10 Facts About Poverty in Zambia

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Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is home to approximately 20.8 people and ranks among the nations with the highest poverty and inequality rates globally.

Despite improvements in recent years, economic growth in the country is unable to support the high rate of population growth and the burden of HIV-related issues. Here are the top facts about poverty in Zambia:

  1. In Zambia, 60% of the population experienced poverty in 2022, according to the World Bank. This is caused by limited job creation, poor governance, corruption and poor management of resources.
  2. More than 70% of the total population lives on less than $1 a day by the year 2000. Due to high food prices coupled with extreme poverty, families spend 64% of this income on basic food needs.
  3. The impact of poverty on children’s development is evident. In 2018, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that 35% of children aged less than 5 in Zambia were stunted and 9% were underweight, weighing less than 2.5kg. These conditions are attributed to malnutrition, which is one of the consequences of poverty.
  4. Lack of access to nutritious food also poses a problem for adults. High consumption of unhealthy diets, including an over-reliance on maize, has led to the problem of obesity, particularly for young women.
  5. Poverty is worst in rural Zambia, where 78.8% of people lived below the poverty line in 2022.
  6. Disparities between rural and urban areas are also considerable. About 90% of urban Zambians have access to safe water, compared to 53% of their rural counterparts. Similarly, urban areas have more access to sanitation, at 70%, compared to 25% in rural regions.
  7. Even in urban Zambia, approximately 70% of urban dwellers live in slums. In response, Habitat for Humanity, a nongovernmental organization (NGO), has implemented several programs to eradicate housing poverty in Zambia. One of these initiatives is the construction of houses for the most vulnerable groups in the nation.
  8. Zambia’s population is rapidly growing at 2.8% per year. With a large younger population entering reproductive age, even more stress is expected to be placed on demand for jobs, health care and other services.
  9. World Vision, a nonprofit organization, has been working in Zambia for more than 30 years. The organization has drilled more than 4,400 boreholes in 28 districts across the nation to provide everyone, including the most impoverished groups, with access to safe water. More than one million Zambians benefit from these boreholes.
  10. The World Bank is supporting Zambia’s government in achieving its development goals. Together, they have launched the Country Partnership Framework (CPF), which aims to create jobs and opportunities for the country’s rural poor.

While the burdens of disease and geographical restraints have made it difficult for Zambia to pull itself out of poverty, improvements in both qualities of life and the economy will hopefully lead to shrinking poverty in Zambia in the coming years.

– Alexi Worley

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Updated: June 01, 2024

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5 Facts About Hunger in Hungary

5 Facts About the Hunger in Hungary
While Hungary is a thriving country, the nation still struggles with feeding its people. Here are five facts about Hunger in Hungary.

5 Facts About Hunger in Hungary

  1. In Hungary, more than 40,000 children go without sufficient nourishment. For every 1,000 children, 6.1 die before their fifth birthday. Although the issue of hunger is indisputable, discussing the topic is considered taboo, and many fail to address it.
  2. Half a million children live in poverty in Hungary. There are three different types of hunger — children being unable to afford food is the first. Another kind of hunger is the lack of a quality diet. The third type of hunger occurs when the child is deprived of the proper nutrients while in the womb. This hunger occurs when the mother is not eating properly and healthily. Lack of nutrition for the mother and fetus can result in premature birth, and sometimes maternal mortality.
  3. According to the report of the Hungarian UNICEF Child Welfare Committee, the international deprivation index states that every other Hungarian child is deemed deprived.
  4.  More than half of Hungary’s area lies in the Great Plain. Although the soil is fertile, most of the region lacks adequate rainfall and is prone to drought, requiring extensive irrigation. Hungarians mainly harvest corn, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes and rye. The economy in Hungary is thriving, but the hunger in Hungary is still a large problem. The country exports most of its crops, when they could be used to feed the people at home. The rate of poverty among single-earner households was 10 percent in 2005. In 2014, it reached 25 percent.
  5. Fortunately, few children actually die of hunger in the country. The government provides cheap or free meals in nurseries, pre-schools and schools for 370,000 children in need. Hunger in Hungary is a problem that schools take very seriously, and administrations are sure that no child leaves school needing food.

Hungary is working to solve its hunger problem through schools, community programs and government involvement. The hunger in Hungary is making slow continuous progress, and the improvement shows considerable hope that the problem will be eradicated.

– Rilee Pickle

Photo: Flickr

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Poverty in Somalia

Poverty in Somalia
Twenty years of conflict have led to conditions of abject poverty in Somalia, with the destruction of infrastructure, economy and institutions.

In 1991, the government collapsed, leaving the country fragmented. Even with the establishment of a new government, conflict continues in Southern Somalia, leaving the country in the midst of poverty, famine and recurring violence.

Due to independent governing bodies, two areas, Somaliland and Puntland, experience more stability with regard to socioeconomic conditions.

Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with the 2012 Human Development Index putting it among the five least-developed of 170 countries. The poverty rate is currently 73 percent. Seventy percent of the population in Somalia is under the age of 30 and the life expectancy is as low as 55 percent. Unemployment among youth is widespread, as 67 percent of youth are unemployed.

Development is low due to the challenges posed by Somalia’s humanitarian situation and the high level of insecurity, which is another factor contributing to poverty in Somalia. The region is home to more than one million refugees, many of whom are living in conditions of abject poverty. Food prices went up by 300 percent, making it hard for most of the population to buy food. Food insecurity has affected more than two million people. One in eight children under the age of five suffers from malnutrition. Only 42 percent of children go to school. Livestock management is the main source of livelihood.

Poverty in Somalia and Child Mortality

In Somalia, 857,000 people require assistance. In 2014, Somalia was at the bottom of global health rankings in terms of maternal health, child mortality, education and women’s income and political status.

Poverty in Somalia is rooted in civil conflict and limited resources, natural disasters and lack of an active central government. The conflict has emerged between clans for the two basic resources: food and water. The situation has come to political power; whoever is able to claim leadership of a clan can have a share of the limited resources and political power.

Poverty in Somalia has intensified and there exists no easy answer to ending the spiral of conflict and insecurity, which are the roots of the poverty.

– Aishwarya Bansal

Photo: Flickr

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Why Foreign Aid Budget Cuts Don’t Save Money


Among the many controversial changes to the U.S. federal budget proposed by President Trump, reductions in spending on health in foreign countries may prove the most costly. Contrary to popular opinion, the amount of money spent by the U.S. on assisting foreign countries to stay healthy is extremely small, and foreign aid budget cuts will not save the country any significant amount of money.

“It is very troubling,” said Georgetown University global health expert Lawrence Gostin. “Especially when you think of the pivotal role the U.S. has played over the years in global health. The world is lost without U.S. leadership.”

For reasons unknown, one of the most persistent myths Americans believe about the federal budget is that the government spends nearly 20 percent of it on foreign aid. In reality, even before Trump’s proposal can take effect in 2018, less than one penny of every dollar goes to foreign assistance of all types. When factoring in the gross national income, the U.S. spends a shockingly low 0.16 percent of its budget on helping improve the lives of those in developing countries.

Cutting back on foreign aid spending may actually end up costing the U.S. The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, which occurred between 2014 and 2016, proved that there is no such thing as an isolated national health crisis in the current global economy. In order to protect American citizens from infection, the U.S. government had to spend $2.3 billion to help contain the spread of the epidemic.

Spending on foreign aid helps to prevent catastrophic outbreaks like Ebola from happening, which consequently results in financial savings. Perhaps most importantly, foreign aid budget cuts may not save money because foreign assistance spending is not so much a charitable donation as it is an investment in the future. According to the Lancet Commission, spending on global health can provide returns of a whopping nine times the initial investment.

The good news is the proposed budget cuts remain just that: a proposal. Congress must approve the full budget before the changes take place, and representatives rely on feedback from their constituents when making decisions on important matters such as these. Securing the future of foreign aid investment may be a phone call away, and our guide to contacting local representatives is a great place to start.

– Dan Krajewski

Photo: Flickr

Poverty in Vietnam

Poverty in Vietnam
Over the last three decades, poverty in Vietnam has been reduced by 75 percent. While there is no question that this progress is a great success for Vietnam, there are still issues associated with this poverty that widely persist today.

According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), racial disparities, notably among Vietnamese minorities, continue to exist. New kinds of poverty are starting to form. While success has been seen, it should not serve as a foundation on which Vietnam can rest and avoid its other systemic issues. Rather, this development should act as an indicator for the great potential that exists when a country actively seeks to address its internal issues.

With the Vietnamese poverty line resting at about $2 per day, many people residing above this threshold face the possibility of economic, social and political fluctuations that could quickly force them back into a state of poverty.

Although “poverty” has been significantly reduced, there is still great necessity to commit to sustainable and continued development for the Vietnamese people and their economic stature. In addition, the benefits of poverty reduction have been skewed among racial regional and gendered lines.

Where Vietnam Poverty Exists

Nearly half of the Vietnamese minorities still live in poverty, and those in mountainous regions live in additional fear of natural disasters and tough living conditions. While poverty reduction in urban areas is evident, the state of rural populations is consistently unnoticed and unaddressed.

However, one does not need to look to rural areas to see the alleviation disparity surrounding the poverty in Vietnam. Gender still serves as an indicator of poverty levels, with women suffering some of the largest economic injustices. Pay gaps, lack of female leadership roles and poor conditions for existing female sectors are just a few of the sources that fuel gendered poverty levels in Vietnam as a whole.

In combating poverty in Vietnam, the country has implemented programs to promote the empowerment of women and has instituted comprehensive education opportunities. By increasing the level of education throughout the country, Vietnam hopes to create a lasting solution rather than a temporary fix to national poverty. Along with this, creating new images for women in the workplace aims to limit the gender gap and thus provide universal equality for all citizens. Through these policies, among others, poverty in Vietnam is recognized as an important area of concern and is being addressed in new ways for future national health.

– Ryan Montbleau

Photo: Flickr

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Five Things You Should Know About Water Quality in Namibia


Located in southern Africa and bordering the Atlantic Ocean, the Republic of Namibia is known for its sweeping deserts and mineral exports. However, the country’s dry climate makes it susceptible to drought, which means there are scarce freshwater resources. Here are five things you should know about water quality in Namibia.

Five Things Facts About Water Quality in Namibia

  1. Water quality in Namibia has greatly improved since the 1990s. Total improved water increased from 70 percent in 1990 to 91 percent in 2015. Great improvements were seen in rural areas, where roughly 53 percent of the population resides. The proportion of the rural population with improved drinking water increased from 58 percent in 1990 to 85 percent in 2015.
  2. Despite improvements, water quality in Namibia is still lacking in rural areas. This is partly due to the difficulty of upkeep and system installation in communities with limited resources. “The disturbing truth is that installed rural water supply infrastructure is far harder to keep operational than hoped for, and often fails before its planned design lifetime due to poor maintenance,” the Rural Water Supply Network wrote in a report.
  3. Rural communities are coming up with their own ways to clean and filter water. Among these is the use of filtration cloths. Water is poured over a piece of fabric that catches contaminants. Tests reveal that certain kinds of cloth, such as cotton, can even remove some microorganisms as well. While these methods are not as effective as a modern filtration system, they offer a temporary solution for vulnerable communities.
  4. The government has taken steps to improve water quality in Namibia by creating policies focused on regulating wastewater reuse and water saving. The Water and Sanitation Policy, or WASP, which was enacted in 1993, is an example of such policy. Since WASP was established, the water supply in rural areas has increased enough to meet the domestic and livestock requirements of the majority of the farming population. This improvement has had a great impact because 72 percent of Namibia’s water is used for agriculture.
  5. Technology has played a significant role in increasing access to and improving water quality in Namibia. The capital city, Windhoek, pioneered direct potable reuse systems, or DPR. DPR is the process of treating wastewater and then returning it to the water supply without using an environmental buffer, such as a reservoir, first. Namibia’s DPR system has been operating since 1968 and has been so efficient that some U.S. agencies are studying its success.

Despite countless environmental and geographic challenges, the Namibian people have used innovation and technology to make great progress in improving water quality and availability in Namibia.

– Alexi Worley

Photo: Flickr

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Ten Facts About the READ Act


The Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act (READ Act) has maintained significant support in legislation, where the Senate has read the bill twice. The goal of the READ Act is to promote education and maintaining stable communications in order to promote peaceful transactions with specific countries in need. Below are 10 facts regarding the READ Act.

Ten Facts About the READ Act

  1. Sponsored by Marco Rubio, the READ Act is a bill aimed at achieving universal access to quality basic education and significantly improving the learning environment in developing countries. Through cooperation with foreign governments, a consistent curriculum would be established in each respective country in order to stabilize the education system.
  2. Curricula are aimed at improving literacy and numeracy, as well as other developmental skills that can benefit a future worker. This system would be created only after consulting various groups ranging from government to organizations that represent teachers and students.
  3. Breaking down barriers is an essential part of this bill because it allows for a safe learning environment. Women and girls would get the same opportunity to benefit from the READ Act. Also, marginalized groups such as individuals in conflict zones and children would get priority to the educational benefits.
  4. When a country becomes a partner and is in need of assistance, the improvements are monitored in order to make sure goals are achieved. This is done by the Senior Coordinator, who is appointed by the President and is responsible for the resources used for the establishment of universal basic education.
  5. In order to eliminate the potential for unnecessary costs, all similar positions in different facets responsible for the enactment of this bill would become unnecessary, after the legislation is passed. The Senior Coordinator for the United States Agency for International Development would be eliminated in order to prevent duplication.
  6. The READ Act aims to accelerate the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 by including elements prioritizing the need for universal basic education and expanding the powers of the government, including “partnerships” with developing countries most in need. They would receive training and develop a plan of action for their education system.
  7. This bill outlines the specific duties of the President in relation to the enactment of this bill. If passed, monitoring and evaluating would become a necessity, as progress would be made publicly available to ensure global progress.
  8. No later than Oct. 1, 2017, the President has to submit a strategy to Congress on how to provide universal basic education to developing countries in need. The plan must be consistent and include long-term goals to be achieved from 2018 through 2022.
  9. Before Mar. 31 of each year following enactment of this bill, a report must be given to Congress outlining the results of the strategy created by the President. It would include how successful coordination was made between different governmental agencies in implementing the READ Act and how qualified each country is to receive assistance. Progress in the implementation of this bill would also be included.
  10. The READ Act would ensure the promotion of education as a foundation for sustained economic growth, enabling partner countries to develop a sustainable education system and strategy.

Reinforcing education through the READ Act means providing the marginalized in our global society with a safe environment in which to learn. Positive growth and the ability to one day start a business or pursue a college career allows people to become another skilled professional in the workforce.

– Nick Katsos

Photo: Flickr

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Ten Facts About Mumbai


Also known as Bombay, Mumbai is one of the largest cities in India. Home to about 13 million people, it is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in the world. Mumbai is known for having some of the biggest slums in Asia. Here are 10 insightful facts about Mumbai.

Ten Facts About Mumbai

  1. Areas that aren’t recognized by the government are called non-notified slums. These areas lack satisfactory sanitation, clean water, adequate housing and secure tenure.
  2. The houses in the slums of Mumbai are small shanties the size of about 269 square meters. A shanty is typically composed of one room with a small bathing area. Families are forced to share the sleeping area, which is normally composed of one bed and a mat rolled out on the floor at night. There is no kitchen, only a two-burner gas stove. Many families have no choice but to live in these overcrowded and under-resourced conditions.
  3. The houses do not have indoor toilets. Therefore, people living in shanties have to use communal bathrooms. The bathrooms are unhygienic and do not have proper sewerage to dispose of the waste.
  4. Residents are exposed to contaminated waters as a result of insufficient sewage systems. This is one of the main causes of health problems in Mumbai. People who live in non-notified areas do not have access to clean water. Many people are forced to illegally tap into city water pipes. This contaminates the city’s clean water.
  5. Dharavi is the largest slum in Mumbai, with about one million people residing there. It is the home of many microindustries that include tanning, leatherworking, pottery and plastic recycling. The slums of Dharavi are quite different from what is known as a typical squalid place. Instead, it is a “complex ecological and economic system.” The residents aren’t people who live below the poverty line. On the contrary, they are middle-class, educated folks who have been deprived of decent housing.
  6. Mumbai is a major center for education. The literacy rate is at 89 percent. Even the slums of Mumbai are India’s most literate. However, because Mumbai is so densely populated, school admission can be a challenging process. In fact, parents are advised to start applying six months in advance.
  7. The enrollment rate has increased by 20 percent since 2010.
  8. However, despite the increase, the number of dropouts in Mumbai has also drastically increased. Specifically, in secondary schools, as the dropout rate is 33.4 percent.
  9. Boys drop out from school more than girls do. In 2013, 39 percent of boys dropped out before completing elementary school. Thirty-three percent of girls dropped out that same year.
  10. The unemployment rate is higher in Mumbai than most places in India at 5.5 percent. However, it decreased from 5.7 percent in 2016.

These ten facts about Mumbai give an insight of the living situation. Although Mumbai has a lot of problems, there are many organizations addressing the situation. Organizations like the Fight Hunger Foundation and AMMA are helping to alleviate hunger and poverty in India. These ten facts about Mumbai also show the education side; it’s mostly positive with a literacy rate of 89 percent and a rising employment rate.

– Solansh Moya

Photo: Flickr

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What Does the US Refugee Vetting Process Look Like?


The U.S. refugee vetting process is long and challenging. The vetting process refers to the steps a refugee follows after fleeing from his or her home country and resettling in the United States.

The process begins when a refugee flees his or her home country. Refugees flee their country of origin for various reasons.

After fleeing, a refugee usually registers with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The UNHCR verifies that under international law, this particular person qualifies for refugee status.

Next, the UNHCR refers the individual to a U.S. Embassy with a Refugee Processing Post. The Department of State then steps in. Many different security checks take place through different federal security agencies. A refugee undergoes more screening than any other type of traveler coming into the country.

The Department of State also has a Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration that partners with different agencies. One of the agencies that the bureau partners with will create a document called an Overseas Processing Entity. This document is given to an officer within the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The officer then interviews the refugee to determine whether or not the person legally qualifies as a refugee and can be admitted for resettlement within the U.S.

Once it is determined whether or not the individual qualifies as a refugee under U.S. law, the case returns to the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration for the final stage of approval. The refugee’s information is then forwarded to the Refugee Processing Center.

The Refugee Processing Center requests “sponsorship assurance” from one of the many refugee resettlement agencies across the country. While these last steps of the U.S. refugee vetting process take place, the refugee will be given a medical exam. He or she also receives a cultural orientation to life in the United States. Upon medical clearance,the International Organization for Migration will book a flight for the refugee.

The refugee will be met at the airport upon arrival in the United States. Now, everything becomes the responsibility of refugee resettlement agencies. A resettlement agency will have already arranged accommodation for the refugee. A staff member of a local resettlement agency will meet the refugee at the airport and take them to the accommodations. Once in the United States, refugees can take classes to learn English and find work.

The U.S. refugee vetting process is slow. Depending on the situation, the process can take anywhere between a year and a half to two years. In 2016, however, 84,995 refugees were resettled in the United States. The vetting process may be long and complicated, but the ability to resettle in the United States has changed the lives of thousands.

– Shannon Elder

Photo: Flickr

Connection to the Internet and Fighting Poverty

Internet access has become progressively more important for collecting information, looking for jobs and participating in a changing world economy. The internet is the perfect tool for communicating with people all over the world and staying on top of news, but the internet can also be a great tool for eradicating poverty.

How is the internet helpful?

The internet is an effective way to raise awareness. The first step is letting people know what’s going on. Many organizations, like The Borgen Project, use the internet to promote their cause. With their websites, they are able to spread awareness of the extreme poverty conditions that many countries are under. These websites also have videos, pictures and ways poverty can be eradicated. With access to the internet, anyone across the world can view the site, receive the information and there’s a big chance that many people will receive the message.

According to the Pew Research, in 2016, 88 percent of adults in the United States alone used the internet. Therefore, raising awareness of a problem like poverty can be done in a fast and effective way.

In addition, the internet can be useful for recruiting people to help end poverty. The internet is used worldwide. Therefore, bringing people together from all over the world can be easily done through social media. If each country has a handful of people helping, it increases the chances of ending global poverty.

How can the internet help people in poverty?

Having a connection to the internet can make a difference in the lives of people who are living in poverty. It can empower them to make their own decisions. Connectivity can also lead to access to healthy food, a home and freedom of speech. With a connection to the internet, information is available to help people stay safe, educated and communicated. According to ONE, “internet connectivity could generate $2.2 trillion of economic growth and create new jobs… could lift 160 million people out of extreme poverty.”

Digital GAP Act

Despite having such a useful tool like the internet, many still remain offline. About four billion people don’t have a connection to the internet; most of these people are in developing countries. For this reason, the Digital GAP Act was put in place to promote internet access in developing countries, to prompt economic growth, create jobs and reduce poverty. The Digital GAP act was passed in the House of Representatives on Jan. 24, 2017. This legislation wants to accomplish the following:

  • Give financial support to developing countries by international organizations, including through grants, loans, and technical assistance, to expand information and communications access and internet connectivity.
  • Give internet access to at least 1.5 billion people in developing countries by 2020 in both urban and rural areas.
  • Promote internet deployment and related coordination, capacity building and build once policies in developing countries.
  • Remove tax and regulatory barriers to Internet access.

Overall, the connection to the internet can be useful for people living in poverty. It can help them in many different ways: it can give them resources, stability, freedom and connectivity. It can also help with alleviating poverty, by creating jobs for everyone.

– Solansh Moya

Photo: Flickr