BIG Pilot Project - Assessment Report - BIG Coalition Namibia

2.8 Levels of poverty“Severelypoor”Foodpoverty lineGraph 2.8-1National poverty line(all)Nov 07 Jul 08 Nov 08100%90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%86% 65% 68%76% 42% 37%0%Nov 07 Jul 08 Nov 08In Nov 0786% of allpeople inOtjivero-Omitarawere belowthe lowerbound nationalpoverty line(blue line)and therebyconsidered“severelypoor”.Graph 2.8-1 shows that in November 2007, before theintroduction of the BIG, 86% of all people in Otjivero-Omitara were below the lower bound national povertyline (blue line) and thereby considered “severely poor”.This poverty level is much higher than the national average,which the NPC calculates based on the NHIES2003/04 at 13.8%. A massive 76% of people inOtjivero-Omitara fell below the food poverty line(redline), explaining the high incidents of child malnutrition11 . Through the Basic Income Grant and its economiceffects 12 severe poverty has been reduced to 68%and food poverty to 37% after one year. While foodpoverty continuously declined over the study period,gains on the lower bound poverty rate were slightly reversedby 3% from July to November 2008. The followinggraph shows the underlying reason to be the migration.11 see below 50 Child malnutrition p. 5312 see section 70 Income p.7149