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Rural poverty in Grenada
Some of the stressors that impact the development of children in Grenada are as a result of poverty caused by hurricanes and poor in-balances.
According to the IFAD, (2007), Grenada has one of the highest unemployment rates in the Caribbean (about 15 per cent). Unemployment is particularly high among young people and people living in rural areas. The causes of poverty in Grenada are complex. They are related to historical and economic factors, including the vulnerability of the economy because of the country's small size and its exposure to natural disaster. The destructive tropical storms and hurricanes that roar through the islands are a factor in keeping poor people from overcoming poverty. Although the country is small, Grenada shows a wide disparity of living standards, and areas of extreme poverty. About 32 per cent of all people are poor, and almost 13 per cent are extremely poor. Poverty is a predominantly rural problem, driving many young people from family-run farms to look for work in urban areas or abroad.
Rural poverty in Grenada (2007). Retrieved January 28, 2011 from http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/web/guest/country/home/tags/grenada
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The effects of poverty on children’s development
COGNITIVE
· Short attention span in school because the mind is always thinking about food
· Low motivation to learn
· Learning disabilities
· Illiteracy
· Lack of support for the child
Impact of Poverty on Physical Health of Children in general
According to David Wood (2003), numerous studies have demonstrated that poverty is associated with higher rates of poor health and chronic health conditions in children. National surveys find that compared with parents who are not poor, parents who are poor more often rate their children’s health as "fair" or "poor" and are less likely to rate their children’s health as "excellent."Children who are poor have higher rates of hospital admissions, disability days, and death rates. They have inadequate access to preventive, curative, and emergency care and are affected more frequently by poor nutrition, single-parent families, dysfunctional families, and poor housing.
Wood, D., (2003, September 3). Impact of poverty on physical health of children. Journal, 112(6), 707-711. Retrieved February 4, 2011 from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/112/3/S1/70
Poverty and psychosocial outcomes
- Children living in poverty are at greater risk of behavioral and emotional problems.
- Some behavioral problems may include impulsiveness, difficulty getting along with peers, aggression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder.
- Some emotional problems may include feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
- Poverty and economic hardship is particularly difficult for parents who may experience chronic stress, depression, marital distress and exhibit harsher parenting behaviors. These are all linked to poor social and emotional outcomes for children
What is being done to minimize the harm?
Grenada’s Prime Minister Tillman Thomas (2009), has pledged to decentralize services and forge ahead with poverty alleviation efforts, following the release of a report on the poor in the island.
Poverty reports a ‘wake up call’ for Grenada. Retrieved February 4, 2011 from http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/17150.html
Nazim Burke, Finance Minister (2009), has expressed the determination of the current government of Prime Minister Tillman Thomas to address poverty and other social problems confronting the nation. A number of projects are being put in place to help reduce poverty. This is with the help of the following organizations: European Commission (EC);Major development projects, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, Bilateral (AIDA), Multilaterals (AIDA), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and OPEC Fund For International Development (OFID),
References
Poverty reports a ‘wake up call’ for Grenada. Retrieved February 4,, 2011 from http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/17150.html
Grenada poverty reduction projects and programs. Retrieved February 4, 2011
Theresa, as a Caribbean person, I am familiar with Shadow’s calypso “Poverty is Hell” and indeed it is. Many of us can identify someone who would have experienced some really hard times. My father would have shared his experience with poverty but the thing about it is that he worked hard and sacrificed long and hard to ensure that his family does not experience what he experienced. I firmly believe that families need to understand that with education and hard work they can improve the life chances of generations to come. The Prime Minister of Grenada and by extension the government would have instituted measures to bring relief to families with a view of improving their chances in life. The problem with that however, is that some persons become so dependent on the hand outs of government that they do not move much further along life. Some are just unable to get a grip of things, it’s quite unfortunate. That’s why the scripture says “the poor we always have with us”.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the story of Grenada--what strikes me about the issue of poverty in many countries is the fact that young children must leave childhood to go out and fend for themselves and their family. The children are forced to become breadwinners in order to survive.
ReplyDeleteTheresa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this heart breaking story, however, I think that everyone here in America should have read your post so that everyone would appreciate just what we have here in the USA. However, it may not be perfect but we are truly blessed. Here in USA our children have the opportunity that the children in Grenda dont, whic is so very sad. Great post!
Theresa thank you for sharing this information. Poverty strikes a lot of families around the world. It is upsetting to see that children do not always get a chance to be kids, instead they have to work to help provide for their families especially if they are the oldest sibling. It is upsetting that people will have multiple children after struggling to take care of the first ones. I noticed in your post that some of the families receive money in return for services they provide as a benefit to their community. That is similar to the government assistance families receive here in the states. The amount they receive is probably higher here and there are more benefits to be received. I agree with Betty regardless of the way things look here in the states, children do have more opportunities than children of other countries. It is important for children to know and to be thankful for what they have because they may never know what another child from another country is experiencing. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteTheresa,
ReplyDeleteAs an island native I feel the pain of natural disasters and their effects on the economy. Every few years rain has to come and do the harm. As lots of people live doing agrecultural activites for living it really hurts the economy. This is never the ending cycle. Thank you for sharing.