It’s no secret that poverty remains Africa’s biggest challenge. According to UN statistics, up to 42% of Sub-Saharan Africans live below the poverty line (US$ 1.90 a day), with millions more people living on barely more than that amount.

Living in poverty means being constantly hungry, having little or no access to basic services that the rest of us take for granted (such as water, healthcare and sanitation), and missing out on a proper education, which can hugely influence a person’s chances of finding work. And so the cycle of hopelessness continues, but that is changing…

Bearing in mind that most poverty-stricken Africans (around 80%) live in rural areas, rural development is key to lifting the poorest of the poor out of the desperate situation that they currently find themselves in. This means improving working conditions and increasing production by creating innovative development programmes, as well as building a culture of entrepreneurship.

This is no easy (or quick) task. But by using a co-ordinated approach that works with governments, organisations and the man/woman ‘on the ground’, positive change isn’t only possible, it’s very achievable. Through this multi-pronged approach, the Africa of the future can be built one brick at a time.

PARD – a division of Zhauns Business Opportunities – provides poverty alleviation and rural development solutions through supplying specialised imported machinery, as well as mentoring and training. By using these machines, underprivileged Africans a given the opportunity to become entrepreneurs and uplift themselves from poverty ­– a win for them, as well as the continent’s economy.

Visit zhauns.co.za and let’s work on breaking the cycle of poverty together.