Impact of Covid-19 on the Indigenous Communities (Essay Sample)

Impact of Covid-19 on the Indigenous Communities
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IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
1. Introduction
1.1 Background Information
Covid-19 pandemic started in 2019 December and has impacted individual, economic and psychological wellbeing of individuals throughout the world. According to the world bank, Covid -19 is expected to push 49 million people into poverty in 2020, due to the effected economic activities throughout the world (Castaneda et al., 2020). More than 370 million individuals from indigenous communities throughout the world (Power et al, 2020). Indigenous communities are the groups of individuals having historical continuity and consider themselves distinct and unique from other societies. Due to the separation with other communities, the indigenous communities have fewer resources and facilities to cater to the individuals. Therefore, to understand the impact, the analysis is based on historical implications, economic effects and identifying the key contributing factors to the impact of the pandemic.
1.2. Key Issues
The report will cover three key areas: impact on the community, business impact, and economic discrepancies and how the pandemic has aggravated them.
1.3. Statement on the impact of COVID-19 on the indigenous communities
The Indigenous people are already faced with various challenges, but the eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has made their situation even more difficult. According to a United Nation report, Covid-19 has led to poor access to healthcare, the spread of communicable diseases, lacking the basic services and lacking access to essentials such as water, soap and disinfectants ("Covid-19 and Indigenous peoples | United Nations For Indigenous Peoples", 2020). Other than the impact on individual wellbeing, businesses have also been affected as economic discrepancies increase.
2.0 Community impact
2.1. Impact of the virus on Indigenous communities
The consequences and the spread of the pandemeic among the indigenpous communities as result of their extra ordinary cultural and behavioural characteristics among other limitations. The community is known to live yunder poor infrastructure, dilapidated conditions and low food security. The commnunities also are curtailed by the cultural affiliations that has been found to be deeply rooted that it hinders behavioral change aimed at preventing the disease. Therefore, the disease has found a hub where the elderly are at risk of contracting the pandemic given their resilience and industrious efforts to provide for their families.
2.2. Unique aspects of Indigenous communities
Indigenous communities are endowed with scarce economic resources because of their low level ofskills and knowledge to utilize and compete for natural resources. the traditionalset up among the people is making the people to believe in superstitions and the power of herbal medications. Furthermore, it is hard to implement the recommendation of to counter Cvid19 like social distancing and other hygienic guidelines because of their cultural beliefs that govern their general life (Ferrante & Fearnside 2020). Therefore, the people poorly utilizes the healthcare services hence creating an avenue for the spread of the disease. The group is keen in seeking formal education due to the limited knowledge and skills hence they are majorly engaged in informal source of employment. Furthermore, tourism acts an important source of income.
2.3. Historical implications for disease spread in Indigenous communities
It is predictable that the indigenous communities are goinmg to suffer majorly on the pandemic based on the previous findings that indicated that they had been invaded mostly by communicable and chronic diseases. In essence, diseases spread faster in the indigenous community setting than other groups because of their behavioral and cultural framework. There are other contributing factors like limited access to quality healthcare services has fueled high child mortality rate and encouraged the spread of diseases. Therefore, the realities among the community does not only affect the life span of the indigenous community but also facilitate the spread of such diseases as covid 19.
3. 0 Business Impacts
3.1 How COVID-19 impacts Indigenous people businesses
Small businesses conducted by the indigenous people have greatly been affected by the pandemic as aresult of the curfews imposed on the countries ofd origin. For instance, as result of limited movement, itinerant traders and other business persons who depended on walking at specific hours were greatlty affected. Again, the business that require movements and the business persons that invested in transfort industry were adversely affe ted as result of hyked cost of transportation. Therefore the population that relied in small business enterprises and did not have precautionary savings suffered the impact of the pandemic majorly (Barton et al. 2020).There has been massive job losses both at the informal and formal setting of the businesses. The pandemic has affected the market forces of supply and demand of goods and services forcing the employees to adapt new survival tactics and coping mechanisms to survive. The middle level employers among the population have been forced to reduce the number off employees, order unpaid leave or make unpredictable layoffs.
3.2. Main business sectors impacted
The increase spread rate of the pandemic has escalated the cost of passengers and transport operators hence increasing the cost of production across all industries. The disruption has changesd the expenses of offering and providing goods and services has been caused by the reduction of passengers into half the number as measure to adhrere to social distancing requirements (Barrios-Garrido et al 2018). Furthermore, there are additional costs incurred by the employees and the employers alike on the masks and detergents at the point of entry into workplaces and areas of boarding in the transport sector.
The rea estate business is also affected by the layoffs and reduced salaries that have called for unionist group to advocate for the wellbeing of their members. As such, the landlords has experienced reduced payment or have been forced tpo cut the rent by half. In addition, other industries like factories have incurred increased cost of production without compensation in the market hence employees has been forced to wait long before their earnings are paid.
3.3. Industries Indigenous communities tend to be involved
The indigenous people are involved in small business enterprises that has been largely affected by the pandemic. For instance, the take-up rates of the businesses as well as their resilience impacts on loans compared to grant-based initiatives is low. In addition, the business at limpoo due to the unpredictability on the disruptions caused bey the disease. The impacts of the business by the pandemic could have been addressed by Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act but dure to bureaucratic hassles, anticipated challenges in accessing the funds as well as the establishing eligibility has rendered the group helpless.
3.4. How the Sectors are impacted
The sectors are generally impacted through labour and the cost of production as well as market forces. The escalating cost of production caused by the adjustments in the transport networks without return in investment has affected the servicing of employees and sale of commodities. In essence, the consumers patterns change as people opted for primary and basic needs due as precautionary measures and scarcely of resources.
4.0 Economic Discrepancies
4.1. Economic Discrepancies between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people
There is no huge difference between the indigenous and non-indigenous people in terms of resource allocation and distribution. The little exposure of the former to information makes them at disadvantaged position in negotiation for resources allocation and utilization. Furthermore, employment opportunities are limited for the indigenoyus communities unlike the non-indigenous people who are at disposal to the opportunities because of their access and advancement in education (Taylor 2018). . Therefore, the literacy level of the indigenous makes them less productive economically compared to the civilsed and educated group who are not only exposed to jjob opportunities but are also well versed with knowledge on how to use resources.
4.2. Key contributing factors
The level of education dictates the kind of jobs that people are employed in hence the indigenous community whose members are less educated work most in the informal sector. The informal busineeses are characterized by minimal pay hence low standard of living among the community that empoverishing in poverty (Figueiredo et al. 2020). Therefore, the scarce resources and finances available are tailoredvto meet the basic needs of the people rather than investing in the progressive projects. Furthermore, the people under this class are marginalized and discriminated due to the economic stratification cuased by increased discrepancy between the no-indigenous and the indigenous people.
In addition, the level of ignorance amon the indigenous has not only hinder economic development but it has alsio curtaile the mitigation measures agauinst the pandemic hence increasing unpredictability. The experts cannot ascertain nor predict the extent and when the pan