2.8.3.2: The Legacy of
Genocide
Between April and July 1994, there was systematic campaign of
genocide, where over one million of people were killed and three million fled
into exile in neighboring countries. The capital stock and shelter were reduced
both in the household and small business sectors. Country is now facing serious
lack of infrastructure as result of destruction during the genocideand
movements into are as previously sparsely populated.
Networks of social links, in rural and urban areas, were
damaged, impending internal commerce, and more 107,000 people are awaiting
trial for cases of genocide related crimes, imposing large economic burden both
on state and on families responsible for feeding them. The war and genocide
left 85,000 child-headed households, some of children have been absorbed into
households and still facing burden of responsibility, high proportion of
households are headed by women 34% in 1996 and female widows 21% in 1996
(World Bank).
In respect to above problems, microfinance institutions have
been introduced opting in
alleviating poverty.In recognition of the role that microfinance institutions play in poverty alleviation,
several microfinance institutions have been set up.
2.8.4:Poverty in Africa
Poverty, to policy makers in Africa, has remained a sore for
many years and many specialists have devised criterion to reducing this
scourge. Poverty in Africa rose during the time of drought, famine, which led
to increase in world food prices and importation of goods leading in high
government expenditure approaches Kofi Adu-Nyako (1991; 2).
To compensate this expenditure, African governments were
channeled to donor funds for users and cash poor to create poverty (Umalele and
Kofi-Nyako 1991; 2)
However, integrating those developments failed later due to;
- Complexity of projects in times of management
- The projects basing in little knowledge of constraints on
poor households
- Governments and donors overlooked on macroeconomic
management narrow vision.
There are some regions in Africa south of Sahara that are
found especially behind other developing countries and they include; Benin,
Togo, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Ethiopia, where by an estimated life expectancy is
54 years compared to 64 in developing countries.
Compared to 172 for south Asia, primary school enrolment; for
Sub- Saharan is 56%after 74% of Asia, 81% for India and about 91% in Latin
America and East Asia (Umalele and Adu- Nyako 1991; 2)
Nyako further notes that Word Bank development report of 1990
points out that poverty in Africa countries is rural based hereby 96% in Kenya,
80% in Ghana were largely recognized 1980. The high incidence of poverty is
recognized in food crop producers and cash crop producers since most of incomes
of the poor are derived from age employment in agriculture.
2.8.5: Poverty alleviation
According to the (World Bank 1998), poverty alleviation is a
process whereby action is taken to reduce the agony that is inflicted on a
group of people by poverty. It could mean equipping the society with means of
attaining previously lacking social, economic and political essential needs for
a decent life.
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