The smallest country in South America, Suriname is one of the world’s poorest countries, with more than 20% of its population living below the poverty line. While the country has seen some economic growth in recent years, its tumultuous political history explains many of the current causes of poverty in Suriname.
Ending the 1996 Adjustment Program
Having been a Dutch colony for several centuries, Suriname’s relationship with the Netherlands is complicated. For a long time after its independence, it relied on Dutch aid to propel its economy; however, relations deteriorated in the late ’90s and in 2014, Suriname was dropped as a recipient of Dutch development aid.
The government of Jules Wijdenbosch ended Suriname’s structural adjustment program in 1996 in an attempt to make taxation more equitable for the country’s large, poor population. As a result, tax revenues fell and the government was unable to implement an alternative. Mining, construction and service sectors declined and, combined with increased government spending, a bloated civil service and reduced foreign aid, the country faced a massive fiscal deficit, estimated at around 11% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Eventually, this led to a long period of inflation, where consumer prices skyrocketed and it took the average Surinamese citizen more than two years to register a business. The causes of poverty in Suriname began with Dutch colonization and continue to suffer from structural shortcomings and poor governance, as is common with many postcolonial nations in the global South.
Strained Relations
Suriname and the Netherlands maintained a strained relationship after Desi Bouterse’s military government rose to power. In 1999, Bouterse was convicted on a number of drug and corruption charges in the Netherlands but was re-elected as the president of Suriname in 2010. Under his regime, the nation’s political climate became saturated with ethnic polarization and corruption.
Economic Diversification
Once Dutch aid stopped, Suriname’s economy became more diversified and independent. Bauxite is the primary source of revenue, as are agricultural exports and oil and gold extraction. These improvements are a double-edged sword since the environmental fallout of such extraction is incredible. They have also led to a spike in forced child labor, with more children being recruited into the mining industry.
According to the United States (U.S.) Department of Labor, “Children in Suriname are subjected to the worst forms of child labor.” Consequently, health problems and malnutrition have increased and high poverty rates continue to run rampant.
Moving Ahead
Almost 80% of Suriname’s landmass is untouched rainforest and protected reserves, which have attracted many tourists over the years. With a rise in ecotourism and diversification of exports, the potential for Suriname’s economy to improve is high.
Additionally, many local and international organizations, such as Humanium, are working to provide educational services and health facilities, particularly to children in need. A number of groups focus on empowerment and legal advocacy to bring about grassroots change.
Finally, with an increase in foreign investment and local change to tackle corruption, some of the problems faced by the Surinamese can be addressed.
– Paroma Soni
Photo: Flickr
Updated: May 29, 2024
Fighting Hunger in Qatar Through Food Programs
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties and initiated an economic embargo of Qatar. This was due to reported Qatari state sponsorship of terrorism and of strengthening diplomatic ties between Qatar and Iran. As a part of the economic embargo, the four nations ceased food exports to Qatar, leading to raised concerns about food shortages and hunger in Qatar.
As a desert nation, Qatar relies heavily on food imports, with 80-90% of food supplies being imported. These imports were greatly affected by the embargo. Despite a rise in food aid from Turkey and Iran, Qatar saw a 40% hit to food imports by the end of June. Many people living in Qatar began to stockpile food as food shortages began and food prices rose. While there have been attempts to mediate the situation, the embargo was still ongoing at the end of September 2017 and is expected to continue into 2018.
While the rise in food prices has slowed and food imports have been coming in from different parts of the world, sustainability is still an issue. Qatar has been attempting to develop sustainable ways of providing its own food since before the embargo. In 2008, Qatar established the National Food Security Program (QNFSP) with the goal of increasing domestic food production. This would reduce the amount of food being imported and increase food security, the ability for all people to have economic and physical access to food, ultimately reducing hunger in Qatar.
The QNFSP has sought technological advances in crop production technologies and irrigation systems. One way this is being done is through the Sahara Forest Project, a pilot program using greenhouses on a one-hectare parcel of land outside Doha to grow crops and make fresh water from seawater. The Qatar Islamic Bank also announced in August that it would fund a 530,000 square meter food security facility to manufacture and store rice, raw sugar and edible oils. In addition, several companies are expanding livestock numbers, with one company seeking to add 25,000 cows in order to meet Qatar’s dairy demand by April 2018.
Another attempt to increase food security is being done through food processing. Food processing allows for longer shelf life and less waste. QNFSP is still working to expand this industry.
Finding ways to increase productivity in agriculture is extremely necessary for Qatar, where only one percent of the land is arable. In addition to investing in technology, private enterprises and the Qatar Development Bank will be investing to financially support unproductive farms, which currently make up 80% of registered farmland in Qatar. With the goal of providing 60% of its food through domestic agriculture by 2024, major steps are being taken to increase food security and decrease hunger in Qatar.
– Erik Beck
Photo: Flickr
What are the Causes of Poverty in Kiribati?
Kiribati is an island country scattered over the vast Pacific Ocean. The people believe in a very simple way of life, peace and harmony. Their traditional dances are a visual delight and a unique expression of their culture. The economy of Kiribati depends mostly on fishing, cutting copra (dried coconut kernels) and agriculture. In the more urban South Tarawa, land and fishing resources are almost completely depleted and there is a serious lack of job opportunities.
According to the World Bank, approximately 22% of the population lived below the basic needs poverty line between 2019 and 2020 and the number is higher in South Tarawa. Female-headed households are more vulnerable to poverty and one-third of children in Kiribati are from households living in poverty. The unemployment rate in Kiribati was estimated at 11% in 2020. Factors contributing to poverty in Kiribati include a lack of skilled workers, weak infrastructure and its remote location away from international markets.
Causes of Poverty
These eight issues sum up the causes of poverty in Kiribati:
Efforts by the Government of Kiribati
The informal, traditional care system characteristic of the Kiribati way of life is disintegrating and remittances from seamen are falling. However, the government has shown its commitment to fighting against the causes of poverty in Kiribati through specific programs aimed at promoting equity:
To combat poverty in Kiribati, all efforts have to be focused on creating direct employment and making the population more employable. The government needs to make major investments in its infrastructure. Also, the growth of private sector industries is very important for Kiribati to become self-sufficient. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, these efforts, along with a progressive social policy, are Kiribati’s best chance to fight poverty.
– Tripti Sinha
Photo: eTurboNews
Updated: May 27, 2024
How to Help People in Mongolia
How to help people in Mongolia? Over 27 years after the revolution that would lead Mongolia to a democratic form of government, the country faces social and economic issues that have yet to be resolved. Mongolia’s current poverty issues are mostly connected to its climate and natural disasters such as severe snow storms over the winter and droughts during the summer. The characteristic nomadic way of living is slowly fading because of how animals, as well as their owners, are gravely affected by such climate conditions.
As a country whose economy relies on agriculture and cattle raising, such natural impacts destroy Mongolia’s economy from the root. Thus, Mongolia’s poverty is higher in rural areas than in major cities.
The Red Cross has been successfully helping Mongolia’s population during the “dzud,” a natural disaster seen only in Mongolia that is distinguished by its severe low temperatures. 2010 was the culminating point, when eight million animals were killed by the natural phenomenon.
By working hand in hand with families within the affected communities, the Red Cross has provided supplies, shelter, physical and emotional support throughout 17 different provinces across Mongolia.
Ways to Help People in Mongolia
But the different ways of how to help people in Mongolia encompass more than the effects of extreme weather, and therefore have to be tackled with a variety of concepts and strategies.
The United Nations has been working with Mongolia and its citizens to develop an integrated national system as well as macroeconomic plans, which were previously lacking. These strategies have decreased unemployment and reduced poverty due to their economic impact in the country.
The organization People in Need have been working with the country of Mongolia for decades. The NGO ensures access to healthcare for habitants in remote locations, distributes food around the country and helps rebuild rural areas after harsh weather events, among other forms of aid.
How to help people in Mongolia is a question with a simple answer. Creating and spreading awareness is key, and the companies mentioned above and many more are successfully doing this every day. There is hope for Mongolia.
– Paula Gibson
Photo: Flickr
Combating Malnutrition in Ethiopia With Chicken Farms
As a result of systemic exploitation from past and present world systems, most East African nations are entrenched in a cycle of poverty. This cycle often forces such nations to struggle mightily with child malnourishment and Ethiopia is no exception. Although the rate of malnutrition in Ethiopia has dropped seven percent between 2005 and 2011, malnutrition, on the whole, is still so widespread that an estimated 44% of children under the age of five still suffer from growth stunting alone. This harsh reality has prompted USAID to enter the scene in 2011 and 2012, with several programs meant to address various factors such as nutritional (mis)education and storage practices, which contribute to such high rates of child malnutrition.
Further, it is especially significant to note that Ethiopia is the second-most populous nation in Africa, making the weight of this fight with malnutrition even heavier on multiple levels. From an economic standpoint, the effects of such a high prevalence of malnutrition are catastrophic. In fact, the Ethiopian workforce has declined by eight percent due to child mortality related to malnourishment.
Such is an astounding figure; its impact is incredibly significant for the nation’s economy, as losing such a substantial amount of its potential workforce ultimately inhibits the extent to which the nation can grow within the current capitalist world system. Not only that, but a hefty 16.5% of Ethiopia’s annual GDP goes towards various costs related to child malnutrition. Thus, not only is malnutrition limiting the successes of the future workforce, it is actively mitigating the successes of the present one.
One of the major challenges the nation faces in addressing the issue of malnutrition in Ethiopia is the overall lack of protein in typical diets. This is largely due to a scarcity of meat and a high death rate among chickens in particular — indigenous chicken breeds have a survival rate of just 50%. Consequently, chicken supplies — and the protein chickens provide — are minimal at best.
Yet, an incredible company, Mekelle Farms, has arisen as a result of this challenge. Mekelle Farms produces chickens that are both more fertile and more disease-resistant than local chicken breeds. After raising the chickens for 40 days, Mekelle partners with local governments to sell the chickens to smallholder farmers and rural families. These chickens not only produce up to five times more eggs than their traditional counterparts, they also double the income of those who possess them.
Through their production of more sustainable and successful chickens, Mekelle is actively fighting malnutrition by both increasing the chicken supply (and thus increasing the protein supply) within struggling communities and also improving the economic status of those who own said chickens. This is undeniably a catalyst for change and growth within these communities that are most heavily affected by malnutrition in Ethiopia.
There is still an immense amount of work to be done, as the reality still stands that 3.1 million Ethiopian children under the age of five will be killed by malnutrition every year. But there is much hope going forward, as companies like Mekelle Farms enter the market and engage in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
– Kailee Nardi
Photo: Flickr
What are the Causes of Poverty in Suriname?
The smallest country in South America, Suriname is one of the world’s poorest countries, with more than 20% of its population living below the poverty line. While the country has seen some economic growth in recent years, its tumultuous political history explains many of the current causes of poverty in Suriname.
Ending the 1996 Adjustment Program
Having been a Dutch colony for several centuries, Suriname’s relationship with the Netherlands is complicated. For a long time after its independence, it relied on Dutch aid to propel its economy; however, relations deteriorated in the late ’90s and in 2014, Suriname was dropped as a recipient of Dutch development aid.
The government of Jules Wijdenbosch ended Suriname’s structural adjustment program in 1996 in an attempt to make taxation more equitable for the country’s large, poor population. As a result, tax revenues fell and the government was unable to implement an alternative. Mining, construction and service sectors declined and, combined with increased government spending, a bloated civil service and reduced foreign aid, the country faced a massive fiscal deficit, estimated at around 11% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Eventually, this led to a long period of inflation, where consumer prices skyrocketed and it took the average Surinamese citizen more than two years to register a business. The causes of poverty in Suriname began with Dutch colonization and continue to suffer from structural shortcomings and poor governance, as is common with many postcolonial nations in the global South.
Strained Relations
Suriname and the Netherlands maintained a strained relationship after Desi Bouterse’s military government rose to power. In 1999, Bouterse was convicted on a number of drug and corruption charges in the Netherlands but was re-elected as the president of Suriname in 2010. Under his regime, the nation’s political climate became saturated with ethnic polarization and corruption.
Economic Diversification
Once Dutch aid stopped, Suriname’s economy became more diversified and independent. Bauxite is the primary source of revenue, as are agricultural exports and oil and gold extraction. These improvements are a double-edged sword since the environmental fallout of such extraction is incredible. They have also led to a spike in forced child labor, with more children being recruited into the mining industry.
According to the United States (U.S.) Department of Labor, “Children in Suriname are subjected to the worst forms of child labor.” Consequently, health problems and malnutrition have increased and high poverty rates continue to run rampant.
Moving Ahead
Almost 80% of Suriname’s landmass is untouched rainforest and protected reserves, which have attracted many tourists over the years. With a rise in ecotourism and diversification of exports, the potential for Suriname’s economy to improve is high.
Additionally, many local and international organizations, such as Humanium, are working to provide educational services and health facilities, particularly to children in need. A number of groups focus on empowerment and legal advocacy to bring about grassroots change.
Finally, with an increase in foreign investment and local change to tackle corruption, some of the problems faced by the Surinamese can be addressed.
– Paroma Soni
Photo: Flickr
Updated: May 29, 2024
Causes of Poverty in Sao Tome and Principe
The most recent survey on the causes of poverty in Sao Tome and Principe, an island nation off the western coast of Africa, dates back to 1995. It showed that over 40% of the population was living below the poverty line, and 33% were living in extreme poverty.
Unfortunately, there is little household information about Sao Tome and Principe, but a decline in the nation’s per capita income through 1997 and difficult social conditions led to the increase in poverty since then. Specifically, fluctuations in the world’s cocoa prices triggered such conditions and have caused an influx of migration to urban areas.
In spite of this, its rank of 142 out of 188 in the United Nations’ Development Programme Human Development Index is relatively good compared to other Western African countries. This mostly stems from foreign investment in health and education between 1975 and 1985, but this aid slowed with economic instability in the 1990s.
This country struggles to develop largely due to its low income, which stems from a lack of assets and means of production. Without the ability to export, Sao Tome and Principe struggles to resolve its economic instability. Without tools or proper infrastructure, agriculture as an industry is unable to generate income.
Despite this, since 1990, Sao Tome and Principe’s Human Development Index rating has gone up from .454 to .574, which is an increase of about 26.4%. Progress in different areas has been seen, as the life expectancy has gone up by 4.8 years, as well as mean years of schooling increased by 2.4 years and expected years of schooling increased by 3.8 years. Sao Tome and Principe’s GNI per capita also increased by 55.6% since 1990.
Sao Tome and Principe is still below the average level of HDI rating of .631, but above the average of .523 of sub-Saharan African countries. One area it must work on is its gender inequality rating, as only 30.8% of adult women have received a secondary level of education. Further improvement in some of these areas will help limit some of the causes of poverty in Sao Tome and Principe.
– Tucker Hallowell
Photo: Flickr
Defecting and Disease: The Health of North Korean Refugees
When defectors from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea risk their lives to leave the country, they are running not only from a dictatorial regime, but also from famine and sickness. The physical and mental health of North Korean refugees is much worse than that of their South Korean counterparts. But, upon reaching South Korea, North Korean defectors discover healthcare and resources that transform their well-being.
Nearly 30,000 North Korean refugees have managed to enter South Korea. These individuals suffer from both physical and mental illness. Depression and PTSD are prevalent issues experienced by North Korean refugees, who have spent their lives in a stressful environment of oppression.
Despite the fact that North Korea offers a universal socialist healthcare system, economic strife renders that system ineffective. Much of North Korea’s medical equipment is outdated, and many doctors sell medicine on the black market in order to pay for food. A recent study showed that approximately 40% of North Korean refugees who needed care while in North Korea were unable to receive it.
In South Korea, with access to reliable healthcare, the health of North Korean refugees is finally managed properly. On average, North Korean defectors visit the doctor twice a month.
The most common disorder suffered by North Korean refugees is malnutrition and stunted growth. Unlike the rest of the world, including South Korea, North Korea’s malnourished citizens have not experienced an increase in height over the past few decades. Even when exposed to the boundless diet available in South Korea, North Korean refugees continue to exhibit smaller statures than South Koreans, due to long-term damage caused by malnutrition.
Malnutrition has the most severe consequences for children. North Korean children exhibit stunted growth and anemia resulting from malnutrition. According to the World Health Organization, 25 out of 1,000 children in North Korea die before the age of five, as opposed to only three out of 1,000 in South Korea.
Concerned for North Korea’s suffering children, South Korea recently approved $8 million of aid, which will be divided between the U.N. World Food Programme and UNICEF to target illnesses in North Korean infants and mothers. Despite the benefits South Korea’s aid is expected to provide, any form of aid to North Korea is veiled in controversy because of its recent nuclear tests.
In 1952, South Korea became a recipient of U.S. aid. Following the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. U.S. aid provided food and consumer goods, and within decades, South Korea became an aid donor. Today, such aid is desperately needed to supplement the lives of individuals living in North Korea.
Aid allowed South Korea to make an outstanding economic recovery and avoid the destitute fate of North Korea. South Korea has even become one of the foremost leaders in global health, which allows them to effectively improve the health of North Korean refugees who have relocated to the south.
– Mary Efird
Photo: Flickr
Kurdish Refugees in Ireland Find a Home in Carrick-On-Shannon
Western Ireland does not have much in common with the Kurdish regions of Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria. It lacks the mountainous sanctuary that harbored the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Kurds, as well as the constant ethnic battles. What Carrick-on-Shannon, a small town in the west of Ireland, does have is Kurd-owned businesses, Kurdish athletes and Kurdish New Year celebrations.
With a population estimated to be around 30 million people, the Kurdish ethnic group is one of the largest stateless nations in the world. Years of political turmoil in their traditional homeland of Kurdistan has forced the Kurdish population to become divided along the borders of Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria after centuries of persecution. Currently, 1.2 million Kurds live outside of Kurdistan.
The group of Kurdish families, who were first resettled in Carrick-on-Shannon by the United Nations, fled from years of political persecution in Iran and Iraq. After escaping from the violence against their ethnic group in Iran in 1979, many Kurds crossed into their relatively safe neighbor Iraq. The Iraq War in 2003 then forced Kurds to live in refugee camps toward the Iraq-Jordan border. In 2005 and 2006, around 100 Kurdish refugees in Ireland were resettled to Carrick-on-Shannon.
The Irish government, through services that now comprise the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, helped these Kurdish refugees in Ireland build a home in Carrick-on-Shannon. Adults enrolled in language courses to learn English while receiving social welfare to support their families, and children attended local schools.
However, government assistance wasn’t the only welcoming committee for the Kurds. Volunteers from the small Irish town brought food and clothes and built relationships with the mostly Muslim group of Kurds who resettled in their town. Nuns helped them practice English and tutored them in school subjects to help alleviate the difficulties of the language barrier. Though it was not easy, the small community came to foster a mutual respect between its old residents and the new.
After over a decade, the Kurds of Carrick-on-Shannon have become an integrated part of the town. They have received opportunities for education, work and freedom of which their parents could only dream.
This success story of resettlement offers hope during times when the fate of refugees in Europe remains uncertain. With the support of both the Irish government and volunteers, friends and neighbors in Carrick-on-Shannon, these Kurdish refugees in Ireland have been able to claim a new home after years of displacement.
– Richa Bijlani
Photo: Flickr
B Lab Uses Businesses as Forces for Good
The Sept. 1, 2017 passage of HB3488 adds Texas to the list of 33 states with official benefit corporation legislation. B Lab, a nonprofit that certifies for-profit corporations as B (beneficial) Corporations, lobbies states to change regulations surrounding company profits. Successful passage of this newest legislation signifies the growing strength of the B Corporation movement.
B Lab aims to create beneficial social change through for-profit businesses. The nonprofit provides B Corporation certifications to businesses that pass a rigorous assessment that asks about everything from environmental impact to employee benefits. Companies that score high enough on the assessment then must amend their articles of incorporation to consider the interests of employees, the community and the environment.
As of 2014, over 1,000 companies spanning over 30 countries and 60 industries are B Certified. Some of the larger companies to become B Corporations are Etsy, Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia.
The certification allows businesses to market themselves as socially responsible to customers and investors. B Lab still works to drive profits at B Corporations — the aim of the initiative is to show that beneficial corporations can be just as profitable as their competitors. B Certificates separate companies that actually do good from companies that simply market themselves as socially conscious.
B Lab has created the Global Impact Investment Rating System (GIIRS) to assess the relative social impact of corporations worldwide. The rating system is overseen by an independent board of experts and regulators to maintain neutrality.
In the U.S., B Lab has encountered some difficulty expanding B Certifications to all states. Laws pertaining to corporate profits vary from state to state. Some states rule that corporations are obligated to prioritize profits over all else in order to maximize revenue earned by shareholders. This rule means B Corporations cannot operate in these states, since B Lab requires companies to change their articles of incorporation to equally prioritize social responsibility and profit. Therefore, B Lab campaigns for changes to corporate laws on the state level. Currently, 33 states allow B Corporations and an additional six have pending legislation.
B Lab’s influence extends past U.S. borders. Roshan, a cellphone service provider in Afghanistan with 6.5 million subscribers, is an example of a B Corporation that benefits a developing country. The company challenges Afghanistan’s gender norms — 20% of the corporation’s labor force and 17% of its senior management team are women.
Additionally, Roshan has invested $700 million in infrastructure and additional millions in community development projects like well-building and the formation of computer learning centers. Through these investments, Roshan has created 30,000 jobs in Afghanistan.
Roshan’s focus on community development is not purely altruistic. The company’s investments add to its customer base by creating revenue sources for more citizens. For example, Roshan initiated a program to teach women how to fix mobile phones. Today, the proliferation of secondhand mobile phones has expanded Roshan’s customer base.
B Lab’s mobilization of businesses as forces for good has the potential to positively impact impoverished communities. By utilizing the private sector as a vehicle for social change, B Lab proves that corporate profits and community wealth are not mutually exclusive.
– Katherine Parks
Photo: Flickr
How to Help People in Dominica
The Commonwealth of Dominica, a small island nation, is one of the poorest countries in the Caribbean. While other Caribbean nations have moderately successful tourist industries, Dominica’s tourism has decreased in recent years along with its economic growth. Dependence on a failing banana industry has further exacerbated the country’s poverty; therefore, it is necessary to help people in Dominica reinvent their economy.
As recently as the 1990s, Dominica supported itself through banana farming, which was well-suited to the country’s tropical environment. While banana-centric agriculture was reliable and productive, economic specialization proved to be a kiss of death for Dominica’s economy in a changing trade landscape. When global tariffs on American-grown bananas were lifted in 2008, Dominican farmers simply could not compete with the low prices offered by American companies.
While the revenue generated by banana exports once supported nearly 2,000 Dominican farmers, only about 700 struggling banana farmers remain. Dominica’s unemployment rate sits at a staggering 23%, having decreased only two percent over the last decade.
Dominica’s economic hard times have impacted the lives of its citizens. Forty percent of Dominica’s population lives in poverty. Since the fall of the banana industry, Dominicans have left the country in droves, seeking employment. The exodus has been so significant that remittance payments from emigrant family members account for 16% of Dominica’s GDP.
The Dominican government has promoted economic diversification in an attempt to resurrect the economy and provide more jobs for Dominican citizens. Another Caribbean nation, Antigua and Barbuda, set the example for a diversified economy after the decline of its sugar cane industry. By embracing tourism and online gaming, as well as construction, Antigua and Barbuda saw significant financial benefits. Unfortunately, Dominica has not yet successfully diversified. The tourism industry in Dominica is still meager compared to that of other Caribbean nations, and other agricultural exports, like coffee, fruit and flowers, have not replaced the lucrative banana.
In addition to monetary problems, water sanitation issues and resulting diseases plague Dominica’s inhabitants. Thirty-seven percent of Dominicans do not have access to clean water. Unsanitary water increases the incidence of diseases such as typhoid fever, which has increased in Dominica by nearly 40% since 1990. Though Dominica’s government created a water and sewage management company in 1989 (The Dominica Water and Sewage Company), Dominica still relies on foreign grants for infrastructural maintenance.
Changes in trade policy would greatly help people in Dominica. The reimplementation of tariffs on U.S. produce would make it easier for Dominican farmers to sell their bananas on the global market. Fair trade organizations, such as the Windward Islands Farmers Association, have helped banana farmers access profitable trading opportunities, so buying fair trade Dominican bananas supports the livelihood of Dominican farmers. However, further assistance is needed.
The EU is Dominica’s most significant donor, though China also contributes aid. If Dominica is going to be successful, more wealthy countries such as the U.S. should provide aid programs or create legislation to strengthen infrastructure, reenergize and diversify the economy, and help people in Dominica live free from poverty.
– Mary Efird
Photo: Flickr