Manifestations/Indicators Of Poverty

According to the perception of the district level stakeholders, poverty manifests itself in the form of lack of basic needs like food (inadequate food supply), clothing (wearing of tattered clothing, shabby appearance, health (malnutrition, inability to pay for health services), shelter (poor sanitary conditions) and education (high school drop out rate, inability to afford school uniforms and sandals). Table two (2) describes the indicators of poverty as seen by district level stakeholders.

Community Level Stakeholders Understanding Of Poverty

The responses of community level dialogue partners presented in table seven (7) suggest a fundamental perception of poverty among the various target groups consulted. Poverty is understood to be a situation in which individuals are unable to provide some basic needs of food, education, shelter and health. This understanding conforms to the district level stakeholders understanding of poverty.

Food insecurity is also an important parameter for describing poverty. This pattern suggests the importance of gearing interventions at improving access to basic needs and enhancing food security. Improving access, means in this context more of economic than physical access. For example, it is the "inability to pay for services" which appears to be the issue as in "inability to pay school fees", "inability to pay medical bills" etc. not infrastructure or physical access per se.