Poverty in Brazil

Brazil is one of the countries in the world which are affected by poverty. In this regard, the largest share of Brazil’s income goes to a few wealthy individuals.

For instance, a research conducted by Almeida (2008) revealed that ten percent of the wealthiest people in the country controls nearly 50% of the country’s GDP, while ten percent of the poorest people only access less than 1%. In addition, it is estimated that nearly 16 million people in Brazil lives below the poverty line (Brainard, 2009). This conveys a very bad image of how a large proportion of Brazil population lives below the poverty line. Additionally, it is evident that there is a very big difference in terms of financial stability between the have and the have-nots in the country. Besides, poverty in Brazil can be envisaged through the presence of slums in major cities such as favelas.

Almeida (2008) argue that the cause of poverty of the major cities of Brazil is triggered by the failure of the government to make viable investments that may facilitate creation of jobs to people dwelling in those cities. As a result, many people end up doing odd errands, such as trash picking, in order to place a meal on the table. Moreover, the rural areas in the country are also badly affected by poverty, making people struggle to get income to feed their families. However, with the help of NGOs and other voluntary organizations and well wishers, various programmes have been initiated in the country to combat poverty. Such programmes with the help of the community have been providing food to the starving people as well as ensuring that children in the community have accessed the formal education.

Although education is free in the country, the initiative facilitates it by providing necessary requirements for studying including books.