Effects of Poverty in Families
Poverty is characterized as “being
extreme poor or not having sufficient amount of food, clothing and
shelter. This particular issue is, and
had been a, problem in America fluctuating with the passing years. What's more
is the effect it has on children living in homes plagued with poverty? Not only
does poverty affect the child's well- being, but it impacts their education as
well. In general, children from homes living under the poverty line have poorer
performance in school. Such performance has also been linked as far back as
cognitive and emotional development which is lower in poverty stricken children
than those children who live in homes whose income is above the poverty line.
Although data has not yet been gathered to give specific details of all the
cognitive effects, especially in older children, it is clear that the effects
are not only present but threatening to the well- being of the children
involved.
In my profession in Early Childhood
Education and working in Head Start a non-profit organization I experience
families living in or below the poverty level. Children come to school hungry,
sleepy and without appropriate clothes. We are mandated by the federal
government to assist families with getting back needs met. That is one of the
responsibilities of our Family Advocates to help parents become self-sufficient
through assistance of community resources.
I remember one family with two children
in the Head Start program and a new baby. At the beginning of the school year
the children came in with holes in their shoes, clothes were too small and both
children asked for seconds and some thirds of breakfast and lunch. The children
were teased by other children and the teachers would intervene. Their attention
spans were not very long and after getting breakfast they would fall asleep.
The Family Advocate reached out to the mother but I think her pride would not
communicate her needs; her response was “we are okay”. We would give the children feed the children
large portions at both meals and on Friday’s we would give them a snack before
going home.
This story does not end here, two months
after the children started they came in wearing new clothes, hair done and
stopped asking for seconds. This went on for about three months and then the
mother stopped being the children to school. One of her sister came to my
office to tell me she would be bringing to school because the mother was
incarnated. During the meeting the sister shared the mother was incarnated for
stealing children clothes and food for local department stores. This story is
one example what families living in poverty believe the need to provide for their
children.
Africa includes some of the poorest countries in the world. In
much of Africa south of the Sahara, harsh environmental conditions exacerbate
the conditions of poverty. Dry and barren land covers large expanses of this
region. As the poor try to eke out livings through farming and other
subsistence practices, they exhaust the land, using up the soil nutrients
needed to grow crops. Over time this has led to desertification, a process in
which once fertile land turns to desert. During the late 20th century,
desertification contributed to famines in a number of African nations,
including Somalia, Ethiopia, and Mali. Political instability and wars in many
sub-Saharan countries have also contributed to poverty. As a result of such factors, the number of people
living in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa grew from 217 million in 1987
to more than 300 million in 1998.
Despite the challenges, there are signs
of progress and more is achievable. Importantly, Africa’s development agenda is
increasingly African-led. Improved partnerships between African and donor
nations have resulted in increased aid flows being used more effectively.
Children and families in Africa face more challenges
than we do in the United States. We have organizations that provide assistance
with food, clothes and housing but in African they are just getting help from
organizations such as African Union and The New Partnership for Africa
development. NEPAD and the AU are working on reducing poverty, HIV/AIDS and
sustain long-term economic growth for families in poverty. These effecters will
help improve children’s health and educational success.
