Despite having a stock of gold, timber and bauxite, Guyana has struggled to overcome poverty and attract investments to improve its economy. According to UNICEF, Guyana’s teen and youth poverty rates in 2019 were 33.7% and 47.5% for those under 16. There have been no recent reports on the child poverty rates, but the COVID-19 pandemic may have pushed more into greater poverty. Many factors contribute to child poverty in Guyana, such as access to sanitation, health care, education, food and child labor. However, the government and many international organizations are currently working to solve these problems regarding child poverty in Guyana.
Child Food Poverty
Ideally, a child should eat around five or more different food groups a day to not suffer from food poverty. From 2016 to 2022, 20% of children lived in severe food poverty, eating up to two food groups and 40% lived in moderate food poverty, receiving three to four food groups daily. There has been an increase in food poverty for children, changing from 10% in 2012 to 20% in 2022. Guyana has since introduced many initiatives such as the National School Feeding Programme which targets around 126,000 students in 2024. According to Guyana Times, around 85.0000 students benefitted from this initiative in 2023.
Sanitation
In 2020-2021, around 86% of the population had access to basic sanitation. Two percent of the population in Georgetown have access to a sewage system whereas the rest of the population disposes of waste through septic tanks and pit latrines. Due to poor waste disposal and pollution, waterborne diseases are a risk to the health and well-being of both children and adults.
To overcome this, Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has planned to advance its water, sanitation and hygiene accessibility in Region One, which has a large population of indigenous descent. Through working with UNICEF, it provided a new well in White Water which provides drinking water to more than 70% of the community. GWI has also constructed around 35 Ventilated Improves pit latrines in several communities within Region One, which has benefitted thousands of Venezuelan migrants and Guyanese people.
Right to Health
Health care is free throughout Guyana, but the standard of health care is lower than in other developed countries. Medical facilities are limited, even in the capital Georgetown and there are no medical facilities in remote regions. This means that children living in remote areas cannot access health care. However, recently there have been announcements of more being built within its various regions to improve access to health care facilities, with construction in East Demerara being carried out on a Pediatric and Maternal Hospital to help improve infant and maternal survival rates.
With health care facilities improving and existing in more regions, child poverty in Guyana regarding health should begin to decrease. In May 2024, Demerara Waves reported that child mortality rates are decreasing due to the improvements in the health care system in the country.
Education
Education is free to all in Guyana and is compulsory from the ages of 6 to 15, according to Humanium. However, in rural areas, many children cannot access education due to “poor infrastructure, long distances to schools, transportation costs and a shortage of qualified teachers,” which potentially leads to many children dropping out of school. The COVID-19 pandemic further hindered access to education due to “the lack of information technology and the limited availability of electricity in rural and riverine communities.”
In 2023, the World Bank announced it would contribute $35 million towards reforming the education sector in Guyana. The main aims of these reforms are to invest in access to educational materials, and teacher training and upgrade school facilities. The World Bank aims to ensure affordable textbooks are available to all students and will provide training to teachers. This project will also improve the infrastructure of school buildings and the facilities within them.
As a result of this program, smart classrooms have been introduced, with touchscreen whiteboards, cameras for recording lessons, and monitors to display videos. This helps students who miss school for various reasons as they can access their lessons online through recordings, ensuring that they do not miss large amounts of curriculum.
Child Labor
Child labor often comes about due to family debt, insufficient income or human trafficking. Low education rates are also a contributing factor. Around 41% of Amerindian Indigenous children partake in domestic work and 34% in hazardous work, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Children in Guyana face terrible forms of child labor, such as commercial sexual exploitation or performing dangerous tasks in mining. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that 4.9% of children working are used to take part in illicit activities, including the planting of marijuana, and smuggling of drugs, weapons and goods.
Since 2021, law enforcement authorities have taken measures to prevent child labor in Guyana by establishing a National Steering Committee on Child Labour and a Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons. Authorities have also introduced policies like the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labor 2019-2025, according to Humanium. Through policies like these, there have been increased police reports of child labor cases, such as 9 cases of children in forced labor and 14 cases of young girls in commercial sexual exploitation since 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Moving Forward
In recent years, the Guyanese government and international organizations have begun to invest more in long-lasting and permanent solutions regarding child poverty in Guyana. With these improvements and many more in the future, child poverty should steadily decline dramatically, ensuring each child’s safety in society and allowing them to lead healthy and enriching lives.
– Kimran Gill
Kimran is based in Leicester, UK, and focuses on World News for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr
Whole Day School Improves Education in Croatia
These demographics include the unemployed and the undereducated. Although some Croatians struggle with poverty and income, vocational training has become a steady remedy for these struggles. The most significant remedy is changes in education—both among students and teachers.
Programs Benefit Teachers and Students
Implementing programs that better the classroom for both students and teachers is a positive addition to communities in more ways than one. Education not only improves job opportunities but also makes a society more employable overall. Empowering individuals to become more involved in political and economic decisions, increasing income and productivity and fostering cohesion in social aspects are all the ways that education helps to eliminate poverty.
While Croatia has had its dips and changes in the poverty index, it has been relatively stable in the past couple of years because of the implementation of educational changes in both its vocational training and early childhood development years.
Whole Day School and SEE
In 2021, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, H.E. Zdravko Marić and the World Bank’s Country Manager for Croatia, Mr. Jehan Arulpragasam, approved a Loan Agreement for Croatia: Towards Sustainable, Equitable and Efficient Education Project (SEE Education). This project aims to strategically strengthen school infrastructures, improving learning environments for Croatian students. The project will do this through Whole Day School, which improves students’ learning outcomes.
Whole Day School supports the reform of the schoolroom, which is necessary for both the teachers and the students. Teachers are required to have “increased instructional hours and improved teacher training.” Fine-tuning the credibility of this ensures that students are learning in a productive environment and that teachers are receiving the most they can out of their jobs.
In addition, the Whole Day School has set the school day to align with the windows of the work day. Parents whose students are now going to school can alleviate the stress of their labor market demands as their children are safely in school while they are working.
Vocational Educations
While there have been improvements in the educational sector for children, teachers are also reaping the benefits of these reforms. Croatia is making sure that “vocational education training is more relevant to the labor market.” According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), teaching is a first-choice career for 67% of teachers in Croatia. Many of these teachers (at least 91%) “cite the opportunity to influence children’s development or contribute to society as a major motivation” to entering this labor market.
Final Remark
With a combination of increased instructional hours and a system such as the Whole Day School model that benefits not only the students but also the parents, Croatia has seen a remarkable change in its educational institutions in the last 30 years.
– Hailey Nurry
Photo: Flickr
Addressing Child Marriage in Ghana
A Multifaceted Issue
Child marriage is difficult to eradicate in Ghana because it is rooted in cultural norms and is a symptom of deep-seated gender inequality that commodifies girls and women. Parents may betroth their young daughters to evade the risk of out-of-wedlock pregnancy, which is intertwined with notions of family honor, or in exchange for a bride price. These practices affect girls from rural communities more than twice as much as those residing in urban areas.
Financial hardship is a powerful catalyst for marriage because the latter often acts as an economic harbor for girls and their families; 33% of female minors from Ghana’s poorest wealth quintile marry before they turn 18, compared with 5% from the richest. Moreover, child marriage in Ghana often comes with a lack of formal education. In the absence of alternative prospects, 43% of Ghanaian girls who have not completed secondary education marry as children, compared with 13% who have, UNICEF reports.
The Impacts of Child Marriage in Ghana
With more than 90% of child brides in Ghana aged between 15 and 17 out of school, compared with 18% of their peers, according to UNICEF data, child marriage disempowers girls by cutting them off from their potential and preventing them from engaging in their communities and Ghana’s labor market. Despite the temporary financial relief the practice may offer, it keeps generations of young women stagnated in poverty and in turn hampers Ghana’s socioeconomic development.
Furthermore, beyond the violating nature of the practice itself, child brides are more likely to experience intimate partner violence than women who marry as adults. Globally, girls who marry before 15 are 50% more at risk. With one in five child brides in Ghana married to a man 10 or more years their senior, according to UNICEF data, severely imbalanced power dynamics, combined with reduced access to personal development through education, could leave them vulnerable to continued exploitation. Those who become pregnant also find themselves at a heightened risk of related health complications and maternal death.
Efforts to Protect Girls
The government has shown a strong commitment to eliminating child marriage in Ghana, which is reflected in tangible progress. The proportion of girls married as minors fell from 34% in 1993 to 19% in 2018, according to UNICEF, placing Ghana ahead of the vast majority of other West and Central African nations.
In 2014, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection instituted the Child Marriage Unit, which champions new initiatives and coordinates national efforts to end the practice. Furthermore, in 2016 the government launched its 10-year National Strategic Framework on Ending Child Marriage in Ghana, which sets clear goals and provides direction to all institutions involved, creating a holistic action plan, according to UNICEF.
A 2019 survey revealed a consensus in Ghana that authorities could better enforce the law when it comes to child marriage and that local chiefs should make greater use of their platforms to speak up against it. ActionAid Ghana is one of many NGOs to recognize the necessity of uprooting the practice on a local level, training community-led anti-violence teams that work to bring the issue to light and commune with the authorities to impose justice on the perpetrators.
Education as a Pathway
The UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage has partnered with Girls Not Brides to develop the Child Marriage Research to Action Network (CRANK), which gathers the latest and most robust data on child marriage, and advocates for policy changes and initiatives addressing these findings. The most recent report identifies education as fundamental to steering girls clear of the practice and promoting other protective factors such as engagement with health services.
CAMFED is one of several NGOs working in this area. In addition to providing financial backing to female students living in impoverished rural areas, it has implemented several initiatives centered on community development. The Learner Guides Program trains female graduates and former beneficiaries of CAMFED’s support as mentors for girls in their districts. They learn how to deliver the My Better World program, which empowers girls by helping them to set goals and develop skills that will aid them in future life. Learner Guides also act as empathetic role models, providing pastoral support and health information and connecting vulnerable girls to the appropriate services. They can also access interest-free loans through the program, allowing them to start local businesses and in turn increase their prospects and generate jobs.
CAMFED Ghana has helped more than 248,000 girls access school through donor funds, and its community initiatives and members of the CAMFED Association, a growing network of young women from various backgrounds spearheading CAMFED’s projects, have supported more than 846,000. Its work addresses several other priority areas that the latest CRANK report highlights, such as the importance of female entrepreneurship and of creating safe spaces to empower and inform girls.
Moving Forward
Despite significant progress, child marriage in Ghana persists and more remains to be done to change this. However, momentum characterizes the country’s fight against the practice. Hope is strong for a future where child marriage cannot extinguish the light of childhood for any more of Ghana’s girls.
– Leila Powles
Photo: Flickr
Cyber Technology Reduces Poverty in the Dominican Republic
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help alleviate global poverty. Parts of Africa and Latin America are already using cyber technology to boost agriculture and their economy. Agriculture remains one of the key industries across the Caribbean. Around one-fifth of the Dominican Republic’s workers work in agriculture and the country exports valuable goods, including sugar, bananas, cocoa and rice. Demands for wheat have also accelerated, especially from Haiti, following the uprising crisis. This has paved the way to assist in the reduction of poverty in the Dominican Republic.
About Extreme Poverty in the Dominican Republic
Rates of extreme poverty fell by 10% between 2015 and 2019 but jumped again when the pandemic arrived in 2020. Greater tourism and increased trade with other nations mean that, both internally and externally, poverty in the Dominican Republic has been reduced. The country now has more surplus money to invest in emerging technologies.
AI could come in handy in this area. In Africa, for instance, drones are already being used to detect and prevent poachers. They deliver medical aid and support the conservation of wildlife. Satellites are also being used to improve agricultural yields by understanding shortcomings and adapting plans for farmers to fill these gaps.
Lessons To Be Learned
Since many farmers need more training in advanced agricultural practices, machine learning will eventually come in handy. Cyber technology not only helps to quickly calculate complicated equations but also improves the ease of communication between developing and developed countries. With AI speeding up these processes, less money goes into agricultural work and more funding enters the economy.
The barrier comes in the provision and funding of these technologies. The Dominican Republic has proven itself willing to engage with the next generation of tech by using AI. However, the costs will be high and require greater communication and support from nations with high Human Development Index (HDI) ratings. Embracing e-learning platforms will allow this.
Networking
AI is already being used to boost customer relationships and experiences in the banking sector under the “know your customer” initiative. This process tailors support to the specific needs of customers to provide them with the most relevant support possible. Eight “multiple banks” currently employ AI-generated systems.
A developing ecosystem across the Caribbean is also currently sharing data between multiple economies to overcome generic technological and scientific obstacles. None of this could have been achieved without the benefits of machine learning. With agriculture being such a profitable sector, a growth in exports would create a flourishing economy for the country. Increased connections with other nations would match an accelerated connection to local people.
The Weather Creates Significant Obstacles
Machine learning also warns of volatile weather conditions to help farmers be best informed about how to overcome climate issues. Tackling natural disasters has already been proven a government priority with the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility. The facility provides insurance for natural disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones and excessive rainfalls.
Pangu-Weather, the AI model developed by Huawei Cloud in 2023, offers weather forecasts and predictions for the paths of tropical cyclones. This would come in handy in the Dominican Republic, where unpredictable weather conditions often undermine the hard work of agriculturalists. Alternatively, Google has offered a 10-day forecast called GraphCast, which it could roll out to the international market for greater availability.
The way forward is using drones to gather sensor data. This data analyzes natural nutrient levels to understand how quickly crops will grow compared to how quickly they need to grow. Drones can also deliver 3D mapping, warnings of irrigation leaks and a consistent tracker of livestock health.
Final Remark
Impoverished nations have some lessons to learn from Latin America. The Dominican Republic is in control of its cyber technology. It has the highest regional rating on the National Cyber Security Index and a defense system against cyber attacks. This development is the first step to a bright future, where progress has already been made in tackling poverty through cyber technology and can continue to expand the prosperous agricultural sector across the region.
– Lewis Eyre
Photo: Unsplash
Solving the Problems of Child Poverty in Guyana
Child Food Poverty
Ideally, a child should eat around five or more different food groups a day to not suffer from food poverty. From 2016 to 2022, 20% of children lived in severe food poverty, eating up to two food groups and 40% lived in moderate food poverty, receiving three to four food groups daily. There has been an increase in food poverty for children, changing from 10% in 2012 to 20% in 2022. Guyana has since introduced many initiatives such as the National School Feeding Programme which targets around 126,000 students in 2024. According to Guyana Times, around 85.0000 students benefitted from this initiative in 2023.
Sanitation
In 2020-2021, around 86% of the population had access to basic sanitation. Two percent of the population in Georgetown have access to a sewage system whereas the rest of the population disposes of waste through septic tanks and pit latrines. Due to poor waste disposal and pollution, waterborne diseases are a risk to the health and well-being of both children and adults.
To overcome this, Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has planned to advance its water, sanitation and hygiene accessibility in Region One, which has a large population of indigenous descent. Through working with UNICEF, it provided a new well in White Water which provides drinking water to more than 70% of the community. GWI has also constructed around 35 Ventilated Improves pit latrines in several communities within Region One, which has benefitted thousands of Venezuelan migrants and Guyanese people.
Right to Health
Health care is free throughout Guyana, but the standard of health care is lower than in other developed countries. Medical facilities are limited, even in the capital Georgetown and there are no medical facilities in remote regions. This means that children living in remote areas cannot access health care. However, recently there have been announcements of more being built within its various regions to improve access to health care facilities, with construction in East Demerara being carried out on a Pediatric and Maternal Hospital to help improve infant and maternal survival rates.
With health care facilities improving and existing in more regions, child poverty in Guyana regarding health should begin to decrease. In May 2024, Demerara Waves reported that child mortality rates are decreasing due to the improvements in the health care system in the country.
Education
Education is free to all in Guyana and is compulsory from the ages of 6 to 15, according to Humanium. However, in rural areas, many children cannot access education due to “poor infrastructure, long distances to schools, transportation costs and a shortage of qualified teachers,” which potentially leads to many children dropping out of school. The COVID-19 pandemic further hindered access to education due to “the lack of information technology and the limited availability of electricity in rural and riverine communities.”
In 2023, the World Bank announced it would contribute $35 million towards reforming the education sector in Guyana. The main aims of these reforms are to invest in access to educational materials, and teacher training and upgrade school facilities. The World Bank aims to ensure affordable textbooks are available to all students and will provide training to teachers. This project will also improve the infrastructure of school buildings and the facilities within them.
As a result of this program, smart classrooms have been introduced, with touchscreen whiteboards, cameras for recording lessons, and monitors to display videos. This helps students who miss school for various reasons as they can access their lessons online through recordings, ensuring that they do not miss large amounts of curriculum.
Child Labor
Child labor often comes about due to family debt, insufficient income or human trafficking. Low education rates are also a contributing factor. Around 41% of Amerindian Indigenous children partake in domestic work and 34% in hazardous work, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Children in Guyana face terrible forms of child labor, such as commercial sexual exploitation or performing dangerous tasks in mining. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that 4.9% of children working are used to take part in illicit activities, including the planting of marijuana, and smuggling of drugs, weapons and goods.
Since 2021, law enforcement authorities have taken measures to prevent child labor in Guyana by establishing a National Steering Committee on Child Labour and a Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons. Authorities have also introduced policies like the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labor 2019-2025, according to Humanium. Through policies like these, there have been increased police reports of child labor cases, such as 9 cases of children in forced labor and 14 cases of young girls in commercial sexual exploitation since 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Moving Forward
In recent years, the Guyanese government and international organizations have begun to invest more in long-lasting and permanent solutions regarding child poverty in Guyana. With these improvements and many more in the future, child poverty should steadily decline dramatically, ensuring each child’s safety in society and allowing them to lead healthy and enriching lives.
– Kimran Gill
Photo: Flickr
Elderly Poverty in Malawi
Economic and Social Issues
One of the main factors contributing to elderly poverty in Malawi is economic instability. One way this is highlighted is the lack of state pensions with less than 5% of the elderly receiving any pension benefits, according to a 2016 HelpAge International report. This is most often the case because most have worked in informal sectors when they were of working age which do not contribute to state pension schemes. This leaves a portion of the elderly without a reliable source of income in their old age.
Support from families has traditionally been crucial in helping older members but this support is becoming less reliable as younger members try to lift themselves out of poverty. The elderly population also tend to face abuse, neglect and harassment because of cultural norms. Malawi’s older population is also growing which increases pressure on resources such as healthcare which the elderly need more often than other demographics. This affects poverty rates due to the availability and quality of care the elderly receive and therefore their health.
Health care in Malawi is heavily strained especially with population growth. The elderly struggle to access timely and adequate health care. Additionally, food security is a growing issue, this is highlighted by rising prices of essential food, UNDP reports. This then leads to poor health outcomes among the elderly, adding pressure to an already poverty-stricken elderly group.
Solutions
Despite the issues being significant some initiatives focus on providing solutions to elderly poverty in Malawi. The Malawian government implemented the Social Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) in 2006. The programme has helped to increase income and provide food security for the elderly population to the elderly that were the heads of households. Whilst the program has benefited some, it only reached a quarter of the elderly population, according to a 2016 HelpAge International report. This is why there is a call for a universal pension which studies have found would provide a solution to the issue. Ongoing discussions about the implementation of a universal pension scheme offer a reason to be optimistic about the future support of the poverty of the elderly in Malawi.
The Scotland – Malawi Partnership has also offered solutions to various issues in Malawi, including health care. One such initiative focuses on improving the health care system in Malawi. Considering the already stretched health care system in Malawi, the partnership has tried to help specific issues such as cervical cancer. Malawi has the highest global mortality rate from cervical cancer. The initiative partnered with a hospital in Malawi to provide these screenings to women. Since 2013, the initiative has provided screening to 30,000 women with plans to reach a further 80,000. The effort not only benefits early cancer detection but also the health care burden. This means that women who are in poverty receive timely and effective treatment.
Hope for the Future
Elderly poverty in Malawi is an issue that with effective initiatives and solutions, there is hope for the future. The continuation of the work of both the Malawian government and international partnerships proves that there is a way forward to addressing elderly poverty.
– Rosie Miller
Photo: Flickr
Women for Gaza: Gender Poverty and Aid in Gaza
Gender-Specific Needs Neglected in War
In 2023, Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of the United Nations (U.N.) Women, declared, “Women and girls pay the highest price when armed conflict erupts.” Documentation consistently shows that the specific needs of women during conflicts, such as sanitary products, antenatal care and safe, private facilities, often go unmet and are typically excluded from conflict prevention and resolution efforts.
Gender Poverty in Gaza
Gaza’s history of political instability, prolonged occupation and entrenched poverty has left deep scars. Amnesty International argues that the lack of clear governance and leadership often results in the re-emergence of traditional structures that reinforce patriarchal values. The hardships endured by women and girls in Gaza extend beyond recent events. Even before the latest escalation of hostilities, the female population of Gaza disproportionately experienced poverty. UNICEF highlighted that malnutrition among pregnant women was already high before Israel’s recent occupation of the area.
The impact of poverty on Gazan women has also threatened their sexual and reproductive rights, issues that existed even before the recent escalation of the Israeli-Hamas conflict. Records show that 94,000 women were already lacking access to sexual and reproductive services before Oct. 7, 2023. In the five months following, this number soared to over one million.
The Current Situation for Women in Gaza
Since Oct. 7, 2023, women have accounted for 70% of the fatalities. Miscarriages have increased by 20% and seven mothers are killed every hour, with more than a million women displaced. In April 2024, the U.N. issued a ‘Gender Alert’ for Gaza’s female population due to the disproportionate impact of recent hostilities. The dire living conditions and crumbling civilian infrastructure have worsened to the point of near nonexistence.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that critical care remains largely inaccessible to women who are sick, injured, breastfeeding or pregnant; only one-third of Gazan hospitals are still functional. The conflict has caused unusually high rates of mortality among women and children. Tess Ingram, UNICEF’s communication specialist, stated in a Jan. 2024 press conference that an infant is born into a ‘horrendous war’ every 10 minutes. Save the Children further highlighted the emotional suffering of families, reporting that more children died in Gaza in Oct. 2023 than in global conflicts annually since 2019.
Aid for Women and Women-led Aid
Reports indicate that five women-led organizations employ a network of 1,575 staff members on the ground. These groups lead humanitarian operations in Gaza:
The intense struggles faced by women-led organizations on the ground in Gaza highlight their steadfast commitment to saving lives. Bahous recognizes, their work transcends mere survival: “It is about maintaining hope, dignity and the possibility of a better future.”
Looking Ahead
In Gaza, the disproportionate impact of conflict on women remains a critical issue, exacerbating their already vulnerable conditions. Since Oct. 2023, women have represented a significant majority of the fatalities and have faced severe disruptions in access to essential health services. Humanitarian organizations, including several women-led groups, continue to make efforts to provide crucial aid.
– Thea Carter
Photo: Flickr
Update on SDG 6 in Pakistan
SDG 6 and Pakistan
According to the Sustainable Development Report 2023, Pakistan is making “moderate improvements with major challenges remaining” in its pursuit of SDG 6 by 2030. The report states that these efforts are insufficient to achieve the goal.
Current Situation
Challenges in Achieving SDG 6
Pakistan’s significant challenges in achieving SDG 6 are multifaceted and mainly involve uncontrolled population growth, water scarcity and instability. The changing climate and minimal water storage are a few factors contributing to these problems. Political instability has also led to less focus on planning and implementation. As a result, 54,000 children die every year because of waterborne diseases like diarrhea and cholera, which can be prevented.
Progress
In the last decade, progress towards achieving the goal has been made. This has been achieved via collaborations with the U.N., the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other organizations like Global Waters and Water Aid Pakistan. The following are a few of the programs implemented to achieve SDG 6.
For this purpose, a Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) cell has been established at the ministry. Around $1 billion is allocated annually for this cause. The provincial governments are ensuring the training of school teachers, female health workers and other community workers in hand hygiene and other behavior-modifying techniques to achieve the roadmap’s targets. Implementing the roadmap would improve sanitation practices and reduce mortality related to waterborne diseases.
The project targeted 62 million people and cost $4.4 million. It includes installing the latest equipment in the laboratories and upgrading existing labs. Aditionally, eight vehicles have been converted into mobile laboratories to monitor water quality in two of Pakistan’s most populated provinces. These labs would test water for 16 parameters that the World Health Organization (WHO) has mandated in its guidelines. This will help Pakistan ensure clean water provision for its population.
Final Remark
Despite the hurdles and slow progress in achieving SDG 6, the Government of Pakistan is working closely with international organizations like USAID, UNICEF and other nongovernmental organizations to overcome them. These organizations provide crucial support in funding, technical expertise and advocacy, contributing significantly to Pakistan’s efforts.
– Maria Waleed
Photo: Flickr
Renewable Energy in Romania: A New Way To Fight Poverty
The Extent of Energy Poverty in Romania
Almost a third of the Romanian population (28%) is affected by energy poverty, experiencing difficulties paying their bills on time and being unable to heat their homes properly. Moreover, about 7% of all households have no access to affordable energy sources at all. This issue partially stems from economic struggles, including regional disparities, weak institutions and skilled labor shortages, resulting in severe inequality throughout the country.
According to the World Bank, Romania’s Gini index of equivalized disposable income reached 34.3 in 2020, the fourth highest in the EU. The bottom 40% of society is largely disconnected and lives in impoverished, rural areas, which limits their access to productive jobs. However, there is hope for the future as Romania’s poverty rate declined significantly from 27.8% in 2015 to 10.7% in 2020, with economic growth accelerating due to rising disposable incomes, increased private consumption and new EU-financed investments.
Clean Energy: Out With the Old, in With the New
Despite growing concerns, Romania’s solar and wind energy output has remained flat since 2014 due to a lack of funding. However, in March 2024, the European Commission approved funding for €3 billion (approximately $3.24 billion) under the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework to support the construction of new solar photovoltaic facilities and onshore wind farms.
The fund will be split between installing three gigawatts of solar energy and two gigawatts of wind energy. One gigawatt of solar or wind energy can power approximately 750,000 homes per year, representing a significant step forward to supporting clean energy sectors and reducing fossil fuel dependencies.
These new solar and wind farms will also promote equality, as they will be built in remote rural areas with the highest rates of energy poverty. They will allow for decentralized power generation that will help stabilize and prevent future disruptions or blackouts. Opening up new solar and wind plants will also allow for new job opportunities, not only providing long-term benefits for energy usage but also regarding education and training.
Furthermore, compared to traditional fossil-fueled power plants, solar and wind farms require less continuous maintenance and simultaneously benefit the environment, so through this plan, more homes will have access to reliable, clean and affordable power without electricity and restore their heating systems. An expert from the Romanian Energy Poverty Observatory stated, “Energy is a basic need. The poorest consumers prefer to put less food on the table but not stay in the dark or cold.”
Thus, not only will this plan raise the standard of living within the communities, but Romania as a whole will experience both economic and societal benefits with an increase in productivity and the overall standard of living within all communities.
Big Plans for the Future
Looking ahead, the Social Climate Fund has initiated discussions about a €6 billion (about $6.48 billion) fund for Romania to continue supporting efforts to reduce its energy poverty rate to the national level, set to occur from 2026 to 2032. The fund has a diverse range of purposes, which include transitioning the rural community’s inefficient housing structure from thin panel-type building blocks and adopting new heating appliances rather than continuing to rely on a mix of wood, gas and coal.
Moreover, it will help vulnerable groups pay energy bills and access transportation services. This action, alongside other subsidized government programs, will allow Romania to have the needed support in combating increasing consumer costs and reaching its aim of raising the share of renewable energy consumption to 30.7% by 2030.
– Kewe Chen
Photo: Unsplash
Tuvalu: Poverty Caused by Natural Disasters
Infrastructure and Development Initiatives
The National Strategy for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 and the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP) have reclaimed land in the capital city of Funafuti, which has helped keep the island from drowning. Engineers are actively monitoring the site and progressing work in other areas, thus improving working conditions, increasing safety and certainty and raising living standards. The reclamation project also includes a drainage system protecting the city from heavy rains. Another enhancement is the harbor facility that ensures continuous access to the Funafuti Lagoon. Additionally, this initiative has created employment opportunities for citizens that are receiving targeted training to enhance their skills and contribute to the domestic economy.
Strengthening Island Resilience
Further protective measures such as constructing Berm Top Barriers shield the outer islands from high waves and saltwater penetration, safeguarding vital agricultural resources and freshwater supplies. This effort safeguards the harvests of taro, breadfruit, pawpaw and bananas in Nanumea and Nanumaga, thereby preventing food scarcity and hunger. It also prevents groundwater contamination, preserving water quality for home use. The 1,330-meter-long barrier will not only block 10-meter-high waves but also address the displacement of more than 300 people from the last cyclone in 2015.
Revitalization and Environmental Restoration
The TCAP plans to revegetate the land with coconut plants and Pandanus tree seedlings, sourced from local suppliers to stimulate economic activity. Beyond these efforts, TCAP collaborates with the NGO Fuligafou to conserve coral reefs and restore fish populations. Coral destruction has led to the migration of fish, impacting the income and protein sources of local communities reliant on fishing. The restoration process incorporates both modern and indigenous coral restoration techniques. In the long term, these efforts aim to revitalize the local fishing industry and provide new opportunities to alleviate poverty.
Looking Ahead
As Tuvalu fortifies its defenses against the harsh realities of the changing climate, its innovative infrastructure projects provide both immediate relief and long-term sustainability. The initiatives in place, from coastal barriers to environmental restoration, promise to enhance resilience and reduce the potential for poverty caused by natural disasters. With ongoing international support and local commitment, Tuvalu is paving the way toward a more secure and prosperous future for its residents.
– Hafsa Dijoo
Photo: Flickr
KSRelief-WHO Funding Agreement for Sudan, Syria and Yemen
International Aid and Collaboration
On May 25, 2024, KSRelief signed an agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) to fund WHO’s critical health response operations in Sudan, Syria and Yemen to the amount of $19.4 million. Before signing the funding agreement, both organizations worked extensively to alleviate the pain the people in Sudan, Syria and Yemen endured.
At Jordan’s Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees, KSRelief has been operating medical clinics where doctors have provided health care assistance, including treatment for sinus and middle ear infections, to 2,349 Syrian patients. Similarly, WHO has been reinforcing disease surveillance in Sudan and Yemen to help countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia respond effectively to the health crises in these countries. KSRelief’s funding support to WHO’s critical health operations in Sudan, Syria and Yemen facilitates medical care on the ground.
Funding Dialysis Treatments in Sudan
KSRelief’s efforts includes providing $5 million to supply 100 dialysis machines and strengthen dialysis centers in Sudan. Currently, 77 renal dialysis centers in Sudan are only partially functioning and cannot provide life-saving dialysis treatment for the Sudanese people. According to the International Society of Nephrology, there are approximately 8,000 Sudanese people and more who have been relying on dialysis to stay alive since the conflict started.
Healing Syria After the Earthquakes
On Feb. 6, 2023, a devastating earthquake in Syria destroyed many buildings, including essential hospitals and health clinics, affecting 8.8 million Syrians and resulting in the deaths of 5,954 Syrians. KSRelief supported WHO with a $4.75 million contribution to provide necessary medications and supplies to around 350,000 Syrians in need urgent health care. The funds allocated to Syria will also help WHO restore diagnostic capacity and ambulance services, assisting an estimated 4.1 million Syrians.
Countering Disease Outbreaks in Yemen
KSRelief is providing $9.5 million to support WHO’s operations in Yemen, focusing on strengthening responses to disease outbreaks like cholera and measles. Yemen currently faces over 40,000 suspected cholera cases and more than 34,000 cases of measles and rubella as of August 31, 2023. This funding also aims to help WHO enhance health care facilities in Yemen by improving their sanitation and hygiene services, thereby boosting their capacity to tackle disease outbreaks. These ongoing efforts are expected to benefit approximately 12.9 million Yemenis in urgent need of care due to the public health crisis.
Multilateral Collaboration to Address Critical Health Issues
KSRelief’s critical financial support to WHO’s health operations aims to ensure the safety of Sudanese, Syrian and Yemeni people who dream of a stable and secure future. The ongoing efforts highlight the impact multilateral collaboration between countries and organizations could have in addressing global health issues.
– Abdullah Dowaihy
Photo: Flickr