In a world increasingly reliant on science and technology, lack of access is a significant concern for those living in poverty. To help develop those regions suffering from lack of development, there needs to be a greater push for education in these fields, as well as greater access to technology itself.
This is where the UN Technology Bank comes in, a global organization that is “dedicated to enhancing the contribution of science, technology and innovation for sustainable development in the world’s least developed countries.” In essence, this branch of the UN works to eradicate global poverty and inequality through technological development.
Between 1820 and 2002, the level of global inequality rose to 85%, mainly due to technological growth in certain countries. Despite the necessity of modern technology for modern economies to thrive, many developing countries need to catch up in its adoption, with a 2016 Pew survey finding only 54% of the population in 29 emerging countries could access the internet while only 37% owned a smartphone. However, now is the perfect time for developing countries to not only catch up on technological development but also get ahead on emerging sectors such as green technology, a potentially $9.5 trillion industry. Thankfully, the UN Technology Bank is here to help them achieve their goals.
The First Few Years
Headquartered in Gebze, Turkey, the organization was officially launched in 2018. However, its roots go back several years earlier. In 2011, the UN adopted the Istanbul Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries, which explicitly called for an organization to facilitate technological development in impoverished nations.
The UN laid the foundations for the organization after its leaders recognized that science and technology play a paramount role in lifting least developed countries out of poverty. In doing research for the Istanbul Programme, it found that LDCs needed “forward-looking science, technology and innovation policy frameworks to upgrade and align the skills base with market requirements,” which are vital in spurring economic development in these nations where around 30% of working people on average live below the poverty line.
The Tech Bank also aims to further the UN Sustainable Development Agenda for 2030. This set of 17 goals, adopted in 2015, serves as a blueprint for global development. Among its major aims is eliminating poverty and hunger.
During its first three years, the Tech Bank focused on building partnerships at the national and international level. In addition, it also examined the current state of science and technology in least-developed countries to determine how to establish innovation networks and begin technology transfer.
In a 2018 interview, Technology Bank Council Member Bitrina Diyamett explained why the UN is trying to help LDCs. “The bank starts from the premise that these countries are poor – to a large extent – because they lack capabilities in science, technology and innovation. Therefore, based on the UN principle of “leaving no one behind” in sustainable development, there is no other alternative to achieving the Agenda but by building such capabilities.”
The Work
Since its founding, the Technology Bank has worked on several projects and activities in least-developed countries around the globe.
With this work, it hopes to help these countries achieve several important sustainable development goals. Chief among these goals is economic self-reliance. As least-developed nations acquire new technology and the skills necessary to support it, they will then have the ability to grow their market considerably and lift people out of poverty. Other important goals include sustainable access to health technologies, sustainable industrialization, education and academic cooperation.
Once the Technology Bank decides which country to work with, it takes a four-step approach to help them achieve their goals. The first and arguably most crucial step is beginning the Technology Needs Assessment. Here, Tech Bank researchers identify essential technological development needs, understand the key challenges to that development and create an action plan to achieve greater technical capacity.
At the same time, it begins working on technology transfers. As the name implies, workers and researchers try to facilitate the transfer of essential technology to the countries in which they operate. An example of this may be the building of eco-friendly and affordable shelters or the creation of technology labs to educate young people with the skills necessary to build, operate and maintain using modern science and technology.
Finally, the Tech Bank works on the country’s policy and capacity development and forming strategic partnerships and advocacy. In this final step, the focus is on creating and advocating for national policies that support the capacity for science and technology while forming strategic partnerships with other nations and organizations.
Current Results and Future Outlook
The UN Tech Bank has assisted development in 11 different countries with ongoing projects in four more, including Bangladesh and Benin. Its ultimate goal is to utilize science and technology to help develop the 46 least developed nations.
In March 2022, Tech Bank leader Taffere Tesfachew called on all countries to help those living in the least developed ones. While thanking Turkey for its continued support for the Tech Bank, he stated he was “Hoping other countries would join, like China, also advanced countries like Germany.” And though only the future can tell how successful the Tech Bank will be, thus far, its efforts have proved fruitful, and if other countries answer the call, it is sure to achieve its mission of lifting the most vulnerable out of poverty.
– Jonathon Crecelius
Photo: Flickr
Diseases Impacting the Philippines
The Philippine’s Health Care System
The Philippines employs a health care system that blends both public and private services. The national health insurance program, known as the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), strives to ensure equitable access to quality health care for all citizens. Despite progress toward health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the emergence of chronic diseases poses a new challenge, particularly in impoverished communities.
The health care system has great hospitals and capable medical providers who are unable to account for the large marginalized populations suffering from diseases impacting the Philippines. Made up of more than 7,500 islands and 20,000 miles of coastline, the Philippines has many remote communities whose medical infrastructure and resources are not adequate. This leads to an uneven distribution of health care resources between urban and rural areas, limited financing and a shortage of health care professionals.
Prominent Statistics
Vaccine-preventable diseases are increasing in the Philippines, “potentially reversing the positive results of decades of successful immunization campaigns.” Since 2019, the country has reported outbreaks of polio, measles, respiratory infections and waterborne diseases. In August 2019, the Department of Health declared a national epidemic due to a dengue outbreak. In November 2019, the Philippines faced significant health challenges. Dengue cases surpassed 370,000, resulting in 1,407 deaths. Additionally, 197 cases of diphtheria led to 47 deaths in October. Measles affected over 42,200 people, causing 560 deaths due to complications. The country, polio-free for 19 years, reported four cases caused by vaccine-derived poliovirus. These outbreaks persist due to low population immunity. It highlights the importance of vaccination to safeguard public health and prevent the re-emergence of previously controlled diseases.
Efforts by NGOs and the Government of Philippines
Thankfully, the World Health Organization’s Immunization Agenda of 2030 aims to make vaccinations available globally by 2030. On June 2, 2021, the Department of Health declared the polio outbreak non-urgent after years of “comprehensive outbreak response actions, including intensified immunization and surveillance activities” in remote areas. The Yale Institute for Global Health, UNICEF and Meta developed five graphic campaigns, four in Filipino and one in English, targeting people aged 18-55 years in the Philippines in order to increase awareness of routine vaccination and routine immunization for children.
Non-communicable diseases impacting the Philippines (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and Ischemic heart disease are also on the rise, “often linked to lifestyle factors such as diet and lack of physical activity.” Furthermore, there has been a recent spike in diseases such as dengue, diphtheria and malaria.
The Government of the Philippines is reducing NCD rates by implementing a multisectoral Strategic Action Plan for NCD prevention and control (2017-2025), a Plan of Action for Nutrition (2017-2022), various tobacco control policies, tobacco and alcohol taxation, parameters for labeling pre-packaged food and the universal health care (UHC) law. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for a one-third reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2030; investing in NCD solutions will reduce approximately 350,000 premature deaths over the next 15 years.
Other Ongoing Efforts
Looking Ahead
Exploring the health challenges in the Philippines could enhance awareness and support the ongoing conversation about public health in the nation. Although the government has made notable progress in tackling public health issues, ongoing trends draw attention to a continuous requirement for collaborative actions from broader stakeholders. This could involve cultivating a global commitment to public health and fostering a united effort to address health concerns.
– Samantha J. Rentfro
Photo: Flickr
Reducing Poverty Through Technological Development
This is where the UN Technology Bank comes in, a global organization that is “dedicated to enhancing the contribution of science, technology and innovation for sustainable development in the world’s least developed countries.” In essence, this branch of the UN works to eradicate global poverty and inequality through technological development.
Between 1820 and 2002, the level of global inequality rose to 85%, mainly due to technological growth in certain countries. Despite the necessity of modern technology for modern economies to thrive, many developing countries need to catch up in its adoption, with a 2016 Pew survey finding only 54% of the population in 29 emerging countries could access the internet while only 37% owned a smartphone. However, now is the perfect time for developing countries to not only catch up on technological development but also get ahead on emerging sectors such as green technology, a potentially $9.5 trillion industry. Thankfully, the UN Technology Bank is here to help them achieve their goals.
The First Few Years
Headquartered in Gebze, Turkey, the organization was officially launched in 2018. However, its roots go back several years earlier. In 2011, the UN adopted the Istanbul Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries, which explicitly called for an organization to facilitate technological development in impoverished nations.
The UN laid the foundations for the organization after its leaders recognized that science and technology play a paramount role in lifting least developed countries out of poverty. In doing research for the Istanbul Programme, it found that LDCs needed “forward-looking science, technology and innovation policy frameworks to upgrade and align the skills base with market requirements,” which are vital in spurring economic development in these nations where around 30% of working people on average live below the poverty line.
The Tech Bank also aims to further the UN Sustainable Development Agenda for 2030. This set of 17 goals, adopted in 2015, serves as a blueprint for global development. Among its major aims is eliminating poverty and hunger.
During its first three years, the Tech Bank focused on building partnerships at the national and international level. In addition, it also examined the current state of science and technology in least-developed countries to determine how to establish innovation networks and begin technology transfer.
In a 2018 interview, Technology Bank Council Member Bitrina Diyamett explained why the UN is trying to help LDCs. “The bank starts from the premise that these countries are poor – to a large extent – because they lack capabilities in science, technology and innovation. Therefore, based on the UN principle of “leaving no one behind” in sustainable development, there is no other alternative to achieving the Agenda but by building such capabilities.”
The Work
Since its founding, the Technology Bank has worked on several projects and activities in least-developed countries around the globe.
With this work, it hopes to help these countries achieve several important sustainable development goals. Chief among these goals is economic self-reliance. As least-developed nations acquire new technology and the skills necessary to support it, they will then have the ability to grow their market considerably and lift people out of poverty. Other important goals include sustainable access to health technologies, sustainable industrialization, education and academic cooperation.
Once the Technology Bank decides which country to work with, it takes a four-step approach to help them achieve their goals. The first and arguably most crucial step is beginning the Technology Needs Assessment. Here, Tech Bank researchers identify essential technological development needs, understand the key challenges to that development and create an action plan to achieve greater technical capacity.
At the same time, it begins working on technology transfers. As the name implies, workers and researchers try to facilitate the transfer of essential technology to the countries in which they operate. An example of this may be the building of eco-friendly and affordable shelters or the creation of technology labs to educate young people with the skills necessary to build, operate and maintain using modern science and technology.
Finally, the Tech Bank works on the country’s policy and capacity development and forming strategic partnerships and advocacy. In this final step, the focus is on creating and advocating for national policies that support the capacity for science and technology while forming strategic partnerships with other nations and organizations.
Current Results and Future Outlook
The UN Tech Bank has assisted development in 11 different countries with ongoing projects in four more, including Bangladesh and Benin. Its ultimate goal is to utilize science and technology to help develop the 46 least developed nations.
In March 2022, Tech Bank leader Taffere Tesfachew called on all countries to help those living in the least developed ones. While thanking Turkey for its continued support for the Tech Bank, he stated he was “Hoping other countries would join, like China, also advanced countries like Germany.” And though only the future can tell how successful the Tech Bank will be, thus far, its efforts have proved fruitful, and if other countries answer the call, it is sure to achieve its mission of lifting the most vulnerable out of poverty.
– Jonathon Crecelius
Photo: Flickr
The Women’s Reservation Bill: A Step Toward Gender Equality in India
Everyday Life in India
As of June 2023, India held the title of the world’s most populous country, boasting approximately 1.4 billion people. Following its independence from the British Empire in 1947, India has emerged as one of the globe’s fastest-growing economies. This economic surge has facilitated significant strides in reducing poverty over recent decades. Notably, from 2011 to 2019, the number of citizens grappling with extreme poverty was cut in half. While the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges, India remains on the trajectory of progress.
Similar to poverty, progress toward gender equality in India is visible with the country climbing eight places in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report of 2023. However, overall, in terms of gender equality, India ranks 127th out of 146 countries.
Gender Equality in India
Gender inequality is a widespread issue, not confined to India but prevalent in communities worldwide. It’s a global problem that shares ties with poverty. The United Nations (U.N.) recognized this, making gender equality one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. These goals aim to “end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.” The challenge of gender inequality is a shared concern that demands collective efforts for a more equitable and sustainable future.
Achieving gender equality in India is a significant challenge that starts affecting individuals from birth. Unfortunately, India stands out as the only country where girls face a lower chance of survival at birth and encounter developmental disparities in childhood. To sustain its progress, it appears India needs to empower individuals of all genders, ensuring equal opportunities for prosperity. This inclusive approach is crucial for fostering a more equitable and progressive society.
Women’s Reservation Bill
In late September 2023, Indian legislators overwhelmingly approved the Women’s Reservation Bill with minimal dissent in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the lower and upper houses of the Indian Parliament, respectively. The bill advocates for a minimum of 33% representation of women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative assemblies. If implemented, this would mark an approximate 10% increase in the current representation of women in the Lok Sabha.
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, the second female president of India, has assented to the Women’s Reservation Bill. As such the bill has become law and shall be in place for a minimum of 15 years. The enactment of this law not only ensures that the women of today are given a voice and the opportunity to be empowered leaders in their own day-to-day lives but also ensures that future women maintain that same right. However, there is still further progress to be made with the bill only being effective in the Lok Sabha, the lower parliamentary house.
The Ripple Effect
India is not alone in taking this step toward gender equality, with 64 other countries also implementing similar legislation, one such country being Rwanda. In 2003, Rwanda included in its constitution an allocation of 30% of elected positions for women in parliament. Currently, this has evolved into women occupying 64% of all parliamentary seats and Rwanda emerging as a leading force in gender equality. Such quotas significantly empower women.
What’s Next?
Addressing gender equality is crucial for India’s overall progress. The recent passage of the bill marks a significant step forward. Similar to the positive changes observed in Rwanda, this move is expected to catalyze further strides toward gender equality in India. Without tackling these issues, the nation risks reaching a progression plateau. The bill’s enactment signals a commitment to fostering an environment where everyone, regardless of gender, can thrive.
– Holly Coop
Photo: Unsplash
Extreme Flooding in China Forcibly Removes Thousands
Flooding Risks
China’s rates of natural disasters, such as flooding, are at risk of increasing because of economic growth and urbanization.
According to the Global Facility of Natural Disaster, two-thirds of Chinese territory is at risk of flooding. This is not a new tragedy for China, in 1998, flooding killed 4,150 people and damaged 6.85 million houses.
An article by the Los Angeles Times stated that China’s over-reliance on dams and its extreme urbanization in low-lying cities create drainage problems, making it extremely easy for floods to occur.
“The subtropical high-pressure system over the western North Pacific was strong this year,” said Song Lianchun, a meteorologist with the National Climate Centre in a South China Morning Post article. “Its intersection with cold air has led to continuous heavy rainfall in the Yangtze River basin.”
The heavy rainfall mixed with the heavily drenched soil makes extreme flooding in China very prevalent, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
Affected Regions
In regions with poor hygiene, many lower-income areas have a higher risk of obtaining communicable diseases from flooding. The diseases include, but are not limited to leptospirosis, hepatitis and gastrointestinal disease.
Those diseases arise because feces, toxic waste, sewage and chemicals often contaminate the flood water. Affected communities do not have the money or resources to combat the illnesses the extreme flooding in China has exposed them to.
After extreme flooding in China in 2020, Iowa State University performed a study on crop price and production. The researchers found that 4.3% of summer crop failure was due to flooding, which resulted in an increase in both meat and vegetable prices.
The affected and displaced communities are already struggling to find and rebuild housing, which, coupled with rising food prices, creates challenging living conditions.
According to a 2020 CNN article, Analysts at the Chinese brokerage firm in Shenwan Hongyuan said that China could lose 11.2 million tons worth of food because of the severe damage done to croplands. Food security is a rising concern in lower-income areas after such an extreme natural disaster.
Assistance from China and the International Community
President of China, Xi Jinping, is trying to ensure the people’s safety as the top priority of all authorities. As a result of this recent catastrophe, the president commanded that State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters improve their warnings and coordination efforts.
To assist the regions of Sichuan and Chongqing, China’s natural disaster relief fund donated 320 million yuan, or about $44.46 million. About 250 million yuan will help control flooding and disaster relief efforts, stated a China SCIO press release on July 6.
After great property and land loss, China is working on improving the safety of its citizens, as well as the health and resilience of its crops.
– Alex Hasenkamp
Photo: Flickr
The Silent Health Issue: Period Poverty in Panama
Four key indicators monitor a country’s menstrual health:
When assessing Panama’s limited data regarding menstrual health through the lens of these four indicators, the results are disappointing. Kelly Hernandez, a Panamanian advocate for ending period poverty, estimates that more than 150,000 Panamanian girls do not meet these four indicators.
The Enemy? Poverty.
Panama’s overall poverty is continuing to exacerbate these health issues, particularly in rural and indigenous communities. In 2019, the poverty rate was only $6.85 a day in 2017 PPP and primarily impacted indigenous communities such as Ngäbe-Buglé. Children and adolescents are also primary victims of the enemy of poverty, with an estimated 32.8% living in poverty, 25% of which live on Indigenous land.
In a world of increasing natural disasters and pandemics, the instability of equitable health care only gets worse. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was quoted that “women have to choose between buying a pound of rice or a pack of feminine sanitary pads.”
Days for Girls in Panama
Ending poverty in Panama is not simple; there needs to be major changes in education, governance, distribution and more. While these facts and figures may seem overwhelming, one can begin to help put a stop to period poverty in Panama.
The aforementioned Kelly Hernandez is a women’s health ambassador for an organization called Days for Girls. Days for Girls is a global nonprofit that seeks to “eliminate the stigma and limitations associated with menstruation so that women and girls have improved health, education and livelihoods.” Its work spans 145 countries where it introduces and donates reusable and sanitary pads, provides health education services, and encourages local leadership and community programs. The organization also advocates for better policy and health research. Because Days for Girls is a nonprofit, it depends on donor support for money and supplies. Evidently, Days for Girls is not a permanent solution, but it is a promising start.
Endeavors for a Bright Future
While there is no overnight solution to combating period poverty in Panama, one can help make a difference by learning more about powerful organizations like Days for Girls, as well as educating oneself and others and staying updated with the latest developments. By sharing information, we can encourage others to learn more about powerful NGOs like Days for Girls and help boost their outreach.
Poverty is the number one enemy of Panama, but to go to war with poverty, humans need to first examine who is primarily being affected and how poverty is being inflicted on the 4.4 million Panamanians who call it home. Women and girls in Panama struggle to gain and maintain access to quality health care. This lack of necessary care exacerbated other existing issues relating to poverty, such as discrimination toward Indigenous people and a decline in school attendance. Period poverty in Panama is deserving of global attention. Regardless of one’s identity or background, everyone deserves basic human rights, including access to menstrual products and sanitary services.
– Piper Jenkins
Photo: Flickr
How Women’s Pavilion is Fighting for Gender Equality
Visiting Women’s Pavilion
Even if it is not possible for one to physically visit the display, the website offers a virtual 360° tour of the showcase that allows people to witness the amazing displays from their own home. The exhibit includes photos and accompanying explanations ranging from Frida Kahlo to Kathy Matsui, a partner in MPower.
The opening of Women’s Pavilion’s exhibit portrays how women have been underrepresented. With this being the first section of the Pavilion, it highlights the fact that gender inequality does not start at a specific age, and even children will experience prejudice from a school age.
The Aims of Women’s Pavilion
The main and most evident aim of Women’s Pavilion is to encourage young women to break down the barriers that are pre-existing stereotypes and allow them to live carelessly as their authentic selves. It also aims to deconstruct any misconceptions when it comes to women’s roles; both in a small community or a wider society including household duties and careers. However, Women’s Pavilion also acknowledges the men who have helped to make sure that these women are finally getting the recognition that they deserve as a thank you for using their privilege in order to share the deserved spotlight with the women they worked alongside.
This is not the first time that Dubai has been vocal in its fight for women’s rights and gender equality. Women’s Pavilion shares stories of many women from Arab countries and Islam who have fought to make the world a cleaner and better place.
Highlighting Gender-Related Poverty
In the display, there is a moving excerpt that consists of a wall filled completely with women’s shoes. At first glance, it may simply look like a wall of shoes, but after looking closer, they will learn that despite the 75% decrease in poverty, more women live in poverty compared to men. This highlights the fact that although conditions are improving immensely, there are still improvements that need to occur to promote gender equality.
There is also a moving dedication to applaud the women who played important parts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which again showcases the work of women whose selfless acts are going unnoticed.
Women’s Pavilion is a perfect representation of all of the women throughout history who have gone completely unacknowledged for their skills or contributions to society. From world-famous artists to teachers and behind-the-scenes programmers, Women’s Pavilion appreciates and applauds every woman.
– Ella Bushell
Photo: Flickr
How Water Security Improves Gender Equality
The burden of collecting and transporting water predominantly falls to female household members in cultures across the world. This costs hours each day, requiring many girls to skip school in order to keep up with the demand. On top of the costs to girls’ education, carrying the weight of water each day can cause life-long health problems. Water sources themselves, which include rivers and holes in the ground, threatens women and girls’ lives. The journey to and from sources of water can also be dangerous, putting women and girls at risk of harassment and sexual assault. Globally, women spend 200 million hours a day collecting water. Establishing water security improves gender equality for health, resources and safety.
WaterAid
By installing water pumps and wells in rural communities, organizations like WaterAid allow girls more time at school. In this instance, water security improves gender equality in education. Tsehaynesh is just one of the thousands whose lives have changed through reliable access to water. Her responsibility of collecting water from a spring for her family used to mean that she was often late for school. Since the installation of three pumps in her village of Derekwa in Ethiopia, the 15-year-old can attend school and she is working toward her dream of becoming a nurse.
Currently, a woman gives birth every two seconds without safe water, a toilet or hygienic equipment. Clean water and sanitation are vital in maternity centers, allowing women to experience secure and dignified childbirth. Doctors, midwives and mothers practicing good hygiene reduce the risk of infection, birth complications and maternal and infantile death.
How Sanitation Access Can Help
Providing access to sanitation also protects women’s safety and dignity. In areas without toilets, men, women and children must go outside, with women often waiting until it gets dark for privacy. This puts them at a greater risk of violence and rape, as well as long-term bladder problems.
For girls on their periods, poor hygiene and no decent toilets make school much harder. This is so much so that many girls stay home for days at a time each month, missing out on valuable education. In many cultures, periods are still a stigmatized topic, preventing girls from accessing the help they need. Fitting toilets and taps in schools, educating teachers about their female students’ needs, and including men and boys in conversations about menstrual hygiene can all help girls to access education while on their periods.
How Water Security Improves Gender Equality
The UN has emphasized the link between changing weather patterns and water insecurity as extreme weather events, floods, drought and tropical storms become more frequent and intense. Limited rainfall, damaged pipes and contaminated water impact already vulnerable communities the most. This includes people in rural areas, low-income households, children and women. Through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and nonprofits such as WaterAid, projects can help improve the status and development of women through access to water. Women included in leadership can make decisions that benefit all.
– Lydia Greene
Photo: Flickr
Desalination in Djibouti Doubles
Background
Djibouti is a country with an unforgiving climate with very little average annual rainfall and no running rivers or lakes. This formerly meant an enormous reliance on groundwater extraction for the country’s inhabitants. Moreover, due to frequent droughts in the Horn of Africa, groundwater reserves quite often dry up and cause significant water stresses.
Since 2017, the Horn of Africa as a whole has been suffering from drought aggravated by climate change, which has depleted water and food supplies for the likes of Somalia and Kenya. However, it is worth noting researchers emphasize the widespread suffering caused by the drought cannot be exclusively attributed to climate change but also a fundamental lack of preparedness and resilience. Such facts put into perspective the importance of investment in water infrastructure and not purely towards climate change reversal.
In 2017, the Ethiopia-Djibouti Transboundary Project was announced which as the name suggests is a pipeline transporting groundwater from neighboring Ethiopia, the collaboration would provide water for 750,000 people in Djibouti. While experts hail the importance of groundwater as “significant in climate adaptation and resilience-building” such sources are also prone to depletion during periods of drought; an undesirable characteristic for a country like Djibouti.
The initial construction of the Doraleh Desalination plant in 2021 was a major milestone in improving water security. Aside from its output of 22,500 cubic meters, enough to provide for 250,000 people, with seawater being the source, it allowed a major level of decoupling from unreliable groundwater reserves. The project was part of the Djibouti government’s development strategy, “Vision Djibouti 2035” and was heavily funded by the European Union (EU).
Recent Expansion
Last month’s EIB loan was a continuation of EU support as part of the Global Gateways Investment Package. The investment package has wide and ambitious aims, including “accelerating sustainable growth and decent job creation,” aims that experts believe a strong water supply system can act as drivers for. The EIB has also invested in a desalination plant in Jordan and fast internet connections in remote areas of the Congo and Uganda among other things.
The plant’s expansion also includes the construction of a 12 MW solar plant to power the desalination facility. On top of the eco-friendly aspect of this, it also provides reduced power dependence. Particularly, advantageous considering that Djibouti suffers from an intermittent power supply and sources the majority of its electricity from Ethiopia.
Final Thoughts
The summation of the plant’s output which after the expansion is claimed to provide water for 550,000 people along with the Ethiopia-Djibouti Transboundary Project which was designed to cater to 750,000 will substantially increase water security given Djibouti’s population of just over a million. Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner For International Partnerships celebrates the expansion saying, “Today’s project will become a model for best practices in water management across the region.”
– Sabique Sadique
Photo: Flickr
Child Hunger in the Central African Republic
Civil War
Following several military coups and continued ethnic tension dating from the nineteenth century culminated in a civil war beginning in the 1990s. Over the past twenty years, the nation has transitioned back to constitutional democracy since a final pro-democracy military coup in 2003 brought a new constitution and various multi-party elections. However, civil wars remain prominent, with several rebel organizations still active in the country’s north. Following these conflicts, the central government’s institutions, based in the Central African Republic’s historic metropolitan center, Bangui, have been substantially weakened, limiting the ability of public institutions to provide essential social services reliably. Additionally, recent post-election violence has added to this deprivation.
Economic Activity and Supply
Though many ceasefires have kept military tensions from worsening, rebel militias remain in control of large swathes of the nation, hampering economic output in all sectors, including agriculture. This dynamic has worsened poverty due to an absence of employment opportunities; 75% of the Central African Republic’s population is impoverished, statistically among the highest globally. This, coupled with a 35% reduction in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, has led to most households losing purchasing power, with recent reports indicating 65% to 75% of household income is allocated towards food.
The Most Vulnerable Demographics
High socioeconomic inequality most impacts women and young children in rural regions of the country, partially the result of longstanding inequality of land ownership common in sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, rural families depending on subsistence or localized agriculture, already strained by circumstance, were often most impacted by the depredation of civil war. This has most substantially affected children among the youth population of the Central African Republic. Currently, the United Nations Children’s Fund, or UNICEF, estimates that 40% of children under five years of age are suffering from malnutrition, while 30% suffer from malnutrition; rates are considered an “emergency threshold.” This growing number of malnourished children has prompted fears that already limited access to social services, such as education, will be exacerbated. This has rendered international food aid fundamental to preventing backsliding, in particular related to children. Currently, the World Food Program provides 36,000 children under 5 years of age with fortified meals as part of the initiative to improve nutrition, vaccination rates and health training.
International Efforts
Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, immediate impacts on Ukrainian grain exports, on which sub-Saharan Africa is predominantly dependent, especially nations that rely on food imports, such as the Central African Republic. Increased costs for food imports, of importance due to structurally low domestic productivity, are overextending residents in the world’s poorest nations, including the Central African Republic.
This development has been especially pronounced among already impoverished children, with child malnutrition increasing at high rates; since 2020, severe acute malnutrition among children under five years of age has increased by 25%. This has acted to reverse decades of efforts by international aid organizations, ranging from the International Monetary Fund, UNICEF, and prominent national donors, to counter the precarious situation for children and other vulnerable demographics, such as women in rural areas, with investments to improve security and resources.
Before recent setbacks, child hunger in the Central African Republic was relatively lower than its neighboring countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with most large families obtaining direct and widespread international aid. In 2017 alone, UNICEF programs aided 850,000 in the Central African Republic through initiatives such as the WASH, a series of centers nationwide providing safe drinking water educational and health care services.
In conclusion, while international aid has proven integral to improving the impoverished circumstances in the Central African Republic, child hunger remains an ongoing and worsening crisis as the scale of deprivation among children is exacerbated by external factors, such as the war in Ukraine. As a result, organizations such as the IMF and individual nations are evaluating ways to encourage reform and expand programs. However, though a consensus remains, both are contingent on continued funding for the international programs that have prevented more significant crises from emerging.
– Cormac Sullivan
Photo: Flickr
Addressing Period Poverty in Jamaica
The stigma surrounding women’s reproductive rights and menstruation makes it difficult for women to seek adequate health care and education about their bodies. In countries where education surrounding periods is limited and there is a lack of access to sanitary products, period poverty becomes an issue. UNICEF reported in Latin America, one in four adolescent girls who live in impoverished rural areas do not attend school but instead do unpaid domestic chores and care work. This lack of education limits their knowledge of their menstruation and health. In developing countries like Jamaica, the problem worsens, with period poverty being a central issue facing young girls and women.
About Always’ Work to End Period Poverty
Sanitary product company Always began a campaign in 2021 to end period poverty. Always found that 35% of girls treat menstruation as a “private matter” worldwide. The company committed itself to opening the discussion surrounding periods by installing a van in busy areas of Kingston, Jamaica. The van- nicknamed the Menstru-Mobile– tested passers-by on their knowledge of menstruation and provided information on period poverty.
Additionally, for every pack of Always purchased in shops linked to the campaign, the company donates a sanitary pad to girls affected by period poverty, and from 2021-2022, Always donated 200,000 sanitary pads in Jamaica due to this initiative. Always’ aim for 2023 is to donate more than 410,000 sanitary pads to girls in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Panama. These donations are delivered to communities experiencing period poverty through non-government organizations in Jamaica, such as HerFlow.
How the HerFlow Foundation is Educating Women
Shelly-Ann Weeks created the HerFlow Foundation in 2016. HerFlow works to end period poverty in by educating women and girls about their reproductive health and rights. The campaign started by assisting three schools in Jamaica but now works with over 300 schools, government homes and 28 health clinics, with more than 6 million period products donated.
The Outcome
Initiatives and organizations striving to end period poverty in Jamaica are making an immediate impact. Through donations and collaborations with companies such as Always, these initiatives have supported thousands of girls and made significant progress in ending period poverty.
– Anjini Snape
Photo: Flickr