Introduction 

Depending on the context, different people use different tools in an attempt to fight poverty and change their lives. Yet, it is without a shadow of a doubt that education is the most reliable and powerful weapon to alleviate poverty, irrespective of one’s background. As former president Nelson Mandela rightly said, “Education is the great engine of personal development. Through education, the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, the son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine, and a child of a farmworker can become the president of a great nation”. 

Defining Education and Poverty

Education in this article simply means undergoing university or college training to acquire relevant knowledge, skills and experience necessarily needed to market yourself in the labour market. Poverty, on the other hand, simply means the state of being poor. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that the two are closely correlated to each other. Below, I will illuminate this further. 

Education as a source of hope

Where there is no hope, education brings hope. No matter how poor your background is, whether you have no backup or whether you have no support systems in fulfilling your goals and dreams, rest assured that if you are truly dedicated to education and working hard, nothing can stop you from escaping poverty traps. The moment you start your career at a college or university of your choice is the moment that hopes for a brighter future start. Without hope, you won’t have any energy and enthusiasm to keep going. Thus, education is where the hope of a better life starts. 

Education as a weapon against poverty at a personal level

Unlike being uneducated and lacking a myriad of marketable skills needed in the labour market, education provides a person with the skills and knowledge needed in the labour market. Thus, education increases a person’s prospects of employability. Once a person is employed, education provides a foundation for eradicating poverty. In other words, education can foster economic development and freedom at an individual level, especially once a graduate has secured a job. In a nutshell, education provides many better opportunities than being uneducated and unskilled at all. Not only does it provide better opportunities, but it also decreases unemployment risks and contributes greatly to a happy and stress-free lifestyle.

Role of Education at a household level

Education does not exclusively help a specific educated and employed graduate individual escape poverty. Rather, many members within a family can benefit too from an educated and employed graduate who can act as a breadwinner for that family and therefore look after the socio-economic needs of the entire family. Thus, this means that family poverty can significantly be reduced.  

Conclusion

Unlike being uneducated and unskilled at all, education can act as a powerful tool against poverty for many people. Not only does education help individuals escape poverty, but educated and employed graduates can uplift many families out of poverty. Indeed, there are many ways to alleviate poverty, but education is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most reliable and powerful weapon to alleviate poverty regardless of one’s family. 

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