Causes of Poverty in Zambia, Research Paper Example

The most prominent enemy of development in Zambia is poverty that is defined by a daily expenditure of less than one dollar per day for over 70% of the country’s population and over 65% of the expenditure going to essential food purchases. Additionally, a huge gap of living conditions is evident between the rural poor population and the urban elite.

The notable different causes of poverty in Zambia includes high levels of corruption, extensive abuse of available resources, poor government policies, the preference of dependency syndrome among the citizens, high rates of brain drain, high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, instances of nepotism and tribalism, high levels of illiteracy and a syndrome for Nigerian movies that prevent the people in engaging in productive and income generating activities. The type of leadership is also a remarkable factor in promoting poverty in Zambia. It is important to appreciate the fact that electing leaders based on their levels of education and exceptional skills plays a critical role in development of a country (Allen & Thomas, 2000), a situation that has been neglected in Zambia. It is notable that the list of causes of poverty in Zambia is endless and every item in the list bears significant implications in promoting high levels of poverty in the country.

Poverty is generally best understood from the view point of social groups rather than being a problem affecting people on individual capacity. However, the contrary is true in Zambia whose poverty situation is an issue that affects individual people. Consequently, addressing the issue of reduction of poverty in Zambia calls for implementation of strategies that specifically target the poor people in their individual capacity.

Reference

Allen, T., & Thomas, A. (2000). Poverty & development in the 1990s. UK: O U P.