LAHORE: Poverty is a complex exercise, every poor family has its own peculiar story, to live at subsistence level is the dream of every poor but most of them remain deprived of many needs. They try to adjust their needs by compromising on some.
If one steps into the daily lives of struggling families it enlightens us the way they manage their limited resources. Families in Pakistan usually depend on a single earner in the family. After prolonged recession and deep economic crisis the female members of the family started contributing to family income by working as house maids at reasonable wages or started producing small homemade items for local markets. This did not last long as households employing housemaids started engaging them for one task and the family members managed other chores themselves. Alas, the pool of women looking for jobs continued to enlarge resulting in further lowering of their wages. Each family has its unique problems.
A peek into the life of Nooruddin, a helper drawing minimum wage from a local registered firm reveals the way he manages limited finances. He supports a household of seven, including his mother, wife, and three school-going daughters. Despite working for decades, Hassan’s income barely covers the basics.
“We don’t cook curry at home,” he says. “We eat wheat bread with tea three times a day. Meat or vegetables are a luxury we can’t afford.” After paying for house rent and utility bills — electricity, water, and gas — he’s left with a small amount. “Sometimes we don’t even have milk or tea. My mother then takes my daughters to my brother’s home for a meal,” he adds. His brother, though only marginally better off, shares what he can.
Nooruddin lives 20 kilometers from his workplace. With no direct public transport route, he walks half the distance daily to save Rs50, spending only Rs2,000 per month on transportation. His mother’s medicines cost Rs4,000 a month, and his daughters’ schooling another Rs7,500.
He manages to buy tea, ghee, and milk from the remainder. Twice a year, he receives bonuses, which he uses to buy a year’s supply of wheat and purchase clothes for his family. Their diet is monotonous, but they rarely go hungry.
Noor’s is the best case where at least some basic needs of the family are fulfilled. But for the majority of poor the choice is not so simple. To manage within their means they have sacrificed some basic needs, starting from skipping essential medicines of elders to the extreme of pulling children out of school. The numbers are rising every day. Compromise of shelter is now common where six of a family rent one room with a common bath for another 3-4 tenants.
Nutritionists highlight that hunger is not just about the absence of food but also the pain, fatigue and difficulty concentrating that come with it. For families like Noor’s, fulfilling basic calorie needs is a victory. But the quality of those calories is another story.
For the wealthy, hunger is fleeting — a skipped meal or a missed snack. But for families like Noor’s, chronic hunger and poor nutrition are a constant companion. What’s more troubling is that poverty reduction doesn’t always translate into better nutrition.
Recent studies show that even when poor families see income increases, they often prioritize household appliances — fans, fridges, televisions — over improved food. These choices reflect a desire to raise their standard of living, but it inadvertently sidelines nutritional needs.
Poverty is more than just low income. It’s a daily struggle for dignity, survival, and basic health. A better understanding of how the poor live — and what choices they’re forced to make — must guide public policy and social programs.
