For Perfecto only G7

DEVELOPING NATION PROBLEM-SOLUTION 5

Tabitha Carter

Columbia Southern University

Cultural Geogrsphy

Unit V

For many countries across the globe, poverty and the problems associated with poverty remain the main social concern. Kenya is a semi-peripheral nation characterized by multiple ethnic groups, a stable political environment, and a developing economy. Despite positive improvements in areas of the economy and healthcare, the issue of poverty still significantly affects the country. Poverty is mainly fueled by factors such as child labor, unemployment, a poor education system, as well as the HIV/AIDs epidemic (Berrebi, 2011). According to Berrebi as of the year 2011, unemployment was affecting about 40% of the total population. This implies a significant number of citizens are living in underprivileged conditions, and cannot access basic human requirements. Poverty affects the lives of children in the nation, as children are involved in child labor in order to help support their families. Furthermore, diseases like HIV and AIDS and water borne illnesses significantly affect the nation due to lack of enough physicians and medical facilities, especially in the rural regions of the country (Berrebi, 2011).

Solution

The issue of poverty in Kenya cannot be solved by a single approach to the problem. The problem stems from multiple factors, and therefore there is a need to come up with multiple solutions, including primary education, raising awareness about and ending child labor, micro-financing, the creation of good jobs and educating women. However, in the case of a country like Kenya, one of the major steps the government needs to take in order to tackle the issue of poverty is to create transparency in government spending. According to Prinsen (2014), transparent government spending will play a critical role in reducing poverty through the elimination of corruption in government and lead to the creation of jobs, development of the education sector, and health institutions and other agencies that can play a role in reducing poverty in Kenya. According to Abshir (2016), Corruption is nothing new in Kenya, but it has reached an unparalleled level in recent years with corruption scandals dogging the current government almost since it took office in the year 2013. Abshir continues to assert that in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, Kenya was ranked 139 in the world as one of the most corrupt nations. This means that the government can significantly change the issue of poverty in Kenya by working on the issue of corruption and transparency in government spending. When the government shows accountability in spending, it will allow citizens to assess how well their government leaders are doing at leading the nation. Additionally, it will allow citizens to see where government funds are channeled, such as a reduction in poverty rather than going into the pockets of government leaders.

In conclusion, it is evident that the issue of poverty is a social issue affecting a significant number of Kenyans. Poverty is fueled by issues like child labor, corruption in government, unemployment, and diseases like HIV and AIDs. However, the problem can be handled through multiple actions by the government as well as the citizens. Most importantly, there is a need for the government to take the initiative of ending corruption within the government, which is a significant contributor to the poor economic conditions in the country. The government needs to consider creating transparency in its spending in order to reduce corruption and thus foster vibrant economic growth. This would lead to the creation of jobs, better health services, and an improved education system and other positive outcomes. Additionally, transparency will lead to economic growth through globalization since international companies will want to invest in Kenya if it has a more stable and transparent government.

References

Abshir, I. (2016). Kenya's Gold Medal for Corruption - The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/24/opinion/kenyas-gold-medal-for-corruption.html

Berrebi, D. (2011). Poverty in Kenya – Unemployment, Child Labor & HIV. Retrieved from https://www.poverties.org/blog/poverty-in-kenya

Prinsen, T. (2014). 10 Solutions to Poverty - BORGEN. Retrieved from http://www.borgenmagazine.com/10-solutions-poverty/