This section looks into the cognitive dimension of wellbeing. Dacope is the first case study of this research and therefore this section is an exploration of the cognitive side of poverty and wellbeing that deals with people’s subjective evaluation of their quality of life. This section will also help to draw relevant questions for studying the cognitive aspect of wellbeing in the following case studies.
Depression, hopelessness and feeling tired of life
I now have no hope and future, I just have to pass my life. I never had a family, it is mentally the most difficult thing for me. I am praying to God that I will die soon and that I am free of this burden of life. (female, 60 years) This quote from one of the participants in Dacope addresses many aspects of the cognitive dimension of wellbeing of the extreme poor in Dacope, such as a loss of hope and chronic depression. Although, the level of depression of this participant is shocking (she no longer wishes to live as a result of her poverty), depression in some form and frequency is experienced by the majority of the participants. Several participants mentioned that they had struggled psychologically several times throughout their lives.
The elderly participants in particular expressed a loss of hope that their situation may become better. In some cases, younger participants also find it difficult to be optimistic about the future, as they have never really experienced ‘better times’ in their lives:
My father left me and my mother when I was born, because I was a girl… My grandmother sold me to a rich family when I was about two years old. My mother did not know where I was back then. My grandmother thought, that if I did not stay with my mother, she would be able to remarry…She looked for me and she found me after two years, when I was four. The family who bought me, used to torture me. They used me as a servant and if I was not able to do so, I got beaten. First they did not want to give me back and also beat my mother. I had to stay in that home until I was ten. I had miserable life, I was tortured and did not have proper clothing or food…I
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never thought my life would be so miserable when I was little. Life is still tough, it is a continuous struggle. (female, 35 years)
Passivism and low self-image
To some extent, the lack of hope and feelings of depression contribute to passive behaviour of some of the extreme poor people. Especially older participants who have lost hope that their lives may ever improve, feel it is fruitless to make any effort to change their situation. Others feel their poverty is a result of their actions, e.g. a sex worker who believes her poverty is the fruit of her ‘sin’. She believes she must atone for it and bear her poverty. There are also participants who do not have faith in their own capabilities to climb out of their poverty and are convinced their lives can only become better through aid provided by others:
There is no solution for me, but to receive aid from others. (female, 35 years) This feeling of not being able to change anything or being undeserving of a better life (because God must not want them to have a better life) contributes to a negative sense of self-worth and low self-esteem.
Self-exclusion
I don’t attend most of the social events in the area, because the middle class people and the rich do not like to include the poor people or appreciate to hear our opinion. I do have the power to raise my voice, because the poor people will support me, but I never raised my voice. (male, 44 years)
During the life histories, when participants reported being disrespected or maltreated by family or community members, they would often feel the urge to immediately counter this by adding that they feel ‘mentally rich’ or ‘have the power to raise my voice’. It appears to be a coping mechanism to deal with social isolation. However, this coping mechanism does not help participants join in public social events (e.g. town meetings); in fact, they avoid them and tend to self-exclude, assuming that other wealth groups will not welcome them. It seems that the participants avoid (public) social interaction, because
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they believe they will not be heard or respected by others and because they feel uncomfortable and out of place in such settings.
Sub-conclusion
Generally, the extreme poor participants have faced many difficulties in their lives, often even traumatic experiences including mental and physical violence, which has a great and sometimes lasting mental impact. Feelings of depression and mental pain are common. Moreover, there is a general feeling of helplessness and hopelessness, especially amongst the elderly. They no longer have hope that they may escape their situation and are sometimes just ‘waiting it out’. Those who still have hope that their situation may improve someday, believe this is only possible through the aid of others and that they themselves are not capable of initiating change. However, the participants do not believe that people are eager to help them or eager to listen to them. This feeling prevents them from taking part in social events and they tend to self- exclude. This is an important insight, as it shows that exclusion is a two-way process and this will be examined further in the following case studies.