Antigua and Barbuda is a small, two-island Caribbean country that became an independent state within the British Commonwealth in 1981. In 2017, Hurricane Irma destroyed most of Barbuda, whose population evacuated to Antigua. Antigua is now home to approximately 97% of the population of 102,634, 75% of which is rural.
Antigua and Barbuda is a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), a classification recognized by the U.N. in 1992. Equal to less than 1% of the world’s population, SIDS are typically geographically remote and deal with unique social, economic and environmental challenges. Antigua and Barbuda’s economy is primarily reliant on tourism. In addition, several marine economic sectors, including fishing, maritime transport, water management and mineral extraction, contribute a very small percentage of the country’s GDP.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Education System
Antigua and Barbuda’s free and compulsory education (established in 1973) covers primary school (grades 1-7, ages 5-12) and secondary school (grades 8-12, through age 16.). An education levy on all basic wages covers all costs, including infrastructure, class materials and transportation. In addition, the country has three small colleges and the University of Health Sciences, which trains medical practitioners who serve in the islands. Antigua State College offers a variety of courses, including home management, office management, agriculture, electronics and refrigeration. Adult training is provided through the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies. The World Bank (and various other sources) reports 99% literacy for 2001, although more recent statistics are not available.
In the 1980s, the government invested in education infrastructure, including the renovation of primary and secondary school facilities, in addition to larger classrooms for vocational and nonformal programs. In 2010, the country initiated the “child-friendly school” concept, which quickly expanded to 60% of the primary and secondary public schools. The CFSs promote practices and behaviors “designed to help children realize their right to a basic education of good quality.”
The Education Act, 2008 outlines the framework and basic administration of Antigua and Barbuda’s education system, responsibilities of the Minister of Education and Director of Education, rights and responsibilities of students and parents, enforcement of compulsory school attendance, administration of educational institutions, inspection and review of the system.
Commonwealth of Learning
Antigua and Barbuda is one of the 54 Commonwealth countries that belong to the Commonwealth of Learning. COL was established in 1987 and describes itself as “the world’s only intergovernmental organisation solely concerned with the promotion and development of distance education and open learning.”
Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education, Sports and Creative Industries, Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs, Antigua State College and the Five Islands Campus of the University of the West Indies have partnered with COL for activities in the country. Highlights include a state-of-the-art solar-powered multimedia courseware development studio at Antigua State College, with COL developing teacher capacity to design and develop blended and online courses. Over 470 learners have already taken these courses, and online workshops were held in November 2022 (for 27 teachers) and May 2023 (23 participants). Open Educational Resources workshops were held in math and science education in May 2024. A workshop in May-June 2024, on teaching mathematics with technology, hosted over 1,100 participants (half women).
Although classified as a Small Island Developing State, Antigua and Barbuda is successfully addressing the accompanying challenges, especially in effectively incorporating the benefits of technology to make high-quality, relevant education available to its people.
– Staff Reports
Photo: Flickr
Six Ways Global Education Would Reduce Global Poverty
Foreign aid helps contribute to the downsizing of global poverty, but there are other ways to help as well. If total global education were achieved, it would have a significant impact on the reduction of poverty.
Here are six ways global education can reduce global poverty.
It would take only $16 billion a year in aid to send all children to school in low-income countries, according to UNESCO. For comparison, the U.S alone spends $601 billion on its military. Global education is attainable, and it can change and save lives.
–Dezanii Lewis
Photo: Flickr
Girls’ Enrollment a Success of Education in Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a small, two-island Caribbean country that became an independent state within the British Commonwealth in 1981. In 2017, Hurricane Irma destroyed most of Barbuda, whose population evacuated to Antigua. Antigua is now home to approximately 97% of the population of 102,634, 75% of which is rural.
Antigua and Barbuda is a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), a classification recognized by the U.N. in 1992. Equal to less than 1% of the world’s population, SIDS are typically geographically remote and deal with unique social, economic and environmental challenges. Antigua and Barbuda’s economy is primarily reliant on tourism. In addition, several marine economic sectors, including fishing, maritime transport, water management and mineral extraction, contribute a very small percentage of the country’s GDP.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Education System
Antigua and Barbuda’s free and compulsory education (established in 1973) covers primary school (grades 1-7, ages 5-12) and secondary school (grades 8-12, through age 16.). An education levy on all basic wages covers all costs, including infrastructure, class materials and transportation. In addition, the country has three small colleges and the University of Health Sciences, which trains medical practitioners who serve in the islands. Antigua State College offers a variety of courses, including home management, office management, agriculture, electronics and refrigeration. Adult training is provided through the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies. The World Bank (and various other sources) reports 99% literacy for 2001, although more recent statistics are not available.
In the 1980s, the government invested in education infrastructure, including the renovation of primary and secondary school facilities, in addition to larger classrooms for vocational and nonformal programs. In 2010, the country initiated the “child-friendly school” concept, which quickly expanded to 60% of the primary and secondary public schools. The CFSs promote practices and behaviors “designed to help children realize their right to a basic education of good quality.”
The Education Act, 2008 outlines the framework and basic administration of Antigua and Barbuda’s education system, responsibilities of the Minister of Education and Director of Education, rights and responsibilities of students and parents, enforcement of compulsory school attendance, administration of educational institutions, inspection and review of the system.
Commonwealth of Learning
Antigua and Barbuda is one of the 54 Commonwealth countries that belong to the Commonwealth of Learning. COL was established in 1987 and describes itself as “the world’s only intergovernmental organisation solely concerned with the promotion and development of distance education and open learning.”
Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education, Sports and Creative Industries, Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs, Antigua State College and the Five Islands Campus of the University of the West Indies have partnered with COL for activities in the country. Highlights include a state-of-the-art solar-powered multimedia courseware development studio at Antigua State College, with COL developing teacher capacity to design and develop blended and online courses. Over 470 learners have already taken these courses, and online workshops were held in November 2022 (for 27 teachers) and May 2023 (23 participants). Open Educational Resources workshops were held in math and science education in May 2024. A workshop in May-June 2024, on teaching mathematics with technology, hosted over 1,100 participants (half women).
Although classified as a Small Island Developing State, Antigua and Barbuda is successfully addressing the accompanying challenges, especially in effectively incorporating the benefits of technology to make high-quality, relevant education available to its people.
– Staff Reports
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in North Korea Affected by Recent Drought
The Problem
Water quality in North Korea has been affected by a severe drought, forcing relief aid to step in and counter some of these issues. One observer had the opportunity to monitor the water quality in North Korea and witness the scarcity of access to clean water due to environmental degradation that has gravely affected the nation. Too often, the North Korean people are neglected and rarely humanized by news outlets, who tend to focus on the ominous threat that the country’s government presents.
This individual, who remained anonymous, observed the work of an international charity organization known as World Vision, an advocacy organization that works on development and humanitarian aid. During this visit to North Korea, the observer witnessed the lives of people in rural and urban areas, noting the environmental degradation that had taken place due to the effects of climate change, deforestation, soil erosion and water resource depletion.
In January, it was reported that “more than 50,000 hectares of farmland in North Korea’s granary zones have been damaged by drought.” According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a severe drought had plagued agricultural areas due to a 30-80 percent drop in precipitation in January. OCHA further cited that due to this drought, the effects were a deterioration in water quality in North Korea, causing a concern of waterborne diseases spreading among the population.
Initiatives
On a more positive note, according to a report by World Vision, there has been an increase in installations of wells, along with high-quality solar pumps, in order to pump water to water tanks on nearby hills. This action has led to substantial improvements in access to clean water for communities. Some of the most vulnerable who were lacking this inalienable right that a lot of us take for granted now have indoor plumbing, offering them clean sanitation. As the observer explained: “1,435 children will have easy access to clean water for the first time in their lives.”
Final Thoughts
With its relentless assault on freedom of expression and stifling of any political dissidents who may challenge the status quo, North Korea’s government remains a staunch opponent to any form of democracy. The average North Korean citizen only worries about their daily lives, which includes how to break out of poverty. North Koreans may be among the most difficult group of people in the world to help due to the restrictions imposed by their government, but taking simple steps to improve sanitation and water quality in North Korea can make a major improvement in their lives.
– Alexandre Dumouza
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in Chile: The Good and the Bad from North to South
Latin America is notorious for having poor water quality. Worried travelers and residents try to avoid drinking tap water or cooking with it. But most people do not know the facts about water quality in Chile. Here are a few from the north of the country all the way to its southern tip.
In northern Chile is the Atacama Desert, which is known as one of the driest places on Earth. This area, which contains many small towns and villages, receives about one millimeter or less of rainfall per year. Certain towns used to obtain water from a nearby well which was fed by a river flowing down from the Andes Mountains. However, out of the 20 wells, only one exists today. It is common for people here to buy bottled water; however, bottled water is nearly 10 times the cost of tap water.
Central Chile is where most of the bigger cities are located, and Santiago, the capital, is one of them. Very little water comes from the mountains on the outskirts of the city. Temperatures are rising, glaciers are retreating and the mountains are gradually losing their snow-capped peaks. Water availability is predicted to fall by nearly 40 percent by 2070, and experts are claiming that water will become the most important physical commodity worldwide, toppling oil and precious metals. The situation in Santiago is so bad that residents have staged multiple protests over the privatization of the water industry, which occurred in 1981.
Maybe the most iconic area of the country is Patagonia, in the southern portion of the country. Residents, researchers and travelers flock to this sparsely populated region of Chile. Some American and Chilean scientists claim that the Chilean Patagonia has the purest water on the planet. Dr. Guido F. Verbeck, director of the UNT Laboratory of Imaging Mass Spectrometry, said of Patagonia’s water, “Our results confirm that these waters are clean, the cleanest waters existing on the planet. In fact, the instruments we use to study the samples can detect chemical compounds in the water up to two parts per million, and here, we did not detect anything.” There is very little pollution in this part of the world. Unpolluted freshwater accounts for .003 percent of the total water available globally and most of it is found here.
There are many issues with water quality in Chile. From pollution and overpopulation to excessive mining and the draining of natural resources, it could be the reason that selling water in some cities is one of the highest tariffs in Latin America. There is some good news regarding the water quality in Chile, however. More wells have been dug, residents have set up reverse osmosis water purification systems and the country is implementing a national irrigation strategy that includes a plan to construct 15 reservoirs. If Chile continues to be proactive about maintaining its water resources, it can ensure good water quality and access for all of its citizens.
– Lorial Roballo
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts about Poverty in Puerto Rico
10 Facts about Poverty in Puerto Rico
These 10 facts about poverty in Puerto Rico might seem daunting. However, there have been many steps to help combat the issue on the island. Puerto Rico’s Governor Ricardo Rossello released a $9.6 billion spending plan to reduce the island’s debt, which can help relieve many of the issues stated above. There is speculation that The Jones Act will be repealed which means that it would improve the island’s maritime industry, adding new jobs and reducing costs of Puerto Ricans goods.
The 10 facts about poverty in Puerto Rico stem from the economic turmoil that the island has been experiencing. Once the island sees a rise in the economy and starts implementing positive strategies that spur growth, the poverty rate in Puerto Rico should start declining.
– Lorial Roballo
Photo: Flickr
Hunger in Uzbekistan: A need for change
Close to 75 percent of the working-class population in Uzbekistan live in rural areas, and thus the income of this stratum of the population typically remains low, which exacerbates the lack of food security. This level of poverty has its roots in Uzbekistan’s independence.
Both the domestic and foreign policy of Uzbekistan are inimical to any significant changes that would address the hunger that plagues the country. Since the main priority of such policies is to keep the ruling regime in power, securing food and combating hunger is simply not a huge priority.
Another cause of the lack of food security is the slow growth of the gross domestic product (GDP), which in recent years was as low as seven percent, which is not sufficient for the steadily increasing population.
Furthermore, the economy of Uzbekistan, in regards to agriculture, is largely confined to producing cotton. This lack of diversification exposes Uzbekistan to increased economic risk. This problem is exacerbated by rising food prices as well.
Despite all of these indicators painting a bleak picture of Uzbekistan in the long run, recent reports have shown a decrease in hunger. From 2000 to 2014 the number of undernourished Uzbeks was reduced to less than half of what they previously were. Currently, this number is at around 1.7 million. While much work has to be done, this is a great improvement.
Additionally, unlike the GDP, the rate of agricultural production increased gradually at about 6 percent every year from 2000 to 2007. Furthermore, wheat production grew nine-fold from 1991 to 2006. These stark improvements are largely a result of the isolationist approach Uzbekistan has adopted in terms of its foreign policy, which has both its pros and cons.
One of the downsides that the Uzbeks have experienced as a result of this foreign policy has already been mentioned: the aversion of the rigid regime to take chances that may benefit its population but would otherwise risk its own stability, such as lifting restrictions on trade. The pros of this are increased self-sufficiency that has spurred the growth in certain aspects of the agricultural sector.
There is much work that needs to be done in order to reduce hunger in Uzbekistan. The country has improved in some ways but further work is needed in order to develop a sustainable model that adequately addresses the needs of the citizenry.
– Mohammad Hasan Javed
Photo: Flickr
The Water Quality in Saudi Arabia: Resisting Water Salinization
Water quality is indicated by various characteristics which include physical, chemical, biological and aesthetic. The main goal is to make sure that the external factors that could corrupt the water are controlled. In this way, citizens are able to obtain clean drinking water for their survival.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a desert country that extends across most of the Arabian Peninsula with extensive coastlines on the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Due to its high levels of heat and humidity, water is a major concern.
The surrounding environment consists of sand, which makes it a challenge to grow crops as well as provide adequate water quality in Saudi Arabia. Most water is received from the sea, however, the high salt content means is it not drinkable. Being one of the largest and fastest expanding expat countries, Saudi Arabia faces a problem of providing enough drinking water for its citizens.
According to a research study on drinking water quality in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Abdulrasoul Al-Omran and his colleagues found that the KSA strongly relies “on groundwater and/or seawater desalination for domestic purposes.” Desalinated water has gone through various chemical processes in order to add specific minerals into the original saline water that will cause it to diminish and thus become safe to drink.
There are 27 stations operated by the Saline Water Conservation Corporation, producing more than three million cubic meters of potable drinking water.
The water quality index (WQI) has been proven to be a simple and effective tool to assess the quality of water, as well as a method of reassuring citizens. The distinct and astounding feature is that by using several water quality variables, a single value is expressed to tell just how clean this water is in relation to others.
The concluding factor of this study stated that using the WQI method helps the design-makers with monitoring and assessment of the quality of drinking water. By being able to determine the water quality in Saudi Arabia, the country and its citizens will be more fully prepared in finding solutions to best distribute their water.
As an ever-evolving country, Saudi Arabia is striving to keep up with its growth by providing efficient ways to distribute the water. One of the solutions that KSA has found is intermittent water supply with reduced system pressures. Although it isn’t the most efficient, it does grant more water to the people that truly need it. It aims to provide 24-hour service but less water is distributed to the residential areas.
This is a challenging issue to remedy as many residents who live in Aramco, the expat compound, have tried to alleviate the intense salt that exists in the water quality of Saudi Arabia by incorporating a portion of sweet water. However, since the country is in an economic crisis, these residents have had to pay SAR 2,000 fee for this luxury, the equivalent of $533.33.
Until better technology is developed to address desalination, the only solution that would be beneficial would be an increase in water imports from other countries.
– Nicole Suárez
Photo: Flickr
The Increasing Poverty Rate in Egypt
Poverty in Egypt affects not only many children, but also populations living in rural areas. When compared to urban areas in Egypt, the poverty rate in rural areas was 37 percent higher as of July 2016.
But the information begs the question: why is Egypt poor? One report writes that there is a correlation between poverty and the number of family members. This is in addition to illiteracy. Given that impoverished people are less likely to enroll in education, they are also more likely to remain impoverished. Thus, the cycle of poverty remains.
Illiteracy and Poverty in Egypt
In 2013, 25.9 percent of Egypt’s population was illiterate. A lack of education in Egyptians can pass down through families, decreasing the likelihood that anyone in the family will be able to pull themselves out of poverty.
Beyond illiteracy, an increase in inflation has lead to an increase in food prices, which has also driven many of the country’s citizens into poverty. In June 2016, the yearly rate of inflation in the prices of consumer goods was 14.8 percent.
As a means of combatting inflation and the increased price of food, Egypt’s government-issued ration cards to almost 70 percent of the population. In 2015, these food subsidies protected 4.6 percent of Egyptians from becoming impoverished.
The country’s illiteracy rate has decreased by over 10 percent since 1996 – at that time the illiteracy rate was over 39.4 percent.
Organizations like the Egyptian Authority for Educating Adults (EAEA) work towards decreasing Egypt’s poverty. The EAEA aims at providing people with the skills needed to work on their own projects, which is directed at getting more people in Egypt into the workforce and driving them out of poverty.
– Haley Rogers
Photo: Flickr
S.Res. 310: The Importance of Ending Pediatric AIDS
S. Res. 310, according to U.S. Congress, is a “resolution that recognizes the importance of a continued commitment to ending pediatric AIDS worldwide.” This is of extreme importance because, not only do children suffer the most from HIV/AIDS because of their developing immune systems, but they also are the key to eradicating the disease and breaking the cycle of infection. Without diagnosis and treatment, one-third of infected infants will die before the age of one, one-half will die before their second birthday and 80 percent will die before their fifth birthday.
As a leading cause of death among adolescents, AIDS is devastating the lives and hopes of millions of children worldwide. Pediatric HIV-related deaths have more than tripled since 2000, requiring immediate attention and resolution.
S. Res. 310 recognizes that women and children are in desperate need of HIV-related services. Data from 2016 shows that half of the 36,700,000 people worldwide who suffer from HIV are women and 2,100,000 are children. Despite the increased efforts by the U.S. and countries around the world, over 400 children were born HIV-positive every day in 2016. This legislation highlights that continued commitment is required in order to eradicate pediatric AIDS.
The resolution allows the U.S. to provide women and children with HIV counseling and testing services and to improve access to services and medicines that prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The legislation also supports expanding treatment for pediatric and adolescent HIV, including greater access to more efficacious antiretroviral drug regimens, age-appropriate services and support for the caregivers of children and adolescents.
In the words of the resolution, “every mother should have the opportunity to fight for the life of her child; and every child and adolescent should have access to medicine to lead a long and healthy life.”
– Jamie Enright
Photo: Flickr
Why is Myanmar Poor?
The fact remains that “more than one-fourth of the country’s 60 million people live in poverty.” Myanmar is deeply dependent on agricultural land, and its infrastructure, as well as human capital, are abysmal. However, some reports suggest a promising economy in the years to come. The Asian Development Bank stated that “Myanmar could follow Asia’s fast-growing economies and expand at 7 percent to 8 percent a year, become a middle-income nation, and triple per capita income by 2030.” With the U.S. easing sanctions in 2012 and an increase in foreign development investments from $1.9 billion to $2.7 billion, gradual refinements to shift Myanmar to a competing free-market economy have been the key to harnessing growth.
Recently, the Burmese government decided to heavily invest in food security and rural development to reduce the migration of young people to cities, which depletes the labor available in rural areas. According to the U.N., in 2030, approximately 60 percent of the world’s population will inhabit urban areas. In addition, a recent survey showed that “25.6 percent of the population lives below the national poverty line in Myanmar and most of them are farmers from rural areas.” For this reason, Vice President U Henry Van Thio provided solutions to these queries by offering examples of ways the government would aim to persuade people not to migrate. Some solutions included:
He noted that some underlying factors which have contributed to a wave of people fleeing rural areas include job shortages, climate change, food insecurity and difficult financial situations. Additionally, he noted that there was a solution underway to respond to the infrastructure deficits that are hindering Myanmar’s development. He attested that “the Department of Rural Road Development has been established as a new department under the Ministry of Construction in order to hasten and streamline infrastructure projects.”
With no recent announcement concerning the “14,000 Rohingya who are at risk of dying from malnutrition in the refugee camps,” the Burmese government is in a serious predicament. Their main focus is on dealing with a humanitarian crisis and furthering their agenda domestically. With labor shortages being a concern in rural areas, the next steps by the Burmese government must be prudent, well-executed and permanent if they aim to answer to the grievances of their people. The goal to transition Myanmar to a developed country can come only at the cost of their own expenditures. The question of “why is Myanmar poor?” comes at a time when the focus has shifted to international compliance as well as eagerly enforcing policies at home that will benefit its people. Humanitarian assistance, as well as development initiatives, are in conjunction to see improvements that come at a most pressing time.
– Alexandre Dumouza
Photo: Flickr