On this Monday, October 17, we celebrate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The theme for 2022-2023 is Dignity for All in Practice. In Mauritius, the eradication of poverty has been talked about for years. Yet more than 5,700 families are in the social register.
In 2022, more than 22,000 people live in poverty. Father Gérard Mongelard, who is very involved in this fight, pleads for a revision of policies in relation to poverty.
“Everything needs to be reviewed from top to bottom. It takes the will to review all our current policies if we want to eradicate poverty. This is material, moral and spiritual. Our policies must take all these aspects into account,” he said. “If we have the will, we can go very far,” he adds.
He believes that winning the battle against poverty requires everyone to work together. “Bizin puts the tet ansam e puts ego de kote. He is also of the opinion that the question of housing is essential if we want to improve the situation and that these people keep their dignity.
For Imam Arshad Joomun, head of MKids, we cannot eradicate, but alleviate poverty. But people still have to make an effort. “There are a number of people who are making efforts to get out of poverty. But there is a handful who prefer to live in the assistantship. These people are satisfied with the social allowance offered to them. It is imperative that there is a change of mentality at this level. The authorities also need to come forward with training and education to help these people empower themselves and not depend eternally on the state,” he says.
There must also be a database with the details of people living in precariousness. Because there are abuses of some people who knock on the door of several NGOs to get help. Which is to the detriment of these authentic cases. “There are people who ask for help, but who misuse the money they receive. For example, they buy cigarettes, alcohol and drugs,” he notes. It offers a forum with all the actors concerned to address this issue.
Patricia Adèle-Félicité, Secretary General of Caritas Mauritius, notes that there has been an increase in the number of people living in poverty. It is, according to her, because of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine which affects purchasing power in Mauritius. “There are a growing number of families who are unable to eat enough. And those who are in the social register are struggling to make ends meet, ”emphasizes our interlocutor.
For her, it is high time to tackle this problem in a “comprehensive way”. According to her, housing is important in this fight. “The housing projects are coming. We must tackle the problem by working in a collegial manner. Everyone can bring their stone to the building. We need a round table to come up with solutions. She is of the opinion that it is necessary to integrate people in precariousness into the discussions. This would allow tailor-made solutions to be developed.