Low Academic Performance: Students who live under low income families tend to have low academic performance. I grew up in a poor family. We usually had one meal per day. My brother and I used to take care of goats. When I got home after herding goats, there was no food to eat. I’d go to school with an empty stomach, and there wasn’t lunch provided at school. I would feel dizzy and find it hard to concentrate in class. It affected my attitudes and emotions. I felt weak and uninspired, which developed negative connections that tore me down. I would be sitting in class worrying about when my next meal will come.
More school dropouts: Students who live under low income housing are more likely to drop out of school. In Nyarugusu, the educational system we had was a little different compared to the US. In high school, all 9th grade students were required to choose a major. Mr. Mwarabu, my financial Accounting teacher, asked all the students to buy a periodic table. I went home and asked my parents for 1500Tshillings. Both of my parents had no money. I felt like I was being punished for something I had no control over when I got suspended at school. I felt like I didn’t belong in the classroom. I almost dropped out of school.
Fewer job opportunities/high unemployment rate: Low income students are more likely to not find a job that pays a living wage. My dad dropped out of school when he was in 10th grade because his parents couldn’t pay school fees. Even though he was a good constructor, every time he went to apply for a construction job, they asked him if he has a major or high school diploma. Despite having a lot of experience in construction, he never got hired because of having a lack of education. He ended up working long hours and low paid jobs.
Students who live in poverty are more likely to do harmful jobs. Because parents don’t have money to pay school expenses, students are forced to do dangerous jobs, including domestic service, fishing, and commercial agriculture. Back in Tanzania, when I was in 6th grade, some of my classmates dropped out of school to do farm work, including planting and harvesting, and feeding goats or cows. Others were combining school with long and heavy work. Because of poverty, students were performing activities that were harmful to their physical and mental health.
Lack of access for college education- low income students are more likely to not attend college. Most low income parents can’t afford to send their kids to college. My sister graduated from high school in 2019. She really wanted to go to college, but she didn't have money to pay for tuition. She received a very small amount of grant money. She thought about applying for loans; however, the fear of being in debt caused her to avoid school entirely. She lost interest in continuing her education. She ended up getting married. If my parents were able to pay her school fees, she’d be graduating next year.
High crime rate- Students who live in poverty are more likely to commit a crime. Because of dealing with financial stress and having the desire to gain material, most students become thieves, gang members, and murders. I’ve witnessed some students in Tanzania who didn’t have money to pay school supplies, and become robbers. They stole and sold their neighbor’s goats. They traveled to the city to seek a better life. When they got to Kigoma, they were caught by the police and were charged a lot of money. They were sent back to the camp.
Students’ Homelessness- Students who live in poverty are more likely to become homeless, including sleeping in the car, shelters, and parks. This threatens their academic, emotional, and social development. They feel ashamed to participate in class activities. They barely have friends in school. I have a cousin who was married and had two children. She came to the US when she was about 15 years old. She got pregnant when she was a junior in high school. She had a lot of misunderstandings with her spouse, which led to their break up. When they divorced, she had to take care of the kids and pay the bills. Because she didn’t have enough money to cover all the bills, she lost her apartment. She slept with her kids at a friend’s house for two days before she asked my parents to come live with us.