The connection between lack of education and poverty is of a cyclical nature, with each one leading to the other. Documentation of how lack of education creates poverty dates as early as the 1966 publication of the Coleman Report, as this report demonstrated that, when compared to their middle and upper-income counterparts, lower income students were less likely to perform well in school.
When looking at the connection between education and poverty, it is essential to consider a variety of factors, including health and women’s empowerment. Since each of these factors is improved when people are better educated, improving these factors then helps to decrease global poverty.
Education and Health
Educated people are less likely to suffer from poor health since they better understand how to prevent the contraction of various diseases. A study in Uganda demonstrated that in rural Uganda, those who were educated were 75 percent less likely to suffer from HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS rates are cut in half among younger people who are educated through primary school.
Education is also linked to maternal health and the health of children. When mothers are more educated, they are more likely to seek care during pregnancy, and they are better equipped to care for their children. Mothers that are educated are 50 percent more likely to seek immunization for their children than mothers who have no schooling.
Additionally, children of educated mothers are over twice as likely to live to the age of five than children of uneducated mothers. Statistics documenting the link between education and health — specifically the health of women and mothers — also demonstrate how education improves women’s empowerment.
Education and Women’s Empowerment
Young girls who are educated are less likely to marry at a young age. This fact means that they have a higher chance of entering into the workforce and not relying on their husbands and families for financial support. Women’s empowerment through education is another factor that demonstrates how lack of education creates poverty.
Women who are educated are able to develop better decision-making skills which allow them to succeed in the workforce. For women who are educated beyond grades three and four, each additional year of education leads to 20 percent higher wages, a fact that clearly demonstrates the link between education and poverty.
How to Improve
Research clearly indicates that if people lack the basic skills to read and do simple math, they will be less likely to get a job. An inability to get a job creates a clear pathway to poverty; however, lowering school fares and increasing investment in the education sector are key ingredients in improving the amount of educated people.
Between the years 2002 and 2007, an estimated 40 million more children were able to attend school, according to the Global Campaign for Education. This increase in educational attendance was due to a variety of factors including lowering school fares in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi, and the increase in investment in education in Latin America.
Though many people claim that poverty is what causes poor education, they fail to recognize the complicated cyclical nature of the dilemma as a whole. In fact, many studies demonstrate how lack of education creates poverty. With the proper investment in education, more people can have access to education, enter the workforce and not fall into poverty.
– Haley Rogers
Photo: Flickr
A Cyclical Dilemma: How Lack of Education Creates Poverty
The connection between lack of education and poverty is of a cyclical nature, with each one leading to the other. Documentation of how lack of education creates poverty dates as early as the 1966 publication of the Coleman Report, as this report demonstrated that, when compared to their middle and upper-income counterparts, lower income students were less likely to perform well in school.
When looking at the connection between education and poverty, it is essential to consider a variety of factors, including health and women’s empowerment. Since each of these factors is improved when people are better educated, improving these factors then helps to decrease global poverty.
Education and Health
Educated people are less likely to suffer from poor health since they better understand how to prevent the contraction of various diseases. A study in Uganda demonstrated that in rural Uganda, those who were educated were 75 percent less likely to suffer from HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS rates are cut in half among younger people who are educated through primary school.
Education is also linked to maternal health and the health of children. When mothers are more educated, they are more likely to seek care during pregnancy, and they are better equipped to care for their children. Mothers that are educated are 50 percent more likely to seek immunization for their children than mothers who have no schooling.
Additionally, children of educated mothers are over twice as likely to live to the age of five than children of uneducated mothers. Statistics documenting the link between education and health — specifically the health of women and mothers — also demonstrate how education improves women’s empowerment.
Education and Women’s Empowerment
Young girls who are educated are less likely to marry at a young age. This fact means that they have a higher chance of entering into the workforce and not relying on their husbands and families for financial support. Women’s empowerment through education is another factor that demonstrates how lack of education creates poverty.
Women who are educated are able to develop better decision-making skills which allow them to succeed in the workforce. For women who are educated beyond grades three and four, each additional year of education leads to 20 percent higher wages, a fact that clearly demonstrates the link between education and poverty.
How to Improve
Research clearly indicates that if people lack the basic skills to read and do simple math, they will be less likely to get a job. An inability to get a job creates a clear pathway to poverty; however, lowering school fares and increasing investment in the education sector are key ingredients in improving the amount of educated people.
Between the years 2002 and 2007, an estimated 40 million more children were able to attend school, according to the Global Campaign for Education. This increase in educational attendance was due to a variety of factors including lowering school fares in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi, and the increase in investment in education in Latin America.
Though many people claim that poverty is what causes poor education, they fail to recognize the complicated cyclical nature of the dilemma as a whole. In fact, many studies demonstrate how lack of education creates poverty. With the proper investment in education, more people can have access to education, enter the workforce and not fall into poverty.
– Haley Rogers
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in the World’s Most Overpopulated Cities
There are not enough resources or available land for many struggling individuals to survive. Thus, they must flock to urban areas where there is rapid growth in the world economy. In cities, people can specialize in different fields within the industrial and service sectors. However, there are too many people trying to fill these small confines of city life.
As cited on the National Geographic website, “in cities, two of the most pressing problems facing the world today also come together: poverty and environmental degradation.” This is due to the vast degradation of resources in urban settings and the exacerbation of poverty. This is especially prominent in an analysis of the most overpopulated cities in the world.
The Five Most Overpopulated Cities and Their Populations
The most overpopulated cities tend to be in developing countries where poverty is rampant due to this overcrowding. Even in developed countries, the cities listed deal with intense smog and pollution problems that exacerbate health and poverty issues.
In less developed regions, there is a higher death rate for children and adolescents. Unsanitary living conditions threaten survival rates. This is especially evident in urban areas where crowding is so common that slums have grown rapidly.
In order to combat poverty in the most overpopulated cities, education and economic growth are critical. By engaging the government to work with its community, the government will better understand which challenges should be addressed first. Therefore, education, paired with improved living conditions in cities, will help ensure children are surviving into adulthood.
These are the key ingredients to overcoming poverty and environmental pollution in overpopulated urban areas.
– Caysi Simpson
Photo: Flickr
5 of the Most Impactful Development Projects in Liberia
According to the CIA World Factbook, Liberia is a country with an unemployment rate of six percent and a 47 percent literacy rate. This status highlights the need for Liberia to develop its country so that it can make strides to reduce poverty. Here are five development projects in Liberia that will allow the country to make the changes necessary to reduce poverty.
1. The Third Poverty Reduction Support Development Policy Operation (PRSDPO-III)
Liberia is one of many nations that was severely affected by the Ebola crisis. This event, coupled with the United Nations Mission withdrawal from the country, has left Liberia’s economy in an upturned state. This development project will help the government’s reform efforts for stabilizing the economy by establishing a macroeconomic framework.
2. Liberia Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project
The country of Liberia, like many underdeveloped countries, needs to develop their infrastructure in order to fully develop as a nation. This development project in Liberia aims to provide emergency support to restore the Port of Monrovia and the Roberts International Airport. It also seeks to rehabilitate other port and aviation areas, according to the World Bank.
3. Liberia Land Administration Project
This project will strengthen the capacity of Liberia Land Authority and establish a land administration policy. It will establish processes and infrastructure required to implement laws on identification, ownership, use and valuation of land. These implementations will lead to an increase of regulations and awareness on land rights.
4. Cheesemanburg Landfill and Urban Sanitation Project
The purpose of this project is to increase access to solid waste management. Seventy-two percent of the country does not have access to sanitation facilities. Poor sanitation can lead to poor water quality. In fact, 24 percent of Liberia does not have access to a drinking water source. This project is vital in maintaining sanitation in the country.
5. Liberia Health Systems Strengthening Project
The state of the country’s health is lacking due to the recent Ebola crisis. The purpose of this project is to improve the quality of available healthcare services, such as maternal, neonatal and child health.
These development projects in Liberia will change the nature of the country and allow the government to make improvements in other areas of life, such as education. By focusing on other aspects of the country, Liberia will be able to step towards reducing poverty.
– Dezanii Lewis
Photo: Flickr
5 Development Projects in Myanmar
These five major development projects in Myanmar focus on areas where sustainable change can be brought about.
Community-Oriented Reproductive Health Project
In Myanmar, there is particularly low access to health services. This is especially evident in rural communities where there is a lack of knowledge, experience and healthcare providers. Similarly, there’s a scarcity of resources, facilities and basic services.
To combat this, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) implemented the Community-Oriented Reproductive Health Project in 2004. Its main focus is on training healthcare providers in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and upgrading health centers. The project trained one MCH promoter for every 30 households in targeted communities which ensures future, self-reliant health.
Dawei Development Project
Proposed in November 2010, the Dawei Development Project is a planned economic zone. The Dawei Development project in Myanmar would create hundreds of thousands of jobs, contributing to five percent of Myanmar’s GDP by 2045. Initially focusing on textiles, a few years down the line it hopes to attract industries such as automotive and plastics.
National Community Driven Development Project
Approved in November 2012, this development project in Myanmar aims to improve rural communities’ access to infrastructure and basic services, such as an improved government response to crisis or emergencies. It notes that most of Myanmar’s issues with poverty indicate a strong concentration in rural areas.
With plans to benefit almost 3,000 villages home to over two million poor people, this project uses a people-centered approach through which villages receive block grants to fund projects they decide and implement themselves.
Southeast Disaster Risk Management Project
The Southeast Disaster Risk Management Project will help Myanmar in one of its most crippling areas: natural disasters. Each year, disasters cost the country approximately $184 million and hurt the poor much more than other classes.
This development project in Myanmar will contribute $116 million to efforts geared towards the reduction of flooding and improve the government’s response to disasters and emergencies across the country.
Development Programs in Myanmar: Microfinance
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) executes a funding project that has, since 2010, contributed $622 million in new loans. Currently, it operates in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia. However, in 2017 it raised another $100 million to finance loans which will allow projects to expand into Myanmar.
With the implementation of these development projects in Myanmar, there is hope to bring more equality into the country. With a strong emphasis on increasing economic prosperity, these projects will similarly decrease the percentage of impoverished citizens in Myanmar. Myanmar will begin to grow into a prosperous and equal country.
– Nick McGuire
Photo: Flickr
The Reasons to Improve Sustainable Agriculture in Sudan
Located in Northeast Africa, the country of Sudan has a brutal history. Political corruption dominated much of the country’s past and resulted in the displacement, and even deaths, of millions of Sudanese. Conflict between the north and the south of the nation ultimately led to the South Sudan secession and the formation of two separate nations.
While South Sudan experienced much stability since becoming its own nation, the north of Sudan experiences continual internal conflict as well as separation from the rest of the world. Approximately 3.5 million people face chronic hunger and food insecurity, yet the Sudanese government and the armed opposition prevent humanitarian organizations from providing support to individuals in need. Due to the fact that food insecurity is an epidemic, improving sustainable agriculture in Sudan is of the utmost importance.
Past Improvements
Launched in 2007, the Sudan Productive Capacity Recovery Programme-Capacity Building (SPCRP-CB/Sudan) was a six-year partnership project between the government of Sudan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Union (EU). The purpose of the program was to build a strong and sustainable agricultural sector so as to provide a systemic improvement to food insecurity in Sudan. This mission was achieved through strengthening rural communities by training farmers on sustainable agricultural practices.
Millions of dollars were poured into the program to establish more than 100 Farmer Field Schools. These schools work to empower rural communities by helping farmers increase their production and bring products to market. The school is a setting in which stronger communities can be built, as well as a place where farmers can strengthen their skills and share knowledge.
The program has reached more than 2,500 farmers, in turn improving the livelihood of thousands of other Sudanese; however, the program ended in 2013, and food insecurity is still present throughout the country. This occurrence highlights the need for the continuation of current efforts towards achieving sustainable agriculture in Sudan.
Future Improvements
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) still works extensively in Sudan to improve sustainable agriculture. Between 2015 and 2019, the FAO put into place a plan of action for sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition.
This plan of action includes several strategic projects that would help to improve Sudan’s agricultural sector through sustainable agriculture practices, and improved policy and institutional programming for food security; however, many of these plans are solely contingent upon funding. The FAO is dependent upon the United Nations, highlighting the importance of international support for sustainable agriculture in Sudan.
While Sudan has experienced substantial improvements to sustainable agriculture, the country is still in deep need. According to the 2015 Human Development Index, Sudan ranks 167 out of 188 — a ranking that clearly demonstrates the prevalence of food insecurity and poverty within the nation. Through the continued support by the U.N. and other countries (including the United States), sustainable agriculture in Sudan can be achieved. In turn, millions may no longer face food insecurity and be lifted out of poverty.
– Sarah Jane Fraser
Photo: Flickr
Humanitarian Aid to Turkey is Slow but Successful
According to the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations report, there are over 3.7 million refugees living in Turkey, as of 2017. With this great number of people and a shortage of space, the European Commission has been one of the leading assistants in relieving Turkey’s overflow issue. According to the Commission, three billion euros are being pumped into Turkey’s civil protection program, and a new flagship program called the Emergency Social Safety Net will allow nearly 1.3 million refugees to meet needs such as food shortages and housing issues.
Besides the European Commission, nearly 45 independent humanitarian programs are working with the Turkish government. However, the Turkish government has recently been cracking down on different private aid organizations. According to The Century Foundation, the government’s harsh views on the apolitical NGOs in the region have forced many humanitarian groups out of the area. Because of this, the success of humanitarian aid to Turkey is much lower than in recent years.
Along with its own financial success, according to Developmental Initiatives, Turkey is also receiving over $59 billion in aid from the United States and other developed countries, as of 2015. With a high level of international trading and a fairly advanced internal economic system, Turkey is far above the margin of success for underdeveloped countries. With its own economic success, and with the help of humanitarian aid from other countries and nonprofit organizations, Turkey has a strong chance of righting itself after its current population influx is addressed.
– Molly Atchison
Photo: Flickr
The Strong Impact and Success of Humanitarian Aid to Guyana
Drug trafficking is a serious issue for Guyana, a nation that serves as a transit country for cocaine that’s delivered to other countries such as the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Europe and West Africa. Drug trafficking influences the country’s political and judicial systems, and traffickers take advantage of Guyana’s “poorly monitored ports, remote airstrips, intricate river networks, porous land borders, and weak security sector capacity.” As a result, most of the humanitarian aid to Guyana goes toward combatting drug trafficking.
The Fight To End Drug Trafficking
Although the country has its own laws that aim to combat drug trafficking, the humanitarian aid to Guyana significantly helps in the fight. For instance, the Guyanese government has the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act of 2009 in place in order to improve the investigative procedures of law enforcement authorities and prosecutors who are trying to obtain convictions for drug traffickers.
However, “the government has sought no prosecutions under these laws,” and a U.S. State Department report previously disclosed that the government was not doing enough to combat drug trafficking in the country. The U.S. cooperates with Guyana and other Caribbean nations through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) in order to fight illicit trafficking and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security.
Humanitarian aid to Guyana through CBSI includes efforts to improve law enforcement capabilities, border and port protection, workforce development and anti-money laundering effectiveness. CBSI-funded programs “support Guyana’s maritime operations by providing interdiction assets, including riverine patrol boats delivered in December 2013 and relevant command and control systems.” The programs also offer logistical support and training, but Guyana still believes that it needs more assistance to combat this serious issue and has asked for additional assistance from the U.S.
Combatting HIV
While the human trafficking battle rages on, Guyana has been quite effective in its response to HIV. Humanitarian aid to Guyana to fight HIV has proven successful so far; for instance, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) was first launched in 2003 in Guyana when the country “appeared to be on the precipice of an HIV/AIDS crisis with a growing infection rate.”
The HIV/AIDS rates in Guyana have stabilized over the years as the people have an adequate supply of blood, and HIV-infected mothers receive necessary preventative care in order to prevent infecting their unborn children.
The success of humanitarian aid to Guyana in fighting the HIV virus illustrates that increasing foreign aid to combat drug trafficking can cause a plethora of positive results as a result.
– Mehruba Chowdhury
Photo: Flickr
Main Methods of Improving Sustainable Agriculture in Haiti
Located in the Caribbean, the country of Haiti has experienced tremendous devastation over the last decade. Political instability, a poor economy and the massive earthquake in 2010 has left millions of Haitians living in deep poverty and facing food insecurity. Prior to the earthquake, Haiti experienced some of the highest rates of malnutrition in the western hemisphere.
Approximately 40 percent of households are undernourished and up to 30 percent of children experience chronic malnutrition. This issue prompted finding solutions through sustainable agriculture in Haiti, and the Haitian’s government efforts coupled with support from the United States has led to significant improvements over the past several years.
Feed the Future Initiative
The Haitian economy is heavily dependent upon agricultural production. More than half of the entire population relies on agriculture as a primary source of income. However, the country suffers from significant environmental degradation that has continued to perpetuate food insecurity throughout the country.
Through the collaboration of USAID and the Haitian government, the Feed the Future Initiative was launched to improve sustainable agriculture in Haiti. The initiative works directly with farmers to increase agricultural production, modernize natural resource management and improve food security. Feed the Future has worked with more than 70,000 Haitian farmers to increase the production of maize, beans, plantains and rice.
As Haiti is highly susceptible to natural disasters, Feed the Future promotes proper resource management as a way to encourage farmers to reduce the planting of erosive crops in environmentally vulnerable areas. One major way they accomplish such a task is through the use of crops such as cacao and coffee — these types of plants are far less damaging and significantly more profitable for local Haitian farmers.
Partnerships for Change
Through their partnership with the Rural Research Center for Sustainable Development, USAID has trained over 7,000 farmers in sustainable farming techniques as well as established greenhouses that help to reduce pressure on the degraded environment. The program also put forth a value chain approach that connects farmers directly with suppliers and various food manufacturers.
In utilizing this chain, farmers can gain financial stability and expand sales. Feed the Future also improves post-harvest handling, storage and processing. This, in turn, allows for greater market access and the ability to export products through sustainable agricultural practices.
Establishing sustainable agriculture in Haiti is fundamentally important for economic growth and improving the country’s overall food insecurity. By having initiatives such as Feed the Future, Haitians can be lifted out of poverty and experience tremendous economic growth.
Through greater financial support from the United States and other countries around the globe, sustainable agriculture in Haiti can be achieved and the livelihood of millions can be improved.
– Sarah Jane Fraser
Photo: Flickr
2 Key Projects Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in Albania
Improved agricultural practices are currently bringing about poverty reduction and improved food security across the world. Sustainable agriculture in Albania is no exception. In a nutshell, sustainable agriculture is the effort to ensure that present agricultural activity will not deprive future generations of the ability to meet their own needs. This involves replacing problematic practices with ones that are easier on the environment, more economically profitable and less exploitative.
Major interest in sustainable agriculture in Albania is currently being generated and supported by two key sustainable development initiatives. A total of 71 percent of the Albanian population is employed in the agricultural sector, contributing 21 percent of Albania’s GDP. While many Albanians have long depended on agriculture as a means of subsistence, there are several cash crops endemic to the country which can compete strongly on the global market, especially when they are grown organically. This means that promoting sustainable agriculture in Albania would serve the Albanian people very well and lift many people out of poverty.
Two projects, in particular, are promoting sustainable agriculture in Albania and seeing great successes. Sustainable Agriculture Support in Albania, funded by the Swiss government, is undertaking efforts to introduce organic farming, to help organic farmers become and stay competitive in the global market and to promote organic Albanian products to consumers around the world. This project is working primarily to make organic farming profitable and attractive for Albanian farmers, and in doing so promote sustainable agriculture in Albania.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations also has an ongoing partnership promoting sustainable agriculture in Albania. In addition to the promotion of organic farming, the FAO is also working to promote innovation in agricultural practices. It is anticipated that greater innovation will help to keep Albanian agriculture profitable and competitive, especially as the country moves closer to European Union membership.
Other goals of the FAO partnership with Albania include preserving Albania’s rich biodiversity and helping to improve the management of Albanian fisheries in the Adriatic Sea. These are all critical if Albania is to successfully join the EU, which sets strict standards for agricultural products. Additionally, EU membership could pose a threat to Albanian farmers who cannot withstand the international competition that comes with access to the EU market. However, the hope is that the adoption of more sustainable practices will improve Albania’s competitiveness.
While some of the projects promoting sustainable agriculture in Albania may seem simple, their potential impact on rural Albanian communities cannot be understated. Rural Albania is seeing a massive outflow of people heading either to major cities or overseas to find better-paying jobs and a better quality of life. Rural areas tend to be underdeveloped and some lack basic modern conveniences.
Efforts to promote sustainable agriculture often bring with them improvements that, while helpful for farming, also majorly improve daily living for local residents. An example of this is a German-backed project called Support for Agriculture and Rural Development in Disadvantaged Areas in Albania (SARED). In addition to things like more fuel-efficient tractors and irrigation systems, sustainable development projects like SARED have also brought electricity and wastewater treatment systems to rural Albania.
The hope is that these projects will not only provide a better future for rural Albanians but that in doing so they will stop the steady stream of people leaving these parts of the country in search of a better life by enabling them to create one where they are.
– Michaela Downey
Photo: Flickr
The Impact of Improved Credit Access in Kosovo
Following 1989, the privatisation of public property in Kosovo caused many land disputes that were only exacerbated by the ethnic conflict. As people fled their homes before and during the war, property became de facto owned by people that did not have the legal right to it. The destruction of property during the war created further disputes that authorities have struggled to fully resolve.
The tumultuous history of property rights over the last 30 years has had a lasting impact on credit access in Kosovo. Given that property is an important form of collateral that is not plentiful in Kosovo, access to credit is very difficult. Many individuals and would-be entrepreneurs lack sufficient collateral to secure a loan, and banks continue to withhold credit from people who ostensibly have the necessary collateral because of legal uncertainty.
This lack of credit access in Kosovo is a major obstacle to economic development and is trapping banks in cycles of what amounts to economic contraction. This situation makes Kosovo a good candidate for aid from the United States in order to improve credit access.
Recently, USAID launched a project to help improve credit access in Kosovo by establishing the Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund, which has pledged to back 50 percent of the value of loans given to small and medium-sized businesses. The first guarantees for these loans were issued by USAID in just September 2016, but they are already having a major positive impact on Kosovo’s business environment.
Beneficiaries report being able to secure financing that they could not have done without the help of the credit guarantees. This financing turns into investment elsewhere in Kosovo, multiplying the impact of this one small step to improving credit access.
These improvements to the economic situation as a result of improved credit access in Kosovo have a positive impact that stretches well beyond Kosovo’s borders. Kosovo is widely regarded as a good location for U.S. investment, and these improvements to the economy are sure to help the country attract more investment.
Improved economic forecasts also mean that Kosovo is fast becoming a valuable market for U.S. exports. This has the potential to benefit not only the people of Kosovo but of the United States as well. Despite lingering challenges, Kosovo is becoming a poster child for the success of this kind of foreign aid.
– Michaela Downey
Photo: Flickr