3 factors feeding the Poverty Culture in rural areas

"We are not poor, we are just going through a moment of poverty"

There is a difference between going through poverty and being poor, this difference is easily overlooked. Going through poverty is a phase that passes, however being poor can be viewed as a static state that is engraved in you and too soon it becomes a deadly culture preventing growth.

In 2019 I dedicated the year in landing my hand in rural development and growth within communities plagued by what I call the Poverty Culture. This is beyond the lack of proper sanitation and functional water systems, this culture manifests it self within communities as hopelessness and stuttering development, where the before picture taken 50 years ago looks too similar to the one taken yesterday. This culture openly reflects itself as men and women drink away their worries as a means to forget that alcohol is more abundant than employment . It is dreams shattered by the lack of resources, when even public libraries are a luxury not seen for miles.

I had to understand why and how this culture had become so prominent in rural communities. I have been told  hundreds of  reasons why the words “rural development” were becoming more a weightless term thrown around at hotels and fancy conferences but never materializing in the grassroot community. Being a young adult who grew up in the “greener” parts of South Africa I had to find out for myself, my curiosity had me trading in my urban lifestyle and fast internet (which I still deeply miss) for the fresher countryside air.

In the months living in a rural town we unsurprisingly faced many challenges. These challenges helped me spot the top 3 factors that I found nurturing this Poverty Culture, Alert: the last point is my personal worst:

1) Internal conflict

I figured before getting into the heavier points I should start on a lighter note.

Internal conflicts within any community lead to an unfavorable environment preventing any type of development.  History has proven that there is more success in unity than division. When leaders are in harmony less energy is spent in feuding and instead this energy is spent in rebuilding.

2) There are greedy, inconsiderate people who are placed as leaders within communities who deliberately prevent development for their people.

I tried coming up with a shorter heading but I couldn't find one that did this topic justice.

So, these are the people who are capable of  creating  sustainable changes within their communities but instead they take advantage of the trust given to them by the people. They have a way to manipulate the benefits meant for all to being benefits for a selected minority at the community’s expense. I don’t find this only shameful but also belittling.

  Thankfully this can be prevented through the people holding these individuals accountable by questioning any suspected foul play.

3) Key individuals project false hope to the people with knowledge that they will go back on their words of support, preventing development.


I have experienced this first hand. Entering the rural town  my team had developed a plan to create sustainable employment while implementing practical skills to the unemployed youth. I was ecstatic! The organization’s head facilitator had gotten the leaders such as mayors and high-end traditional leaders to support and buy locally made products produced by the community. These ‘leaders’ enthusiastically expressed their joy for the employment programme, and they lent their resources (which ironically we never got to use), the plan was in motion, we had the big guys giving us the thumbs up so I naively thought "what can possible go wrong?"

With the assurance given we activated the community, injected hope within it and at the last minute these structures who were supposed to help grow local talent, help diminished degrees of poverty and social ills that had swept the community backed out with no reasons given. After the hard-work, sleeplessness nights and our financial investment these leaders backed out of the agreement without a reason! And you can imagine my devastation (well everyone else’s but I was beyond horrified).

 All the planning and promises were forgotten. Confusion and frustration circulated, i couldn't digest this , they were documented pledging their unwavering support now all of a sudden they “forget?” and most shockingly they pretend to not know what was discussed? Maybe one can dumb it down to them having some selective memory degenerating disease that medical science is yet to report. Regardless the community was momentarily discouraged and our hard-work was questioned, who can blame their skepticism, we promised change and then at the last leg of the race the important promise is broken.

Obviously we bounced back and found a way around the situation, but it was NOT EASY. It took more than deep breathes, a box of pizza and tons of chocolate ( and the nearest supermarket is almost an hour away!) to calm down the frustration and most importantly the disappointment that had everyone deflated.

As I write this I feel less discouraged and more aware of rural life and challenges that are never boldly spoken about.

 I can go on but the points above are just a few that I had the pleasure to observe, and all of these issues intensify a never ending list of destructions that prevent growth within underdeveloped areas. Unfortunately the observed leaders can be viewed as catalysts in destroying their communities, in turn fueling this Poverty Culture.

These individuals are participating in  mass psychologically  genocide, they are killing the people under them in the most subtle  way possible which appears to be premeditated and not intentionally (but again it can be an undocumented disease with the symptoms being  dishonesty and selective forgetfulness just to name a few) . Their actions create a deadly butterfly effect were we see an exponential increase in: poverty, crime and the collective degeneration of the community's mental health. This is not just a development issue but a dehumanizing crisis where the human psychology of masses is toyed with for the benefit of those who claim to want to liberate them. Everytime there is a huge disappointment in a underdeveloped community that was suppose to bring life and growth hopelessness grows stronger, and what is life without hope?

It is difficult not to imagine what I have witness in this rural town within KwaZulu Natal isn’t a hologram of what is happening in other underdeveloped communities. Regardless, the power of change is in the hands of the people and we have worked tirelessly to show the people in this community that when ownership is taken then true steps leading away from poverty can begin.

Thank you to all that supported and encouraged, the road to success isn't easy but it is worth it.