Poverty in Kenya

From PRI's The Changing World 14 February, 2008 11:36:00

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Some families in Kenya live on less than a dollar a day -- a look at the hopes and prospects of Kenyans as they struggle to make ends meet.

Almost half the world's population lives on less than a dollar a day. BBC World Service correspondent Mike Wooldridge looks at what it's really like to have to live on a dollar a day and how it can mean different things in different countries. He investigates whether the global target of halving world poverty by 2015 can really be achieved.

Poverty was a key issue in the recent elections in Kenya and the unrest that followed. This documentary starts in the months before the election, in Kaimosi, Western Kenya. It is here that Mike meets Isaiah, his disabled wife and six grandchildren. They live on the little they can grow on their small plot of land and the paltry seven to ten dollars a month he makes from growing tea. By contrast, their neighbors Francis and Christine are both able to work, growing and selling maize, mending bicycles and making bricks. Between them they make about two dollars a day, and own one mosquito net. Mike Woodridge examines the hopes and prospects of Kenyans as they struggle to make ends meet.

A special collaboration between BBC World Service and PRI's "The World," "The Changing World" is a series of powerful documentaries, each of which takes a long look at a single global issue, from geo-political hegemony to world health concerns.

More "Changing World"

Comments (5 posted):

Abi on 26 February, 2009 09:51:21

i was in kenya on the summer holidays youd be suprised how bad it is over ther!

Teddy on 07 July, 2009 04:18:53

The level of poverty in most African countries, Kenya included, is on the rise for the simple reason that policy makers persistently pursue self interested and self-aggrandizing policies at the expense of the ordinary people. The irony is that it is the young people that overwhelmingly vote for this cadre of old folks who have no touch with the plight of the youth and the very old.I pray that young people, and the old who have been subjected to intentional subjection to poverty should rise up and elect young well educated and honest statesmen and women. More importantly, more young women leaders should be given a chance as more often, women are more caring than men. They are more likely to address the plight of orphans, young children, domestic violence against both genders, ensure food security, guarantee accessible health care to the population and help sell African states as a tourist destination

Hiwot Misker on 14 January, 2010 08:22:50

Indeed many countries are in poverty right know and what i believe will help is praying. Pray that, if you have a family or loved one out there, they are safe, and if you have been through it, pray for strength so that you can help. Not all of us can contribute to this, especially a girl who is 15, so we should all pray. We need to help one another

mark on 21 January, 2010 10:29:49

Nothing can be fixed/changed in long term, meaningful ways unless/until it it 1st understood...this means ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS must be utilized and permitted to go wherever the data takes it...This seldom happens because of the politics &/or cultural sensitivities of the donor &/or the recipient nations.

This situation takes many forms: Ex: the U.S.' conditional aid under Bush 43 vis-a-vis family planning rules & regulations. That's just ONE example, & not intended to imply that Bush 43 was any worse in that way than any other historical donors.

Recipient issues often fall into organizational capacity &/or corruption black holes...whatever isn't wasted that way is often caught up in the recipients own culture based idiosyncrasies.

I understand the problem far better than the potential solutions... sorry..

OUMA PETETR on 15 July, 2010 08:15:41