Local poverty indices - An exploration of the survival strategies of the poor in the Makause co

CHAPTER FIVE

LOCAL POVERTY INDICES AND ASSET MAPPING

5.1 INTRODUCTION

The previous chapter examined the Makause community’s subjective definitions and the nature of poverty. As a continuation of that discussion, this chapter maps out the assets available in the community of Makause and presents the local poverty indices, which were facilitated using participatory tools that were limited to social mapping and ranking. As noted earlier, the study relies on the SLA for the realisation of development goals. The ABCD approach is embedded in the SLA and aims to shift people from being mere recipients of development to full citizenship in order to ensure sustainable development. In this context, it is recognised that people’s assets and strengths could be harnessed to sustain their livelihoods (Mathie and Cunningham, 2003).

It was in this context that participants agreed that when developing local poverty indices operational terms such as ‘improving poor’ (well off) and ‘declining poor’ were appropriate.

This was done in order to accommodate the macro and micro poverty contradictions in Makause.

The section below provides a detailed discussion on the factors that make up the local indices based on the ranking method:

i. Source of income: Employment, social grants and income earning activities or self employment using available assets at their disposal such as: wheel barrows, bicycles, construction equipment, generators, car batteries which are used to charge cell phones, clippers and so forth. Most of these assets can be leased out to generate income or could be used by the household to earn a living. People regarded as the ‘declining poor’ will not own such assets and as a result they will experience chronic food shortages

ii. Shack type: As noted previously, the majority of the people in Makause live in shacks as there are no formal houses. Interestingly, in this community, wealth (the ‘improving poor’) is associated with a properly built shack using corrugated iron, with a cement floor and its own pit latrine in the yard, whereas poverty (the ‘declining poor’) is associated with people staying in shacks built with mixed and weak building materials such as cardboard, plastic, old or burnt corrugated iron and other weak material. Most of the

‘declining poor’s’ shacks leak when it rains and they are very cold in winter. Such shacks become an easy target for rats and are usually dirty inside. Only a few people can afford to buy second hand building material (bricks, sand and timber) from local entrepreneurs.

Some members of the community cannot afford to build their own shacks and rent from neighbours.

iii. Source of energy for cooking, lighting and heating: The Makause settlement does not have electricity; as a result the ‘improving poor’ are regarded as people who own and can afford the following: a gas stove or light, paraffin stove or light, coal stove or a petrol generator for lighting. The ‘declining poor’ rely on firewood and other forms of unsafe energy. In terms of the local poverty indices cooking outside is associated with the

‘declining poor’; however, it was argued that in worst case scenarios, even cooking outside is a sign of improvement as “smoke is sign of cooking” (Participant #3). There are clear contradictions in terms of perceptions and reality.

iv. Education of children: As the figures presented in table 4 illustrate, the declining poor do not have enough money to send their children to school, thus entrenching poverty within households. They cannot afford to pay school fees, buy school uniforms and pay for transport; children consequently drop out of school. The researcher observed that children’s education is a priority in this community. As a result it is also used as criterion to identify poor households.

v. Transport: The improving poor make use of public transport, own bicycles and in some cases own a car. Although a wheelbarrow is not regarded as a form of transport per se, it is an essential asset as it can be used to push the sick to the main road to be picked up by an ambulance or leased out to earn a living.

vi. Communication/ entertainment: those who make up the improving poor own cell phones, a radio, and use their generator, batteries or solar energy to access TV including DSTV.

Participants were requested to draw local poverty indices during the FGD based on the assets at their disposal. Table 5 illustrates their analysis.

93 Table 5: Summary of local poverty indices

Activity Improving poor Declining poor

Source of income Employed, self employed using available assets, social grant

Heavy reliance on social grants with no alternative source of income Shack type/material

 Floor type

 Sanitation

Corrugated iron and hard wood

 Cement floor

 Own pit latrine

Weak and mixed building materials

 Mud floor

 None Source of energy

 Cooking

 Heating

 Lighting

 Gas, paraffin and coal

 Generator and solar panel

 Firewood and other

 Candles and homemade lamps Education-children Attending school. Can afford:

 School uniform

 School fees

 Lunch box

 Transport where necessary

Attending but likely to drop out of school as they cannot afford

school necessities such as transport, school fees and uniform

Transport Car, public transport, bicycle or a wheel barrow

Public transport and walk

Communication/

Entertainment

Cell phone, Radio, TV and DSTV Radio

Source: Field data

Dalam dokumen An exploration of the survival strategies of the poor in the Makause community in Primrose (Germiston), Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. (Halaman 101-104)