Since late 2013, South Sudan, the world’s youngest sovereign state, has been enduring a civil war. Conflict along ethnic lines has forced a quarter of the population to relocate. In addition, the violence adversely and disproportionately affects South Sudanese women. While problems persist on unprecedented levels, several government organizations and NGOs have been working to provide aid to the women of South Sudan.
4 Issues South Sudanese Women Face Every Day
1. Women and girls are forced into the sex trade to survive.
South Sudanese women as young as 12 or 14 have been surviving as prostitutes. Many work in the Gumbo, a run-down area near the capital city of Juba. Many of these women are HIV-positive. However, they earn less than one dollar per client.
Doing something about it: Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC)
CCC provides a safe place for South Sudanese children in the hope that they can achieve stability. Founder Cathy Groenendijk and a team of social workers, psychologists and nurses run a children’s shelter in Juba. CCC acts as a refuge for dozens of children, particularly girls. Partnered with organizations like the European Union (EU) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), CCC accommodates 40 children at once and pays the tuition fees for 600 children to attend school, keeping girls out of the sex trade.
2. Survivors of sexual assault have no access to mental health resources.
In a 2016 United Nations (UN) independent commission report, 70 percent of South Sudanese women in Juba suffered some form of sexual assault by the end of 2013. Additionally, the same report found that survivors had barely any resources to help their physical or mental recovery from the assault.
Doing something about it: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a nonprofit that provides aid to those fleeing conflict or natural disaster. The IRC recently set up 13 centers focused solely on assisting survivors of gender-based violence. The centers provide the women a place to meet regularly to discuss their trauma. Lilian Dawa, a South Sudanese refugee herself, runs one such centers in Uganda. Dawa says that the women greatly value the centers where they also learn skills like how to make a kitchen stove from clay.
3. Starving families force girls into marriage, ending their education.
Data from 2016 found that 52 percent of South Sudanese girls married by the age of 18. Many families are marrying their daughters off in return for a dowry of cows, a source of money and food. As a result, this effectively ends the daughter’s education.
Doing something about it: Plan International wants to provide an incentive for families to keep their girls in school. They also offer free school meals and food packages for families who decide to keep their daughters in the education system.
4. South Sudanese women are not receiving justice.
The 2016 UN Commission report on the South Sudanese civil war stated that sexual violence reached “epic proportions.” Many South Sudanese women don’t report their sexual assault due to fears of being outcasted by their families. That, and the fact that few rapists receive consequences for their actions.
Doing something about it: U.S. Department of State
Per a June 2016 executive order, the State Department is held accountable to the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. As part of the strategic plan, the U.S. government must “institutionalize a gender-responsive approach” to its policy toward regions of conflict, include women in the peace process, find ways to hold perpetrators of sexual assault accountable, invest in women to prevent conflict and provide access to relief.
The women of South Sudan undoubtedly face horrific circumstances in the ongoing conflict. Nevertheless, numerous organizations, including the ones mentioned here, remain committed to finding solutions so that the next generation of South Sudanese women doesn’t grow up under the same circumstances.
– Sean Newhouse
Photo: Flickr
What is the Cost of Living in Jamaica?
Jamaica attracts people from all over the globe. Its beaches and comfortable atmosphere make it a dream destination for everyone from tourists to expatriates to some retirees. Due to how quickly currencies can appreciate and depreciate, calculating exact figures for the cost of living in Jamaica is difficult.
Living Expenses
As of the time of writing, one USD is worth $128.85 Jamaican Dollars (JMD). As an upper middle-income country, the island’s government has made many efforts to invest in and improve the living conditions of its people. One result of this investment is that buying certain foods (excluding milk) locally instead of importing them is the more economically sound option. However, everyday items such as toothpaste are more expensive on the island.
How much one should expect to pay for rent depends on location and size of the space. According to Expatistan, a site dedicated to helping expatriates by providing indexes of the costs of living around the world, renting a furnished 900-square-foot apartment can cost either $104,114 JMD ($814 USD) in an expensive neighborhood or $59,998 JMD ($469 USD) in a more average neighborhood. These prices drop considerably with a reduction in the size of the dwelling.
Living in a furnished 480-square-foot studio apartment goes for about $82,673 JMD ($646 USD) in an expensive neighborhood or $42,091 JMD ($329 USD) in a more average area. Additional utilities and amenities increase these totals, especially considering that Jamaica’s national minimum wage increased last March to $6,200 JMD per 40-hour work week and $8,854 JMD per week for Industrial Security Guards.
Education
Primary school education in Jamaica is mandatory and free, although other schooling materials do add to the cost of living in Jamaica. Each September, a parent can expect to pay anywhere between $300 and $400 USD per child at the elementary-school level for books, uniforms and mandatory auxiliary fees. These fees allow schools to continue operating and making improvements. A child can be turned away if these charges are left unpaid.
Retirement
If one is looking to retire in Jamaica, there are many factors to consider. These factors include housing, food, utilities, transportation and healthcare. Some services and appliances such as washers, dryers and dishwashers are uncommon due to import costs and there is not enough power to run them. In that same vein, a backup generator is a recommended investment.
Public transportation in Jamaica is not known to be the most punctual or comfortable. To get around this, having a car of one’s own is also recommended.
As for healthcare, the island’s clinics and hospitals provide their services for free, but they are also frequently described as unreliable. Kingston and Montego Bay are home to the best facilities on the island, so living there and taking out a proper health insurance policy covers quite a few bases.
Overall, Investopedia concluded that, given the cost of living in Jamaica, one could retire comfortably with a savings of $200,000 USD (approximately $25,668,730 JMD).
For those living on the island, the cost of life in Jamaica seems to be somewhat of a struggle to maintain, especially if many obligations need attention (such as children). However, that is not to say it is impossible. Perhaps if the minimum wage increases again like it did last year it will be easier for people to meet their needs.
– Jada Haynes
Photo: Flickr
Life Expectancy in Low-Income Countries On the Rise
The average life expectancy in low-income countries is increasing dramatically. This change can be attributed to increased access to health aid programs.
The increase in life expectancy is a global trend; technology and medical research are beginning to offer solutions to once-fatal conditions. A study by the Imperial College of London anticipates that global life expectancy will experience an overall increase by 2030.
However, the rate of improvement is particularly dramatic within low-income countries that have historically low life expectancies. While wealthy countries such as the United States are experiencing a plateau in life expectancy, sub-Saharan Africa’s average life expectancy has increased by eight years since 2002. In 1960, life expectancy in the region hovered at 40. Now, individuals can expect to reach an average of 59 years of age.
This sharp incline in life expectancy of low-income countries is attributed to a greater access to aid programs and organizations than ever before. A Stanford study found that countries receiving the most health aid gained five or more years in average life expectancy. In 140 low-income countries, access to public and private health aid programs between 1974 and 2010 rapidly increased life expectancy across the board.
Health aid has a high impact in low-income regions because many of the leading causes of death are easily preventable or treatable. Vaccines have all but wiped out the most deadly diseases in children including tetanus, polio and measles. For every billion dollars spent on health aid, around 364,800 deaths of children under five are prevented. Because child mortality rates bring down the average age of death dramatically, countries such as Brazil have gained over 33 added years of life expectancy simply by offering these vaccines. Improved sanitation methods, medical services and access to food and water can also be credited for the success of aid in increasing life expectancy in low-income countries. Malnutrition, which can lead to an array of other medical conditions, was the leading risk factor for death worldwide in 1990; it has now fallen to number eight on the list.
With the shift away from infectious diseases and malnutrition as the primary killers in low-income countries, there has been an emergence of diseases familiar to wealthier countries such as cancer and heart disease. However, because these diseases happen at a much lower rate and tend to develop later in life, life expectancy in low-income countries continues to rise.
Since life expectancy is a reliable indicator of health levels in a particular region, the success of health aid in recent years is remarkable. Aid programs continue to improve life expectancy in low-income countries by allowing greater access to health resources.
– Kailey Dubinsky
Photo: Flickr
Increasing Tourism in Nigeria Could Strengthen Economy
In a meeting on June 23, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) announced a partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The establishment of this association hopes to bolster tourism in Nigeria. The project seeks to completely rebrand the tourism industry, all while creating a multitude of new jobs and strengthening Nigeria’s economy. According to the assistant director of NTDC’s press unit, Mrs. Adamma Afanga: “we need to start within our domain, focusing on consumption of our assets, promotion, and development of domestic tourism.”
In recent years, the Nigerian government and people have faced unemployment, the devaluation of Nigerian currency, terrorist activity and political instability. While this has made it difficult to attract foreign visitors, there is a significant opportunity for a turnaround. Inflation has slightly decreased, and Nigeria’s GDP recently saw its best quarter performance in the past year. Additionally, President Muhammadu Buhari has received positive marks in the international community for his humanitarian efforts and economic policies.
Because of these reasons, attracting foreign visitors has been difficult in recent years. As a result tourism in Nigeria has been particularly affected by political and financial instability. Most notably, terrorism and economic recession have made many international visitors less likely to visit Nigeria. However, by promoting investment and rebranding the tourism industry, there is the potential for significant economic growth in the country.
Currently, tourism in Nigeria is a relatively small industry with much room for growth but many challenges to overcome. In 2016, the hospitality industry comprised 4.8 percent of the Nigerian GDP. Despite the fact that many new hotels were created in the last few years, the number of foreign visitors to Nigeria declined significantly. The majority of clientele in the hospitality industry were domestic, corporate guests looking to travel in the cheapest way possible, which is readily achievable given the vast supply of accommodations.
The primary challenge of this partnership is synergizing the different aspects of tourism in Nigeria. According to Folorunso Coker, Director-General of the NTDC, the ultimate goal of this partnership is to create an all-inclusive tour package for Nigerians. This would not only capitalize on the country’s existing domestic travel industry but would create many new jobs. This is because building the necessary infrastructure, security and technology for attracting tourists will require skilled laborers.
As stated by Coker, strengthening tourism in Nigeria “will have multiple effects on job creation and poverty alleviation while strengthening GDP and [Nigeria’s] currency. Everyone in the value chain of tourism must work together and be ready to drive the market.”
– Julia Morrison
Photo: Flickr
Efforts to Improve Water Quality in Belize
Water quality is Belize? Even a tropical paradise can have challenges. Belize, located just south of Mexico, is home to almost 375,000 people. Unfortunately, about 41.3 percent of these people live below the poverty line. Poverty in Belize manifests as a result of several factors, including a lack of equal opportunities to receive an education and proper healthcare. For years, the government has put a focus on addressing the poor water quality in Belize. This lack of access to clean water makes it difficult for families to rise above the poverty line.
As of 2008, almost everyone living in urban areas was able to access safe drinking water. However, only 86 percent of the population living in the countryside have access to a clean water source. In these areas, boiling water before using it is a necessity.
Belize has historically struggled with keeping their water sources clean. Between the months of July and December, floods and hurricanes can interfere with the disposable of human waste and redirect it into sources of drinking water. As a result, bacteria can spread diseases.
Water quality in Belize faces another roadblock due to the lack access to a sewage system. As of 2014, almost 90 percent of citizens reported not having a proper place to dispose of their liquid waste. Without a latrine, the disease can quickly spread in a community through the wastewater.
Many organizations are working hard to improve the water quality in Belize. In 2015, the government created the Belize River Valley rural water system with a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank. The CDB’s primary goal is to reduce the number of people living under the poverty line through improving conditions in developing communities. The Belize River Valley rural water system provided over 3,000 people with access to clean water.
The Belize Social Investment Fund also uses the water supply to change lives. By investing in providing a clean water supply to impoverished communities, the BSIF gives the population the tools to improve their quality of life.
Access to safe drinking water is crucial in the fight against poverty and work put into the water quality in NotBelize has and will continue to result in life-changing progress.
– Julia McCartney
Photo: Flickr
The Most Common Diseases in Malawi
With a population of around 17 million, the small African state of Malawi has substantially high rates of diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and diarrheal diseases. AIDS has consistently been prevalent in Malawi, with 27 percent of the population currently either infected with HIV or diagnosed with AIDS.
The people of Malawi have not lost hope to these common diseases in Malawi, as numbers are declining and life-saving treatments are becoming readily accessible. AIDS has historically been a disease that not many come back from, but with innovative antiretroviral treatments (ART) the virus (HIV) has become manageable.
In 2011, about 67 percent of all children and adults diagnosed with AIDS or infected with HIV in Malawi were receiving ART. The World Health Organization (WHO) helped with the foundation of 716 clinics in the country. As of December 2015, these clinics were administering the treatment to over 870,000 people.
In addition to AIDS, malaria has an association with the entire continent of Africa. An estimated 3.3 million inhabitants living in Malawi have contracted malaria. This statistic is astonishing considering the population in Malawi is only around 17 million. Due to its extreme prevalence, doctors and health care professionals are always searching to find solutions to this problem.
According to UNICEF, an African child dies every 30 seconds as a result of malaria. To combat the situation, UNICEF has partnered with the government of Malawi and various other international organizations. One way they have found a solution is through subsidizing mosquito nets. At one hospital, purchasing mosquito nets only costs a mere 20 cents.
Although children across the continent are being killed by this deadly disease every few seconds, it is pregnant mothers who are the most concerning. In their case, both the mother and baby can contract the disease. Thankfully the fix is easy, requiring pregnant mothers to take anti-malaria pills only twice during their pregnancy. This medicine fights various side effects of malaria in both the mother and the baby.
Fighting common diseases in Malawi cannot be done solely by taking medications and receiving vaccines. Diarrheal deaths are among the most common disease deaths in Malawi. However, a healthy lifestyle is essential to fighting this epidemic. Nutritious food and an unpolluted environment are necessary for lowering the number of people affected by diarrheal deaths. Around 10 million people in Malawi still do not have access to purified water, which exacerbates the problem of diarrheal disease-induced mortality.
These common diseases in Malawi are manageable in various ways. With the help of organizations such as the WHO and numerous nonprofits, Malawi has hope for the future in eradicating these diseases. Services such as subsidizing mosquito nets and offering ART across Malawi have already made substantial improvements in the lives of millions.
– Sophie Casimes
Photo: Flickr
4 Issues South Sudanese Women Face Every Day
Since late 2013, South Sudan, the world’s youngest sovereign state, has been enduring a civil war. Conflict along ethnic lines has forced a quarter of the population to relocate. In addition, the violence adversely and disproportionately affects South Sudanese women. While problems persist on unprecedented levels, several government organizations and NGOs have been working to provide aid to the women of South Sudan.
4 Issues South Sudanese Women Face Every Day
1. Women and girls are forced into the sex trade to survive.
South Sudanese women as young as 12 or 14 have been surviving as prostitutes. Many work in the Gumbo, a run-down area near the capital city of Juba. Many of these women are HIV-positive. However, they earn less than one dollar per client.
Doing something about it: Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC)
CCC provides a safe place for South Sudanese children in the hope that they can achieve stability. Founder Cathy Groenendijk and a team of social workers, psychologists and nurses run a children’s shelter in Juba. CCC acts as a refuge for dozens of children, particularly girls. Partnered with organizations like the European Union (EU) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), CCC accommodates 40 children at once and pays the tuition fees for 600 children to attend school, keeping girls out of the sex trade.
2. Survivors of sexual assault have no access to mental health resources.
In a 2016 United Nations (UN) independent commission report, 70 percent of South Sudanese women in Juba suffered some form of sexual assault by the end of 2013. Additionally, the same report found that survivors had barely any resources to help their physical or mental recovery from the assault.
Doing something about it: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a nonprofit that provides aid to those fleeing conflict or natural disaster. The IRC recently set up 13 centers focused solely on assisting survivors of gender-based violence. The centers provide the women a place to meet regularly to discuss their trauma. Lilian Dawa, a South Sudanese refugee herself, runs one such centers in Uganda. Dawa says that the women greatly value the centers where they also learn skills like how to make a kitchen stove from clay.
3. Starving families force girls into marriage, ending their education.
Data from 2016 found that 52 percent of South Sudanese girls married by the age of 18. Many families are marrying their daughters off in return for a dowry of cows, a source of money and food. As a result, this effectively ends the daughter’s education.
Doing something about it: Plan International wants to provide an incentive for families to keep their girls in school. They also offer free school meals and food packages for families who decide to keep their daughters in the education system.
4. South Sudanese women are not receiving justice.
The 2016 UN Commission report on the South Sudanese civil war stated that sexual violence reached “epic proportions.” Many South Sudanese women don’t report their sexual assault due to fears of being outcasted by their families. That, and the fact that few rapists receive consequences for their actions.
Doing something about it: U.S. Department of State
Per a June 2016 executive order, the State Department is held accountable to the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. As part of the strategic plan, the U.S. government must “institutionalize a gender-responsive approach” to its policy toward regions of conflict, include women in the peace process, find ways to hold perpetrators of sexual assault accountable, invest in women to prevent conflict and provide access to relief.
The women of South Sudan undoubtedly face horrific circumstances in the ongoing conflict. Nevertheless, numerous organizations, including the ones mentioned here, remain committed to finding solutions so that the next generation of South Sudanese women doesn’t grow up under the same circumstances.
– Sean Newhouse
Photo: Flickr
The Most Common Diseases in Ghana and Their Prevention
Ghana is a relatively small country located in western Africa, with a population of about 28 million people. Of these 28 million people, tens of thousands die every year from common diseases in Ghana. In recent years, Ghana has made improvements in its national health, such as the reduction of infant mortality. While the health of its people continues to improve, there are still many serious illnesses that affect the people of Ghana. Here are some of the most common diseases in Ghana:
Lower-Respiratory Infections
The leading cause of death in the country in 2012, lower-respiratory infections affected more than 22,000 people in Ghana. Lower respiratory infections are not uniform in how they affect people, but these infections are normally diagnosed as acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis, influenza and pneumonia. These infections are now being linked to the quality of air both indoors and outdoors in Ghana. Air pollution, as a result of a number of deaths due to lower-respiratory infections, is now considered one of the leading causes of death in Ghana.
Malaria
Malaria is a disease of the blood which is transmitted through mosquitos. In Ghana, malaria affects thousands of people every year. In 2012, over 17,000 people in Ghana died from malaria. While malaria is a disease that can be prevented, many people in Ghana do not have access to preventative drugs. In April of this year, The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Ghana, along with Malawi and Kenya, will participate in a WHO-developed program that will provide the world’s first malaria vaccine beginning in 2018.
HIV/AIDS
As of 2015, about 270,000 people in Ghana were living with HIV/AIDS. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a disease that can lead to the development of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency virus). This disease attacks the body’s immune system, killing cells that help the body fight off infections. While there is no cure for the disease, it can be managed with different types of medical care. Despite the care available, many people in Ghana do not have access to these treatments. As a result, HIV/AIDS was the cause of death for over 13,000 people in Ghana and the orphanage about 160,000 children.
These common diseases in Ghana still have a significant effect on the population. While these issues can be fixed or managed more easily in other countries, Ghana still struggles to keep these ailments from causing serious harm, or even death, to their people. The country continues to fight against these diseases with actions such as the distribution of the first malaria vaccine, providing a vision of progress and providing hope for the future.
– Olivia Hayes
Photo: Flickr
Rwanda’s Economic Success Story
After the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi that killed 800,000 people, Rwanda has developed as a nation, improving its economy and decreasing its poverty rates. Rwanda Vision 2020 seeks to bolster Rwanda’s economic success by investing in a knowledge-based society.
World Economic Forum calls Rwanda “one of the fastest growing economies in Central Africa.” The country increased its GDP growth to eight percent per year between 2001 and 2014. However, more than 60 percent of the population still lives on less than $1.25 a day.
Foreign assistance continues to expand Rwanda’s economy by investing in programs such as education, youth workforce development and the coffee sector. Rwanda benefited from foreign assistance since the genocide, with 30 to 40 percent of the nation’s budget coming from aid. The Rwandan government’s initiative, Rwanda Vision 2020, focuses on long-term goals to grow from an agricultural and subsistence economy to a diversified economy less dependent on foreign aid.
Struck by economic disadvantages, including high unemployment and fluctuating prices in coffee and tea exports, Rwanda hopes to transform into a middle-income country and knowledge-based society.
Rwanda Vision 2020 promotes macroeconomic stability and wealth creation to reduce dependency on aid and develop the private sector. The initiative will expand Rwanda’s domestic resource base and increase its exports and promote diversification in non-traditional exports.
Rwanda recognizes that it must improve education and health standards to provide an efficient and productive workforce. Entrepreneurship is crucial to Rwanda’s economic success. Instigating wealth, employment and educational services in sciences and technology will create a new class of entrepreneurs.
USAID partners with the Rwanda Education Board to enhance investments in training, teaching and materials to ensure that all children learn to read within their first years of schooling.
While Rwandan youth are challenged by poverty and social instability, they increase their chances for success through USAID’s programs for basic life skills and work training, which promote education and employment. As a result, over 20,000 youth are equipped with workforce skills, and over 60 percent of these youth gained new or better employment, including self-employment. More than 40 percent of the youth choose to pursue further schooling.
With a history of poverty, Rwanda’s economic success comes from embracing present challenges and adjusting its approach. Rwanda’s changing landscape promotes socio-economic stability and harnesses a new identity as it becomes a middle-income nation and knowledge-based society.
– Sarah Dunlap
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts and Figures in the Philippines
The Philippines is a sovereign island nation in Southeast Asia . It houses a population of 102,624,209. In addition, the Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands. The following facts and figures in the Philippines characterize the unique diversity of these islands.
5 Facts About the Philippines
Unbeknownst to much of the world, this nation contains a diverse population with evidence of great development. The poverty rate has decreased dramatically, for example. Additionally, citizens are becoming more active in their nation’s political arena. It is often easy to overlook the stories of positive progress throughout the world, and the Philippines is one such story that deserves more recognition.
Mikaela Frigillana
Photo: Flickr
8 Important Documentaries About Poverty
Streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu can be a means to unproductive and endless binge-watching. However, they can also be an instrument of political and social change. Documentary films can be some of the highest quality filmmaking out there, as well as a great tool for nonprofit organizations. Documentaries about poverty can cover almost any issue, discussing topics of hunger, health, education and more. Below are eight documentaries about poverty that are definitely worth watching.
8 Influential Documentaries about Poverty
– Ellen Ray
Photo: Flickr