Poverty is also restricted access, or none at all, to basic goods and services : food, health, housing, plumbing, energy, communication, transport… These goods and services are either non-existent or limited, or they are made unavailable because of their price, and often inadequate: they are based on models of production and consumption in countries where incomes and productivity are 20 or 30 times higher than in Africa.

Working against poverty is not just about increasing incomes, but also insuring that the poor can feed themselves better, can increase their knowledge and skills, can look after themselves, have access to important papers and documents, and are protected from people trying to move them on or natural disasters.

Approaching things from this angle, more than half of all Africans and populations in the South could have access to basic human rights, women in particular - who have to make up for the lack or insufficiency of most basic services - as well as young people and children.

To reach this goal, it is going to be necessary - for ten years perhaps - to accept techniques and standards that some people think of as third rate. Ultimately, the choice is this: bring a small number of poor people up to a modern standard of living or, with the participation of the communities concerned, assure a basic standard of living to the greatest possible number of people…

Source: "Enda in action in the four corners of the world"
Activities report 1999