What is poverty?
Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living, that is the income level from employment is so low that basic human needs can’t be met, and typical consequences of poverty include less access to education; poor housing and living conditions; without access to clean water or sanitation; unhealthy food; alcohol and substance abuse; poor medical attention, no proper job or source of income. Also these issues often lead to rising crime rates in communities, with susceptibility to violence while living in the marginal or fragile environments of poverty.
Poverty is a difficult cycle to break and often passed from one generation to the next and its impact on children is substantial.
Furthermore, poverty is the inability of having choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity and lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society, creating unequal social status which may result in insecurity, powerlessness, inequality, and exclusion of individuals and households.
The harsh reality of the multifaceted problem called poverty is present in both the developed and developing countries.
Poverty in Mauritius
Mauritius – always quoted as Paradise and the Jewel of the Indian Ocean. The tiny island is economically developed but Poverty is a living reality, directly affecting many households, mostly the ones with children. Many suffer malnutrition, discrimination, lack of schooling, physical abuse and sexual exploitation, despite the government measures to support and eliminate all forms of violence against children, the problem is present and violations of their human rights are too frequent.
Current Poverty Situation
The Poverty situation is worsening and has doubled on the tiny island
In April 2020, the statistics by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development ‘Poverty Analysis’ report, published that there is 36,500 households that live below the relative poverty line, which is around 10.4% of the population, confirming that in Mauritius poverty affects 131,300 Mauritians. .
Undoubtedly since 1996 poverty has increased from 23,800 households to 36,500 households and from 92,700 people to 131,300 people living below the poverty line.
The figures from the Ministry point out the dreadful fact that Mauritius economic growth has failed to address the inequality of social status, dragging more individuals and households into extreme poverty.
Poverty Analysis’ report – Published April 2020 [ VIEW REPORT >>> ]
Qualified school leavers have a low recruitment opportunities, are unemployed mainly due to lack of work experience as well as unfair competition from illegal workers.
NO TO POVERTY offers skill trainings backed with possible job placement or contract apprenticeship for acquiring work experience.
The Government is doing its best to remedy the situation and alleviate Poverty but still many households with Children are struggling and living below the relative poverty line to make ends meet. There are lots to be done to break the poverty cycle so that it can be stopped and not inherited by next generations.
The people living in Poverty has more than doubled over the last year due to the deteriorating economic results of Covid-19 pandemic with many unemployed bread earners and business closure.
The devastating impacts are mostly affecting vulnerable groups, especially households with children. Many of the children who were on the verge of escaping poverty have been dragged back in, deeper than before.
Children are direct victims because their Education have been disrupted. Children from Vulnerable households are struggling and most of them will not be able to catch up for the loss. The latter will be more likely trapped into the multi-faceted cycle of poverty for years.