The struggle and Predicament of a low
income family
The word ‘helpless’ may
be familiar to you but have you ever actually ‘felt’ helpless on a daily basis?
A low income family is not stranger to that ‘feeling’ for it encounters it
almost every single hour of their existence. In my country India; almost 30
percent of the population is plagued by ‘low incomes’ and no matter how hard
they strive to make ends meet; they never meet.
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| A Family Photo Credits: lepetitNicolas |
It is easy for us to
sit and write or talk about the struggles and difficulties faced by a low
income family but going through what they go through and experiencing the same
hardships is something very few can withstand. The first and foremost need of the
human race is the need to feed; a low income family is never sure about its
next meal. Normally in such a family there is only bread earner and a dozen
hungry mouths to feed. Children of such families suffer from malnutrition. This
is of course not true for all low income families; there are some who face all
the struggles and predicaments with dignity and do not complain.
They would skip a meal and
compromise on different issues but will not fall below a certain line but at
times the lines get blurred. Have you ever wondered why in my country and
majority of South East Asian nations there is no much illiteracy, poor health
care, malnutrition, beggary and exorbitant crime rates? What do you believe
leads to all this; low levels of income that cannot ensure that needs of a
family are met eventually become the cornerstone of all these dreaded
processes. There are many who raise huge hues and cries over all these ‘evils’
but do nothing to root out the cause of all this.
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| Labour Working Hard Photo Credits: Ben Sutherland |
There is an old idiom
associated to Aesop perhaps; Heaven aids those who help themselves. To an
extent this is also applicable to some low income families; I have seen some
families who are not willing to go an extra mile to get some remedy for their
plight. They are content with living on the street or sleeping in a broken hut
and scourging through the garbage of others despite the fact that they may be
able to work day and night to improve their conditions. This however is not as
easy as it sounds; in India opportunities are limited and the one of the
world’s largest slums is in Mumbai which is ironically visible from ‘Ambani’s’ (Reliance
owners) huge multi billion Rupees house.
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| Rich and Poor Photo Credits: DanMoralesPhotography |
Lack of education was
often cited as a reason for families generating low income but this also is not
true. In India the lower middle class or low income families happen to be well
educated as well but still nothing changed for them. This led to the next
generation abandoning the values of their elders and willing to switch to
beggary or criminal activities for they have seen that education did not change
anything for them.
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| Innocent Kids Photo Credits: Stuck in Customs |
So who is at fault? Who
is to blame? The society or the Government or both; some people from low income
groups did struggle hard enough to change their conditions but received no
support from the Government or the community in general. Occasional ‘bubbles’
of charity are not enough to remedy the situation; understanding the struggles
faced by a low income family and putting forward practical solutions are
required.
I agree that there are poor people who do not try to better themselves in every country--and then there are those who do try but still can not get anywhere no matter what they try to do. There will always be the type of people who will cry and complain and then those who will just keep their mouths shut and keep trying. We have many in the USA in much the same predicament. I have no idea who is to blame--except maybe, at least in the US of the greed of the extreme wealthy-it sounds like possibly that is the same problem you have in India. What can be done to help--again I am at a loss.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very hard question. Who is to blame? Here in the US, I see some of the Low Income families and it is the parents who I blame. Some of them want to sit back an collect what they can get for free without having to work. Others, work but can't seem to make it...
ReplyDeleteI can't answer the question because I have no idea who is to blame.
I don't think parents are the particular reason... and I think government plans is the key to stop poverty, if they start passing bills in favor of every class in parliament. I know it can never vanish totally but at least they can implement some good rules to decrease the ratio of poverty.
DeleteI find it sad as to what low income families have to deal with. I wish there was more help for them. I try to help out whenever I can but I know it is not enough. I think if everyone could find it in their hurt to donate something to different charities it would be a step in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteI have struggled and been in need. Desperate need before. Scared with small children to feed wondering where and how we would eat. It is a horrible feeling. In the US we have more opportunities to fix our situations than those in India. It is a sad state. I have no solutions but can pray for them. I do believe that the government keeps it that way on purpose.
ReplyDeleteWhat is sad in America is that yes there are a lot of low income families...however our government babies them and most of them actually live better than those of us struggling to stay in the middle! I know as a middle income family I have several friends that don't work and somehow eat better and are able to do more things with their family (not free things) than I even come close to doing. Being where we are is almost harder sometimes. We make just enough so that we can't get any help, even if we were willing to accept it. There was a time a little while back that we literally couldn't afford our groceries and yet our government said we made too much. They told me that if I quit my job they could take care of me...but if not I just made too much to get help! How crazy is that?!
ReplyDeleteI am sure low-income here and there are vastly different. But I have been there. I was living on crackers with peanut butter for a while until the crackers were running out. Thankfully I had friends and family who trusted their guts and were worried about me. They started inviting me over for meals, and sending me home with food. Thankfully these days, we have money to make ends meet and more, but I still think back to those days and help out where I can.
ReplyDeleteThere is low income and then there is true poverty. I have been in the low income bracket before but never poverty. I do think that education in key, especially for women.
ReplyDeleteIve agree with Pam. I've struggled at times in my life, so I know what it feels like, but not true poverty.
ReplyDelete