Poverty in Namibia

 

picture source :Https://www.facebook.com/thenamibiannewspaper/photos/speaking-on- poverty-and-inequality-geingob-says-war-against-wealth-and-income-in/2628930227136465/(The Namibian Newspaper, 17 April 2019).

Poverty is a worldwide social issue. About 9.2 % of people live in poverty across the globe World Bank (WB). Namibia is a country in the southern African continent with an estimated population of 2.6 million people. We have 14 regions and a central government. It is ranked as a developing country it is known for its richness in marine resources, mine resources as well as land resources. According to the World Bank (WB), the gross national income (GNI) is $ 10,300 per capita in Namibia. In Namibia, we import more than export. Our country’s population is composed of 11 ethnic groups and 13 indigenous spoken languages even though the formal language is English. The political arena consists of 10 active political parties of which the ruling party South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) has been in power ever since our independence (21 March 1990) from the South African regime.

Given the description of our country which includes the population size, the majority of Namibians are living in poverty. Some are in Absolute poverty, while others are in situational, rural, urban, and generational poverty respectively. Poverty is defined by Miriam Webster as” the state of being poor”. Poverty is mainly caused by the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money, it also includes social, economic, and political elements.

Poverty affects the lives of Namibians in a way that causes poor health. When people are poor, they are likely to have unhygienic housing, no access to clean water, and not enough land, livestock, or money to produce or buy nutritious food, which also causes stress. People realize their responsibilities but cannot do much about them due to a lack of money, goods, or security, and people who worry all the time may end up with even more problems such as depression, alcoholism, and mental problems.

What can be done?

Poverty in our country can be reduced by concentrating more on agriculture for food sustainability. Our government should also consider closing the huge gap between the poor and rich through equal distribution of resources. Education sectors should be looked at widely so that at the end of the day, people will be educated and will have the ability to think of innovative ways to escape poverty.