Only 26% of Sierra Leoneans had access to electricity in 2022; an alarming statistic, but an increase from the 15% recorded a year earlier. As electrification rates continue to increase in the West African nation, could hydroelectric renewable energy be central to Sierra Leone’s development?
The Divide
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty progress in Sierra Leone has stagnated and even reversed in some areas of the nation. Sixty percent of Sierra Leoneans live below the poverty line, and geographic dispersion causes fluctuations between regional poverty rates. This results in a major disparity between the 23% in poverty in urban regions and 74% in poverty in rural regions of the nation.
In 2021, electricity access reflected this regional discrepancy: 17% relied on the grid, with 2-3% relying on mini-grids; rural areas only received close to 10% of what industrialized areas did; and the tropical seasonal shifts in Sierra Leone forced the country to depend on an inconsistent electricity supply. However, amidst these low statistics, the growing prospect of renewable energy in Sierra Leone is promising.
Leveling the Field
Two years later, and with several multi-million dollar grants heading Africa’s way to boost renewable energy on the continent, Sierra Leone is dedicated to increasing electricity access, hoping to reach 92% by 2030. This is an ambitious goal, and the nation is aware that, if this ideal is to become a reality, support from wealthier international countries will be necessary.
In 2023, through consistent support, there is clear growth in renewable energy in Sierra Leone. Whether it is the six hospitals, — in Freetown, Kambia, Masanga, Kabala and Bonthe — that solar will now power, or by the completion of 49 mini-grids, functional as of July, that are delivering reliable sustainable energy to the rural areas of Sierra Leone.
What About the Water?
While investments, that enhanced the rate of access to renewable energy in Sierra Leone, piled up, it was the nation’s hydropower that was at the forefront of its total energy generation.
The importance of hydroelectricity in Sierra Leone is reflective of a larger dependence on marine life in the region. Fish provides 80% of the protein in the Sierra Leonean diet, and, of the many coastal households, 98% are involved with fishing activities.
With marine fisheries contributing to 12% of the nation’s GDP, its close relative, hydropower, has been on the agenda of Sierra Leone since 2021. In that year, from the 244 Gwh produced by renewable energy sources in Sierra Leone, hydropower was responsible for 228. A year later, hydropower constituted 58% of the nation’s overall renewable capacity.
In 2023, the progression of hydroelectric energy production continues and again reflecting the fishery business in which women are at the forefront of selling the catch that men catch, the hydropower industry is operating at the intersection between advancing renewable energy in Sierra Leone and striving for gender equality. The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), has collaborated with Shortlist and Value for Women to create Women for Green Jobs, while Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has introduced an apprenticeship that hopes to inspire young women in energy, by providing tailored training of 12 university graduates.
Hydropower: the Future
Since 2005, Sierra Leone’s firstever power plant, Bumbuna Dam, has produced more than half of the nation’s total electricity. In 2023, a partnership between Bitgreen, Sewa Energy Resources (SERL) and GEAPP, sees a step towards a more sustainable future for renewable energy in Sierra Leone, thanks to the Betmai Hydroelectric Facility.
This 27-megawatt hydropower river project not only aligns the nation with its government’s ambition to transform its energy sector — bringing cost-efficient, renewable electricity to 500,000 Sierra Leoneans — but has brought with it new job opportunities. Estimates have indicated that the facility will generate more than 300,000 jobs in the region while cutting emissions of CO2 by 675,000 tons.
Post-COVID-19, domestic and international intention seems set on developing sustainable energy practices in Africa. The progression of renewable energy in Sierra Leone reflects this. With consistent investment, this progress need not halt. Hydropower will carry Sierra Leone into a future of prosperity and self-reliance.
– Joseph Wray
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Addressing Period Poverty in Chad
In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a statement acknowledging that, until that point, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) did not state menstrual health and that this needed to change. WHO now asserts that governments and communities should work to provide menstruation resources for women and girls and to help destigmatize the shame around menstruation.
Period Poverty in Chad
Sub-Saharan Africa is a particularly low-income area. According to Children International, more than 48% of its population lives in poverty. The World Bank notes that poverty and vulnerability are especially pervasive in Chad. Consequently, rates of period poverty in Chad are extremely high. A 2016 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) study found that one in three girls reported missing school as a result of a lack of menstrual supplies and support.
Cultural and Economic Issues
Women and girls across sub-Saharan Africa suffer from extremely high rates of gender-based discrimination. This includes societal attitudes of menstruation as ‘unclean’, encouraging women to feel shame about their periods.
Global Citizen writes that period poverty negatively impacts a person’s mental health, on top of the negative effects of cultural bias against menstruation. The stigma around menstruation must be tackled to reduce period poverty, as a more open discussion around the subject will encourage women and girls to seek the support they may need.
Global Citizen also found that an average pack of seven sanitary pads in Nigeria cost approximately $2, and 65% of women in Kenya felt that sanitary pads were too expensive. With approximately 75% of Chad’s population living in rural areas, and 87% of this rural population living in poverty according to Oxfam, access to sanitary products and facilities is extremely limited.
A lack of education for girls further encourages a cycle of poverty, which is difficult to escape. Providing the sanitary supplies necessary to keep girls in school is essential for helping break that cycle.
The League of Women Preachers
In order to tackle the issue of period poverty in Chad, the stigma around menstruation must be confronted. The League of Women Preachers is a group of female Muslim teachers working in the Lac region of Chad to educate young girls about menstruation. The group teaches in all-girl classrooms that often contain 50 pupils, some as old as 20.
The group has not only helped achieve cultural change, but also successfully advocated for a 2015 parliamentary vote in favor of a law banning child marriage. This helps discredit the common belief among Chadians that the age at which a girl starts to menstruate signals her sexual maturity and therefore her readiness for marriage—often resulting in girls leaving school, unable to financially support themselves and thus unable to escape from poverty.
UNICEF and the Jesuit Refugee Service
In the Lake Chad area, populated largely by refugees, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supports the Jesuit Refugee Service in the production and distribution of locally produced Menstrual Hygiene Management (MYM) kits. The initiative focuses on educating young girls and encouraging teachers to talk about MYM in schools. Originating in 2019, the Jesuit Refugee Service has distributed at least 6,000 MYM kits to vulnerable women and girls in Chad.
Though the Chadian government has yet to act definitively in the fight against period poverty, these efforts demonstrate the power of small organizations to help tackle the stigma against menstruation and keep girls in school—a crucial task in lifting women and girls out of poverty across the country. These groups are creating cultural and governmental change that benefits women and girls, helping progress toward gender equity in Chad.
– Alice Brayford
Photo: Flickr
Child Poverty in Uzbekistan
Access to Education
Child poverty in Uzbekistan is tied to education. Lately, Uzbekistan has made progress, but statistics showing economic growth and reductions in poverty do not change Uzbekistan’s need for educational reform. The poorest members of Uzbek society are children, and the poorest households are those with the least education. Luckily, Uzbekistan’s government and its international partners recognize this, and plans are being made for the young country’s future.
Since Uzbekistan’s current president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was elected in 2016, international observers have generally agreed that the country has liberalized its economy and curtailed human rights abuses, particularly slave labor. Although progress slowed with COVID-19, steady economic growth has been met with a reciprocal reduction in poverty. It fell to 14% in 2022 from 17% in 2021 and 21% in 2019. Uzbekistan commits over 20% of its budget to social welfare and education. To compare, China spent 11% of its budget on education in 2021, as did the United Kingdom; Brazil spent 12%.
Child poverty in Uzbekistan comes, in part, from its past as a former colony of the Soviet Union. Like other Soviet colonies, low funding and the enforcement of Russian as the primary educational language crippled education in Uzbekistan. Wanting to reverse this legacy is understandable. However, significant spending has historically been followed by corruption, inequality and inefficiency. Money is not enough.
Current Poverty Levels
As of 2023, on average, Uzbeks earn around $350 a month, with many making far less. The minimum wage is currently $82 a month. In 2019, UNICEF reported that 30% of Uzbekistan lived on incomes less than the minimum wage. More relevantly, of households headed by someone without education, 62% made less than half the average wage Most uneducated households earn less than $175 a month or a little under $6 a day. If the average household includes five people, then the household earns $1.20 per person.
The more children an uneducated household has, the poorer it will be. The poorer the household, the more likely its children will have low educational attainment. Poverty, like elsewhere, forms a vicious cycle with education. Unsurprisingly, then, children are statistically the poorest part of Uzbek society. A study made in 2021 found that classes often have 40-45 students while being designed for 25. The strain of overcrowding on teaching staff has created a system of after-school courses intended to help students ‘catch up.’ The government does not fund these, costing around $3 per lesson. If some families live on $6 a day and others $12, $14, $100, it is evident enough which families can afford these lessons and which cannot.
This is a small part of a wider problem. Ending child poverty in Uzbekistan is tied to reforming its education. Education and childcare represent a burden families cannot afford, and this poverty, in turn, leads to poorer educational outcomes: a vicious cycle.
Government Strategy
The government of Uzbekistan recognizes this connection. President Mirziyoyev introduced the ‘Development Strategy of the New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026’ in 2022, which aims to cut the country’s poverty in half. Education and social protection for families are recognized as critical hurdles to this. As such, the strategy allocated $100 million to create free training and business courses nationwide. It also introduced an online system to allow low-income families to receive their social benefits automatically.
Access to pre-school is to be raised from 67% to 80%; access to higher education is to be raised to 50%.
The strategy works with international partners. USAID in October announced a $40 million investment in Uzbek education, particularly toward the goal of making 51% of schools inclusive to disabled students. It’s too early to say how successful this strategy will be. Either way, the problem is recognized.
– Frederick Lake
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Efforts Aiding Asylum Seekers in Mexico
The Situation
Natural disasters have also been impacting people in Honduras. Subject to heavy rainfall and drought, food availability has been limited. A 2022 report projected that 2.6 million people could be facing food insecurity and the destruction of their homes and communities.
In the pursuit of a better life, there are now estimated to be around 597,000 refugees and asylum seekers from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Neighboring communities and other Latin countries are receiving huge influxes of asylum seekers. This issue has resulted in Mexico becoming one of the largest recipients of uprooted individuals, third only to the United States and Germany.
As of December 2022, the number of asylum seekers has rapidly increased. Mexico has received 118,800 new asylum claims, which has resulted in the stretching of health provision and social services, exacerbated already by the pandemic. Along the Mexican border, in places such as Tapachula, access to the right to work is limited. Not only do individuals undertake long, sometimes perilous, journeys to reach the country but face poverty and low living standards upon their arrival.
Challenges for Asylum Seekers in Mexico
The rapid mobility of refugees to Mexico is met with high processing wait times and limited access to employment and education. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, Mexico’s asylum agency (COMAR) accepted 11% of asylum applications, and rejected 2.7%, leaving 70.6% of applicants unconsidered.
Regions such as Tapachula are becoming overcrowded, resulting in the exacerbation of social issues from which asylum seekers were trying to flee, such as discrimination, lack of housing, instability and the fear of being detained.
American governments are becoming more aware of this issue. The Mexican government implemented The Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework (MIRPS) to organize effective solutions to the refugee crisis. The organizations have made commitments to provide protection, jobs and livelihoods, social protection, health and education to displaced people.
The Sectoral Education Programme and the National Development Plan
Aligning with strategies such as the Sectoral Education Programme 2019-2024 and the National Development Plan 2018-2024, which is promoting “inclusive and resilient educational communities.” Imposing stricter repercussions for students who miss school, training teachers to provide psychological support and intervening in sanitary standards of schools, initiatives are increasing and ensuring attendance at schools. A legislative turning point, governmental focus to improve community stability is a vital step in bettering the lives of asylum seekers in Mexico.
The UN Refugee Agency
This adopted policy of shared responsibility is mobilizing groups to provide stability to people’s lives. For example, the U.N. Refugee Agency works alongside 70 governments and associates to distribute shelter and protection services, food, hygiene kits and cash-based assistance. All of these enable asylum seekers to begin to rebuild their lives.
The UN Refugee Agency carries out work to provide information to asylum seekers across Southern and Central America to help locate a safe environment for their families. For example, Nohemi Enamorado and her young daughter are now in a gang-free location in Aguascalientes as the agency identified a growing demand for workers within the textile industry. Now living without the threat of violence and sudden migration, Nohemi and her daughter can establish their lives without fear.
Organizations are spreading awareness of the current refugee crisis in Central America. Families and individuals should be at the center of policies moving forward to alleviate the suffering and poverty that asylum seekers in Mexico face in the pursuit of security.
– Sophie Butts
Photo: Flickr
4 Organizations Fighting the Malnourishment in Nigeria
Factors Causing Malnourishment in Nigeria
The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics reports that 78% of Nigerians live below the poverty line, which prevents families from getting meals and nutrients necessary for a healthy life. As of 2023, Nigeria ranks 28.3 out of 50 on the Global Hunger Index, with 15.9% of the population being malnourished.
Food insecurity increased, along with inflation, following Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove oil subsidies in May 2023. The oil subsidy, which Tinubu maintains was draining government funds, kept gas prices capped and helped Nigerians financially maintain their businesses and households. The sudden increase in gas prices and cost of living led to a labor strike throughout the country.
Along with the rise in gas prices, food costs rose 2.6% between July 2023 and August 2023, breaking an 18-year record. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that 2 million children are suffering from malnourishment and predicts these numbers will increase drastically before the end of 2023. Listed below are four organizations fighting to end malnourishment in Nigeria.
1. The World Food Programme USA (WFP)
WFP began in 1961 under U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower after an earthquake in Iran left 12,000 people dead. Throughout the decades, WFP has been a crucial help during hundreds of different global crises, providing food aid after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2015 Nepal earthquake. It continues to help West Africans with the Ebola outbreak.
WFP currently works with UNICEF to provide monthly food and money to 1.2 million Nigerians. It focuses on less populated areas of Nigeria, where many citizens are displaced and vulnerable.
2. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
MSF is a nonprofit, independent medical humanitarian organization that focuses on the health concerns of populations experiencing epidemics, diseases and food insecurity. With funding from 13 writers and medical professionals in 1971, it has been bringing aid to Nigeria since 1996. In 2022, MSF admitted 222,300 children into its inpatient and outpatient programs.
3. The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA)
ALIMA works with local partners to further its primary mission—saving the lives of the most vulnerable. It was founded in 2009 by medical professionals who felt more effort was needed in Nigeria to help combat the malnourishment crisis.
Since its creation, ALIMA has helped 10 million patients. In 2016, ALIMA implemented its food program in Nigeria, hoping to intervene in the malnourishment epidemic. As of 2022, ALIMA reports “43,239 children with severe acute malnutrition treated and 143,453 consultations carried out for children under 5 years old.”
4. Action Against Hunger
French doctors and journalists founded Action Against Hunger 40 years ago to combat starvation in the Middle East. Its main objective is to provide adequate support for countries that food insecurity has crushed. The organization finds new ways to fight malnourishment using science and technology.
Action Against Hunger’s efforts in Nigeria, where it provides monthly food aid to 200,000 people, is one way it is implementing change in the region. The organization also created the “Porridge Moms” program, which teaches women in Nigeria how to prevent malnutrition.
Looking Ahead
These organizations are fighting to end malnourishment in Nigeria, and have made outstanding efforts in finding practical solutions to combat food insecurity. With donations from around the world, these groups can help build the West African country back up so its people can thrive locally and globally.
– Jessica Jean-Baptiste
Photo: Flickr
3 Strategies In Place To Address Poverty in Nepal
More than 12% of poverty in Nepal is in its urban population, remains in poverty, whereas 28% of Nepal’s rural population lies below the poverty line. According to the United Nations (U.N.), Nepal is set to transition from its current position as among the world’s least developed nations by 2026. The country benefits from certain schemes operating to mitigate the impacts of nationwide poverty, such schemes that possibly contribute to this growth in Nepal’s economic development.
Agriculture
The Nepal Economic Forum reports that the majority of Nepalese farmers continue to rely upon conventional farming methods, including the use of livestock to clear the land and livestock waste as manure for the crops. Consequently, 25% of farmland in Nepal remains uncultivated. In September 2023, the World Bank sanctioned a $20 million grant to assist the Nepalese government’s Food and Nutrition Security Enhancement Project (FANSEP).
FANSEP serves to promote climate durability and agricultural fertility across regions of Nepal. This includes those within vulnerable locations at risk from natural disasters such as Earthquakes. It also includes those struggling with food insecurity. Food insecurity continues to afflict 3.86 million people in Nepal according to surveys from 2022. FANSEP provides more efficient plant and animal genetic resources and actively assists farmers with developing their ability to master and implement improved farming practices.
The intention behind this investment is to support more than 55,000 small-holder farmers in 16 rural municipalities. Around 80% of Nepal’s households currently rely upon the agricultural sector as their main source of income. By combining enhanced productivity and nutritional practices with climate-friendly technologies, the project intends to increase income generation and the overall livelihood of workers within Nepal’s agricultural sector. Furthermore, this investment also intends to ‘‘help build the resilience of marginalized communities in food insecure and disaster-affected areas of Nepal,” according to Karishma Wasti, World Bank’s Project Task Team Leader.
Road Expansion
Sources estimate that around 80% of Nepal’s population remains working within agriculture due to substandard road infrastructure, increasing the danger of road transportation and the prices of necessities along with it. The Rural Access Programme (RAP), a U.K. government-funded aid program, operates to improve road accessibility for over 800,000 people in rural Western Nepal. It intends to reduce poverty in Nepal by 20,000. Over six years, this scheme has led to the development of 100 kilometers worth of roads across Nepal and the maintenance of roughly 2,000 kilometers of roads connecting rural communities to markets, health care and education facilities. It also employs more than 9,000 people.
By increasing the ease of accessibility between the rural and urban areas of Nepal, the RAP hopes to increase employment opportunities and mitigate the danger of transportation for the most vulnerable portion of Nepal’s population.
Knowledge Hub
Aasaman Nepal (ASN) was established in Janakpur, Nepal in 1999 and has been devoted to promoting and preserving children’s rights in Nepal within 17 districts. In 2022, the Knowledge Hub for Uplifting Socio-economically Marginalized Children and Families through Actions in Education and Economic Empowerment (KHUSEE) in the Bara District arose through charity. The basis of this project is to provide standard education and, by extension, access to career opportunities. This project is scheduled to last for a period of three years from 2022-2025.
Thus far, the progress made by this project includes identifying impoverished, alienated households within the Bara District for income-generating opportunities. The project places such households into groups and provides them with support concerning vegetable farming, including production input and irrigation support. These accomplishments took place within the previous year.
The project receives funding from partners such as Save The Children International. It also maintains and works towards outcomes including improved education, consistent learning opportunities for children from neglected families and improved governance. The KHUSEE program aims to elevate the lives of all children from poorer families across the municipalities of Karaiya Mai, Devtal and Mahagadhimai, all within the Bara district of Nepal.
Overview
By targeting different elements of Nepal’s infrastructure, these strategies seek to incorporate both technological innovations and increased investment towards poorer communities for the sake of creating a better, long-lasting future for those struggling with poverty.
– Thomas Perry
Photo: Flickr
Hydroelectric Renewable Energy in Sierra Leone
The Divide
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty progress in Sierra Leone has stagnated and even reversed in some areas of the nation. Sixty percent of Sierra Leoneans live below the poverty line, and geographic dispersion causes fluctuations between regional poverty rates. This results in a major disparity between the 23% in poverty in urban regions and 74% in poverty in rural regions of the nation.
In 2021, electricity access reflected this regional discrepancy: 17% relied on the grid, with 2-3% relying on mini-grids; rural areas only received close to 10% of what industrialized areas did; and the tropical seasonal shifts in Sierra Leone forced the country to depend on an inconsistent electricity supply. However, amidst these low statistics, the growing prospect of renewable energy in Sierra Leone is promising.
Leveling the Field
Two years later, and with several multi-million dollar grants heading Africa’s way to boost renewable energy on the continent, Sierra Leone is dedicated to increasing electricity access, hoping to reach 92% by 2030. This is an ambitious goal, and the nation is aware that, if this ideal is to become a reality, support from wealthier international countries will be necessary.
In 2023, through consistent support, there is clear growth in renewable energy in Sierra Leone. Whether it is the six hospitals, — in Freetown, Kambia, Masanga, Kabala and Bonthe — that solar will now power, or by the completion of 49 mini-grids, functional as of July, that are delivering reliable sustainable energy to the rural areas of Sierra Leone.
What About the Water?
While investments, that enhanced the rate of access to renewable energy in Sierra Leone, piled up, it was the nation’s hydropower that was at the forefront of its total energy generation.
The importance of hydroelectricity in Sierra Leone is reflective of a larger dependence on marine life in the region. Fish provides 80% of the protein in the Sierra Leonean diet, and, of the many coastal households, 98% are involved with fishing activities.
With marine fisheries contributing to 12% of the nation’s GDP, its close relative, hydropower, has been on the agenda of Sierra Leone since 2021. In that year, from the 244 Gwh produced by renewable energy sources in Sierra Leone, hydropower was responsible for 228. A year later, hydropower constituted 58% of the nation’s overall renewable capacity.
In 2023, the progression of hydroelectric energy production continues and again reflecting the fishery business in which women are at the forefront of selling the catch that men catch, the hydropower industry is operating at the intersection between advancing renewable energy in Sierra Leone and striving for gender equality. The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), has collaborated with Shortlist and Value for Women to create Women for Green Jobs, while Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has introduced an apprenticeship that hopes to inspire young women in energy, by providing tailored training of 12 university graduates.
Hydropower: the Future
Since 2005, Sierra Leone’s firstever power plant, Bumbuna Dam, has produced more than half of the nation’s total electricity. In 2023, a partnership between Bitgreen, Sewa Energy Resources (SERL) and GEAPP, sees a step towards a more sustainable future for renewable energy in Sierra Leone, thanks to the Betmai Hydroelectric Facility.
This 27-megawatt hydropower river project not only aligns the nation with its government’s ambition to transform its energy sector — bringing cost-efficient, renewable electricity to 500,000 Sierra Leoneans — but has brought with it new job opportunities. Estimates have indicated that the facility will generate more than 300,000 jobs in the region while cutting emissions of CO2 by 675,000 tons.
Post-COVID-19, domestic and international intention seems set on developing sustainable energy practices in Africa. The progression of renewable energy in Sierra Leone reflects this. With consistent investment, this progress need not halt. Hydropower will carry Sierra Leone into a future of prosperity and self-reliance.
– Joseph Wray
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
How Remittances to Moldova are Helping the Rural Poor
What are Remittances?
Remittances are crucial to supporting the well-being of migrants’ families, communities and loved ones back home. They are typically transfers from an emigrant to their relatives or friends in their home country. By improving and enabling access to education, health and housing remittances have lifted millions of migrant families out of poverty across the world. According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in 2022, remittance made up more than three times the annual flow of official development assistance.
Remittances to Moldova
Moldova is Europe’s most remittance-dependent country, and in 2022 remittances accounted for 14.3% of the GDP. Despite a population of only 2.6 million, 1 million people relied on remittance to Moldova in 2021; for some, it was half of their total income. In the last decade, these transfers were intrinsic to Moldova’s steady economic performance, which originated on remittance-induced consumption.
However, recent economic developments, such as a surge in energy prices, inflation, the war in Ukraine and an influx of refugees, caused a steep decline in remittances as well as a decline in poverty reduction.
This change most affects rural communities and farmers in the status of remittances. Poverty is predominantly rural and agricultural, with 80% of Moldova’s poor living in rural households and depending on agriculture as the main source of income. Chris Perkins, part of the British Embassy in Chisinau, said that 30% of those living in rural areas “would fall below the poverty line if they did not receive them [remittances].”
In 2015, remittance to Moldova made up 19.75% of the GDP; it has dropped more than 5% since then. This decrease threatens to increase poverty in villages, areas with an already low level of population welfare. Crucially, access to remittance transfers for rural people is also very limited as most of the formal access points are concentrated in the big cities. Those who live and work in the countryside, particularly agriculturalists, cannot afford the time it takes to reach these points.
IFAD’s Efforts
Improving access to loans and remittances for rural communities is vital to staving off a rise in poverty in these places. That is why IFAD has offered a solution by strengthening the country’s Saving and Credit Associations (SCAs). Now that these localized financial institutions have the tools to manage remittance transfers, trips to big cities are no longer required. These SCAs can also now use remittances as collateral so that farmers have the necessary guarantee to obtain a loan. Businesses and livelihoods can therefore be buoyed by new financial pathways.
The project began on June 16, 2020, in response to COVID-19 with a successful transfer to schoolteacher Vangheli Ludmila in a rural northern town of Ștefănești. She received money from her son Mihai, a truck driver in the United States.
In a country that is vulnerable to shocks from the climate, drought and war in Eastern Europe, these SCAs empower the poorest to be resilient to such shocks. The World Bank does hope that a new economic model will replace the existing one in Moldova that is less reliant on remittance-financed consumption. However, it is still possible to maximize the impact of remittances on development in Moldova and SCAs are one example of this.
This project is possible to scale up and hopes to include additional rural areas of Moldova, bringing more prosperity and security to the most vulnerable in one of Europe’s poorest countries.
– Sam Waterkeyn
Photo: Flickr
Reggaeton’s Global Impact Empowering Latin America
Economic Impact
The surge of reggaeton, Latin rap, Latin trap, or música urbana, has elevated Latin music to unparalleled financial heights. Latin music revenue in the U.S. soared to $1.1 billion in 2022, with a remarkable 24% annual increase, outpacing other markets. Major labels and artists are bridging language barriers to engage global audiences, reflecting the genre’s booming popularity. Streaming revenues, accounting for 97% of Latin music earnings, showcase the genre’s dominance, fueled significantly by Bad Bunny’s chart-topping albums. The importance of this revenue lies outside of the United States, where artists and fans in Latin America are fueling economic growth.
Reggaeton has generated a higher demand for popular live experiences in Latin America. Festivals like Estereo Picnic in Bogota and Lollapalooza in Argentina and Chile have seen surging attendance due to these popular artists and the genre’s appeal, turning Latin American countries into exporters of musical talent and generating substantial revenue within these economies.
Social Impact
Beyond economic effectiveness, reggaeton has emerged as a powerful social platform, shedding light on pressing issues. Bad Bunny’s music video for “El Apagón” didn’t merely entertain but served as a voice for Puerto Ricans amid crises like Hurricane Fiona. The video highlighted long-standing injustices, resonating deeply with audiences. Many even became aware of these issues in Puerto Rico thanks to Bad Bunny’s platform.
Notably, artists like Bad Bunny have used their influence to address socio-political matters. When Bad Bunny confronted hate speech from political figures, his stance echoed across continents, demonstrating reggaeton’s global impact. The capacity for stars to leverage their platforms to address millions regarding injustices across governments, within developing nations, or in their home countries, elevates these issues onto a global stage, holding immense significance in raising awareness, mobilizing action and potentially mitigating the effects.
Global Revolution
Reggaeton’s rise signals a shift in global music dynamics. Artists like J Balvin have paved the way for Spanish-singing artists to resonate internationally without compromising their cultural identity. Balvin’s unprecedented success on streaming platforms showcases the growing acceptance and integration of Latin American music into mainstream culture, without having to adapt to English-speaking audiences.
This global recognition isn’t limited to music alone. Influential figures such as Colombian reggaeton artist J Balvin or Spain’s innovative flamenco fusion singer Rosalía serve as prime examples. Their impact goes beyond music; they’re influencing young people daily on social media, boasting millions of followers. For instance, the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine dedicated to Bad Bunny and J Balvin in June highlighted not just their musical prowess, but also their influence as cultural icons.
This global recognition isn’t limited to music alone. Investment in Latin American creators across various media, including television, has soared. “Money Heist,” a Spanish series, has become Netflix’s most-watched non-English show, captivating audiences across Argentina, Brazil,and Chile, signifying the expanding influence of Latin American narratives beyond music.
Again, supporting Latin American creators, and Spanish media, is stimulating investment in these markets, increasing the economy and exports.
Future Facing
Reggaeton’s global impact, beyond its contagious beats, represents a shift in global culture and commerce. From empowering Latin American economies to amplifying voices on social issues, the genre and its artists serve as catalysts for change. The journey from bagging groceries to topping global charts isn’t just Bad Bunny’s story; it’s a testament to the genre’s transformative power, paving the way for a more inclusive global cultural landscape.
In essence, the global embrace of reggaeton’s global impact isn’t just a musical phenomenon; it’s a revolution, shaping economies, fostering unity and amplifying voices for change in Latin America and beyond. This outlook emphasizes reggaeton’s global impact on cultural shifts and societal change.
– Kailey Schwinghammer
Photo: Flickr
How Health Care in Lesotho Has Been Revolutionized
Life in Lesotho
Lesotho is a small mountainous kingdom that its neighbor South Africa has entirely encapsulated. With an approximate population of a little more than 2 million people, it is one of the least populated African countries. While the country has many significant challenges including a high unemployment rate and a heavy disease burden, it is a lower-middle-income country. In 2006, Lesotho suffered from a severe HIV epidemic, and while it was able to overcome the epidemic at the time, the country continues to have the second-highest HIV prevalence with 25% of adults carrying the disease.
Alongside HIV, Lesotho has an equally high prevalence of tuberculosis. In addition to the burden of these diseases straining a health care system, the mountainous terrain of Lesotho means that for rural inhabitants, accessing health care is a challenge.
The 2014 National Health Reform
Following their successful partnership during the 2006 HIV epidemic, the Kingdom of Lesotho and Partners in Health launched a National Health Reform in 2014 to revolutionize health care in Lesotho. The overall aim of this reform was to provide universal health care services to every Lesotho citizen. The three initial goals which the reform was based upon included improving the supply of equipment and resources to public primary care clinics, decentralizing the management of the country’s health care system and instead dispersing the power to the district level and increasing the number of paid local health care workers. While there was an interest in improving every aspect of health care, there was a particular emphasis on maternal and child health.
The Achievements of the 2014 National Health Reform Achieve
Within the first few years after its introduction, the National Health Reform was able to achieve:
Other Initiatives
Overall, by the end of 2017, it was observed that access to essential health care was achievable for at least 90% of the country’s population.
While this singular reform has made impressive progress, Lesotho has invested in initiatives in the years since 2014, to allow for continuing progress for health care in Lesotho. One such initiative is the launch of an innovative health tracking system in conjunction with UNAIDS, to better identify the progress and downfalls of the country’s HIV and TB treatment program.
In a relatively short period of time Lesotho, with the assistance of Partner in Health, has been able to radically transform health care in Lesotho. With a focus on maternal and child health, the country has been able to ensure that health care is available to the majority of its citizens from the moment they are born. Furthermore, Lesotho has displayed to the world the simple but vital steps that are needed to create a universal health care system for its citizens.
– Holly Coop
Photo: Flickr
5 Charities Operating in Ecuador
1. The Awaken Foundation
The Awaken Foundation, founded in 2016, is the first of the five charities operating in Ecuador. It strives to create a culture of hope and awareness in Ecuadorian communities. The organization has a broad range of initiatives supporting the development of communities through education, mental and physical health and more. Its Mushuk Pakari Program works to support children from low-income and conflictive families and keep them out of child labor. About 7% of children in Ecuador are subject to child labor, and the number of children subjected to the worst forms of child labor, such as sexual trafficking and dangerous mining, is alarming.
The Mushuk Pakari Program aims to provide children with two warm meals a day and moments of recreation and fun, where they have a chance to be kids. This program has been very successful in its endeavors. Of the 35 children registered in the program, 98% have reentered the educational system of Ecuador, and 100% are out of illegal child labor. The foundation hopes this program will grow to support many more children.
2. The COAGRO Foundation
Founded in 1998, the COAGRO Foundation is an organization dedicated to supporting the Andean communities of Northern Ecuador. In particular, they focus on women’s empowerment, recognizing their vital role in agriculture. Astonishingly, 61% of rural women in these communities work in the agricultural field; however, a staggering 86% of them do not receive pay. By working directly with the indigenous communities of the North, COAGRO can address these women’s unique needs and provide support.
The foundation collaborates with four different women’s associations, including ‘Sumak Sisa,’ a group of 23 women. COAGRO is actively enhancing the quality of their pastures, recognizing that growing new pastures and plants adapted to their cows will significantly improve milk production. This support not only empowers women but also enhances the financial prospects of the entire agricultural community.
3. Casa Búho
Casa Búho is a project that fosters reading initiatives and book-centered activities for children. Established in the fishing town of Machalilla in Manabí, Ecuador, its focus is on encouraging early literacy. It believes that children who have exposure to reading at an early age are more likely to develop into critical thinkers in adulthood. Casa Búho aims to ensure as many children as possible have access to books, empowering them through the transformative influence of literature.
Mi Tarde de Lectura (My Reading Afternoon) is the first program launched by Casa Búho. Collaborating with a cluster of schools in Machalilla, this initiative is tailored for elementary school children aged 6 to 12. The program has sessions that run after school and center around reading aloud to children.
4. Bee Farm Ecuador
Bee Farm Ecuador is an organization dedicated to conserving and protecting local bee populations. The bee farm is based in the Andes at the foot of El Corazon mountain. The farm is a place where families can gather and learn about the importance of beekeeping. Not only does the Bee Farm provide an eco-friendly area in which the bee population can thrive, but it also allows local communities to harvest honey without damaging hives. The farm also has educational projects for the well-being of indigenous women, which run all year round.
5. Ecuador Dice No Más
Ecuador Dice No Más (Ecuador Says No More) is an organization that is working in collaboration with UNICEF to combat sexual abuse against children. The campaign by the two organizations aims to encourage people to break their silence and unite communities to protect their children. They identified that the main problem when countering child abuse was that few speak out about their abuse. Of all the cases of sexual abuse, only 15% of them were declared.
The campaign has mobilized many Ecuadorian celebrities to speak about the cause and raise awareness. These include the singers Mirella Cesa and Karla Kanora. By mobilizing people in these ways, Ecuador Dice No Más hopes to significantly reduce the number of cases of sexual abuse against children.
Looking Ahead
These five charities operating in Ecuador are sparking meaningful change. From empowering women in Andean communities to promoting early literacy and combating child sexual abuse, these initiatives reflect diverse approaches to addressing crucial issues. As these charities carve paths for positive transformation, they underscore the collective effort needed for a better, more equal Ecuador.
– Haniya Rahman
Photo: Flickr