One of the lethal problems that this world is facing today is poverty. I imply it to be “lethal” because the cause of death for most children around the world is known to be poverty.

First of all, what is poverty? In a simple definition, poverty is the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions. Poverty is a frequently used word with different senses, some of which are technical. Absolute poverty refers to subsistence below the minimum and socially acceptable living conditions while relative poverty compares the lowest bracket of a population with the upper bracket. Most development practitioners focus on reducing absolute poverty because of the urgency associated with starvation, malnutrition and other afflictions.

Yet, relative poverty is not an exogenous factor in the fight against absolute poverty. Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not being able to go to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is the inability to provide medical needs of a sick person resulting to one’s death. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.

What then should be done to alleviate poverty; first, proper education. It is important that one should be taught of both the theoretical and practical faucets of life in order to combat ignorance which is the common cause of economic deprivation. Second, the equal distribution of appropriated revenues of a country among its constituents, in order to avoid class strata in a nation. Third, but not the least, commitment and honesty on the part of the officials and employees of the government so as to address the problem of graft and corruption.

After achieving these three ideal components of a good government, poverty will not even have its place in a society.

© Eleazar Belgica