MODULE NAME:

POVERTY AND
DEVELOPMENT
 Hello!

Tutor:
Mr. MEJA J. KINDIMBO.
You can find me at
mkindimbo@sjut.ac.tz

2
 1 Why Studying
About Poverty
Matters?
3
 Why it matters?

▪ Although the world has enough wealth and

resources to ensure that the entire human
race enjoys a decent standard of living. Yet,
majority of people globally live in desperate
poverty.

4
 Inspiring
Quotations
“The test of our progress
is not whether we add
more to the abundance of
those who have much; it is
whether we provide
enough for those who
have too little.” —Franklin
5
D. Roosevelt.
“Poverty is not an
accident. Like slavery
and apartheid, it is
man-made and can
be removed by the
actions of human
beings.” —Nelson
Mandela.
 Why it matters?

It degrades people's respect and

dignity and such is the condition of the
poor in today’s world.
( Prof. Peter Kopoka: 2016)

6
 Why it matters?

▪ In 2015 the global community set 2030

Agenda for Sustainable Development
and Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG) 1, which intended to ending
poverty in all its forms.
7
 Why it matters?

▪ However, while we are closely

approaching 2030, people’s lives still
continue to be battered by poverty in
multiple ways simultaneously.

8
 Why it Matters?

▪ Decades of progress in the global fight against

poverty have been undone/reversed by the
Covid-19 pandemic, causing a significant
setback. Before the pandemic, the global
poverty rate had declined from 38 percent in
1990 to 8.4 percent in 2019.
9
 Why it Matters?

▪ However, the pandemic caused the estimated

extreme poverty rate to increase to 9.3 percent
in 2020, pushing over 70 million people into
extreme poverty and bringing the global total to
over 700 million.

10
 Why it Matters?
▪ Although considerable efforts have been made by
governments and organizations before Covid era,
poverty reduction rates have slowed down in 2022
due to factors such as the ongoing war in Ukraine,
and now in Middle-East, a decline in economic
growth in China, and rising costs of essential goods
like food and energy.
11
 Why it Matters?
▪ Today, more than 680 million people live below the
extreme poverty line, defined by the World Bank as
surviving on less than $2.15 a day.

▪ The year 2022 is currently ranked as the second worst

year (after 2020) for poverty reduction in the last two
decades.
12
 Why it Matters?

▪ According to World Bank forecasts, 7% of the world's

population will still struggle with extreme poverty in
2030.

13
 Why it matters?
▪ Based on Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI),
jointly published by the Human Development Report
Office (HDRO) of the United Nations Development
Programme and the Oxford Poverty and Human
Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of
Oxford. At least 1.1 billion people out of 6.1 billion,
across 110 countries are poor (MPI, 2023).
14
 Why it matters?
▪ Principally, when looking beyond income to
people experiencing deprivations in health,
education, and living standards, 1.2 billion people in
111 LDCs were multidimensionally poor (UNDP,
2022). And although it was reduced to 1.1 billion in
2023, the war in Middle East could potentially reverse
the situation.
15
 Why it matters?

▪ MPI measures interlinked deprivations in

health, education and standard of living that
directly affect a person’s life and wellbeing
(Overall Poverty).

16
 Why it matters?
▪ Based on MPI (2023) estimated 485 million
poor people live in severe poverty across 110
countries, experiencing 50–100% of weighted
deprivations (deprivations in Health,
Education, and Standard of Living).

17
 Why it matters?
▪ The MPI measures poverty using three
dimensions: health, education, and standard of
living. These dimensions are further broken down
into ten indicators, including child mortality,
nutrition, years of schooling, school attendance,
cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity,
housing, and assets.
18
19
20
 Why it matters?
▪ Globally, there are 12 million poor people
with the highest deprivation scores (90–
100%), and 10 million of them live in Sub-
Saharan Africa (i.e. deprivations in Health,
Education, and Standard of Living).

21
 Why it matters?

▪ Half of the 1.1 billion poor people (566

million) are children under 18 years of age.

22
 Why it matters?

▪ Children and youth account for two-thirds of

the world’s poor people, while women represent
a majority of poor people in most regions
of the world.

23
 ▪ Specifically, 593 million children are
experiencing multidimensional poverty
globally.
▪ About 63% of people older than 15 who
live in extreme poverty have no schooling
or only some basic education.
24
 Why it matters?
▪ Estimated 84% of all poor people live in
rural areas. Rural areas are poorer compared
to urban areas in every world region. So,
principally poverty is a rural phenomenon.

25
 ▪ In 2022, the
extreme poverty rate in Africa those
who live below US $ 1.90 per day, stood
at around 50 percent among the
rural population, compared to 10
percent in urban areas.

26
 Why it matters?

▪ About 534 million out of 1.1 billion poor

people globally (half of all poor people) live
in Sub-Saharan Africa.

27
 Why it matters?

▪ Of the 27 countries classified as Low-Income

Economies, 23 are in Africa, which remains the
continent most affected by poverty. Extreme
poverty remains highly concentrated in Sub-
Saharan Africa and fragile and conflict-affected
economies.
28
 Why it matters?

▪ Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for over 60

percent of the global extreme poor, and over 35
percent of the population in the region lived
below the international poverty line.

29
 Why it matters?

▪ Over a third of all people experiencing

poverty live in South Asia—that’s 389
million people.

30
 Why it matters?

▪ This means, five out of six poor people live in Sub-

Saharan Africa or South Asia: 534 million (47.8
percent) in Sub-Saharan Africa and 389 million (34.9
percent) in South Asia (MPI, 2023).

31
 Why it matters?
▪ 824–991 million out of the 1.1 billion poor people
do not have adequate sanitation, housing or
cooking fuel.

▪ 600 million poor people live with a person who is

undernourished in their household.
32
 Why it matters?
▪ Along with poverty, malnutrition is also
widespread in Africa, leading to low
health conditions, and increasing the
poverty risk. For instance, almost 40
percent of the global undernourished
population lived in Africa in 2020.

33
 Why it matters?
▪ Gaps in years of schooling is a cross-
regional issue: In all regions except Europe
and Central Asia, around half of poor people
do not have a single member of their
household who has completed six years of
schooling.
34
 Why it matters?
▪ Generally, global poverty is mainly concentrated in
lower middle income countries and countries that
depend on natural resources as well as in fragile and
conflict-affected states.

35
 Why it matters?
▪ Overall, looking beyond the income measure, 1.6
billion people are considered poor across measures of
access to social services and security, with the largest
global share of poor people being in South Asia and
the highest intensity of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa

36
 Poverty Situation
in Africa
▪ In 2024, over 11 percent of the people living in
extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at
2.15 U.S. dollars a day, lived in Nigeria.

▪ Democratic Republic of the Congo accounted

for around 10 percent of the global population
in extreme poverty.
37
 Poverty Situation in
Africa

▪ Other African nations with a large poor

population were Tanzania, Mozambique, and
Madagascar.

38
 Poverty Situation in
Africa
▪ Since the continent had approximately 1.4
billion inhabitants, roughly a third of
Africa’s population was in extreme poverty
in 2024 i.e.
living below the extreme poverty line of
2.15 U.S. dollars a day.
39
 Poverty Situation in
Africa
▪ Mozambique, Malawi, Central African Republic,
and Niger had
Africa’s highest extreme poverty rates based on
the 2.15 U.S. dollars per day extreme poverty
indicator (updated from 1.90 U.S. dollars in
September 2022).

40
 Poverty Situation
in Africa
▪ In 2024, the extreme poverty rate in Africa
stood at around 45 percent among the rural
population, compared to seven percent in
urban areas. Together with poverty,
malnutrition is also widespread in Africa.
Limited access to food leads to low health
conditions, and increasing the poverty risk.
41
 Poverty Situation in
Africa
▪ At the same time, poverty can determine
inadequate nutrition. Almost 38.3 percent
of the global undernourished population
lived in Africa in 2022.

42
 Poverty Situation
in Africa

▪ In terms of deprivation level:

▪ In Sub-Saharan Africa the deprivations in living
standards together total around 50 percent
among its population.

43
 Poverty Situation in
Tanzania

▪ Following two decades of sustained economic

growth, Tanzania graduated from low-income to
lower-middle-income status in May 2020
based on income thresholds established by the
World Bank. So, the country is in a transition
(changing).
44
 Poverty Situation
in Tanzania
▪ However, as of 2022, nearly 26 million people in
Tanzania still lived in extreme poverty, with the
poverty threshold at 1.90 U.S. dollars a day.

▪ Roughly 100,000 people were pushed into

poverty compared to 2021, possibly a remaining
effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
45
 Poverty Situation
in Tanzania

▪ The headcount was, however, forecasted

to decrease in the coming years. By 2025,
25.2 million Tanzanians are projected to
live on a maximum of 1.90 U.S. dollars
per day

46
 Poverty Situation
in Tanzania

▪ And based on the national basic needs

poverty line of 49,320 Tanzanian shillings
(21.2 U.S. dollars) per adult per month
established in 2018. the poverty rate in
Tanzania declined to 25.7 percent in 2020
from 26.4 percent in 2018.
47
 Poverty Situation
in Tanzania

▪ In 2022, around four percent of the world

population in extreme poverty lived in
Tanzania, at just 1.90 U.S. dollars a day.
Thus, Tanzania ranked top among African
countries with the highest share of global
population living in extreme poverty.
48
 Poverty Situation
in Tanzania

▪ The 2020 Human Development Report ranked

Tanzania 163rd out of 189 countries,
largely due to relatively low expected years of
schooling, especially for girls.

49
 • The malnutrition is a growing concern, with high
stunting rates coexisting with increasing rates of
overweight, obesity and micronutrient deficiency
(WFP, 2021).
• The prevalence of stunting and underweight among
children under five years of age was still high at 31.8
percent in 2018.
50
 ▪ Estimated 20 percent of households
nationally were unable to afford a diet with
sufficient calories, and 59 percent could not
afford a nutritious diet (WFP, 2021).

51
 • Although Tanzania is praised for expediting Rural
Electrification, yet only 42.74% of the population have
access to electricity. But, more than 90 percent of rural
and poor households continue to rely on firewood and
charcoal.

52
 ▪ Despite improved access to piped water
supply, yet in 2018, the drinking water of
about 26 percent of households was
unimproved and unsafe. For urban areas,
the rate was 12% and for rural 34%.

53
 ▪ Access to basic and limited sanitation
improved considerably in urban areas, but
is still highly problematic in rural area, e.g.
Up to 2018, 65 percent of Tanzanian
households used unimproved sanitation
systems; in rural areas 10 percent of
households still mainly use open defecation.
54
 ▪ Overall, primary and lower secondary
education’s enrolment increased for the poor in
both urban and rural areas, but enrollments in
upper-secondary and university education
were significantly larger among the richest
urban households

55
 ▪ There has been an increase in productive
jobs in services and industry, as well
self-employment since 2012, but this
has mostly occurred in urban areas,
and among better- off groups.

56
 ▪ Overall, despite economic transformation
realized in the last two decades yet, poorer
people benefited less from such economic
growth. The beneficial effects of economic
growth were partly offset by worsening
inequality and rapid population increase in the
country.
57
 ▪ In fact economic growth was driven by
sectors where few in the general population
work, particularly the poor. The fastest growing
sectors were construction, (ICT), real estate,
nonmarket services (e.g., education, health, and
public administration), and to a lesser extent
mining, transport, and trade.
58
 ▪ Each of these sectors employs on average no
more than 3 percent of the population.
However, 60 percent of their employees tend
to be significantly more educated and better-
off. These sectors employ over 20% of
Tanzanian workers with lower secondary
education and above.
59
 1 Defining
Poverty
60
 Basic Needs
Approach

▪ Poverty is a state of being in which

individuals or communities lack the
resources or means necessary to meet
their basic needs and achieve a
minimum standard of living.

61
 Basic Needs
Approach

▪ Basically, this is materialistic approach, which

identifies a bundle of basic needs that would
essentially guarantee a person’s survival and
assess whether people have adequate access to
it. At the lowest level they consist of food,
shelter and clothing.
62
 Basic Needs
Approach
▪ This approach inspired waves of policies that
aimed to make public services more reachable
for the poor. Example, China used the approach
to assess food poverty in 2011, by setting the
minimum food intake level at 2,100kcal per
capita per day. Similar approach was adopted
by India as well.
63
 Basic Needs
Approach

▪ The capability approach focuses on what people are

able to do and become, instead of what they have, or
how they feel. In analyzing well-being, it focuses on
‘the means of living’, such as income, to the ‘actual
opportunities a person has, namely their functionings
and capabilities (Sen, 2009: 253).
64
 Basic Needs
Approach

▪ Functioning’ refer to the various things a person

succeeds in ‘doing or being’, such as participating
in the life of society, being healthy, and so forth.

65
 Basic Needs
Approach
▪ Capabilities’ refer to a person’s real or substantive
freedom to achieve such functionings; for example,
the ability to take part in the life of society, to get
education and skills, to access capital etc. The
capability approach places particular emphasis on the
capabilities a person has, irrespective of whether they
choose to exercise these or not.
66
 Basic Needs
Approach
▪ Capability Perspective: Views poverty as depriving
people of certain basic capabilities, which can vary, from
basic ones such as, being well nourished, adequately
clothed, sheltered, and avoiding preventable diseases etc.
to more complex social achievements, example actively
taking part in the community activities, in decision
making, having guaranteed with freedom, safety,
67
democracy, being respected, and human rights.
 Basic Needs
Approach
▪ Thus based on CA the effective way of alleviating
poverty is to expand poor people’s capabilities, i.e.
expanding poor people’s choices, increasing their
opportunities to live a long, healthy, creative life,
and to enjoy a decent standard of living, freedom,
dignity, self-respect and the respect of others (UNDP,
1997).
68
 “As deprivation, poverty is
Specifically a condition characterized by
Defined severe deprivation of basic
As material concept:
human needs, including
“Poverty consists of lack of
food, safe drinking water,
a core of basic sanitation facilities,
necessities as well as a list health, shelter, education
of other necessities that and information. It depends
change over time and not only on income but also
place” (George, 1988) on access to services” (UN,
1995).
69
 Specifically
Defined
Poverty As Exclusion:
“the poor shall be taken as to mean persons,
families and groups of persons whose resources
(material, cultural and social) are so limited as to
exclude them from the minimum acceptable way
of life in the Member State in which they live”
(European Community, 1985)
70
 Specifically Defined

Poverty as Human Rights Issue:

Yunus (1994) “defines Poverty as the denial of

human rights relating to the fulfillment of basic
human needs”

71
 1 Types of
Poverty
72
 Absolute Poverty

▪ Absolute poverty refers to a condition where

individuals or households lack the basic resources
necessary to meet their fundamental needs, such as
food, shelter, and clothing. Principally, is defined
by a specific poverty line, below which individuals
are considered to be living in extreme poverty.
73
 Urban Poverty

▪ Urban Poverty:
Poverty that affects individuals and households residing in
urban areas. It ischaracterized by challenges such as
inadequate housing, lack of access to basic services,
limited employment opportunities, and social exclusion. It
is often associated with rapid urbanization, informal
settlements, and insufficient infrastructure in cities.
74
 Rural Poverty

▪ Poverty that is found in rural areas, typically

associated with agricultural-based economies. It is
characterized by limited access to essential services
like healthcare, education, clean water, and electricity.
Contributing factors include landlessness, low
agricultural productivity, lack of infrastructure, and
limited non-agricultural employment opportunities.
75
 Relative Poverty

A concept that considers poverty in relation to the

overall standard of living within a particular society or
community. It compares individuals' income or
resources to the average income or a certain percentage
of the median income in that specific context. It helps to
highlight disparities in income distribution and
social inequalities.
76
 Intergenerational/
Chronic Poverty

▪ It refers to the persistence of poverty across

generations within a family or community. It
occurs when children born into impoverished
households face significant disadvantages, such
as limited access to quality education, healthcare,
and employment opportunities, hence continuing
the cycle of poverty.
77
 Feminization of
Poverty
▪ Feminization of Poverty:
Recognition of the fact that poverty disproportionately
affects women and girls. Gender inequalities,
discrimination, and societal norms may contribute to
women's lower access to education, employment
opportunities, resources, and decision-making power,
resulting in a higher prevalence of poverty among women.
78
 Extreme Poverty

▪ Is often referred to as ultra-poverty or deep poverty,

is the most severe form of poverty. It indicates
individuals or households living below the
international poverty line, typically defined as
earning less than $1.90 per day. Is characterized
by extreme deprivation and poses significant
challenges in meeting even the most basic needs.
79
 Food Insecurity
Poverty
It refers to the lack of consistent access to sufficient,
safe, and nutritious food. It involves
uncertainties about the availability and affordability
of food, leading to malnutrition and hunger. Food
insecurity is a type of poverty that affects
people in both rural and urban areas.

80
 Transient Poverty

▪ Transient or Situational poverty:

People can be in transitory or situational
poverty because of one unfortunate event e.g.
natural disasters. People can help themselves
out of this type of poverty quickly if they are
given a bit of assistance.
81
 1 Causes of
Poverty
82
 Corruption

▪ Diverted resources, mismanagement, a lack of

accountable governance and corruption have
hindered progress and widened the gap between
the privileged few and the marginalized many

83
 Colonial Legacy

▪ The Colonial powers, in their exploitation of Africa,

left behind a legacy of weak and fragmented
infrastructure, over-reliance on agriculture and
extractive economic systems, and deeply divided
societies, which have hindered post-independence
development efforts, contributing to the persistence of
poverty in many African countries
84
 Political Instability

▪ Political instability has had detrimental effects

on poverty in Africa. Frequent coups, civil wars,
and governance challenges disrupt economic
activities, erode trust in institutions, and deter
foreign investment.

85
 Poor Access to Education

▪ Limited access to quality education is a

significant barrier to poverty reduction in Africa.
High dropout rates, insufficient educational
infrastructure, and gender disparities in
education persist, limiting opportunities for skill
development and employability. Hence,
diminishing economic prospects.
86
 Poor Access to Healthcare
Services

▪ Poverty restricts access to essential healthcare

services, hence exacerbating the burden of
preventable diseases. High prevalence rates of
diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and
inadequate healthcare infrastructure contribute to
poor health outcomes, high mortality rates and
contributing to the vicious cycle of poverty.
87
 Disparity on Income
Distribution

Analysis of income distribution indicates huge

economic disparities within and among African
countries. A small elite holds a disproportionate
share of wealth, hence exacerbating poverty
among the majority.

88
 Risk and vulnerability
 Large proportion of SSA’s population live in rural
areas and are highly dependant on agriculture and in
tropical ecologies. Compared to other continents are
facing more risks and vulnerabilities that drive and
maintain poverty in SSA, e.g. harvest failure, market
failure and volatility, conflict, and health shocks.

89
 Low Capabilities
 Capability refers to a person’s freedom or ability to
choose the way (s)he wishes to live. These include
the capacity to be free from hunger, to become
educated, and to earn a decent living. Large number
of people in SSA experience multiple ‘capability
deprivations’ concurrently.

90
 Low Capabilities Ctd
 They are illiterate, have inadequate nutrition, poor
human rights, and insufficient income and
livelihood opportunities, which taken together drive
and maintain their poverty and ensure it passes across
generations.

91
 Non-developmental politics
Certain aspects of Africa’s political systems tend to
hinder transformational change and poverty reduction
efforts. These aspects include:
 (i) A weak separation of the public and private
spheres.
 Non-developmental politics C.t.d

 (ii) The private appropriation of public resources

(corruption).
 (iii) A regular use of clientelism, nepotism, and other
vertical exchange relationships to maintain power.
 (v) The zero-sum (winner-take-all) nature of
politics.
 Non-developmental politics C.t.d

 (vi) A concentration of power in an individual

(‘Presidentialism’) who stands above the law.
 (vii) An absence of issue-based politics and
political parties.
 (viii) The economies which leaves the state as the
primary source of wealth in a country.
 Non-developmental politics C.t.d
 (ix) Dominance of political elites who tend to
further their short-term interests (i.e., staying in
power and ‘milking’ the state) than fostering
national interests.
 (x) High levels of ‘informality’ - where rulers
operate under the auspices of informal norms and
practices to distribute patronage and state
resources.
 Non-developmental politics
C.t.d
 (xi) Politicians who exploit vertical ties
(ethnicity, religion, or regional origin) and
personal charisma to secure control and hold onto
their power.
 (xii) Political culture where political contests and
parties are centered on personalities not issues,
while shifting party coalitions becomes the norm.
 Non-developmental politics
C.t.d

 (xiii) Prevalence of ethnic and religious

conflicts, unscrupulous politicians, resource
constraints, and discrimination.
 Weak civil society:
Weak civil society:
 Most Africans live in rural areas and many know
little of the world outside their villages. As a result
they have become voiceless and their opinions are
rarely considered, hence cannot hold relatively
powerful central government to account.
 Weak Civil Society Ctd

 Citizens are unable to organize and fund their own

campaigns due to illiteracy, lack of modern
communications, being isolated, and without
organizational skills.
 Weak Civil Society Ctd

 Media are key to holding leaders to account,

but in SSA most media are owned by
politicians, funded by ruling parties, or
government-controlled.
 Weak Civil Society Ctd
 Across SSA, NGOs like FBO, CBO etc. that
deliver services are tolerated and even encouraged
by the state, but those advocating radical changes
to the conditions that cause poverty are considered
threat to the state and therefore restricted.
Overall Causes of Poverty

• Inequality and Income Disparities: Income

inequality, where a significant portion of wealth
and resources is concentrated in the hands of a
few.

• Discrimination and Marginalization:

Discrimination based on factors such as race,
ethnicity, gender, religion, caste, or disability
Overall Causes of Poverty

• Cultural and Social Norms: Cultural and social

norms can influence poverty. Traditional gender
roles, societal expectations, and cultural practices
may restrict opportunities for certain individuals or
groups, particularly women and marginalized
communities, limiting their access to education,
employment, and resources.
Overall Causes of Poverty

• Lack of Education and Skills: Limited access to

quality education and skill development chances
can trap individuals and communities in poverty.

• Unemployment and Underemployment: High

levels of unemployment and underemployment
contribute to poverty.
Overall Causes of Poverty

• Social Exclusion and Limited Social Capital:

Social exclusion, where certain individuals or
groups are marginalized and denied equal
participation and access to resources, can
perpetuate poverty.
• Lack of Social Safety Nets and Social
Protection: A lack of social welfare programs,
such as unemployment benefits, healthcare
coverage, and assistance for vulnerable
Overall Causes of Poverty
• Inadequate Access to Basic Services: healthcare,
clean water, sanitation, housing, and infrastructure,
can contribute to poverty.
• Political and Governance Factors: Weak
governance, corruption, and ineffective policies
can hinder poverty reduction efforts.
• Conflict and Instability: Conflict and political
instability lead to poverty by disrupting economies,
displacing populations, and eroding social systems.
Proposed Strategies for Poverty Reduction

• Pro-poor economic growth, focus on

agriculture and rural development, market
development and trade, and environmental
protection.

• Empowerment, rights and pro-poor

governance.
Proposed Strategies for Poverty Reduction

• Provision of basic social services for human

development. Health, education, transport and
communication infrastructure.

• Human security: reducing vulnerability and

managing shocks. Social security and welfare
benefits.
Proposed Strategies for Poverty Reduction

• Maintaining and enhancing gender equality.

• Consider any deliberate attempt to make people

poor as violation of human rights.
Proposed Strategies for Poverty Reduction

• Mainstreaming environmental sustainability using

sustainable livelihood approaches.

• Infrastructure development in the rural areas.

Proposed Strategies for Poverty Reduction

• Fostering good governance and combatting causes

of poverty.

• Supporting democracy and civil society

movements to give people power to hold their
government accountable for their mishaps.
Proposed Strategies for Poverty Reduction

• Engage civil society in poverty-reduction policy

debates.

• Create legal, policy and regulatory

frameworks that ensure that socially excluded
groups e.g. disabled and OAPs benefit from
public expenditure as much as other groups.
THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Any questions?

113