A combination of causes that create child poverty demands a variety of solutions to combat it. Focused united efforts to eliminate poverty by governments, international agencies, non-governmental organizations, charities, intelligent poor parents, alert media, generous individuals, and informed social activists can have the desired results. Eradicating child poverty is not easy, but it is not impossible. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Written by: Jeffrey S. Ram, Toronto, Canada, January 5, 2021
Child poverty exists in developing as well as the developed nations. It differs only in the levels of poverty. Child poverty is of two kinds-absolute and relative. The absolute level of deprivation, or lack of materialistic conditions and services, results in absolute poverty. Relative poverty is when the children's families have a lower standard of living than most of their society members, although they do not face total deprivation.
Children of absolute poverty live in developing nations, and the children of relative poverty live in advanced countries.
According to the UNICEF:
• An estimated 385 million children live in extreme poverty
• 663 million children that is one in three children, live in poverty
Still, only a few governments consider the elimination of child poverty as a national priority.
Child Poverty-Part 1 discussed the following five causes of poverty, their effects, and solutions.
1. Parents' lack of education, unemployment, or low wage jobs.
2. Lack of quality healthcare.
3. Broken or single-parent families.
4. Family size. Lack of family planning.
5. Lack of government policies to end poverty.
Child Poverty-Causes, Effects, and Solutions-Part 2:
6. Cause: Local governments responsible for providing essential services to children and their families are not well-equipped to do the job.
Effects: Children and their families fail to receive essential services.
Solutions: Local governments should be provided with the necessary information and resources to plan, budget, deliver, and monitor services.
7. Cause: Corrupt and inefficient political leaders and government officials do not care for needy children. Ignorant voters in democratic countries elect bogus representatives based on their religion, caste, sect, region, or hatred.
Effects: The leaders and officials rob government aid, and whatever is delivered is not equal, equitable, and where needed.
Solutions: Government leaders and officials should be held accountable, and voters should vote intelligently and elect honest and capable representatives. In a multi-party democracy, the proportional representation system, instead of the first-past-the-post system, provides a voice to most society's groups and enables them to hold the government accountable.
8. Cause: Disasters like floods, crop failure, death of animals, loss of jobs, and family members' long illnesses lead to poverty.
Effects: People are forced to borrow money at usurious rates and cannot get out of indebtedness.
Solutions: The government should provide financial assistance and make banks give loans to the poor at reduced rates. The government should also give low-income people free medical and health care.
9. Cause: Character weaknesses like addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, and other harmful habits.
Effects: Addicted individuals are unable to work regularly, get into indebtedness, and also lose health.
Solutions: Government health and social service agencies should educate the addicts about the adverse effects of unhealthy habits. The government should provide the afflicted with treatment and rehabilitation.
10. Cause: Wars, civil wars, and instigated social unrest to destabilize national economies and governments for regime change create poverty.
Effects: These result in economic hardships, lawlessness, and dangers to physical security. People attempt to escape to other countries as refugees or migrants for safety.
Solutions: United Nations should make peace efforts by involving the major international powers, some of whom may be interested in aiding and encouraging the conflict and unrest to make geopolitical gains. The media should create public opinion favoring peace and against promoting wars, civil wars, and social unrest.
UNITED ACTION
A combination of causes that create child poverty demands a variety of solutions to combat it. Focused united efforts to eliminate poverty by governments, international agencies, non-governmental organizations, charities, intelligent poor parents, alert media, generous individuals, and informed social activists can have the desired results. Eradicating child poverty is not easy, but it is not impossible. Where there is a will, there is a way.
WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND PROSPEROUS 2021
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