Poverty in South Africa

Since the end of apartheid, thousands of white South Africans have been forced into poverty. They blame the government's positive discrimination policies, which favour black employees.

Twelve years ago, Afrikaners like Betsie Dreyer lived a privileged and cocooned life. Now, many are dependent on charity handouts. "We are fighting all the time to survive." The government is determined to see the workforce appropriately reflect the population. It gives black people priority in employment, sets 'black quotas' for businesses and favours companies owned by black people. But critics accuse the government of neglecting its responsibility to white citizens. As union rep Kallie Kriel states: "It's ironic that a government that fought racial laws is now doing exactly the same thing."

Upliftment for the Elderly

Meals on Wheels do an amazing job of upliftment amongst the elderly people, and although delivering meals is their concern, they took it upon themselves to recently help some of these unfortunate people by repairing their homes, painting, fixing locks etc. They gathered a team of volunteers and handymen to help, and went armed with donations to transform these homes with the basics.

The joy that this gesture brought to the elderly people was amazing. One can imagine what it meant to them, that there are people out there that care, and that they are not alone.

There are so many people who do not have the means to eat properly, or to prepare food for themselves, and one feels helpless – how does one reach these people. We always think that we have to do the whole project ourselves, but that is not the case. If each individual makes a small donation to those who are equipped to reach these unfortunate people, so many lives are changed. There is a lot one can do to prevent others suffering from hunger.

Help for the Hungry

Lack of resources causes people to eat incorrectly, and they usually tend to eat very starchy meals because they are low cost, and cause an imbalance in nutrients, which in turn causes health problems. Balance in one`s diet is so important, to enable an individual to function normally and ward off illnesses.

A well nourished person is a happy person who then has a better chance of staying healthy – physically, mentally and emotionally.

There are too many people from all walks of life who have reached the point of saturation, and have very little hope for the future. There is a great need to call for help from those who can help even in a very small way. Collectively small donations make a huge difference to others.

Recently Meals on Wheels who deliver meals to those in need, gathered a team of volunteers to help such people improve their homes as well. They arrived there with donations of paint etc. and transformed these homes with the basics. The joyful response made it a totally amazing experience

Poverty relief

Meals on Wheels are doing a fantastic job of providing meals for those who are unable to cook for themselves, and for those who simply don`t have any food to prepare and are often hungry.

It is quite incredible to see the joy and gratitude on the faces of those who receive these wonderfully nutritious meals.

Undernourished people tend to get depressed and sickly, have aches and pains and have no desire to live. This situation causes chronic illnesses and as one gets older, certainly would project the onset on dementia or one of the related memory illnesses.

Supplying these people with excellent nourishment is one way of giving them purpose in life, a feeling of well being and warmth, and a knowing that people care.

Making people happy is the best gift of all, and somehow giving creates a wheel that goes around causing so many to benefit, including the giver. One of the best ways of making oneself happy is to make someone else happy!

The joy of those who receive these meals is truly a lasting joy, it tells them that they are not alone in this world, it tells them that people care, it tells them that others are thinking of them, it tells them that their well being is important to others. That is truly a valuable gift which brings great rewards.

Effects of Malnutrition

The elderly can be affected in many ways by malnutrition, which can cause problems with the eyes, mouth, skin, muscles and memory loss. The body needs to be fuelled with the correct nutrients to enable one to function optimally.

Sadly there are many seniors who simply do not have the means to eat correctly, and it is quite an experience to see the joy that Meals on Wheels brings to so many people. It is remarkable to see them in action, delivering meals to those who are in need, those who would otherwise go hungry. Nourishment is vital to every individual, is a basic need – but too many go without and with just a small gesture on each persons part, so much can be done.

Malnutrition

Malnutrition is the difference in the amount of food and nutrients the body needs and the amount that it is ingesting.

One is undernourished when one or more vital nutrients are not present in the quantity that is needed for the body to function normally. This in most cases is due to insufficient intake.

Chronic diseases are often associated with nutrient loss, and elderly people usually require fewer calories but continue to require adequate nutritional support. Many elderly people have difficulty preparing meals or may have less access to a variety of nutritious foods, if any at all.

Meals on Wheels do an amazing job of supplying ready prepared meals to those who do not have the means to do so for themselves. They are a non-profit organisation, and accept minimal payment for meals from those who can afford it, otherwise meals are supplied free of charge.

Hunger

The meals that are delivered to those in need by Meals on Wheels tell an incredible story. It tells these unfortunate people that they are not alone in this world, it tells them that people care, it tells them that others are thinking of them, it tells them that their well being is important to others. This is truly a valuable gift which brings great rewards.

Giving a meal brings such joy to those who are in desperate need, providing warmth and nourishment to those who are often in despair and those who all too often go hungry.

Hunger causes so many implications, unnecessary diseases including chronic illness and dimmentia. Nutrition is vital in the daily lives of everyone. A well nourished individual is a happy person who then has a better chance of staying healthy, physically, mentally and emotionally.

These nutritious meals are provided at a minimal fee for those who can afford to pay, and for those who do not have the means, the meals are provided free of charge. Meals on Wheels is a non-profit organisation which has been in operation since 1939. An organisation that is successfully active for that length of time is no doubt very well managed.

SARPN Southern Africa

Who is poor in South Africa?

Living standards are closely correlated with race in South Africa. While poverty is not confined to any one racial group in South Africa, it is concentrated among blacks4, particularly Africans. According to the 1999 October Household Survey:

52% of Africans are poor5.

While Africans make up 78% of the population, they account for 95% of the poor.

17% of Coloureds are poor, in comparison with rates of less than 5% among Indians and Whites.

The neat division of the South African population into only four race groups obscures the fact that there are some small ethnic minorities (such as the San) whose live in extreme poverty. These groups are not adequately captured in household surveys.

Since a household survey collects information principally at the household level, it cannot tell us much about the inequalities in resource allocations within households. When we talk about poor women, for example, we are talking about those women who are living in poor households. In reality, there may be many women who, although they live in non-poor households, should be counted as poor because of the inequalities in intra-household allocations. What does emerge clearly from the South African household surveys, however, is that households headed by women are more likely to be poor.

A household headed by a resident male has a 28% probability of being poor, whereas a household with a de jure female head has a 48% chance of being poor and a household with a de facto female head (because the nominal male head is absent) has a 53% chance of being poor.6

There are at least four factors at play here: female-headed households are more likely to be in the rural areas where poverty is concentrated, female-headed households tend to have fewer adults of working age, female unemployment rates are higher and the wage gap between male and female earnings persists [2].

Poor households lack access to basic services, although there have been remarkable strides in the provision of clean water and adequate sanitation since 1994. According to the OHS of that year, in 1999,

75% of the non-poor had electricity, compared with 27% of the poor;

73% of the non-poor had access to adequate sanitation (flush, Chemical or VIP toilet), compared with 38% of the poor;

77% of the non-poor have piped water, compared with 47% of the poor.7

There is a very strong correlation between educational attainment and standard of living (see Figure 2). According to the 1998 IES and OHS,

58% of adults with no education are poor;

53% of adults that have less than seven years of (primary) education are poor.

34% of adults with incomplete secondary schooling are poor;

poverty rates drop significantly with the attainment of “matric” and further qualifications. 15% of those with completed high school are poor and only 5% of those with tertiary education are poor.8

Enrolment rates in South Africa are high and do not reflect gender bias: the gross primary enrolment for boys is 135% and 131% for girls [17], although this is hard to interpret because of high repeat rates. In 2000, 94% of boys and 95% of girls aged 8-16 were enrolled in school [14].

Poverty and morbidity and mortality are linked. The poor have particular difficulties in accessing health care because they do not have the most basic income for transport, food and basic clothing [15].

54 of every 1000 rural African infants dies before age 1; compared with 39 urban African infants and 11 White infants [6] (see Table 1).

Child (under 5) mortality in the poorest province, Eastern Cape, is 81 per 1000, compared with 13 in the Western Cape [6].

Health expenditure is 7% of GNP, but less than half of this is public spending [17].

Less than one-fifth of South Africans belong to medical aid schemes, yet the private health care system employs 85% of pharmacists and 60% of medical specialists [7].

There are health spending and service-level inequities between rural and urban areas. For example, in 1998 public health spending in the Grahamstown district is four times the level of the Mount Frere district [7].

TB testing is available at 88% of urban clinics, but only at 59% of rural ones [7].

Pap smears are only available at 29% of rural clinics, compared with 72% of urban clinics [7].

In 2000, 25% of women attending antenatal clinics were HIV-positive. However, in KwaZulu-Natal 36% were infected, compared with less than 10% in the Western Cape [8].

South Africa has one of the highest per capita HIV prevalence and infection rates in the world with an HIV prevalence rate for adults of about 25 per cent in 2001. The comparative figure for the whole population was about 13 per cent. The percentage of adult deaths that could be attributed to AIDS-related diseases increased from about 9 per cent in 1995/1996 to about 40 per cent by 2000/2001. HIV/AIDS is impacting negatively on human capital realisation, skills availability and skills shortages in South Africa. HIV/AIDS will also have dire consequences for household income and household expenditure patterns [16].

Children are disproportionately represented among the poor.

Almost 10 million (or 58% of) children are poor (using a relative poverty line which defines the poorest 40% of households as poor).

Three-quarters of children (more than 2 million) in the Eastern Cape are poor.

Around 30% of children in Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Free State are will not grow to their full potential (Health Systems Trust, 1998).

The number of children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa may reach 1 million children by 2004. [1]9.

The disabled population are also disproportionately poor.

The 1999 OHS suggests that while less than 2% of individuals living in households with monthly incomes above R10 000 are categorised as disabled, the disability rate was more than twice as high for individuals living in households with monthly incomes below R800 per month (in 1999 terms).

Not surprisingly, poverty and unemployment are closely linked. Table 2 shows that the unemployment rate among those from poor households is 52%, in comparison with an overall national rate of 29%. In addition, labour force participation is lower in poor than non-poor households. More than half of the working-age poor (or about 5 million adults) are outside of the labour market. As a result, the percentage of working age individuals from households below the poverty line that are actually working is significantly lower than average. Only 24% of poor adults (about 2 million people) are employed, compared with 49% (or 8 million) from non-poor households.

Figure 3 shows the differences between the sources of income for poor and non-poor households10 (where “poor” means below the higher poverty line defined above). It is clear that the poor are far more dependent on remittances and state transfers than the non-poor. What cannot immediately be seen from the graph is that poor households typically rely on multiple sources of income. This reduces risk, as the household is less vulnerable if it should experience a sudden loss of income from a particular source. Figure 3 again highlights the importance of wage income. Poor households are characterised by a lack of wage income, either as a result of unemployment or of low-paid jobs. The cost of unemployment goes further than loss of income and even feelings of personal worth. South Africa’s failure to socialise many young men, which is evident in the high rates of crime, alcohol abuse and family violence creates a vicious cycle of family breakdown [15].

End Poverty 2015 Millenium Campaign

End Poverty 2015 Millenium Campaign

The Deputy Director of the UN Millennium Campaign for Africa has urged campaigners attending a retreat in the Malawian city of Lilongwe to make 2010 a major turning point for the continent.

“In the coming year, let us reignite the wind of change that swept across Africa during the 1960s; the change that freed African people from the bondage of colonialism, apartheid and slavery,” Charles Abugre said.

“Our focus next year is to pressure our leaders to spend within country means; every time a four wheel drive is purchased in Africa, an opportunity to construct a classroom … is missed,” he added.

The retreat was attended by representatives of faith-based, civil society and local government organizations from across the 17 countries the campaigns targets.
Speaker after speaker reflected upon the status of the campaigns in their respective countries. Western, Southern and Eastern Africa reported that the launch of the Piga Debe for Women’s Rights campaign had given new thrust to the campaign.

“Piga Debe for Women’s Rights opened doors for gender-based organizations to join our campaign,” said Deo Nyanzi of the NGO Forum, Uganda.

“We would not have managed to mobilize the numbers we did for ‘Stand Up’ [the annual mobilization in support of the Millennium Development Goals held in October] had it not been for the launch of Piga Debe,” said another campaigner from Liberia.
Under guidance from Abugre, campaigners defined their strategic direction for 2010 to 2015, which includes ensuring that government policy and practice are fulfilling the spirit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), supporting increased monitoring of the MDGs at the grassroots level and building people’s movement for the MDGs.
Campaigners identified the African Union 2010 Summit, the World Cup in South Africa next year and the 50th anniversaries of African independence celebrations which will fall during the next five years as major events for the African campaign.

During her closing remarks, the communications coordinator of the UN Millennium Campaign in Africa, Sylvia Mwichuli, congratulated campaigners and issued certificates for their efforts during “Stand Up,” which set a new world record for the largest mobilization of human beings in history.