In some of the world’s most vulnerable regions, journalists face prominent hurdles as they fight for their freedom of expression, an integral right preserved by the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Reporters Sans Frontières has been taking action in protecting the liberties of journalists, specifically female ones, and their freedom of speech so as to combat the threat of violence against journalists in Afghanistan.
In March 2017, the organization opened the “Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists,” while in November, it held a training and advocacy visit to support safety within the field. Facing intimidation from the Taliban, as well as social pressures, women reporters encounter many obstacles in their pursuit of the truth, making such efforts essential.
Reporters Sans Frontières
In 1985, Reporters Sans Frontières, or RSF, was founded by four journalists in Montpellier, France with the intention of defending freedom of information and investigating violations across the globe. RSF has written to authorities and challenged governments that have put these rights in jeopardy, as well as supported journalists who have been imprisoned or exiled.
The non-governmental organization aims to construct pluralistic political systems and champion the right to seek factual material without hindrance; interestingly, the group also promotes the presence of watchdogs that have the ability to question corrupt authority.
RSF and the Media
Among other activities, RSF provides press releases about media freedoms in a variety of languages, generates awareness campaigns, and offers assistance and legal aid to endangered journalists. A report from Radio Free Europe stated that 2017 was one of the most violent years for journalists in Afghanistan.
According to the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, 20 journalists and media workers were killed, with 169 threats made to reporters.
Mistreatment of Female Journalists
RSF attributes much of Afghani conflict to civil war, with many intimidations and deaths coming from the Taliban. As a result of such in-fighting, the country has seen the rise of many “black holes” in information.
For female journalists, the situation is particularly perilous, as many have been confronted with the threat of attack or silencing. In many cases, and often as a result of such treatment, social pressures discourage women from becoming journalists, as their families may impress upon them the dangers of the profession.
Women experience harassment in the workplace as well as patriarchal standards, and the number of female journalists in Afghanistan has decreased since 2015.
Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists
In March 2017 on the eve of International Women’s Day, RSF opened the Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists — Afghanistan’s first center for the protection of female journalists’ rights. Based in Kabul and headed by Afghan journalist Farida Nekzad, the center provides a forum for women, combats discrimination, calls for equal rights and wages, advocates for better work conditions and prevents abuses.
The Center has offered support to reporters working in war zones, as well as organized seminars on physical and digital safety. The center will lobby the government to call for workplace safety and talk with families about their perceptions of female journalists.
Uniting Journalists
In recent months, Reporters Sans Frontières has been making stronger efforts to protect the rights of female journalists in Afghanistan. From November 22, 2017, the organization held a training and advocacy visit that focused on women journalists.
It organized seminars in Mazar-i- Sharif, Herat and Charikar, and even held a special seminar in Kabul for women reporters in conflict zones. At the meetings, journalists spoke about their experiences being threatened by armed non-state groups and the necessity of self-censorship.
Through the visit, RSF was able to unite journalists and create a discussion on the safety of reporters, with 65 journalists from 60 Afghan media outlets attending.
A Culture of Tolerance
Journalists in Afghanistan are met with a treacherous socio-political climate, facing the threat of violence and risking the loss of the right to expression. With its endeavors in the country, Reporters Sans Frontières has sought to protect the integrity of these reporters, support their safety and promote a culture of tolerance and freedom of information.
Efforts such as the foundation of the Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists and RSF’s seminars can enable greater independence of the media going forward.
– Shira Laucharoen
Photo: Flickr
Reporters Sans Frontières Protects Afghan Journalists
In some of the world’s most vulnerable regions, journalists face prominent hurdles as they fight for their freedom of expression, an integral right preserved by the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Reporters Sans Frontières has been taking action in protecting the liberties of journalists, specifically female ones, and their freedom of speech so as to combat the threat of violence against journalists in Afghanistan.
In March 2017, the organization opened the “Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists,” while in November, it held a training and advocacy visit to support safety within the field. Facing intimidation from the Taliban, as well as social pressures, women reporters encounter many obstacles in their pursuit of the truth, making such efforts essential.
Reporters Sans Frontières
In 1985, Reporters Sans Frontières, or RSF, was founded by four journalists in Montpellier, France with the intention of defending freedom of information and investigating violations across the globe. RSF has written to authorities and challenged governments that have put these rights in jeopardy, as well as supported journalists who have been imprisoned or exiled.
The non-governmental organization aims to construct pluralistic political systems and champion the right to seek factual material without hindrance; interestingly, the group also promotes the presence of watchdogs that have the ability to question corrupt authority.
RSF and the Media
Among other activities, RSF provides press releases about media freedoms in a variety of languages, generates awareness campaigns, and offers assistance and legal aid to endangered journalists. A report from Radio Free Europe stated that 2017 was one of the most violent years for journalists in Afghanistan.
According to the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, 20 journalists and media workers were killed, with 169 threats made to reporters.
Mistreatment of Female Journalists
RSF attributes much of Afghani conflict to civil war, with many intimidations and deaths coming from the Taliban. As a result of such in-fighting, the country has seen the rise of many “black holes” in information.
For female journalists, the situation is particularly perilous, as many have been confronted with the threat of attack or silencing. In many cases, and often as a result of such treatment, social pressures discourage women from becoming journalists, as their families may impress upon them the dangers of the profession.
Women experience harassment in the workplace as well as patriarchal standards, and the number of female journalists in Afghanistan has decreased since 2015.
Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists
In March 2017 on the eve of International Women’s Day, RSF opened the Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists — Afghanistan’s first center for the protection of female journalists’ rights. Based in Kabul and headed by Afghan journalist Farida Nekzad, the center provides a forum for women, combats discrimination, calls for equal rights and wages, advocates for better work conditions and prevents abuses.
The Center has offered support to reporters working in war zones, as well as organized seminars on physical and digital safety. The center will lobby the government to call for workplace safety and talk with families about their perceptions of female journalists.
Uniting Journalists
In recent months, Reporters Sans Frontières has been making stronger efforts to protect the rights of female journalists in Afghanistan. From November 22, 2017, the organization held a training and advocacy visit that focused on women journalists.
It organized seminars in Mazar-i- Sharif, Herat and Charikar, and even held a special seminar in Kabul for women reporters in conflict zones. At the meetings, journalists spoke about their experiences being threatened by armed non-state groups and the necessity of self-censorship.
Through the visit, RSF was able to unite journalists and create a discussion on the safety of reporters, with 65 journalists from 60 Afghan media outlets attending.
A Culture of Tolerance
Journalists in Afghanistan are met with a treacherous socio-political climate, facing the threat of violence and risking the loss of the right to expression. With its endeavors in the country, Reporters Sans Frontières has sought to protect the integrity of these reporters, support their safety and promote a culture of tolerance and freedom of information.
Efforts such as the foundation of the Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists and RSF’s seminars can enable greater independence of the media going forward.
– Shira Laucharoen
Photo: Flickr
The Fight For Aid to Puerto Rico
Insufficient Funding
Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello requested approximately $94.4 billion from the U.S. federal government: $31 billion for housing and $17 billion to reestablish power. The federal government initially offered only around $4.7 billion in loans, but the offer has since shrunk. The aid to Puerto Rico from the U.S. has been cut in half, now at around $2.2 billion.
Congress’ plan allocated a total of $90 billion in disaster relief for Texas, Florida and California, combined with Puerto Rico’s aid. In comparison, Hurricane Sandy garnered around $37 billion in aid to New Jersey alone. Needless to say, $90 billion is an insufficient amount to counter the enormous wreckage these four U.S. territories endured in the past year. Aid to Puerto Rico is the most crucial concerning total loss, yet it is the least prioritized based on governmental decisions for funding placement.
One reason aid to Puerto Rico is scarce is due to the U.S. Treasury Department’s unwillingness to help, suspecting the small island of having a central cash balance that isn’t low enough, despite the island’s debt of $74 billion.
FEMA explains the $2.2 billion is divvied up between housing repairs, at around only $620 million, and other needs at $510 million. This funding, along with other FEMA programs, has helped 130,000 Puerto Ricans and housed fewer than 10,000. These numbers fall short of what’s needed to supply appropriate aid to Puerto Rico.
Misplaced Trust
The federal government and FEMA have also given enormous funds to small, often understaffed or simply untrustworthy organizations to supply help.
One example is Bronze Star, LLC, a Florida company that was granted 30 million to supply tarps and plastic sheets for temporary roof repairs for those without proper shelter. By November of the same year, the contract was nulled and funding was withdrawn as the company did nothing to deliver. The entire process of approval and cancellation took four crucial weeks.
Another example is Tribute Contracting, LLC, whose sole employee was awarded a lofty $156 million as part of a plan to disperse nearly 30 million meals. The contract and funding were withdrawn after the company served only 50,000 people, failing over 18 million others who requested the nutritional aid in Puerto Rico. Since the cancellation, the owner has publicly accused the U.S. government of making her a scapegoat for FEMA’s decision-making.
Looking Ahead
Aid to Puerto Rico is improving, but there’s still much to do. With FEMA’s teetering funding, much of the island is being repaired by its inhabitants and some private investors looking to help. Still, 16 percent of the island is without electricity, leaving 200,000 U.S. citizens without it for 6 months.
Locals and visitors to the island have already made tremendous improvements and repairs since the hurricane hit, but much more work still needs to be done. Most Puerto Ricans don’t have the luxury of waiting for help to come and are forced to do what they can.
– Toni Paz
Photo: Flickr
How to Fight for Social Justice
Inter-social treatment describes the treatment of groups of people on a local and regional scale and deals with issues such as racism, sexism, ageism and heterosexism. These social inequalities are commonly based on personal beliefs.
Unequal government regulation describes the laws and regulations in place which discriminate against minorities. These often relate to poverty, the death penalty, civil rights and access to healthcare and education.
Health, education, social mobility, crime, and wellbeing are directly correlated to social inequalities due to inter-social treatment and unequal government regulation. It is important to remember that these two categories of inequality are often linked to each other. These social inequalities can be experienced directly and indirectly, and it is important to keep that in mind when learning how to fight for social justice.
Direct social inequality is the deliberate mistreatment of minorities or groups of people. This can come in the form of actions that take away resources and opportunities from select groups of people based on prejudices and personal beliefs. This type of inequality can include, but is not limited to, physical and/or verbal assault on a person or group of people and laws created based on established prejudices.
Indirect social inequality is enforcing unfair treatment of people unintentionally. Many people are guilty of this form of oppression because they are simply unaware of it. Consumerism is a large factor in this form of social inequality, because often the products being purchased are made by sweatshop workers, produce waste and chemicals which pollute the areas where impoverished people live and even support political candidates who promote social inequalities.
Taking action on a social issue is a major step in learning how to fight for social justice. Activism, by definition, is using consistent campaigning to bring social and/or political change. With the technology available today, even the busiest of people can become activists for social issues through a variety of means:
One of the easiest ways to fight for social justice is to use a social media platform. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are all great starting points to grow an active voice for social justice. In today’s age of technology, something as small as a hashtag can be the start of a worldwide social justice movement, such as the “Black Lives Matter”, “Love Wins” and the “Me Too” movements.
Organizations are always in need of donations to their cause because to fight for social justice, organizations need funding. For some, it is not always practical to donate money, so an alternative is to consider donating your time. Holding fundraisers, hosting rallies and participating in sponsored walks are all great ways to fight for social justice through activism.
A critical part of fighting for social justice is starting from the ground up in local government. Big movements take small steps towards greatness, and one way to help move forward for social justice is making a change in government. Contacting Congress about issues and concerns is a pivotal part of creating change. Voting in leadership who support important causes is another important step in fighting for social justice.
Connecting with local activist groups can help you stay up to date on events, fundraisers, news and information on social issues.
Whether we are fighting against global poverty, racism, sexism, ageism or the many other social issues that face us, the answer to “how to fight for social justice” is understanding what social justice is, finding a voice and using it through activism.
– Courtney Hambrecht
Photo: Flickr
Credit Access in Uganda a Success Story in Africa
In Uganda, credit access is not a pressing issue. The country is among the top six nations in Africa in regards to accessing credit. Credit access in Uganda is very important to sustaining economic growth and helping to alleviate poverty in the country. The increase in financial services for poorer communities can have a huge impact on eliminating poverty in those areas, which will improve the economy of the whole country and help improve financial literacy among the citizens.
Uganda has 24 banks, four credit institutions, a Social Security Fund, 60 private retirement benefit schemes and seven mobile money providers throughout the country. The abundance of credit access in Uganda has helped improve the economic status of the country as a whole, especially for those in impoverished neighborhoods. Financial services are immensely important when trying to improve the economy of a country, and that is what is happening in Uganda. The accessibility of financial services to poor citizens allow them to save money and help both them and the country grow economically.
The security of financial institutions allows the impoverished citizens of the country to feel safe entrusting their money to a bank and allows them to save more money than they would without a financial institution so easily accessible to them. This allows both citizens and businesses to balance their income and manage any financial shocks they may experience in the future.
Uganda is slowly but surely improving economically. The country saw a GDP growth of 4.8 percent in 2016, which is an improvement for the country as a whole. Although not as high as some neighboring countries, it is still progress for Uganda, and hopefully, it will continue to grow.
Currently, the most popular form of credit access in Uganda is mobile banking, with more than seven million users. This is because of the increased popularity and use of technology in the country. More than half of Ugandans now have access to a financial institution. This is a vast increase from 28 percent in 2009. This shows that both financial literacy and economic stability are increasing in Uganda.
As the economy grows, so does the financial literacy of the country. The accessibility of financial institutions makes it easier for citizens to become more financially literate and manage their money better than they have previously. This will continue to benefit both the citizens and the country in the long run, as Uganda become more economically stable because of the number of easily accessible financial institutions that are now operating in the country.
– Simone Williams
Photo: Flickr
How Vaccines Prevent Disease and Poverty
Vaccines contain the same antigens that are responsible for causing diseases. The antigens in the vaccines are killed or severely weakened and are unable to cause the disease, but are strong enough to allow the body’s immune system to produce the antibodies needed to become immune to the disease. Therefore, the protection comes without the child having to be sick or suffer from a disease. This reduces the cost of healthcare for families and allows them to save and spend more money, boosting the country’s economy.
Dr. Seth Berkley, the CEO of Gavi, talked about the effects on a child who receives vaccinations and their school attendance. He stated that a child who is healthy is more likely to attend school and become a productive member of society, and their families will not be obligated to pay the expensive healthcare costs that come with diseases. Healthcare expenses cause about 100 million people to fall into poverty each year, as medical treatment is one of the main reasons families are forced below the poverty line. With the use of vaccines, countries will be better protected from both disease and poverty.
The greatest poverty reducer will be vaccinations, by reducing the number of people who are living in poverty due to hepatitis B. Gavi anticipates this will help 14 million people avoid medical impoverishment. Poverty cases that are due to measles will be reduced by vaccines, which is anticipated to prevent 5 million cases as well as preventing 22 million deaths. Disease and poverty are linked through a cause and effect in that medical costs cause poverty in many developing countries.
The study also showed that the poorest 20 percent of the global population represented more than one-fourth of deaths that can be prevented by vaccinations. Furthermore, the study concluded that introducing vaccines in the poorest countries would have the largest impact on lowering the number of deaths and the number of people falling into poverty due to their medical expenses. Therefore, vaccines prevent both disease and poverty.
– Chloe Turner
Photo: Flickr
New Calls to Action from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
At the turn of the nineteenth century, German mathematician David Hilbert attended the International Congress of Mathematicians in Paris, and asked his colleagues a simple question: “Who of us would not be glad to lift the veil behind which the future lies hidden?”
In a call to action, Hilbert presented a set of ten unresolved problems, which if solved, would signal major breakthroughs in the fields of mathematics and science. Over a century later, Tthe Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation launched Grand Challenges in Global Health, an open innovation program inspired by Hilbert’s bold question.
Grand Challenges
Originally focused on 14 scientific challenges that could lead to breakthroughs in combating disease in the developing world, the initiative was relaunched in 2014 as Grand Challenges to reflect its broadened scope. Grand Challenges co-opts Hilbert’s approach and applies it to the world of philanthropy, inspiring innovators to come up with solutions to essential development problems and funding the best ideas.
Just as Hilbert expanded his original ten problems to a later published 23 this month, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is adding to the list. Sponsored by its Explorations program, Grand Challenges has outlined three new problems designed for early-stage ideas.
After submitting a two-page application, recipients receive $100,000 over 18 months to implement their visions. Here are three new calls to action from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
1. Reducing Malnutrition
One in three people worldwide suffer from malnutrition, which can have devastating ripple effects on health, cognitive development and productivity. This new challenge seeks to address three essential problems in the fight against malnutrition — making food accessible, affordable and appealing.
People suffering from malnutrition often live in places where nutritious food is hard to find, or is so expensive that they are priced out of a healthy diet. In other cases, people simply don’t know the vital benefits of eating nutritious food.
This challenge seeks solutions that work with existing food systems in low-income countries to improve people’s diets through food product development, processing, packaging, distribution, consumer education and marketing.
2. Combating Crop Disease
Pests and crop disease threaten the livelihoods of not only farmers, but the millions of people who rely on their harvests. Grand Challenges has identified the dearth of information on diseases and pests as an essential problem in responding to protect farmers’ fields.
This call to action seeks to harness the emerging research in data science, engineering, biology, chemistry, computer science and telecommunications to improve pest and disease surveillance in low-income countries so that smallholder farmers can mitigate their risks.
3. Improving Immunization
Each year, about 21.8 million children do not receive vaccines necessary to protect against serious infectious diseases. This year, at least 1.5 million of these children will die from diseases vaccines could have prevented. In a two-pronged approach, this challenge encourages innovators to find new ways to collect and use data, and develop efficiencies that improve existing immunization systems to work better for both health workers and patients.
Much like Hilbert’s problems, two of which remain unresolved to this day, identifying and implementing solutions to the problems facing developing countries remains immensely complex. These new calls to action from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation represent an important continuation of Hilbert’s legacy.
By offering competitive, accessible grant opportunities aimed at pre-targeted problems, the Grand Challenges program is spurring innovation to lift the veil over a better future.
– Whiting Tennis
Photo: Flickr
The Four Key Components of United Nations Refugee Agency
Currently, more than 65.6 million of the world’s population has been forcibly displaced due to conflict, persecution or inhospitable living conditions within their home countries. A majority of these refugees end up in temporary refugee camps, awaiting relocation in both private and state-backed developments. Unfortunately, resources in resettlement countries tend to be limited in capacity to help the millions of displaced.
Policy of Hope and the United Nations Refugee Agency
Fortunately, the international community is making strong efforts to provide both on-the-ground and financial resources to the countries that house the greatest number of refugees. Many organizations see this policy of hope as a universal good, and deem it paramount to find new homes and lives for those who are displaced.
Organizations like the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) work tirelessly to ensure that those displaced have a global advocate looking out for them.
The organization operates on several different levels to assist refugees around the world and saves the lives of thousands who would otherwise be left without any critical survival resources. Several of the most impactful divisions within UNHCR are its protection, shelter, health and advocacy programs.
1. Protection
The protection program seeks to ensure the safety of individuals under the label of refugee. The United Nations Refugee Agency provides funding to security partners who offer legal and physical protection to refugees and minimize the threat of physical violence in refugee camps. The protection program also generates funding for law schools and government agencies to emphasize coursework and professional development in refugee protection.
2. Shelter
The shelter unit of the United Nations Refugee Agency distributes tents and plastic sheeting that are used to make simple shelters in refugee camps throughout the world. The shelter program also funds the rehabilitation of communal displacement shelters, the construction of brand new homes, and also provides materials for those who choose to build homes themselves under self-help schemes.
3. Healthcare
The United Nations Refugee Agency also has a healthcare provision program which assesses the basic health needs of those living in a refugee camp. On a more general scale, UNHCR provides communities with HIV protection, reproductive health services, food and water security, as well as sanitation and hygiene services.
If there is a specific disease that is particularly prevalent in the camp, the United Nations Refugee Agency assesses the situation and provides what is most necessary. For instance, to flee conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, many settled in refugee camps in Uganda. Unfortunately, the Ugandan refugee camps were rampant with malaria. Accordingly, UNHCR provided over 40,000 malaria nets to the camps, protecting many.
The provision of these essentials greatly benefits the refugees living in the camps and helps to ensure that they have a greater chance of survival and relocation.
4. Advocacy
The United Nations Refugee Program advocates for policy changes as well. The UNHCR has specific policy guidelines and standards that it advocates governments adopt. Each year a team assesses how trends in refugee movement and aid shift and adjusts the standards to ensure that needs of the many are met most effectively.
Overall, the world refugee crisis is both an overwhelming and daunting issue. Despite the scale of the problem, organizations like the United Nations Refugee Agency will continue to work as long there are refugees who need its help.
– Daniel Levy
Photo: Flickr
Development Milestone: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Ethiopia is on the cusp of completing a development milestone. The United States’ $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will be over 500 feet tall and generate more than three times the hydroelectric power created by the Hoover Dam. After its completion, it will be the largest dam in Africa and generate more power than any other dam on the African continent.
Wide-Reaching Benefits
The World Bank’s examinations of this project determined that millions of citizens will benefit from this Ethiopian development milestone. According to the World Bank, nearly 75 million individuals in Ethiopia — approximately 70 percent of the country’s population — lack access to reliable energy sources. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will generate an estimated 6450 MW of energy to civilians, improve infrastructure and ultimately lead to more modern job opportunities in the country.
Ethiopia’s Minister for Water, Irrigation and Electricity claims that the dam is not being built to control the flow of the Nile river politically; rather, it is being built to provide the country with energy development opportunities. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam serves as the flagship of many strides in Ethiopian economic development. Another notable recent achievement is the equitable public transit system in the nation’s capital, Addis Ababa.
National Pride
Moreover, Ethiopians are taking great nationalist pride in the development milestone. The country emphasizes that it is paying for the dam itself, without any international help or investment. The country is funding the dam through intense taxation, selling of bonds and a lottery to incentivize citizen investment.
Accordingly, Ethiopia’s progress in The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has positive and negative effects for its downstream countries Sudan and Egypt, respectively.
Sudan
Sudan expresses a positive view of the dam as it will reduce the amount of flooding farmers endure during particularly high flows of the Nile; the construction project will also contribute to reliable flows of water during the drier seasons. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam construction will also allow for cheaper electricity to be sold into Sudan as the dam is being built close to the Sudanese border.
Egypt
Egypt on the other hand, is increasingly worried about the Ethiopian development milestone. Egypt is concerned that Ethiopia is placing controls on the Nile, which Egyptians have controlled for millennia. Egyptian officials also worry that Ethiopia now has a tap that could significantly reduce the flow of water into their country.
Egypt’s concerns are justified given that the country is subject to face water shortages as soon as 2025. Officials in Egypt explain that if water levels decrease in Egypt by just two percent, then the nation will lose 200,000 acres of viable farmland, which families depend on for subsistence crop growth.
Given that, the Geological Study of America explains that the Nile’s water levels could drop by 25 percent for up to 7 years as the dam’s reservoir in Ethiopia fills up. As a result, Egyptian officials worry that nearly 1 million of the 100 million people living in Egypt will suffer from changes in the Nile’s water flow.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
At this point, Ethiopia and Egypt are only in the early stages of negotiations as tension between the countries increases. Overall, Ethiopia is not going to stop development of the dam; as a result, diplomacy and collaboration are the only means of solving the contentious issues and preventing a water war between Northeastern and East Africa.
– Daniel Levy
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts About Poverty in Singapore
When thinking about poverty, Singapore is usually not the first country that comes to mind. However, the country faces many issues that continue to make poverty an increasing problem in the country.
10 Facts About Poverty in Singapore
Singapore is one of the wealthiest and most well-developed countries in the world, and this is often the side that is seen and thought of. This makes Singapore’s poverty difficult to see for anyone not living in the country.
Singapore has the most millionaires in the world, but also has one of the largest inequality gaps in advanced Asian countries, placing second on the list.
Ten to 14 percent of Singaporeans struggle with severe financial issues. These Singaporeans have difficulty affording their basic needs, with hunger being one of the largest factors.
Poverty in Singapore is growing worse with each year. From 2012 to 2015, impoverished families relying on government assistance increased by approximately 43 percent.
Elderly Singaporeans are the group most affected by poverty. In the same timeframe of 2012 to 2015, the number of impoverished people over 60 years of age relying on government assistance increased by approximately 74 percent. This is mainly attributed to government restrictions on withdrawing retirement funds.
Singaporeans between the ages of 15 and 34 years of age are the second most affected group. This is mainly caused by low-paying entry-level jobs and a lack of minimum wage laws. In addition, many young Singaporeans struggle to find a job at all, with approximately 5 percent being unemployed.
Singaporeans born into poverty, especially those from more recent generations, are more likely to stay in poverty even as adults. Those born into more financially well-off families tend to have more success.
The government provides financial aid to any family making less than $1,900 a month. The government also provides aid in other forms such as making education more affordable, tax exemptions for impoverished families and more affordable housing. Yet, impoverished families continue to struggle, and assistance does not seem to be alleviating the growing issue of poverty in the country.
Although the issue of poverty in Singapore is worsening at a steady rate, the ruling party in the country is growing in popularity and continuing to win general elections. Many believe that the current party is not doing enough to address the issue.
Foreign aid for Singapore has dropped significantly since the mid-1990s, and it receives only miniscule amounts from countries like the U.S. compared to what others are receiving. Even then, the majority of foreign aid that goes to Singapore does not focus directly on poverty issues, and instead on the country’s trade and economy. This lack of aid may be partially due to how hidden much of the poverty in Singapore seems to be.
Although a growing problem, poverty in Singapore remains in the background of the country’s financial successes and development. Because the issue often goes unnoticed by other countries, little aid is being provided, allowing poverty to grow and spread, affecting a variety of Singaporeans in many ways.
– Keegan Struble
Photo: Google
7 Years of USAID in Djibouti
2011
In 2011, Project Aide, which came out as a four-year plan in 2010 to help increase basic education, was still funded at $1.8 million. Project Aide helped train teachers and revise textbooks. The Commodity Cost of USAID Title II Food Aid received four million dollars to stop hunger, fight disease, support families and help with health, water, nutrition and hygiene. Furthermore, in 2011 USAID in Djibouti also worked with the Combined Joint Task Force/Horn of Africa to construct three new classrooms, upgrade solar panels, renovate latrines and build a security fence.
2012
In 2012, Project AIDE received its all-time highest funding of $2.9 million. The Commodity Cost of USAID Title II Food Aid program was still funded, but only at one million dollars. However, 2012 brought a new program from USAID called Roads to a Healthy Future II (Roads II). This program received $1.3 million and the purpose was to alleviate HIV/AIDS and other STIs in Djibouti. USAID in Djibouti worked the Roads II program from 2012-2017. Djibouti also first received U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relieve (PEPFAR) funds in 2012, which would help prevent HIV/AIDS starting in early 2013.
2013
2013 brought no new highly funded programs but continued with two USAID programs: Project AIDE and Commodity Cost of USAID II Emergency Program for Humanitarian Assistance. Project AIDE received $2.4 million, and the Commodity Cost program received $1.7 million. USAID in Djibouti, as well as Roads II, helped bring SafeTStop in 2013. The goal of SafeTStop was to help educate individuals about HIV/AIDS and provide condoms and testing.
2014
USAID in Djibouti brought a new program in 2014 funded at $1.5 million. This program was Commodity Cost of USAID Title II Emergency Program for Protection, Assistance and Solutions. It was helped further by the World Food Program to supply protection, assistance and solutions to countries in further need of aid. The World Food Program also helped implement another program called ITSH Freight Cost of USAID Title II Emergency Program for Protection, Assistance and Solutions, which reappears with high funding in 2017. Roads II continued steady funding with $1.3 million.
2015
Both regular aid programs dropped in funding in 2015 to $1.2 million. The two programs are The Commodity Cost of USAID Title II Emergency Program for Protection, Assistance and Solutions and Roads II, but both remained the two highest funded programs of the year.
2016
2016 brought an end to the Roads II program but marked the beginning of two new, highly funded programs. The water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector received the most funding with $1.7 million, and the goal was to increase access to potable water, sanitation and hygiene. WASH also planned to help at least 25,000 poor or vulnerable people enhance their hygiene practices so they can live healthier lives. The other new program was the Workforce Development program (WFD), which aimed to help youth and adults obtain knowledge higher than basic literacy and numeracy to increase job opportunities. 2016 also brought along the Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods project at Arta’s Regional Council, which is a two-year, one million dollar program to help women in Djibouti.
2017
By 2017, the WFD project was in full effect and funded at $12 million. Now, the project is planned to last roughly five years, taking it all the way to 2021. USAID in Djibouti also funded more than one million dollars each to the ITSH Freight Cost of USAID Title II Emergency Program for Protection, Assistance and Solutions and Commodity Cost of USAID Title II Emergency Program for Protection, Assistance and Solutions.
2018
As of today, there are plans to help with US Food AID for refugees and to continue help with education, such as training another 1,200 primary school teachers and revising textbooks with a gender lens. USAID in Djibouti also plans to support programs to help control diseases such as polio, tuberculous and HIV/AIDS, and also improve nutrition. This year also brings the first public-private partnership to help with HIV/AIDS and building a 1,600 square foot center for health care, counseling, testing and education.
As the past ten years progressed, USAID in Djibouti changed with the needs of the country. Every year, USAID focused on what the country needed to be as successful as possible. With the constant aid and funding, Djibouti was able to increase its overall health and workforce and decrease its diseases rates.
– Amber Duffus
Photo: U.S. Africa Command