Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects; poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money. A person can be called poor when they earn an income that does not fully cover all their necessities. A person in poverty is someone who is merely trying to survive. People in poverty may not even have the very basic necessities in life, including food, clothing and shelter.
The cycle of poverty begins when a child is born into a poor family. These families often have limited or no resources to create opportunities to advance themselves, which leaves them stuck in the poverty trap. The fundamental difference in mindset between the rich and the poor is, the rich have understood a very simple principle: money makes money, and the money that money makes, makes money. Rich people see money as an opportunity; poor people see it as something to be earned. Poverty is about a lack of money, but also about a lack of hope. People living in poverty often feel powerless to change their situation. They can feel isolated from their community. If you want to overcome poverty, you need a combination of financial planning, a positive attitude, and a willingness to ask for help.
Poverty mentality is an attitude; it’s a way of thinking that is said to perpetuate poverty because the focus is on what one doesn’t have rather than what one does have. Thoughts and comments such as “I can’t afford this” and “I’ll never have enough money for that” may turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Poverty entails more than the lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods. Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making.
