CarriganandMayfield1

ElizabethCarriganandAllisonMayfield
BethanySmith
HonorsEnglishII
22March2016
APennilessContinent
Toiletsareoverflowing,roofsareleaking,andtenpeoplearesleepinginasingle
bedroomwithoutamattresswelcometoAfricanpoverty.Povertyoccurswhenfundamental
materialneedsandcomfortsarenotaccessible.MillionsoffamiliesinAfricaliveonlessthan
onedollarperdaybecausetheylackastableincomeanddonothaveadequateresourcesto
supportthemselves.TheconditionsthatimpoverishedAfricansliveinaresevere,international
assistanceislimited,andgovernmentsarecorruptandimbalancedcausinginstabilitythroughout
thecontinent.
ThestateoflivinginAfricaisgrimandcontinuestodeteriorate.Povertyisprevalent
mainlyinruralareaswitharoundthreefourthsofAfricaslowincomepopulationlivingin
pastorallocations.
PovertystrickencitizensofAfricadependonagriculturetolive.Additionally,
impoverishedresidentsofAfricadonothavetheabilitytosubstantiallyimprovetheireconomy
andhavelimitedinvolvementinthecommunity
(RuralPovertyinAfrica)
.
Thisdemonstrates
thatifproperresourceswereavailabletothoseinAfrica,

citizensmightbeabletosupportand
sustainthemselves,butresidentslackaccesstoeducation,healthcare,satisfactoryagriculture,
andevenwater.Citizenshavenocontrolovertheirownlivesbecausetheirbeingisdrivenby
povertyandtheneedforbasicessentials.Forexample,thelackofpowerthatAfricanlocals

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possessdecreasesthequalityoflivingandworsensthealreadypoorconditions(Romaine).
Programshavebeenimplemented

tohelpAfricancitizens,butoftentimestheyonlyprovide
reliefwithoutreform.
Inthepastdecade,thepresenceofforeignaidinAfricahasincreased,butthe
investmentswithinthecontinentarelimited.Inordertodecreaseandeliminatepoverty,
countriescouldcollaborateandfindwaystodecreasethepovertylevel.Forexample,theWorld
FoodBankismakinganefforttoeradicatepoverty,butnoteverycountryinvolvedis
participatingtotheirfullextent.Futuregenerationsarenotbeinggiventheopportunitytochange
theirownstateoflivingbecausetheyarestilltryingtofacethesituationplacedrightinfrontof
them.ItisgoingtotakeaglobalefforttobringAfricaoutofthedepthsofpovertythecontinent
isnotstrongenoughtodoitalone.Thisexemplifiesthatthesupportofothernationsisnot
sufficientinprovidinglonglastingresults("ProgressonPoverty").Althoughforeignaidin
Africaissteady,thereisadeficiencyofinvestmentsbeingmadewithinthecontinent.Muchof
thesavingsthatexistintheregionarenotbeinginvestedinwealthcreationlocally,(Obadina
118).ThelossofcapitalthatAfricaisexperiencingisaconsequenceofstoringthemajorityof
itssavingsoutsidethecontinent,resultinginfinancialinstability.Internationalorganizationstry
toprovideAfricawiththeresourcesnecessarytobeselfsustaining,butultimatelythecorruption
withinAfricasgovernmentsandbusinessesisdetrimentaltotheeconomicstrugglethroughout
thecontinent.
Africasfinancialstateisinsecureonaccountofitsadministrativedishonestyanditslack
offunds.Aseconomiestransitiontomodernones,ruralareasremainstagnant,withlow
incomes,lowproduction,andincreasinglyatriskpoorpeople.SmallscaleAfricanenterprises

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oftenlackaccesstomarkets,andtheisolationofruralpeoplelimitsaccesstothesocialsafetynet
andpovertyprogramsgovernmentprogramsincreasinglyfavorurbanoverruralresidents,
(Barnhill).Withasteadilyexpandingeconomicgap,progressionisirregular,causing
governmentinstability.Theextensivefinancialdivideisadefiningfactorinthecontinual
struggleagainstpovertyasgovernmentsareunabletosupportruralcommunities.Furthermore,
Africasgrowthhasbeenstuntedbypoorgovernance.Theadministrativesystemexploitsthe
vastmajorityofthepopulation,oftentoallowaffluentaristocratstolivecomfortably.This
provesthatthegovernmentsthroughoutthecontinentarecorruptandunethical,causing
economicinstability(Obadina20).Governmentaldishonestyisnottheonlycomponent
contributingtotheunsteadinessofAfricathemonetaryelementplaysalargerole.Some
campaignersareoftheopinionthatAfricasproblemsstemmainlyfromtheabsenceofmoney
toinvestinpovertyreduction,(Obadina114).ThelackofcapitalinAfricastemsfromlimited
investments,whichplaysapartineconomicunreliabilitythroughoutthecontinent.Misconduct
ingovernmentaladministrations,pairedwithregulatedfunds,resultsintheunsteadinessofthe
economythroughoutthecontinent.
PovertyinAfricahasmanifesteditselftospreadalloverthecontinent.Itswidespread
effectsreachfarbeyondAfricatoothercountriesandinternationalorganizations.Thehardships
Africafacesareextensivewithconditional,international,governmental,andfiscalcomponents
contributingtotheunbalancedstateofthecontinent.Despitemultipleeffortstoendpoverty,it
continuestobeanongoingbattlethatcannotdisappearinamatterofyears.

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WorksCited
Barnhill,JohnH.,PhD."PovertyInAfrica."SalemPressEncyclopedia(2014):TopicOverviews
612.Web.4Mar.2016.
Obadina,Tunde.PovertyandEconomicIssues.Philadelphia:MasonCrest,2014.Web.
"ProgressonPoverty,but1.2BillionStillLiveOntheExtremes."America28Oct.2013:8+.
StudentEdition.Web.3Mar.2016.
Romaine,Suzanne."OfSpeechandSpecies:SavingLanguagesisGoodfortheEnvironmentand
forTacklingPoverty."NewInternationalistJune2014:25+.StudentEdition.Web.3
Mar.2016.
"RuralPovertyinAfrica."RuralPovertyPortal.IFAD,8Mar.2016.Web.1Jan.

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Outline
I.Introduction
A.Definition/Explanation
II.ConditionsofPoverty
A.ConcentrationofPoverty
B.GeneralCircumstances
III.InternationalInvolvement
A.ForeignAid
B.Investments
IV.Economy
A.Government
B.Financial
V.Conclusion