How Does Sierra Leone Cause Poverty

Since their independence in 1961, Sierra Leone has been a nation plagued with poverty and corruption; part of the vicious cycle that it is snared in as an LDC (Least Developed Country). Multiple factors fuel the vicious cycle into this downward spiral; most are caused by the abuse of power and are intricately linked to each other as obstructions in the path of the Sierra Leone’s road to development. The primary cause behind Sierra Leone’s poverty is the corrupt government. Siaka Stevens, the first president of Sierra Leone ruling from 1971 – 1985, initiated the corrupt path of doom that the country has followed for nearly half a century. By appropriating a vast amount of government revenue for his personal gain, he and other government officials
These large ports are not easily accessible to those in rural areas, as explained previously, causing producers to face the problem of underselling products and ultimately leading to poverty. Part of the reason Sierra Leone has a small market is the result of the lack of education among its citizens. The education system in Sierra Leone in severely fractured. Once again, the corrupt government fails to provide adequate funding towards education, causing a lack of books and equipment needed for education. Many children are recruited by the RUF, steering them away from education and towards hostile and violent behavior. However, when these recruits go into the world, they are without education and are unable to secure jobs. There are highly scarce opportunities for adult education, especially for women. Only about 40% of the population is literate; the even smaller educated population are unable to use their skills in Sierra Leone but are unable to work abroad because of the corrupt governing powers and powerful militia influence. The lack of education throughout the country also means a lack of knowledge in the areas of family planning and preventative provisions. Without management, there is always a sharp contrast in youth numbers contributing to the rising population. The greater the population, the scarcer resources become. Pressure here is felt heavily in
Rural residents have little to no access to voting rights; if they do it is discounted to the benefit of the ruling government officials. Women in Sierra Leone are viewed as nothing more than homemakers or bush wives and are forbidden to enter the work force, resulting in a large waste of human capital. Competition over scarce resources can lead to tribal war because many groups are ignorant of any other way to deal with conflict. The government, certainly, does nothing to aid the warring tribes. Many citizens earn less than minimum wage and earn even lower return rates; many are unable to save surplus money after their immediate needs are met. All of these problems contribute to the inadequate civil rights and poor treatment of the