Living Below the Poverty Line: The African Crisis - Essay Sample

Introduction

World Bank defines an international to poverty line to those who spend less than $ 1.25 in a day, thus living at an edge of existence. Africa is the leading frontier in the world, with a high rate of poverty. Currently, 422 million people in Africa live below the global poverty line. This number represents more than70% of the poorest people in the world. Various indicators have been used by the United Nations Development Program to measure poverty both in Africa and in other parts of the world ("On the poorest continent, the plight of children is dramatic," 2020). These indicators are; life expectancy during birth, average attendance of school, expected period in attending schools as well as per capita income. In Africa, both poverty and education are closely related since the people who cannot write and read have few chances of securing skilled jobs to build their lives.

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A Discussion of Results and Conclusions of Previous Research Projects

Hyden (2007), Investigated the relationship between poverty and hunger. They argued that extreme poverty in Africa plays a significant role in contributing to desire. More than a quarter of hunger rates in the world come from the African continent. That is, a fifth of Africans is malnourished, and contributes to the highest standard in the world. Besides, more than 30% of children in Africa suffer from disorders like stunting that are caused by chronic malnutrition. The study also contributed that; Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Kenya are the leading countries in Africa, with the highest rates of mortality. Besides, there are many cases in malnutrition and complication at birth, as well as other diseases like malaria, diarrheal, and pneumonia that contributes to the early deaths of many children. Furthermore, people who are living with HIV in Africa are 25 million, which includes 2.9 million children with either single parents, or without parents ("On the poorest continent, the plight of children is dramatic," 2020)

According to the investigation that was carried out by Ojoajogwu (2014), on investigating significant causes of poverty in Nigeria, it was found that governance plays a vital role. Looking at most countries in Africa, the systems of governance lacks accountability, there is a lack of effectiveness and no rule of law. Furthermore, the governments in place are characterized by violence and political instability, quality regulatory is lacking, and there is rampant corruption (Ojoajogwu, 2014). All these have been based on data that have been drawn from various sources from individuals that have different perceptions of governance.

According to Thornton et al. (2006) in mapping the vulnerability of climate and poverty, Africa is fighting effectively in poverty reduction. However, the case is very small since, at the end of 2019, the total number of people who had moved out o poverty was 3, 000 per day. It is also argued that it is expected that the poverty reduction in Africa will increase this year by one million people. If this trend continues in 2010, the rate of poverty reduction in Africa will reduce by 45 million people, from 35% to 24% ("On the poorest continent, the plight of children is dramatic," 2020). Nevertheless, this does not mean that the continent will successfully achieve sustainable goals. An approximate of 377 million people in Africa will remain to live under $1.90 in a day, meaning that only a few Africans will have ended poverty completely ("On the poorest continent, the plight of children is dramatic," 2020)

Poverty Solving Approach

The research question of this investigation will be; which is the most effective way of eradicating poverty in Africa? Various methods have been used in Africa to reduce the rate of poverty. The costs of education in most African countries have reduced, thus contributing to poverty reduction. However, some of the countries like Mali, Malawi, Niger, as well as Nigeria do not have reliable information that indicates the actual number of people living in poverty (Hyden, 2007). That to say, governments from these nations cannot allocate the right resources for them.

In solving this issue, I am going to research the appropriate mean of poverty reduction. I will use a cross-section research design to obtain information from people living under the poverty line. The reason for using this form of design is because it enhances the collection of data from one point to represent another related area. That to say, the conducted research will represent all countries in Africa. The selection of the respondents will be done using a random sampling technique, whereby a few numbers will be selected from those living in poverty. The main aim of the investigation will be to collect views of poverty eradication from the poor and enhance their implications. Besides, I will encourage the respondents to willingly take part in responding. Therefore, I will have a brief introduction with them to inform them that the purpose of the investigation will be research-oriented and for their excellent, and not a form of victimization. I believe through the cooperation of the respondents, and the inquiry will get completed within the shortest time possible.

After acquiring information successfully, it will be edited for accuracy and completeness. Then it will be coded to enhance an analysis using a statistical tool (Statistical Packages for Social Sciences). The obtained results will be interpreted using a coefficient of determination/ goodness of fit. The coefficient of commitment will be useful in displaying the relationship between poverty in Africa, and effective ways of eradicating it. Besides, the results will help make the right recommendations concerning poverty eradication. Then they will be presented to food and security departments in the country.

References

G Hyden, G. (2007). Poverty and Hunger Special Feature: Governance and poverty reduction in Africa. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, 104(43), 16751-16756. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0700696104

Ojoajogwu, O. (2014). Beyond being the Largest Economy in Africa: An Ethical Inquiry into the Major Causes and Effects of Poverty in Nigeria. Advances In Social Sciences Research Journal, 1(8), 130-138. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.18.667

On the poorest continent, the plight of children is dramatic. SOS-US-EN. (2020). Retrieved 3 March 2020, from https://www.sos-usa.org/about-us/where-we-work/africa/poverty-in-africa#:~:text=One%20fifth%20of%20people%20living,rate%20of%20malnourished%20people%20worldwide.&text=In%20sub%2DSaharan%20Africa%2C%2059,fight%20poverty%20for%20their%20families.

Thornton, P. K., Jones, P. G., Owiyo, T., Kruska, R. L., Herrero, M. T., Kristjanson, P. M., ... & Omolo, A. (2006). Mapping climate vulnerability and poverty in Africa.