Then It Seems to Go Quiet Again About Poverty

Then It Seems to Go Quiet Again About Poverty

30 April 2026

Then it seems to go quiet again about poverty. While the data and signals keep accumulating, the issue repeatedly fades into the background—until the next study, the next report, or the next political statement.

Recently, I came across an article on poverty in the Caribbean Netherlands. It shows that roughly one-third of the population lives below the poverty line and that the overall level of education is relatively low. These are not incidental findings; they are structural characteristics of the society (Bonaire.nu, 2026). These trends are recognizable in Curaçao as well. With one important difference: the Caribbean Netherlands consists of special municipalities of the Netherlands, while Curaçao is an autonomous country within the Kingdom. But institutional differences do little to change the lived reality of people trying to get by with too little.

Around the same time, I received a promotional video. It shows a man in a wheelchair who, through entrepreneurship, is trying to work his way out of poverty. It is an inspiring story—at the individual level. And that is precisely where the problem lies. Stories like these reinforce a persistent narrative: that poverty is ultimately an individual problem, and therefore requires an individual solution.

We see these examples constantly. Individuals who, against all odds, manage to move upward. They are highlighted as proof that it is possible. But implicitly, the message is also: if he can do it, why can’t you?

And that is where it becomes uncomfortable.

Because only a few days earlier, the very same groups and institutions described poverty as a systemic issue. They spoke about structural inequality, unequal opportunities, and the limitations of education and the labor market. Yet when it comes to communication and public imagery, the narrative quietly shifts back: the individual once again becomes the carrier of the solution.

This inconsistency is not a minor detail; it is the problem.

We talk about poverty, but we keep contradicting ourselves. We define it as structural, yet act as if it is individual. We acknowledge that systems fail, but expect individuals to compensate for those failures. And in doing so, we create a comfortable paradox: we do not have to seriously change the system as long as we can point to exceptions that seem to prove otherwise.

Meanwhile, a large group of people continues to live below the poverty line. Not because they lack motivation, not because they fail to take initiative, but because the conditions are not there. Education, access to capital, stable employment—these are not givens.

If we are serious about poverty, we also need to be consistent. That means we stop romanticizing exceptions and start addressing structures. Otherwise, we will keep doing what we are doing now: talking, rationalizing—and eventually… going quiet again.

Miguel Goede

References (APA)

Bonaire.nu. (2026, April). De harde cijfers achter ongelijkheid in Caribisch Nederland. Retrieved April 30, 2026, from https://www.bonaire.nu/nieuws/bonaire/89074/de-harde-cijfers-achter-ongelijkheid-in-caribisch-nederland

Facebook. (n.d.). Video about a wheelchair user attempting to escape poverty through entrepreneurship [Video]. Retrieved April 30, 2026, from https://www.facebook.com/reel/1930779180887898/