14 Feb 2019

The National Poverty Strategy Framework sets out an ambitious goal of ensuring  ‘No One is Left Behind’ in the fight against extreme poverty.

National coordinator; Poverty Eradication Programme, Mr Montshiwa Montshiwa said this when presenting the draft Botswana National Poverty Eradication Strategy and Policy during a workshop in Gaborone on February 13.

He said government intended to ensure there was inclusive growth and prosperity for all as outlined in the National Development Plan 11 and Vision 2036. He thus called on delegates who comprised district authorities to focus on coherence and coordinated approach in poverty eradication initiatives.

“There is a need for revision of poverty eradication programmes for maximum impact, need to review assessment criteria as well as revision of ‘one size fits all approach to poverty interventions,” he said. Currently, he said, there was duplication of some programmes while others were not targeting the right people. Mr Montshiwa said more concerted efforts should be directed towards intensifying monitoring and research in order to guide policies.

“We should reflect much on how often is certain research referred to in guiding policies,” he said.

He said quality research would assist government in the distributeion of resources that would alleviate poverty that emanated from lack of services.

Mr Montshiwa also appealed to stakeholders to deliberate on ways of improving stop-gap measures such as the Ipelegeng Programme and how to end child poverty which affected a significant number of children in the country.

The strategy defines extreme poverty as severe deprivation of basic human needs such as food, shelter, safe drinking water, health education, information and living below $1.90 (P19.95) a day. It underscores government’s commitment to ensuring that no one lives an undignified life of lacking the basic human needs.

The strategy further outlines programmes that will target people living under extreme poverty such as social protection for the vulnerable, improving health, nutrition and population planning as well as ending child and hereditary poverty.

A total of 116 000 people live in abject poverty. The strategy addresses the need to reduce the vulnerability of those in relative poverty by empowering the poor so they dont fall back into poverty.

The two-day national poverty eradication workshop held under the theme: Building a resilient society for poverty free Botswana is a precursor to the National Poverty Eradication Expo to be held tomorrow.

 It was a follow-up to last year’s international poverty conference with the intention of introspecting on the implementation of its resolutions. ends