Poverty degrades the individual - Senator

Issue No: 961; 21 July 2001

 
The effects of poverty on the individual go far beyond economic hardship, says Labour Senator Dr. Atu Bain. "Poverty is not only about material deprivation. It demoralises and degrades the individual. It creates loneliness and isolation. It can crush the human spirit, and cripple initiative. Above all, it strips the individual of dignity. The rising incidence of suicide in Fiji - an act of desperation and despair when all else fails - is a tragic testimony to this", Bain says.

She made the comments at the conclusion of the Habitat for Humanity Women's Build project at the end of June. The Habitat project tackles poverty and homelessness by building affordable houses and offering interest-free loans to those most in need. The recent project was completed by largely female volunteers from within and outside Fiji.

Bain stated: "Habitat's Women's Build Project is a unique initiative and there are a number of lessons we can all learn from it. The Project addresses the issue of poverty in our community, but at the same time, it promotes social justice, empowers women, and is building peace and reconciliation between ethnic communities torn apart by the political crisis of last year."

She said: "I need hardly remind you of the breadth and depth of poverty today in Fiji, or that poverty rates have escalated sharply since the coup of last year. Poverty stares at us every day. We see it not only in the newspapers, but in the faces of the elderly sitting on the sidewalks, the single mothers with their babies begging for help, the thousands who have lost their jobs, and the homeless children who live a precarious life on the streets."

About 50% of all households in Fiji now suffer from poverty. Poverty rates were rising in Fiji since the 1987 military coups. The figure stood at 33% during the SVT reign. The People's Coalition Government had managed to reduce the incidence of poverty significantly. But the intensity rose sharply again after banker Laisenia Qarase usurped power last year.

Bain stated: "In the absence of a democratically elected government, those who claim power through non-democratic means like the barrel of a gun are usually motivated more by self-interest than by a desire to give service to the people. In this kind of situation, the role of civil society becomes crucial. The economically vulnerable and powerless in any community will look to the NGOs, the church groups, women's groups (and even some political parties!) to champion their basic human rights: their rights to shelter, education, good health, decent wages and personal security."

 

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