Mongolia, home to about 3.3 million people, is the second largest landlocked country in East Asia sharing borders with Russia and China. The small population size and the massive land area together make Mongolia the most sparsely populated country in the world. Despite having tripled its GDP per capita since 1991, Mongolia remains a lower-middle-income country according to the World Bank. In 2020, 27.8% of the population lived below the poverty line, according to the Asian Development Bank.
Notably, the poverty reduction rate has been on a decline in recent years, largely due to a lack of quality jobs and labor market inclusion for youth. In 2021, about eight out of 100 Mongolians of the total labor force were unemployed. Poverty is typically worse in rural areas and among the nomadic/herder communities in Mongolia. Steppe and Hoof is an NGO working to reduce poverty among nomads in Mongolia.
Resource Curse: The Mining Industry and Outcomes
The mining industry has high hopes of becoming the powerhouse of Mongolia’s national economy. In 2001, Canadian mining company Ivanhoe Mines discovered one of the world’s largest and highest-grade deposits of gold, copper and molybdenum in Oyu Tolgoi, the south of Mongolia. Tavan Tolgoi and Khushuut also house the world’s largest coking coal deposits. The exciting discovery created a promising prospect for Mongolia’s development. However, the outcome disappointed many. Two decades later, the rich natural resources still have not translated into sustainable economic growth that benefits all.
Meanwhile, environmental concerns are on the rise: Mongolia faces severe water shortage and contamination. Ulaanbaatar ranked as the most polluted capital city in the world in 2021. As the mining industry emerges as the backbone of national economic development, the country with a long tradition of nomadic rural activities is losing its vitality in the vast countryside. Many nomads in Mongolia have faced internal displacement due to mining operations. Others have quit their ancestral living style and started working within the mining sector to escape poverty in Mongolia.
Rural poverty in Mongolia is characterized by a high level of economic vulnerability. In the event of dzud, or a succession of extreme droughts and severe winters that cause massive livestock deaths, herders have no choice but to look for employment in the city. This year, agriculture production is projected to face difficulties due to the harsh weather in spring and winter.
Problematic Urbanization
From 1950 to 2022, the urban population in Mongolia leaped from 20% to 70%. The internal displacement due to mining operations puts tremendous pressure on urban planning and management in Ulaanbaatar. Originally constructed for a 500,000-habitant scale, the capital city now hosts 50% of the entire country’s population–1.7 million people–who struggle in the overcrowded environment. Newcomers from rural areas still flood into the urban settlements despite the deteriorating environment. They join those who have renounced the nomadic lifestyle in the hope of finding more profitable jobs.
On the outskirts of the capital, the “ger” districts are rapidly expanding, where former herders from rural areas would live in informally built yurts with underdeveloped infrastructure. By 2022, around 60% of the Ulaanbaatar inhabitants lived in the unplanned urban periphery. This exceeds the number of those who live in formal housing. The poorly integrated urban economy in the “ger” districts fails to provide inhabitants with the necessary services and facilities for families to survive the harsh winter. The only choice for heating is burning coal. As a result, the informal urban settlements around Ulaanbaatar further exaggerate the already perilous air pollution in the city. This poses serious concerns for the health of the population, especially for small children and pregnant women. Internal displacement and drastic urbanization make urban and rural poverty in Mongolia an intertwined issue requiring an effective, urgent response.
Steppe and Hoof: Revitalizing the Countryside
Mongolian grassroots NGO Steppe and Hoof was founded in 2018 with the aim of mitigating unsustainable urbanization and improving nomads’ living conditions in rural areas in Mongolia. The founder Shatra Galbadrakh told The Borgen Project about her journey. Starting to work closely with nomads in 2009, Galbadrakh was struck by the unfortunate reality many herders face. She decided to make a change. “Many herders lose their livestock for different reasons and have no choice but to move to the capital city, substantially increasing density and unemployment in the city and adding to the pollution,” Galbadrakh comments. “I started small, asking friends and family members to donate first aid kits for herders.”
Today, merely 190,000 nomads continue the traditional herding, while 121,753 people have moved to Ulaanbaatar in the past five years. Living in remote, rural areas, herders face great challenges. They frequently cannot access modern medicines, technologies or the proper training to respond to climatic extremities. “Providing them with first aid, trauma education, practical practice, veterinary knowledge and proper medicine usage empowers herders and reinforces their survival abilities in unexpected natural phenomena and emergency situations,” Galbadrakh told The Borgen Project. “Our program enables them to respond intelligently and proactively to overcome natural disasters and abrupt challenges. Thus, it further eliminates the need for urban migration for herders to the cities.”
Steppe and Hoof now has five board members, an operational team of contractual workers and over 30 international volunteers. Members have different skills and come from distinct backgrounds, including doctors, paramedics, veterinarians and professionals from around the world.
Veterinary Education and Medical Assistance
Steppe and Hoof’s operations concentrate on two aspects: native horse preservation and veterinary education and first aid kit and medical assistance. The veterinary training spans from basic animal wound cleaning techniques to recognizing animal infectious diseases. Steppe and Hoof transmits knowledge of veterinary medicines with their appropriate usages and veterinary law coherent to herders’ lives. It also provides animal checkups by Mongolian and international veterinarians and animal treatment practical training. Galbadrakh recognizes the importance of borrowing from experience. “We strive to help and supplement what herders have been doing successfully for so long with modern medicines and animal practices,” she says.
As for medical assistance, Steppe and Hoof provides services free of charge. It delivers first aid kits to herders in their pastures, conducts preliminary health checkups and sonography diagnoses and offers consultation and medical advice. Herders participating in the program often actively seek help when facing health concerns to prevent diseases at the earliest opportunity. “It is of great importance to set a considerate mindset with proper medical care, first aid, trauma response and disaster response in both the veterinary and medical parts. The outcome of our projects is invaluable and will be shown in the long term in herders’ lives,” Galbadrakh says with confidence.
A Sustainable Future in Honor of Nomads in Mongolia
In three years, Steppe and Hoof’s program has seen drastic expansion and increased effectiveness. Despite extreme weather, poor conditions of country roads and a lack of electricity and facilities, it successfully conducts programs and reaches the targeted herders and their families. Steppe and Hoof usually travels thousands of kilometers to reach herders in remote areas during a project.
Approximately 1,000 herder families so far have had first aid and trauma training and emergency preparation in five of the 21 provinces in Mongolia. In 2022, Steppe and Hoof became the official charity organization of Mongol Derby, the longest and most demanding horse race in the world. Along with other international partnerships, the grassroots NGO is securing recurring funds and building multilateral collaboration for a sustainable prospect of the programs.
“Since there are only a few non-governmental organizations doing this kind of work in Mongolia, our organization’s contribution can bring positive change and great support to Mongolian livestock welfare and nomads’ lives,” Galbadrakh says. “New global issues are triggering and endangering our nomadic tradition and way of life, but we are here to help preserve and sustain their distinctive nomadic lifestyle that has been passed from generation to generation.”
– Shixin Zhao
Photo: Flickr
Reducing Poverty Among Nomads in Mongolia
Notably, the poverty reduction rate has been on a decline in recent years, largely due to a lack of quality jobs and labor market inclusion for youth. In 2021, about eight out of 100 Mongolians of the total labor force were unemployed. Poverty is typically worse in rural areas and among the nomadic/herder communities in Mongolia. Steppe and Hoof is an NGO working to reduce poverty among nomads in Mongolia.
Resource Curse: The Mining Industry and Outcomes
The mining industry has high hopes of becoming the powerhouse of Mongolia’s national economy. In 2001, Canadian mining company Ivanhoe Mines discovered one of the world’s largest and highest-grade deposits of gold, copper and molybdenum in Oyu Tolgoi, the south of Mongolia. Tavan Tolgoi and Khushuut also house the world’s largest coking coal deposits. The exciting discovery created a promising prospect for Mongolia’s development. However, the outcome disappointed many. Two decades later, the rich natural resources still have not translated into sustainable economic growth that benefits all.
Meanwhile, environmental concerns are on the rise: Mongolia faces severe water shortage and contamination. Ulaanbaatar ranked as the most polluted capital city in the world in 2021. As the mining industry emerges as the backbone of national economic development, the country with a long tradition of nomadic rural activities is losing its vitality in the vast countryside. Many nomads in Mongolia have faced internal displacement due to mining operations. Others have quit their ancestral living style and started working within the mining sector to escape poverty in Mongolia.
Rural poverty in Mongolia is characterized by a high level of economic vulnerability. In the event of dzud, or a succession of extreme droughts and severe winters that cause massive livestock deaths, herders have no choice but to look for employment in the city. This year, agriculture production is projected to face difficulties due to the harsh weather in spring and winter.
Problematic Urbanization
From 1950 to 2022, the urban population in Mongolia leaped from 20% to 70%. The internal displacement due to mining operations puts tremendous pressure on urban planning and management in Ulaanbaatar. Originally constructed for a 500,000-habitant scale, the capital city now hosts 50% of the entire country’s population–1.7 million people–who struggle in the overcrowded environment. Newcomers from rural areas still flood into the urban settlements despite the deteriorating environment. They join those who have renounced the nomadic lifestyle in the hope of finding more profitable jobs.
On the outskirts of the capital, the “ger” districts are rapidly expanding, where former herders from rural areas would live in informally built yurts with underdeveloped infrastructure. By 2022, around 60% of the Ulaanbaatar inhabitants lived in the unplanned urban periphery. This exceeds the number of those who live in formal housing. The poorly integrated urban economy in the “ger” districts fails to provide inhabitants with the necessary services and facilities for families to survive the harsh winter. The only choice for heating is burning coal. As a result, the informal urban settlements around Ulaanbaatar further exaggerate the already perilous air pollution in the city. This poses serious concerns for the health of the population, especially for small children and pregnant women. Internal displacement and drastic urbanization make urban and rural poverty in Mongolia an intertwined issue requiring an effective, urgent response.
Steppe and Hoof: Revitalizing the Countryside
Mongolian grassroots NGO Steppe and Hoof was founded in 2018 with the aim of mitigating unsustainable urbanization and improving nomads’ living conditions in rural areas in Mongolia. The founder Shatra Galbadrakh told The Borgen Project about her journey. Starting to work closely with nomads in 2009, Galbadrakh was struck by the unfortunate reality many herders face. She decided to make a change. “Many herders lose their livestock for different reasons and have no choice but to move to the capital city, substantially increasing density and unemployment in the city and adding to the pollution,” Galbadrakh comments. “I started small, asking friends and family members to donate first aid kits for herders.”
Today, merely 190,000 nomads continue the traditional herding, while 121,753 people have moved to Ulaanbaatar in the past five years. Living in remote, rural areas, herders face great challenges. They frequently cannot access modern medicines, technologies or the proper training to respond to climatic extremities. “Providing them with first aid, trauma education, practical practice, veterinary knowledge and proper medicine usage empowers herders and reinforces their survival abilities in unexpected natural phenomena and emergency situations,” Galbadrakh told The Borgen Project. “Our program enables them to respond intelligently and proactively to overcome natural disasters and abrupt challenges. Thus, it further eliminates the need for urban migration for herders to the cities.”
Steppe and Hoof now has five board members, an operational team of contractual workers and over 30 international volunteers. Members have different skills and come from distinct backgrounds, including doctors, paramedics, veterinarians and professionals from around the world.
Veterinary Education and Medical Assistance
Steppe and Hoof’s operations concentrate on two aspects: native horse preservation and veterinary education and first aid kit and medical assistance. The veterinary training spans from basic animal wound cleaning techniques to recognizing animal infectious diseases. Steppe and Hoof transmits knowledge of veterinary medicines with their appropriate usages and veterinary law coherent to herders’ lives. It also provides animal checkups by Mongolian and international veterinarians and animal treatment practical training. Galbadrakh recognizes the importance of borrowing from experience. “We strive to help and supplement what herders have been doing successfully for so long with modern medicines and animal practices,” she says.
As for medical assistance, Steppe and Hoof provides services free of charge. It delivers first aid kits to herders in their pastures, conducts preliminary health checkups and sonography diagnoses and offers consultation and medical advice. Herders participating in the program often actively seek help when facing health concerns to prevent diseases at the earliest opportunity. “It is of great importance to set a considerate mindset with proper medical care, first aid, trauma response and disaster response in both the veterinary and medical parts. The outcome of our projects is invaluable and will be shown in the long term in herders’ lives,” Galbadrakh says with confidence.
A Sustainable Future in Honor of Nomads in Mongolia
In three years, Steppe and Hoof’s program has seen drastic expansion and increased effectiveness. Despite extreme weather, poor conditions of country roads and a lack of electricity and facilities, it successfully conducts programs and reaches the targeted herders and their families. Steppe and Hoof usually travels thousands of kilometers to reach herders in remote areas during a project.
Approximately 1,000 herder families so far have had first aid and trauma training and emergency preparation in five of the 21 provinces in Mongolia. In 2022, Steppe and Hoof became the official charity organization of Mongol Derby, the longest and most demanding horse race in the world. Along with other international partnerships, the grassroots NGO is securing recurring funds and building multilateral collaboration for a sustainable prospect of the programs.
“Since there are only a few non-governmental organizations doing this kind of work in Mongolia, our organization’s contribution can bring positive change and great support to Mongolian livestock welfare and nomads’ lives,” Galbadrakh says. “New global issues are triggering and endangering our nomadic tradition and way of life, but we are here to help preserve and sustain their distinctive nomadic lifestyle that has been passed from generation to generation.”
– Shixin Zhao
Photo: Flickr
Egypt’s Fight Against Child Labor
Children in Egypt are subject to the harshest forms of child labor, which include agriculture, the production industry and exploitation services.
Agriculture
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, about 10.4% of children are forced to work on farms. Children are mainly responsible for tending livestock like water buffalo, cattle, goats and sheep. Poultry production is a relatively new, government-promoted product that children now have to attend, alongside fishing.
Production Industry
Most children are put to work in the production industry, with about 82.4% working in factories. The factories that children work in mainly produce bricks and quarry limestone, which exposes them to hazardous chemicals and supplies. Aside from construction and the production of bricks, many children have to work in carpentry workshops.
Exploitation Services
The Department of Labor found that about 7.2% of children are put into exploitation services, including domestic work, repairing vehicles, street vending and collecting trash. Some children are even seen driving tuktuks, which are motorized taxis. Children are sexually exploited, trafficked and forced to traffic drugs and humans.
There are a few Egyptian laws and regulations that fight against child labor, including Articles 64 and 74 of the Child Law, which set the minimum age for employment at 15 years. Article 89 of the Egyptian Constitution states the prohibition of forced labor alongside the prohibition of child trafficking.
Even though Egypt has a dedicated section in its Constitution to protect the well-being of children, it is difficult to enforce and document all instances of child endangerment. The country enforces these laws using agencies responsible for securing children’s safety.
The Ministry of Manpower
The Ministry of Manpower investigates child labor complaints and violations. The inspection division randomly targets any factory or labor institution in search of children being forced to work. If any violations are found, the agency reports to the authorities and the case is taken up by the Prosecutor General.
The Ministry of Interior
The Ministry of Interior tackles human, drug and sexual trafficking alongside the exploitation of children. The agency primarily operates using border patrol and attempts to catch anyone smuggling in and out of Egypt. Then, the Prosecutor General’s Office receives information about reported violations.
The Ministry of Justice, Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO)
The Ministry of Justice prosecutes violations of child labor and trafficking laws. In 2022, the agency investigated 107 crimes involving 237 individuals. This led to 171 prosecutions and 70 successful convictions.
In collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Egypt introduced policies to continue the fight against child labor and exploitation. These include the National Action Plan Against the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Supporting Family, the National Strategy for Combating and Preventing Trafficking in Persons, and the National Strategy for Childhood and Motherhood.
The National Action Plan Against the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Supporting Family (2018-2025)
This policy aims to eliminate child labor by 2025 and establish a strategy that can identify which government agencies can assist child laborers. The policy seeks to expand the knowledge of child labor bases in order to prevent children from working in factories or farms. It also establishes agencies to provide social protection and support, while generating awareness of child labor in the country.
The National Strategy for Combating and Preventing Trafficking in Persons (2016-2021)
This policy’s goal is to prevent human trafficking by protecting vulnerable populations and prosecuting violations of the child labor laws. This includes empowering children through education. Child labor is a primary reason for low rates of school completion in Egypt, and this policy seeks to encourage families to keep their children in school.
The National Strategy for Childhood and Motherhood (2018-2030)
This strategy aims to update the hazardous work list, expand educational and vocational training opportunities and build on established government agencies.
Eliminating child labor is a heavy order and can sometimes seem bleak. But advancements in Egypt’s fight against child exploitation in the past few years leave a hopeful outlook on this global issue.
– Sebastian Llerena
Photo: Flickr
Child Marriage in Uganda
But behind its natural beauty, Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 21.4% of its population living in absolute poverty and surviving on only $1.90 per day. Conflict and political unrest have restricted human rights, with women and girls among the most affected. Child marriage in Uganda continues to be a traditional and established practice, with Uganda being home to 5 million child brides.
Facts About Child Marriage in Uganda
According to a study that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conducted, 5 million Ugandan girls marry before the age of 18 and 1.3 million before the age of 15. Burdened with the responsibilities of being a wife and a mother, many young girls are unable to stay in school or enter the workplace, where they would find economic and social freedom. Child marriage has a greater effect on girls living in rural and low-income households, with families often deciding to collect a dowry rather than continue to pay for their daughter’s education. According to Save the Children, “1 million child marriages in Uganda could be prevented if girls get secondary education.”
Child marriage is a traditional practice and low-income families use it to earn money. Families often exchange girls as young as primary school age for goats and other material items, and treat the girls as a commodity or a means of income. With citizens accepting child marriage as a traditional practice, educating both young girls and the wider community is an essential part of changing cultural opinion.
Child marriage has a detrimental effect on the young bride’s emotional, physical and mental health. A young bride is more likely to be forced into sexual activity, which can result in pregnancy. Young mothers often face the devastating effects of childbirth, with mortality rates being five times greater for girls aged 10 to 14. A young girl’s body is often not mature enough to endure pregnancy and complications, such as heavy bleeding, eclampsia and anemia, increasing the risk of both mother and infant death.
Abuse and Violence
Child brides are more vulnerable to abuse and violence. Lack of education and autonomy leaves young girls disempowered and vulnerable to domestic abuse. These girls lack sexual education and report experiencing sexual violence three times more often than married adults. In 2018, 26.1% of women aged 15-49 reported experiencing physical and sexual abuse within the previous 12 months.
Child marriage violates a girl’s human rights, limiting her ability to become self-sufficient, have a developmentally appropriate childhood and have authority over her future. Historical patriarchal practices in the region treat women and girls as property, resulting in people trading them for cattle or dowries, or as a means of resolving family disputes. Even when Ugandan women gain employment, they receive 39% less income than their male counterparts.
Looking Ahead
In 2016, UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched a multi-country program called The Global Programme to End Child Marriage. With the support of the program, the National Strategy to End Child Marriage and other similar strategies underwent implementation in 55 out of 120 districts.
Between 2016 and 2019, 5,984 peer educators and mentors implemented safe spaces and school clubs for education on reproductive health in 40 districts. At least 346,526 Ugandan girls aged 10–19 received this education and health care. The next phase of the program focusses on educating all Ugandan children about issues around gender, as well as teaching life skills and empowerment.
Toll-free Helpline
The Ugandan government implemented toll-free helplines, to address and track cases of violence against girls and women. In 2018, those helplines received 200,185 calls, of which 107,871 were resolved. Of all calls received, 2% were those in child marriage. Uganda is now implementing legislation in 40 counties to end child marriage. In 2018, Uganda became the first country to include ending child marriage in its national strategy.
In 2014, Uganda called for a resolution and stated a commitment to ending child and forced marriage by 2030. With support from organizations like UNICEF and UNFPA, child marriage rates are decreasing and cultural attitudes toward child marriage are improving. By ending child marriage in Uganda, estimates have indicated that Uganda could generate $3 million per year by 2030, with women being more able to contribute to the country’s economy.
Important legislative steps continue to be taken to ensure that child marriage is no longer an accepted practice. With these steps, the beauty of the Ugandan landscape can be reflected in the safety and freedom of its female inhabitants.
– Isabel R. Burnside
Photo: Pixabay
Addressing Child Poverty in Portugal
The Causes
The main causes of child poverty in Portugal are unemployment and in-work poverty. Portugal’s unemployment rate of 5.8% means that Portugal has a higher rate of unemployment than New Zealand and Kazakhstan, both similar-sized economies. Naturally, unemployment causes child poverty.
The ubiquity of in-work poverty is particularly damaging, as an unemployment rate of 0% would not eliminate child poverty in Portugal, due to low wages combined with labor market segmentation.
The impact of low wages on child poverty is rather self-explanatory; if one does not receive a reasonable salary, then they will likely live in poverty, whereas labor market segmentation contributes to child poverty by limiting people’s employment opportunities. This is because some sectors of the Portuguese economy do not have transferrable skill sets to other sectors. As a result, people in work effectively become ‘trapped’ in their current sector, unable to leave if wages fail to keep up with the cost of living.
The Effects
Child labor is one of the unfortunate effects of child poverty in Portugal. Fortunately, the country is making great strides toward eliminating this by-product. However, this has not always been the case.
For example, in 1999, the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) found that 49 minors were working as child laborers per 1,000 visits. These children were employed illegally in the construction, hospitality and retail sectors. This has reduced to seven as of 2010. These children had to find employment due to their economic conditions.
Government Efforts
The Portuguese government realized this, resulting in policies that provide financial aid to families with children at risk of labor exploitation. Consequently, children no longer had to work to provide income for their families, as government financial support filled the financial gap that their labor would fill.
Additionally, education is now compulsory until 18 years old, which has taken children from the constriction site and into the classroom.
Child poverty in Portugal also ensures that its victims reside in dangerous housing, with more than 25% of Portuguese children living in a house where the roof, walls, floors or doors are either permeable to water or rotten. Damp housing is very dangerous, as it can cause asthma attacks, while also developing into toxic mold, which can cause further respiratory illness.
However, the housing charity Habitat for Humanity, founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, has been working to address this issue. This organization simultaneously builds new houses and renovates existing, dangerous properties, to ensure that child poverty in Portugal does not force children to reside in unsafe housing.
In 2016 alone, 35 families in Braga and Amarante were rehoused in newly built houses, which were free from the dangers of toxic mold. While this is only a seemingly small contribution when analyzed on a large scale, this contribution is anything but small for the families who no longer have to worry about the dangers of damp housing.
Solutions
While Habitat for Humanity and the Portuguese government have provided solutions to the effects of child labor in Portugal, solutions to the root cause have yet to be discussed.
The Portuguese government published the Child Guarantee National Action Plan in February 2023, which pledged to spend 5.1 billion Euros. This funding is to be targeted at policies that will reduce child poverty in the long term. For instance, all children will receive one free meal per day at school, which will ensure children eat a nutritious meal. This will improve their health.
Additionally, free preschool will be provided for every child, which ensures that children suffering from child poverty in Portugal are not disadvantaged compared to children whose parents can afford to send their children to a privately funded preschool. This policy will reduce inequality in educational attainment, which will break the cycle of child poverty in Portugal in the long run, as better grades improve people’s job prospects.
A Short Summary
There are a variety of causes, effects and solutions to child poverty in Portugal. The Portuguese government has made successful interventions to eliminate child labor. Furthermore, Habitat for Humanity has rehoused families at risk of respiratory illness as a result of damp housing.
It has taken a while, but thankfully the Portuguese government has begun to take serious steps to tackle child poverty in Portugal, with the Child Guarantee National Action Plan.
– Tom Eccles
Photo: Flickr
Disability and Poverty in Sudan and South Sudan
According to the K4D Research Helpdesk (2018), South Sudan’s disability rate was “as high as the global estimate of 15%.” Before the nation’s independence, reports showed that 5.1% of the population was facing disability, but after a clear disability definition and a depletion of the stigma around disability, a 2016 household survey revealed that 15% of South Sudanese households had at least one disabled family member.
Here are 3 NGOs addressing disability and poverty in Sudan and South Sudan to improve the quality of life through education, social, economic and political empowerment of disabled communities.
Action on Disability and Development (ADD) International
ADD International is an NGO that supplies resources and works toward bolstering “disability rights activists and organizations” to effectively make changes in the disabled community at a global scale. It delivers aid to Sudan’s disabled community through the Young Leaders Program. Within this program, young disabled activists receive education about disability law and utilize this knowledge to advocate for change. As a result, many young leaders have culminated with comprehension of their disability rights and have been exposed to other young leaders with a different type(s) of disability which has collectively unified them as a community fighting for the same cause which is disability justice.
The Christian Blind Mission (CBM)
The CBM is an NGO that strives for an all-inclusive world with persons with disabilities in it. It addresses that poverty is the cause and consequence of disability and works to reduce that by helping improve the quality of life of PWDs in the world’s poorest countries. In South Sudan, CBM partnered with the Cartre Centre to change the lives of Robina and Peter, two young leaders with a detrimental cataract disease that can rob them of their sight. CBM immediately covered the costs of the trip, treatment and surgery of the young children, helping them restore their eyesight.
Light for the World
Light for the World is an NGO that amplifies the voices of those with disabilities through inclusive education, access to services and empowerment. The organization has worked in South Sudan since 2007 and partnered with local organizations in the area to accomplish these three goals. In 2021, Light for the World reached at least 5,000 people in South Sudan. More than 300 account children reached out through inclusive education programs and 100 through economic empowerment initiatives.
Bringing Light to the World
It is important to spotlight disability injustice because of the link between disability and poverty. “Persons with disabilities, on average as a group, are more likely to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes than persons without disabilities,” the World Bank says. Furthermore, people with disabilities are a marginalized group that lacks inclusion, pushing them deeper into poverty.
These three NGOs bring light to the worlds of young, adult, and elderly disabled populations located in the poorest countries because they understand the struggle of those with disabilities and they know that by supplying the disabled community, justice can be served.
– Amy Contreras
Photo: Flickr
Solar Panels Create A Brighter Future for Health Care
One Hospital’s Story
In rural Peru, two communities in the Amazon rainforest that are only reachable by boat have been struggling to provide their community members with consistent health care. More than 12,000 people live in Masisea and Iparia, where the poverty rate is as high as 14%. The community holds members from 87 different groups indigenous to the Amazon.
In these towns, health centers struggle. A woman who goes into labor at the start of the night may experience dramatically different care than one who goes into labor during the early morning. This disparity exists because there was only spotty electricity, and generators provided much of it with limited functionality and limited fuel. Often, births were conducted under the light of a cell phone.
Partners in Health has been working to improve health care internationally as their mission, and their Peruvian branch, Socios En Salud, has been operating since 1994. Their work in Masisea has directly impacted the quality of care of at least 1,200 patients in a little over four months. Compared to generators, solar panels create more electricity with less money and can store it. Because of this, oxygen concentrators, lights and refrigerators never have to be turned off again in Masisea. One health center staff member said, “It’s the first time in my life since I was born that I’ve seen lights 24 hours a day.”
Other Solar Health Care Locations
Since 2017, more than 1,000 new locations have solar panels powering health centers. Many organizations have contributed to this bright future, where solar panels create equitable health care. Partners in Health, the UNDP’s Solar for Health Initiative, and SolarAid are some of the biggest.
Solar for Health focuses on Africa, providing electricity to health centers and health storage facilities in 15 countries. Around half of those living without electricity live in Sub-Saharan Africa, but Solar for Health is trying to ensure that no one needing health care must go without it. However, its focus is not exclusively on improving health care. It also teaches women in the communities gaining solar power to be solar technicians, creating green jobs and promoting gender equality. It also educates communities on the intersection of pollution and health.
Partners in Health have installed solar panels at many locations outside of Masisea Health Center, including a few in Haiti, one in Boucan Carre and most of their hospitals and clinics in Lesotho and Rwanda. There are many more health care centers than that operating via solar power, both under the umbrella of Partners in Health and outside of it.
The smallest of the three organizations is SolarAid, which is committed to leaving no health care centers in Africa without electricity. It believes that solar panels create stronger communities and aim to give Africa access to solar power by 2030. This nonprofit originated in 2006 and has made incredible progress since then. It has impacted more than 4 million people, giving them reliable access to light, saving them money and keeping them from using light sources that could be toxic or dangerous. These millions include several health care facilities across Africa.
Conclusion
Renewable energy has opened a path to universally equitable health care. Fuel for generators is prohibitively expensive for most health care centers in impoverished areas, and many cannot connect to a consistent electric grid easily. These organizations, which not only pay for and install solar panels for health care centers but teach people in the community how to care for the solar panels and keep them running, have created a future that is, literally and figuratively, brighter.
– Ren Pratt
Photo: Flickr
Progress in Bolivia’s Water Access
The release of Bollaín’s film coincided with the 10-year anniversary of the Bolivian crisis, reminding the public of this devastating chapter in history that was perhaps forgotten outside of Bolivia. Beyond educating many about a dark time in Bolivia’s past, the movie encourages a necessary discussion about Bolivia’s current water access situation.
The Current Situation
Despite the victories achieved during the Water Wars, Bolivia continues to struggle with water challenges. Rapid urbanization, natural disasters and mismanagement of water resources contribute to water scarcity in various regions of the country. Rural communities are particularly vulnerable, facing difficulties accessing clean and reliable water sources.
Steady Progress
However, while it is still an issue, it must be noted that there has been significant progress in achieving water access in Bolivia. In 2020, 84.7% of the population had access to improved sources of water, and 62.5% had access to basic sanitation. The country continues to implement different drinking water and sanitation programs in both urban and rural areas which work to increase access to these resources and their quality.
Furthermore, the government has set a goal by 2025 that works for access to essential basic services with an emphasis on vulnerable groups, with the management of water prices and free access for groups affected by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Bolivia’s Help
The international community has committed to assisting in Bolivia’s efforts. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a line of credit of up to $500 million to enhance Bolivia’s water access and security and help secure a sustainable supply of irrigation and drinking water. The objectives of the investment are to increase food security by 25% and raise the net agricultural income of family farms by 36%. The investment will be directed toward mechanized irrigation systems for around 12,500 families from the most vulnerable communities that depend on agriculture to survive. After the new systems, these farms will be able to irrigate an additional 13,871 hectares.
Progress outside of government policy is also being made. The NGO Water for People, which has been working in Bolivia since 1997, has made tremendous efforts. Water for People implements piped water supply and educates communities on how to maintain them for the long term. In addition, the organization helps construct hygienic hand washing stations and toilets in schools.
Looking Ahead
Agriculture is the primary economic activity of 77% of the country’s rural population which makes up Bolivia’s most vulnerable communities. Thus, water scarcity is devastating for Bolivia’s most vulnerable. Bolivia has made significant improvements since its water crisis at the beginning of the century, but progress is still needed. Bolivia’s future has hope as the international community and multiple NGOs work to assist them in their struggle.
– Cameron Alcocer-Venables
Photo: Flickr
How the Sweet Potato Can Relieve Poverty in Cameroon
What is the Problem?
Cameroon is a large Central African country situated on the Gulf of Guinea. An ethnically diverse place, its population stands at around 27 million people, almost half of whom live in rural areas. While Cameroon has experienced moderate growth since its Independence, it has been beset by economic stagnation and high inflation in recent years.
A major importer of essential resources such as wheat, vegetable oil and meat, this crisis is due to disruption to these global value chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Rising food prices and stalling wages mean that many Cameroonians face the prospect of falling into poverty. As a result, 11% of the population faces acute food insecurity; worryingly, this number will likely increase by 45% compared to last year.
For many Cameroonians, wheat is a dietary staple consumed in high volume as pasta and bread. However, as a non-wheat-producing country, Cameroon completely depends on imports, 46% of which come from Russia. However, the war between Russia and Ukraine has severely affected global exports. This has created wheat shortages around the world and pushed up its price.
In Cameroon, for example, the cost of a kilogram of wheat flour rose from 500 FCFA in February to 600 FCFA in May, an increase of 69% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Not only has this meant businesses are struggling with increased production costs, but the government has also needed to raise the price of bread (a commodity that the government tightly regulates). These price increases will reduce the purchasing power of many Cameroonian households and increase poverty.
An Alternative
However, as the government has sought to contain the volatility in the wheat market, many are turning to an alternative form of flour made from sweet potato. Already an essential crop in many East African countries, the sweet potato has received significant attention as a cheap, easy to grow and sustainable food source due to its high yield in various climates and ability to withstand drought. However, it is nutritionally rich in carbohydrates, vitamins A, B and C, and minerals like phosphorus, iron and calcium. On a continent plagued with Vitamin A deficiency (which can lead to blindness, disease and premature death), it is hoped that the sweet potato can relieve poverty in Cameroon as it offers promising solutions to malnourishment, food insecurity and poverty.
What Has Been Happening?
With wheat prices rising to unsustainable levels, the crisis reached breaking point when the Cameroonian Association of Millers suspended deliveries of wheat flour. However, stepping in to quell the fears of many business owners and consumers, in 2011, the President of the National Union of Bakery Owners, Jean Claude Yiepmou Kapwa, pointed out that sweet potato flour can replace wheat in 80% of everyday recipes. Local entrepreneurs successfully producing flour from wheat alternatives such as sweet potato and cassava have now been adopting this idea. While flour makes baked products that taste sweeter and are slightly dryer, overall, its production has been praised by some government ministers supporting the diversification to alternative forms of flour.
A great example of where sweet potato flour is successfully replacing wheat is through Yaoundé baker Guy Marcel Ngata. Ngata has been making baguettes with sweet potato, cassava and other legumes for the past 13 years. Ngata points out that switching wheat to local flour alternatives has kept his production costs down and increased his profits. Importantly, like other bakeries in Cameroon, the switch has also kept him solvent. But bakers have not been the only ones to feel its benefits. As Adeline Pelage, owner of Bobo Biscuiterie in Douala, explains, sourcing flour from local cooperatives and farms supports agriculture in areas of the country that traditionally have been very poor. This demonstrates how the sweet potato can relieve poverty in Cameroon.
Conclusion
As Cameroon, like many other wheat-importing, developing nations, struggle to contain the volatility of the wheat market, it can take encouragement from the initiatives of many Cameroonians who are actively seeking alternatives to wheat to ensure they can still receive a livelihood. Moreover, by turning to locally sourced flour, many food producers are ensuring that bread prices will remain low and that important income sources reach the country’s poorest parts. This helps show how the sweet potato can relieve poverty in Cameroon.
– Cameron Mason
Photo: Flickr
Unraveling the Complex Tapestry of Poverty in Niger
Examining the Stark Realities of Poverty in Niger
Projections for 2023 from the World Bank estimated that levels of extreme poverty in Niger were to reach 44.1%, that is, more than 12 million people living below the poverty line. Simultaneously, figures from the World Bank also indicate that by September 2023, Niger had been host to more than 700,000 displaced people. Providing provisions and sanctity for the likes of refugees and asylum seekers is not uncommon in Niger, since the country shares borders with some seven other countries, notably Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali. Niger has always been a popular crossroads for migrants. In addition to the overwhelming pressures of providing for foreign migrants, Niger holds one of the world’s fastest-growing populations, with 6.8 births per woman, and comprises a populace that youth dominates.
Niger’s geography not only leaves it exposed to migration but also vulnerable to the extremities of natural disasters. Niger’s land is largely infertile, a state dictated by savanna and deserts, leaving little room for agricultural development. Despite this, agriculture still contributes to more than 40% of the national GDP — an indication of the frailty of their economy. Flooding in September 2023 caused the collapse of more than 14,000 homes, taking 51 lives in the process. Niger also currently ranks 120th of 125 countries on the Global Hunger Index, which notes a 16.1% rate of Child Wasting, i.e., children under five that are underweight, and a 47.7% rate of Child Stunting (children under five with low height for their age due to chronic undernutrition).
Unpacking the Aftermath: Coup d’État and Its Impact on Poverty in Niger
On July 26, 2023, a military coup led by the now self-proclaimed Head of State Abdourahamane Tiani overthrew Niger’s government. The immediate aftermath witnessed a pause, then suspension, of international aid from the U.S., condemnation and threat of military intervention from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and further financial aid was halted from the EU, France, Germany and more. Deteriorating relations with such significant foreign powers will inevitably have a catastrophic impact on Niger’s economy, with France having committed as much as €120 million in 2022 (a figure that was anticipated to be exceeded in 2023), the U.S. suspending nearly $200 million in foreign assistance programs, and the EU having allocated more than €500 million of its budget between 2021-24 to development in governance, education and sustainable growth.
The military coup in Niger is the third in the Sahel region in as many years, following on from similar revolts in Burkina Faso and Mali. Consequently, in 2023 Niger formed the Alliance of Sahel States with Burkina Faso and Mali, unifying against the potential for a military intervention from ECOWAS. This, accompanied by the announcement that France will begin to withdraw its military presence from Niger, has led to growing skepticism over whether a way back can be found.
Catalyzing Change: Progress and its Challenges in Niger
Despite circumstances seeming especially dire in Niger, there are initiatives in place and positives to be taken in the fight for social and economic resurgence. Although suspending significant funding to foreign assistance programs, the U.S. has committed to maintaining its humanitarian presence by facilitating food and health assistance to benefit the people of Niger. The World Bank has established clear aims that can rebuild the Nigerian economy, although this heavily relies upon a resolution being met with ECOWAS and key International benefactors.
The UN has proven determined to maintain its humanitarian capacity in Niger, providing as many as 22,000 persons with food and cash assistance weekly This commitment does not, however, come without challenge, evidenced by the expulsion of its Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator in early October. Alliances with neighboring states Burkina Faso and Mali provided the means for Niger to open its borders not long after the siege.
However, sanctions that ECOWAS placed upon Niger have largely inhibited its means of trade. So much so that Members of the House of Representatives have posed the question to the Nigerian government to reopen borders with Niger amid growing concerns over the consequential hardship faced by Nigerians. Ultimately the means for prosperity and development are readily available, to attain this Niger and its counterparties must come to a resolution that puts the needs of Nigerien people first.
– Ruairí Greene
Photo: Flickr
Plastics For Change
Air pollution and water pollution have a strong negative impact on communities that are living in poverty. With fewer resources available to combat the problem, 92% of pollution-related deaths occur in middle and low-income countries. Children are even more likely to be impacted by the adverse effects of pollution, most commonly from chemicals in the air and water.
Many plastic products that people purchase are created by companies to be used once and then thrown away; consider water bottles and shampoo containers. In middle and low-income communities, it is more likely for people not to have access to solid waste management services. That lack of access leaves these communities with no choice but to burn garbage or dump it into waterways.
Burning plastic often releases toxic fumes, which have been linked to rendering neurological development. By dumping plastic into waterways, the water is at a higher risk of flooding, increasing the possibility of diseases spreading. Standing water also attracts mosquitoes, which tend to carry parasites responsible for the fatal disease malaria, which is most commonly found in impoverished countries.
Plastics For Change
The World Bank estimates that 1 in 10 people exposed to unsafe air pollution live in poverty. If someone living in poverty-like conditions does not have adequate access to health care, pollution can have a detrimental effect on the person, especially when other poverty conditions are present.
A man named Andrew Almack traveled through South Asia in 2011. Upon visiting, he was shocked to see how many people lived in extreme poverty and how much plastic waste was present throughout the region. After visiting, Almack saw the great need for something to be done to reduce plastic waste and pollution. This same year, Almack founded Plastics For Change.
Plastics For Change strives to fight poverty and provide jobs for people in poor communities. The organization also strives to reduce plastic waste by creating and spreading ways to dispose of waste properly. Andrew Almack believed that there was a vast opportunity to use recycling as a way to reduce poverty. The organization encourages companies to switch to recycled plastic in hopes that even more brands will be involved in reducing pollution and fighting poverty.
Reducing Pollution To Fight Poverty
While pollution and poverty may seem unrelated, pollution often harshens the effects of already impoverished communities. Many believe that clean air and clean water shouldn’t be a privilege but that it should be a necessity. Plastics for Change, among many other organizations and nonprofits, has made reducing pollution to fight poverty a means of importance with the hopes that the world will see great change one day.
– Alesandra Cowardin
Photo: Wikimedia Commons