World Poverty 2008

Poverty in the UK

Just how difficult is it keeping your dignity when you're living on the breadline? As the United Nations highlights the issue of world poverty, we hear Vicky's story.

Vicky has finally got her own washing machine

Listen Listen to Vicky's Story - 4 mins 16 secs

Watch Watch Vicky showing us around her new flat

Look through more of Vicky's photos on Flickr

Vicky Laker had to do the washing for her family by hand in the bath before she moved into her new flat. She says it's a luxury to have a machine now after having been effectively homeless in the UK for the past five years.

She has just moved out of a homeless hostel in London.

The hostel is used by the local government authority, to place people on a temporary basis until they can offer them more permanent accommodation. But due to the lack of housing in London, some families have been living here for two years.

The Hostel is ten storeys high

Vicky shows how algae grows on the ground outside the doors of the hostel

The conditions inside the hostel are far from ideal. Vicky says that even though they make formal complaints about the situation, they are often ignored.

Vicky talked to one of her neighbours about how they often were made to feel unsafe living in the hostel as some of their neighbours had drug and alcohol problems, some were running from domestic violence and some were involved in prostitution.

Residents, like Hamed complain about overcrowding. Hamed, his wife and two children live in one room. Hamed told Vicky, "if you have a space to live, you have a space to think". Hamed doesn't have either. He also says that he felt better off in Ghana, as there he was more independent.

Poverty in Africa

Can people in a poor African village maintain their sense of self respect? We hear from Berna Ngolobe and Javie Ssozi from Uganda as they have been looking at poverty in the village Kifumbira Zone, Kamwokya in the capital, Kampala.

Villagers throw waste in a drainage trench.

"The situation in Kifumbira Zone is appalling; poor sanitation, heaps of garbage, shared toilets and in some cases there is no access to toilets at all, which increases the risk of disease.

Housing is a big problem with most people renting substandard houses, living in one or two rooms.

See more photos on Flickr

A typical house in Kifumbira Zone

There is access to tap water but at a cost - charged per 20 litres.

The government were supposed to have improved access to schools but the very poor cannot afford to pay for their child's lunch and for books.

There are long queues at government hospitals which deter people from going - the best a lot of people can hope for is a diagnosis of their illness without any medicine to cure it.

Some people say they can keep their dignity in the community despite being poor, as long as they are able to live amicably with their neighbours. Being poor they say, is not a problem as long as one can get food and support their families.

Talking to a tailor about poverty in her Ugandan village

However, others argue that the poor have no rights. As the African saying goes ... "a poor man cannot win a case!"

Others think you cannot have dignity when you cannot meet the basic needs of your family.

One villager says, "We are all poor in this community, so the issue of who has more dignity does not arise"

Forty year old Salongo says, 'I am a poor man but am still important to my society. Everyone is important no matter their economic status.'

Berna and Sozie work with the organisation Women of Uganda Network.

Poverty in Jamaica

Trish and Kenyon are a young married couple, living with their young daughter in a ghetto area of Jamaica's capital, Kingston. They both work, but do not have enough to pay for everything they need.

Listen Listen to Trish and Kenyon - 7 mins 28 secs

Look through photos on Flickr

To learn more about the United Nations poverty campaign for 2008 Find out more here.