Importance Of Development Studies

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Development Studies is a relatively young field of academic study within social sciences and I am honoured to be one of the people studying it. It is about acquiring the necessary tools to grapple with the challenges inherent in the extremely complex yet rewarding endeavours of transforming our world for the better. It tries to understand the nature of the differences and inequalities that come in the world. The study of development studies provides a thorough academic grounding besides initiating debates, discussions and generates practical viewpoints and that is where I find satisfaction, in being part of finding appropriate solutions to the problems that come with our rural-urban dynamic environment. Development Studies intends to study the improvement in people’s lives. It is about human development and is concerned with providing a “voice” to those living in poverty around the world. And as stated eloquently by Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, human development refers to the goal of providing people the freedom to make their lives better. Growing up in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, Qumbu, I have seen and experienced the trauma of not having access to safe and clean water, electricity, living in poverty and not having access to good and quality schooling. I have had to travel miles to get access to unhealthy water and unsanitary water supplies and that was the only water we had. I have climbed mountains to unsafe bushes to get wood to cook and have had to

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