Poverty levels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are incredibly high, and women tend to suffer deeper economic violence and injustices. Limited access to education, reproductive and care responsibilities, gender-based violence, unequal laws and the lack of representation of women in decision-making contribute to gender-based poverty in the DRC.
Women’s Limited Access to Education
Limited access to education and economic opportunities poses significant challenges for girls in the DRC. Although girls’ enrolment in school has increased from 50% to 78% between 2000 and 2017, women still face challenges to higher education and economic access. The main reason for Congolese girls’ struggle to pursue an education is social norms and expectations — marriage and motherhood.
Addressing this issue is crucial to guarantee girls’ access to education and therefore reduce gender-based poverty in the DRC. Indeed, providing Congolese women with the opportunity and means to obtain an education increases their chances of obtaining better-paying jobs and allowing women to participate more fully in the political sphere.
Increasing women’s access to education requires advocacy, improving school infrastructure, providing financial support and combating gender-based discrimination and violence. For instance, the United Kingdom’s new Women and Girls Strategy helps 36,000 girls in the DRC access education in the Kauai province.
Empowering girls will contribute to social and economic development, fostering a more equitable and prosperous society in the DRC.
Reproductive and Care Responsibilities
Reproductive and care responsibilities burden Congolese women, hindering their economic empowerment. Women’s value in Congolese society is often reduced to the roles of wife and mother. According to the 2017–18 MICS, nearly 30% of women are married under the age of 18 years old.
This phenomenon deeply impacts women’s economic agency and thus gender-based poverty in the DRC. Indeed, women’s caregiving roles limit educational and workforce opportunities.
Actively fighting gender stereotypes and expectations could not only allow women to pursue education but also encourage the equitable sharing of caregiving responsibilities in marriage and provide comprehensive support to women in managing their work and family commitments.
Gender-based Violence
Gender-based violence (GBV) is prevalent in the DRC, particularly in conflict-affected regions, impacting women’s physical and mental well-being, as well as partially causing gender-based poverty in the DRC. Indeed, one in two women in the DRC report having experienced physical or sexual abuse at least once in their lives.
Firstly, fear of violence discourages girls’ education and limits economic opportunities. In fact, girls face increased risks of violence, sexual exploitation and harassment by teachers and harmed forces in school settings.
Secondly, the economic consequences of gender-based violence are closely linked with harmful conceptions of gender roles. Because the value of women is based on their capacity to marry and bear children, people often view survivors of sexual abuse as “unfit” for such roles, and their socioeconomic status suffers as a result.
In order to fully address gender-based violence in the DRC, national and international institutions need to implement legal reforms, provide secure learning environments and encourage community engagement to combat harmful norms.
Unequal Laws and Discriminatory Practices Towards Women
Unequal laws and discriminatory practices reinforce gender-based poverty in the DRC. Inheritance laws favor male heirs, denying women their rightful property share. Limited access to land ownership and financial services further hampers economic opportunities. Despite their critical role in agriculture, rural development and food security, women own just 25% of land in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
In response to unequal laws and discriminatory practices towards women in the DRC, a range of active solutions have emerged. Advocacy for legal reforms is driving the transformation of discriminatory legislation, ensuring women’s equal rights to property ownership and inheritance.
The Lack of Representation in Decision-Making
The lack of representation of women in decision-making perpetuates gender-based poverty in the DRC. Women’s voices are often overlooked in political and community leadership, hindering gender-sensitive policy development. Despite the fact that articles 5, 14 and 15 of the DRC constitution provide a legal foundation for equality and equity policies, women currently hold only 7.2% of positions at the highest level of decision-making at the national level in the parliament and administration.
Promoting gender equality is a critical objective in the DRC to increase women’s participation in decision-making processes. Gender equality creates a way for women to participate in decision-making arenas by removing deeply ingrained gender inequities and discriminatory standards.
Trócaire and partners — with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) — have implemented programs to enhance Congolese women’s participation in decision-making processes in more than 27 communities. Following this program encouraging gender equality, 65% of women now participate in and are represented in decision-making organizations in the communities concerned by the project.
Despite progress, significant challenges persist in ensuring women’s economic empowerment, requiring sustained dedication to create lasting change and put an end to gender-based poverty in the DRC. Addressing gender-based poverty in the DRC demands comprehensive solutions: education access, ending discrimination, combating violence, elevating voices and fostering an equitable future.
– Hannah Klifa
Photo: Flickr
Addressing the Issue of Child Soldiers in Nigeria
Globally, armed conflicts unfortunately involve children, with at least 105,000 child soldiers reported between 2005 and 2022. Armed groups compel these children into service through methods such as abduction, threats, poverty or the need for survival, all of which violate international law and child rights. Within these armed forces, these children endure violence, perilous tasks and deprivation, significantly affecting their physical and mental well-being.
In 2021, a United Nations (UN) report highlighted alarming rates of child soldiers in Nigeria and sexual violence against children in West and Central Africa. Within five years, government forces and armed groups recruited more than 21,000 children in the region. Furthermore, abductions affected more than 3,500 children, ranking the nation as the second-highest globally in abductions.
Humanitarian Crisis
Various security issues plague Nigeria, including the persistent Boko Haram insurgency in the North, prolonged unrest in the Niger Delta, escalating clashes between herders and farmers in the central and southern regions and the separatist movement in the South East known as Biafra agitation.
Boko Haram, an Islamist extremist group, has violently affected the Lake Chad Basin region in West Africa for more than 12 years, displacing at least 2 million people and causing a severe humanitarian crisis. The group’s goal has been to create an Islamic caliphate based in Nigeria. Additionally, this conflict has impacted neighboring countries such as Cameroon, Chad and Niger, leading to the displacement of millions of people across these regions. Armed groups abduct, kill and force children into becoming child soldiers and suicide bombers. They also attack villages, depriving residents of essential resources such as safe water and healthcare. The ongoing crisis has led to a sharp rise in child malnutrition rates.
Child Warfare
Boko Haram is employing new strategies, notably involving children in warfare, to regain influence and global infamy.
In July 2020, the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict condemned Boko Haram’s grave violations against children in Nigeria’s northeast. Between January 2017 and December 2019, Boko Haram recruited 3,601 children, including 1,385 child soldiers through abduction, forced combat and sexual slavery.
Boko Haram has recruited child soldiers as young as 5 to 8 years old. Even more concerning is the group’s use of young girls as suicide bombers. Between April 2011 and June 2017, they deployed 434 bombers, with more than 50% being females. Shockingly, 81 of them were children and teenagers. This number exceeds the 44 child bombers used by the Tamil Tigers over a decade.
The Fight for the Future
Armed groups in Nigeria recruit and use child soldiers due to various contributing factors. Cash incentives are attractive to countries with a large population living below the poverty line, which makes recruitment easier. Moreover, the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria exposes out-of-school children to vulnerability, making them susceptible to armed groups. Despite efforts to address the problem, including heightened security measures in Northern Nigeria, the UN considers the situation “unacceptable and immoral.” The issue remains unresolved, even though the UN and the Nigerian government have worked together to combat it.
The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict is urging regional efforts to prevent children from joining armed groups by providing them with better opportunities such as education and meaningful activities. This approach involves establishing child protection agencies, reintegrating rescued children and prioritizing education to reduce vulnerability and the number of out-of-school children, thereby making them less susceptible to recruitment by non-state armed groups.
Urgent global attention and coordinated efforts from the international community, the UN and the Nigerian government appear to be vital in addressing the issue of child soldiers in Nigeria. The involvement of children, as young as 5 years old, vividly highlights the severity of the issue. Despite recent initiatives like enacting the Child Rights Act and endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration, the issue of child recruitment persists, underscoring the need for a comprehensive approach.
Both recent and ongoing trends regarding this problem emphasize the need for sustained commitment from all stakeholders to eradicate the use of child soldiers in Nigeria and provide a brighter future for the nation’s young generations.
– Ellen Jones
Photo: Flickr
5 Updates on the Yemen Crisis
The Crisis in Yemen
The Republic of Yemen is located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula with approximately 29 million inhabitants. Yemen has long been the poorest country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with half of the population living in poverty even before the outbreak of conflict. In early 2015, a civil war erupted in the country between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, a political organization originating in the northwestern province of Saada. Since then, the unrelenting fighting has destabilized the economy and destroyed much of the local infrastructure, driving the poverty rate up to as high as 78% of the population.
This conflict has resulted in mass displacement, food shortages and famine with 16.2 million residents at risk of malnutrition due to food insecurity. Furthermore, because of large-scale displacement and poor sanitation, there have been a series of disease outbreaks over recent years including outbreaks of cholera, measles and diphtheria, all of which have been eradicated across much of the rest of the world.
In April 2022, the United Nations announced that a two-month cease-fire had been agreed upon by opposing sides. In a progressive move, this truce was renewed a further two times before officially ending in October of the same year. Despite the end of the cease-fire, fighting has not resumed to the same extent as before, providing Yemen and its inhabitants with a period of relative stability and the opportunity to receive foreign aid.
Visible Progress
With the country finding some degree of stability in the wake of the six-month truce in 2022, the people of Yemen have been able to receive aid from international organizations such as UNICEF.
Here are five updates on the progress visible amid the Yemen crisis since the truce period in 2022.
Initially, the Yemen crisis was heavily publicized; however, media coverage and charitable appeals have dwindled by comparison in the years since. Because of this, it is easy to be disillusioned about the current struggles the Yemenis are facing. In spite of this, progress has continued to occur at an accelerated rate in the wake of a temporary ceasefire which scaled back significant proportions of the fighting and has created a fragile state of stability across the country.
– Holly Coop
Photo: Unsplash
Higher Education in Jamaica
What are Some Barriers to Better Education?
Currently, 19% of Jamaicans aged 19–24 attend some college or university. The college-educated make up only 15% of the entire workforce. Lack of funding for proper resources, infrastructure and previous government policies surrounding wealth inequality all contribute to this development. As of 2017, it was reported that 400,000 people lived in poverty, and 14,000 lived in extreme poverty. Along with overcoming a decades-long culture of elitism in academia, Jamaica does not have a strong structure in place for technical and vocational training programs. Dating back to 2009, at the time, 70% of the labor force, or 700,000, had no formal training.
What Has Jamaica Done to Combat These Challenges?
Over time, Jamaica has increased its investments to enhance formal instruction. The Human Employment and Resource Training (HEART) trust, a government agency, made gains in offering trade learning at 20 centers nationwide.
In addition, Jamaica has emphasized improving its standards to ensure that teachers are more qualified and able to make a more significant impact on their communities’ youth. Until the early 2010s, school teachers could work in the field once they earned a three-year diploma in teaching degree from their university. Now, they must earn a bachelor of education degree, a four-year degree that includes student teaching in its curriculum. Part of making higher education in Jamaica a true possibility for its citizens centers around preparing students to be mentally and emotionally prepared to reach the next level.
Moreover, the government recognizes that funding and resources must go into this department for positive changes. In the fiscal year 2022/2023, the Ministry of Education made up the highest expenditure on the government’s budget. Of the roughly $141.3 trillion JMD ($912 billion USD) government spending outlined, education received approximately $18.9 trillion JMD ($122 billion USD), with higher education priorities raking in $3.2 trillion JMD ($20.6 billion) of that sum. This is a significant increase from 2016/2017 when the education budget totaled $90.5 billion (~$14 trillion JMD).
What Have the United States and Other Developed Nations Done to Help?
Since Jamaica’s independence in 1962, the United States provided more than $1.4 billion ($185.9 trillion JMD) across various sectors. Part of this involved assisting in the funding for the Mona School of Business and Management and the College of Agriculture, Science, and Education. USAID efforts have helped more than a million young students from early childhood to tertiary levels, offering resources to improve literacy and mathematics skills. As for the European Union (EU), it has pledged to provide at least €30 million (~$5 billion JMD) from 2021 to 2027 to improve access to digital technology in the workplace and resources to fight against changing weather patterns.
Effects of COVID-19
From 2019 to 2021, Jamaica saw its total yearly foreign aid reception plummet from $125 million to $58 million. COVID-19 created a global shockwave, which is the reason for the heavy decrease. Nonetheless, in some of the most dangerous and unprecedented times, struggling countries like Jamaica have been left in the dust. To be clear, the response to ending poverty and improving access to education in Jamaica was poor before the pandemic. However, a nearly 50% cut is drastic. It slashes opportunities to not only further build education but also to address water and food insecurity, lack of sustainable housing and everything else across the board.
While Jamaica is classified as a middle-upper-level income country, it struggles with growth. Even as it is set to recover from its 10% drop in real GDP in 2023, underlying economic concerns still require attention. Underdeveloped business structures, low productivity, persistent crime and limited technological advancements for most citizens are all points of emphasis.
Hope for systemic improvement is never lost, but the global response must substantially increase to streamline the process. Developed countries cutting foreign aid expenditures should never be the solution to address deficits. After all, foreign aid is an investment that leads to prosperity for both parties involved.
– Elliott Borawski
Photo: Unsplash
Disability and Poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina
War and genocide have caused stagnation in the development of social welfare policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a result, concerns regarding disability and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina remain highly neglected by the country’s separate entities. While certain USAID programs have worked to improve the accessibility of public spaces for people with disabilities (PWDs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, little has been done to target the reduction of unemployment and poverty. Institutions must set in motion the provision of effective education and training to PWDs as a solution to systemic disability inequality in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Social Exclusion and Marginalization
In 2010, Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a preliminary obligation in the commitment to reduce the relationship between disability and poverty in the country. More than 350,000 of the 569,000 PWDs in Bosnia and Herzegovina registered themselves as unemployed in 2017. This, therefore, indicates that, despite initial efforts made by the state, PWDs still face extreme social and economic marginalization. Stereotyping and social stigmatization by employers and employees lead to the exclusion of people with learning and physical disabilities from the labor market, making PWDs the most disadvantaged social group by unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They become trapped in a cycle of poverty, leading to poor access to housing, health care and education.
The discrimination that interconnects disability and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina manifests in several ways. Architectural design in most Bosnian towns and villages hinders workplace accessibility for those with physical disabilities. Only in populated, urban areas, such as Sarajevo, will there be a handful of companies that adhere to the requirement of employing one person with a disability per several employees. In a similar vein, people with learning disabilities lack the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to participate in the economy and live independently. Instead, they are, at large, placed in institutions where patient abuse by staff is rife.
Regulatory Frameworks
The lack of cohesion in legislation regarding disability and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina hinders PWDs from realizing their rights and breaking the poverty cycle. The country is divided into two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Republika Srpska. Each has its own legislature, but the FBiH faces a deeper legal integration issue due to its 10 cantons. Any new legal document must gain approval from each individual canton, making progress toward the equality of opportunity for PWDs slow and incoherent.
This, coupled with the stigmatization that leads to the institutionalization and maltreatment of PWDs by employers and caretakers, indicates a need for stronger enforcement measures across the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding the right to work for PWDs. In addition, the nation needs further funding for training and education programs by the state and foreign development programs.
Creating programs that aim to incorporate PWDs into the workforce in Bosnia and Herzegovina reduces the abhorrent conditions of poverty. It also benefits the country by reducing the overall unemployment rate, therefore enabling more consumers to participate in the economy.
Breaking the Cycle with Cybersecurity
This year, the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina advertised a funding opportunity for a program intending to train PWDs for jobs in cybersecurity. Non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and educational institutions are all eligible to apply and help provide PWDs with valuable, transferable skills in the nation’s underdeveloped field of cybersecurity. The devisers of the program are seeking $250,000 for the total award for the successful recipient organization. The organization will then use the award to provide all the teaching, coaching and certification for the PWDs.
Developing programs like this aids the fight against the age-old marginalization of people who want to enter the workforce but are prevented from doing so due to their physical or learning disabilities. More funding from foreign aid development programs, in tandem with coherent social welfare policies, is needed to break up the relationship between disability and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina once and for all.
– Zara Brown
Photo: Flickr
How ADRA Is Reducing Poverty in Zimbabwe
High Unemployment
Environmental changes in Zimbabwe present themselves through droughts, heatwaves and floods and disrupt ecosystems and the food supply chain. This aggravates rural farmers’ income streams and Zimbabwe’s overall economic development. Cities and towns across the country experience heavy monetization due to hyperinflation. This makes basic urban commodities like electricity, food and water too expensive for impoverished people to afford.
Food Insecurity
Environmental changes have also increased food poverty in Zimbabwe. With agriculture serving as the primary source of income for the nation, “low agricultural output” and a growing number of “urban food shortages” have detrimental impacts on urban and rural dwellers.
A more comprehensive picture provided by the World Food Programme illustrates that about 3.8 million people in rural areas and 1.5 million people in the urban population face food insecurity in the nation. This is due to climate challenges and an unstable economy. These environmental changes reduce the primary materials needed to process food in the markets. With the unstable economy, food prices fluctuate, making food security out of reach for impoverished Zimbabwean households.
ADRA’s Environmental Measures
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), a global humanitarian organization that delivers relief and development assistance for sustainable change, is implementing environmental measures for reducing poverty in Zimbabwe. ADRA’s Zimbabwean office spoke to The Borgen Project, saying, “We have experienced climate-induced droughts, El Niño, climate-induced floods, mudslides and cyclones. Farmers are experiencing changing season cycles, animal deaths, etc.”
ADRA celebrated its 40-year anniversary by implementing the #plantafruittree project. This project involves planting 40,000 fruit trees across “schools, farms, homesteads, and institutions” in Zimbabwe from August to December 2023. It aims to reduce extreme weather impacts and raise community health. “As we commemorate ADRA’s 40 years of disaster response, humanitarian relief and development assistance, we are committed to promoting initiatives such as tree plantings that not only can help improve natural air quality, decrease erosion and remove pollution but also generate wellness benefits for residents in all communities,” says ADRA President Michael Kruger on the ADRA website. In August, ADRA planted the first 1,000 trees to commemorate the project.
ADRA’s poverty-alleviating reforestation strategy supports Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), purifying the air and establishing resilient ecosystems that can minimize the adverse impacts of extreme weather patterns. It can also provide time for governments to plan out disaster response strategies and improve human health in Zimbabwe.
Looking Ahead
The citizens of Zimbabwe struggle to make ends meet under an impoverished economy, an unstable government and drastic environmental changes. Non-governmental organizations like ADRA wholeheartedly deliver environmental relief to this vulnerable population to practically overcome the issue of reducing poverty in Zimbabwe.
– Amy Contreras
Photo: Unsplash
Top Poverty-Fighting Causes Receive $300 Million in Funding
In 2023, Open Philanthropy pledged $300 million of funding over the next three years to GiveWell, an organization searching for and highlighting the most cost-effective, top poverty-fighting causes through comprehensive research. Open Philanthropy aims to achieve the best possible, conducting thorough research on the organizations they fund to achieve this. Open Philanthropy’s funding of $300 million to GiveWell will have a huge impact on those who need it most, preventing tens of thousands of deaths and demonstrating Open Philanthropy’s faith in GiveWell as they “set the gold standard in our eyes.”
Open Philanthropy began as an initiative within GiveWell, headed by Cari Tuna and Dustin Moskovitz, later growing into its own independent organization in June 2017. GiveWell and Open Philanthropy still work closely together as they share the mutual goal of finding the top poverty-fighting causes and cost-effective organizations that do the most good. Since the founding of Open Philanthropy, it has awarded GiveWell more than $1 billion in funding. While GiveWell publishes data and research to recommend the most impactful organizations to the public, Open Philanthropy primarily chooses where to give Tuna and Moskovitz’s money, funding a broader range of issues with a focus on how important a cause is, if it is underfunded and if there is a clear way in which funding could accelerate progress. So far in 2023, Open Philanthropy has donated $140,312,603 to organizations recommended by Give Well.
Sightsavers
Since 2017, Open Philanthropy has been funding deworming programs led by Sightsavers at the recommendation of GiveWell.
In March of this year, they continued their support for Sightsavers, giving a total grant of $11.2 million to fund the next three years of their work. The majority of the funding, $8.3 million, will support already established deworming programs in Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, with the other $2.9 million used to develop the program in Chad to cover 10 more regions.
Sightsavers treat children for the parasitic infection schistosomiasis, which kills 200,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa every year, and intestinal worms. Deworming is recognized as one of the most cost-effective programs in areas where these parasitic infections are high. Without treatment these diseases can affect cognitive and physical development, impacting the child’s health and disrupting their education as they struggle to concentrate or miss school. This can perpetuate the poverty cycle as it is almost impossible to escape poverty without an education.
Malaria Consortium
Extending its funding for the seventh year in a row, Open Philanthropy awarded the Malaria Consortium $61.4 million to aid its seasonal malaria chemoprevention programs in Nigeria, Chad, Burkina Faso and Togo until 2025. Open Philanthropy is passionate about tackling malaria, as every year it causes 600,000 deaths, 70% of which are children under 5 years old in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its grant to the Malaria Consortium funds the administration of antimalarial drugs to children monthly during the four peak months of the malaria season.
GiveWell recommended Malaria Consortium to Open Philanthropy as seasonal chemoprevention has proven to effectively and significantly reduce the widespread presence and severity of malaria. A longitudinal study conducted in Togo showed SMC reduced the prevalence of malaria by 75% in 2020, while the fourth round of SMC proved to be 96.2% more effective than the first round. As malaria is the leading cause of death in children under five, it is unsurprising that the Malaria Consortium’s effective work is one of GiveWell’s top poverty-fighting causes.
Helen Keller International – Vitamin A Supplementation
Open Philanthropy’s grant to Helen Keller International in January 2023 was 17 times larger than the previous year, awarding them more than $67 million to assist with vitamin A supplementation (VAS) in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Niger, Nigeria and Mali. Vitamin A deficiency occurs in poverty-stricken areas as their diets lack variation or nutrients and can have detrimental impacts on their health by weakening their immune system, causing anemia, stunting, blindness and complications during pregnancy or birth. Helen Keller International aids in VAS programs for children by providing technical assistance, advocacy and funding for governments to implement the programs. The grant supports Helen Keller’s operations in 8 countries for an extra 18 months, ending in June 2026, and helps them expand to more regions, such as in DRC, where Helen Keller plans to reach 7 new provinces by 2025.
Open Philanthropy’s generous funding of $100 million a year to the top poverty-fighting causes recommended by GiveWell, will save tens of thousands of lives every year. Hopefully, this harmonious partnership will continue to play a massive and vital role in the fight against poverty.
– Alice Isola
Photo: Freepik
Fighting Poverty in Palestine
Over the past few decades, Palestine has faced financial strife, which the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated because of commercial shutdowns. Prior to 2020, 29% of Palestinians lived below the poverty line. As of 2021, that number increased to 36% of the population. Despite these statistics, the United Nations and various dedicated individuals provided services and information to help reduce poverty in Palestine at an individual and community level.
Efforts to Improve Citizens’ Well-Being
Rainwater collection helps many residents alleviate their water supply. The dry and arid region provides limited access to groundwater. According to a 2019 study published in the European Geosciences Union, approximately 50% of the West Bank and Palestine have the potential to be used for effective rainwater harvesting (RWH). This sustainable form of water collection alleviates some uncertainty. Research shows a 74% overlap between the most impoverished regions and suitability for RWH in the northern regions of Nablus, Jenin and Tubas. The study suggests adding further RWH techniques in those areas to take advantage of the weather. The water collected becomes useful for a variety of professional and personal uses. A clear and reliable source of water renders a better quality of life.
A separate 2022 study published in a scientific journal under the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) measured meat production and distribution in Palestine. Privatized slaughterhouses fail to abide by guidelines that prevent diseases. They also lack infrastructure and authorities who monitor potential foodborne illnesses. Approximately 25% of meat in the region contains salmonella, and 95% holds E. coli. These pathogens often go unreported by both consumers and sellers of contaminated products. To diminish the potential public risk, the United Nations cooperated with local officials to monitor food production to increase compliance with safe practices. This includes the implementation of pasteurizing dairy products to reduce transmission of the infectious disease brucellosis by nearly 80%.
The MDPI study suggests that providing Palestine with effective ways to combat foodborne diseases improves well-being. The increase in food production and quality produces a more thriving society. Factoring in issues such as changing weather patterns and epidemics and documenting all changes to the systems also ensures a positive impact for those facing poverty in Palestine.
The United Nations Helps Fight Poverty in Palestine
For the past 21 years, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has partnered with the German Development Bank (KfW) to help meet the needs of Palestinian communities. The UNDP and KfW raised more than $110 million USD for this cause and built more than 260 classrooms in the region. Their continued efforts rendered nearly 600 agricultural greenhouses and 14 water reservoirs to support the communities. Since 2021, this partnership introduced hundreds of permanent jobs and continues through the present day.
Looking Ahead
The attempts to reduce poverty in Palestine remain an ever-present issue. Many international organizations help, yet there remains more work to be done. The water collections, food regulations and international donations improve lives. The United Nations funds various groups that help families improve their living conditions. The Islamic Relief Fund also supplies access to food, health care and hygiene for struggling Palestinians. These dedicated people work toward a goal that becomes closer to becoming a reality every day.
– Abigail Dudley
Photo: Pixabay
Sustainable Projects in Asia: Lifting Communities Out of Poverty
Selco Solar
One shining example of sustainable projects in Asia is the rise of startups like Selco Solar, also known as SELCO, in India. Founded in 1995 by Dr. Harish Hande and Neville Williams and based out of Bangalore, Karnataka, SELCO India’s initiatives have had a significant impact on improving the living standards of poor households in rural India, particularly in Karnataka, through solar energy-based interventions. They have been instrumental in empowering lives and fostering entrepreneurship among rural communities across India.
In 2008, SELCO undertook its first urban initiative focused on a slum of over 400 households in Manipal, Karnataka. Although the slum-dwellers were employed and had earned income, their illegal settlement could not access the conventional electricity grid. SELCO’s intervention facilitated electricity access for these households.
Not only that, through various special projects, SELCO India has been able to provide solar energy solutions to schools, hospitals and individual entrepreneurs, aiding in education, health care and livelihood generation in rural areas.
They have installed solar light systems in 350,000 houses, enabling children to study after sunset and reducing health hazards from traditional kerosene lamps. By decentralizing the energy supply, SELCO empowers local entrepreneurs and creates job opportunities.
YAVA Bali
YAVA, or East Bali, is an agribusiness combining profit and social impact. Established in 2012 by Aaron Fishman in the village of Desa Ban, YAVA has empowered local farmers by directly sourcing cashews, bypassing middlemen.
Agriculture is a crucial sector in Indonesia, providing livelihoods for millions. However, many farmers live in poverty due to a lack of access to markets and fair prices for their produce. By eliminating middlemen, YAVA helps to ensure that more of the profits from cashew sales go directly to the farmers.
By integrating eco-friendly practices, they have optimized water usage and reduced waste, leading to a more sustainable agricultural model. The result? YAVA created over 300 jobs, enhancing the socio-economic fabric of the community.
ReForm Plastic
One of the most notable sustainable projects in Asia is the ReForm Plastic social enterprise. They are focused on reducing plastic waste by collecting and recycling low-value plastics, which are then transformed into usable products. They operate in Vietnam and seek to address the challenges posed by plastic waste in a scalable and inclusive manner, ultimately contributing to a circular economy.
The idea for ReForm Plastic began in 2016 during community beach clean-ups initiated by Evergreen Labs. The enterprise moved towards actualization over the following years, with its first full-size facility in Hoi An, Vietnam, receiving permits in early 2020. Currently, ReForm Plastic has six factories processing more than 140,000 kg of low-value plastics and 90,000 kg of plastic waste.
ReForm Plastic fosters economic opportunities by building city-wide collection programs and integrating informal waste collectors into their value chain, which provides stable employment and increased income from collection activities. This addresses plastic waste issues while also transforming the lives of local collectors through direct employment and better income streams.
Asia’s sustainable projects are a testament to the fact that businesses can thrive when purpose is aligned with profit. With a continued focus on sustainability and community upliftment, the future of the Asian entrepreneurial landscape looks promisingly green.
– Laeticia Mbangue
Photo: Flickr
Mental Health in Senegal
The Stigma of Mental Health in Senegal
Although there are psychiatrists available, Senegalese people are often hesitant to contact them for support due to stereotypes and the stigma of needing help for one’s mental health. On average, there are 178 people per every 100,000 Senegalese admitted into mental hospitals each year.
Schizophrenia and hysteria are the top two mental disorders diagnosed in Senegal.
Many Senegalese people associate psychiatrists with psychiatric medications and serious mental health issues. Therefore, they are less likely to contact them for help for fear of social exclusion. Instead, people prefer to seek help from traditional healers in their community.
Local organizations are working with international partners to raise awareness about mental health. These efforts aim to dispel myths, encourage open conversations and promote seeking help when needed. By aligning these initiatives with cultural values, they are more likely to be accepted and embraced by the community.
Challenges for Mental Health Care in Senegal
Senegal’s first psychiatric unit was established at Fann Hospital in 1956 in the capital of Dakar. Today, only 6% of Senegal’s gross domestic product is spent on mental health in Senegal; resources and psychiatric units are minimal. In Africa, only $0.1 per capita is spent by the government on mental health.
A limited number of mental health providers presents a challenge. There are only “0.33 psychiatrists and 0.03 psychologists per 100,000 people in Senegal.” There is also little guidance available on how to integrate mental health services into primary care practices in Senegal.
There has been limited research on mental health research done in Senegal. Additionally, the research suggests that there is limited mental health training in the country and there are significant knowledge gaps among Senegal’s medical professionals when it comes to mental health.
This does not mean that nothing is being done about mental health in Senegal. In fact, most of the work around mental health involves the Senegalese community.
Cultural Significance
Communal values play a significant role in shaping mental health practices in Senegal. The concept of “teranga,” or hospitality, underscores the importance of interconnectedness and support within Senegalese communities. Communal values extend to mental health concerns, with family members, friends and other community members helping address mental health challenges and providing a support network.
Spirituality and Healing
Spirituality is intricately woven into mental health practices in Senegal. There are traditional healers in Senegal known as marabouts. These marabouts hold positions of respect within their communities. They often provide counseling, guidance and rituals that are believed to alleviate mental distress. Some of the rituals used to address psychological health include prayer, herbal remedies and other holistic methods.
Senegal’s approach to mental health proves that cultural inclusivity is integral. By honoring traditions, the country is creating a holistic mental health framework that resonates with its residents. Senegal serves as an inspiring example of how culture can be a foundation for resilience and well-being.
– Joy Loving
Photo: Unsplash
5 Facts About Gender-based Poverty in the DRC
Poverty levels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are incredibly high, and women tend to suffer deeper economic violence and injustices. Limited access to education, reproductive and care responsibilities, gender-based violence, unequal laws and the lack of representation of women in decision-making contribute to gender-based poverty in the DRC.
Women’s Limited Access to Education
Limited access to education and economic opportunities poses significant challenges for girls in the DRC. Although girls’ enrolment in school has increased from 50% to 78% between 2000 and 2017, women still face challenges to higher education and economic access. The main reason for Congolese girls’ struggle to pursue an education is social norms and expectations — marriage and motherhood.
Addressing this issue is crucial to guarantee girls’ access to education and therefore reduce gender-based poverty in the DRC. Indeed, providing Congolese women with the opportunity and means to obtain an education increases their chances of obtaining better-paying jobs and allowing women to participate more fully in the political sphere.
Increasing women’s access to education requires advocacy, improving school infrastructure, providing financial support and combating gender-based discrimination and violence. For instance, the United Kingdom’s new Women and Girls Strategy helps 36,000 girls in the DRC access education in the Kauai province.
Empowering girls will contribute to social and economic development, fostering a more equitable and prosperous society in the DRC.
Reproductive and Care Responsibilities
Reproductive and care responsibilities burden Congolese women, hindering their economic empowerment. Women’s value in Congolese society is often reduced to the roles of wife and mother. According to the 2017–18 MICS, nearly 30% of women are married under the age of 18 years old.
This phenomenon deeply impacts women’s economic agency and thus gender-based poverty in the DRC. Indeed, women’s caregiving roles limit educational and workforce opportunities.
Actively fighting gender stereotypes and expectations could not only allow women to pursue education but also encourage the equitable sharing of caregiving responsibilities in marriage and provide comprehensive support to women in managing their work and family commitments.
Gender-based Violence
Gender-based violence (GBV) is prevalent in the DRC, particularly in conflict-affected regions, impacting women’s physical and mental well-being, as well as partially causing gender-based poverty in the DRC. Indeed, one in two women in the DRC report having experienced physical or sexual abuse at least once in their lives.
Firstly, fear of violence discourages girls’ education and limits economic opportunities. In fact, girls face increased risks of violence, sexual exploitation and harassment by teachers and harmed forces in school settings.
Secondly, the economic consequences of gender-based violence are closely linked with harmful conceptions of gender roles. Because the value of women is based on their capacity to marry and bear children, people often view survivors of sexual abuse as “unfit” for such roles, and their socioeconomic status suffers as a result.
In order to fully address gender-based violence in the DRC, national and international institutions need to implement legal reforms, provide secure learning environments and encourage community engagement to combat harmful norms.
Unequal Laws and Discriminatory Practices Towards Women
Unequal laws and discriminatory practices reinforce gender-based poverty in the DRC. Inheritance laws favor male heirs, denying women their rightful property share. Limited access to land ownership and financial services further hampers economic opportunities. Despite their critical role in agriculture, rural development and food security, women own just 25% of land in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
In response to unequal laws and discriminatory practices towards women in the DRC, a range of active solutions have emerged. Advocacy for legal reforms is driving the transformation of discriminatory legislation, ensuring women’s equal rights to property ownership and inheritance.
The Lack of Representation in Decision-Making
The lack of representation of women in decision-making perpetuates gender-based poverty in the DRC. Women’s voices are often overlooked in political and community leadership, hindering gender-sensitive policy development. Despite the fact that articles 5, 14 and 15 of the DRC constitution provide a legal foundation for equality and equity policies, women currently hold only 7.2% of positions at the highest level of decision-making at the national level in the parliament and administration.
Promoting gender equality is a critical objective in the DRC to increase women’s participation in decision-making processes. Gender equality creates a way for women to participate in decision-making arenas by removing deeply ingrained gender inequities and discriminatory standards.
Trócaire and partners — with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) — have implemented programs to enhance Congolese women’s participation in decision-making processes in more than 27 communities. Following this program encouraging gender equality, 65% of women now participate in and are represented in decision-making organizations in the communities concerned by the project.
Despite progress, significant challenges persist in ensuring women’s economic empowerment, requiring sustained dedication to create lasting change and put an end to gender-based poverty in the DRC. Addressing gender-based poverty in the DRC demands comprehensive solutions: education access, ending discrimination, combating violence, elevating voices and fostering an equitable future.
– Hannah Klifa
Photo: Flickr