Last March, two young Brazilians started a Facebook page called SP Invisivíl, or Invisible Sao Paulo, to highlight the large homeless population in the city.
The founders of Invisible Sao Paulo are Vincius Lima, 18, and Andre Soler, 21. Lima says the purpose of the project is to “open people’s eyes, and show them that people who live on the streets are human beings as well, that they have a story and they deserve respect and dignity.”
The Facebook page features a picture of one homeless person and a transcript of their story everyday. There are hundreds of stories on the page, ranging from horrific to heart wrenching, to humorous and to hopeful. The stories are diverse and unique, emphasizing the purpose of the project: to make the homeless seem more human.
One of the stories is that of Pedro Henrique, who is 33 years old. He grew up without a mother and father and has been on the streets for 20 years. He says, “Eu não nasci pra ser triste, faço de tudo pra ser feliz, mesmo morando na rua” or “I was not born to be sad, I do everything to be happy, even living on the street.” He carries a broken video camera with him because he says it makes him happy and reminds him of his time in Rio, when he shot films of skaters and surfers.
The project hopes to change the attitudes of people living in Sao Paulo toward the ever-growing homeless population. One resident of Sao Paulo, Luan Drezza, says that Invisible Sao Paulo “humanises people who we would have kept our distance from.” The Facebook page was set up to mimic Humans of New York, a project that shows stories of New Yorkers everyday.
There are an estimated 15,000 homeless in Sao Paulo, most likely the highest population of homeless in Brazil. Half of those are in shelters, but the rest are on the streets. Homelessness is also a problem in other urban areas in Brazil, mostly Rio de Janiero. A similar Facebook page, Invisible Rio, has started with the same purpose as Invisible Sao Paulo and has attracted a lot of attention in the city.
Homelessness in Brazil was highlighted during the FIFA World Cup this summer, when thousands of homeless in Sao Paulo protested their forced removal from buildings around the city and the expenditures the Brazilian government had taken on to build infrastructure for the event.
A group called Movimento do Trabalhadores Sem Teto, or MTST, helped and participated in the protests. They, along with other protesters, say that without them, all the outside world would see of Brazil was FIFA. MTST is a social organization founded originally to speak for landless rural peasants in 1997; it now focuses purely on urban homelessness in Brazil.
Brazil is also the host of the 2016 Olympic Games, which is predicted to cause more social protests.
– Caitlin Huber
Sources: BBC 1, BBC 2, City Lab, The Guardian, Facebook, MST
Photo: Flickr
Lessons Learned from the Successes of PEPFAR
The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, started by President George W. Bush in 2003, has tried to tackle the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. The program has been tremendously successful, providing treatment for two million people and care for 10 million, including four million orphans and vulnerable children. Below are three major lessons the world of development and poverty alleviation can learn from the successes of PEPFAR.
1. Country Ownership
One of the unique components of PEPFAR is the role host countries play in the design and implementation of interventions. Ninety percent of the partner organizations that work with PEPFAR in the field are local. There is not a blanket approach, meaning that governments have to take ownership for the programs that are executed in their countries. Each country has a different approach that fits the needs of the HIV/AIDS epidemic within its borders, making the interventions more successful.
2. Focus on Results and Accountability
Even with criticism that development goals cannot be boiled down to pure numbers, PEPFAR’s intense focus on results has proved to be successful, especially when trying to build monitoring and evaluation capabilities country-to-country. A focus on results helped keep countries accountable to the goals of PEPFAR. With better monitoring and evaluation capabilities, governments can be kept more accountable and transparent when working on development projects.
3. Engagement of All Sectors
PEPFAR was one of the first projects to try to engage all sectors of the economy, not just national governments. The project included civil society, non-governmental organizations, faith-based and community-based organizations and the private sector in the implementation of specific interventions. This inclusion helps to address underlying and periphery issues that prevent or hinder interventions, like government stability, personal freedoms and development standards.
– Caitlin Huber
Sources: PEPFAR, Avert, Smith
Photo: Huffington Post
Invisible Sao Paulo
The founders of Invisible Sao Paulo are Vincius Lima, 18, and Andre Soler, 21. Lima says the purpose of the project is to “open people’s eyes, and show them that people who live on the streets are human beings as well, that they have a story and they deserve respect and dignity.”
The Facebook page features a picture of one homeless person and a transcript of their story everyday. There are hundreds of stories on the page, ranging from horrific to heart wrenching, to humorous and to hopeful. The stories are diverse and unique, emphasizing the purpose of the project: to make the homeless seem more human.
One of the stories is that of Pedro Henrique, who is 33 years old. He grew up without a mother and father and has been on the streets for 20 years. He says, “Eu não nasci pra ser triste, faço de tudo pra ser feliz, mesmo morando na rua” or “I was not born to be sad, I do everything to be happy, even living on the street.” He carries a broken video camera with him because he says it makes him happy and reminds him of his time in Rio, when he shot films of skaters and surfers.
The project hopes to change the attitudes of people living in Sao Paulo toward the ever-growing homeless population. One resident of Sao Paulo, Luan Drezza, says that Invisible Sao Paulo “humanises people who we would have kept our distance from.” The Facebook page was set up to mimic Humans of New York, a project that shows stories of New Yorkers everyday.
There are an estimated 15,000 homeless in Sao Paulo, most likely the highest population of homeless in Brazil. Half of those are in shelters, but the rest are on the streets. Homelessness is also a problem in other urban areas in Brazil, mostly Rio de Janiero. A similar Facebook page, Invisible Rio, has started with the same purpose as Invisible Sao Paulo and has attracted a lot of attention in the city.
Homelessness in Brazil was highlighted during the FIFA World Cup this summer, when thousands of homeless in Sao Paulo protested their forced removal from buildings around the city and the expenditures the Brazilian government had taken on to build infrastructure for the event.
A group called Movimento do Trabalhadores Sem Teto, or MTST, helped and participated in the protests. They, along with other protesters, say that without them, all the outside world would see of Brazil was FIFA. MTST is a social organization founded originally to speak for landless rural peasants in 1997; it now focuses purely on urban homelessness in Brazil.
Brazil is also the host of the 2016 Olympic Games, which is predicted to cause more social protests.
– Caitlin Huber
Sources: BBC 1, BBC 2, City Lab, The Guardian, Facebook, MST
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in Myanmar
Myanmar is situated in Southeast Asia, bordered by Thailand to the south, India to the west and China to the east. Given its strategic location, one might assume that Myanmar has great potential to become an economic powerhouse in the region. However, the country continues to grapple with poverty and remains one of the poorest nations in the area.
With a population rate of 54.18 million (2022 estimate) and a gross domestic product (GDP) of $62.2 billion, Myanmar is one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, according to the World Bank, about 40% of the country’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2022.
Despite its low population density, Myanmar is resource-rich and well-suited for agriculture, with more than 70% the population engaged in agricultural work. The next largest employment sector is wholesale, retail trade and repairs, involving 15% of the population.
Causes of Poverty in Myanmar
Myanmar’s high poverty rates can be attributed to three main factors. Firstly, vulnerable individuals find themselves in situations with no way out. These people, originally employed in agriculture, mining, construction or trade, have seen their livelihoods deteriorate due to market losses, driving them into chronic poverty.
Secondly, unemployment contributes greatly to poverty in Myanmar. According to the World Bank, about 3% of the country’s population is unemployed and around 58% of total employment is considered vulnerable. Vulnerable employment is often characterized by low incomes, lack of job security, limited access to social protection and benefits and challenging conditions that “undermine workers’ fundamental rights.” Additionally, around 2% of the employed proportion lived below the international poverty line of $2.15 per day and 25% of the total population often struggled to stay above the poverty line.
Thirdly, with more than half of Myanmar’s population involved in agriculture, changing climate patterns, such as low rainfall and high temperature, affect agricultural production, exacerbating food insecurity and poverty in the county. In 2018, a monsoon-related flood affected more than one million acres of cultivated land in Myanmar.
Fortunately, technological advances are currently widely available to prevent and mitigate the effects of these losses. Therefore, the biggest work left to do to increase agricultural output each year would be to invest in spreading knowledge and properly equipping farmers.
Final Remark
Myanmar’s government is making several efforts to reduce poverty in the country. One of these is implementing the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP). The plan, which will run from 2018 to 2030, aims to reduce poverty, promote economic growth and improve the population’s living standards. It also includes efforts to strengthen the country’s infrastructure, healthcare and education.
Several nongovernmental organizations are also working to eradicate food insecurity and poverty in Myanmar. Notably, in 2023, the World Food Programme (WFP) assisted more than 36,000 central and northern Rakhine individuals through emergency food assistance and nearly 9,000 women and children through nutrition support. With the aid of these organizations, the root causes of poverty can be addressed, improving the living standards for vulnerable populations in Myanmar.
– Christina Cho
Photo: Flickr
Updated: May 27, 2024
New Fish Smoking Technology in Ghana
SNV Ghana and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have been collaborating on a new fishing technology that produces healthier and cleaner fish to meet both local and international standards. SNV Ghana with the Food and Agriculture Organization has teamed up to launch a new fish smoking technology called the FAO-Thiaroye Technique (FTT) that benefits the people of Ghana and potentially the world.
According to the World Food Programme, more than 1.2 million Ghanaians start the day without guarantee of nutritious, clean food to eat. This means that many Ghanaians have limited access to necessary nutrients. The new technology ensures an efficient sanitation process in fishing that prevents chemical patterns not conducive to PAH control in fish smoking.
The FAO-Thiaroye aims to create awareness in the country among other fish smoking areas. The innovation also aims to supply small fishing populated areas with the tools and knowledge of how to dry and smoke a fish on a simple rack. The technology is much like the form of a common oven; it produces minimal heat and has an oil collector that has been manufactured to meet the sanitation and produce standards of international markets.
Three challenges that have had a substantial impact on the impoverished are access to energy, sanitation and food and water. Insufficient supplies of food and lack of sanitation in rural areas are a major factor in mortality rates among developing countries. With its headquarters located in The Hague, Netherlands, SNV currently provides capacity development services to local organizations in three sectors: Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
Started in 1965, SNV is a nonprofit and international development organization that was established in the Netherlands but since has spread worldwide. The Organization currently operates in countries within Africa, Asia and Latin America. SNV aims to alleviate poverty by supporting increased income and employment opportunities, and increasing access to basic services. SNV’s partner and collaborator of this project, The Food and Agriculture Organization, described the new technology as an innovation that will ensure food security and increase the economy in small market areas.
“Today marks another mile stone in the history of fish processing in the country after the development of the Chorkor Smoker here in 1969,” Dr. Lamourdia Thiombiano, the FAO Country Representative, said.
The new technology transfer will also increase profits in small and medium scale fish markets, which in turn contributes to poverty reduction. Fisheries and Aquaculture in Ghana, and many other developing countries, have an important role in the future of the economy. Moreover, the introduction of the FAO-Thiaroye Technique would reduce the use of wood fuels, which in turn benefits the conservation of the environment.
Not only would the technology become beneficial for the environment and the economy, it will make fish smoking less cumbersome especially for hard working women in the rural areas. The technological development in country’s fishing sector is recognized to be an essential component of SNV’s new and improved fish smoking restoration project.
The Country Director of FAO has said the organization is interested in developing longterm relationships and partnerships with important sponsors in developing and promoting the technology in other countries.
– Sandy Phan
Sources: WFP, SNV, FAO Photo: Global Press Journal
FXB Village and a Holistic Approach to Poverty Reduction
FXB Village provides sustained assistance to 80 to 100 families in impoverished locales for a three-year period. During this period, FXB Village provides families with training in a diverse range of fields, from healthcare to business. FXB’s goal is for families to be self-sufficient after the three years; according to FXB Village founder Albina du Boisrouvray, the NGO boasts an 86 percent rate in meeting this goal.
The case of Nite, a Ugandan widow, illustrates just how effective the FXB Village approach can be on the ground. According to du Boisrouvray, Nite was first enrolled in the program in 1994; FXB Village provided her with a cow, and school supplies for her 11 children.
FXB Village’s relatively small material investment went a long way in pulling Nite’s family out of poverty and into self-sufficiency. “After 10 years she had three cows, two pigs and some chickens, as well as land on which she was growing pineapples and coffee and a plot that she used to build a house for her eldest son. This had provided enough income to put all her children through school, two of whom went on to university, and one who got a job abroad,” said du Boisrouvray. Nite is just one of the 75,000 people that Du Boisrouvray says FXB Village has pulled out of poverty since its founding in 1989.
Du Boisrouvray, a French countess, founded FXB Village after her son Francois-Xavier Bagnoud- a search and rescue helicopter pilot- died in a helicopter accident in Mali. “When François died in 1986, I wanted to continue doing what he was passionate about: helping others,” she said. Du Boisrouvray sold off her jewels, artwork and real estate to fund the village-based program, which she believes can be a teaching tool for other NGO’s.
Said du Boisrouvray, “We help families in a way that they understand that participation is the key to eradicate poverty; they have to bring their will. It’s not just a one-way thing, it’s a participating activity hand in hand.” Du Boisrouvray has announced that she will release details of the FXB Village initiative in 2015, so that other NGO’s can draw information and inspiration from the FXB approach.
– Parker Carroll
Sources: IB Times 1, IB Times 2, Today
Photo: Flickr
The Urbanization Paradox
Extreme poverty rates have declined precipitously over the last 30 years, and increased urbanization in developed countries suggests that this trend is likely to continue. However, while urbanization might spell economic progress in developing countries, it also poses environmental and humanitarian challenges.
Urban centers draw heavily on natural resources. The population density of urban environments brings challenges in terms of water availability, waste disposal and energy consumption. In cities like Nairobi, unplanned urban development has forced many into squalor – 60 percent of Nairobi’s urban population has been squeezed into five percent of the city’s total land mass.
What’s more, countless studies have noted that urbanization can exacerbate climate change’s negative impact on stream ecosystems. Urbanization can also exacerbate the risks posed by environmental hazards. Coastal cities are especially vulnerable to flash flooding – a risk that is rising along with the sea level.
Whether the environmental and humanitarian challenges of urbanization are met will depend largely on the responsiveness of local governments in meeting the individual needs of their communities. It will be up to local policy makers to maximize the benefits of urbanization while limiting the depths of its pitfalls. In doing so, local governments will need to draw on the ingenuity of urban planners, who face a diverse array of challenges in protecting their communities from environmental hazards and resource scarcity.
Like sustainable development models, sustainable urban planning models resist definitive archetypes, as renowned British architect David Adjaye has noted. “It has become clear that modern singularity must be refashioned into nuanced dialogues between geography, technology and culture,” said Adjaye. Urban planners will be called upon to architect fine-spun solutions, tailor-made for the communities that they serve.
However, it could be difficult for governments to resist the temptation of the short-term economic dividends of rapid, albeit unsustainable, urban growth. In addition, many developing countries may lack the financial resources and scientific expertise necessary to urbanize in and environmentally and humanitarianly sound way. Accordingly, it is essential that the U.S. government do its best to provide technical and financial support to urbanizing nations.
– Parker Carroll
Sources: EPA, Huffington Post 1, Huffington Post 2, IRIN, New Security Beat
Photo: Flickr
Transparency International Reveals Global Corruption Levels
History has shown that government and institutional corruption can greatly hinder progress in developing countries. A new study by Transparency International reports that countries with faster-growing economies are more prone to government corruption.
The research shows that governments in countries such as China, Turkey and Angola are becoming more corrupt with increased fraud and bribery while others are reducing corruption levels.
Corruption is a major issue that causes distress in the lives of the poor and impedes international efforts to bring countries out of poverty. Numerous international organizations stress that corruption causes major setbacks in development work. Transparency International also states that corrupt officials prevent progress and impair public trust in the government.
Chairperson of Transparency International, José Ugaz, emphasizes the severity of corruption, stating, “Grand corruption in big economies not only blocks basic human rights for the poorest but also creates governance problems and instability. Fast-growing economies whose governments refuse to be transparent and tolerate corruption create a culture of impunity in which corruption thrives.”
International aid has a large correlation with corruption in impoverished nations. While the causation for that corruption is debatable, the majority of researchers agree that foreign aid helps to increase national stability and to bring people out of desperate situations. The Transparency International Policy organization works to assure that foreign aid is not deterred by government corruption.
The organization’s recent report was developed from 13 data sources and the estimated perceptions of many businesspeople and experts. The index scores 175 countries from zero to 100, with zero comprising a “highly corrupt” public sector and 100 representing a “very clean” establishment.
Afghanistan, the Ivory Coast and Egypt made the most improvement in eliminating government corruption, though the countries still remain towards the bottom of the index. Almost all underdeveloped nations have scores below 50 (with zero being extremely corrupt and 100 very clean). Denmark has the lowest estimated level of corruption, while Somalia and North Korea are ranked as having the most corrupt governments, with a score of eight.
As the report shows that every country is affected, Transparency International warns that corruption is threatening economic growth across the globe. Higher levels of corruption are marked by widespread bribery and fraud, an absence of punishment for corruption and public institutions that fail to attend to citizens’ needs.
While some researchers disapprove of foreign aid, stating that in certain nations it has fostered corruption, Transparency International officials encourage the use of aid as a means to diminish corruption.
Peter Eigen, the founder of Transparency Interational, states that, “Additional aid resources are needed, but their delivery has to be structured in a way that takes account of the risk of corruption. At the same time, while developing countries need increased resources, both sides must work together to put an end to corruption.”
– Nina Verfaillie
Sources: The Guardian, World Bank, Transparency International 1, Transparency International 2
Photo: N.Y. Mag
Cell Phones Improve Literacy Rates
Out of the 7 billion people on the planet, 6 billion have a mobile phone. Cell phones have become widespread in developing countries, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. The mobile technology has become ubiquitous even in poverty-stricken areas and its impact on users is rapidly changing poor populations. Studies conducted in the past have shown that cell phones can provide literacy to the world’s poorest nations.
Literacy is known to be essential for economic development and fighting poverty. More than 1.2 billion people still live in extreme poverty, and nearly 2.5 billion people live on less than $2 a day. Studies have shown that literacy has a positive effect on GDP per capita. It is estimated that if all children from low-income nations could read, the poverty rate could drop by 12 percent.
Cell phones have been named the new important devices in the world. The mobile technology has even helped provide schools, teachers and parents with access to educational insights for success.
Moreover, cell phones help thousands of people in developing countries learn to read using their mobile phones. In fact, before the widespread use of cell phone technology, the adult literacy rate in all of Africa stood at 52 percent; by 2008, the literacy rate had increased to 63 percent.
Illiteracy is partially due to the lack of books in the developing world; an alternative solution to this problem is cell phones. Cell phones are inexpensive, convenient, cost-efficient and provide electronic books in the hands of developing nations.
Literacy not only empowers people, but it empowers the mind as well. When it comes to alleviating global poverty, literacy is important for development. Women who are involved in literacy programs and activities obtain a better knowledge of health and family planning. Additionally, children who have parents that are literate are more likely to be enrolled in an educational program and have extra support toward their studies.
Reports have also shown that low literacy costs the healthcare industry over $70 million each year. Children whose mothers can read are 50 percent more likely to survive past the age of five years old. To be able to read can be vital for survival; understanding medical guidelines or security instructions are crucial for a person’s health and safety.
Literacy also develops societies on a political level. People who are literate have the upper hand in becoming more educated, and therefore are more likely to become civically engaged. Whether they are involved in labor unions, politics, or community activities, they will have the opportunity to change the world. To be able to read, write and count contributes to an individual’s self-development, and allows each individual to have their own sense of personal freedom and better understand how to adapt to the constantly changing world.
– Sandy Phan
Sources: World Bank, Do Something, UNESCO
Photo: USA Today
Non-Communicable Diseases in the Developing World
The largest public health problem in the developing world is currently non-communicable diseases, or NCDs. NCDs like cardiovascular disease and cancer kill around eight million people before they are 60 years old each year in developing countries. NCD-attributed deaths make up about 90 percent of premature deaths in the world.
Urbanization, higher life expectancy and global trade drive NCDs in developing countries. Even though developed countries may have similar public health issues, they are much more equipped to deal with them because they have better and less expensive prevention and management tools and more experience dealing with the diseases.
Non-communicable diseases cause early deaths and debilitation for those in poverty in both developing and developed countries. However, the people effected in developing countries are, on average, younger and have worse outcomes than their counterparts in developed nations.
On a global scale, NCDs will cost developing countries $21.3 trillion over the next 20 years. Even though global focus and aid goes towards communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases effect a much larger portion of the population and are growing quickly in middle- and low-income countries.
The last time a global public health crisis that disproportionately affected the developing world was attacked was the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The effort originated in the U.S. with PEPFAR and grew to a worldwide effort. While lessons can be gleaned from that effort, the growing NCD crisis presents different challenges. Of course, the U.S. cannot make resource allocation decisions or policy solutions for other countries. An effort to attack this crisis has to be at the national level with the help and support of the international community.
Because most NCDs are characterized by chronicity, they have devastating socio-economic consequences. Patients require more care for longer periods of time. This not only takes them out of the workforce and reduces productivity but also uses up scarce healthcare resources. With a sicker, smaller workforce, economic growth can be stunted and have reverberating economic, social and political impacts for the country and region.
– Caitlin Huber
Sources: Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard University
Photo: Business Insider
The Cycle of Poverty
First, health is important not only because it prolongs one’s lifespan, but also because it directly affects one’s income earning potential. It gives people the energy to focus on activities that can contribute to a higher earning potential such as school work, running the business or farming. With a higher income, people can move on from subsistence living and onto a life of purchasing goods they are interested.
Second, education is important because it teaches one to make wise health decisions, that will ultimately contribute to a better health outcomes and eventually higher incomes. The cycle of poverty is often perpetuated because there is a direct lack in education. For instance, people will not use clean sanitation practices have a higher chance of getting inflicted with a disease such as diarrhea or dysentery. Having a sickly body will prevent a child from attending primary school, for oftentimes they need to walk several miles. Instead of walking with a body in that kind of state, a child will most likely stay home, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
Next, consumption is indicated by how much purchasing power people have, whether they buy food for sustenance or other material goods for pleasure. Consumption is dependent on the amount of income. However, higher income is not necessarily practical to measure because money has different purchasing power and prices are always changing.
Vulnerabilities refers to the level of risk that a household or individual is likely to experience an episode of health or income poverty over a given time. The more vulnerable a person is, the greater their chances of being affected by any number of risks, including violence, natural disasters and quitting school (whether due to no money to pay for tuition or too ill to attend classes). It is likely that the more vulnerable people are, the less cushion they have to recover quickly.
Lastly, giving a voice to the poor and ability to participate in society is vital to lifting them out of a cycle of poverty. Hearing their concerns allows us to pinpoint their needs and help them reach the health and education levels necessary to thrive.
According to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, an important aspect of addressing poverty is to allow people to expand their capabilities to do what they want, simply because doing what one wants holds value in it of itself. So whether a woman or man wants to live farming for the rest of his life or pursue a medical degree, all those have value. All they need is agency, which is the opportunity available for them to pursue their life path.
Efforts that help the poor reach higher health, education and income levels, or protect them from their vulnerabilities or give them a voice are all vital dimensions in ending the cycle of poverty.
– Christina Cho
Sources: Stanford University, World Bank
Photo: Flickr