Social assistance is critical to counter the insecurity and vulnerability experienced by chronically poor people. Evidence shows that as well as preventing people from sliding into poverty, social assistance supports human development, helps people to access opportunities to exit poverty, and interrupts the intergenerational transmission of poverty; An obstacle to progress on social assistance involves arguments around the ‘dependency syndrome’ – concerns about recipients becoming permanently dependent on ‘handouts’ and losing any inclination to improve their circumstances as a result of it

 

Guest on the line: MUSA E. ZULU is a published author, artist, poet and motivational speaker.