4.1.2.2 Views on whether poverty is a threat to
Rwanda's socio-economic development by organizations
Table 4.1:
|
Organization
|
|
Frequency (%)
|
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Government
|
|
14
|
4
|
|
|
NGO
|
|
5
|
0
|
|
|
NA
|
|
9
|
0
|
|
|
Total
|
28
|
(87.5%)
|
4
|
(12.5%)
|
The study reveals that the majority of the participants (88%)
felt that poverty was a cause for concern to Rwanda?s socio-economic
development. The government position on the contribution of poverty to economic
retardation is overwhelming, with about 88% of government officials concurring
that poverty is a key threat; while about 12% objecting, most probably because
they think that other variables than poverty are more key, yet even this does
not lessen the enormity of poverty as a grave danger to economic
development.
On the other hand the NGOs? reticence on the question speaks
louder than words. One would have expected all donor organizations to
overwhelmingly vote that poverty is indeed a threat, which would have bolstered
their donating efforts; but their silence raises the suspicion that they have
more to hide than give. This point will come to a head when we come to their
responses to interview questions. Nonetheless, the 12% government officials who
indicated that poverty had no bearing on the socio-economic of Rwanda may be
understood in the context of them not entirely dismissing poverty as a variable
to reckon with but that its impact on economic development is perhaps less key
than their other perceived determinants. Otherwise all the participants who
were neither NGO nor Government officials (88%) agree that poverty is a major
threat to the economic well being of Rwanda. Based on the above findings it can
be argued that poverty is a threat to Rwanda?s socio-economic development. This
confirms findings by World Bank (1993) that as long as we have poverty in third
world countries, developmental trends will remain crippled. However, the
perceptions of poverty by different people differ with ages as the table below
illustrates.
4.1.2.3 Views on whether Poverty has functional
benefits to society
Table 4.2:
|
Organization
|
Frequency (%)
|
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Government
|
2
|
17
|
|
NGO
|
0
|
7
|
|
NA
|
0
|
4
|
|
Total
|
2 (6.15%)
|
30 (93.75%)
|
It emerged from the survey that poverty is generally perceived
in the negative sense. All government officials dismiss it with the contempt it
deserves. Below are the views that were echoed:
Poverty have never benefits the society, it destroy their
standard of living, social welfare, creates malnutrition, conflict and
disaster;
There are no benefits at all but becomes a social problem
instead. Many people become beggars, thieves, prostitutes and idleness;
Essentially it does not but to poor leadership when using for
pro-poor project to promote self interest.
This was supported by information obtained using the focused
group discussion where one respondent remarked that,
«Poverty makes us afraid of talk, taking position in a
meeting, we cannot even give our opinion, we think it will not be taken
seriously. No confidence»
Although findings pointed to the fact that poverty has some
detrimental effects, on the other angle the functionalists would view it as a
functional phenomenon in society. (O?ddInell,IDDI) NGOs are more eloquent by
their reticence; perhaps their mere presence justifies their complete negation
of poverty; logically they would not be here to support or promote poverty. The
only significant response worth some explanation is 6% of participants who
suggest that poverty is not entirely dysfunctional. It may be guessed that they
view poverty as providing an impetus for community and intergovernmental
cooperation, a reason that justifies the need for governance. Although somewhat
far-fetched, this reason is compelling in that if all people were
self-sufficient there would not be any need for government. The general feeling
however is that poverty is a menace that requires the cooperation of all
stakeholders (aid agencies included) to eradicate, but the other question that
arises is: is foreign aid itself wholly functional?
| 
