Poverty Alleviation

Poverty is defined as the inability to afford basic food and non-food items, and is endemic among the communities studied in all four countries – Kenya, Tanzania, Swaziland and South Africa.  It has emerged from the study that the value of indigenous knowledge lies in its ability to deliver social and economic goods; that certain traditional practices if popularised, and integrated with modern knowledge systems, can help to alleviate poverty.

Indigenous knowledge was found to be a tool, either actual or potential in the fight against poverty in the four study areas.  However, popularising it as a tool was pin-pointed as one of the main challenges to ensuring its use.

It was seen in some cases that the disregard for indigenous knowledge has led to deterioration of the environment. One such case was the introduction of alien species of tilapia and the Nile Perch to Lake Victoria in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  The result of this has been the destruction of the lake ecosystem and changes in traditional fishing patterns and pollution of the habitat.

It is clear that disregard for indigenous knowledge can have a negative effect on the environment.  Since most of the communities in the study areas derive their livelihood from the environment in which they live, it follows that this would have a direct effect on their economic status. Application of it however, can alleviate poverty through traditional food production and preservation.