By Staff Reporter

Copyright guyanachronicle

I CANNOT think of a quote I despise more than “poverty is a mindset.” People often believe that poverty is a state of mind — a trance of some kind, where one can magically elevate out of. I highly disagree. Poverty is a deep-rooted, systematic, and sometimes generational social issue. Poverty, just as fame or wealth, can also be generational. Wealth is often seen as a cycle to be continued throughout families. People born into wealth are most likely to continue being wealthy, and their ancestors were possibly wealthy for a long time, with the obvious exceptions of “new money” wealth. In the same light, poverty can also be a cyclical demise for many people and, unfortunately, it leaves the “heirs” at a complete disadvantage throughout their lives. The reality for these families is hardly ever noticed or reported, but it can be quite impactful on the quality of life they live, the type of education they receive, and their overall future can be shaped into a certain way of life, as if it is destiny. It, however, is not destiny, but a systematic programming.

Poverty is often seen as a temporary challenge or setback, but this is not the case. In Guyana, the children from poverty-ridden households are forced to compromise their entire educational pursuit due to poverty. In some households, children must take turns attending school for the week simply because their parents are unable to send all the children to school simultaneously. The lack of punctuality will affect their learning abilities and the overall quality of education they receive. Without the necessary foundation for school attendance and resources, most children from low-income households often underperform at national examinations. In return, this puts them at a disadvantage when entering tertiary education or competing in a highly competitive and qualifications- or skill-required labour force. These children, who will eventually become adults, will then have to work and earn to build a life for themselves and their future families. Unfortunately, many of them face the same or similar struggles as their parents as they become adults themselves and, as such, the generational cycle continues.
I often listen to analysts and social commentators speak on “breaking the cycle” of poverty and every other social ill that Guyana is plagued with. I, however, want to highlight that it is not always up to the impoverished to do so. It is for us, as a country, to understand where and how classism exists and how we can genuinely improve the lives of those below the poverty line with effective, measurable methods such as improved social services and safety net programmes. I often use the analogy of a race frontline to describe this generational crisis. If you are to allow two persons to compete in a race and then put one approximately 20 metres behind the other, who do you think will most likely win? I will let you ponder a response to that question, and while there might be instances of someone else defying all the odds to win the “race”, let us not forget that he or she would have to work twice as hard to get to that finish line. As such, I do believe the social services and safety nets should be means-tested and not just come in the form of money, but also access and opportunities. They should be able to assist with that “gap”, so that the impoverished have the assistance they need to come further up to the starting line to compete equally.
I believe this is a leading cause for mental health decline in low-income families. The emotional burden and stress that come with a struggle to survive can significantly impact a person’s mental health. Generationally impoverished families can also face intergenerational health concerns and risks such as diabetes. Studies have shown that many low-income and/or disadvantaged families have poor overall health due to the lack of finances for quality health care and healthy food. The reality of generational poverty can be eradicated through targeted investments in the right individuals. The first step is for us to collectively acknowledge that there is a severe, systematic issue that puts people at a disadvantage with access, education, and work — even before they are born.