High per capita income hides poverty

The relatively high per capita income of US$5 693 (around N$70 000) in Namibia discreetly masks extreme poverty in the country.This was said by Namibia Network of Aids Service Organisations (Nanaso) CEO Sandie Tjaronda at the donation of food worth N$40 000 by Nanaso to vulnerable people in Kavango East and West.Per capita income for a country is calculated by dividing the country's national income by its population.“There is somebody struggling to get N$1 000, some have probably not even seen what N$1 000 looks like,” he said, adding that the per capita income hid extreme inequalities in income distribution and the standard of living in Namibia.Tjaronda said donors were pulling out of Namibia because they perceived the country as doing well, and it was the per capita income that led to this misconception.He said while the Namibian economy had been growing at a rate of 4.3%, the country's unemployment rate stood at 29.6%, poverty at 26.9% and HIV prevalence at 17.2%.This, according to Tjaronda, created a situation where the majority of the country's population remained vulnerable and faced poverty.“In real life, access to food and nutrition translates into the productivity of a citizen. When somebody is hungry they do not even have the energy to wake up to go and till their fields,” he said.Tjaronda said food could also be the bridge that the country needed to support treatment adherence for those on anti-retroviral drugs, while access to food meant keeping a child in school, therefore maintaining enrolment.“We only have ourselves as a nation to look after each other. The days of donors popping out cheques and giving us money are over, and this donation we are giving is a sign of our unwavering support to humanity,” he said. NAMPA

High per capita income hides poverty

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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High per capita income hides poverty

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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