Growing Up In Poverty.

Written By Sivuyile Tshalana.

Many people live in poverty and that forces them to be able to think on their feet. These people wonder when is their next meal is going to come from and that if it does come or not. In the Oxford dictionary poverty is explained as being poor, basically having very little money or other resources. When people grow up in poverty it has a huge impact on their childhood and how they view life as a whole.

When people grow up in poverty, many of them think that it is how their lives will be forever and that they will always live in it including generations to come after them. Growing up with hardly any food, proper shelter and clothes is frustrating, quite challenging, especially within children because they do not understand why they are living in such conditions while other children are wealthy, and can afford and have anything they want while others cannot have it. Children that live within poverty stricken families generally ask typical things like toys or even money to buy chips or sweets. This is very stressful for parents, because its even harder to answer their children when they ask for something and especially since they not working. While some parents go out there looking for part time jobs or just any general job that can help them bring something on the table for their families to eat, because they are desperate they end up doing somethings that are not so good, like prostitution just for the sake of money to feed their families. Whatever these children get whether it is food or clothes, they need to learn to share whether they get in order for everyone to have something to eat or wear. Many people that grow up in poverty are exposed to sicknesses caused by malnutrition due to lack of proper diet. They are also exposed to the cold since they do not have warm clothes, a bed with warm blankets and even proper shelter to protect them from getting cold. These children find it hard to even go to school, because they do not have uniforms, shoes, school bags and even food to carry at school. Let alone that parents cannot even afford to pay school fees. Hence the children's future is affected, because education is the answer to poverty.

Growing up with nothing is a big challenge in life, but people should not let that define them as they are meant for finer things in life. No-one is meant to live in poverty for the rest of their lives, it's just a passing phase but a person has to work harder to move out of poverty and shape the next generation's future. Whatever people think they are, then they are what they say they are. A positive mindset is everything when you grow up in poverty and especially when your trying to get out of poverty.