Thinking 'Small' and the Understanding of Poverty: Maymana and Mofizul's Story
In this paper, the author, through the story of Maymana and her son, Mofizul, attempts to focus on poverty. He believes that in spite of limitations of a nano-level approach, there are potential benefits in terms of examining ideas about poverty and poverty reduction.
The paper describes reasons for slide into poverty of Maynama, long drawn illness and subsequent death of her husband-Hafeez, compounded by her father-in-law taking over their small plot of land.
- In the first case, the government medical facilities did not help Hafeez and the private health services bled their meager resources;
- In the second case, the local governing council sided with her father-in-law and gave him the right to the land of her husband.
Despite penury, they have a clear hierarchy of strategies by which they seek livelihood. These are: working, gleaning, borrowing, receiving charitable gifts and begging. Family is a double-edged sword for them that provides support-from daughters and sons-in-law Maynama and undermines their capacity to derive a livelihood, her father-in-law.
The story also indicates:
- How ill-health and poor health services contribute to creation and perpetuation of poverty which is in contradiction with the 2004 World Bank report that argues for more private health services for poor;
- Maynama and Mofizul are not poor because of lack of action on their part but are severely constrained by a host of structural factors.
