Poverty dimensions and multi- dimensional poverty index: a case study within Maruthanagar DS Division

Abstract

Kilinochchi is one of the war-torn districts and still struggling to come out of poverty due to its poor human and physical resources. As many families are living under the poverty line in this area Samurdhi programme is implemented as a solution to alleviate poverty. Since the measurement of poverty amongst these households is questionable, the alleviation also not successful. Therefore, this study attempts to measure poverty via the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and associate the poverty status of Samurdhi beneficiaries in the Maruthanagar GS division among the 100 Samurdhi beneficiaries who were selected based on a conditional, convenient sampling method. It is identified that improvement in the components of MPI through the activities of the Samurdhi poverty alleviation Programme facilitated the people to emerge out of poverty in part or whole. The findings confirm that the Samurdhi Programme assisted the beneficiaries to come out of severe poverty by means of education, health, and livelihood development when other factors are not changing. In the sample households, it was also noted that 40% of the households were still in extreme poverty, despite the assistance they obtain from the Samurdhi programme due to other influencing factors. It is concluded that other behavioural patterns should also be changed if people want to move out of poverty.