|
What the Poor Say
Freedom of Choice and Action
The rich is the one who says: "I am going to do it" and does it. The poor,
in contrast, do not fulfill their wishes or develop their capacities." A poor
woman in Brazil.
Poverty is "like living in jail, living under bondage, waiting to be
free." A young woman in Jamaica.
Wellbeing for many people means freedom of choice and action, and the power to control
one’s life. It means the power to avoid the exploitation, rudeness and otherwise
humiliating treatment so often meted out to the poor by the rich or the more powerful in
society. It also includes the ability to acquire skills, education, loans, information,
services and resources; to live in "good places"; to withstand sudden and
seasonal stresses and shocks and not slip further into poverty. Wellbeing was frequently
linked to moral responsibility, with freedom of choice and action extending to having the
means to help others in need.
Lack of freedom or powerlessness confronts poor people with agonizingly constrained
choices. They explain powerlessness as the inability to control what happens to one
because of poverty. The poor are forced to trade off one bad thing for another bad thing.
Their voices are seldom heard and sometimes silenced. Their lack of organization further
constrains their ability to challenge authority or unfair practices. To add to these
cumulative disadvantages, they frequently live in "poor areas" characterized by
remoteness and isolation. In the Kyrgyz Republic, poor people said that they were forced
to take many risks to survive, including stealing (with the risk of getting caught) or
borrowing money (with the risk of becoming indebted). "The rich do not have to take
this risk, they have money to protect themselves, and they also have power."
To be well means to see your grandchildren happy, well dressed and to know that your
children have settled down; to be able to give them food and money whenever they come to
see you, and not ask them for help and money. An old woman in Bulgaria.
It is neither leprosy nor poverty which kills the leper, but loneliness. Ghana.
It is more worthwhile to bring up our children in a proper manner than to bring all
those riches from abroad. What is the point in going abroad and sending money to build a
house if the entire family life is destroyed in the process? Kehelpannala, Sri Lanka.
Social wellbeing was defined as good relations within the family and the community. In
post-conflict and "transitional economies," the need for good social relations
across the nation was also mentioned. Being able to care for, raise, marry and settle
children was stressed over and over again. Social wellbeing included social respect and
being part of a community. The stigma of poverty was a recurring theme, and participants
frequently spoke about the shame of asking for help and accepting charity. Many spoke of
how their poverty prevented them from participating fully in society, and the humiliation
brought on by being unable to follow the traditions and customs of their culture. They
spoke about their inability to exchange gifts and presents, and how in consequence they
stay away from celebrations, weddings and festivities. Loneliness, alienation and
estrangement are a source of great distress. Middle-aged men in Bulgaria said, "When
you are poor, nobody wants to speak with you. Everyone’s sorry for you and no one
wants to drink with you. You have no self-esteem and that’s why some people start
drinking." The poor also spoke about discrimination — that is, being denied
opportunities — and humiliating treatment by officials. There was a widespread
experience of being treated badly, whether by guards at supermarkets or by uncaring
doctors, nurses, schoolteachers, and traders.
Next: Trends and traps |
|
