Effects of Poverty – Essay

Introduction

Poverty is basically the state of being poor and inferior in quality as well as having insufficient amount. It is a concept subject to perspective.

Poverty is caused by factors such as changing trends in the economy, lack of education in a country, high rates of separation, overpopulation, culture, disease and environmental issues like absence of rain and calamities. These factors therefore make it impossible for a person to afford an ordinary living pattern.

Effects of Poverty

• Poverty makes it impossible for people to seek medical assistance or to even access to any form of medication hence poor health.
• Poverty also breeds People who have no source of income result to engaging in criminal activities to be able to get money to cater for their basic needs.
• Poverty also causes lack of education. This is because education can sometimes be very demanding financially in terms of school fees, reading and writing materials and also school uniforms.
• Infants born in poverty stricken homes have very low chances of survival. They are born with low birth weight which is often the cause for mental and physical disabilities. Reduced survival rates can also occur in teenagers and adults.
• Most of the family related conflicts are a result of poverty. Cases of domestic violence mostly occur due to poverty frustrations.
• Poverty causes stress. Poor individuals report much more stress cases than middle-class families.
• Poverty also leads to immorality. This is where people results in acts like prostitution and other illegal ways to make money in order to get money to meet their daily needs.
• Due to poverty related stress, young people and even adults have turned to drug and substance abuse in an attempt to make themselves feel better and make them forget about their frustrations.
• Poverty is the main cause of elevated levels of dependence. Poor people tend to depend on their family members or the government to get financial aid.
• Poverty also leads to hunger and malnutrition. This is due to the inability to afford good food or no food at all. This may contribute to slow development in children.
• Poverty also contributes to increased levels of corruption. This is where people result to illegal means to make money and are hence required to bribe people to avoid getting caught. Poor people in desperate need for jobs also result to bribing to get jobs.
• Poverty can also affect a country in terms of low GDP. This is because poor people have no means of becoming productive. They instead depend on others for their needs which reduces the country’s productivity.
• Poverty is the main cause for the rise of street children and street families. Since one cannot afford good housing without money, they result to staying in the streets and beg for food and money.
• Poverty has led to the development of slum housing in urban areas. These are cheap houses that people with little or no income love in. This type of housing is bad due to high chances of spread of diseases.

Conclusion

Poverty is the major cause of lack of development in any country. It is therefore the obligation of every government to try and improve the living standards and conditions of its people by providing employment opportunities and other means by which people can earn money and provide for their families.