Combating rural poverty through altruism: a model for sustainable education

Abstract

Nepal, one of the poorest nations, is plagued with high illiteracy rates and child labour. The children that enter the workforce, namely from rural areas, experience inhumane conditions and many enter the human trafficking trade. With a reach of over 100 million people and 68% of beneficiaries crossing the poverty line, micro-financing has proven to be an effective tool at addressing rural poverty. However, there are disadvantages hidden in these statistics, namely usurious interest rates, high enterprise failure rates, and aggressive repayment schemes that cannot only perpetuate impoverished conditions, but can also contribute to them. To address the disadvantages of micro-financing, a model for sustainable education is developed in this paper using altruism theory and the banking monetary multiplier. Through this model: 1) the cycle of poverty can be reduced; 2) literacy rates can be increased; 3) the supply of children that are trafficked abroad can be minimised.