Effects of Poverty on the Caribbean

Garfield Hodge, Dwasani Woodley, Brandon Thomas

The Division of Technical Vocational & Education & Management Studies

CBST1001: Caribbean Issues & Perspectives

Mrs. Julia Hall-Wilson

December 22, 2022

 Effects of Poverty in the Caribbean

Food, clothing, shelter and education are necessities, having inadequate access to any of these is

what society would deem as “poverty”. Poverty has prevailed in the Caribbean for many years,

and to date has little to no improvement. According to an article on https://www.undp.org/ , the

average rate of poverty in the Caribbean is 30%. Poverty can have detrimental effects on

Caribbean countries, four of these include Crime and Violence, Inadequate child care, lack of

education and depression. One way in which poverty may be alleviated is through the promotion

of sustainable economic growth. There is nothing good about poverty, but everything is great

about overcoming it.

Crime and Violence is one of the main effects of Poverty in the Caribbean. According to the

ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates “Desperate times call for desperate measures”, this quote is

perfectly suited for someone who is in a state of absolute destitution. A person who is unable to

find a job due to being uneducated stemming from being in poverty in some cases would turn to

Crime and Violence. Crime and Violence are forms of illegal acts in which may most likely be

punishable by the government. Poverty can lead to high levels of stress that in turn may lead

individuals to commit theft, robbery, or other violent acts. A country with a high poverty rate

will have a high Crime and Violence rate which will directly retard economic growth. Poverty is

sadly the leading cause of Crime and Violence, with Crime and Violence being one of poverty’s

many tragic effects.

Poverty can make it nearly impossible to raise a child due to there being a huge lack of every

basic need. This can be termed as “Inadequate child care”, where parents are unable to provide

the necessary clothing, food, shelter and education for their young one. Inadequate child care can

affect a child all the way until they are adults by either causing them to have low paying jobs due
 Effects of Poverty in the Caribbean

to lack of education or suffer from unemployment. This happens a lot in Caribbean countries

simply due to poverty, economies are impacted negatively by this.

Lack of education is another effect of Poverty in the Caribbean. According to

www.98thpercentile.com/ “Education is a process of expediting learning, acquiring knowledge,

values, and virtue. It contributes to the development of better people around the globe.” For

many students at the secondary and tertiary level, poverty can make school feel like a ‘living

hell’ due to them having to go throughout their days in beat up clothing and apparel. These

students would end up have to beg for things like books or rely on school aid programs if

available. Many students in that predicament especially here in the Caribbean do not have the

pride to go through that and would give up on education and settle for low paying jobs. Lack of

education due to poverty affects many Caribbean countries negatively.

Depression is another effect of Poverty in the Caribbean. According to www.mayoclinic.org,

depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.

Being in poverty typically results in being out casted by society, which can cause one to feel

lonely, unwanted, suicidal, worthless etc. When one is poverty the rest of the community may

turn their back on them and cause them to feel depressed, depression can lead to

unproductiveness which will lead to unemployment which will again negatively impact a

country.

Poverty alleviation is the process of attempting to improve the quality of life for those people

currently living in poverty. A strategy that can be used to accomplish this goal is the promotion

of sustainable economic growth. The promotion of sustainable economic growth is the

promotion of programs, policies or activities that seek to improve the economic well-being and
 Effects of Poverty in the Caribbean

quality of life for a community. Promotion of sustainable economic growth is an excellent way to

alleviate poverty in the Caribbean.

Having insufficient access to needs like food, clothing, housing, and education is what society

refers to as "poor." In the Caribbean, poverty has persisted for a long time with little to no

progress. Four of the negative repercussions of poverty on Caribbean nations are: crime and

violence, inadequate child care, a lack of education, and depression. The encouragement of

sustainable economic growth is one method for reducing poverty. In conclusion, being in poverty

is a dark place but where there is dark there is always light.

Reference Page
 Effects of Poverty in the Caribbean

https://www.undp.org/ From: Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean

https://project-sprout.com/does-poverty-cause-crime Written by Huong Nhi

Nguyenin Poverty Issues

www.mayoclinic.org, Written by Mayo Clinic Staff

www.98thpercentile.com/, No author