Almost a quarter of the population of Samoa is living in some form of poverty and that is what the Samoa Bureau of Statistics is saying.

We are looking at an estimated 50,000 people in Samoa who are deprived of something if the figures truly reflect the situation on the ground. The report at first glance may come across as a bit technical but at a closer look it will provide you with what Samoans think of poverty as.

Most countries of the world define poverty as a lack of money. Yet poor people themselves consider their experience of poverty much more broadly. A person who is poor can suffer from multiple disadvantages at the same time – for example they may have poor health or malnutrition, a lack of clean water or electricity, poor quality of work or little schooling. Focusing on one factor alone, such as income, is not enough to capture the true reality of poverty.

Multidimensional poverty measures can be used to create a more comprehensive picture. They reveal who is poor and how they are poor – the range of different disadvantages they experience. As well as providing a headline measure of poverty, multidimensional measures can be broken down to reveal the poverty level in different areas of a country, and among different sub-groups of people.

The concept of multidimensional poverty is no exception.  It is now generally accepted that poverty is more than just the lack of income; the Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals, for example, talks of ending ‘poverty in all its forms everywhere’.

Poverty is not just the absence of income, money and or money-like resources required to meet needs.  It is also the multiple consequences of this absence that are simultaneously experienced by people in poverty.  Some of these consequences – the non-monetary dimensions of poverty – serve to prolong poverty and can become causes of its perpetuation. 

This definition of multidimensional poverty embraces a diverse range of characteristics such as limited financial resources, material deprivation, social isolation, exclusion and powerlessness, and physical and psychological ill-being. 

These figures should be an eye-opener for the Government and the data can be used by those in power to appropriately deal with the situation. The data shows the extent to which people are deprived of health and education. The figures also show how the poorer population lives in rural areas. This population may not necessarily be deprived of money but of other services which fuel poverty in Samoa.

The $1 million District Development Project is a good way to start eradicating some of these things in our villages and homes. A smart Member of Parliament or the representative of the people will use these funds in a manner which would benefit the most affected. For example, paying for the education of all children where the combined household income is less than $30,000 and also provide these children with bus fares as well. Education is the real way to fight poverty and develop Samoa.

The handout mentality to deal with poverty has to be stopped and a greater focus should be on improving services which will eventually reduce the number of people living in poverty. There is also a burden placed on families by churches when the families are given a certain amount to raise. Churches and church leaders should not be placing big financial demands on families who are already struggling to survive life on a daily basis.

The churches themselves can help eradicate poverty by setting welfare programs from the money that is gathered from the flock to provide meals for families who are at the extreme end of poverty. There should be a rural focus as well where infrastructure development should be prioritised to ensure that Samoans in rural areas are getting similar benefits as those living in the town areas.

 But before anything can happen, leaders from the Government, community, churches and in businesses need to acknowledge the fact that 50,000 Samoans are living in poverty and then they can be helped as the data shows what is exactly lacking.

On a different note it was good to see so many Samoans making their mark on the international scene. Joanne Lee-Tau was given an award by the New South Wales government, Samoa’s one and only cardiologist Asiata Professor Satupaitea Viali will attain a fellowship in the United States and Lemi Ponifasio was appointed World Theatre Ambassador. Congratulations to all three as they have ensured that this tiny nation shines bright on the international stage.