A Practical Plan for Guyana’s Poverty

In addressing the issue of poverty in Guyana, there seems to be a severe lack of ideas for a practical plan of action that would address the scant conditions under which so many thousands of Guyanese live every single day or to curb the progressive state of poverty in our country.

The continued state of poverty and the repercussions of this condition, such as crime and migration, are constant reminders of how the current administration is simply biding time until the next elections with the hope of hoodwinking the people into once again believing they will better the country. It is hard to believe there is even a real understanding of the issue at hand.

Case in point, the recent Executive Summary of the 2005 Poverty Reduction Strategy Progress Report (released June) stated, “Other issues presented different challenges for the Government. First, political instability exacerbated by pockets of organized and violent crime persist and must not be allowed to derail Guyana’s development agenda.”

This statement is telling of how little policy makers understand the poor. Truly, if those charged with the task of dealing with this issue grasped the meagre and humble circumstances under which the poor live - even just a tad - then they would also understand that most political instability and organized and violent crime is a direct product of poverty and can most times be curbed by simply helping those in poverty acquire respectable means by which to make a living. Yet this type of logic seems to escape the very ones who conducted these studies to examine the state of poverty in our country.

Indeed, without a comprehensive plan that speaks to this issue, Guyana has no effective development strategy at all because singling out one portion of the population for advancement while ignoring the others is counterproductive and useless. Further, if a programme is not instituted soon that would counter the effects of poverty in our rural areas, we may soon see the same type of chaos and criminal atrocities that plague sub-Saharan Africa as a result of their own extreme poverty.

It is difficult to understand the plight of the poor when one does not live in poverty. To make such an assumption is akin to a vibrant and healthy person attempting to understand the complaints of an ailing or dying person. There is simply very little possibility of identification between such drastic worlds. However, lacking the ability to identify does not morally excuse the healthy person from helping the sick. Neither are the well off excused from helping the poor. In the case of Guyana, it is also a matter of national health and evolution.

First and foremost, the poor must be given the tools needed to better their living conditions. This statement is most certainly easier said than done considering the many obstacles that hinder even the delivery of these tools, much less the continued sustainment. However, it is because of obstacles such as fear, lack of financing and apathy that poverty has grown into such a complex and persistent challenge for our country.

For example, education is the one tool that can help any person rise from poverty and stake a claim on a life of plenty. However, in agricultural communities, education often takes a backseat to farm work or a much-needed extra income as a farm labourer. This is true for children and adults alike. The need for money is constant and supersedes all other needs, including education. When this occurs from generation to generation and from house to house, the result is a community severely lacking in the most important tool that will help to fight poverty. There is no doubt that without a solid education there is no future for Guyana’s children in today’s world.

Mandatory education through secondary schooling should, of course, be standard. Enforcement of such a requirement is often tricky, especially when the parents are often willing, or at least passive, participants to delinquency. However, if the children and the country hope for a better future, school attendance must be compulsory. Access to tutoring should also be available. This is one aspect that can be provided by the community at little or no cost for implementation. Statistics show that when parents and neighbours participate in the educational process, the success rate increases exponentially. Tutors from within the community can put a personal touch on education and provide the children with a role model and constant encouragement for academic success.

Beyond secondary schools, educational centres should be established locally for career training and/or higher education. These schools will need to be highly subsidized with monies from outside the community for the first few decades to ensure early success. Education provides the necessary knowledge, and therefore empowerment, the rural areas need to assist in growth beyond agriculture alone and into the development of their own businesses outside of farming. Once the community becomes more economically independent based on new businesses established internally, it can then begin financing the schools on its own or with far less subsidies from outside the community.

Childcare is often an issue for young mothers who attempt to gain an education, thus a reliable system should be developed to help these women break the cycle of poverty. This could entail something as simple as instituting a programme that allows mothers to swap babysitting with each other during their respective class times. If the schools provide classes at multiple times, a programme like is sure to succeed.

Childcare can also be addressed if the schools budget it into operating expenses and hire childcare help from within the community. This will also provide a steady source of income for a few families in the area and help mothers who must work all day and cannot spare the time to swap babysitting.

Education is an essential element for growth and advancement; therefore we must solve the problems that prevent the poor from getting a proper education to see a change in the country’s poverty level. This is as true in the rural areas of our country as it is in the urban areas. The revitalization of these poor communities, and the dissolution of criminal acts perpetuated by poverty, depends greatly on education.

Another way to help raise the standard of living in our poor communities is by raising the standard of the housing situation. Thousands of Guyanese live in mere shacks. Here is how the Website for Habitat for Humanity Guyana describes the housing situation in our country:

In many areas, families endure leaking roofs and woefully inadequate space, with lack of privacy and sanitary facilities such as toilets or running water only the beginning of their challenges. They live in weak structures, many on the verge of collapse, with rotten walls, rusty and curled roof sheets or parts of the roof missing, and holes in the floor covered with cardboard. If windows exist, they are often covered with cardboard, zinc or wood. Families with four to 10 members frequently live in single-room houses, with either no toilet, or a toilet and kitchen outdoors.

If only a few dozen Guyanese families lived in these conditions it would be unacceptable, but the sad truth is that this description is reality for thousands of our countrymen and women.

Providing adequate housing is a huge task to undertake, yet it is one that must be addressed. Funds for such a work are not easy to come by, yet there are ways to raise the necessary funds and see significant progress. Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit organization that helps construct houses for the poor worldwide. According to HFH, the Guyana affiliate has built 291 houses since 1995. This is the type of organization that should be at the forefront of our fight against poverty. They are always looking for volunteers to help build the next house. The more Guyanese who assist in this type of effort, the more houses that will go up and the more shacks that will fall forever.

Not everyone can spare an extra dollar to finance the construction of new homes, although there are some who can, but every single Guyanese can and should invest their time and labour to help with such a noble effort as building homes for their neighbours. This is also a great way for churches to become active members of their communities and help the poor at the same time. The obvious goal is to increase the standard of living in these poor communities and thereby increase the overall national image and well being of Guyana.

When as a country we each start taking the initiative to move beyond apathy to affect progress and reform to the stagnant cycle of poverty, we will see a true “development agenda” that will actually work for the people. Are you willing to volunteer as a tutor for a child, or to baby-sit a young mother’s child while she attends school or help build a home for your poor neighbour? Can you spare just a few hours a week for the future of your country? Do you know how vital your participation and sacrifice is to the future of your country? Yet again, Guyana expectantly awaits your reply.