The USAID freeze has affected up to $40 billion in humanitarian and development aid worldwide. However, a combination of international donors, corporate responsibility initiatives and development finance investors is working to assist the vulnerable communities. Organized by the World Bank and development investors, initiatives like the International Development Association (IDA) have raised billions that can be used to assist countries affected by the USAID freeze.
Additionally, nonprofit investment funds like Acumen, which focuses on renewable energy in the developing world, can help mitigate the rippling effect of suspending the tens of billions awarded to international organizations on the ground fighting poverty.
The Scale of USAID’s Impact and Its Absence
Before the USAID cuts and freezes, the U.S. provided $64 billion of the $223 billion in international aid. These funds go to a network of governments, international organizations and on-the-ground partners. Roughly half of the $64 billion is administered through USAID. Most of this is distributed through local and international partners. The cuts are likely to force these partners to look for other donors.
USAID’s work has had measurable success: saving six million lives from malaria by 2017 and contributing to the elimination of wild poliovirus in 2020. However, despite those achievements, USAID is under threat. USAID efforts were initially frozen for 90 days starting in January, which was then extended another 30 days. Unfortunately, these cuts are here to stay, despite their devastating effects on communities worldwide.
Can the Private Sector Replace USAID?
Making the private sector replace USAID will be incredibly difficult. Rob Nabors, the North America director for the Gates Foundation, explained, “There is no foundation — or group of foundations — that can provide the funding, workforce capacity, expertise or leadership that the United States has historically provided to combat and control deadly diseases and address hunger and poverty around the world.”
Still, a coalition of governments, NGOs and development investors is working to step in. The IDA is a coalition of 175 countries that periodically evaluates budget priorities to help relieve poverty and assist developing countries in growing their economy. Fifty different countries currently operate as donors. Late last year, IDA donors helped secure $100 billion for the impoverished groups in developing countries.
IDA can assist in achieving many of the goals of USAID, like connecting hundreds of millions of people in Africa to reliable electricity. IDA’s model has also helped 35 countries graduate into developed countries that can act as donors, such as South Korea, highlighting what international aid can accomplish.
The Role of Philanthropy and Development Finance
Additionally, private organizations can help alleviate the harm from the recent cuts. One of the main issues is coordination and focusing funds where they can help the most. The Center for Global Development organization helps host Project Resource Optimization (PRO). Led by former USAID employees, PRO helps donors prioritize the most effective projects. Robert Rosenbaum, an independent consultant for PRO and former USAID staffer, notes, “Private philanthropy cannot replace bilateral aid, but it can lead the way in demonstrating what the future of development should look like: simpler, more transparent and relentlessly focused on results.”
Lastly, international finance can play a major role in replacing USAID. Investors like Nimrod Gerber, a managing partner at Vital Capital, see the freeze as a potential opportunity for a more effective and sustainable funding strategy for humanitarian projects. One of the main ways development investors could assist is by directing the hundreds of billions in African pension funds into projects that return on investment and improve the quality of life of people on the ground.
The Open Road Alliance (ORA) is a great example of this model. The ORA funds loans to organizations, both corporations and NGOs, in the developing world. These function as bridge loans to survive a sudden and unexpected funding crisis, like budget cuts. One of the projects the ORA funded was OnePower, which created electrical mini-grids in rural Lesotho. Not only did this provide increased health care access, but it also paid back its investors. Usually, investors get anywhere between a 2% and 4% return.
A Shift, Not a Replacement
Completely replacing USAID is not a reasonable goal. The ideal is for the U.S. to regain its place as the go-to coordinator and donor of international aid. However, this crisis has allowed many other governments, NGOs and financiers to create inventive ways to fill the gaps.
– Joseph Laughon
Joseph is based in Sacramento, CA, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Disability and Poverty in Saudi Arabia
In 2021, 13.6% of the population in Saudi Arabia lived in poverty. Meanwhile, back in 2010, the poverty rate among the population was 18.2%. In this drop, about 483,000 people came out of poverty in Saudi Arabia.
Disability and Poverty in Saudi Arabia
About 7.1% of the Saudi population have some form of disability. However, according to the Saudi General Authority for Statistics, about 10% of the Saudi population reported some form of disability in 2017. In addition, a study showed that about 48.6% of men with disabilities are unemployed compared to 11.5% of men who do not have disabilities. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for women with disabilities is 75.3%, while the unemployment rate for women with disabilities is 32.8%. These statistics highlight the importance of understanding how disability intersects with wider economic and social problems, such as poverty.
People with disabilities face a higher risk of falling into poverty in Saudi Arabia. In most countries around the world, disabled people often rely on the support of their family. In Saudi Arabia, another factor that can cause a person to fall into poverty is a denial of certain opportunities and/or employment opportunities. For example, someone by the name of Mariam Al-Sulami had cerebral palsy, which affected her to the point that it prevented her from attending school everyday. But due to the high motivation and her high GPA and grades, she hoped to get into medicine and dreamed of becoming a doctor. Authorities rejected her medical school application, due to deeming her “medically unfit,” so that is when she decided to take up the path of studying business administration.
Promoting Inclusivity
Saudi Arabia’s ambition toward inclusivity for people with disabilities. The first ever legislation for people with disabilities in KSA passed in 1987. According to an article by Maher S. Al-Jadid, “The LD contains important provisions that assurance persons with disabilities rights equal to those of other people in society.” Additionally, the Tawafuq program is an employment program that ensures that people with disabilities get the employment they need. The Saudi Human Resources Development Fund launched the program in 2014, which is tasked with ensuring that people are able to receive employment opportunities and the support they need. Meanwhile, the Moowaama program aims to expand the number of companies capable of employing people with disabilities. The Mowaama program encourages private companies to help people with disabilities, and to consider it their duty to the country while making their workplaces more inclusive.
The Tawafuq program has registered more than 648,000 people with disabilities with 62,728 people with disabilities being placed into employment, among many other figures that displayed increasing employment for people with disabilities. On the other hand, the Moowaama program has no public number of hires disclosed but one can see its impact by the 150 companies earning Moowaama certifications, reaffirming its efforts into creating a workspace that is disability-inclusive.
Looking Ahead
Although there are still struggles and obstacles in the way of people experiencing disability and poverty in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi government has introduced programs to ensure people with disabilities can access the tools and opportunities to thrive.
– Majida Mohamed
Photo: Pixabay
Everything To Know About Poverty in Barbados
Where Poverty Lies
Poverty in Barbados, in contrast with the average poverty rate of 29% for Latin American and Caribbean countries, is at roughly one-third of the average, with 11.1% of Barbadians living below the international upper middle-income country poverty line of $6.85 as of 2016. Some of these causes lie within economic dependency, race, income and gender inequalities and limited access to the justice system. This has been detrimental to people who have been in poverty for many years, with some instances stemming from before Barbados was a free nation.
One such way things have improved is in regards to people in Barbados seeing poverty as less of an issue today, with an estimated 9.2% of Barbadians living below the poverty line, even as COVID-19 rolled through globally. Barbados’s Gini index, or the measure of income inequality for a nation, is at 34.1%. This number is one of the lowest figures for Latin American and Caribbean countries, and is well below the threshold for high inequality of 40%. One issue lies within this figure, however.
There are some differences in population groups, with poverty being more prevalent among women and girls, and even more so in regards to female-led households. The level of multidimensional poverty, or poverty that takes in monetary state, education and basic infrastructure is also critically low, only coming in at 0.3%. Still, 4.1% of the population lacked access to basic sanitation, and 3% lacked access to electricity. Life in poverty means not having access to basic necessities. There have been instances of people needing to move to homeless shelters out of rundown houses due to a lack of income. These people end up needing clothes, food and even counselling in some cases.
Solutions
There has been significant improvement regarding poverty in Barbados. As of 2025, out of 184 countries, Barbados is 36th in regards to economic freedom, putting them at a moderately free status, and putting them above the world average. Despite the poverty that Barbados is facing, it is quite well off as a whole, boasting one of the Caribbean’s highest incomes per capita.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) took a vested interest in helping Barbados with the issues they face regarding poverty, and under this umbrella, the UN’s Multi-Country Office got to work in regards to poverty, establishing the Poverty and Governance cluster in 2020. This cluster works with the intent to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that each country sets out to achieve, implementing programs intended to help countries and keeping track of support that countries may need. Poverty reduction is a key point for this cluster.
There are a few projects that are at the forefront for Barbados. One such example of this is the PACE Justice project, which is the improvement of the justice system as a whole, elevating the system itself from being devoid of resources to process criminal proceedings to being able to increase the efficiency of the justice system as a whole. Another project that Barbados is taking part in is the Universal Adaptive Social Protection – SDG Fund Joint Program. This program began in 2020, and aims to protect the society of Barbados by improving institutional capacities, developing financial strategies for sustainability, and mitigating risk alongside utilizing social protection for vulnerable populations in need. As recent as the end of 2021, the implementation of these goals was at 84%.
Looking Ahead
Barbados, despite still struggling with some poverty issues, is in a very good spot as a result of the United Nations and the programs that it participates in. These programs aim to lessen the blow of poverty, and help the development of the country in the long term. Barbados is also in a good spot due to the economic freedom that they have developed over time. This all combines into a country that is not without its issues in facing poverty, but is well off in the long run with how they handle poverty.
– Amari Jennings
Photo: Flickr
Poverty and Infant Dairy Intake in Chile: A Nutritional Inequality
Poverty not only affects access to education and health care, but it can even decide infant dairy intake during a critical moment of their development. In this article, poverty and its effects on infants will be highlighted, along with how current health programs are combating this issue.
Importance of Dairy in Infant Nutrition
Infant dairy intake in Chile, as well as everywhere else, is important because it supports key aspects of development. Dairy foods and milk are rich in vitamins and calcium, which are essential for brain development and bone growth. Later down the line, consuming essential minerals and vitamins from dairy could prevent bone-related diseases later on. Nutrition at this age during infancy lays the foundation for healthy growth in childhood, adolescence and beyond.
A study found that Chilean children had deficiencies in Vitamin D, as well as in other major minerals like calcium, iron, zinc and copper. This fact is found in overweight children as well. This suggests malnutrition is not just present in underweight children, but in overweight children as well. Poor dietary habits, as well as nutritional needs being unmet lead to deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, resulting in long-term health consequences.
Why Do Infants Have Low Dairy Intake?
The infant dairy intake in Chile can be hindered by a variety of reasons. Some infants have Cow’s Milk Allergy (CMA), which could create symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, eczema or other severe symptoms. Recent studies in fact show that there is a prevalence of 4.9% in Chile, diagnosed with CMA.
Cost and access are also big reasons. Formula, milk, dairy, or even healthy foods in general could very well be too expensive or hard to access in some areas, particularly in low-income communities. Constraining even regular dietary intake from infancy and after.
Public Health Programs
By the 1970s, the National Supplementary Feeding Program (PNAC) served around 650,000 mothers and infants. Junta Nacional de Auxilio Esoclar y Becas (JUNAEB) later took up the role of tending to mothers and infants, primarily in serving lunches and breakfasts in public schools until today.
Chile Crece Contigo (ChCC) is a child development program that is nationwide, providing essentials like nutritional support to help be the bridge between infants and development. About 2 million pregnant mothers were part of the ChCC, with 1.6 million boys and girls born, while also distributing more than 1 million packages of clothing and essentials. In the last 10 years, ChCC has been working, enabling higher levels of infant diary intake in Chile.
The Future
Poverty in the country of Chile is continuing to make life harder for infants, due to a lack of access or the inability to consume dairy. Unequal access to nutritional foods and/or drinks directly impacts infants’ long-term health, and can very well stunt the growth of a child. Thankfully, current health programs in Chile have fought and will continue to fight the battle of ensuring infants get the nutrition they need to prosper into healthy children.
– Majida Mohamed
Photo: Flickr
Tourism in Developing Nations: Which Countries Are Advancing?
Georgia: A Model of Strategic Diversification
Nestled between Europe and Asia, Georgia has emerged as a rising star in tourism by leveraging its rich cultural heritage, wine traditions and dramatic landscapes. Georgia’s Tourism Strategy 2015–2025 focuses on diversifying markets, improving service quality and creating niche experiences that appeal to high-value travelers.
The strategy has eight strategic objectives to promote tourism growth in the region. They include respecting, enhancing and protecting Georgia’s natural and cultural heritage. Also, to strengthen competitiveness, through the delivery of world-class visitor services to promote the region. Key initiatives:
Georgia’s success lies in its ability to package authenticity with accessibility, making it a country of economic potential to elevate its tourism profile.
Mozambique: Unlocking Coastal and Eco-Tourism Potential
Mozambique boasts more than 1,500 miles of pristine coastline, vibrant marine life and rich cultural diversity. Yet, despite welcoming around two million tourists annually, the country’s tourism sector contributes just 4% to its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024.
The Strategic Tourism Development Plan (STDP), approved in 2015, aims to change that by positioning Mozambique as a premier African destination. Core strategies of the plan include:
Mozambique’s challenge is balancing growth with sustainability. Focusing on low-impact, high-value tourism can protect its natural assets while boosting local economies, attracting tourists to enjoy the beautiful sights the country has to offer.
Kenya: From Safari Stronghold To Diversified Destination
Kenya has long been associated with safari tourism, attracting millions to its famous parks and reserves. However, the country’s National Tourism Strategy 2025–2030 aims to expand its appeal by investing in niche markets such as sports tourism, agri-tourism and cultural experiences.
This strategy aims to enhance the contribution of Kenya’s tourism sector to the economy through effective development, management and marketing in partnership with stakeholders. Highlights of Kenya’s National Tourism Strategy:
Conclusion
Tourism is more than a leisurely pursuit; it’s a lifeline for transformation. Tourism becomes an engine of inclusion and innovation for developing nations confronting poverty and instability, not just lifting economies, but elevating voices. As travelers increasingly seek deeper, more immersive experiences, destinations like Georgia, Mozambique and Kenya hold the power to redefine what meaningful exploration truly means.
With long-term strategies and community-focused planning, these countries stand ready to turn landscapes into legacies and history into hope. Tourism growth here isn’t just about numbers; it’s about connection, empowerment and rewriting global narratives. And as the world watches, it may discover that the most compelling journeys enchant travelers and uplift the people who make those experiences possible.
– Dylan Fly
Photo: Flickr
How Land Titles in Ecuador Help Rural Families Escape Poverty
Ecuador has adopted the National System for Information and Management of Rural Lands and Technological Infrastructure (SigTierras), a program that increases the land titles in Ecuador.
The Problem: Land Insecurity in Ecuador
More than 60% of plots in Ecuador were informally held as of the early 2000s. This was particularly common in Indigenous and smallholder farming communities and with female landholders. This considerably harms families as they routinely face the risk of eviction and land disputes, as they have no legal protection. They can also not use their land as collateral, which prevents access to credit or farm loans. Their informal ownership and the risks that entail also discourage long-term investment and sustainable land practices.
Land insecurity often works predominantly against women and worsens gender inequality. This usually means that women have less decision-making power in the household, worsening the nutrition and general welfare of the household, as women tend to make decisions beneficial to the household. The lack of robust land titles in Ecuador ultimately reinforces poverty.
The Solution: Ecuador’s SigTierras Program
Ecuador launched SigTierras, a rural land-titling and cadastral mapping program in 2010 to address the issue of land insecurity. It received financial support ($90 million) from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The program maps rural plots and digitizes land records. This helps resolve boundary disputes and issues legal titles, increasing the number of land titles in Ecuador.
The program focuses on the underserved rural areas with a high rate of informal landholding. It targets smallholder farmers, Indigenous communities, and impoverished rural families in these areas.
The Impact
Since its inception, SigTierras has helped formalize thousands of rural land parcels across Ecuador. By the end of its implementation period, the program had successfully issued 39,267 legal land titles, improving tenure security for many rural households. This process has contributed to increased agricultural income, better access to credit, expanded government services, and higher levels of farm investment.
The program also had a notable impact on women’s empowerment. Through joint land titling, SigTierras enhanced women’s legal standing and bargaining power within households and rural communities. This has led to better household food security and nutrition outcomes.
Conclusion
The success of increasing the number of land titles in Ecuador through SigTierras shows that land rights are essential to reducing poverty long-term and can transform lives, especially for women and rural families. It also provides a replicable and scalable model for other countries with high informal land use. The program indicates that with targeted public policy and international support, systemic poverty issues like land insecurity can be solved.
– Seun Adekunle
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Russia’s Kleptocracy: Domestic Consequences of Corruption
Russia’s Kleptocracy
President Vladimir Putin used a recruitment base of KGB veterans (or the siloviki) to fill top posts in the executive branch and the economy. Some run law enforcement agencies – Ministry of Interior (MVD) and Federal Security Service (FSB). Others manage state-owned companies in the energy sector, banking and transportation. The silovarchs use coercive capacities and criminal connections to target businesses and extract corrupt rents.
Putin also dueled out advantages to close friends from childhood, the Ozero dacha cooperative and hobbies. These oligarchs own firms that benefit from state contracts and the public procurement system. Gennady Timchenko and the Rotenberg brothers obtained a fortune building pipelines for Gazprom.
Russia’s kleptocracy not only relies on elite control over state resources, but the lack of rule of law. The Kremlin keeps everyone in permanent legal jeopardy to maintain control. As the regime encourages bureaucrats and businessmen to engage in corrupt schemes, private eyes gather kompromat (evidence of legal wrongdoing) to hold over their heads.
Inequality and Social Policy
Even autocrats care about popular opinion. Social policy is an important tool to win elections. In the run-up to the 2012 presidential election, Putin promised to improve social well-being, build more schools and limit utility expenses, among other things. The Russian newspaper Vedomosti detailed areas the regime fell short. After five years, the number of people below poverty increased by several million, the number of schools declined by 7,000 and costs for heating and electricity rose by 50%.
Corruption adversely impacts economic growth and welfare provisions. The lucrative public procurement system, in which the government hands out state contracts on a non-competitive and personal basis, leads to lower quality of infrastructure and public services. Corruption can also distort the make-up of expenditures. It incentivizes bureaucrats to choose expenditures that provide the best opportunity for self-enrichment. It is easier to collect substantial bribes on large infrastructure projects than on textbooks or teacher salaries.
Anti-Government Protests
The mobilizing potential of inadequate social policy and fraud manifested in 2011 and 2012. The massive anti-government protests put pressure on the Kremlin to fight corruption. Putin launched an anti-corruption drive in 2012. The Kremlin targeted low-level officials and elites with punitive action. Some high profile prosecutions were carried out in the national and regional arenas. The government also attempted to clean up petty corruption in the public sector. They implemented a reduction in the discretion of service providers and harsher penalties for offenders. The performative nature of these measures limited any real impact on corruption.
Russia’s kleptocracy endures. Russia scored 22 on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in 2023, where 100 means a very clean public sector. The practice of reiderstvo (illegal business raids) grew by 135% in 2019 compared to the previous year. The number of malicious criminal prosecutions of entrepreneurs increased between 2014 and 2019, as well as mistrust in law enforcement and courts.
Positive Role of Civil Society
Opposition leaders and civil society do exist and function in Russia. Activist Alexey Navalny founded the nonprofit Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) in Russia to fight rampant kleptocracy. FBK produced powerful and evidence-based documentaries on YouTube. “A Palace for Putin” video generated millions of views.
When law enforcement did not investigate the attempted murder of Navalny in 2020, investigative journalists filled the accountability void. Reporters from Bellingcat and Russia’s The Insider stepped forward to expose government wrongdoing.
Transparency International Russia (TI-Russia) uses non-partisan and non-political activities to fight corruption. The movement believes a government crackdown on corruption is not a substitute for independent scrutiny. TI-Russia holds education workshops, designs artwork to teach citizens how to say no to bribes and works with students to find innovative solutions.
After the invasion of Ukraine in 2020, the crackdown on independent media and opposition actors tightened. The government declared more than 40 journalists and news outlets “foreign agents” in 2021.
Corruption can reduce economic growth and effective social spending, increasing poverty and income inequality. Even in a repressive environment, Russia’s determined civil society continues to fight kleptocracy. With a sustained grassroot effort, the momentum for a more equitable Russia can grow.
– Alessandra Lewis
Photo: Flickr
Health Care in Rural Peru: Students Bridging the Gaps
Prenatal and maternal care are almost nonexistent and pregnancy complications disproportionately affect indigenous women and those living in rural communities. Despite the severe nature of the health complications, all of them are worse because of the lack of knowledge surrounding the issue and little to no access to medical facilities.
However, a group of pre-med students from Duke University and Boston College partnered with Sacred Valley to create a sustainable but realistic solution for these rural communities. They are training women in these communities to be health advocates by informing them about nutrition, pregnancy protocols and when to seek serious help. These individuals are paving a new path to health care in rural Peru.
The Layers of Translation in Peru
One junior, Catherine May, at Boston College had an especially vital position in this operation. The majority of rural communities in Peru speak the Quechua language. Her role is to translate from English to Spanish so local translators can translate from Spanish to Quechuan. The first level of medical access must be language in these rural communities and fluency in English is a rarity.
May, used her extensive background in Spanish to translate medical advice from doctors in Sacred Valley effectively. In turn, this information is bringing health care to rural Peru by training women to look after the well-being of their community in whatever capacity they can. However basic it may seem, being able to translate medical advice from English to Spanish is necessary in bringing health care to rural Peru.
Training Local Women as Health Advocates
One of the main aspects of this program, which is based in Peru, was training women to look after their surrounding community in a medical capacity. While it was not equivalent to medical training, May said, “training them to provide some sort of security to the towns was making a measurable and impactful change.”
The doctors provide these communities with nutritional information, such as the ideal diet to remove many deficiencies and preventable illnesses. They were also provided with ample information regarding maternal and fetal care. From distributing prenatal vitamins to educational materials on childbirth, they received a well-rounded education on basic first aid care and information.
Addressing Anemia in Children
Due to widespread poverty in rural Peru, most diets rely heavily on potatoes. Vegetables, fruits and meats are considered luxuries and are consumed only occasionally. This lack of dietary diversity has led to widespread anemia.
One of the projects May and her fellow students worked on was diagnosing and treating this anemia in children. They visited several schools and used finger-prick technology to measure hemoglobin levels. Since low hemoglobin causes anemia, the results provided insight into both the presence and severity of anemia cases.
Broader Impact Moving Forward
By training women in these rural communities to stand as health advocates, they’re working toward a more realistic solution. Increasing the accessibility of hospitals and medical facilities would take decades and millions of dollars. However, this form of medical treatment is attainable, affordable and has the potential to make a significant change. The fact of the matter is, these efforts would not have been possible without these students dedicating their summers to advocating, working and translating for the underserved in rural Peru. Peru is finally making progress in medical care, thanks in part to these university students.
Bringing health care to rural Peru means taking a step forward in the world’s journey to poverty reduction. Fewer medical issues mean an ability to focus on resolving other underlying issues, such as a lack of infrastructure and social structure. For now, though, these students and NGOs are taking significant steps to bring realistic and sustainable information-based care to marginalized and rural communities. These programs are vitally important for medical progress and their amplification can potentially transform rural medical care internationally.
– Caroline May
Photo: Flickr
Amazon’s Water Replenishment Program in India
Restoring 400 Million Litres of Water to New Delhi
At its Water Dialogues event, Amazon announced plans to support water sustainability in India. The project in New Delhi is a partnership with Hasten Regeneration, a developer of ecosystem restoration projects, as well as Arpan Seva Sansthan, a sustainable development nonprofit and Clear Water Dynamics, a water engineering firm.
Amazon’s water replenishment program will focus on improving existing infrastructure, such as check dams, and constructing new water structures, such as recharge shafts and percolation pits. Amazon also plans to plant ample vegetation around these structures to prevent erosion and increase moisture in the surrounding soil.
These improvements to New Delhi’s water infrastructure are expected to replenish 400 million litres annually to the Yamuna watershed. Amazon’s goal is to replenish more water than what the company uses in its Indian offices and fulfillment centers by 2027.
Rehabilitating Yamare Lake and Sai Reddy Lake
In addition to the project to restore the Yamuna Watershed, Amazon is also focusing its water conservation efforts in other areas of high water stress in India. The Yamare and Sai Reddy Lakes used to be reliable water sources for the surrounding communities. However, sediment buildup, urbanization, vegetation overgrowth and erosion have led to the diminished water storage capacity of the bodies of water and further strain on local water resources.
Amazon is teaming up with the environmental organization SayTrees to restore the lakes. Since January 2025, the partnership has been desilting the lakes, restoring embankments and repairing inlet and outlet structures. These projects aim to bring 270 million litres of water to Yamare Lake and 300 million litres to Sai Reddy Lake annually once completed.
Other Water Conservation Efforts by Amazon
In 2022, Amazon announced a project with WaterAid in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh with the goal of supplying the areas with a combined 640 million liters of water annually. In 2023, Amazon set out to secure consistent water supplies for farmers in Hyderabad by creating 100 new ponds across 12 villages, bringing almost 90 million liters of water to the area annually.
Amazon’s goal is to create “long-lasting, climate-resilient water and sanitation solutions” for communities in India. These water conservation efforts come alongside other initiatives such as reduced and recyclable shipping materials, investments in nature-based projects and switching to electric delivery vehicles. Amazon has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and aims to help more than 1 million people in India access clean and safe water.
– Hannah Fruehstorfer
Photo: Flickr
Can the Private Sector Replace USAID?
Additionally, nonprofit investment funds like Acumen, which focuses on renewable energy in the developing world, can help mitigate the rippling effect of suspending the tens of billions awarded to international organizations on the ground fighting poverty.
The Scale of USAID’s Impact and Its Absence
Before the USAID cuts and freezes, the U.S. provided $64 billion of the $223 billion in international aid. These funds go to a network of governments, international organizations and on-the-ground partners. Roughly half of the $64 billion is administered through USAID. Most of this is distributed through local and international partners. The cuts are likely to force these partners to look for other donors.
USAID’s work has had measurable success: saving six million lives from malaria by 2017 and contributing to the elimination of wild poliovirus in 2020. However, despite those achievements, USAID is under threat. USAID efforts were initially frozen for 90 days starting in January, which was then extended another 30 days. Unfortunately, these cuts are here to stay, despite their devastating effects on communities worldwide.
Can the Private Sector Replace USAID?
Making the private sector replace USAID will be incredibly difficult. Rob Nabors, the North America director for the Gates Foundation, explained, “There is no foundation — or group of foundations — that can provide the funding, workforce capacity, expertise or leadership that the United States has historically provided to combat and control deadly diseases and address hunger and poverty around the world.”
Still, a coalition of governments, NGOs and development investors is working to step in. The IDA is a coalition of 175 countries that periodically evaluates budget priorities to help relieve poverty and assist developing countries in growing their economy. Fifty different countries currently operate as donors. Late last year, IDA donors helped secure $100 billion for the impoverished groups in developing countries.
IDA can assist in achieving many of the goals of USAID, like connecting hundreds of millions of people in Africa to reliable electricity. IDA’s model has also helped 35 countries graduate into developed countries that can act as donors, such as South Korea, highlighting what international aid can accomplish.
The Role of Philanthropy and Development Finance
Additionally, private organizations can help alleviate the harm from the recent cuts. One of the main issues is coordination and focusing funds where they can help the most. The Center for Global Development organization helps host Project Resource Optimization (PRO). Led by former USAID employees, PRO helps donors prioritize the most effective projects. Robert Rosenbaum, an independent consultant for PRO and former USAID staffer, notes, “Private philanthropy cannot replace bilateral aid, but it can lead the way in demonstrating what the future of development should look like: simpler, more transparent and relentlessly focused on results.”
Lastly, international finance can play a major role in replacing USAID. Investors like Nimrod Gerber, a managing partner at Vital Capital, see the freeze as a potential opportunity for a more effective and sustainable funding strategy for humanitarian projects. One of the main ways development investors could assist is by directing the hundreds of billions in African pension funds into projects that return on investment and improve the quality of life of people on the ground.
The Open Road Alliance (ORA) is a great example of this model. The ORA funds loans to organizations, both corporations and NGOs, in the developing world. These function as bridge loans to survive a sudden and unexpected funding crisis, like budget cuts. One of the projects the ORA funded was OnePower, which created electrical mini-grids in rural Lesotho. Not only did this provide increased health care access, but it also paid back its investors. Usually, investors get anywhere between a 2% and 4% return.
A Shift, Not a Replacement
Completely replacing USAID is not a reasonable goal. The ideal is for the U.S. to regain its place as the go-to coordinator and donor of international aid. However, this crisis has allowed many other governments, NGOs and financiers to create inventive ways to fill the gaps.
– Joseph Laughon
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Educational Success in Sobral
The Beginning
In 1997, the leaders of Brazil decided to invest in children’s literacy. The newly elected mayor of Sobral, Cid Gomes, implemented various reforms to aid in this endeavor. Despite improvements in enrollment numbers and building quality, the learning ability of the students did not improve. An assessment in 2000 stated that 48% of second-graders could not read, according to Harvard Kennedy School.
Rather than hide this assessment, the municipal government shared the results with the community, promising a goal of 100% literacy for children leaving their second year of primary school. Three years later, an assessment revealed a 91% increase in children being able to read with ease, Harvard Kennedy School reports. This sudden rise from the bottom rank three years ago was due to Sobral’s realization that reform must start from the bottom up
The Approach
To achieve educational success in Sobral, the municipality took on an “iterative adaptation approach” to teaching. An iterative adaptation approach means breaking down complex problems, taking action, reflecting on the results and then adapting the approach based on what is learned. This dynamic approach to reform helped Sobral realize where their efforts were necessary: the teachers.
The first step in aiding the teachers with this educational reform was to let teachers into the conversation. A behavioral studies approach allowed the municipality to understand what teachers faced in their classrooms and offer not only autonomy for the educators but incentives as well. High-performing teachers are recognized and promoted to help in the selection and training processes of new teachers, while non-performing teachers and principals are removed, according to the World Bank. In addition to recognition, principals and teachers received bonus payments from the government if their students met the desired goals.
Incentives were an important step in helping teachers improve, but the municipality realized that practical help was equally important. Teachers received structured lesson plans, monthly professional development and feedback from classroom observations, the World Bank reports. In short, teachers had clear expectations and received the tools to meet those expectations.
Another important factor in Sobral’s success was data. Municipalities conducted diagnostic learning assessments twice a year to gather data on the foundational literacy and numeracy skills of students. This data helped Sobral focus on what schools needed assistance with and revise their strategy to aid them. In addition to learning assessments, a biannual national assessment helped promote accountability among schools. When Sobral showed growth, political support for the reform efforts increased.
Improving Education
Educational success in Sobral has become the model for other Brazilian municipalities, largely due to the education of the teachers. Clear and concise training for teachers is the key to improving how they navigate the classroom. Around the world, countries are starting to adopt reform that begins with understanding the abilities and struggles of the people who shape the classrooms and having conversations to recognize what they need to succeed.
– Matthew Perduk
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