Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is one of the least-known countries in the world. Situated between Papua and Indonesian West Timor, Timor-Leste’s economy depends largely on the production of hydrocarbon from offshore natural gas. Most people living there do agricultural work harvesting corn, rice, coconuts, coffee and sweet potatoes. To produce additional income, locals create textiles and baskets, carved ivory, pottery and handicrafts. Politically, Timor-Leste has had a turbulent past. Independence from Indonesia came at a cost in 1999, with hundreds killed by militants. The territory became a sovereign state in May 2002 and since then the government has grappled with the issue of poverty.
Facts about Poverty in Timor-Leste:
1. Investments in Human Capital
Timor-Leste’s population is 1.3 million, of which about 42% are living in poverty, down from 50% in 2007. Standards of living have improved in the past decade, with the Human Capital Index, or investments in human capital, reaching 0.43 in 2017. However, the country still needs to increase earnings and train a more skilled workforce.
2. Health Care for Women and Children
For every 1,000 babies born in 2018, 46 will die within five years. Yet child mortality has decreased by 41% since 2013. Timor-Leste has also made strides in its maternal mortality rate, which has been reduced from 694 per 100,000 live births in 2000, to 142 in 2017.
It is important to note that the country has one of the youngest populations on earth. In 2015, 42% of the populace was made up of children ages 0 to 14. This has created a high dependency ratio of 82% for young people in the working-age population. Timor-Leste’s government has been making an effort to expand education and to help it is citizens be healthier. More progress is needed in terms of providing food to fight malnutrition and in maintaining the health of its children.
3. Big Strides in Education
The government has made significant efforts to educate children and the country is investing in building schools. From 2003 to 2015, the secondary school enrollment ratio went from 46.4% to 76.8%. Still, Timor-Leste needs to invest even more resources in its younger generation.
4. Access to Food
From 2016 to 2018, the prevalence of undernourishment was 24.9% and the rate of malnutrition in children under five was 9.9%. In response, the government has established feeding programs in schools and health centers.
5. Sustainable Infrastructure
In 2019, the World Bank created a Country Partnership Framework which will support Timor-Leste in using its natural resources for sustainable infrastructure. Its initiatives include investing in human capital and promoting gender equality; investing in the digital and transportation sectors; encouraging economic growth led by the private sector and promoting tourism and agribusiness. While these efforts are helping with poverty in Timor-Leste, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought gains in this area to a standstill.
The Pandemic has Slowed Progress
The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for Timor-Leste. According to the Global Health Observatory, there are only 59 hospital beds per 120,000 people. Complicating matters, only 5% of the country’s budget is dedicated to the health sector. Petroleum prices have dropped, and given its dependency on oil and trade, Timor-Leste’s per capita GDP could fall as low as negative 3.7% in 2020, and 4% in 2021. In addition, while the country has received medical support from UNICEF and other organizations, it will not receive as much help now, as countries are dealing with their own pandemic situations.
As of June 9, 2020, Timor-Leste’s government planned to give each home $15 in electricity credits and $100 per month. However, more needs to be done, since social and health services are limited, and over 40% of the populace is below the poverty line. It is the government’s hope that when the pandemic recedes, they will be able to pick up where they left off in the fight against poverty in Timor-Leste.
– Sarah Betuel
Photo: Flickr
Power From Thin Air: The Life of William Kamkwamba
Malawi is a relatively peaceful country, but it still suffers from poverty. Eighty percent of the economy is dependent on agriculture, which means prosperity varies dramatically year to year based on factors such as rainfall and the number of pests. As a result of this and other factors, the percentage of mothers that do not survive childbirth is 40 times higher than the U.S., and literacy rates are around 20%-65% higher than 30 years ago, but with a lot of room for growth. During a particularly bad harvest year in 2002 due to a flood, a young boy’s parents could not afford the school fees necessary to keep him there. With only one meal a day available and nothing to do but farm, the life of William Kamkwamba did not look too bright. However, he was not ready to stop learning – he often went to a local library, which received funding from a combination of NGOs and foreign government aid.
The Early Life of William Kamkwamba
He also liked to tinker – he and his friends once started a business where they fixed up radios people had, but there was only so much money they could make in that business. One thing that interested him particularly was “Using Energy,” a physics textbook that had diagrams about wells that could improve harvests and other wind-powered devices that could produce electricity. Since he had nothing to lose, Kamkwamba decided to make a wind turbine using materials around his village.
The villagers were very confused by all of this and thought he was doing drugs. As he spent most of his free time digging through rubbish to find parts for his windmill doing something that the villagers had never seen or heard of in person, this assumption made sense. Nevertheless, the 14-year-old built up a collection of materials – scrap metal, rubber from bicycle tires and wood from local trees – and assembled it within the year. The townspeople’s opinions quickly changed when the device (pictured above) powered a homemade lightbulb.
Kamkwamba’s Rise to Fame
His popularity suddenly skyrocketed. First came the people in his village who wanted to charge their cell phones at his 12V windmill. As a result of energy transfer, phones were more common than what people used to power them. As a result, inventions like Kamkwamba’s benefitted many in his community alone. Then, the local newspaper, the Daily Times, got wind of the story and encouraged some venture capitalists to show him a computer, something he had never seen before. His well-done TED talk primarily brought him fame in the U.S., where he then did the late-night circuit among names like Jon Stewart. A film showcases the life of William Kamkwamba – “The Boy who Harnessed the Wind” – and none of this would be possible if it was not for a well-placed library and Kamkwamba’s determination to make his life better.
At the same time, William Kamkwamba graduated from Dartmouth College and earned a degree in environmental studies, finishing his education that famine once interrupted so many years ago. With the money he made from donations and movie rights, he also installed a solar pump and technology to produce clean water to his home village in Malawi.
– Michael Straus
Photo: Flickr
Homelessness in Honduras on the Rise
“Shelter in place,” “stay at home” and “safer at home,” are just a few of the phrases the world has repeatedly heard over the past few months during the COVID-19 pandemic. These phrases act as a form of protection during this unprecedented time. However, around the world, not everyone can follow these guidelines because they may not have four walls to call home. During the first month of the virus’ presence in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, at least “three dozen informal economy workers” lost their homes. Men, women and children who once had an apartment now sleep in an underpass. In 2018, 48.3% of Honduras lived in poverty.
Background
Unfortunately, an underpass doesn’t shield those living in a city with one of the highest murder rates in the world.” Kids, old people, women sleep here where it’s dangerous…the people on the streets are not animals,” reports an MSN article. San Pedro Sula ranks higher than Tegucigalpa in terms of murders per capita with 47 murders per 100,000 citizens. A large percentage of this violence is a result of gang-related activity. In March of this year, the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory ranked Honduras at Level 3, warning American citizens to reconsider travel plans to the country due to the high rate of crime. Since the country has a substantially high murder rate, homelessness in Honduras poses a number of threats.
In regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, Honduras’ government has taken steps to aid the country’s citizens. Food and personal-protection equipment has been delivered to around 3.2 million Hondurans. The homeless, however, cannot receive these door-to-door staples because they do not have doors to knock upon. Therefore, the homeless population is swept under the rug, forgotten.
Lack of Resources
Another issue weighs heavily upon the homeless population: a lack of resources. One U.S.-based NGO that is working to abet the homeless situation for the next generation of Hondurans is El Rancho Ebenezer. This Christian-based organization serves as a home for orphaned and homeless children between the ages of birth to 18 who cannot be adopted due to a lack of proper documentation. During the day, the younger children attend a bilingual school onsite while the older children venture out to the neighboring public school. In the afternoon, they return to their home on the ranch where they live with in-house counselors and two mentor parents.
Kimberly Solórzano of El Rancho Ebenezer spoke with The Borgen Project about homelessness in Honduras. In regard to homeless care centers, she said, “Most of the NGOs here are directed towards education, children’s centers, things like that…So as far as homeless adults, there is definitely, absolutely nothing done by the government.” Therefore, the cyclical nature of poverty remains unabated.
Corruption
Within this cycle lies corruption. Across the country, Hondurans find shelter on property that is not their own. These so-called “squatters” build shacks or homes out of anything they can find. Discarded metal, wooden planks and weathered mattresses become a safe haven to squatters. According to Solórzano, urban slum areas are often controlled by gangs or slum lords who have no actual legal authority over the land where squatters reside but charge the squatters a monetary fee in order to reap a substantial profit. With a fragile police force, this type of gang activity often goes unnoticed. If it happens to come across the hands of an officer, the overburdened judicial system most likely will not be able to bring the case to court. As of April 2020, Honduras’ judicial system had 180,000 cases that have yet to be processed, resulting in new cases being virtually impossible to resolve. Sadly, there is little being done to control gang violence, further increasing homelessness in Honduras.
This issue takes its toll in different ways. For mothers who beg and carry their babies on their hips all day, their children do not learn to walk or develop properly. Older kids and teenagers often turn to glue to soothe hunger pains. Young men can find financial stability and familial security in a life of crime. Although homelessness in Honduras looks substantially different for each person, there is one certainty — the United States can help make a difference. This has been made evident through the work of El Rancho Ebenezer and countless NGOs in Honduras with American ties. The stars and stripes continue to show that their resources stretch beyond the American border.
– Chatham Kennedy
Photo: Flickr
7 Facts About Child Labor in Argentina
7 Facts About Child Labor in Argentina
Cruel conditions and high poverty levels force many young Argentinians into child labor. More than 19% of children ages five to fifteen enter the labor system to provide for their families. This figure is typically higher in urban areas, with up to 43% of children working to supplement their families.
Gender plays a defining role in economic prosperity. In Argentina, there is a large socioeconomic gender gap between men and women in wages and school enrollment. For children under fifteen, a 22% wage gap exists between boys and girls. The problem worsens with age: men are 40% more likely to receive higher wages than women in comparable fields. As such, men more commonly drop out of school and work full-time to provide for their families.
Actions are being taken to reduce child labor. While child labor remains prevalent, many projects and programs have helped lessen the practice in Argentina. Extensive time and work obligations limit many of these children from attending school and flourishing in their education. Proniño, a philanthropy program in Buenos Aires, aims to rectify this problem by funding scholarships for families dependent on their children for income. With more than 1,590 beneficiaries, Proniño has provided hope to numerous students with only a 1.9% dropout rate.
Human trafficking is an improving, yet rampant concern. In Argentina, more than 10,000 victims were rescued from human trafficking. Yet, many are still suffering: there are currently at least 4,000 human trafficking victims every year, most of whom are women and children. Human trafficking often entails coercing children into illicit activities like drug dealing or sexual exploitation. Large international organizations such as UNICEF are taking major steps to eradicate these actions and increase opportunities for disadvantaged children in Argentina. For example, the Ministry of Education and UNICEF enacted a two-year program to provide scholarships for students to attend school in areas protected from human trafficking. Similarly, UNICEF has allocated an annual budget of $123 million to establish social programs for countries including Argentina. This funding also strengthens educational opportunities for children vulnerable to dangerous household situations and child labor.
Child labor takes many forms. Although common forms of child labor, such as sweatshops, are technically banned in Argentina, the practice persists in other, less obvious forms. For example, many children in the countryside are coerced into prostitution or work on tobacco fields. Despite the historic popularity of these actions, drastic measures are emerging to mitigate their occurrence. Particularly, the Argentinian government is taking stronger stances against child labor laws and corrupt business practices, such as exploiting children to work on plantations. In fact, the government signed a 2018-2020 plan to end human trafficking, child prostitution and exploitation. Also, for the first time, the government sent out a nationwide survey through Argentina’s National Institute of Statistics to better understand child labor laws. The government is currently researching more measures to eliminate child labor.
Healthcare access and child labor are interconnected. Access to healthcare is a prolonged problem in Argentina that perpetuates children into forced labor. Many poor Argentinian families turn to child labor as one of the only ways to afford the medical attention they need. However, a law established in 2005 provides health services and medical supplies to underprivileged children, eliminating much of the financial pressure to engage in child labor for this purpose.
International organizations are getting involved. The United Nations has established objectives to not only lower child labor, but also limit poverty in Argentina. By establishing the Millennial Development Goals, the United Nations hopes to free 760,000 children and families living in underdeveloped areas from child labor. This project focuses on three major hubs of child labor within the country: Buenos Aires, Mendoza and Santa Fe.
Although Argentina still uses child labor in many of its business practices, governments and international organizations are acting swiftly to reduce the amount of forced labor impressed upon young children. With these comprehensive plans in the making, there is promise for eradicating child labor in Argentina.
– Aishwarya Thiyagarajan
Photo: Flickr
USAID Helps India Combat COVID-19
India remains one of the top recipients of U.S. foreign assistance, much of it being economic. Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), one of the leading global aid agencies, the U.S. committed $2.9 million to strengthen India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. USAID created a health system strengthening project implemented by Jhpiego, a global nonprofit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. The project intends to develop risk communication materials concerning COVID-19 and its potential spread to communities in 12 Indian states. Funding during the pandemic from USAID helps India provide care and treatment for those affected, safety equipment for healthcare workers and support for local communities so that they can contain and slow the spread of the virus.
USAID Helps India by Providing Supplies
USAID shipped 100 new compact and deployable ventilators to India to treat patients across the country. The units have a value of almost $1.2 million. USAID is also providing support packages that include equipment for the ventilators and additional medical supplies, technical assistance and service plans to respond to India’s urgent needs. USAID is working with organizations within India such as the Indian Red Cross Society to ensure that the ventilators are transported safely and securely to health care facilities around the country.
Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL)
In coordination with the Government of India, USAID is giving funds to the Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL). PAHAL is an innovative project by USAID and IPE Global that serves to promote health financing models and provide support for improving access to quality and affordable healthcare solutions for urban poor communities in India. PAHAL reduced healthcare costs and reached more than 10 million urban poor in India. The project’s sustainable development goals have helped to mitigate the negative health and socioeconomic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. PAHAL also improved economic growth in targeted areas and reduced income and gender inequalities faced by many cities’ poorest communities.
With the PAHAL project, USAID supports the National Health Authority’s establishment of a financing facility that can utilize and transfer private sector resources to health facilities across India that are enrolled in the country’s health insurance, positively impacting around 500 million poor and vulnerable people. PAHAL’s widespread, positive impact is one of the primary ways USAID helps India combat COVID-19.
The Partnership of the US and India
The U.S. has been the world’s biggest bilateral assistance provider in public health. Over the last two decades, the U.S. government provided more than $2.8 billion in total health assistance. USAID’s additional funding to India during the coronavirus pandemic is a testament to the two nations’ enduring partnership and commitment to global health. This new grant will support the World Health Organization’s various initiatives in India. By giving quality tools to local communities, USAID helped slow the spread and severity of COVID-19. USAID’s action stems not only from the relationship between the U.S. and India but also the realization that “an infectious-disease threat anywhere can become a threat everywhere.”
– Mia McKnight
Photo: Pexels
Mud Stoves to Help Fight Deforestation in Uganda
With only 10% of the rural population of Uganda having access to electricity, it is no surprise that the rest of the population is forced to rely on other sources for food and energy. Unfortunately, this means that many people cut down trees leading to one of the highest global deforestation rates. Each year, nearly 3% of Uganda’s forests are cut down for fuel, agriculture and to make room for an increasing population. At the current rate of deforestation in Uganda, the country is likely to lose all of its forests in the next 25 years.
The repercussions of these actions are clear to see. Besides the landscape almost being completely devoid of trees, the dry season has become longer and filled with more droughts. The loose soil has caused heavy rainfall to turn into deadly floods, while crops are producing less and less yield. The wood from cut trees is mostly used to fuel stoves for cooking. But this has caused a separate issue where the smoke collects inside homes and causes respiratory issues for family members who stay at home and cook.
How Mud Stoves Can Help Reduce Deforestation
Badru Kyewalyanga, a local man frustrated by the minimal action from the government on the matter, developed a solution to this issue: mud stoves. The stoves are made of mud, water and straw, and require little time to be constructed. Balls of mud are thrown into the ground to remove air bubbles and prevent cracks. The mud is then molded around the trunk of a banana-like plant called the matooke tree. The stove is cut and arranged to form a combustion chamber, a chimney and several ventilation shafts. After two weeks, the mud hardens and can be removed from the tree and is ready for use.
The stoves are incredibly efficient as they require only half the amount of wood for fuel compared to a traditional stove and oven. In addition, the placement of the chimney when attached to a wall of the house means that the wood smoke can escape without being trapped inside. Kyewalyanga, along with local and international volunteers has worked together to build over 100 stoves helping villagers to breathe cleaner air, while also reducing the rate of deforestation in Uganda.
Use of Mud Stoves in South Sudan
The stoves have now begun to spread their usefulness to other groups of people in Africa as well. Refugees from South Sudan are often forced to venture into the forests for firewood or charcoal to prepare meals, which is risky due to the prevalent violence in the region. Unfortunately, they are left with little choice if they are to survive. However, they were introduced to a newer and more efficient method of cooking by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
ADRA’s mission was to provide necessary supplies to the refugees escaping South Sudan. One of the items provided to the refugees was the mud stove developed in Uganda. Because the stove emits a smaller amount of smoke than a conventional stove and minimizes the number of trees to be cut down to collect fuel, they became incredibly popular. Members of ADRA were able to give demonstrations and trained women and children on its usage. These projects have shown that mud stoves are a useful and efficient way to provide a cheap way to cook food as well as fight deforestation in Uganda and other parts of Africa.
– Aditya Daita
Photo: Pixabay
5 Facts About Poverty in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is one of the least-known countries in the world. Situated between Papua and Indonesian West Timor, Timor-Leste’s economy depends largely on the production of hydrocarbon from offshore natural gas. Most people living there do agricultural work harvesting corn, rice, coconuts, coffee and sweet potatoes. To produce additional income, locals create textiles and baskets, carved ivory, pottery and handicrafts. Politically, Timor-Leste has had a turbulent past. Independence from Indonesia came at a cost in 1999, with hundreds killed by militants. The territory became a sovereign state in May 2002 and since then the government has grappled with the issue of poverty.
Facts about Poverty in Timor-Leste:
1. Investments in Human Capital
Timor-Leste’s population is 1.3 million, of which about 42% are living in poverty, down from 50% in 2007. Standards of living have improved in the past decade, with the Human Capital Index, or investments in human capital, reaching 0.43 in 2017. However, the country still needs to increase earnings and train a more skilled workforce.
2. Health Care for Women and Children
For every 1,000 babies born in 2018, 46 will die within five years. Yet child mortality has decreased by 41% since 2013. Timor-Leste has also made strides in its maternal mortality rate, which has been reduced from 694 per 100,000 live births in 2000, to 142 in 2017.
It is important to note that the country has one of the youngest populations on earth. In 2015, 42% of the populace was made up of children ages 0 to 14. This has created a high dependency ratio of 82% for young people in the working-age population. Timor-Leste’s government has been making an effort to expand education and to help it is citizens be healthier. More progress is needed in terms of providing food to fight malnutrition and in maintaining the health of its children.
3. Big Strides in Education
The government has made significant efforts to educate children and the country is investing in building schools. From 2003 to 2015, the secondary school enrollment ratio went from 46.4% to 76.8%. Still, Timor-Leste needs to invest even more resources in its younger generation.
4. Access to Food
From 2016 to 2018, the prevalence of undernourishment was 24.9% and the rate of malnutrition in children under five was 9.9%. In response, the government has established feeding programs in schools and health centers.
5. Sustainable Infrastructure
In 2019, the World Bank created a Country Partnership Framework which will support Timor-Leste in using its natural resources for sustainable infrastructure. Its initiatives include investing in human capital and promoting gender equality; investing in the digital and transportation sectors; encouraging economic growth led by the private sector and promoting tourism and agribusiness. While these efforts are helping with poverty in Timor-Leste, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought gains in this area to a standstill.
The Pandemic has Slowed Progress
The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for Timor-Leste. According to the Global Health Observatory, there are only 59 hospital beds per 120,000 people. Complicating matters, only 5% of the country’s budget is dedicated to the health sector. Petroleum prices have dropped, and given its dependency on oil and trade, Timor-Leste’s per capita GDP could fall as low as negative 3.7% in 2020, and 4% in 2021. In addition, while the country has received medical support from UNICEF and other organizations, it will not receive as much help now, as countries are dealing with their own pandemic situations.
As of June 9, 2020, Timor-Leste’s government planned to give each home $15 in electricity credits and $100 per month. However, more needs to be done, since social and health services are limited, and over 40% of the populace is below the poverty line. It is the government’s hope that when the pandemic recedes, they will be able to pick up where they left off in the fight against poverty in Timor-Leste.
– Sarah Betuel
Photo: Flickr
Realizing UNSCR 1325: Men as Partners to Female Peacekeepers
Major social change starts with a shift in mentality, support from the top, persistence and structure. That is why male allies are key to the full realization of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. Without support and encouragement from male leaders, which are often lacking, women will be harder pressed to participate in important political decisions. Women cannot make this change on their own, and neither can men– thus, the solution lies in working together, with men as partners.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325
UNSCR 1325 is a landmark resolution that was adopted by a unanimous vote on October 31, 2000. The resolution stresses the importance of female peacekeepers in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, the humanitarian response in war zones or impoverished areas, peace negotiations, and post-conflict civil reconstruction. This resolution brings to light the urgency of providing women a seat at the political table and calls on everyone to protect women and girls from gender-based violence.
The Positive Effects of Female Leadership
Women’s leadership is essential in ensuring long-lasting peace and conflict resolution. In fact, studies show that the probability of a peace agreement lasting 15 years goes up by 35% when women participate in its creation. Additionally, there are more agreement provisions for political reform and gender provisions in peace agreements signed by women. Typical peace agreements often do not address gender equality: in fact, of the 1,789 agreements made between 1990 and 2018, only 353 included provisions that address women, girls, or gender whatsoever. Thus, women’s involvement in these agreements could be crucial in addressing more social and gender inequalities.
Female Peacekeepers
Women are vital in peacekeeping. They are necessary in every role, from monitoring human rights to political reconciliation to operational analysis. Women are often first responders during or after conflict and are fundamental in helping to repair devastated economies. Why, then, are they still not totally equal when it comes to political roles in maintaining peace and security? How can this problem be resolved?
The Importance of Men as Partners
One important strategy is to mobilize men. Men acting as partners to women in issues of peace, conflict, reconciliation, and post-conflict reconstruction is essential to closing this gender gap, as men currently have more seats at the political table. Our Secure Future, a nonprofit dedicated to this strategy, is taking the necessary steps to build this partnership in an effort to fully realize the potential of UNSCR 1325. Their project, Mobilizing Men as Partners for Women, Peace and Security, began in 2018 in the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. It engages global figures who agree that men must be a part of the solution in the full realization of the 1325 agenda. The project has drafted a Charter and call to action to encourage the full implementation of UNSCR 1325, along with the US Women, Peace and Security Act of 2017. This partnership of men and women will help ensure that women are equally engaged as leaders, planners, and peacekeepers in post-conflict societies.
There is still much work to be done, but the increasing trend of male support for UNSCR 1325 is certainly a step in the right direction. Tackling big issues like gender-based violence and post-conflict reconstruction are not easy feats. They require strong leaders and peacekeepers. They also require both male and female perspectives for optimal success, so conflict-ridden societies cannot prosper until the political playing field is as equal as possible.
– Rochelle Gluzman
Photo: Flickr
6 Facts About the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations oversees all foreign policy legislation and foreign aid programs in the United States Senate. It is one of the essential parts of the government in terms of shaping foreign policy. The influence of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations played an instrumental role in such historical legislation as the Marshall Plan in 1948, which provided economic aid to Western Europe in the aftermath of World War II. Its corresponding committee in the House of Representatives is the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The Committee on Foreign Relations currently has 22 members, including chairman Jim Risch, a Republican Senator for Idaho. Here are six facts about this key U.S. Senate committee.
6 Facts About the Influence of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Many factors and institutions shape the foreign policy of the United States. Throughout the U.S.’s history, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has affected how the country has interacted with the rest of the world. The ideology of its members can significantly impact the issues the Senate Committee and subcommittees focus on, where specific funding goes and what legislation is introduced into Congress. The influence of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations affects the U.S. and many international agencies, proving its significant importance in the fight to reduce global poverty.
– Gabriel Guerin
Photo: Pixabay
The Growth of African Coffee
Global demand for coffee consistently grows every year, and most coffee comes from regions close to the equator. Africa’s suitable climate and geography produces a unique bean that many people crave. However, only one of the top five coffee-producing countries is African, indicating great potential for the growth of African coffee.
Growth Potential
Although other countries produce more coffee beans than African countries, industry leaders such as Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia do not strictly control the marketplace because not all coffee is equal. Unlike other products such as steel or oil, coffee is a product that differs by region, elevation, soil and climate. Because consumers demand a diversity of beans, new countries that are suitable to grow coffee face fewer entry barriers and establish a niche in the coffee market.
Ethiopia takes the lead in coffee production among African countries and still has an additional 5.4 million hectares of suitable farmland available for future growth. Experts expect that the country will produce a record amount in 2020 and increase its exports to 4 million 60-kilogram bags. The profits from the growth of African coffee directly benefits the people because the production is more democratized than the production of other resources. Coffee is a renewable source of wealth that most Africans have access to, unlike resources like oil or diamonds that require expensive infrastructure to extract and sell.
Localized Production
Unlike other cash crops, families often grow coffee on small localized farms. Many African coffee farmers own small plots and sell their beans at larger markets that they then export around the world. The ability of individual farmers to grow their own crops empowers the individual to grow and prosper. Instead of large fields that hire workers at low wages, localized coffee farms provide opportunity and self-sufficient careers for the people of Africa.
To combat poverty, it is crucial that individuals have the ability to grow their own wealth and establish generational wealth in families when the farm passes down from parents to children. People that work on large farms for hourly wages are unable to grow their wealth for future generations as well as someone that owns their source of income. When people own coffee trees, they can invest their earning and expand their farm and subsequent wealth. Then, the children of parents with coffee farms can further grow the farm their parents invested in and live a more prosperous life than their parents. The localized production of African coffee beans creates generational wealth and improves the standard of living for future African children.
Investing in the Future
The growth of African coffee will provide generational wealth for the future and continue to prosper as the global demand for coffee increases. Consumers enjoy unique African coffee beans and will continue to import coffee as African countries such as Ethiopia ramp up production to meet the growing demand. The profit directly benefits the farmers who sell their beans at markets for export around the world. Family-owned farms provide a source of income that people can invest and use to expand existing coffee farms. There are millions of acres yet to be farmed, and many impoverished people that will benefit from the growth of African coffee.
– Noah Kleinert
Photo: Flickr
7 Facts About Healthcare in the Maldives
People know the Maldives internationally for its beautiful beaches and remote atolls. This south Asian nation has a unique healthcare system with a design specific for an island. Here are seven facts about healthcare in the Maldives.
7 Facts About Healthcare in the Maldives
Healthcare in the Maldives is rapidly improving, with the country having an above-average life expectancy and basic health services on all inhabited islands. However, some areas of the nation struggle to receive essential medical supplies and medicine can be expensive. Overall, these seven facts about healthcare in the Maldives show that the country is making progress a priority and heading towards promising results.
– Kayleigh Crabb
Photo: Pixabay