MOVING OUT OF CHRONIC POVERTY: COMMUNITY LEVEL STUDY ON POVERTY OVER THE TIME

Abstract

In this study poverty is measured as the low level of satisfaction of the ten basic needs and the underutilization of material and non material resources. Further this study explores the economic factors which are related to poverty such as financial capital, physical capital and natural capital (land). The survey was carried out in Wanduressa village which is established by settling down of one of the low caste communities in the country named as Rodiya community. This study was done as close as possible to the base research done Ratnapala, 1979 in same village to compare the current situation. The results indicated that over the time, the community level satisfaction for ten basic needs has increased by 54.95%. According to the satisfaction index constructed, 98% households obtained satisfaction level above 0.5. Poverty alleviation programmes, awareness programmes and the effort taken by the households to reduce their separation from the high caste communities were the main causes to reduce the poverty over the time. Multiple Linear Regression analysis showed that there is a significant relationship between the satisfaction Index with their income and skills.