ways to write this essay include:

• Explore the poverty level in America, comparing it to the poverty level of a European country. Then, explore why different countries take different strategies.
• Compare the minimum wage in one state, such as New York, to the minimum wage in another state, such as Alabama. Why is it higher in one state? What does raising the minimum wage do to the cost of living?
• Highlight a few advocacy groups and nonprofit organizations actively lobbying their governments to do more for low-income families. Then, talk about why some efforts are more successful than others.

Different countries take different approaches to reduce the number of people living in poverty. Poverty within each country is such a broad topic that you could write a different essay on how poverty could be decreased within the country. For more, check out our list of simple essays topics for intermediate writers .

You could also write an essay on the necessities people need to survive. You could take a look at information published by the United Nations , which focuses on getting people out of the cycle of poverty across the globe. The social problem of poverty can be addressed by giving people the necessities they need to survive, particularly in rural areas. Here are some of the areas you might want to include:

• Affordable housing
• Fresh, healthy food and clean water
• Access to an affordable education
• Access to affordable healthcare

Giving everyone these necessities could significantly improve their well-being and get people out of absolute poverty. You might even want to talk about whether these necessities vary depending on where someone is living.

There are a lot of medical and social issues that contribute to poverty, and you could write about how disabilities contribute to poverty. This is one of the most important essay topics because people could be disabled through no fault of their own. Some of the issues you might want to address in this essay include:

• Talk about the road someone faces if they become disabled while serving overseas. What is it like for people to apply for benefits through the Veterans’ Administration?
• Discuss what happens if someone becomes disabled while at work. What is it like for someone to pursue disability benefits if they are hurt doing a blue-collar job instead of a desk job?
• Research and discuss the experiences of disabled people and how their disability impacts their financial situation.

People who are disabled need to have money to survive for many reasons, such as the inability to work, limitations at home, and medical expenses. A lack of money, in this situation, can lead to a dangerous cycle that can make it hard for someone to be financially stable and live a comfortable lifestyle.

Many people talk about the cycle of poverty, yet many aren’t entirely sure what this means or what it entails. A few key points you should address in this essay include:

• When someone is born into poverty, income inequality can make it hard to get an education.
• A lack of education makes it hard for someone to get into a good school, which gives them the foundation they need to compete for a good job. 
• A lack of money can make it hard for someone to afford college, even if they get into a good school.
• Without attending a good college, it can be hard for someone to get a good job. This makes it hard for someone to support themselves or their families. 
• Without a good paycheck, it is nearly impossible for someone to keep their children out of poverty, limiting upward mobility into the middle class.

The problem of poverty is a positive feedback loop. It can be nearly impossible for those who live this every day to escape. Therefore, you might want to explore a few initiatives that could break the cycle of world poverty and explore other measures that could break this feedback loop.

Many business people and politicians have floated the idea of a universal basic income to give people the basic resources they need to survive. While this hasn’t gotten a lot of serious traction, you could write an essay to shed light on this idea. A few points to hit on include:

• What does a universal basic income mean, and how is it distributed?
• Some people are concerned about the impact this would have on taxes. How would this be paid for?
• What is the minimum amount of money someone would need to stay out of poverty? Is it different in different areas?
• What are a few of the biggest reasons major world governments haven’t passed this?

This is one of the best essay examples because it gives you a lot of room to be creative. However, there hasn’t been a concrete structure for implementing this plan, so you might want to afford one.

Another interesting topic you might want to explore is interviewing someone living in poverty or who has been impoverished. While you can talk about statistics all day, they won’t be as powerful as interviewing someone who has lived that life. A few questions you might want to ask during your interview include:

• What was it like growing up?
• How has living in poverty made it hard for you to get a job?
• What do you feel people misunderstand about those who live in poverty?
• When you need to find a meal, do you have a place you go to? Or is it somewhere different every day?
• What do you think is the main contributor to people living in poverty?

Remember that you can also craft different questions depending on your responses. You might want to let the interviewee read the essay when you are done to ensure all the information is accurate and correct.

The criminal justice system and poverty tend to go hand in hand. People with criminal records are more likely to be impoverished for several reasons. You might want to write an essay that hits on some of these points:

• Discuss the discriminatory practices of the criminal justice system both as they relate to socioeconomic status and as they relate to race.
• Explore just how hard it is for someone to get a job if they have a criminal record. Discuss how this might contribute to a life of poverty.
• Dive into how this creates a positive feedback loop. For example, when someone cannot get a job due to a criminal record, they might have to steal to survive, which worsens the issue.
• Review what the criminal justice system might be like for someone with resources when compared to someone who cannot afford to hire expert witnesses or pay for a good attorney.

You might want to include a few examples of disparate sentences for people in different socioeconomic situations to back up your points. 

Affordable housing can make a major difference when someone is trying to escape poverty

Many poverty-related problems could be reduced if people had access to affordable housing. While the cost of housing has increased dramatically in the United States , some initiatives exist to create affordable housing. Here are a few points to include:

• Talk about public programs that offer affordable housing to people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Discuss private programs, such as Habitat for Humanity , doing similar things.
• Review the positive impacts that stable housing has on both adults and children.
• Dive into other measures local and federal governments could take to provide more affordable housing for people.

There are a lot of political and social angles to address with this essay, so you might want to consider spreading this out across multiple papers. Affordable housing can make a major difference when trying to escape poverty. If you want to learn more, check out our essay writing tips !

Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Poverty in America — Causes And Effects Of Poverty

Causes and Effects of Poverty

• Categories: Child Poverty Poverty in America

About this sample

Words: 736 |

Published: Jun 13, 2024

Words: 736 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Underlying causes of poverty, effects on individuals and communities, breaking the cycle.

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Essay on Poverty in English (150, 200, 250, 500 Words)

Here, we’ve presented essays on “Poverty” in 150, 200, 250 & 500 word samples. All the essays will be helpful for students of all classes i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & class 12.

Table of Contents

Essay on Poverty in 150 Words

Introduction.

Poverty is a condition where people lack the financial resources to meet their basic needs. It affects individuals and families, making it difficult for them to access necessities like food, shelter, and healthcare. Poverty can result from various factors, including unemployment, lack of education, and economic downturns. Addressing poverty requires understanding its root causes and implementing effective solutions.

Causes of Poverty

Several factors contribute to poverty. Unemployment is a significant cause, as it prevents individuals from earning a stable income. Lack of education also plays a crucial role, as it limits job opportunities and earning potential. Additionally, economic crises and natural disasters can devastate communities, pushing many into poverty. Governments and organizations must work together to create job opportunities, improve education systems, and provide support during crises to combat poverty.

Poverty is a serious issue that affects millions of people worldwide. It stems from various causes, including unemployment, lack of education, and economic challenges. Addressing poverty requires a multi-faceted approach, including improving education, creating jobs, and providing support during emergencies. By understanding and tackling the root causes of poverty, we can work towards a more equitable and prosperous society.

Poverty Essay in 200 Words

Poverty is a condition where individuals and families lack the financial means to meet basic needs like food, shelter, and healthcare. It is a pervasive issue that affects millions worldwide, hindering their ability to live a decent life. Understanding poverty involves examining its causes and impacts, as well as exploring effective strategies to alleviate it.

Unemployment is one of the main causes of poverty. Without stable jobs, people cannot earn the income necessary to support themselves and their families. Another significant factor is lack of education. Without proper education, individuals have fewer job opportunities and lower earning potential. Additionally, economic crises and natural disasters can destroy livelihoods, pushing many into poverty.

Impacts of Poverty

Poverty has far-reaching impacts on individuals and communities. It often leads to poor health due to lack of access to healthcare and nutritious food. Education is also affected, as children from poor families might not afford school supplies or tuition, limiting their future opportunities. Moreover, poverty can perpetuate a cycle of despair, where children born into poverty remain trapped in it as adults.

Solutions to Poverty

Addressing poverty requires comprehensive and sustained efforts. Governments and organizations need to create more job opportunities and improve access to quality education. Social safety nets, such as unemployment benefits and food assistance programs, are essential in providing immediate relief. Additionally, disaster preparedness and economic policies that support growth can help reduce the risk of falling into poverty.

Poverty is a complex issue with multiple causes and severe impacts. It arises from unemployment, lack of education, and economic disruptions. The effects of poverty are profound, affecting health, education, and overall quality of life. To effectively combat poverty, a multifaceted approach is necessary, including job creation, educational improvement, and robust social safety nets. Through concerted efforts, it is possible to reduce poverty and improve lives globally.

Essay Writing on Poverty in 250 Words

Poverty is a critical global issue where people lack sufficient income to meet their basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare. As of 2021, approximately 9.2% of the world’s population, or about 689 million people, live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1.90 a day. Addressing poverty is crucial for improving quality of life and ensuring sustainable development.

There are multiple causes of poverty, with unemployment being a primary factor. Without stable jobs, individuals struggle to earn a living. In many developing countries, economic instability and lack of industrial growth contribute to high unemployment rates. For instance, in 2020, the global unemployment rate increased significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating poverty levels.

Lack of Education

Education plays a vital role in breaking the cycle of poverty. Unfortunately, many children in impoverished areas do not have access to quality education. UNESCO reports that around 258 million children and youth were out of school in 2018. Without education, individuals have limited opportunities for well-paying jobs, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

Health Impacts

Poverty severely impacts health, leading to malnutrition, disease, and higher mortality rates. According to the World Health Organization, about 45% of deaths among children under five are linked to malnutrition. Poor health prevents individuals from working and earning income, further deepening poverty.

Social Inequality

Social inequality is both a cause and consequence of poverty. Marginalized groups often face discrimination and limited access to resources. This inequality is evident in income disparities; the richest 10% of the global population holds 52% of the global income, while the poorest 50% earn only 8%.

Effective solutions to poverty include job creation, improved education systems, and robust healthcare services. Governments should implement policies that promote economic growth and create employment opportunities. Social protection programs, such as conditional cash transfers, have proven effective in reducing poverty. For example, Brazil’s Bolsa Família program has lifted millions out of poverty since its inception.

Poverty is a multifaceted issue that requires a comprehensive approach to address its root causes and impacts. Unemployment, lack of education, poor health, and social inequality all contribute to the persistence of poverty. By focusing on creating jobs, improving education, and ensuring equitable access to resources, we can make significant strides in reducing poverty and enhancing global well-being. Concerted efforts from governments, organizations, and communities are essential to achieve sustainable development and eradicate poverty.

Writing an Essay on Poverty in 500 Words

Poverty is a profound and pervasive issue that affects millions globally. Defined as the state where individuals or communities lack the financial resources to meet their basic needs, poverty manifests in various forms, including lack of access to food, clean water, shelter, and healthcare. As of 2021, around 9.2% of the world’s population, equivalent to approximately 689 million people, live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1.90 per day. This essay explores the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to poverty, drawing on recent data and trends.

Economic Instability

Economic instability is a significant driver of poverty. Economic downturns, recessions, and financial crises can lead to job losses, reduced incomes, and increased poverty rates. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a global economic slowdown, pushing an additional 97 million people into extreme poverty in 2020 alone, according to the World Bank. This highlights the vulnerability of low-income populations to economic shocks and the need for resilient economic policies.

Unemployment and Underemployment

Unemployment and underemployment are critical factors contributing to poverty. Without stable, well-paying jobs, individuals cannot afford basic necessities. The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that global unemployment rose to 6.6% in 2020, up from 5.4% in 2019, due to the pandemic. Even those employed often face underemployment, where they work in low-paying, insecure jobs that do not provide sufficient income to escape poverty.

Education Deficits

Education is a powerful tool in combating poverty, yet many impoverished areas lack access to quality education. UNESCO estimates that around 258 million children and youth were out of school in 2018. Education deficits limit individuals’ job prospects and earning potential, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Investment in education is crucial for equipping people with the skills needed for better employment opportunities.

Health and Nutrition

Poor health and malnutrition are both causes and consequences of poverty. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that nearly 45% of deaths among children under five are linked to malnutrition. Lack of access to healthcare services exacerbates health issues, preventing individuals from working and earning an income. Health interventions and nutrition programs are vital to breaking this cycle and improving the well-being of impoverished populations.

Social inequality exacerbates poverty, particularly for marginalized groups. Discrimination based on race, gender, or ethnicity can limit access to resources, education, and employment. According to Oxfam, the richest 1% of the global population have more than twice the wealth of 6.9 billion people combined. Addressing social inequality is essential for creating a fairer distribution of resources and opportunities.

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors, including climate change and natural disasters, significantly impact poverty. Floods, droughts, and other climate-related events destroy homes, livelihoods, and infrastructure, pushing vulnerable populations into poverty. The World Bank estimates that climate change could push an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030. Sustainable development practices and climate resilience measures are critical in mitigating these impacts.

Government and Policy Interventions

Effective government policies and interventions are crucial in addressing poverty. Social protection programs, such as Brazil’s Bolsa Família and India’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), have successfully reduced poverty levels. These programs provide financial assistance and employment opportunities, helping lift millions out of poverty. Governments must continue to innovate and implement policies that promote economic stability, job creation, and social welfare.

Global Cooperation

Global cooperation and international aid play vital roles in combating poverty. Organizations like the United Nations and World Bank work with countries to develop strategies and provide funding for poverty reduction programs. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 1: No Poverty, highlight the global commitment to eradicating poverty by 2030. Collaborative efforts and resource sharing are essential for achieving these goals.

Poverty is a complex issue with far-reaching impacts that require multifaceted solutions. Economic instability, unemployment, education deficits, health issues, social inequality, and environmental factors all contribute to its persistence. Addressing poverty necessitates comprehensive strategies, including resilient economic policies, investment in education and healthcare, social protection programs, and global cooperation. By understanding and tackling the root causes of poverty, we can make significant progress towards creating a more equitable and prosperous world for all. Sustainable development and concerted efforts from all sectors of society are key to achieving this goal.

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Essay on Poverty: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

• Updated on  
• Oct 14, 2023

Poverty is a deep-rooted problem that continues to affect a large portion of the world’s population today. It touches on several aspects of human life including but not limited to political, economic, and social elements. Even though there are several methods to escape poverty, still issues arise due to a lack of adequate unity among the country’s citizens. Here are some essays on poverty which will give you insights about this topic.

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Poverty in 100 words
• 2 Essay on Poverty in 200 words
• 3.1 Reasons Behind Poverty
• 3.2 World Poverty Conditions
• 3.3 Role of NGOs to Eradicate Poverty
• 3.4 What Can be Done by Us?

Essay on Poverty in 100 words

Poverty is defined as a state of scarcity, and the lack of material possessions to such an extreme extent that people have difficulties in fulfilling their basic needs. Robert McNamara, a former World Bank President, states that extreme poverty is limited by illiteracy, malnutrition, disease, high infant mortality rate, squalid conditions of living, and low life expectancy.

In order to eradicate poverty in a country, strict measures need to be taken on all levels. The political system needs to address this issue with utmost sincerity and strategic implementation in such a way that it improves the lives of people, especially the ones living below the poverty line. 

Also Read: Speech on Made in India

Essay on Poverty in 200 words

Poverty is like a parasite that degrades its host and eventually causes a lot of damage to the host. It is basically the scarcity of basic needs that leads to an extremely degraded life and even low life expectancy. It includes a lack of food, shelter, medication, education, and other basic necessities. Poverty is a more serious circumstance where people are forced to starve. It can be caused by a variety of factors depending upon the country. 

Every country that is hit with pandemic diseases, experiences an increase in poverty rates. This is because of the fact that poor people are unable to receive adequate medical care and hence are unable to maintain their health. This renders the people powerless and even puts their liberty in jeopardy. This is because of the fact that poor people can become trapped in a vicious cycle of servitude. The condition of poverty is a distressing one that causes pain, despair, and grief in the lives of the ones it affects. 

This is also a negative scenario that prevents a child from attending basic education. It’s the lack of money that prevents people from living sufficiently. Also, it is the cause of more serious social concerns such as slavery, child labour, etc. Hence action is needed on the same with utmost sincerity. 

Essay on Poverty in 300 words

Poverty is a multifaceted concept that includes several aspects such as social aspects, political elements, economic aspects, etc. It is basically associated with undermining a variety of essential human attributes such as health, education, etc. Despite the growth and development of the economies of countries, poverty still exists in almost every one of them. 

Reasons Behind Poverty

There are several contributing reasons behind poverty in a nation. Some of them are mentioned below:-

• Lack of literacy among citizens
• Lack of Capital in the country
• Large families and a rapidly growing population
• Limited employment opportunities

There are even urban areas where the slum population is increasing. These are deprived of many basic amenities such as sanitation, drainage systems, and low-cost water supply, etc. 

World Poverty Conditions

According to UNICEF , around 22000 children lose their lives each day due to poverty. There are approximately 1.9 billion children in developing countries in the world and India is also among them. Out of these, approximately 640 million don’t have a proper shelter, 270 million are living without medical facilities, and approximately 400 million don’t have access to safe water. This worldwide situation is growing at a fast pace. 

Role of NGOs to Eradicate Poverty

The approaches by NGOs basically include helping the poor by providing various public services such as medical services etc.

They also play a major role in mobilizing the services recommended by the government. They have various approaches and strategies that directly help the poor in various ways.

What Can be Done by Us?

We help in eradicating poverty by increasing employment opportunities.

Ensuring financial services and providing the same is another such measure that can be taken.

Recognizing social entrepreneurs as people of influence, conveying to them the seriousness of this situation, and then eventually making people aware of the same is another thing that can be done. 

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Writing an essay on poverty in 200 words requires you to describe various aspects of this topic such as what causes poverty, how it affects individuals and society as a whole, etc. The condition of poverty is a distressing one that causes pain, despair, and grief in the lives of the ones it affects.

An essay on poverty may be started as follows:- Poverty is a deep-rooted problem that continues to affect a large portion of the world’s population today. It touches on several aspects of human life including but not limited to political, economic, and social elements. Even though there are several methods to escape poverty, still issues arise due to a lack of adequate unity among the country’s citizens.

Poverty in 100 words: Poverty is defined as a state of scarcity, and the lack of material possessions to such an extreme extent that people have difficulties in fulfilling their basic needs. Robert McNamara, a former World Bank President, states that extreme poverty is limited by illiteracy, malnutrition, disease, high infant mortality rate, squalid conditions of living, and low life expectancy. In order to eradicate poverty in a country, strict measures need to be taken on all levels. The political system needs to address this issue with utmost sincerity and strategic implementation in such a way that it improves the lives of people, especially the ones living below the poverty line.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

Deepansh Gautam

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5 Essays About Poverty Everyone Should Know

Poverty is one of the driving forces of inequality in the world. Between 1990-2015, much progress was made. The number of people living on less than $1.90 went from 36% to 10%. However, according to the World Bank , the COVID-19 pandemic represents a serious problem that disproportionately impacts the poor. Research released in February of 2020 shows that by 2030, up to ⅔ of the “global extreme poor” will be living in conflict-affected and fragile economies. Poverty will remain a major human rights issue for decades to come. Here are five essays about the issue that everyone should know:

“We need an economic bill of rights” –  Martin Luther King Jr.

The Guardian published an abridged version of this essay in 2018, which was originally released in Look magazine just after Dr. King was killed. In this piece, Dr. King explains why an economic bill of rights is necessary. He points out that while mass unemployment within the black community is a “social problem,” it’s a “depression” in the white community. An economic bill of rights would give a job to everyone who wants one and who can work. It would also give an income to those who can’t work. Dr. King affirms his commitment to non-violence. He’s fully aware that tensions are high. He quotes a spiritual, writing “timing is winding up.” Even while the nation progresses, poverty is getting worse.

This essay was reprinted and abridged in The Guardian in an arrangement with The Heirs to the Estate of Martin Luther King. Jr. The most visible representative of the Civil Rights Movement beginning in 1955, Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. His essays and speeches remain timely.

“How Poverty Can Follow Children Into Adulthood” – Priyanka Boghani

This article is from 2017, but it’s more relevant than ever because it was written when 2012 was the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. That’s no longer the case. In 2012, around ¼ American children were in poverty. Five years later, children were still more likely than adults to be poor. This is especially true for children of colour. Consequences of poverty include anxiety, hunger, and homelessness. This essay also looks at the long-term consequences that come from growing up in poverty. A child can develop health problems that affect them in adulthood. Poverty can also harm a child’s brain development. Being aware of how poverty affects children and follows them into adulthood is essential as the world deals with the economic fallout from the pandemic.

Priyanka Boghani is a journalist at PBS Frontline. She focuses on U.S. foreign policy, humanitarian crises, and conflicts in the Middle East. She also assists in managing Frontline’s social accounts.

“5 Reasons COVID-19 Will Impact the Fight to End Extreme Poverty” – Leah Rodriguez

For decades, the UN has attempted to end extreme poverty. In the face of the novel coronavirus outbreak, new challenges threaten the fight against poverty. In this essay, Dr. Natalie Linos, a Harvard social epidemiologist, urges the world to have a “social conversation” about how the disease impacts poverty and inequality. If nothing is done, it’s unlikely that the UN will meet its Global Goals by 2030. Poverty and COVID-19 intersect in five key ways. For one, low-income people are more vulnerable to disease. They also don’t have equal access to healthcare or job stability. This piece provides a clear, concise summary of why this outbreak is especially concerning for the global poor.

Leah Rodriguez’s writing at Global Citizen focuses on women, girls, water, and sanitation. She’s also worked as a web producer and homepage editor for New York Magazine’s The Cut.

“Climate apartheid”: World’s poor to suffer most from disasters” – Al Jazeera and news Agencies

The consequences of climate change are well-known to experts like Philip Alston, the special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. In 2019, he submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council sounding the alarm on how climate change will devastate the poor. While the wealthy will be able to pay their way out of devastation, the poor will not. This will end up creating a “climate apartheid.” Alston states that if climate change isn’t addressed, it will undo the last five decades of progress in poverty education, as well as global health and development .

“Nickel and Dimed: On (not) getting by in America” – Barbara Ehrenreich

In this excerpt from her book Nickel and Dimed, Ehrenreich describes her experience choosing to live undercover as an “unskilled worker” in the US. She wanted to investigate the impact the 1996 welfare reform act had on the working poor. Released in 2001, the events take place between the spring of 1998 and the summer of 2000. Ehrenreich decided to live in a town close to her “real life” and finds a place to live and a job. She has her eyes opened to the challenges and “special costs” of being poor. In 2019, The Guardian ranked the book 13th on their list of 100 best books of the 21st century.

Barbara Ehrenreich is the author of 21 books and an activist. She’s worked as an award-winning columnist and essayist.

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About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

Poverty in India Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on poverty in india.

Poverty refers to a situation in which a person remain underprivileged from the basic necessities of life. In addition, the person does not have an inadequate supply of food, shelter, and clothes. In India, most of the people who are suffering from poverty cannot afford to pay for a single meal a day. Also, they sleep on the roadside; wear dirty old clothes. In addition, they do not get proper healthy and nutritious food, neither medicine nor any other necessary thing.

Causes of Poverty

The rate of poverty in India is increasing because of the increase in the urban population. The rural people are migrating to cities to find better employment. Most of these people find an underpaid job or an activity that pays only for their food. Most importantly, around crores of urban people are below the poverty line and many of the people are on the borderline of poverty.

Besides, a huge number of people live in low-lying areas or slums. These people are mostly illiterate and in spite of efforts their condition remains the same and there is no satisfactory result.

Furthermore, there are many reasons that we can say are the major cause of poverty in India. These causes include corruption, growing population, poor agriculture , the wide gap of rich and poor, old customs, illiteracy, unemployment and few more. A large section of people are engaged in an agricultural activity but the activity pays very less in comparison to the work done by employees.

Also, more population needs more food, houses and money and in the lack of these facilities the poverty grows very quickly. In addition, being extra poor and extra rich also widens the gap between the rich and poor.

Moreover, the rich are growing richer and the poor are getting poorer creating an economic gap that is difficult to fill up.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Effects of Poverty

It affects people living in a lot of ways. Also, it has various effects that include illiteracy, reduced nutrition and diet, poor housing, child labor, unemployment , poor hygiene and lifestyle, and feminization of poverty, etc. Besides, this poor people cannot afford a healthy and balanced diet, nice clothes, proper education , a stable and clean house, etc. because all these facilities require money and they don’t even have money to feed two meals a day then how can they afford to pay for these facilities.

The Solutions for Ending Poverty

For solving the problem of poverty it is necessary for us to act quickly and correctly. Some of the ways of solving these problems are to provide proper facilities to farmers . So, that they can make agriculture profitable and do not migrate to cities in search of employment.

Also, illiterate people should be given the required training so that they can live a better life. To check the rising population, family planning should be followed. Besides, measures should be taken to end corruption, so that we can deal with the gap between rich and poor.

In conclusion, poverty is not the problem of a person but of the whole nation. Also, it should be deal with on an urgent basis by the implementation of effective measures. In addition, eradication of poverty has become necessary for the sustainable and inclusive growth of people, society, country, and economy .

FAQs about Poverty in India Essay

Q.1 List some ways to end poverty in India. A.1 Some ways to end poverty in India are:

• Develop a national poverty reduction plan
• Equal access to healthcare and education
• Sanitation facility
• Food, water, shelter, and clothing facility
• Enhance economic growth with targeted action

Q.2 Which is the poorest state in India? A.2 Chhattisgarh is the poorest state of the country.

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Mental health effects of poverty, hunger, and homelessness on children and teens

Rising inflation and an uncertain economy are deeply affecting the lives of millions of Americans, particularly those living in low-income communities. It may seem impossible for a family of four to survive on just over $27,000 per year or a single person on just over $15,000, but that’s what millions of people do everyday in the United States. Approximately 37.9 million Americans, or just under 12%, now live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau .

Additional data from the Bureau show that children are more likely to experience poverty than people over the age of 18. Approximately one in six kids, 16% of all children, live in families with incomes below the official poverty line.

Those who are poor face challenges beyond a lack of resources. They also experience mental and physical issues at a much higher rate than those living above the poverty line. Read on for a summary of the myriad effects of poverty, homelessness, and hunger on children and youth. And for more information on APA’s work on issues surrounding socioeconomic status, please see the Office of Socioeconomic Status .

Who is most affected?

Poverty rates are disproportionately higher among most non-White populations. Compared to 8.2% of White Americans living in poverty, 26.8% of American Indian and Alaska Natives, 19.5% of Blacks, 17% of Hispanics and 8.1% of Asians are currently living in poverty.

Similarly, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous children are overrepresented among children living below the poverty line. More specifically, 35.5% of Black people living in poverty in the U.S. are below the age of 18. In addition, 40.7% of Hispanic people living below the poverty line in the U.S. are younger than age 18, and 29.1% of American Indian and Native American children lived in poverty in 2018. In contrast, approximately 21% of White people living in poverty in the U.S. are less than 18 years old.

Furthermore, families with a female head of household are more than twice as likely to live in poverty compared to families with a male head of household. Twenty-three percent of female-headed households live in poverty compared to 11.4% of male-headed households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau .

What are the effects of poverty on children and teens?

The impact of poverty on young children is significant and long lasting. Poverty is associated with substandard housing, hunger, homelessness, inadequate childcare, unsafe neighborhoods, and under-resourced schools. In addition, low-income children are at greater risk than higher-income children for a range of cognitive, emotional, and health-related problems, including detrimental effects on executive functioning, below average academic achievement, poor social emotional functioning, developmental delays, behavioral problems, asthma, inadequate nutrition, low birth weight, and higher rates of pneumonia.

Psychological research also shows that living in poverty is associated with differences in structural and functional brain development in children and adolescents in areas related to cognitive processes that are critical for learning, communication, and academic achievement, including social emotional processing, memory, language, and executive functioning.

Children and families living in poverty often attend under-resourced, overcrowded schools that lack educational opportunities, books, supplies, and appropriate technology due to local funding policies. In addition, families living below the poverty line often live in school districts without adequate equal learning experiences for both gifted and special needs students with learning differences and where high school dropout rates are high .

What are the effects of hunger on children and teens?

One in eight U.S. households with children, approximately 12.5%, could not buy enough food for their families in 2021 , considerably higher than the rate for households without children (9.4%). Black (19.8%) and Latinx (16.25%) households are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity, with food insecurity rates in 2021 triple and double the rate of White households (7%), respectively.

Research has found that hunger and undernutrition can have a host of negative effects on child development. For example, maternal undernutrition during pregnancy increases the risk of negative birth outcomes, including premature birth, low birth weight, smaller head size, and lower brain weight. In addition, children experiencing hunger are at least twice as likely to report being in fair or poor health and at least 1.4 times more likely to have asthma, compared to food-secure children.

The first three years of a child’s life are a period of rapid brain development. Too little energy, protein and nutrients during this sensitive period can lead to lasting deficits in cognitive, social and emotional development . School-age children who experience severe hunger are at increased risk for poor mental health and lower academic performance , and often lag behind their peers in social and emotional skills .

What are the effects of homelessness on children and teens?

Approximately 1.2 million public school students experienced homelessness during the 2019-2020 school year, according to the National Center for Homeless Education (PDF, 1.4MB) . The report also found that students of color experienced homelessness at higher proportions than expected based on the overall number of students. Hispanic and Latino students accounted for 28% of the overall student body but 38% of students experiencing homelessness, while Black students accounted for 15% of the overall student body but 27% of students experiencing homelessness. While White students accounted for 46% of all students enrolled in public schools, they represented 26% of students experiencing homelessness.

Homelessness can have a tremendous impact on children, from their education, physical and mental health, sense of safety, and overall development. Children experiencing homelessness frequently need to worry about where they will live, their pets, their belongings, and other family members. In addition, homeless children are less likely to have adequate access to medical and dental care, and may be affected by a variety of health challenges due to inadequate nutrition and access to food, education interruptions, trauma, and disruption in family dynamics.

In terms of academic achievement, students experiencing homelessness are more than twice as likely to be chronically absent than non-homeless students , with greater rates among Black and Native American or Alaska Native students. They are also more likely to change schools multiple times and to be suspended—especially students of color.

Further, research shows that students reporting homelessness have higher rates of victimization, including increased odds of being sexually and physically victimized, and bullied. Student homelessness correlates with other problems, even when controlling for other risks. They experienced significantly greater odds of suicidality, substance abuse, alcohol abuse, risky sexual behavior, and poor grades in school.

What can you do to help children and families experiencing poverty, hunger, and homelessness?

There are many ways that you can help fight poverty in America. You can:

• Volunteer your time with charities and organizations that provide assistance to low-income and homeless children and families.
• Donate money, food, and clothing to homeless shelters and other charities in your community.
• Donate school supplies and books to underresourced schools in your area.
• Improve access to physical, mental, and behavioral health care for low-income Americans by eliminating barriers such as limitations in health care coverage.
• Create a “safety net” for children and families that provides real protection against the harmful effects of economic insecurity.
• Increase the minimum wage, affordable housing and job skills training for low-income and homeless Americans.
• Intervene in early childhood to support the health and educational development of low-income children.
• Provide support for low-income and food insecure children such as Head Start , the National School Lunch Program , and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) .
• Increase resources for public education and access to higher education.
• Support research on poverty and its relationship to health, education, and well-being.
• Resolution on Poverty and SES
• Pathways for addressing deep poverty
• APA Deep Poverty Initiative

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Essay on Poverty | Poverty Essay for Students and Children in English

February 14, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Poverty: As commented by Mahatma Gandhi decades back, ‘Poverty is the worst form of violence’. During recent years, Poverty is the biggest hurdle in an entire way towards India’s development. Poverty is a worse condition in which the person entirely fails to fulfil his/her physiological needs and the need for food and luxurious life. Poverty-stricken people can also have the best facility for fighting against the diseases and get balanced nutrition and proper medical assistance whenever required.

Even since the immemorial times, poverty has been a more comprehensive concerning issue, and it intensified more in India under the British rule, reaching a peak in the 1920s. The essay on poverty contains various facts and details that are important for understanding the students about the concerned agenda.

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Long and Short Essays on Poverty for Students and Kids in English

We provide children and students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic “Poverty” for reference.

Short Essay on Poverty 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Poverty is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Poverty is the lack of food, clothing, proper shelter, medicine, education, and other essential elements for better survival in the World. It is also the assurance of having equal human rights. Poverty is a worse situation that forces people to starve without proper shelter, clothing, ethical rights, and educational assistance.

Several reasons lead to poverty in any country. Even though there are several solutions to avoid the poverty attack, the lack of proper unity among a country’s residents for following the answers leads to the issues. This is another primary reason why the poverty rate is rapidly rising with each passing day.

The spread of the epidemic diseases also leads to the rising rate of poverty in any country. This is because most poor people cannot maintain their health status and get appropriate medical aid in such situations. Poverty is the adverse situation that makes the people unable to go to the service assurers for their needs, and go even more towards the diseases and illness due to unclean and unhygienic food and water and living in unhealthy situations.

It is the effect that makes people powerless and risks their freedom. This is because a poverty-stricken person might enter the vicious circle of slavery. But, this is an inescapable issue, and thus the person who is stuck in it has to live with it. Poverty is an adverse human situation that brings grief, pain, and despair in individuals’ lives. It is the lack of money and necessities for living luxuriously and adequately with access to all the essential elements. This is an adverse situation that might also make a child unable to enter the school and study during childhood, and this is also the reason behind worse social issues like child labour and slavery.

Poverty means the shortage of money for arranging even the perfect two times meal and have a healthy nutritious diet. Such people do not have enough money to afford the essentials for living a perfect and healthy human life. Thus, there are several ways available that one can use for defining poverty.

Poverty is the most common social issue in the underdeveloped or developing nations, like India and Africa. These nations have a higher poverty rate than the developed countries across the World. This is because a significant segment of people in these countries do not have access to better-earning opportunities and income and cannot meet the basic needs of life. A more substantial segment of these nations’ population is illiterate, stays hungry, and lives without a home and proper clothes.

Poverty is also the primary reason that hinders the country’s economic, social, and political growth. Poor people do not have enough money to satisfy all their needs and lives the entire life without access to many facilities, including even a two-day meal and clean drinking water. Poor people are thus forced to enter into wrong paths and do crimes for earning their living. There are several reasons for poverty in a nation, and for India, it was mainly the British rule, slavery conditions, and rising epidemic illness rates. Children from low-income families do not even get access to education and facility to have proper schooling and medical aids. Many of them are not even aware of the modern advancements that the comparatively more prosperous people have access to.

Long Essay on Poverty 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Poverty is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Poverty is a worse situation that represents poor quality of life, rising illiteracy and malnutrition, lack of basic and essential elements of living, lower development of the human resource, and others. This is a more significant challenge, significantly hindering the growth of the developing nations, like India. Poverty is the phenomenon in which a segment of society does not have access to meeting the basic needs of life and have a healthier life. The experts also observe that poverty level is still declining since India’s last five years (reaching 26.1% in 1999-2000 to 35.97% in 1993-1994)

Poverty in India has also declined at the state level rapidly. In Madhya Pradesh, the poverty rate fell from 43.42% to 37.43%. Not only this, but in other states like UP, and Orissa too, the poverty rate has gone downwards. However, even though there is a downfall in the country’s poverty rate, to eradicate it from the routes, we must make use of some effective programs with combined efforts of Government. It is necessary for the Government of the country to formulate effective strategies for developing a socially poor sector of the society using the critical components like population control measures, and primary education made compulsory, employment generation, and others.

Several issues arise due to a higher poverty rate. Illiteracy increases with poverty as people cannot access proper education and get learning resources due to lack of money. Poverty also leads to rising malnutrition as poor people are unable to afford a proper two-time meal and get a nutritious diet to stay healthy. In turn, this leads to increasing illness and diseases that also remains uncured because of lack of medical aid. Due to poverty, families have lower income that is unable to meet their needs, and thus the children are also forced into child labour to meet the demands.

Unemployment is a significant cause of poverty as it leads to a shortage of money and affects the daily lives of the people. It also forces people to work against their will in harmful conditions. Poverty leads to social stress due to inequality in income between the rich and the poor. This also creates a worse issue for people as they have to stay out of their homes on roadways, sidewalks, open spaces, and without any shelter. Poverty is a worse issue that affects people from all the demographics and age group in adverse ways, causing severe losses and stress for them. This is a concerning factor, and only the Government of a nation can come up with practical ways to reduce the poverty rate.

Poverty is an adverse condition in which the people are left without shelter in a depriving state for basic necessities like food, water, clothes, etc. India has a higher poverty rate. A more significant segment of the entire population cannot afford even the two-time meals properly, have to sleep on the roadsides, wear dirty clothes, drink unclean water, and live in unhealthy and unhygienic conditions. Poor people lack access to proper and healthy nutrition, medical aid, educational assistance, and other essential services to better their lives and the lives of their children.

In urban India, poverty is rapidly rising due to the rise in urban population as people from many rural areas are shifting towards the urban ones. As people move in search of employment and a better lifestyle, but lack of employment opportunities forces them into a financially unstable situation where sometimes they are even forced to work under harmful and unpleasing conditions. In India, more than eight crore people’s income is still lower than the poverty line, and 4.5 crore urban people stand at the verge of the poverty level. A more significant number of urban people stays in the slums, and most of them are illiterates.

Despite many initiatives of Government and NGOs, there is still no satisfying effect regarding the lowering of the poverty level. Several reasons lead to poverty like one of India’s significant cause for poverty is the rising population, poor agriculture, lack of employment opportunities, corruption, a wider gap between poor and rich, epidemic diseases, and many more. A more significant per cent of the Indian population depends on the agriculture sector, which is getting poor rapidly. People also face a shortage of food due to poor agriculture and unemployment.

Furthermore, as there is no limitation on having children after marriage, the rising population also leads to poverty. There are more stomachs to feed, and the income cannot satisfy the same for many families. Furthermore, as the basic facilities are not available adequately, many people get poverty-stricken. With this, the poor become extra poor and richer ones get extra rich, widening the gap between both the segments.

Poverty leads to severe impacts ion the entire society and adversely affects the lives of the people. Poverty leads to illiteracy, lack of proper diet and nutrition, child labour, poor lifestyle and lousy sanitization, and other adverse effects. People are often unable even to get a proper two-time meal and clean drinking water, and due to lack of a healthy diet, the children are mostly malnutrition. Children are unable to study and get appropriate education, and thus the cycle of poverty continues in the families for generations. This eventually hinders the overall development of the nation.

For controlling poverty, there are specific measures that we can take to solve the issue for ensuring a better lifestyle for all the people staying on the planet. There are specific effective measures like farmers must receive proper and necessary access to facilities for better agriculture. The illiterate people must get adequate access to education and training to understand several aspects of a better life. People must be given training for family planning and sex education for population control. Every child must go to school, and there must also be new employment opportunities for all type of people.

Poverty Essay Conclusion

Poverty is not an individual-level problem, but it is a broader issue for the entire nation and the planet. This is a significant threat to human resource development and must be taken care of on a priority basis. People must consider essential and effective measures to control the poverty rate. We must combined work to eradicate all the loopholes in the government systems and encourage the organizations which work to handle the poverty crisis.

The article contains an essay on poverty to satisfy various students’ educational and academic requirements from different classes. This is a concerning factor. The students must understand the issue sufficiently to eradicate the problem and ensure a better and developed lifestyle for all the people Worldwide.

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Poverty Essay in English For Students & Children in 1000 Words

In this article, you will read a poverty essay for students and children in 1000 words. This includes meaning, situation in India, causes, effects, reducing ideas, and 10 lines about poverty.

Table of Contents

Poverty Essay in English (1000 Words)

Many reasons are there for this huge amount of poverty in India, but in short, the population explosion, the increase in prices, the debt trap, lower agricultural productivity, and the lack of proper government development are the sole reasons for it. 

What is Poverty?

Poverty is the condition of being extremely poor for a human being. In this condition, the individual starts to lack the basic important things in their life: a roof over their heads, necessary food, medicine, clothes, etc., to continue their life. Several reasons for the cause of poverty are possible. 

An increase in the literacy rate and providing sustainable living conditions for the poor are some of the ways in which poverty can be curtailed to some extent. 

Poverty Situation in India

Central and state governments have successfully collaborated with many of the private and public sector organisations to deal with this situation. Their main agenda is to eradicate poverty in India completely. 

Cause of Poverty in India

Poverty is a dreadful problem in human life. Poverty is just like that of an enslaved person who cannot do the things he wants. Poverty has many faces, which keep on changing according to place, time, and person. 

The Colonials are solely responsible for the major and significant damage done to this country. They entered as traders and slowly started to occupy a monopoly on various sectors. 

Effects of Poverty in India

As a result, their immune systems are merely affected, making them prone to several ailments. It makes them susceptible to anaemia, cardiac issues, poor vision, etc. 

How to Reduce Poverty in India?

Access to education can promote higher education, and higher education can increase the employability of such individuals. In this way, poverty can be elevated as the individual starts earning. Education is the most effective way to combat poverty in India. 

10 Lines on Poverty Essay in Hindi

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• Poverty Essay

Poverty in India Essay

500+ words poverty in india essay.

Poverty is defined as a condition in which a person or family lacks the financial resources to afford a basic, minimum standard of living. Poor people don’t have adequate income; they can’t afford housing, health facilities and education which are essential for basic survival. So, poverty can be understood simply as a lack of money, or more broadly, barriers to everyday human life. With the help of this poverty essay, students will understand the meaning of poverty, the major causes of poverty and the efforts taken to eliminate poverty in India. So, students must go through this poverty in India essay in depth to get ideas on how to write effective essays and score high marks in exams.

What Causes Poverty?

There are various factors that are responsible for poverty. The major causes are unemployment, illiteracy, increasing population, and lack of proper education and training. As people are not able to find work for themselves, they are not able to earn their livelihood. Due to this, they lack access to basic education, health care, drinking water and sanitation. They are unable to feed their families and children. The other causes of poverty include war, natural disasters, political instability, etc. For example, World War II impacted many countries and they had to suffer from poverty for a long time. It took a lot of effort for such countries to recover their normal state. Similarly, natural disasters affect some areas so badly that poverty and hunger arise.

How is Poverty Measured in India?

The minimum expenditure (or income) required to purchase a basket of goods and services necessary to satisfy basic human needs is called the Poverty Line. Poverty can be measured in terms of the number of people living below this line. It is measured by the State Governments and information is provided by Below Poverty Line (BPL) censuses. Different countries use different measures for measuring poverty but the basic concept remains the same. The definition of the poverty line remains the same, i.e, consumption required for maintaining the minimum standard of living in a country.

Efforts to Eliminate Poverty

Earning income is the first step towards poverty eradication. Poverty can be eliminated by empowering people, and by giving them a good education that will prepare them to have a better career and future. With the help of education, people can get good jobs which allow them to earn a good living. In this way, they will be able to provide their children with a better life. People should be given easy access to transportation, information, communication, technologies, and other public facilities and services to help remove poverty.

The government has also taken several steps to eradicate poverty in India. It has launched various programmes and schemes such as the Five Years Programme, Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana etc. These programmes help to generate wage employment for the poor, unskilled people living in rural areas. The government also has social security programmes to help a few specific groups such as poor women, elder people, and widows. Apart from these government initiatives, citizens of India have to take an active part in eliminating poverty because it can’t be achieved by just a few people. It needs the support of everyone.

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Frequently asked Questions on Poverty in India Essay

How can poverty in india be abolished completely.

Abolishing poverty in India completely can be challenging. Steps should be taken to ensure equality in education so that everyone gets equal opportunities to find better livelihoods. Proper sanitation and water facility 3. Economic security and development

When was the first plan implemented for Poverty abolition?

The fifth five-year plan was first implemented in the year 1974-79 and since then the government has taken several steps and made many reservations to take this plan forward.

What is the relation between Poverty abolition and economic development?

Poverty abolition and economic development go hand in hand with each other and they are interlinked to each other. Eradication of poverty automatically improves the overall economic situation of a country.

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Short Essays About Poverty – Examples And More

Examples of short essays about poverty.

POVERTY – It is one of the most prevalent problems throughout the world. In this article, we are going to give examples of short essays about poverty.

Poverty is but a byproduct of several inadequacies of a government. People might argue that being poor should not be a reason to remain in poverty. Some might even argue that all a person truly needs is hard work and determination.

Although there are several rags to riches stories already, the majority of the time, that is not the case. As such, the question we should be asking is why?

The answer is simple – a lack of opportunity. Because of the large gap between the poor and the middle class and the rich, there is a gross lack of opportunities for those in the poorest sectors.

This is due to several factors as well. However, the primary reason for this is a lack of education. Or rather, a lack of an educational system that serves as a platform for students to excel in life rather than just academics.

Today’s educational system highly rewards those who are “hardworking” when studying. Tests are mostly done as a measure of how much a student “remembers” rather than how much they “understand”.

Governments cut the budget for their educational plans and as a result, better programs are set aside. Thus, in order to start addressing the problems of poverty, me must first address the problems with the educational system.

Thanks for reading. We aim to provide our readers with the freshest and most in-demand content. Come back next time for the latest news here on Philnews.

Like this article? READ ALSO: The Man With The Hoe – Full Text Of The Poem By Edwin Markham

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Essay on Poverty

Updated February 18, 2023

Poverty is comparable to slavery when people cannot fulfill their desires. It has different expressions depending on who, where, and when you look at it. There are numerous ways to describe how someone feels or lives. Nobody wants to live in poverty, but some are bound to do so due to culture, the environment, natural disasters, or a lack of proper education. The person experiencing it usually wishes to flee. Poverty serves as a wake-up call for the poor to work hard and earn enough money to meet their basic needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, access to education, and safety from social and political violence. Let us now learn more about the essay on poverty.

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What is Poverty?

Poverty refers to a person or family not having enough money to meet even the most basic living standards. As a result, the poor cannot afford necessities such as housing, healthcare, and education due to insufficient support. Poverty can thus define as a lack of resources or, more broadly, as barriers to basic human needs. With the help of this poverty essay, students will learn what poverty is, the leading causes of poverty, and the steps taken to eradicate poverty in India.

The Poverty Line is the minimum spending (or income) required to meet a basic basket of goods and services. The number of people living below this line can use to calculate poverty. State governments use Below Poverty Line (BPL) censuses to collect data and measure it. While the methods for measuring poverty differ from country to country, the basic concept still needs to be. The poverty line remains the same: the consumption required to maintain the national minimum standard of living.

Causes of Poverty

A variety of factors cause poverty. The primary contributors are population growth, unemployment, illiteracy, and a lack of appropriate education and training. In addition, people cannot support themselves because they cannot find work. As a result, they cannot obtain essential services such as drinking water, sanitation, and healthcare. As a result, they are unable to feed their families and children. Additional causes of poverty include war, natural disasters, political instability, and other factors. For example, many nations were then affected by World War II and forced to live in poverty for an extended period. As a result, such nations found it difficult to return to their former states. Similarly, natural disasters severely impact some areas, resulting in poverty and hunger.

The problem is that, despite efforts to eradicate poverty worldwide, it has yet to declare a thing of the past. This issue impacts a person’s economy and daily life; a person’s nature and speech are also essential. Being poor in this world has become a curse. The poor lack access to education because having enough money to buy food is like breaking a curse.

Effects of Poverty

Numerous factors have contributed to it continuing for so long. As a result, freedom, physical and mental fitness, and a sense of unease remain. Therefore, the nation and the entire world must work together to ensure proper physical and mental health, complete education, a home for everyone, and other necessities for everyday life.

Poverty is a problem in today’s society that causes great suffering and despair for the poor. You must show a lack of many things due to a lack of money caused by poverty. Poverty children lead compelled lives. Parents will occasionally bring children’s books when forced to bake bread.

A person living in poverty cannot access necessities such as food twice a day, clean water, a home, clothes, a good education, and so on. Several factors cause poverty in India, and another factor is an unequal distribution of national income. Low-income people are significantly less wealthy than high-income people. Low-income children are never given a good education, adequate nutrition, or a fun environment to grow up in. The leading causes of poverty are income inequality, corruption, population growth, a weak agricultural sector, and illiteracy.

Government Initiatives towards Poverty

The Indian government also took several steps to end poverty in India. Some include population control, increased employment opportunities, and so on. Agriculture still provides a living for approximately 60% of India’s population. The government of India has implemented several policies to promote agriculture. The government constructed dams and canals to facilitate irrigation water access in our country. The government has also ensured that farming supplies such as seeds and equipment are affordable. Instead of growing food crops, the government promotes the cultivation of cash crops such as cotton. In addition, the government is encouraging urban industrialization to increase employment.

In addition, the government established “Ration shops.” Other measures include subsidized housing for the poor, free and compulsory education for children up to 14, scholarships for deserving students from low-income families, and so on.

Although poverty is a social ill, everyone can contribute to its reduction. For example, you could donate old clothes to the needy, sponsor a child’s education, or teach underprivileged students in your spare time. Before you waste food, consider that someone is still sleeping hungry.

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Cultural India

Poverty in india: causes, effects and solutions.

“Poverty is humiliation, the sense of being dependent on them, and of being forced to accept rudeness, insults, and indifference when we seek help.” —Latvia 1998

In the simplest term, poverty may be defined as a social condition where individuals do not have financial means to meet the most basic standards of life that is acceptable by the society. Individuals experiencing poverty do not have the means to pay for basic needs of daily life like food, clothes and shelter.

Poverty also staves people off from accessing much needed social tools of well-being like education and health requirements. The direct consequences stemming from this problem are hunger, malnutrition and susceptibility to diseases which have been identified as major problems across the world. It impacts individuals in a socio-psychological way with them not being able to afford simple recreational activities and getting progressively marginalized in the society.

The term poverty is interconnected with the notion of the poverty line/ threshold that may be defined as the minimum figure of income that is required in a particular country for maintaining the socially acceptable quality of life in terms of nutritional, clothing and sheltering needs. The World Bank has updated its international poverty line figures to 1.90 USD (Rs. 123.5) per day on October 2015 (based on prices of commodities in year 2011-2012), from 1.5 USD(Rs. 81) as a response to the changes in the cost of living across the world as per current economy. The organization estimates that – “Just over 900 million people globally lived under this line in 2012 (based on the latest available data), and we project that in 2015, just over 700 million are living in extreme poverty.”

Poverty is a worldwide cause of concern even in economically stable countries like the USA. Current statistics state that over half the populations in the world, about 3 billion people, are forced to live on less than 2.5 dollars per day. In India, as per 2014 government reports, monthly per capita consumption expenditure is Rs. 972 per person in rural areas and Rs. 1407 per person in urban areas. This data is currently being accepted as the poverty threshold of the country. As of 2015, 21.9% of the total population lives below the national poverty threshold, as per the data of Asian Development Bank, that’s a whopping 269.7 million individuals not having enough money.

Causes of Poverty in India

Factors contributing to the persistent problem of poverty in the country are many and they need to be identified in order to be addressed properly. They can be categorized under the following heads.

1. Demographic – the main factor that contributes to poverty-ridden state of the country from a demographical point of view is the problem of over population. The growth of population in the country has so far exceeded the growth in economy and the gross result is that the poverty figures have remained more or less consistent. In rural areas, size of the families is bigger and that translates into lowering the per capita income values and ultimately lowering of standard of living. Population growth spurt also leads to generation of unemployment and that means diluting out of wages for jobs further lowering income.

2. Economic –there are a host of economic reasons behind persistence of the poverty problems which are outlined hereunder:-

a. Poor Agricultural Infrastructure –Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. But outdated farming practices, lack of proper irrigation infrastructure and even lack of formal knowledge of crop handling has affected the productivity in this sector tremendously. As a consequence there is redundancy and sometimes complete lack of work leading to decreased wages that is insufficient for meeting daily needs of a labourer’s family plunging them into poverty.

b. Unequal distribution of assets – with the economy changing directions rapidly, the earning structure evolves differently in different economic income groups. Upper and middle income groups see a faster increase in earnings than lower income groups. Also assets like land, cattle as well as realty are distributed disproportionately among the population with certain people owning majority shares than other sectors of the society and their profits from these assets are also unequally distributed. In India it is said that 80% wealth in the country is controlled by just 20% of the population.

c. Unemployment – another major economic factor that is causative of poverty in the country is the rising unemployment rate. Unemployment rates is high in India and according to a 2015 survey data, at the all-India level, 77% of families do not have a regular source of income.

d. Inflation and Price hike – the term Inflation may be defined as an increase in prices of commodities coinciding with the fall in the purchasing value of money. As a direct consequence of inflation, effective price of food, clothing items as well as real estate rises. The salaries and wages do not rise as much in keeping up with the inflated prices of commodities leading to effective decrease of the per capita income.

e. Faulty economic liberalization – the LPG (Liberalization-Privatization-Globalization) attempts initiated by the Indian Government in 1991 were directed towards making the economy more suited to international market-trends to invite foreign investments. Successful to certain extent in reviving the economy, the economic reforms had detrimental effects on increasing the wealth distribution scenario. Rich became richer, while the poor remained poor.

3. Social – The various social issues plaguing the country that contributes towards poverty are:-

a. Education and illiteracy – Education, rather its lack thereof and poverty form a vicious cycle that plagues the nation. Not having enough resources to feed their children, the poor consider education to be frivolous, preferring children to start contributing to the family’s income rather than draining them. On the other hand, lack of education and illiteracy prevent individuals from getting better paying jobs and they get stuck at jobs offering minimum wages. Improvement of quality of life gets hindered and the cycle once again comes into action.

b. Outdated Social Customs – Social customs like the caste system cause segregation and marginalization of certain sections of the society. Certain castes are considered untouchables still and are not employed by upper caste, leaving very specific and low paying jobs that they can live off. Economist K. V. Verghese put forth the problem in a very lucid language, “Caste system acted as a spring­board for class exploitation with the result that the counterpart of the poverty of the many is the opulence of the few. The second is the cause of the first.”

c. Lack of skilled labour – lack of adequate vocational training makes the huge labour force available in India largely unskilled, which is unsuitable for offering maximum economic value. Lack of education, much less higher education, is also a contributing factor towards this.

d. Gender inequality –the weak status attached with women, deep-rooted social marginalization and long embedded perceptions of domesticity renders about 50% of the country’s population unable to work. As a result the women of the family add to the number of dependents that need to be fed instead of being able to contribute considerably in the family income which might assuage the poverty situation of the family.

e. Corruption – despite considerable efforts from the government in the forms of various schemes to mollify the poverty situation, allegedly only 30-35% actually reaches the beneficiaries due to wide-spread practices of corruption in the country. Wealthy people with privileged connection are able to acquire more wealth simply by bribing government officials to maximize their profits from such schemes while the poor remain in a state of neglect for not being able to assert such connections.

4. Individual – individual lack of efforts also contribute towards generating poverty. Some people are unwilling to work hard or even not willing to work altogether, leaving their families in the darkness of poverty. Personal demons like drinking and gambling also leads to draining of the family income inciting poverty.

5. Political – in India, socio-economic reform strategies has been largely directed by political interest and are implemented to serve a choice section of the society that is potentially a deciding factor in the elections. As a result, the issue is not addressed in its entirety leaving much scope of improvements.

6. Climatic – maximum portion of India experiences a tropical climate throughout the year that is not conducive to hard manual labour leading to lowering of productivity and the wages suffer consequently.

Effects of Poverty

The resounding effect of poverty echoes through various layers of an India citizen’s life. If we try to have a systematic look at them, we should proceed under the three following heads:-

1. Effect on Health – one of the most devastating effects that poverty has is on the overall health of the nation. The most prominent health issue stemming from poverty is malnutrition. The problem of malnutrition is widespread in all age-groups of the country but children are most adversely affected by this. Limited income in larger families leads to lack of access to sufficient nutritious food for their children. These children over time suffer from severe health problems like low body weight, mental, physical disabilities and a general poor state of immunity making them susceptible to diseases. Children from poor backgrounds are twice as susceptible to suffer from anemia, nutrient deficiencies, impaired vision, and even cardiac problems. Malnutrition is a gross contributor of infant mortality in the country and 38 out of every 1,000 babies born in India die before their first birthday. Malnutrition among adult also leads to poor health in adults that leaches their capacity for manual labour leading to a decrease in income due to weakness and diseases. Poverty also causes definite decline in the sanitary practices among poor who cannot afford proper bathrooms and disinfectants. As a result susceptibility to waterborne diseases peak among the poor. Lack of access to as well as means to procure appropriate treatment also affects overall mortality of the population which is lower in poor countries than developed nations like the USA.

2. Effects on Society – poverty exerts some gravely concerning effects over the overall societal health as well. These may be discussed along the following lines:-

a. Violence and crime rate – incidence of violence and crime have been found to be geographically coincident. In a backdrop of unemployment and marginalization, the poor resort to criminal activities to earn money. Coupled with lack of education and properly formed moral conscience, a poverty ridden society is more susceptible to violence by its people against its own people from a sense of deep-seated discontent and rage.

b. Homelessness – apart from a definite drop in the esthetic representation of the country, homelessness affects child health, women safety and overall increase in criminal tendencies.

c. Stress – lack of money is a major cause of stress among the middle-class and the poor and leads to decline in productivity of individuals.

d. Child labour – one of the hallmarks of a poverty-ridden society is the widespread practices of exploitation and the worst of it comes in the form of child labour. Large families fail to meet the monetary needs of the members and children as young as 5 years are made to start earning in order to contribute to the family income.

e. Terrorism – proclivity of youth towards terrorism stems from a combination of extreme poverty and lack of education making them susceptible to brainwashing. Terrorist organizations offer poverty-ridden families money in exchange for a member’s participation in their activities which induces a sense of accomplishment among the youth.

3. Effect on Economy –poverty is a direct index indicating success of the economy of the country. The number of people living under the poverty threshold indicates whether the economy is powerful enough to generate adequate jobs and amenities for its people. Schemes providing subsidies for the poor of the country again impose a drain on the economy.

The measures that should be taken to fight the demon of poverty in India are outlined below:-

1. Growth of population at the current rate should be checked by implementation of policies and awareness promoting birth control.

2. All efforts should be made to increase the employment opportunities in the country, either by inviting more foreign investments or by encouraging self-employment schemes.

3. Measures should be taken to bridge the immense gap that remains in distribution in wealth among different levels of the society.

4. Certain Indian states are more poverty stricken than others like Odhisha and the North East states. Government should seek to encourage investment in these states by offering special concessions on taxes.

5. Primary needs of people for attaining a satisfactory quality of life like food items, clean drinking water should be available more readily. Improvement of the Subsidy rates on commodities and Public Distribution system should be made. Free high school education and an increased number of functioning health centers should be provided by the government.

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Poverty Essay

In this poverty essay, we had describe poverty, its effects & measures to control poverty.

Poverty is the condition of a person when he cannot fulfil his basic necessities of life such as food, clothing and shelter.

Essay on Poverty 100 words:

Poverty is the condition of any person being very poor.

It is an extreme condition when a person feels a lack of essential commodities such as shelter, adequate food, clothing, medicines, etc. to continue life.

Some common causes of poverty are overgrowth, fatal and epidemic diseases, and natural disasters.

Low agricultural production, lack of employment, casteism, illiteracy, gender inequality, environmental problems in the country.

Changing trends of the economy in the country, lack of proper education, untouchability, limited or inadequate access to people’s own rights, political violence, organized crime, Corruption, lack of motivation, laziness, old social beliefs, etc.

Poverty in India can be reduced after effective solutions, but the individual efforts of all citizens are needed.

Poverty Essay 150 words:

We can define poverty as a lack of food, proper shelter, clothing, medicines, education and equal human rights.

Poverty forces a person to starve, without shelter, without clothing, education and proper rights.

There are various causes of poverty in the country, although there are solutions, due to lack of proper unity among Indian citizens to follow the solutions, poverty is getting worse day by day.

The spread of epidemic diseases is the cause of poverty in any country because poor people cannot take care of their health status.

Poverty makes people unable to go to the doctor, go to school, study, speak properly, eat three meals a day, dress in need, buy own house, get a proper salary for a job, etc.

A person can go towards illness due to drinking unclean water, living in dirty places and eating inappropriate food.

Poverty causes powerlessness and lack of freedom.

Essay on Poverty 200 words:

Poverty is like a slave situation when a person is unable to do anything he wishes, which change according to person, place and time.

It can be described in many ways that a person feels it or is living it.

Poverty is a condition that no one wants to live, but it has to be taken away due to custom, nature, natural disaster, or lack of proper education.

The person lives it, usually wants to escape.

It is an invisible problem that badly affects a person and his social life in many ways.

Poverty is a completely preventable problem, but there are many reasons that have persisted since the past.

Poverty causes a person to lack freedom, mental well-being, physical welfare and security.

It is very important for everyone to work together to remove poverty from the country and the world to bring about proper physical health, mental health, full literacy, home for all, and other essential things to lead a simple life.

Essay on Indian Poverty 250 words:

Poverty is a human condition that brings despair, grief and pain in human life.

Poverty is the lack of money and all that is necessary to live life properly.

Poverty makes a child unable to enter school in childhood and lives his childhood in an unhappy family.

Poverty is a shortage of few rupees for arranging two times daily bread and butter, buying textbooks for children, the grief of parents responsible for taking care of children, etc.

We can define poverty in many ways.

It is very common to see poverty in India because most of the people here cannot meet the basic needs of life.

A large percentage of the population here is illiterate, hungry and without homes and clothes.

This is the main reason for the poor Indian economy.

Almost half of the population in India is living a miserable life due to poverty.

Poverty creates a situation in which people fail to get sufficient income so they cannot buy essential things.

A poor man lives his life without any facilities, such as two meals a day, clean drinking water, clothes, home, proper education, etc. Existence.

There are various reasons for poverty in India, but the distribution of national income is also a reason.

People in the lower-income group tend to be relatively poorer than the higher income group.

Children from poor families never get proper schooling, proper nutrition and happy childhood.

The most important causes of poverty are illiteracy, corruption, increasing population, poor agriculture, the difference between poor and rich, etc.

Poverty Essay 300 words:

Poverty represents poor quality of life, illiteracy, malnutrition, lack of basic needs, low human resource development etc.

This is the biggest challenge for the developing country, especially in India.

It is a phenomenon in which a section of the society cannot meet the basic needs of its life.

It has seen some decline in the poverty level in the last five years (from 26.1% in 1999–2000, from 35.97% in 1993–94).

It has also declined at the state level such that it decreased to 47.15% to 48.56% in Orissa, 43.42% to 37.43% in Madhya Pradesh, 31.15% to 40.85% in UP and 27.6% to 35.66% in West Bengal.

Instead of some decline in poverty in India, it is not a pleasure because the Indian BPL is still a very large number (26 crores).

Poverty in India can be eradicated by the use of some effective programs, although a combined effort by the government is needed for all.

The Government of India should formulate some effective strategies to develop the poor social sector through key components like primary education, population control, family welfare, employment generation etc., especially in rural areas. Also, read poverty essay in 400 words .

Effects of Poverty:

Illiteracy: Poverty makes people unable to get a proper education due to lack of money.

Nutrition and Diet: Poverty leads to inadequate availability of diet and inadequate nutrition which brings many fatal diseases and deficiency diseases.

Child labour: This gives rise to a huge level of illiteracy as the future of the country becomes involved in child labour at an early age.

Unemployment: Unemployment causes poverty because it creates a shortage of money which affects the daily life of the people.

It forces people against their will to live an incomplete life.

Social stress: It creates social tension due to income inequality between rich and poor.

Housing problems: This creates a bad situation for people to stay outside the house on sidewalks, roadways, other open spaces, multiple members in one room, etc.

Disease: It gives rise to various epidemic diseases because people with money shortage cannot maintain proper sanitation and hygiene.

Apart from this, they cannot afford a doctor for proper treatment of any disease.

Poverty alleviation: Poverty affects the lives of women to a great extent due to gender inequality and deprives them of proper diet, nutrition, medicines and treatment.

Essay on Poverty 400 words:

Poverty is a condition in which people are deprived of the basic necessities of life such as inadequacy of food, clothes and shelter.

Most people in India cannot get their two-time meals properly, sleep on the side of the road and wear dirty and old clothes.

They do not get proper and healthy nutrition, medicines, and other essential things.

Poverty is increasing in urban India due to an increase in urban population as people from rural areas prefer to migrate to cities and towns to get employment or to do some financial activity.

The income of about 8 crore urban people is below the poverty line and 4.5 crore urban people are at the threshold level of the poverty level.

A large number of people live in slums which are illiterate.

Despite some initiatives, no satisfactory results have been shown regarding poverty reduction. Also, read poverty essay FAQ .

Reasons for Poverty:

• The main causes of poverty in India are increasing population, poor agriculture, corruption, old customs, a huge gap between poor and rich people, unemployment, illiteracy, epidemic diseases etc.
• A large percentage of people in India depend on agriculture which is poor.
• People usually face food shortages due to poor agriculture and unemployment.
• The ever increasing population is also the cause of poverty in India; more population means more food, money and houses.
• In the lack of basic facilities, poverty increases rapidly, becoming extra rich and extra poor creates a huge gap between rich and poor people.
• Rich people are getting rich and poor people are becoming poor which creates an economic difference.

Impact of Poverty:

Poverty affects people’s lives in many ways.

• Poverty has various effects such as illiteracy, poor diet and nutrition, child labour, poor housing, poor lifestyle, unemployment, poor sanitation, the feminization of poverty, etc.
• Poor people cannot arrange a healthy diet, nor maintain a good lifestyle, home, good clothes, proper education etc., due to lack of money which creates a huge difference between rich and poor.
• This difference leads to underdeveloped countries.
• Poverty forces young children to work at a low cost and help their family financially rather than going to school.

Also, read 1. Indian Education System Essay 2. Indian Culture Essay 3. Essay on Education

Control Measures for Poverty:

• It is very important to solve the problem of poverty on a crucial basis for the good of humanity on this planet.
• Some measures that can play a big role in solving the problem of poverty are:
• Farmers should get proper and necessary facilities for good agriculture as well as to make it profitable.
• Those who are illiterate should be given necessary training for the betterment of life.
• Family planning should be followed by people to check for the increasing population and thus poverty.
• Corruption should be eliminated worldwide to reduce poverty.
• Every child should go to school and take proper education.
• There should be employment opportunities where people from all categories can work together. Also, read poverty essay conclusion .

Conclusion:

Poverty is not just an individual problem but is a national problem; this should be solved on an instant basis by implementing some effective solutions.

Various steps have been taken by the government to reduce poverty but there are no clear results.

Eradication of poverty is essential for sustainable and inclusive development of the people, economy, society and country.

Poverty can be eliminated effectively by the combined efforts of each and every individual.

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Poverty in the United States

How it works

Poverty is a major issue in our world today, it is when people are not able to afford a minimum standard of living to survive. Poverty is the removal of financial stability to afford necessities. Bill Fay, veteran journalist defined poverty as a pervasive human condition of being unable to obtain or provide a standard level of food, water, and shelter. In 2015, a study was done and reported that 60% of people will experience at least 1 year of poverty. 40% of adults have reported difficulty to provide themselves with basic human needs such as food, shelter, healthcare, clothes, etc.

(Poverty in America ). Poverty within United States affects all society and its capability to progess as whole, a lack of education and skilled workers means that there isn’t enough to promote more wealth for everyone. Living in poverty can become a nasty cycle if nothings is to be done which leads to being a public problem. Unemployment and low income communities sets an environment where it prevents from kids going to school to get an education which would stop them from find a promising career in the future.

Poverty can be a never-ending cycle if individuals are not willing or capable to get out which can lead a pattern from one generation to another.. Stated in Kids in America are Hungry , in 2016 over 40 million people lived in poverty, of that number, 13 million were children. Poverty can be can be a huge threat to a childrens lives that can prevent them from getting opportunities and resources that can make a big difference for their future education. Poverty eliminates the option for people/children to focus on personal improvement due to limited resources. Not only does poverty affect the poor but it affects everyone as well, it places economic, social, and psychological costs on individuals. A report was done by the Children’s Defense Fund and they stated, when children do not succeed as adults, all of society pays the price: businesses are able to find fewer good workers, consumers pay more for their goods, hospital and health insurers spend more treating preventable illness, teachers spend more time on remediation and special education, citizens feel less safe on the streets (Bangs, R. 2015, pg. 95). Research shows that growing up young in poverty can harmfully affect children’s health including social and mental developments (The Range of Poverty in America ). The economic system makes it extremely difficult for people to live above the poverty line and can prevent individuals from upward social mobility.

When it comes to solving poverty and making a difference, there are many career choices that can help with certain issues such as hunger, job opportunities, substance abuse, crime, family stability, etc. I believe the best career choice to go towards is being a teacher when it comes to fighting against poverty. Education in poor communities receive less funding and limited resources compared to more wealthier communites. According to The Borgen Project, children spend approximately 1,200 hours a year in an academic setting. A teacher’s responsibility is being able to influence and educate how important it is to have a stable mental health, education, and living conditions for the future (Borgen Project, 2018). Education is vital and fundamental that provides tools, resources, and opportunities for students to avoid situations that can lead them into poverty and help them succeed in the future. Dr. Robert Hawkins explains, low-income communities need to have teachers who understand the situation they’re in and be able to support them academically and help them in every way they can to make sure they are prepared for real-world problems and help them succeed, (Hawkins, 2016).

Becoming a teacher can help shape and guide children into going towards the right direction in life and help them get out of poverty by providing support and education. To be apart of solving poverty in America or just help make a difference, I would purse to be a middle school teacher. Middle school teachers work with children from 6th to 8th grade where the children are becoming more advanced and complexed learners, the teachers continue to supervise the students and teach them essential life skills and lead them towards the right path before starting high school (Hawkins, 2016). In order to pursue a career in education I must earn a Bachelors degree, which includes taking all general education requirement courses like history, math, writing, science as the common main courses and then cultural humanities, psychology, sociology, art, computer science, etc. depending on what college I attend to. With general education I must also take additional core education courses that is relevant to what subjects I need to teach in middle school which would be math, science, or language arts. Other courses I would potentially have to take would include student assessment methods, instructional strategies, multiculturalism, human development, and any additional educational courses that I need to take depending on what I will be interested in teaching (Pearson, n.d.). While working on a Bachelor’s degree I must also participate in student teaching for atleast a semester where I must have a certain number of hours for supervised education experience in order to sit for licensure. After getting a Bachelor’s degree and hours for student teaching I then have to get licensed or certified for whichever state I plan on teaching at. All states require prospective teachers to complete and pass the states required tests for instructor, then finally apply for the state’s teaching certificate (USDL, 2018).

Pursing a career in education to help solve America’s problem with poverty, can help children by guiding them with support and essential life skills to prevent them from falling into the viscious cycle of poverty. Through the act of teaching, teachers can help improve children’s self-esteem and boost their confidence when they’re more likely be living in a lack of support kind of environment. Becoming a teacher will not solve the problem of poverty as a whole but will most definitely mak a difference starting with children who are the future of America.

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Poverty and Health

Poverty is strongly associated with worse health across countries and within countries across individuals. However, not all poor individuals suffer from poor health: the effects of poverty on health vary across place and time. In this review, we discuss the evidence documenting these patterns, and the reasons for the associations. We then provide an overview of what is known about policies that may improve the health of the poor. We focus primarily on the modern-day United States, but also discuss evidence from historical experiences and low- and middle-income countries. Throughout we discuss areas in need of future research.

We are grateful to Janet Currie, Sherry Glied, and Tom Vogl for their valuable comments on earlier drafts. Joanna Chi provided excellent research assistance. Adriana Lleras-Muney received support from the California Center for Population Research at UCLA (CCPR), which receives core support (P2C-HD041022) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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Let's change the federal poverty level to help more people

Long Island Cares food pantry on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 in Huntington. Credit: Howard Schnapp

This guest essay reflects the views of Paule Pachter, president and chief executive of Long Island Cares, Inc. — The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank in Hauppauge.

I am often asked by elected officials, donors, and visitors to our food pantries why there are 220,000 Long Islanders struggling with food insecurity. Their next question is, "How do we reduce that number?"

I tell them that if the federal government is serious about reducing food insecurity, then it must adjust the way it devises the federal poverty level (FPL) to recognize economic diversity nationwide. The cost of living in Sayville is very different from Selma, Alabama, and the cost of buying a house in Levittown is twice as much as owning a home in Louisville. The federal poverty level for a family of four is $31,200 a year. That number isn’t adequate for even a single Long Islander when you consider the costs for rent, food, health care, education, utilities, transportation, and the cost of goods.

But there may be hope on the horizon.

A bill called the Poverty Line Act has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and is gaining support from lawmakers. Joining them are more than 40 organizations comprised of anti-poverty groups, child care advocates, and food banks determined to modernize the way the federal poverty level is calculated.

In introducing the bill, Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.) said, "Since the 1960s we’ve gone into space, developed electric vehicles, and no longer rely on landlines for phone service. It’s long past time that we brought the FPL into the 21st Century as well."

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The Poverty Line Act would update the way the federal poverty level is adjusted to reflect real costs and regional differences. While $31,200 might be sufficient for a family in Little Rock, Arkansas, it would be responsible to increase that amount to $46,000 for a family in Long Beach. Without such an increase, some families that want to live here now are ineligible for safety-net benefits such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, supplemental nutrition benefits for low-income women, infants, and children, and others. These benefits would allow families to focus more on health care and other essentials so they can spend their paychecks on the food they need.

Long Island Cares recently hosted a virtual meeting about the legislation with congressional aides, New York State’s 10 food banks, Feeding America, Feeding New York State, and local food pantries. Attendees expressed overwhelming support, and Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi signed on as a co-sponsor.

Adjusting the federal poverty level isn’t a partisan issue when food insecurity has risen 30% to 50% since the pandemic ended. We expected a decrease. However, so far this year we have seen the number of people visiting our six satellite food pantries increase. During the first six months of 2024, we helped 100,989 people, compared to 75,252 people during the same period in 2023 — a 34% increase.

Similarly, between January and June 2024, Long Island Cares delivered 7.8 million pounds of food to our 335 food-assistance agencies — a 16% increase over the 6.7 million pounds distributed last year. The increase in need among our working poor is urgent and chronic.

The legislation to adjust the federal poverty level by region is a realistic step forward to reduce food insecurity. The Poverty Line Act will be high on Long Island Cares' list of legislative priorities for 2025.

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The Problem of Poverty in Africa Essay

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Introduction

Background of the study, problem statement, research questions, hypotheses and variables, theoretical framework, works cited.

The paper is a proposal on how the problem of poverty in Africa can be solved. The study will use a mixed research approach in attaining its goals (Creswell, 2009). The major aim of the study is to identify the causes of poverty and propose best strategies that can help Africans come out of poverty.

Africa has long been known to suffer from a number of calamities such as floods, drought among others; however the issue of poverty seems to have brushed the continents the wrong way leaving thousands of individuals dead. According to Adato et al., 2006 Currently poverty is seen as a long problem that will continue to be with us, as long as the world remains. Mahatma Gandhi had some of the most creative insights into this problem with regards to India. Mao Tse Tung was similarly quite creative on this issue in China, as was John Kenneth Galbraith with regards to affluent society. There are numerous people who have lost many a night’s sleep on this matter in Africa.

[Poverty is relative, not absolute. It is about getting basic needs, not huge material surpluses. It is about having enough resources for meeting basic needs for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. It is about none material satisfaction not excess material goods of little intrinsic value] (Adato et al., 2006: 23).

There is no doubt that there exist large volumes of material regarding poverty in Africa. With this there are a number of solutions that have been brought forth with the aim of curbing poverty in the continent. Despite the fact that the majority of the authors have tried to address the causes so that they can develop best strategies, their is a gap in trying to establish how best the proposed strategies will be implemented based on the variation in a number of issues such as population, policies in each and every country. The study will thus seek not only to bring out the causes of poverty and how to curb it but propose how to implement the strategies based on the country’s needs.

The research question that will guide the study is what the major ways of curbing poverty in Africa are. From this, the three main objectives of the study are:

• To find out how prevalent is poverty in Africa
• To establish the major causes of poverty in Africa
• To find out the best strategies to curb the issue of poverty in Africa.

The hypotheses for the study are:

• H o There is a significant difference in causes of poverty.
• H o There is a significance difference in strategies used in curbing poverty in Africa and its reduction
• H o There is significant difference in the prevalence of poverty in Africa.

The dependent variable in the study is poverty. It is worth noting that this is the variable the research will try to predict its variation in presence of certain variable known to be independent is important. The independent variable will include all the causes of poverty and the strategies used to curb the same (Reynolds, 2007).

It has been argued that the world food production is enough to feed the world populations. The major problem associated with poverty has been deemed to be unequal distribution of wealth and the natural resources plus the opportunity to access financial resources for investments (Creswell, 2009).

It is human understanding that wealth is generated by labour upon acting on natural resources. From this notion it is evident that if the same is made available to each and everyone and the individuals are encouraged, able and at will to work tirelessly, then poverty could be history. Nonetheless, this is not the case as this vital resource lies in the hands of a few individuals who exercise monopoly over them. Another problem that has caused poverty is the unfair market prices of goods and services from the continent. It is postulated that equal distribution of natural resources and fair market policies will help the poor in Africa to have enough to eat, shelter, clothing and education (Adato et al., 2006.).

Adato, M., Carter, M. & May, J. 2006. Exploring poverty traps and social exclusion in South Africa using qualitative and quantitative data. Journal of Development Studies , 42(1): 226 – 247.

Creswell, J. 2009. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Reynolds, P. 2007. A primer in theory construction. Boston: Pearson Education.

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Ms. Sittenfeld is the best-selling author of seven novels and the forthcoming story collection “Show Don’t Tell.”

This summer, I agreed to a literary experiment with Times Opinion: What is the difference between a story written by a human and a story written by artificial intelligence?

We decided to hold a contest between ChatGPT and me, to see who could write — or “write” — a better beach read. I thought going head-to-head with the machine would give us real answers about what A.I. is and isn’t currently capable of and, of course, how big a threat it is to human writers. And if you’ve wondered, as I have, what exactly makes something a beach read — frothy themes or sand under your feet? — we set out to get to the bottom of that, too.

First, we asked readers to vote on which themes they wanted in their ideal beach read. We also included some options that are staples of my fiction, including privilege, self-consciousness and ambivalence. ChatGPT and I would then work using the top vote-getters.

Lust, regret and kissing won, in that order. Readers also wrote in suggestions. They wanted beach reads about naps and redemption and tattoos gone wrong; puppies and sharks and secrets and white linen caftans; margaritas and roller coasters and mosquitoes; yearning and bonfires and women serious about their vocations. At least 10 readers suggested variations on making the characters middle-aged. One reader wrote, “We tend to equate summer with kids,” and suggested I explore “Why does summer still feel special for older people?”

So I added middle-age and another write-in, flip-flops — because it seemed fun, easy and, yes, summery — to the list and got to work on a 1,000-word story.

My editor fed ChatGPT the same prompts I was writing from and asked it to write a story of the same length “in the style of Curtis Sittenfeld.” ( I’m one of the many fiction writers whose novels were used, without my permission and without my being compensated, to train ChatGPT. Groups of fiction writers, including people I’m friends with, have sued OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, for copyright infringement. The New York Times has sued Microsoft and OpenAI over the use of copyrighted work.)

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House Republicans release their impeachment report on Biden but the next steps are uncertain

President Joe Biden talks to reporters upon his arrival to Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to the White House, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have released their initial impeachment inquiry report on President Joe Biden , alleging an abuse of power and obstruction of justice in the financial dealings of his son Hunter Biden and family associates.

The nearly yearlong investigation by Republicans stops short of alleging any criminal wrongdoing by the president. Instead, the almost 300-page report out Monday, the opening day of the Democratic National Convention , covers familiar ground, asserting the Biden family traded on its “brand” in business ventures in corrupt ways that rise to the Constitution’s high bar for impeachment.

With Biden no longer running for reelection , next steps are highly uncertain. House Republicans have not had support from their own ranks to actually impeach the president, and removal by the Senate is even further afield. Many Republicans prefer to focus attention on the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris , with some probes getting underway.

The White House has dismissed the House impeachment inquiry as a “stunt” and encouraged House Republicans to “move on.”

“The totality of the corrupt conduct uncovered by the Committees is egregious,” wrote the House Oversight and Accountability, Judiciary and Ways & Means panels leading the inquiry .

The report said the Constitution’s “remedy for a President’s flagrant abuse of office is clear: impeachment by the House of Representatives and removal by the Senate.”

Republicans have spent the better part of their time in the House majority with a hyper focus on Biden and his family’s businesses, encouraged by Donald Trump as the twice impeached and indicted former president makes a comeback bid for the White House.

The impeachment inquiry has been a cornerstone of the House GOP’s effort, launched by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy shortly before he was booted from leadership and formalized in December under new Speaker Mike Johnson. Republicans are investigating many aspects of Biden family finances going back to 2009 when he was vice president to Barack Obama.

In a statement Monday, Johnson was non-committal on what the House will do with the findings. “We encourage all Americans to read this report,” he said.

Through bank records, interviews from some 30 witnesses, whistleblower accounts and millions of documents, House Republicans allege a years-long practice by Hunter Biden and his associates to solicit foreign business deals using the family’s proximity to power in Washington.

Much of the focus of the report is not on Biden’s time as president, but on the years when the Biden family was in turmoil after the 2015 death of his oldest son, Beau, and as the vice president was bowing out of elected office, declining to run for president in 2016.

Hunter Biden has acknowledged a serious addiction to crack in these years. He was convicted in June of felony gun charges and is set to stand trial next month on federal tax charges .

Former Hunter Biden associate Devon Archer , who was sentenced to a year in prison in 2022 in another matter, told the committee, “At the end of the day, part of what was delivered is the brand.”

To tie the elder Biden to his son’s actions, the Republicans rely on a series of phone calls and pop-by dinner meeting visits Joe Biden made while Hunter was conducting business. At times, Hunter would put his dad on speakerphone for his guests as the father and son exchanged pleasantries.

The Bidens are a famously tight-knit family and acknowledge they speak almost daily, including during this time, with the father checking on his son’s well-being.

In his own defiant closed-door deposition to House investigators, Hunter Biden insisted he did not involve his father in his business.

All told, the House Republicans allege the Biden family and its associates received some $27 million in business payments from partners or clients in Russia, China and other countries. They allege an additional $8 million in loans, including some from Hunter Biden benefactor Kevin Morris, a Hollywood attorney, and question the purchases of the son’s artwork .

The report said it is “inconceivable” that President Biden did not understand what was going on.

“President Biden participated in a conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family,” the report claims.

Biden himself declined a request to testify before the House.

Touchbacks to Trump’s impeachments at the hands of Democrats run throughout the report’s pages as Republicans work to contrast his grounds for removal to Biden family’s dealings and “grift.”

But the difference are stark, as the indicted Trump faces actual criminal charges, including in the conspiracy to overturn Biden’s 2020 election and draw supporters to Washington on the day of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

The report also accuses Biden of obstructing justice in the probe, revisiting previously aired complaints about the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation into Hunter Biden. Attorney General Merrick Garland has forcefully denied those accusations, defending the department against claims of political influence.

The report focuses heavily on what Republicans have long alleged was a pattern of “slow-walking” investigative steps and delaying enforcement actions to the benefit of the president’s son.

But the report provides no evidence that Biden had any involvement in his son’s investigation, which was launched under Trump’s presidency and has been led by a Delaware U.S. attorney appointed by Trump. The U.S. attorney, David Weiss, was kept on by Garland to insulate the probe from claims of political interference.

Garland has insisted that no one at the White House gave him or other senior officials at the Justice Department direction about the handling of the Hunter Biden investigation.

Beyond Hunter Biden, the report includes details of the involvement of Joe Biden’s brother, James, in the various family businesses.

Republicans have pointed to a series of payments that they claim show the president benefited from his brother’s work. They point to a $200,000 personal check from James Biden to Joe Biden on the same day in 2018 that James Biden received an equal amount from Americore, a healthcare company.

House Democrats have defended the transaction, pointing to bank records they say indicate James Biden was repaying a loan provided by his brother, who had wire transferred $200,000 to him about six weeks earlier. The money changed hands while Joe Biden was a private citizen.

Short of impeaching Biden, the House Republicans have issued criminal referrals recommending the Justice Department prosecute Hunter Biden and James Biden, accusing them of making false statements to Congress as part of the GOP investigation. Attorneys for those men have argued those claims are baseless or a distraction.

Until recently, the president had been a focal point for Republicans in Congress, but his decision last month to drop out of the presidential race and Harris’ ascent to the top of the ticket have forced GOP leaders to reevaluate their marquee investigation.

A year ago, GOP lawmakers had hoped the Biden inquiry would build a strong enough case for impeachment’s “high crimes and misdemeanors.” But the longer the inquiry dragged and the little direct evidence against Biden investigators were able to produce in public hearings or even in closed-door sessions, the more concerns grew from moderate Republicans wary of a vote on the matter.

The report released Monday makes more than 20 mentions of the “Biden-Harris administration,” while previous releases from the committees investigating Biden typically only made direct references to him.

And while Harris is not mentioned on her own in the report, the same committees leading the inquiry have begun to open new probes into her and her vice presidential pick, Tim Walz.

Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Gary Fields, Fatima Hussein and Nicholas Riccardi contributed to this report.