Many post-communist states have met with challenges, as without a working market economy, private capital is scarce. Enter U.S. enterprise funds, providing loans to businesses to improve their standing, create jobs and return money to U.S. coffers—a win-win situation.
US Enterprise Funds
Enterprise funds operate as a venture capital firm, with an emphasis on lending to small and medium businesses (SMEs) in the countries where they exist. They have a limited lifetime—usually 10 to 15 years. Each fund also has a board of directors, with appointees from both U.S. businesses and local enterprises. For the most part, the funds work with great autonomy under USAID’s umbrella. There were political concerns regarding early enterprise funds, as some believed USAID lacked sufficient business know-how. However, it turned out that their involvement would be beneficial.
The funds also have a dual mandate. They are to “promote private sector development” while “generat[ing] financial returns for the U.S. government,” according to The Hill.
Post-Soviet Funds
In post-communist Eastern Europe, the George H. Bush Administration first deployed enterprise funds to help former Soviet states rebuild. The first two such occurred in Hungary and Poland, with a total investment of $300 million. By investing in private companies, the Funds aimed to help develop these states’ free market. In Poland, for example, the Fund helped start a micro-lending company, Fundusz Mikro, that is still operational today and has loaned money to over 57,000 small and micro-business owners.
Congress established 10 enterprise funds across Europe in the 1990s, which generated almost $7 billion in private capital and “as much as $1.7 billion of net proceeds from successful investments,” according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They also helped create more than 300,000 jobs in the Eastern and Central European regions. For the United States, these funds contributed to stabilizing the region, fostering private investment and returned $200 million to the U.S. Treasury.
Current Funds
Today, only two enterprise funds remain. These emerged under the Obama Administration in Tunisia and Egypt, in 2012. Aiming to support post-Arab Spring markets, these funds granted annual cash infusions, with total funding capped at $100 million and $300 million, respectively, for the life of the programs.
In Tunisia, the Tunisian-American Enterprise Fund (TAEF) has seen success, investing in information and technology, construction and other sectors. One company, Net-Info, a school offering courses in 3D animation and gaming in the North African region, received funding from TAEF to open a campus in Tunisia’s capital, Tunis. Africa’s population is both young and growing, and youth make up 60% of the continent’s unemployed, so institutions like Net-Info that give marketable skills can reduce joblessness and instability. In sum, TAEF has supported around 5,000 jobs in Tunisia.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund (EAEF) has experienced similar success. EAEF has assisted 140,000 SMEs, like Fawry and Sarwa Capital, companies focusing on improving financial accessibility in a country where two-thirds of citizens are unbanked. Both companies have seen substantial growth, with Fawry adding more than 6 million customers since EAEF’s initial investment. Another financial services company, Flat6Labs Cairo, has given seed money to several small businesses, 31% of which women own. In 2017, reports determined that the fund directly generated 430 jobs in the country.
Enterprise funds, historically, have accomplished their mandate well. Congress has considered expanding certain enterprise funds. For example, an Enterprise Fund in Jordan emerged but never received funding. A logical step for Congress would be to continue this fund and consider establishing similar enterprises in other states where businesses have insufficient access to capital.
– Jonathan Helton
Photo: Flickr
Intel’s Tech for Good Initiatives During COVID-19
Intel’s Tech for Good During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In April 2020, Intel pledged $50 million to COVID-19 relief in the form of supporting research efforts, technology for medical infrastructure and help for low-income students’ online learning needs. Collectively, $40 million focuses on improving patient care, scientific research and online learning. The other $10 million focuses on funding new ideas and technologies with external partners and employee-led relief projects to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Intel also donated $10 million, which went toward masks, gloves and PPE for local communities.
Medical: Response and Readiness Initiative
An example of Intel creating Tech for Good was during the initial period where Intel and Medical Informatics Corp (MIC) provided ventilator manufacturers with vital parts and created virtual intensive care units (ICUs). These remote ICUs operate on the MIC’s Sickbay™ platform. They protect front-line healthcare providers by reducing the risk of exposure to the virus. Additionally, they provide an efficient means of monitoring critical care patients through a single dashboard on a computer. This effort helps hospitals ease the strain on their manpower during the pandemic. Intel has agreed to fund the initial implemental fees and waive the first 90 days of software subscription licensing. This will help hospitals access the products needed to upscale their workforce and meet the demands of treating patients promptly.
Furthermore, as a multinational company with an international focus, Intel has donated funds to countries that require help to combat COVID-19. In collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia (AMCHAM), Intel Malaysia pledged to donate more than RM2 Million to help healthcare professionals in combating COVID-19. The funds donated will go toward buying COVID-19 test “kits, ventilators, patient monitors and air purifiers” for government hospitals in the states of Penang and Kedah. This is all done in an effort to reduce the burden on the Malaysian healthcare system during the pandemic.
Education: Online Learning Initiative
Challenges to study from home during the pandemic are affecting thousands of needy children globally. According to an American survey, only 60% of children in the United States have access to reliable Internet connectivity. Furthermore, approximately 40% of children do not have electronic devices to facilitate their studying from home. Hence, recently Intel partnered with First Book to launch the Creating Learning Connections Initiative that supports Title I supports children in “school districts affected by the pandemic.” Through the initiative, Intel and its partners are funding $5 million for the purchase of personal computers and digital resources. Furthermore, the initiative is awarding $4,000 to each “district in an effort to set up stable internet connectivity for children who need to study from home.”
Another example of Intel creating Tech for Good is through Intel’s Online Learning Initiative. This program provides “PC donations, online virtual resources, study-at-home guides and device connectivity assistance.” It will start in the U.S., but Intel plans to expand the program around the world. The technology allows students that do not have access to technology with devices and online learning tools. By partnering closely with public schools, Intel will enable many students to continue learning despite the national lockdown. Hence, the pandemic has been a clear catalyst for technological innovation in the interest of social good.
Creating Hope for Future Generations
According to Intel VP Rick Echevarria, “people’s health will be critical to the world’s economic recovery, just as the economic recovery will be key to everyone’s health.” He emphasizes further that the technologies developed by Intel, such as digital health and online learning, will outlive the pandemic. This creates hope that technological innovation and collaboration in the interest of public health will be continued throughout generations.
– Mariyah Lia
Photo: Flickr
US Enterprise Funds Stimulate Investment
Many post-communist states have met with challenges, as without a working market economy, private capital is scarce. Enter U.S. enterprise funds, providing loans to businesses to improve their standing, create jobs and return money to U.S. coffers—a win-win situation.
US Enterprise Funds
Enterprise funds operate as a venture capital firm, with an emphasis on lending to small and medium businesses (SMEs) in the countries where they exist. They have a limited lifetime—usually 10 to 15 years. Each fund also has a board of directors, with appointees from both U.S. businesses and local enterprises. For the most part, the funds work with great autonomy under USAID’s umbrella. There were political concerns regarding early enterprise funds, as some believed USAID lacked sufficient business know-how. However, it turned out that their involvement would be beneficial.
The funds also have a dual mandate. They are to “promote private sector development” while “generat[ing] financial returns for the U.S. government,” according to The Hill.
Post-Soviet Funds
In post-communist Eastern Europe, the George H. Bush Administration first deployed enterprise funds to help former Soviet states rebuild. The first two such occurred in Hungary and Poland, with a total investment of $300 million. By investing in private companies, the Funds aimed to help develop these states’ free market. In Poland, for example, the Fund helped start a micro-lending company, Fundusz Mikro, that is still operational today and has loaned money to over 57,000 small and micro-business owners.
Congress established 10 enterprise funds across Europe in the 1990s, which generated almost $7 billion in private capital and “as much as $1.7 billion of net proceeds from successful investments,” according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They also helped create more than 300,000 jobs in the Eastern and Central European regions. For the United States, these funds contributed to stabilizing the region, fostering private investment and returned $200 million to the U.S. Treasury.
Current Funds
Today, only two enterprise funds remain. These emerged under the Obama Administration in Tunisia and Egypt, in 2012. Aiming to support post-Arab Spring markets, these funds granted annual cash infusions, with total funding capped at $100 million and $300 million, respectively, for the life of the programs.
In Tunisia, the Tunisian-American Enterprise Fund (TAEF) has seen success, investing in information and technology, construction and other sectors. One company, Net-Info, a school offering courses in 3D animation and gaming in the North African region, received funding from TAEF to open a campus in Tunisia’s capital, Tunis. Africa’s population is both young and growing, and youth make up 60% of the continent’s unemployed, so institutions like Net-Info that give marketable skills can reduce joblessness and instability. In sum, TAEF has supported around 5,000 jobs in Tunisia.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund (EAEF) has experienced similar success. EAEF has assisted 140,000 SMEs, like Fawry and Sarwa Capital, companies focusing on improving financial accessibility in a country where two-thirds of citizens are unbanked. Both companies have seen substantial growth, with Fawry adding more than 6 million customers since EAEF’s initial investment. Another financial services company, Flat6Labs Cairo, has given seed money to several small businesses, 31% of which women own. In 2017, reports determined that the fund directly generated 430 jobs in the country.
Enterprise funds, historically, have accomplished their mandate well. Congress has considered expanding certain enterprise funds. For example, an Enterprise Fund in Jordan emerged but never received funding. A logical step for Congress would be to continue this fund and consider establishing similar enterprises in other states where businesses have insufficient access to capital.
– Jonathan Helton
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About Healthcare in Canada
Canada is a picturesque country famous for its maple syrup and hockey. This United States neighbor is also the second-largest country in the world, home to over 37.5 million people and 80,000 different animal species. Although tourists visiting Canada do not typically think about issues such as healthcare when visiting the country, this topic is highly controversial and important for most Canadian citizens. Here are five facts about healthcare in Canada.
5 Facts About Healthcare in Canada
While the natural beauty of Canada might mask the true complexity of the country’s healthcare structure for many tourists, citizens see value in understanding and improving this system. Although citizens receive coverage for a majority of medical expenses, governments are ultimately responsible for continuing to foster efficient, affordable and extensive health programs to guarantee the well-being of all Canadians.
– Kate Estevez
Photo: Flickr
Improving Healthcare in Zambia
Zambia, a landlocked country in Southern-Central Africa, faces several ongoing health challenges. In 2017, Zambia’s public health expenditure was 4.47% of the GDP, one of the lowest rates in southern Africa. Two ministries that provide information about health and deliver health services, administer public healthcare in Zambia. These are the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child.
Problems in the Healthcare System
As public healthcare in Zambia remains incredibly underfunded, pharmacies in Zambia are not always well-stocked, and many deem emergency services inadequate. Additionally, inequities in public health care service access and utilization exist in the country. While 99% of households in urban areas are within five kilometers of a health facility, this close access occurs in only 50% of rural areas.
As a result of these deficiencies within the system, UNICEF reports that Zambia’s under-5 mortality rate is 57.8 deaths per 1,000 live births. In 2009, 980,000 people lived with HIV/AIDS in Zambia, and 45,000 of those people died the same year due to the disease.
Lack of clean water has resulted in water- and food-borne diseases and epidemics that have been devastating Zambia for decades, including dysentery and cholera. These issues mainly affect impoverished areas, as overcrowding leads to sanitation issues. In the Kanyama slum in Lusaka, 15 households share one latrine when the weather is good. During the rainy season, Kanyama’s high water table causes the filling of 10,000 latrines with water. Areas like Kanyama require long-term infrastructure measures, such as sanitation, sewage lines and piped water.
The Path to Development
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established an office in Zambia in 2000 to address HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases. CDC support in Zambia includes expanding academic and clinical training programs with advanced technology at the University of Zambia and the University Teaching Hospital, and the development of a National Public Health Institute to strengthen public health surveillance. Moreover, CDC instituted a Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) to train a workforce of field epidemiologists to identify and contain disease outbreaks before they become epidemics. Exactly 42 epidemiologists have graduated from the program since December 2018.
In 2018, Zambia presented to the World Health Assembly in Geneva regarding the cholera outbreak by citing its efforts regarding vaccination, water safety and waste management. Additionally, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, worked with Zambia to fund and deliver 667,100 oral cholera vaccine doses to Lusaka slums after an outbreak that affected more than 5,700 people.
Looking Ahead
Most recently, Zambia embarked on the first round of its annual Child Health Week campaign from June 22- 26, 2020 to deliver child survival interventions to protect children and adolescents from deadly diseases. Furthermore, to promote fairness and equality, the campaign aims to improve children’s health by ensuring essential services reach children who do not benefit from routine health services. This campaign accelerates the country’s progress toward attaining the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for reducing child deaths by two-thirds by 2030, improving healthcare in Zambia overall.
The infrastructure for healthcare in Zambia is overall poor due to a lack of funding, poorly maintained facilities and supply shortages of medications and medical equipment. However, one step to a better healthcare system is to ensure equitable access to health services, especially for those who live in rural areas or slums. To reduce inequities, Zambia must strengthen primary facilities that serve the people who live in these regions and dismantle the existing barriers.
– Isabella Thorpe
Photo: Flickr
4 Facts about Measles in the Central African Republic
Measles is a viral infection spread through airborne respiratory droplets from an infected individual. Measles can cause typical flu-like symptoms and a skin rash, and, under certain circumstances, it can lead to death. While the illness is virtually obsolete in more developed countries, other countries, such as the Central African Republic, struggle with keeping it at bay. Here are four important facts you should know about measles in the Central African Republic.
4 Facts About Measles in the Central African Republic
Although the prevalence of measles in the Central African Republic is serious, the government and other organizations are committed to fighting it. Moving forward, continued efforts are needed to reduce the prevalence of measles in the nation.
– Danielle Kuzel
Photo: Flickr
Addressing Child Labor in South Sudan
South Sudan is an East-Central African nation considered to have one of the worst cases of child labor in the world. The crisis of child labor has been amplified by the outbreak of civil war in 2013, spreading violence and insecurity nationwide. Child labor in South Sudan is a complex issue that negatively affects children’s health and education. However, UNICEF is working to end child labor in the nation.
4 Causes of Child Labor in South Sudan
Formal vs. Informal Sector
Data on child labor can only be effectively collected from children working within the formal sector. As of 2019, nearly 46% of children aged 10-14 work in the formal sector. About 60% of these children find themselves working in agriculture, over 38% percent in industry and nearly 2% in services. While these ratios of children engaged in formal labor are large, even more children likely work in the informal sector, including jobs such as child soldiers and prostitutes.
Impact on Education and Health
Poor education in South Sudan increases participation in child labor. As a result, only 31.5% of children aged 6-14 were enrolled in school in 2019. Despite the fact that education is free, the rate of primary school completion sits at just 25.7%. Consequently, as of 2019, only about 27% of the adult population in South Soudan is literate. Not only does a lack of education stunt individual children’s development, health and economic opportunities, but also those of communities in which they live.
South Sudan also has a poor healthcare structure. This is reflected in the national life expectancy of 57.6 years, which is only worsened by the institution of child labor. Children working in the informal sector are placed at great risk: these jobs are life-threatening and drastically reduce life expectancy. However, children working in the informal sector are not the only children at risk. Jobs in the formal sector, such as construction and mining, are labor heavy and place great strain on children’s bodies. Journalist Losika Losepio reported in 2018 that an 8-year-old girl in South Sudan working in the mines said “It’s hard work digging and the shovel is heavy. I just want to be in school,” while holding an infected wound on her elbow. In the best of cases, child labor only takes children out of school; in the worst of cases, they are injured by their labor and potentially even killed.
The Good News
UNICEF is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children. Programming by UNICEF has made great progress in regard to child labor in South Sudan. In 2018, UNICEF freed over 1,000 children, many of whom were child soldiers for various armed groups. Additionally, UNICEF combats the root causes of child labor, such as lack of education. In 2018, the organization helped to rehabilitate schools damaged by conflict by leading teacher training and providing necessary classroom supplies. Through such efforts, UNICEF also helped 550,000 children re-enroll in school in 2018.
Children everywhere have a right to education, health and safety. Child labor in South Sudan serves as an obstacle to each of these rights and must be counteracted. Progress has been made through organizations such as UNICEF, but the situation remains dire: these efforts must not only continue but expand across the nation.
– Lily Jones
Photo: Wikimedia
4 Efforts to Alleviate Child Poverty in North Macedonia
When Yugoslavia disintegrated in 1991, Macedonia became an autonomous nation. However, standards of living have significantly decreased since the country’s independence. Unemployment rates are consistently high, which has directly affected children across the nation. Approximately 6% of children work and 12% marry before turning 18. The child poverty rate is 27.1%, with those from a Roma background at a much higher disadvantage. Fortunately, international organizations and the government are working to eliminate child poverty in the nation. Here are four efforts to alleviate child poverty in North Macedonia.
4 Efforts to Alleviate Child Poverty in North Macedonia
These four efforts show the nation’s determination to support children in need, and, more broadly, to shift Macedonia from an impoverished nation to one of prosperity and equality. The success of these reforms will depend on governmental spending, as well as programs supported by nonprofits and international organizations. Moving forward, alleviating child poverty in Macedonia must continue to be a priority.
– Michael Santiago
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Dementia in Developing Countries
Dementia and Alzheimer’s
The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s Disease. But as with nearly all forms of dementia, there is progressive brain cell death, so as its symptoms progress, cognitive functions become severely impaired. As early as the second stage of mild dementia, individuals may require intensive care and supervision from others with tasks in their daily life. However, healthcare systems are stretched thin in many developing countries. Often, their frontline providers may not be adequately trained in providing the long-term care needed for these conditions. Even when assisted-living arrangements in a medical facility are an option, people with dementia have limited autonomy over their care because there are few systems in place to monitor the quality of dementia care in poorer nations.
Treating Dementia in Developing Countries
Due to the lack of formal care, people with dementia in the developing world tend to rely upon systems of “informal” care by family, friends, or other community members. These support mechanisms are under great strain due to the economic, emotional and physical demands of unpaid, and often unsubsidized, caregiving. Caring for someone with dementia can demand up to 74 hours a week and cost around $4600 a year. Furthermore, symptoms associated with the later stages of dementia, such as aggression, depression and hallucinations can have distressful psychological effects for these caregivers. In fact, 45% of family caregivers report experiencing distress, and 39% have feelings of depression.
Social Stigmas Surrounding Dementia
The social stigma associated with mental health diagnoses as well as general health illiteracy and unfamiliarity with dementia also contributes to inequities within the quality of dementia care. A study conducted in India suggested that 90% of dementia cases in low and middle-income nations go undiagnosed. Even healthcare professionals may lack the awareness to identify early signs of dementia. The wide-spread myth that dementia is not a medical issue in developing countries can mislead providers to dismiss dementia’s symptoms as characteristics indicative of normal aging.
Furthermore, in some parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, such as rural Kenya and Namibia where knowledge of dementia is not widespread, people may associate dementia with witchcraft or punishment for previous wrongdoings. Such beliefs further entrench the stigma surrounding it into the broader culture, discouraging people with dementia from seeking an official diagnosis. Organizations like the Strengthening Responses to Dementia in Developing Countries (STRiDE) Project have worked specifically towards reducing this stigma.
Understanding Poverty and Dementia
The immense prevalence of undiagnosed cases is particularly detrimental, considering poverty may increase one’s risk of dementia. Poverty is linked with many risk factors for dementia — one of which is stressful experiences like financial insecurity and education difficulties. Incidence of dementia has also been linked to lower levels of education since early development of neural networks can help the brain combat damages to its pathology later in life. A study on the rural Chinese island of Kinmen, where the median level of education is one year, showed dementia rates rising as people turned 60. This trend is earlier than in developed nations, and implies that illiteracy and lack of education can bring on dementia sooner.
Looking Forward
It remains unclear whether there is a correlation or direct causation between education level and the likelihood of dementia later in life. But one thing, however, is clear — low education levels serve as a frequent marker for other socioeconomic issues that are more common in developing nations, such as poverty, malnutrition, and toxic environmental exposures. Furthermore, the most commonly recommended strategy for reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s is maintaining overall health, which is more difficult in poorer countries due to malnutrition and unequal access to health care.
Moving forward, we must expand the support available to informal care systems, while ensuring healthcare providers receive dementia-specific training and health literacy. Women often the ones left to provide the majority of dementia care, but their efforts largely go ignored by their governments. Incentives, like universal social pensions, disability benefits and carer’s allowances, could support family and friends who house and care for people with dementia. Still, formal health systems too need to be bolstered to supplement and eventually substitute the role of informal carers. Policy-makers worldwide need to prioritize and anticipate the growing number of people with dementia as it remains the only leading cause of death still on the rise.
– Christine Mui
Photo: Flickr
The Pangea Network: Supporting Women Entrepreneurs
Poverty in Kenya
Kenya has a population of more than 50 million, with over 17 million currently living in poverty or extreme poverty — on less than $1.90 a day. However, poverty in the country is steadily decreasing, falling from 43% in 2003 to 36% in 2016. And although poverty in Kenya remains a significant problem, the country has a lower overall poverty rate than most sub-Saharan countries. Kenya’s GDP continues to rise by approximately 5% annually, which is an impressive feat. Despite these facts, however, Kenya is unlikely to reach the goal of eradicating poverty by 2030 without new poverty reduction policies and faster growth rates.
Women in Kenya
In Kenya, women and girls are most vulnerable to poverty. One notable gap between men and women is in education. Of those in Kenya that earn higher education, approximately 30% are women — despite government policies that ensure gender equality in education. One reason for this is that women in Kenya have traditionally been relegated to the domestic sphere and lack opportunities for attending university, which can limit job prospects.
Despite the hardships they face, women are fighting back against gender inequality and poverty through enterprise and entrepreneurship. That’s where the Pangea Network comes in.
What is the Pangea Network?
The Pangea Network is a nonprofit organization focused on “empowering motivated individuals” with “knowledge, skills and an ongoing network of support in order to achieve their dreams and make positive, life-changing contributions in the communities where they live.” The organization’s founder, Nicole Minor, began creating the framework for the Pangea Network in 2005 in an effort to dedicate herself to social service. Today, the Pangea Network is an international organization that operates in Kenya and the United States.
How it Works: The Kenyan Women’s Network
The Pangea Network operates a four-year course called the Kenyan Women’s Network, which teaches participants a variety of skills intended to guarantee their future success. Some practical skills that participating women may learn include bookkeeping, financial literacy and micro-financing; women can also learn about issues like human rights, wellness and personal development.
The ultimate goal of the Kenyan Women’s Network is to enable participants to develop and grow their own businesses, which will generate profit and allow them to become financial providers for their households. Women who participate receive loans from the Pangea Network, allowing them to fully develop and expand their enterprises.
Impact
The Pangea Network has had a huge impact throughout its years in action. For those participating in the Kenyan Women’s Network, the average weekly income rose by almost 40% between 2015 and 2018. Over 560 different businesses founded by participants have grown in size and revenue, 45 of which began only with help from the Pangea Network. Furthermore, almost 200 women have received animal husbandry and livestock training; nearly 400 women have received first aid training; and more than 60% of Kenyan women who participate in the program report that they are their family’s primary source of income.
Beyond the Women’s Network, the Pangea Network provides scholarships for school-aged children in Kenya. It also sponsors boys’ and girls’ retreats focused on empowering children and providing them with both skills and a love of learning.
The Pangea Network is an inspiring organization dedicated to empowering Kenyan women and equipping them to succeed. Participants in the Women’s Network are hardworking, driven and well-deserving of the tools they are given to start or grow their own businesses. The Pangea Network is not only providing these women with hope, but it is also helping to close the gender gap and fight poverty in Kenya.
– Paige Musgrave
Photo: Pixabay
Renewable Energy in Argentina
Economic Independence
Argentina has employed renewable energy in Argentina for several reasons. For one, the nation wants to be economically independent, and not rely on imports from other countries to meet their energy needs. Argentina struggled through default of $100 billion in 2001, losing 75% of its currency value. In 2005, energy subsidies grew from 1.5% to 12% within only a few years, sharply increasing government spending. Low investment in the domestic energy sector also made Argentina dependent on importing oil from other countries. In order to diversify its energy sector and remove its independence, Argentina sought out its own abundant natural and renewable resources.
Argentina has also made the transition to renewable energy because the country possesses many regions that are adaptable to solar and wind farming. Helpfully, the areas of Argentina with the most wind and solar energy potential are sparsely populated, meaning that the installation of wind turbines and solar panels are not as invasive to people’s homes or property.
Wind Energy
Many of the most powerful winds in Argentina can be found in the Patagonia region, located near the Argentina-Chile border. Argentina’s largest wind farm, called the Madryn Wind Farm, is located in this region. It has the capacity to produce 987,000 MW of energy per year. The wind farm became operational in 2019 and is home to 62 wind turbines, each 117 meters high.
Solar Energy
Many, but not all, of Argentina’s solar panels can be found on farms in the province of Entre Rios. Some of the farmers in this province raise rice and are reliant on water pumps to water their crops. Previously, these farmers had often gone out of business because they could not afford the fuel to power these necessary pumps; with the installation of solar panels, however, farmers can now rely on cheaper solar energy for power. This is an especially important development, considering that 13% of Argentina’s GDP comes from agriculture. The installation of solar panels has helped farmers keep their livelihoods and contribute to national economic growth.
Solar panels have also contributed to safety in the Puna Highlands of Argentina. A village located in the highlands, called San Francisco, used to be difficult to traverse at night. But thanks to the installation of 40 solar panels that power LED lights within the village after sunset, that is no longer the case. The village can now be easily spotted at night, and travelers no longer have to wait until sunrise to leave the village.
These examples are just a few ways in which renewable energy in Argentina can benefit people living in poverty and improve the economy. This technology must be pursued and perfected in years to come to guarantee further progress.
– Jacob E. Lee
Photo: Wikimedia