Are We I-Kiribati People living in Poverty???
Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.
Are we living in poverty????
iango nako a butimwaeaki. Kam raba.
Are we living in poverty????
iango nako a butimwaeaki. Kam raba.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by T Tauman on -
Mauri to you all,
Heaps of thanks to Walter U for an interesting question he raised for open discussion.
It is hard to answer the question straight away as the word POVERTY has no generally or officially accepted meaning. It has a broad meaning which touches every single areas of our lives. I think the word "POVERTY" can have different meaning to diffirent people at different places.
To be honest, I have been thought that Kiribati is not considered as one of those poverty countries. Although, we didn't have much but we are still happy people. We have our own healthy food and drink, our local comfortable houses, and our local doctors which they treat us with local medicine. I believe that nowadays, we I-Kiribati people have hardships in our lives as we become more rely on foreign resources.
We need clarification on this question, so is there anyone out there that have any ideas?
Thank you
Tibwere Dawhoman
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Permalink Reply by Walter. U on -
I rangi ni karabako Tibwere Tauman n aron am kaeka iaon aei..Ngkana ko tara te question anne I raised anne ao I taku bwa eaki raoi kairoroira bwa tina mention bwa Tei I-Kiribati e live in poverty ke e kanga, ma e rangi kainanoa bwa tiina related poverty ma aron maiura ngaira I-Kiribati. Bon titiraki aika kainanoan kaekaia bwa ai bon kaekan naba titiraki aika wai mai irouia raora n reirei aika iabatera. Tao ti ngaia anne ao au kantaninga bwa ena matata aron tein au titiraki anne ao ai bon te kabara bure n aron tabekana. Eng ni bon etina ao anne naba aron Tabekana nakoiu ngaia i kaokia nakon te side aio bwa nna kakaea iai buokau. E raba riki ao are ieta te kaeka ao tekeraoi te waaki.
RD
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Permalink Reply by Amota A Merang on -
mauri d koraki...i interested te maroroo bwa kaanga e mwaiti nba d titiraki iaon d issue anne n ara tabo aei..
ngai irou e eeti ae e rang generall te taeka ae poverty...ma n aron ae iataia...poverty e konaa n dividinaki into 3 groups ao ngkanne tina konaa n ataia bwa iai irekereken abara ma poverty ke akea. Iai extreme poverty which means, individuals earn less than a dollar per day for survival. Moderate poverty refers to those who earn more than a dollar and relative poverty are iaon riki moderate poverty. Te titiraki gkanne e kangai: Iai i kiribati ae ana average income e less than a dollar each day?....kana akea ao i taku bwa extreme poverty ngkanne akea irekerekena ma maiuira gaira i kiribati. However, there must be relative and moderate poverty ma aikai a due ma te economy as a whole. On a macro level, poverty caused by lower productivity. Productivity e low kana e te country has no adaptations to advanced tchonologies and poor education standard. E tara n nakoraoi d level of education i kiribati ma e rang poor d adoption of latest technologies. man aei ao tikonaa n ataia bwa iai poverty iai i kiribati ma tiaki poverty are ai te baki bwa akea te amwarake ke tera....kanga tii te kamatata ao e rabwa riki d titiraki.
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Permalink Reply by PATRICK on -
When I first set foot on Kiritimati Island my impression was that this is a third world country, and the people are living in poverty. But it was immediately obvious that it is a different kind of poverty than that which I'd seen elsewhere.
In Kiribati, to an outsider, the most striking thing (apart from the natural beauty of the people - and it really is true that Kiribati people have a rare and natural beauty) is that generally speaking most people are happy. You do not see this happiness in other forms of poverty.
However, it is true (at least on Kiritimati) that sanitation really needs to be greatly improved. Every village, school and clinic should have male and female toilet and shower facilities that are regularly maintained by government employees, and there should be a WASTE MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE that uses a modern landfill and recycling facility based on Kiritimati (where there is a lot of room - vast miles of empty open space) including a regular milk run around all the other islands to pick up waste and valuable recyclables to be processed on Kiritimati.
There has been a lot of work done by the lands department to provide safe drinking water and I applaud them for that and the other great work those guys have been doing.
The Kiribati people are living in poverty, but it's a kind of poverty that does not involve hunger, or hopelessness, and it is a way of life that has many enviable facets - family closeness for one thing. Nature provides many free gifts for the Kiribati people, fish and fruit, vegetables and water, sunshine and happiness.
So what is the nature of this poverty? Mainly it is the added risk to very young and old people caused firstly by the lack of modern sanitation, and waste management, and secondly by the scarcity of modern well stocked and staffed medical facilities including surgical rooms. A sign of this poverty is the reliance on free help from abroad, in the form of rice donations, vehicle and equipment donations, and medical staff visits from other countries to tackle routine cataract operations and dental treatment.
How can you improve the situation? You must protect your fish stocks against foreign fishermen, and your Government must be especially vigilant when signing agreements with foreign countries on fishing rights, because the ecology of the sea is very fragile and not well understood. Foreign authorities will see Kiribati fish stocks as an easy target which can be bought cheaply.
You must improve the sanitary and waste management situation on the outer islands, this will protect young I-Kiribati against diseases that are life threatening.
You must develop and train young I-Kiribati to become doctors and nurses, and fund the medical revolution you need to keep the population healthy.
You should look at developing sustainable international business that will bring money into the country. Millions of tons of shipping regularly passes your islands and that is money passing by your door. Why not develop a large container port
in the middle of the ocean on Kiritimati? you are on neutral ground and could broker containers onward. In time you could develop offshore banking facilities and countless other financial facilities to offer the International Market.
You live in a very beautiful nation, you have the bounty of nature, you are a naturally beautiful and happy people, and you must develop that so it is sustainable and self sufficient.
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Permalink Reply by im_on_da_move on -
Mauri to you all
please allow me to share some of my taught. well in Kiribati there is no poverty and we do not also accept the word poverty. we prefer Hardship instead of poverty. actually there is no poverty in Kiribati but it just only lack in opportunity.
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Permalink Reply by TERO RIMON on -
I am 110% agree with you Patrick in every points you emphasize here. Yes we I-Kiribati citizens, we will never let other countries take advantage of buying our fish cheaply, but on the other hand, we I-Kiribati people should also start a conservation project for our sea resources, so that we don't over havesting from our ocean to a point of extiction. Yes, we I-Kiribati People, it is very hard to find poverty in hunger, hopeless, or homeless because, we take care of eachother regardless. I so agree that morden sanitation is such an issue that we I-Kiribati People now need to know how to handle it, as I believe that if we have proper public toilets for ladies and men, and well waste management system, there will be at least some controlling of the spreading or geting of the diseases. Thanks Patrick for such a great and valuable point you share. I hope that is what I-Kiribati leaders are looking into now...
-TERO-
Patrick Purdue said:When I first set foot on Kiritimati Island my impression was that this is a third world country, and the people are living in poverty. But it was immediately obvious that it is a different kind of poverty than that which I'd seen elsewhere.
In Kiribati, to an outsider, the most striking thing (apart from the natural beauty of the people - and it really is true that Kiribati people have a rare and natural beauty) is that generally speaking most people are happy. You do not see this happiness in other forms of poverty.
However, it is true (at least on Kiritimati) that sanitation really needs to be greatly improved. Every village, school and clinic should have male and female toilet and shower facilities that are regularly maintained by government employees, and there should be a WASTE MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE that uses a modern landfill and recycling facility based on Kiritimati (where there is a lot of room - vast miles of empty open space) including a regular milk run around all the other islands to pick up waste and valuable recyclables to be processed on Kiritimati.
There has been a lot of work done by the lands department to provide safe drinking water and I applaud them for that and the other great work those guys have been doing.
The Kiribati people are living in poverty, but it's a kind of poverty that does not involve hunger, or hopelessness, and it is a way of life that has many enviable facets - family closeness for one thing. Nature provides many free gifts for the Kiribati people, fish and fruit, vegetables and water, sunshine and happiness.
So what is the nature of this poverty? Mainly it is the added risk to very young and old people caused firstly by the lack of modern sanitation, and waste management, and secondly by the scarcity of modern well stocked and staffed medical facilities including surgical rooms. A sign of this poverty is the reliance on free help from abroad, in the form of rice donations, vehicle and equipment donations, and medical staff visits from other countries to tackle routine cataract operations and dental treatment.
How can you improve the situation? You must protect your fish stocks against foreign fishermen, and your Government must be especially vigilant when signing agreements with foreign countries on fishing rights, because the ecology of the sea is very fragile and not well understood. Foreign authorities will see Kiribati fish stocks as an easy target which can be bought cheaply.
You must improve the sanitary and waste management situation on the outer islands, this will protect young I-Kiribati against diseases that are life threatening.
You must develop and train young I-Kiribati to become doctors and nurses, and fund the medical revolution you need to keep the population healthy.
You should look at developing sustainable international business that will bring money into the country. Millions of tons of shipping regularly passes your islands and that is money passing by your door. Why not develop a large container port
in the middle of the ocean on Kiritimati? you are on neutral ground and could broker containers onward. In time you could develop offshore banking facilities and countless other financial facilities to offer the International Market.
You live in a very beautiful nation, you have the bounty of nature, you are a naturally beautiful and happy people, and you must develop that so it is sustainable and self sufficient.
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Permalink Reply by TERO RIMON on
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I rang agree ma ngke that if looking on the side of GDP per Capita for individuals in our Home Land Kiribati, it is so true that it can be seen as under poverty rating. GDP per Capita really potrays how well the standard of living is, and one of the ways to help reach that standard is productivity, but how exactly are we going to make great productivities? Our government ma ngaira ni kapane I-Kiribati without doubt, we have great human labors to do the work locally in doing things like farming, fishing, copra, diving, building and so on, but if it comes to mordern technology, we are lacking on that part, so hopefully, we I-Kiribati plus our Government start looking into investing more on education and in creating human technology. These are just the few things to look into other than health issiues and others. In general, we can do anything if we all come into te Maneaba and plan it out, because we I-Kiribati people are so good in that. Many thanks to God for his so many abundant blessings to Kiribati te popoto.
-TERO-
fjopqawjream'c apsiofFF846A+SD4F said:mauri d koraki...i interested te maroroo bwa kaanga e mwaiti nba d titiraki iaon d issue anne n ara tabo aei..
ngai irou e eeti ae e rang generall te taeka ae poverty...ma n aron ae iataia...poverty e konaa n dividinaki into 3 groups ao ngkanne tina konaa n ataia bwa iai irekereken abara ma poverty ke akea. Iai extreme poverty which means, individuals earn less than a dollar per day for survival. Moderate poverty refers to those who earn more than a dollar and relative poverty are iaon riki moderate poverty. Te titiraki gkanne e kangai: Iai i kiribati ae ana average income e less than a dollar each day?....kana akea ao i taku bwa extreme poverty ngkanne akea irekerekena ma maiuira gaira i kiribati. However, there must be relative and moderate poverty ma aikai a due ma te economy as a whole. On a macro level, poverty caused by lower productivity. Productivity e low kana e te country has no adaptations to advanced tchonologies and poor education standard. E tara n nakoraoi d level of education i kiribati ma e rang poor d adoption of latest technologies. man aei ao tikonaa n ataia bwa iai poverty iai i kiribati ma tiaki poverty are ai te baki bwa akea te amwarake ke tera....kanga tii te kamatata ao e rabwa riki d titiraki.
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Permalink Reply by Roreti Eritai on -
Dear all,
Warm greetings from Tarawa!!! I thank Walter for raising the question and those who have shared their views on the issue. As you may be aware, this is a controversial issue which the Government is trying to define and address. As some have indicated, Kiribati has no such word, poverty and is therefore not acceptable. It is not also accepted because the indicators used to measure whether people are living above or below the poverty line are foreign and based on quantifiable measures...e.g GDP/GNI, level of productivity, income, etc. How can subsistence living in Kiribati be quantified?
Notwithstanding the above, the term poverty is defined in context of Kiribati as the lack of accessibility to major public services...education, health, electricity, water and sanitation, etc. How to address these? First we have to look internally...do our policies and legislation encourage/discourage the provision of these important services, do the people comply with these, does Government provide enough, can the private sector involve in these sectors, do we have the capacity, etc. Second, we have to seek assistance from development partners to provide fiinancial and technical assistance in improving our policies, legislation, capacity, etc. More importantly is to invest in projects that will ensure sustainable development.
And I concur with the views expressed by Patrick, we have an abundant marine resources, the four ingredients (sun, sea, sand and security) for tourism development, capable and hard working people, etc. It is just a matter of looking into the gaps and where to improve by having relevant policies, regulatory regime, infrastructure, training and capacity building, commitments, strong will and unity.
We are just unfortunate that our islands are scattered, isolated from major markets, have poor soil, limited land area but these may be a blessing in disguise if we work together!
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Permalink Reply by Ritite Tekiau on -
Mauri all.
The word Poverty is totally unacceptable in Kiribati, and I-Kiribati people are not living in poverty. Maybe another right word to be used. I-Kiribati people never look for food in rubbish bins....live along the streets.....etc. They are very happy and generous people.
E a moti moa bwa mwina ea manga rietata raraau ao a bati riki tabeu ae I kona ni karaoi nakon ae Nnang kauna nanou n au wareware this morning.
tekeraoi ngkami.
Patrick Purdue said:When I first set foot on Kiritimati Island my impression was that this is a third world country, and the people are living in poverty. But it was immediately obvious that it is a different kind of poverty than that which I'd seen elsewhere.
In Kiribati, to an outsider, the most striking thing (apart from the natural beauty of the people - and it really is true that Kiribati people have a rare and natural beauty) is that generally speaking most people are happy. You do not see this happiness in other forms of poverty.
However, it is true (at least on Kiritimati) that sanitation really needs to be greatly improved. Every village, school and clinic should have male and female toilet and shower facilities that are regularly maintained by government employees, and there should be a WASTE MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE that uses a modern landfill and recycling facility based on Kiritimati (where there is a lot of room - vast miles of empty open space) including a regular milk run around all the other islands to pick up waste and valuable recyclables to be processed on Kiritimati.
There has been a lot of work done by the lands department to provide safe drinking water and I applaud them for that and the other great work those guys have been doing.
The Kiribati people are living in poverty, but it's a kind of poverty that does not involve hunger, or hopelessness, and it is a way of life that has many enviable facets - family closeness for one thing. Nature provides many free gifts for the Kiribati people, fish and fruit, vegetables and water, sunshine and happiness.
So what is the nature of this poverty? Mainly it is the added risk to very young and old people caused firstly by the lack of modern sanitation, and waste management, and secondly by the scarcity of modern well stocked and staffed medical facilities including surgical rooms. A sign of this poverty is the reliance on free help from abroad, in the form of rice donations, vehicle and equipment donations, and medical staff visits from other countries to tackle routine cataract operations and dental treatment.
How can you improve the situation? You must protect your fish stocks against foreign fishermen, and your Government must be especially vigilant when signing agreements with foreign countries on fishing rights, because the ecology of the sea is very fragile and not well understood. Foreign authorities will see Kiribati fish stocks as an easy target which can be bought cheaply.
You must improve the sanitary and waste management situation on the outer islands, this will protect young I-Kiribati against diseases that are life threatening.
You must develop and train young I-Kiribati to become doctors and nurses, and fund the medical revolution you need to keep the population healthy.
You should look at developing sustainable international business that will bring money into the country. Millions of tons of shipping regularly passes your islands and that is money passing by your door. Why not develop a large container port
in the middle of the ocean on Kiritimati? you are on neutral ground and could broker containers onward. In time you could develop offshore banking facilities and countless other financial facilities to offer the International Market.
You live in a very beautiful nation, you have the bounty of nature, you are a naturally beautiful and happy people, and you must develop that so it is sustainable and self sufficient.
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Permalink Reply by Reei Tioti on -
Well to me, the word Poverty do not exist in Kiribati. Don't ever mistaken to our Kiribati standard of living that it can be called poverty! Here in Kiribati we have everything we need without money. We live on subsistence economy rather than cash economy. If you go to Outer Islands, the majority of the population have no job but still they can survive until now using their own natural resources the land and sea can provide for them each day.
Although we are more like in a modernised world and being influenced by these western way of life, we have not come so close to it and we are still developing. Hence, we are not in a better position to call our beloved Country Kiribati as Poverty. Poverty is way out from our language, culture and standard of living. Living under a thatched roof with raised floors made of pandanus timber and coconut mid rib does not mean we are living in Poverty. Eating coconut and fish everyday does not mean we are living in Poverty. That is our standard of living way back to our ancestral time. I think we are the luckiest people in the World that we can live and cultivate our own lands freely. We have our lands to build our build our houses and to get foods and drinks from them. We live and enjoy to the fullest whatever our country Kiribati has provided for us. We must thank the Almighty God for giving us our country and our land that we still live and enjoy whatever its produces. Kam raba
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Permalink Reply by Isolde Tristan on -
All that you've mentioned about poverty, I believe it's true but we must remember that it is only toward countries that experience hunger, lack of shelter, not being able to see a doctor, not knowing how to read, not having a job, fear of future, etc. In Kiribati, not a single one of those criterias are met. We, the people of Kiribati are fortunate to have been brought up in a unique culture that no other humans can survive. Our ancestors have foreseen the next generations way of living and have cobble together all that is needed in order for them to live contentedly. Eventhough finances are minimal, Life alone can be lived blissfully without wealth. Does not happen anywhere and that's why Kiribati is distinctive in everyway. In short, Poverty does not exist on the lands and in the waters of my motherland Kiribati!!!
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Permalink Reply by Nei Tekiebuti on -
AN ISSUE that we must consider it into our hearts......HOW DO YOU SEE KIRIBATI IN THE NEAR FUTURE...is our beloved Kiribati will able to provide for it's people?
Our climate is changing and so will our livelihoods too....we will become increasingly dependent on imported food due to less productive farming and fishing. People who are experiencing this dilemma on their island will relocate to another island causing over population to a small island......
Do you think that Kiribati will not go through this life problem? I think its better to address issues at an earliest convenience before its too late.....its always good to have a plan or plans... A,B or C..... if one doesnt work then try the other......taeka tabeua tai tataninga ao tai tabarabara never wait till it happens otherwise e riki te bai ae e korakora ao tina reke iaan te taeka ae WE I-KIRIBATI LIVING IN POVERTY.....bukin tera bukina ba akea abara akea kanara akea nimara akea uaan arokara etc etc etc........ba ea rootaki nte tarika ao man kanaki nakoaki n taari ao man ibitakin rietan taari...
Some of us believe that abara enaki reke aio iaona ma e kakawaki te tatauraoi...kanga ai aroia kain te itera Maiaki...a tatauraoi iai aia tabo are a kakawakin iai aia bwai ao ngkana ea tare te bwai ma te amwarake ao ea tiba boo kaotinakoaia.....kanga te kabotau kabara te bure ngkana e aki tangiraoi...
Tekeraoi abara Kiribati ao te kantaninga ba ara tautaeka iai aia kakamakuri ni kona ni katana abara man te kanganga aio....ao ngaira kain Kiribati ba tina kona ni karaoa ara contribution naba nako iai tiaki ti kain te aba ma te nati ni Kiribati n taabo ni bane ake kam mena iai....ami voice is needed nakon te tabo ae kam mena iai uotia rake nakon am tabo....i noori tabemaang raora ni Kiribati a karaoi tabeia kam raba n anne ao e nooraki iai nanomi ibukin kan buokan abami ae e raroa nako mai iroumi....
Te Mauri te Raoi ao te Tabomoa iaora ni bane....
PEACE..........
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