5 Ways to Reduce Poverty in Africa
Africa is one of the continents where many people live in adverse poverty. Besides poverty, other major issues affecting Africa include unemployment, HIV/AIDS, civil wars, famine, and corruption. Many humanitarian organizations are working hard to help Africa solve its problems. Poverty levels in Africa have been accelerated by Covid-19 which left many people unemployed and business failures.
5 Ways to Reduce Poverty in African Countries
The following are the 5 ways to reduce poverty in African countries.
1. Educating Children
Education is the best weapon to reduce poverty in Africa. In many African countries, girls are not educated. Besides, many children drop out of school and go to the streets to look for jobs to support their families. Educating both boys and girls gives them an equal opportunity and opens doors for them and the community at large.
When people are educated, they gain skills and ideas on how to tackle their problems. When people have skills such as masonry, or carpentry they don’t need to rely on getting employed. They can start their own businesses and employ other people. This way, Africans can get a chance to venture into self-employment.
2. Providing Healthcare
Diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDs are some of the biggest pandemics in Africa. As such, one of the 5 ways to reduce poverty in Africa is by providing cheaper healthcare. African governments should think of providing free health coverage to all their citizens, whether rich or poor.
When people are healthy, they become productive. They are able to work and look for food for their families.
3. Food and Nutrition
Many families in Africa barely afford three meals in a day. Lowering the cost of food can help families get three meals in a day. Besides, it can also help eliminate malnutrition diseases. Many children in African countries suffer from diseases like Kwashiorkor, Anemia, and Marasmus. These diseases are caused by nutrient deficiency in the body.
To lower the cost of food, Africans should invest more in agriculture. Agriculture will create jobs for citizens and also provide enough food reserves.
Read also: 10 ways to help the poor people and needy.
4. Water and Sanitation
The other way to reduce poverty in Africa is by providing clean drinking water and sanitation. Water is life and is needed by humans, animals, and plants. When there is enough water, even food is not a problem since people can grow crops.
The emphasis should be on clean drinking water and sanitation. Once it is availed, water-borne diseases like typhoid and cholera will be a thing of the past.
5. Early Marriages and Pregnancies
Early marriages and pregnancies have become a problem in many African countries. Children and especially girls get married or give birth way before they are through with schooling. Many of them end up dropping out of school. As a result, many African countries are facing a problem with overpopulation with teen parents who cannot afford to look after their children.
One of the ways to solve this problem of early marriages is by providing premarital counseling. In addition, African governments should come up with initiatives to encourage children, especially girls to stay in school until they complete their studies.
Read also: What are the causes of poverty?
Summary: 5 Ways to Reduce Poverty in Africa
The above are some of the ways to reduce poverty in Africa. Other ways include empowering women, economic security, and children's participation in governance. Besides, providing humanitarian aid to drought and hunger-stricken countries can also help reduce poverty. Every party; the government, citizens, and humanitarian organizations have a role to play to alleviate poverty in Africa.
