The economies of African nations are growing at levels never before seen, but so is the continent’s youth population. As a result, job creation is at a critical point.
For Africa to maintain its current growth trajectory, it’s estimated that 400 million people under 25 will need viable employment by 2050.
Unemployment isn’t a concern solely in Africa, however, as the U.N. reported in 2014 that global unemployment hit over 201 million people, with a large percentage of these people being women and children.
With rising levels of unemployment, the Internet is starting to play a large role in helping create jobs, especially for populations in Africa. One organization, the Rockefeller Foundation, started its own initiative to jumpstart employment opportunities in certain African nations.
The foundation launched its Digital Jobs Africa program in 2013, with the goal of creating sustainable jobs focused on information communications technology for the youth in Africa.
Specifically, the foundation wanted to have a positive effect on at least one million lives in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.
Digital Jobs Africa emphasizes three pathways used in its approach: generating digital jobs in assorted sectors by building promising business environments, prioritizing the hiring of youth in the private sector, and partnering with organizations that provide job training to help make sure the youth have the necessary skills for these jobs.
In starting Digital Jobs Africa, the foundation partnered with the World Bank Group. Since doing so, the two organizations have done lots of work to boost digital job creation opportunities in Africa.
The Rockefeller Foundation and the World Bank Group focus on the Internet because of the impact it can have on the traditional ways of working.
Using the Internet in the workforce creates new opportunities; it therefore has the ability to change lives for the better in both developed and developing nations.
By using the Internet, employers can extend jobs and reach talent on any corner of the globe. People can also work from anywhere.
This strategy is a business model referred to as online outsourcing, or online work.
The World Bank Group was the first organization to take a deeper look into online outsourcing, as it carried out the first comprehensive study having to do with this particular business model. It was called “The Global Opportunity in Online Outsourcing.”
The results of the study, which the World Bank Group did in partnership with Dalberg Consulting and with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, were released in June.
The group wanted to help connect governments, companies and people to online outsourcing, which it did by completing the study.
The study was released side-by-side with a web-based toolkit that can, according to the World Bank Group’s website, “diagnose the feasibility for establishing the online outsourcing industry in developing countries, in order to increase access to employment and income-generation opportunities.”
In the study, the group analyzed experiences people had with online outsourcing in different parts of the world and how it could impact job creation, economic growth and social inclusion.
In doing so, the World Bank Group recommended policy ideas for developing countries to allow them to use online outsourcing as leverage for promoting inclusive growth. It also explained what possible tasks could be available through the business model and which skills were necessary to be successful.
The influence of online outsourcing is expected to grow, as estimates say that by 2020 the market size could hit between $15-$25 billion and have the potential to employ 30 million registered workers.
So how can companies and workers benefit from online outsourcing?
For starters, it gives employers wider access to specific skill sets and faster hiring. It also allows for productivity around the clock, as companies can have workers all over the world.
For those seeking digital jobs, online outsourcing gives them international job opportunities and a flexible work atmosphere.
In terms of societal impact, online outsourcing has the ability to push social change for women.
In India, for example, women who take care of children and elderly family members can make money while at home by having an online job. In Egypt, women can use online outsourcing instead of having to go to workplaces dominated by men.
But online outsourcing isn’t a lucrative alternative to the traditional ways of working just because of flexibility – it could also be the more profitable option.
One aspect of the study conducted by the World Bank Group found that in Kenya, Nigeria and India, full-time online workers earned a salary equal to or greater than their counterparts in a traditional workforce.
Not only can online outsourcing lead to higher wages, but through its flexibility, inclusiveness and innovation, it also has the ability to reach women and youth. This is proof that the Internet can boost economic growth and drive social inclusion.
– Matt Wotus
Sources: The Rockefeller Foundation, The World Bank
Photo: The Guardian
Rwanda Calls to End Tied Aid from Donors
In 2011, Rwanda led a coalition of African countries through negotiations that pushed for ending tied aid from donor countries. Tied aid can increase the cost of a development project 15 to 30 percent and often delays the time it takes to receive aid.
Since the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) end at the end of 2015, Rwanda has reiterated their position to untie aid for the new set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in order to take more effective action to achieve the new goals.
“We want to discuss how to finance SDGs but we want to change the way things are done because donors can promise us the money but you cannot use it because of the conditions and strings attached,” says Claver Gatete, Rwanda’s Finance and Economic Planning minister.
Rwanda has successfully achieved all of their MDGs except improving nutrition, making it one of five countries to do so in Africa. However, many of the issues surrounding tied aid in Rwanda deals with homosexual rights, which Rwanda argues is unfair to their culture.
The European Network on Debt and Development released a statement in 2013 that 20 percent of bilateral aid is tied. In return, the tied aid reduces spending power by 15 to 40 percent.
One way countries will tie aid is by controlling how a country spends the money, often forcing them to buy products such as food from the donor country. Therefore, instead of being able to purchase food from local markets in order to reach more of the population in a short time frame, the country may have to wait weeks or months to receive food items.
The World Bank and the IMF often tie their aid for Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) and the average loan comes with 67 conditions. SAPs can hurt a country economically because many of the conditions set force countries to lay off public workers and privatize more industries, resulting in a higher unemployment rate and public dissatisfaction.
By untying aid, it would increase its effectiveness and improve the rights of recipient countries to determine their own development course.
Goal 17 of the SDGs states, “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.” One way to improve implementation to achieve sustainable development is by allowing more autonomy for recipient countries to control their own development programs.
– Donald Gering
Sources: All Africa, The Guardian, OECD, UN, UNA
Photo: Pixabay
YouTubers Supporting Charity
YouTube has allowed millions of people to create content that will possibly reach an audience. For some YouTubers, creating content leads to an enormous amount of success, creating a massive following and giving them celebrity status. As a result, the past 10 years have seen a great increase in the number of online celebrities.
What these celebrities reveal is the power in social media. If top YouTuber PewDiePie, who posts comedy skits along with “Let’s Play” videos of games such as Grand Theft Auto V and The Witcher III, can have over 38 million subscribers to his channel, is YouTube not also a platform on which one can spread ideas to others?
PewDiePie thinks so. In 2013, the vlogger posted a video titled “10 MILLION BROS UNITE!-Charity: Water” on YouTube. In it, he challenged his subscribers (who at the time numbered 10 million) to support the efforts of nonprofit organization Charity: Water to promote access to clean water in the developing world. Along with launching an online campaign, PewDiePie agreed to donate one dollar to Charity: Water per every 500 views earned by the video. PewDiePie’s studio “Maker Studios” also agreed to donate one dollar per every 500 views on the video.
The campaign raised $446,462 for Charity: Water, becoming a huge success for the YouTuber. Perhaps even more great is the fact that PewDiePie is not the first YouTuber to promote making a difference.
For Lewis Brindley and Simon Lane, who form comedic gaming channel Yogscast, charity is part of what being entertainers is about. In December of each year, the team holds fundraising initiatives, streaming play-throughs of games and challenges to promote charity. Their most recent effort, titled “Jingle Jam,” raised over 1 million dollars for a variety of charities, including Oxfam International, Doctors Without Borders and End Polio Now.
Along with PewDiePie and Yogscast, YouTuber Connor Franta has taken advantage of the platform to promote social justice. Franta raised over $230,000 for The Thirst Project through crowdfunding platform Prizeo. To do this, Franta encouraged fans to enter a contest in which they donated to the charity, and the winner was given the opportunity to get coffee with Franta in Los Angeles.
The power of social media is the speed with which it allows us to spread ideas. For YouTube celebrities, using the platform that allowed them to achieve celebrity status to promote giving is perhaps the ultimate way to give back.
– Andrew Michaels
Sources: PC Games N, Reason Digital, Huffington Post , Youtube 1, Youtube, Charity: Water
Photo: Youtube
Boko Haram’s Threat to Education in Nigeria
Nigeria has recently overtaken South Africa as the largest economy on its continent. In spite of its upward trajectory Nigeria still has much further to go. Boko Haram, an Islamist militant organization, has for years terrorized Nigerians by attacking officials, civilians and public institutions. Since 2009 Boko Haram has killed more than ten thousand people and displaced 1.5 million.
The organization was founded by Mohammed Yusef in 2002 in Maiduguri, in the northeastern state of Borno, to transform Nigeria into an Islamic state ruled through sharia law. Back then however, its goals did not include violent insurgency. Rather the group sought to galvanize Nigeria’s northern Muslim population against the alleged corruption in the southern government and to challenge the regional economic disparities between the Christian South and Muslim north.
When Boko Haram protested a motorbike helmet law in 2009 they became targets of armed police brutality which then sparked revolts in many of the Northern provinces. This led to military suppression of the protests, which killed 800 and led to the capture and eventual extrajudicial killing of Yusef and other sect leaders. From there, the violence began and the grouped splintered under its fragmented leadership.
Today, the elusive Abubaker Shekau leads Boko Haram’s insurgency against the Nigerian government in Borno. Shekau holds almost superhuman status; allegedly killed at least three times by the Nigerian military, videos of the enigmatic leader still continue to surface. According to The Council on Foreign Relations, “Nigerian officials and many experts are convinced that Shekau has become a brand adopted by leaders of different factions of Boko Haram, and that the men in the videos are actually look-alikes.”
Last year Shekau’s organization claimed responsibility for the kidnappings of 200 girls from a public secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, in north east Nigeria. Smaller attacks on other schools and universities preceded this tragedy and highlight one of Boko Haram’s most common targets: education. The name ‘Boko Haram’ roughly translates to ‘Western Education is Forbidden.’
Through strong arm tactics, Boko Haram has made education in northeastern Nigeria all but impossible. In the wake of the kidnappings, most secondary schools in Borno have closed. This move is particularly advantageous for Boko Haram. Closing schools leaves boys more vulnerable to its recruitment methods and perpetuates poverty. Likewise, out of school girls are more likely to be married as teens. In total, 10 million children out of a population of 160 million are not attending school. This figure represents the largest number of out of school children in the world.
However, Boko Haram is not entirely responsible for the dismal state of education. The Nigerian government has done little to improve its country’s education system. Although it is the largest economy on the continent, Nigeria spends less on education than almost every other African country. Common practice dictates that government spending on education should represent 6 percent of a country’s GDP and 20 percent of its budget. In comparison, Nigeria spends only 1.5 percent of its GDP and 6 percent of its budget on education. Despite meager spending, Nigeria’s budget could allow for three times its investment in education.
With nearly a third of the population between the ages of 10 and 24, a stronger spending in education could radically improve life in Nigeria. However, with schools closing throughout the country, the Nigeria must also focus on rooting out Boko Haram and providing better security for its students. If done in tandem, Nigeria will experience the undeniable benefits of an widespread effective education system.
– Andrew Logan
Sources: Al Jazeera 1, Al Jazeera 2, The Brookings Institute, Council on Foreign Relations, The Economist, The Guardian
Photo: Flickr
Ascariasis: A Major Health Problem in the Developing World
Throughout the developing world, one kind of disease remains more common than any other: worms. In fact, according to The Huffington Post, recent figures have suggested that nearly every person residing in a developing country has some form of worm infection, due to the abundance of worm larva in soil all over the world.
While there are a variety of these infections, one in particular called ascariasis, or ascaris, has become so widespread that, according to the Center for Disease Control, it “account[s] for a major burden of disease worldwide.” In total, 807 million to 1.2 billion people around the world are infected with this parasitic illness, which is also classified as a neglected tropical disease.
It is caused by the consumption of its eggs, which reside in contaminated soil. This happens when fingers that have touched contaminated soil are put in the mouth or if produce has not been properly washed, cooked and peeled.
After ingestion, the eggs make their way to the intestine, where they hatch into larva. The freshly spawned larvae then wait to develop into fully mature worms. An adult female worm can grow up to around 30 cm in length while in the intestine, all while producing eggs that will then return to the soil via the host’s feces.
Upon reaching maturity, these adult worms wiggle through the intestinal wall and make their way towards their host’s lungs through the blood stream. This is where things get even more disgusting. Once near the lungs, they reside by the back of the throat, where they once again lay their eggs and continue the cycle.
Sufferers often do not experience any symptoms, but some of the most common signs of the disease are abdominal pain, coughing, difficulty breathing and fever. In more severe cases, excessive worm growth can cause intestinal blockages. As the worms migrate to the lungs, they are also one of the most common causes of Asthma in the developing world.
Ascariasis can stunt the growth of young children and this age group is also its most common target. When children play in the soil they expose themselves to risk of infection when putting their fingers in their mouths afterward. While usually not lethal, ascaris takes the lives of 60,000 annually, most of which belong to children.
In order to combat this disease, the World Health Organization and many other international aid organizations have attempted mass de-worming efforts. Using the two drugs albendazole and mebendazole, these groups have made progress by treating whole communities.
Another effective way of preventing ascaris does not involve drugs at all and instead relies on health education. These campaigns teach those in afflicted areas how to keep a sanitary kitchen and how to consume food safely, without the risk of catching the disease.
While treatment efforts are ongoing, less than 40 percent of the world’s children in need of treatment have not actually received any. This accounts for more than 850 million children worldwide and stands as one of the largest public health issues in the world. In order to improve the lives of millions, deworming campaigns must carry on.
– Andrew Logan
Sources: The Center for Disease Control, The Deccan Herald, The Huffington Post, The New York Times, The World Health Organization
Photo: Flickr
Large Solar Plant Coming to West Africa
Mali has signed an agreement with Oslo-based renewable energy specialist Scatec Solar to build West Africa’s first industrial-scale solar plant. The plant will be built near the southwestern city of Segou and has a life expectancy of 25 years.
According to Scatec Solar’s website, the company is “an integrated independent power producer, aiming to make solar a sustainable and affordable source of energy worldwide. Scatec Solar develops, builds, owns and operates solar power plants and delivers power from 219 megawatts in the Czech Republic, South Africa and Rwanda.”
Mali’s energy minister, Mamadou Frankaly Keita, said, “This landmark agreement signals the government’s commitment to meet the nation’s growing energy demand and to provide clean, renewable and affordable energy to our people.”
In recent years, Mali has been plagued by chronic electricity outages. In 2013, the government reported that it was only able to supply 45 percent of its 16 million people with electricity.
But with the addition of this solar plant, the problem of electricity shortages will be solved. The plant is expected to produce enough electricity each year to power 60,000 family homes, while cutting annual carbon dioxide emissions by 46,000 tons.
It has been reported that Mali’s EDM-SA energy company, two thirds of which are owned by the states and one third of which is owned by the Aga Khan group, is in crisis. It is failing to ensure an adequate supply of electricity, despite state subsidies worth 87.7 million euros in 2013.
With this new solar plant, Scatec will own 50 percent of the Segou plant while the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation will hold 32.5 percent, leaving the remaining equity to local power partner Africa Power 1.
Scatec Solar will construct the plant and will also provide operation and maintenance services after the plant is connected to the electricity grid.
The chairman of Africa Power 1 SA and General Administrator of Scatec Solar West Africa SA, Dr. Ibrahim Togola, said, “Today’s event is historic because Mali now becomes the first country to install the largest solar grid connect power plant in the region. This high-profile joint venture, in which Malian citizens participate, will serve as a model to launch the solar era in West Africa.”
By tapping into the available sunlight, sunlight that is available almost all day, citizens in Mali will be able to use this clean and free energy. It will also have a positive impact on the air by reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Although solar panels are expensive at the beginning, the reduction in electricity bills can be seen in about seven years after installation. With the large solar plant being built in Mali, homeowners do not need to pay the expense of private solar panels.
Hopefully, the solar plant in Mali is a test run for the effectiveness of solar electricity in West Africa and is something that will soon be present in the rest of Africa.
– Kerri Szulak
Sources: Africa Renewal Online , Phys.org, Scatec Solar
Photo: Aspire Africa
The Fall of Chinese Stock Markets and the Impact on Poor
The recent collapse of the Chinese stock markets has been tumultuous. Millions of Chinese middle-class citizens were caught up in the fervor; many of the stock-buyers have been Chinese without high school diplomas. Many observers in the west had feared that the meteoric growth of the stock markets in China was unsustainable. In 2014, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 21 percent in one month alone — a warning sign to many that this type of growth could not continue forever.
Since the beginning of the falling stock prices, at least 3.2 trillion dollars in value has vanished. The bubble was seemingly inflated — in part with government encouragement — with lax policies put in place to encourage further investment in stocks. Many people began to pour savings and accrue debt in order to pump more money in the over-valued stock prices. The government’s role in encouraging the bubble has now led to a loss of face for Chinese leadership and policy makers.
The ramifications of the Chinese stock market collapse could be widespread. A large fraction of the investments made were done not by large businesses or businessmen, but by middle class urbanites and even rural villagers. Much like the housing bubble in 2008, a tremendous loss in assets for middle and lower class Chinese could be hugely detrimental to the country. In light of the fact that the Chinese economy has been attempting to transition into a more consumer-based economy and the slowdown in growth in recent quarters, this financial crisis could be a major setback in China’s economic ambitions for the future.
The loss of value for stocks owned by every-day Chinese citizens means that demand would suffer and begin the cycle into lower economic health and greater uncertainty about the future of the markets. In general, an economic downturn is bad for everyone, from the most impoverished, to the well off. The poor in China will almost certainly suffer more, should the economy take a turn for the worst.
The Chinese Government has taken strong steps towards avoiding a complete collapse in stock prices. Pouring money into the teetering markets, the government is attempting to push back against the tide of sellers and avoid what many consider to be inevitable. Forty percent of stocks have stopped trading in an effort to stop the bleeding prices, but many argue that this is will do little. Market corrections will occur regardless — the bubble has already popped.
The secret is out — the majority of these unsustainably growing stocks belong to companies who are simply not worth even close to the price tag. Many of these Chinese companies have suffered huge blows to their reputation and legitimacy. Stopping trading is more likely than not, a desperate measure to allow for some leeway and time to think. The market is no longer in a psychological craze, and all the freezes will do is delay the inevitable market corrections.
The real question now is, how much value will be lost and how much will this hurt the middle and lower classes in China?
– Martin Yim
Sources: New Yorker, Bloomberg 1, Bloomberg 2
Photo: Gbtimes
Off-Grid Vaccine Refrigerators Improve Immunization
Most vaccines are heat-sensitive and must remain in a cool, controlled environment. However, this is easier said than done when the vaccines must be transported over a great distance, arriving at a remote location with frequent power outages or no electrical grid at all.
Introducing the direct-drive solar refrigerators: a solar-powered fridge that keeps vaccines cool for long periods of time without relying on gas or kerosene. Off-grid refrigerators were introduced in the 1980s in areas without electricity, but recent technological improvements have made them more efficient and accessible than ever before.
The new technology, sponsored by PATH and the World Health Organization, has “direct drive” technology that uses the sun’s energy to freeze water, creating an ice “bank” that the fridge can tap into during the nights and cloudy days.
A direct-drive solar refrigerator could prove to be invaluable to developing countries. Immunizations would be more stable and more accessible, meaning people would get treated faster.
But the fridges are not the simplest of innovations—any given country will need a long-term plan upon making the initial investment for semi-regular maintenance and repair. On top of that, an experienced professional would have to install the fridge to ensure it is done correctly, and then train local technicians to maintain and repair them.
Despite the drawbacks, the direct-drive solar refrigerator is already working. In the Philippines, a solar refrigerator called the Sure Chill is storing vaccines for longer than previously possible, helping rebuild the cold chain infrastructure after the typhoon in 2014. The Sure Chill fridges uses solar and water power and can run without electricity for up to 10 days. These fridges have a big price tag, about $2,600 each, but are already proving to be extremely worthwhile.
– Hannah Resnick
Sources: Alternative Energy, Science Dev, WHO
Photo: Flickr
Fashion Project: Supports Good Causes
Raising money for charity is a mission that many organizations and movements have, but it is their techniques what makes them different.
Fashion Project has the mission to raise as much money as possible in order to donate it to charity and humanitarian causes. They achieve this through the creation of a community that donates and shops for clothing pieces to support causes these donors and buyers care about.
According to Fashion Project’s official website, this technique has placed them as the industry leader in online clothing donation.
The designer brands that the Fashion Project sells and accepts for donation are Fendi, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Chanel, Dolce Vita, Elie Saab, Free People, Gucci, Hermes, Lanvin, Prada, Michael Kors and Valentino, among others.
Once donors select the cause they want to support, they can donate their gently used or new designer clothes, shoes and accessories. Fashion Project covers shipping and they also photograph the donated clothing pieces in order to sell them in their online boutique for buyers. In addition, clothing and accessories donors will get a tax receipt.
While their online shop offers sale prices in designer brand items, buyers can take advantage of the savings these items offer and, at the same time, their purchase provides a donation to charity.
Up to 55 percent of the sells of Fashion Project’s online shop are directed to support different charity programs.
As of today, Fashion Project has raised around $700,000 for charity, and is supporting 2,016 charities and organizations.
Some of the charity partners that Fashion Project supports are She’s The First (sponsors girl’s education in developing countries), Neads (dogs to help the deaf and disabled people), Apne Aap Women Worldwide (empowers women to gain independence) and Women’s Global Empowerment Fund (produces programs that reduce poverty and the marginalization of women and their families), among others.
On the other hand, people can also create their own “Fashion Project” as a fundraising campaign.
Fashion Project gives fundraisers the necessary tools to create their fundraising personalized site so they can invite people to donate or shop fashion items for a good cause. Once the fundraiser reaches his goal, Fashion Project will direct their raise to its destination.
This project has been growing with the years to a point in where Fashion Project has partnered with Neiman Marcus, and the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The project has also launched donation programs with Nordstrom, Joie and Elie Tahari, among others.
According to an article published by Forbes, partnerships with retailers have been an important aspect to spread Fashion Project’s mission.
The most popular designer brands on the online shop are Coach, Theory, Kate Spade, Michael Kors and Tory Burch. Most of the donors and buyers are from the United States but they have had donations from Europe countries interested in donating to the cause and supporting the mission of Fashion Project.
– Diana Fernanda Leon
Sources: Forbes, Fashion Project 1, Fashion Project 2, Fashion Project 3
Photo: Boston.com
Internet Plays Crucial Role in African Job Development
The economies of African nations are growing at levels never before seen, but so is the continent’s youth population. As a result, job creation is at a critical point.
For Africa to maintain its current growth trajectory, it’s estimated that 400 million people under 25 will need viable employment by 2050.
Unemployment isn’t a concern solely in Africa, however, as the U.N. reported in 2014 that global unemployment hit over 201 million people, with a large percentage of these people being women and children.
With rising levels of unemployment, the Internet is starting to play a large role in helping create jobs, especially for populations in Africa. One organization, the Rockefeller Foundation, started its own initiative to jumpstart employment opportunities in certain African nations.
The foundation launched its Digital Jobs Africa program in 2013, with the goal of creating sustainable jobs focused on information communications technology for the youth in Africa.
Specifically, the foundation wanted to have a positive effect on at least one million lives in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.
Digital Jobs Africa emphasizes three pathways used in its approach: generating digital jobs in assorted sectors by building promising business environments, prioritizing the hiring of youth in the private sector, and partnering with organizations that provide job training to help make sure the youth have the necessary skills for these jobs.
In starting Digital Jobs Africa, the foundation partnered with the World Bank Group. Since doing so, the two organizations have done lots of work to boost digital job creation opportunities in Africa.
The Rockefeller Foundation and the World Bank Group focus on the Internet because of the impact it can have on the traditional ways of working.
Using the Internet in the workforce creates new opportunities; it therefore has the ability to change lives for the better in both developed and developing nations.
By using the Internet, employers can extend jobs and reach talent on any corner of the globe. People can also work from anywhere.
This strategy is a business model referred to as online outsourcing, or online work.
The World Bank Group was the first organization to take a deeper look into online outsourcing, as it carried out the first comprehensive study having to do with this particular business model. It was called “The Global Opportunity in Online Outsourcing.”
The results of the study, which the World Bank Group did in partnership with Dalberg Consulting and with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, were released in June.
The group wanted to help connect governments, companies and people to online outsourcing, which it did by completing the study.
The study was released side-by-side with a web-based toolkit that can, according to the World Bank Group’s website, “diagnose the feasibility for establishing the online outsourcing industry in developing countries, in order to increase access to employment and income-generation opportunities.”
In the study, the group analyzed experiences people had with online outsourcing in different parts of the world and how it could impact job creation, economic growth and social inclusion.
In doing so, the World Bank Group recommended policy ideas for developing countries to allow them to use online outsourcing as leverage for promoting inclusive growth. It also explained what possible tasks could be available through the business model and which skills were necessary to be successful.
The influence of online outsourcing is expected to grow, as estimates say that by 2020 the market size could hit between $15-$25 billion and have the potential to employ 30 million registered workers.
So how can companies and workers benefit from online outsourcing?
For starters, it gives employers wider access to specific skill sets and faster hiring. It also allows for productivity around the clock, as companies can have workers all over the world.
For those seeking digital jobs, online outsourcing gives them international job opportunities and a flexible work atmosphere.
In terms of societal impact, online outsourcing has the ability to push social change for women.
In India, for example, women who take care of children and elderly family members can make money while at home by having an online job. In Egypt, women can use online outsourcing instead of having to go to workplaces dominated by men.
But online outsourcing isn’t a lucrative alternative to the traditional ways of working just because of flexibility – it could also be the more profitable option.
One aspect of the study conducted by the World Bank Group found that in Kenya, Nigeria and India, full-time online workers earned a salary equal to or greater than their counterparts in a traditional workforce.
Not only can online outsourcing lead to higher wages, but through its flexibility, inclusiveness and innovation, it also has the ability to reach women and youth. This is proof that the Internet can boost economic growth and drive social inclusion.
– Matt Wotus
Sources: The Rockefeller Foundation, The World Bank
Photo: The Guardian
The Price to Educate the World
This past weekend, many international leaders and education advocates met in Oslo to discuss strategies on how to meet the Millennium Goal of education, as well as discuss the price to educate the world. Among the attendees were UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon, Malala Yousafzai and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
A high-level panel offered diverse perspectives on financing education. The Indonesian Education Minister, Anies Baswedan pointed out the need to bring down high cost education affecting teaching materials, curriculums and assessment. Rwanda’s Prime Minister Paul Kagame said one of the key factors for successful educational reform was strong partnerships.
Ms. Yousafzai addressed the congregation, urging the international community to spend more money on projects to provide education to those in poverty. She told them, “We will not stop. We will continue to speak out and raise our voices until we see every child in school.”
When the world’s leaders met during the Millennium Summit in September of 2000, they outlined eight core areas of need to reduce extreme poverty in the world. Among those eight core areas, one of the goals was to ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, would be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. To this day, only two of the eight goals have been met, and education is not one of them.
According to the Malala fund, the NGO she helped start, Universal fee-free primary and secondary education for a 12-year period costs an estimated $340 billion per year through 2030. The United States defense budget was $526.6 billion in 2014 alone.
In a July 2015 report released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the number of out of school students around the world is on the rise, reaching 124 million in 2013. That figure includes 59 million primary students and 65 million young adolescents aged from 12 to 15 years old. This is up from the 122 million that was reported in 2011.
Age is not the only disparity in the fight to educate all children. Efforts to abolish gender gaps have broken down in recent years. Although they are better than in the earlier 2000s when the program was initiated, progression has gone stagnant. According to the 2013 figures, 1 in 10 girls and 1 in 12 boys were out of school in 2013.
The study gives two explanations for the recent decline. First, the sub-Saharan countries are finding it hard to keep up with the rising demand of school education from the school-age population that is experience a surge in population.
Secondly, the old business model that was proposed in the early 2000s is outdated. That model included abolishing tuition fees, the construction of new schools and a system of more teachers, classrooms and textbooks.
The world must come together to pool resources in order to reach the goals set out in the Millennium Development Goals and address the challenges of the UNESCO report. On the fifteenth anniversary of the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations is expected to adopt a new set of Sustainable Development Goals that will call for universal primary and secondary for all students by 2030.
This is definitely a step in the right direction, but will require more cooperation and resources from the international community and national governments. The World Bank has invested US $4 billion in education alone. This year, they have created a new Results in Education for All Children Trust Fund (REACH). Norway was the first donor followed by USAID. That aid must be used efficiently and with proper strategy.
According to the UNESCO report, what is needed now are “targeted interventions to reach the most marginalised children and youth who are out of school today, including those with disabilities; from ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities; and children affected by armed conflict.” Continuous citizen advocacy is need to make sure U.S. foreign aid stays consistent over the course of the next 15 years in its commitments to universal education, or else the price to educate the world will go even higher.
– Adnan Khalid
Sources: U.S. Department of Defense, Government of Norway, Malala Fund, United Nations, UNESCO, The World Bank
Photo: Flickr