The rich prosper and the poor struggle to survive. Citizens in developed nations, such as Canada, do not usually think about developing African nations and their problems. Those fortunate enough to have a steady income cannot imagine how other developing countries or other people have so little when they possess so much. Thus, the question arises, what challenges are developing African countries experiencing as they struggle to improve their standards of living? In order, to answer this question, it is essential to consider the adult literacy rates, the population infected with diseases, and the debts of developing countries.
Through education, a person gains the crucial knowledge of how to read and write. However, the average adult literacy rate in Africa’s poorest country, Sierra Leone, is an astonishing 33.3%. This means that two-thirds of adults living in Sierra Leone do not possess the ability to read or write. Furthermore, the bottom ten countries in terms of adult literacy rate are all in Africa. Clearly, a lack of education is the center of the problem. Literacy is a fundamental skill that impacts an individual’s ability to succeed in society because it allows people to control their lives. Since all everyday activities involve either reading or writing, literacy opens up opportunities in life. Therefore a literate person will have more career opportunities to contribute to a country’s economy as a result of education. Thus, it is unsurprising that the bottom ten countries ranked in the 1998 U.N. Human Development Index are all in Africa. The U.N. Human Development Index measures living standards based on life expectancy, literacy, education, and economic output per capita. Unquestionably, there is a relationship betwe...
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...education results in a low adult literacy rate. As literacy is critical for success in anything, the low adult literacy rate negatively impacts the living qualities and economy. The bad economy results in some African countries qualifying as Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC). Although some of the debts of HIPCs are relieved, governments still cannot provide essential services that are aimed at breaking the poverty cycle. Due to living in poverty, diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS are prevalent. These diseases amount to the loss of millions of lives. As the population of able body workers fall, the production of goods is decreased which negatively affects the economy. If developing countries do not receive more forms of aid from developed countries, there is no telling how long it will take for African to improve their standards of living.
Literacy, or the capability to comprehend, translate, utilize, make, process, assess, and speak information connected with fluctuating settings and displayed in differing organizations, assumes an essential part in molding a young's persons trajectory in life. The ability to read speaks to a key factor of scholarly, social, and financial success (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998). These abilities likewise speak to a fundamental segment to having a satisfying life and turning into an effective worker and overall person (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1999). Interestingly, recent studies have demonstrated that low reading skills lead to critical hindrances in monetary and social achievement. As stated by the National Center for Education Statistics, adults with lower levels of reading skills and literacy have a lower average salary. Another study evaluated that 17 to 18 percent of adults with "below average" literacy aptitudes earned less than $300 a week, though just 3 to 6 percent of adults with "proficient" reading abilities earned less than $300 a week (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998).
As the world advances through the modern age of information and connectivity, having a literate society is crucial to being able to work effectively with the outside world. Jonathan Kozol’s book, The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society, portrays the life of illiterates in the modern world and argues that society has an ethical obligation to fix the problem of illiteracy. Kozol believes that illiteracy has the greatest effect on the education of current and future generations, the way food is consumed and wasted, and various economic costs to both illiterates and those around them. Kozol’s main point throughout his book is that society as a whole needs to face the problem of illiteracy, as not one single group or person can do it on their own.
Priscilla. “The World Economy and Africa.” JSpivey – Home – Wikispaces. 2010. 29 January 2010. .
Economic ways started in the nineteenth century, still have a hold on the countries of the sub-Sahara today. These countries are all impoverished and have seen horrific civil wars, however, the general consensus is that they are making slow improvements in their economy. The starvation, overpopulation and health problems are still very evident. Perhaps continued assistance coupled with education and protection will keep them on the road to stability and more rewarding lives for their citizens.
In the prevailing and traditional definition, literacy is regarded as central to helping people obtain and retain employment, which is the key to moving them from dependency toward greater self-sufficiency. This functionalist definition, espoused by many policymakers, funders, and employers, is based on the assumption that there are jobs for the poor who are able to i...
There are many problems the continent of Africa faces, for example, underdevelopment, AIDS, and a corrupt government. However, one issue that contributes to all these factors and plauges present day Africa is Poverty. Poverty is the state of being extremely poor. One of the poorest country located in Africa is Chad. Chad’s population of 11,227,208 people and an estimated 54 percent of chad’s peoples are living under the Poverty line. Many people in chad are living without clean water, food, electricity, homes, a decent education, also, medical help. Poverty in chad is very harsh and widespread.
There are many things that cause poverty in Africa. The main reason is that the rich in Africa hog all the money and resources causing a country where there are rich people and poor people, there is ...
What is generally misunderstood about Africa is the wealth available in its boundaries, and the misconception of the middle-class in the U.S. and other countries of a similar economic bent. Though nine out of the ten poorest countries are in Africa and all but three of the top twenty, there is a nearly zero homeless rate, and everybody seems to be doing just fine. However it used to be similar in every single so...
resources, the yearly incomes of Africans are some of the lowest in the world. Nearly half of its
...astructure and sturdy economy. In many countries across Africa do get aid from other countries and have seen a slight improvement in there economies going from having fifty percent of the population in poverty to recently changing to forty seven percent (___). This show that with help Africa’s struggle against poverty will improve. Poverty in Africa also causes many other problems that are form from not having money. Poverty in needs to be one of the most important worries they have in Africa. Countries must assist Sub-Saharan Africa to help it conquer its struggle with poverty.
Lack of education and poverty often go hand in hand. Education begins at a young age and is an influential factor in determining ones financial status. Today, education remains an inaccessible right for millions of children around the world. More than seventy-two million children of primary education age are not in school and seven hundred and fifty-nine million adults are illiterate and do not have the awareness necessary to improve both their living conditions and those of their children.
Nearly 50,000 people, including 30,000 children, die each day due to poverty-related problems and preventable disease in underdeveloped Countries. That doesn’t include the other millions of people who are infected with AIDS and other incurable diseases. Especially those living in Sub-Saharan Africa (70%), or “the Third-World,” and while we fight to finish our homework, children in Africa fight to survive without food, or clean water. During the next few paragraphs I will give proof that poverty and disease are the two greatest challenges facing under developed countries.
There has been an uneven distribution of poverty incidence and poverty gap in Ghana over the past decades. A proportion of the population of Ghana enjoys fair outcome of the national development whiles others lumber in poverty. In fact, poverty level would have reduced in Ghana if there is a decreasing inequality. The disparities in the distri-bution of welfare between the rural poor and the urban population in Ghana may be attributed to several factors.
Growth in Africa is not enough for its people to grow, which is leading to poverty and hunger in Africa. Today Africa is one of the leading countries having poverty and economic problems. One half of the Africans live below the poverty line which leads to low human development in Africa. The main cause of poverty in Africa is a problem in its economic system and environmental factors. Because of poverty people of Africa remain hungry as they don’t have enough money to buy their food and their basic needs. Some of the African countries have less poverty rate than others due to good government and economic system in those countries. Most of the African is facing challenges to survive and keep their family healthy.
According to the most recent statistics in the World Education Report, a study released last year by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, almost one-quarter of the world’s population, or 905 million individuals between 15 years of age and adulthood cannot read. Women account for 65 percent of the globe’s illiterate population. That’s more than half! Many women become and are dependent because of this problem. Illiteracy rates among females in some South Asian and African countries reach 80 percent because of culture. In Nepal, 93 percent of women over 30 live without being able to read. The majority of women that have this problem are due to: