Pathology of Poverty Reduction of Imam Khomeini’s Relief Committee in Rural Areas (Case Study: Beneficiaries Covered in Tangestan City)

In today's world, poverty continues to pose a significant challenge for numerous countries globally. Its adverse impact on various facets of society, including economic growth, social well-being, and human development, hinders endeavors toward sustainable progress, particularly in developing nations like Iran. Disturbing statistics reveal an unfortunate trend where not only is poverty steadily increasing overall in Iran, but it is also specifically on the rise within rural areas. Each passing year sees more people struggling to make ends meet and turning to charitable organizations for assistance. The establishment of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee in February 1978 was a pivotal step toward addressing poverty and implementing measures to alleviate it. The organization's primary objective is to support deprived and needy individuals across Iran with the ultimate goal of eradicating poverty from the society. Assessing the effectiveness of this committee's policies is crucial for achieving its mission, especially considering its work in various rural areas throughout the country. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the success of these efforts thus far.‎

This study employed both qualitative and conceptual analysis methods to gather the necessary data. Data were obtained through document examination and interviews conducted with 23 clients and 5 informants of the relief committee. The research was conducted in rural Tangestan City situated within Bushehr Province with a focus on clients meeting specific criteria, such as having a household head younger than 50 years old, who was fully able-bodied, receiving support from the relief committee for at least 3 years, and being entirely financially dependent on the aid provided by the committee.
Through a conceptual analysis of the interviews, 5 primary themes emerged regarding the evaluation of poverty alleviation policies established by the aid committee. These main themes included the following:The theme of inadequate institutional performance highlighted the insufficient capability of current institutions in promoting economic development while simultaneously reducing poverty and inequality. This theme encompassed 3 sub-themes: failure to cater to basic client needs, overpricing clients through inflation, lack of transparency, and administrative corruption. Therefore, regular institutional improvements were required to increase participation levels, enabling progress within the society.
The theme of macroeconomic instability of society comprised 3 sub-themes: the inflationary economic structure of the society, financial obstacles related to banking, and the committee's weak finances coupled with ineffective communication practices towards other institutions. The current state had been primarily brought about due to Iran's economy heavily relying on oil for sustenance, along with a persistently high double-digit inflation rate over 4 decades.
The theme of acceptance of the culture of poverty emerged from 3 sub-themes: the absence of social empowerment for clients, a culture that accepted and perpetuated poverty, and a lack of demands made by clients to their committee. The sustained conditions faced by these individuals over time had fostered feelings of fatalism and learned helplessness, ultimately impeding progress towards alleviating poverty.
The underlying message of the theme of lack of effective facilitation programs was based on the fact that the relief committee's programs suffered from inadequacies in both quantity and quality, along with unequal distribution of opportunities and privileges. Moreover, there appeared to be a lack of effective employment strategies due to insufficient rural self-employment plans and short-term objectives by the relief committee.

This study revealed that the relief committee's efforts to reduce poverty in rural areas were inadequate across various sectors. In addition to implementing necessary economic reforms, the Imam Khomeini's Relief Committee must address banking barriers and correctly identify those truly in need of aid. Effective supervision of charitable institutions, increased community involvement through communication with other government agencies, encouragement of workforce development programs, and social counseling services are also recommended actions toward improving poverty alleviation outcomes. This research showed that while individual factors play a role in perpetuating cyclical poverty at micro-levels, more important are structural issues that determine success or failure when addressing policies related to reducing such inequalities within these communities.