The Face of Chronic Poverty in Uganda from the Poor's Perspective: constraints and opportunities

This paper examines the factors influencing chronic poverty in Uganda from the perspective of the poor. The findings are based on participatory poverty assessments conducted in 23 urban and 57 rural sites covering 21 districts. The paper examines: the view of the poor on the definitions of chronic poverty, the types of people who are chronically poor and why; opportunities and constraints for moving out of poverty; the effects of government policies; and suggestions for improvements. The findings suggest that the factors driving and maintaining poverty often are transmitted inter-generationally, and certain categories of people, such as the disabled, women and refugees, are more vulnerable than others. Also, ineffective local governance and government policies seem to prevent the chronically poor from escaping the poverty trap.