Eradication of Poverty and Hunger in Sierra Leone - Research Proposal Example

ERADICATION OF POVERTY AND HUNGER IN SIERRA LEONE Introduction Sierra Leone is among thepoverty burdened nations of the globe, being position 181 in 187 nations in the index of human development of the year two thousand and twelve. Years of economic turndown and eleven armed conflict years had severe impacts on the Sierra Leone’s economy, and poverty and hunger remains rampant with over sixty percent of nation’s population living under 1.25 US dollars a day, and levels of illiteracy and unemployment being extremely high among the youths. The discussion will outline local strategies that Sierra Leone can use to eradicate poverty and hunger in the country. Statement of the problem With increased poverty and hunger levels in Sierra Leone, experts believe that local strategies stand a chance in poverty eradication. Research questions What are some of poverty indicators in Sierra Leone? What are local solutions towards achieving the eradication of poverty and hunger in Sierra Leone? Research methodology The research will use secondary data like National human development report for Sierra Leone 1996and other published reports about poverty eradication. It will also employ primary data such as case studies, focused group discussion with government leaders, public and private sector companies, and the wider civil society representatives at different levels. Interview of key informants such as local people affected by poverty, policy developers, government advisory board and decision makers and well as local economists in the nation will give crucial information. Research review Poverty is rampant and deep in Sierra Leone; approximately twenty-six percent of the Sierra Leone people are poor and unable to afford daily basic diet and about seventy percent live in deep poverty. A widespread difference in geographical distribution of poverty exists, even though, over 65% of the people reside in rural regions and ¾ of them are poor. In poverty-stricken regions (where armed conflict ruined tree crops or people depend on unproductive local farming and artisan mining), over eight in every ten people are extremely poor. The profile of the nation demonstrates poverty indicators such as inadequate food, poor housing and health centers, increased illiteracy, inadequate clean water access and inadequate access to financial facilities and money, (Okai, 2003). Maternal and infant mortality and rates of fertility are high in these regions, and prevalence of contraceptives and female education is low. Household poverty is widespread on local farmers, families led by illiterate people and large families. With increased poverty and hunger levels in Sierra Leone, experts believe that local strategies stand a chance in poverty eradication. Eradication of poverty is the linchpin in millennium goals achievement in Sierra Leone, therefore; local strategies and efforts will play a crucial role in poverty eradication, (Elliott, Webber & Sierra Leone, 1993). For instance, government efforts towards poverty eradication may entail formulation and implementation of policies and strategies of development at local level to increase investment and growth in key areas like agricultural sector, crucial social services such as healthcare, industry and employment, mitigation of increased inequalities in income and data gathering for monitoring and evaluation of poverty. Civil society and local leadership engagement in poverty reduction plays a crucial function. Civil societies such as NGOs, community based groups, unions of trade, faith based groups and consumer teams perform various activities geared towards eradication of poverty at local level. They mobilize available resources through local people empowerment to articulate concerns and reinforce their organizational capability and through implications and direct their lives. Community based organizations like groups of women participate in income generating operations that lead to their economic and political empowerment and reduction of poverty. Civil societies and local leaders have been in the forefront in poverty efforts monitoring and evaluation. Efficient and transparentinternal governance and efficient administration is essentialin alleviation of poverty. Experts suggest that public policy should seek to preserve social unity and cohesion and foster social stability via human rights protection, democracy, crucial freedoms and rule of law, (Sandy, 2003). Armed conflict has adverse impacts on the economy of Sierra Leone; therefore, promoting peace through local strategies such as peace campaigns and policies will help in reviving the economy and eradicating poverty in conflict stricken areas. Sustainable rapid growth in economy is crucial because for Sierra Leone to attain crucial effect on reduction of poverty, the growth of economy must be sufficiently inclusive via a broad-spectrum citizen participation in all productive economic sectors. Effective growth – human development – must thus create employment for the population especially jobless youths and women with low rates of job participation in local areas of Sierra Leone. Inclusive growth is crucial for sustainable livelihood creation and contributes to extensive incomes for poor society members, thus reducing poverty. The nation also requires focusing on pro-poor policies of macro-economic instituting and focus on improving the agricultural investment as well as infrastructure to promote sustainable growth in economy. These strategies should focus on diversification of economy to ensure that while extractive industries opportunities are being exploited, the extensive agricultural potential, fishing and benefit of manufacturing applied in great economic growth and development of human is assisting to reduce the increased and rampant hunger and poverty situation in both short and long-term basis, (Davies 2002). The sector of agriculture is significant in handling food insecurity, eradication of poverty and growth of economy via creation of job opportunities and offer chances for individual growth of income in Sierra Leone, which has great natural endowment for productivity in agriculture. To eradicate poverty the government should focus also in enhancing and promoting efficient growth in private and public sectors such as local industries, cottage industries and utilizing the most abundant asset of the poor - labor – in local and national industrial production. Similarly, to reduce poverty the government should also enhance public and sector programs, investments, policies as well as institutions to enhance extensive and increasingly equal access to fundamental social services for all people. Such general policies should be complemented and supported by certain, well organized, targeted and cost-friendly projects geared towards protection of the increasingly vulnerable populations during the process of adjustment, (Kanu, Mammam, &University of Manchester. (2009). Empowering women and the youth socially and economically via education and financial services by promoting their involvement in-group and co-operatives savings and loans is a critical poverty reduction measure. This is because women and youth constitute over 75% of the poor population in both rural and urban areas and main economic stakeholders in their families. Therefore, offering technical, vocational and other relevant skills to help them to create marketable income generating activities is critical in poverty alleviation, (Sandy, 2003). Promoting women and youth access to social amenities and services such as improved healthcare services, access to land and equal rights in economic participation also plays a major role in hunger and poverty strike initiatives. If women and youth have freedom to crucial economic decision, access to land and other services, their economic capacity is boosted and their living standards improved. Improving infrastructure like roads and other transportation means to allow efficient and timely distribution of food and other agricultural products at local and national level is an added advantage, (Tommy, Davies, United Nations Development Programme & Sierra Leone, 1996). Land reforms are also crucial- regulations of land reforms should be made more sensible and landless people should be given some land to ensure their economic contribution to the nation and provision of basic needs. Improved housing and health facilities are also crucial because people work hard and most of their savings end up in medication and housing. Therefore, the government should ensure better and affordable houses and health facilities for rural poor and slum dwellers to cut such extra costs. In an attempt to eradicate hunger and poverty, it is crucial to address family planning and population control in modern societies, (Okai, 2003). Therefore, Sierra Leone should create awareness concerning family planning methods as form of birth control and population management for efficiency. Finally, the government should instigate measures geared towards GDP increase through diverse methods that incorporate industrial guidelines amendments. Conclusion Poverty alleviation requires an interconnected strategy, but as things stand, the most crucial strategy is establishment of massive job opportunities in private and public sectors, land reforms to empower landless population and increasing the national GDP for the benefit of the wider national population. With these three, Sierra Leone will be able to eradicate extreme poverty without external interventions. References Elliott, J. W., Webber, E. A., Sierra Leone., U.N. Project on Assistance for Development of Statistics., & Seminar on the Use of Household Survey Data. (1992). Income distribution and the poverty line in Sierra Leone.Freetown, Sierra Leone: Central Statistics Office and U.N. Project on Assistance for Development of Statistics. Kanu, A. M., Mammam, A.,& University of Manchester. (2009). Potential of small and medium enterprises in reducing poverty in Sierra Leone: An investigation of the role of management practices and institutional support. Manchester: University of Manchester. Okai, M. (2003).Rural poverty and alleviation measures in Sierra Leone.Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Sandy, D. M. (2003).Small and medium scale enterprises development: A strategy for poverty alleviation in Sierra Leone.Aachen: Shaker. Davies, V. A. B. (2002). War, poverty and growth in Africa: Lessons from Sierra Leone.Oxford: Centre for the Study of African Economies. Tommy, H. E., Davies, V. A. B., United Nations Development Programme.,& Sierra Leone. (1996). National human development report for Sierra Leone 1996: Theme: poverty eradication and sustainable human development. Freetown: UNDP. Read More