Poverty Cycle

What is the Cycle of Poverty?

The cycle of poverty has been described as a phenomenon where poor families become trapped in poverty for generations.

Because they have no or limited access to critical resources, such as:

U  education and

U  financial services,

Subsequent generations are also impoverished.

There are multiple cycles of poverty—based on, among other things,

U  economic,

U  social,

U  spiritual and

U  geographical factors

Many cycles overlap or perpetuate new cycles and therefore any attempt to depict the cycle of poverty will be far more simplistic than realistic.

The figure below shows – in very simplistic terms – how a cycle of poverty related to hunger keeps a person or household poor in one of the world’s developing countries.

8 + Goals:

In September 2000, Koffi Annan, former general secretary of the United Nations, suggested that we could do something to end world poverty. 189 countries agreed that by September 2015 we can achieve 8 goals towards ending global poverty.

One: Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty.

Two: Achieve universal primary education.

Three: Promote gender equality and empower women.

Four: Reduce child mortality.

Five: Improve maternal health.

Six: Combat diseases: HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other.

Seven: Ensure environmental sustainability.

Eight: Develop a global partnership for development.