Addressing the Causes of Poverty in the Bahamas

Causes of Poverty in the BahamasUpon mention of its name, this Caribbean nation evokes thoughts of picturesque sandy beaches with luxury resorts lining the coast. These images are not inaccurate, however they fail to capture the full scope of life in the Bahamas.

Consider that the Bahamian government has set the poverty line at $4,247 of yearly family income. This number places 13 percent of Bahamians in the category of “poor.” The reality of this situation is that even those who aren’t below the poverty line face harsh living conditions, as the cost of living continues to rise. Minimum wage in the Bahamas amounts to $210 per week, or $10,920 per year, which is still not enough for most Bahamians to support themselves and their families.

So, what are the causes of poverty in the Bahamas? What conditions in the Bahamas are preventing the growth of a strong working middle class?

One answer to these questions is tourism. Already, 49 percent of the country’s citizens are employed by the tourism industry. However, the critical flaw in this system is that a majority of the jobs available to young Bahamians within the tourism industry are unskilled labor. These jobs, for the most part, pay minimum wage and don’t provide young Bahamians with the opportunity to generate significant savings.

Lack of livable wages consequently results in many Bahamians facing household food shortages. As a response to this issue, in 2008, a group of Bahamian students joined together to create Hands for Hunger, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending hunger in the Bahamas. This group looks to communities within the Bahamas and asks them to contribute their efforts towards feeding the hungry. Hands for Hunger works with local restaurants, farms, hotels and anyone else capable of lending a helping hand by donating food or resources. To date, Hands for Hunger has facilitated the donation of one million pounds of fresh food to Bahamians in need.

Looking even deeper, poverty in the Bahamas is also affected by the educational system. Underfunded school systems perpetuate a system of education which lags greatly behind the rest of the developed world. The national exam system used to evaluate Bahamian secondary school students is known as the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE). With students receiving a disappointing average grade of D on from the BGCSE’s introduction in 1993, the Bahamian education system is producing young adults who cannot become employed due to a system that has failed them. Access to proper education is a vital necessity for the growth of a strong generation of young leaders.

Due to multiple factors which can be seen as causes of poverty in the Bahamas,the island nation’s people are looking to the international community for support now more than ever.

– Tyler Troped

Photo: Flickr

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Three Ways to Help Alleviate Poverty in Brazil

Help People in BrazilThough Brazil boasts a strong economy, income disparity between the rich and poor is vast, and 3.7 percent of the total population lives in poverty. Much of the poverty in Brazil is concentrated in northern rural areas, where young people in particular feel the effects of poverty. In Northern Brazil, about 25 percent of all children under the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition. This income disparity is partially due to unevenly distributed land, and high land prices make it difficult for small-scale farmers to compete in the market. In recent years, the government has undergone measures to correct this imbalance, including reducing taxation on farming, which has already begun to improve the welfare of rural poor.

Brazil has been very successful in alleviating much of its own poverty, in particular through a government program known as Bolsa Familia. Through Bolsa Familia, parents receive a monthly stipend in exchange for sending their children to school and to health checkups. Still, there is much to be done to ensure that the rural poor continue to thrive.

Here are just three ways to help people in Brazil:

  1. Sponsor a child. With young people in Brazil most harshly affected by income inequality, this may be one of the most effective ways to disrupt the cycle of poverty and help people in Brazil. For example, Child Fund International offers programs to sponsor individual children. This money goes toward supplying a child with food, clean water and education.
  2. Volunteer. There are many ways to volunteer time toward bettering conditions for people in Brazil. Project Favela, based out of Rio de Janeiro, is a volunteer-run organization which offers both schooling and after school care for poor children (and many adults as well) completely for free. Volunteers help teach English, science, math, reading, art, theatre and even coding.
  3. Encourage vocational training. CARE, a nonprofit organization based out of the UK, has had tremendous success addressing the structural causes of poverty in Brazil and encouraging rural schools to provide vocational training to its students. In addition, CARE has helped poor communities in Brazil develop sustainable business practices and has provided access to microfinance.

Though Brazil still struggles with inequality and poverty, it’s clear that, on its own, the country has made tremendous strides toward fixing its problems. With a bit of help, it can continue to bring down the poverty rate and build a better future for all its citizens.

– Audrey Palzkill

Photo: Flickr

Why is Togo Poor?

Why is Togo PoorTogo is a relatively small sub-Saharan nation that is situated along the Gulf of Guinea with a population of approximately 7.6 million people. A 2008 UNICEF report found that 81.2 percent of Togo’s rural population lived below the poverty line, making it one of the “world’s poorest countries.”

Why is Togo poor? And what is being done to combat poverty in Togo?

Here are six factors that can help begin to answer the question “why is Togo poor?”

  1. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook stated that the adult literacy rate in Togo is 63.7 percent, which makes it difficult for Togo to participate in the rapidly evolving global economy. Furthermore, young girls are often not able to attend schools because they are wedded off at a young age—and many families often have to sacrifice education in order to allocate money to food.
  2. The United Nations reported that over 100,000 people live with HIV/AIDS and nearly 68,000 children are left without families as a result—yet absent a robust healthcare system (and the appropriate resources), Togo has a difficult time responding to and controlling disease outbreaks. Life expectancy in Togo is only 65 years.
  3. There is widespread water insecurity. Only 63 percent of the Togolese people have access to sanitary water available for consumption often leading to the spread of waterborne diseases.
  4. Poor governmental infrastructure that pervades Togo often hinders foreign investment in agriculture, which accounts for a large proportion of exports. Government corruption is also prevalent which often hinders meaningful policy action and prevents democracy.
  5. Child labor and sexual exploitation prevent Togo from fostering a generation of youth that is equipped to participate in the global economy. Forty-seven percent of children between the ages of 5 and 14 are forced to work in agriculture which prevents them from getting an education.
  6. A UNICEF study found that the rate of severe malnutrition among children under the age of five exceeds 10 percent and is thus higher than the critical level determined by the World Health Organization. The same study also reported that 108 out of 1,000 children will die before their fifth birthday because of malnourishment. Inability to produce a healthy generation only serves to further answer the question “why is Togo poor?”

Despite the widespread structural poverty that pervades Togo, international organizations and non-governmental organizations have mounted an effort to alleviate poverty.

The World Bank has launched several projects in Togo focused on “macroeconomic recovery and stability, health, agriculture, education and more.”  Notably, the group has built 325 primary school classrooms and provided $26.1 million for infrastructural development in impoverished communities.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) declared Togo a beneficiary of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative which provides debt relief as a poverty reduction strategy. In addition, the World Food Programme has provided assistance to groups affected by natural disasters and high food prices in an effort to reverse the political and economic turmoil that Togo has been confronted with.

As demonstrated by the World Bank, IMF and WFP, meaningful foreign aid and reform must be structural if it is to produce sustainable and long-lasting results.

– Hannah Ritner

Photo: Flickr

Causes of Poverty in Antigua and Barbuda

Causes of Poverty in Antigua and BarbudaBoasting gorgeous beaches and pale blue water, Antigua and Barbuda is a popular hub for tourism, making it one of the most economically successful nations in the Caribbean. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism comprises 60.4 percent of Antigua and Barbuda’s GDP. Despite the influx of tourism-related wealth, 22 percent of the islands’ occupants live below the poverty line, raising the question: what are the causes of poverty in Antigua and Barbuda?

While tourism has undoubtedly boosted Antigua and Barbuda‘s economy, generating 54.3 percent of the nation’s total employment, the unique temporality of the tourism industry has left some citizens in the lurch. People working in the tourism industry have a reliable income during the tourist season. However, these individuals find themselves unemployed during the off-season and unable to afford basic necessities for parts of the year.

Demographics also play a role in the poverty status of people living in Antigua and Barbuda. Women in Antigua and Barbuda are employed in private sector and tourism jobs even more than men, and are less likely to be poverty-afflicted compared with women in other developing nations. However, single mothers shouldering the unshared financial burdens of parenthood are still exceptionally vulnerable to life below the poverty line. Poor households typically have 5.2 children, while more affluent households average only 2.8 children. Over a third of Antigua and Barbuda’s population living in food poverty is under the age of 14.

Overcrowded living situations correlate with insufficient resources, such that poor families often cannot afford to send their children to school, making these children more vulnerable to poverty in adulthood. A primary school education reduces the probability of poverty by 91 percent.

While statistics reflecting the poverty status of young people in Antigua and Barbuda may seem disheartening, UNICEF is confident that the prevalence of poverty in the nation’s younger demographic may actually help effectively aim poverty prevention efforts. By targeting families with more children, UNICEF hopes to provide aid to those who need it most. Additionally, the organization has proposed school feeding programs to provide proper nutrition to children living in food poverty.

While the causes of poverty in Antigua and Barbuda function at personal levels like employment and family size, there are also larger factors such as flawed infrastructure, which makes public facilities and social services difficult for citizens to access. Infrastructural weaknesses are particularly threatening for nations like Antigua and Barbuda, which is vulnerable to environmental catastrophes such as hurricanes.

On September 5, Hurricane Irma devastated Antigua and Barbuda. Barbuda was left in shambles, and nearly all its inhabitants have lost their homes. Prime Minister Gaston Browne immediately implored the world for aid contributions, and the Red Cross has already provided over $120,000 to support disaster relief efforts throughout the Caribbean. However, much more aid is still needed to help those who have been affected regain and rebuild their lives. Many organizations have already rallied to assist the people in need.

– Mary Efird

Photo: Flickr

FIVE CAUSES OF POVERTY IN MAURITIUS

Mauritius is a little paradise island that flourishes in its diverse culture and tradition. A closer look reveals a complex history of this archipelago — once colonized by the Dutch, French and finally, the British. Mauritius gained independence in 1968 and has since transformed itself from a low-income economy mostly dependent on agriculture and fishing to an economy thriving on industrial, financial and tourism growth. 

It is commendable that the country has achieved this in spite of many roadblocks, like its remoteness from the world market, racial inequality and high population growth. Notably, between 1977 and 2008, the Mauritius economy averaged a 4.6% gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate, thanks to the government’s sound and pragmatic development strategies.

Furthermore, less than 1% of its population lives on $2.15 a day or less, meaning extreme poverty is almost non-existent. However, several factors contribute to the persistent pockets of poverty that do exist. Here are five causes of poverty in Mauritius:

  1. The island of Rodrigues, a part of the Republic, has 40% of its population living below the poverty level. This is because the island does not form part of the tourist attractions or produce any resources to add to exports.
  2. Agriculture is a major industry in Mauritius, with about 40% of its land used for crop cultivation. However, as the focus of economic development has shifted to exports, industries and tourism, rural households that depend on agriculture as their source of income have become more vulnerable to poverty. In addition, “below‑average precipitation amounts in January and February 2021” led to reduced soil moisture, ultimately affecting production. Environmental deterioration is one of the biggest causes of low yields of agriculture.
  3. Women in rural areas are especially prone to poverty as they often have low levels of education and have not acquired professional skills. Families dependent on these women for their financial needs are at a higher risk.
  4. Modernization and industrialization boosted the economy but also led to greater income inequality. This has resulted in high indebtedness in poor households. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the rising income inequality in Mauritius can be partly attributed to “skills shortages, high levels of youth unemployment and widening gender gaps in earnings.”
  5. The most significant cause of poverty in Mauritius is the “triple trade shock” experienced in 2005. This shock stemmed from the loss of trade preferences for textiles and sugar, alongside rising energy prices. Specifically, the end of the Multi-Fiber Agreement for textiles, reductions in the European Union’s sugar protocol prices and a sharp increase in petroleum and food prices led to a cumulative trade shock of nearly 25%. Although the government has implemented numerous reforms to address this crisis, overcoming its effects remains an ongoing process.

Solutions

In 2016, the government of Mauritius launched an ambitious reform plan called the Marshall Plan Against Poverty to eradicate poverty and exclusion. The plan sought to achieve this by collaborating with underprivileged communities and other marginalized groups to improve access to essential services such as healthcare and education, implementing social protection measures and introducing empowerment programs for women and youth. In addition, the government has established several social protection programs, such as the National Solidarity Fund, which provides financial assistance to vulnerable individuals.

– Tripti Sinha

Photo: Flickr
Updated: May 27, 2024

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Six Important Facts About Child Poverty in Norway

Child Poverty in NorwayNorway is among the richest countries in the world; in fact, the Human Development Index ranks it first globally. However, by the country’s own standards of development, there are still segments of society which are considered below the line of poverty. Reports on child poverty in Norway reveal some troubling facts about the country’s economically successful image. Here are six important facts about child poverty in Norway.

  1. More than 90,000 children come from families that are defined as poor. According to UNICEF Norway, this number has doubled since 2000. It is feared that this number will continue to rise if adequate measures are not taken to address the issue.
  2. According to a report by Norway Today, every fifth child, or about 18, 500 of the country’s total number of poor children, lives in Oslo. Child poverty in Norway is relatively high in metropolitan areas such as Oslo.
  3. According to the Minister of Children and Equality, Solveig Horne, more than half of poor children come from families with immigrant backgrounds. However, Kari Elisabeth Kaski, the first candidate in Oslo and party secretary of the Socialist Party, says that child poverty is an important issue regardless of immigration status. Kaski also says that child poverty should become a priority issue in the upcoming election in Norway.
  4. One report shows that though child poverty in Norway is particularly high among certain immigrant groups, approximately half of the children in low-income families are of Norwegian ethnic backgrounds.
  5. In some low-income neighborhoods, such Nedre Toyen in Oslo, two out of three children are poor compared to one in five in the Kampen area, which is several steps away. Differences in child poverty – depending on the area in Oslo – are substantial.
  6. The effects of living in poor neighborhoods on childrens’ future opportunities are alarming. A poor neighborhood, where most or all families are poor, does not provide a good network or “social and cultural capital” that can be mutually beneficial to members of the community in getting a job, better education or any other assistance.

Despite these troubling facts, the good news is that as the world’s most developed country, child poverty in Norway is defined differently in relation to the poverty of children globally. It mostly means for children to have little to no resources to participate in life experiences such as birthday parties, a school trip and other experiences that are socially and culturally enriching. Norway is also a welfare state. Generally, there is little difference between children from rich and poor backgrounds in the sense that they get equal education and healthcare among other social services. Further, the number of children who die has decreased by 50 percent in the last 20 years.

Clearly, poor children in Norway still have the resources to give them the best chance of growing up to be healthy, educated and successful adults; however, there need to be government efforts aimed at the underlying causes in order to prevent child poverty in the first place. Only then will these children have access to necessary socially and culturally uplifting experiences.

– Aslam Kakar

Photo: Flickr

Czechia Poverty Rate Remains Low

Czechia Poverty RateThe Czechia poverty rate continues to rank among the lowest in the EU. At 5.9 percent, the eastern European nation, which shed its English moniker of “Czech Republic” early in 2017, beat out such neighbors as Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Italy and Spain, all of whom have rates exceeding 10 percent.

In the OECD, Czechia ranks behind only Denmark in terms of poverty rate, which measures the amount of families living below a country’s poverty line. In Czechia, that number is 10,220 crowns (about $431 USD) per individual and 21,461 crowns (about $906 USD) for families with children.

Based on population-weighted estimates drawn from household surveys, the poverty rate is not necessarily a perfect benchmark for comparison between nations. Indicators are specific to each country’s economic and social circumstances, and a variety of factors influence perception of poverty.

However, other metrics tell the same story of a robust quality of life within Czechia. Not only is the Czechia poverty rate one of the lowest, the nation’s wealth inequality outperforms other high-performing countries. Only 22 percent of Czech income is held by the wealthiest 10 percent, lower than the U.S., China, Indonesia and Chile, who have rates of 30.2, 31.4, 31.9 and 41.5 percent respectively. The Gini coefficient, which measures income inequality, is a relatively low .26 for Czechia, and unemployment lingers at an impressive 3 percent as of 2017.

Explanations for the country’s favorable economic indicators are many. Czechia has an excellent education track record, with enrollment standing at 99.75 percent. Government funds have been redirected to education over the past decade, while decreasing in other sectors such as infrastructure. Public reform following the 2008 global economic crisis saw a VAT hike and reduction of social welfare benefits, but included significant tax discounts in other sectors of the economy and pensions that nearly doubled.

Though these factors have aided in suppressing the Czechia poverty rate, conditions for the majority of employees are not necessarily as complimentary. As average Czech wages increase, they still remain substantially lower than the EU median. An average wage across industry of $23,003 USD reflects Czechia’s tough minimum wage, which remains one of the lowest among OECD nations. The country’s main source of income comes from engineering and machine-building industries, which accounts for 37.5 percent of the economy. With a popular tourist destination for a capital, services bring in around 60 percent of Czechia’s wealth.

Forecasts predict a sustained pace of economic growth but slowing rates of employment. Inflation, which jumped from 2016 to 2017, is expected to decline as debt continues to diminish post-recession. It remains to be seen whether or not the trend in Czechia’s low poverty rate will continue.

– Mikaela Krim

Photo: Google

Causes of Poverty in Malaysia

Causes of Poverty in Malaysia
Malaysia is a nation in southeast Asia with a rich history and a population of over 30 million. The nation has been one historically plagued with deep poverty; however, in recent decades, the conditions for a large swathe of its people have greatly improved. The government has undertaken a monumental effort to attempt to eradicate the causes of poverty in Malaysia and has been largely successful. Nevertheless, the country still suffers from the ills of impoverishment and plenty of work still needs to be done.

Since the Millennium Development Goals were introduced in 1990, the Malaysian government has done a lot to reduce poverty in the nation. The percentage of households living on less than $8.50 per day (the national poverty line) fell from over 50 percent in the 1960s to 1 percent currently. The Asian Development Bank claimed this to be the largest reduction among all Asian countries. Another government goal was to halve the number of people living on $1 a day by 2015, which they also successfully achieved.

The task of solving the root causes of poverty in Malaysia, however, is still far from over. Over 60 percent of the country still lives on less than $1,600 a month, and in rural areas, that number can climb up to 85 percent. Furthermore, although only about 1 percent of people currently live under the extreme poverty line, that still accounts for 300,000 people, a significant number.

The government recognizes that it still has not fully addressed the causes of poverty in Malaysia, and has laid out a road map of its future plan of action. This plan of action revolves around four main focal points.

 

Addressing the Causes of Poverty in Malaysia

 

  1. Increase the level of education among the poor. Through education, children in poor communities will have a better chance to get a high-paying job or start a business.
  2. Strengthen social safety nets, enhance collaboration with NGOs and corporations and provide empowerment programs.
  3. Ensure income is redistributed to uplift those in poverty for the bottom 40 percent.
  4. Institutionalize appropriate policies which promote economic development.

If the Malaysian government continues on the path they have been on so far and successfully addresses these goals in their plan of action, poverty and the ills it brings could be effectively eradicated in the nation once and for all.

– Alan Garcia-Ramos

Photo: Flickr

Tanzania to Use Zipline Drones to Deliver Medicine

Zipline Drones

The California-based company Zipline, which designs and operates drone delivery networks, will start delivering medical tools and vaccines via drones to Tanzanian clinics in 2018.

The East African country has 0.03 doctors per 1,000 people and 5,640 public health facilities for a population of over 56 million. Blood transfusions and treatments for deadly diseases like HIV are hard to come by. In 2014, the CEO of Zipline drones, Keller Rinaudo, noticed this harsh reality as he browsed a database of health emergencies. The database would collect real-time data about patients who were suffering in different regions of the country, but people would not receive aid based on this information. Rinaudo, as he states in an interview with NPR, imagined “the other half of that system — where you know a patient is having a medical emergency and can immediately send the product needed to save that person’s life.”

The ‘other half of this system’ will start in January 2018, as per a statement from the Tanzanian government. Drones will be used for on-demand delivery of vaccines, blood transfusion materials and other medication or medical tools.

A drone medical delivery system is already up and running in Rwanda, with overwhelmingly positive results and stories. Tanzania hopes for an even larger system, where 120 drones will make 2,000 deliveries a day from four distribution centers spread across the country.

Zipline has hired locals to operate both the drones and distribution centers. When a hospital or clinic requests an item, a worker will stock the products into a shoebox-like container and pack the drone, which would zip to the hospital and deliver the products by parachute. This process takes what could be an eight-hour process and cuts it down to under a half hour.

The medical future is bright for rural and impoverished communities like those in Tanzania with the help of drones. Studies have found that blood samples and lab results were safely transported between medical facilities without any change in result, except for the time they took to be transported.

Rinaudo sees the system as a win not only for his Zipline drones company, Rwanda, or Tanzania, but for medical communities across the globe. In the same interview with NPR, he says that operation teams are “phenomenally smart, ambitious and driven. They work 12 hours a day, seven days a week. They will do anything to save human lives…Rwanda showed what’s possible when you make a national commitment to expand healthcare access with drones.”

– Gabriella Paez

Photo: Flickr

Alleviation of Global Poverty a Benefit of Tourism

Alleviation of Global Poverty
After the United Nations declared 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, governments worldwide have been growing their tourism industries to facilitate the alleviation of global poverty.

Year after year, the United Nations has seen an increase in money circulating in various countries’ tourism industries. However, these countries are some of the wealthiest in the world, among them the United Kingdom, United States and Germany.

The United Nations is working to increase the benefits of tourism in countries struggling with immense poverty, but it will not be easy. To accommodate tourists, a large amount of money—money that these countries do not have—will need to be spent on building and maintaining hotels, airports and other tourist amenities.

If these countries are able to build successful tourism industries, an abundance of jobs will be created and a large percentage of the profits can go directly to local communities living in poverty.

Samoa is an example of this progress. From 2005 to 2015, Samoa’s tourism industry grew from $73 million to $141 million. Samoa’s tourism industry had an impact on the alleviation of global poverty, as it ensured that visitor dollars resulted in local benefits.

Similar to Samoa, Ecuador, South Africa and Fiji are among other countries that have seen poverty relief as a benefit of expanding their tourism industries. The United Nations has played a role in the alleviation of global poverty by helping poor countries finance transport connectivity and facilitate infrastructure investment.

African countries have benefited greatly from the United Nations’ assistance with their tourism industries. Today, Africa’s tourism industries support more than 21 million jobs and have aided the alleviation of global poverty through sustainable development in struggling countries. The sustainable development seen in Africa relies on tourists making ethical travel choices. Tourists are encouraged to “go local” with food, craft purchases and tour companies when traveling in developing countries.

Tourism alone cannot end global poverty. However, if travelers, local companies and large organizations such as the United Nations continue to show their support for developing countries, the world will be one step closer to total alleviation of global poverty.

– Kassidy Tarala

Photo: Flickr