Remittance to Pakistan

Remittance to PakistanAccording to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, more than 9 million overseas Pakistanis send money home to help their family, contributing to the country’s economy. Remittance to Pakistan is a big part of the country’s foreign exchange. Remittance payments made up almost 8.69% of the country’s GDP in 2022. However, recent figures show that remittances are decreasing, which might damage the country’s economy. The following is an examination of how digital methods could help empower Pakistanis living abroad and increase the money they send home.

Remittance and Pakistan’s Economy

Remittance to Pakistan has always played an important part in the economy of the country. Remittances totaled $31.2 billion in the Fiscal Year 2021–2022, which considerably contributed to the economic growth and stability of the country. 

Some have voiced concerns about a fall in inflows in the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. The UAE remittances fell 9.2% from $2.08 billion in July-October 2021 to $1.89 billion in July-October 2022 due to several circumstances, including political turmoil in Pakistan. Saudi Arabia’s remittances fell from $2.785 billion in July-October 2021 to $2.459 billion in 2022. 

Traditional vs. Digital Platforms for Remittance 

Pakistanis living abroad used to send money home through banks and money transfer services. However, these methods come with challenges, like high transaction fees and long processing times. People have also used unregulated channels like Hawala/Hundi, which pose risks while bypassing authorized methods.

However, digital transfer sites have become a quick and easy way for Pakistanis living abroad to send money back home. These systems have benefits like faster transactions, cheaper fees and convenient interfaces. Many mobile apps and websites are there for sending remittances to Pakistan from different countries such as ACE Money Transfer, Tiptap, Remitly, MoneyGram and more. 

Using digital tools, Pakistanis living abroad can maximize the amount of money they are able to send home to loved ones. These money transfer channels are regulated and offer easy, competitive exchange rates and more protection. It helps to ensure that every money transfer goes straight to Pakistan’s economy.

Increased inflows of remittances have far-reaching consequences. They help the economy grow, build up foreign exchange reserves and improve the balance of payments. During the first 10 months of the fiscal year 2022-2023, transfers were worth more than $26 billion, down 13% from the previous year. Higher transfers raise the standard of living, provide financial security and reduce poverty at the individual level. According to the World Bank, worldwide remittances reached $554 billion in 2020, with a large percentage flowing to countries with low or middle incomes. Remittances alleviate poverty and inequality in these nations. 

Remittance-receiving households in developing nations live better and are less likely to be poor, according to the International Funds for Agricultural Development (IFAD) research. The multiplier effect of remittances has a positive impact on the entire community. 

Government Initiatives and the Role of Overseas Pakistanis

The government has taken several steps to encourage people to send money back home. These include premium prize bonds, foreign currency accounts and the Pakistan Remittance Initiative (PRI). The PRI is a joint project of the State Bank of Pakistan, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis. Its goal is to make transferring money back to Pakistan easier, faster, safer and more rewarding. 

Overseas Pakistanis have numerous opportunities to contribute further to the country’s economy. These include investing in Pakistan, participating in crowdfunding initiatives and engaging in government-backed diaspora bonds. When a healthy amount of remittances goes to savings and investment, it will help lessen the dependency of Pakistan on external borrowings. The previous government had encouraged overseas residents of Pakistanis to invest in Pakistan’s debt, equities and mortgage markets through their remittances. 

Between 2001 and 2018, off-farm income opportunities and remittances lifted approximately 47 million Pakistanis out of poverty. But this fast drop in poverty hasn’t fully led to better social and economic conditions. This is because human capital results have stayed poor and flat, with high rates of 75% learning poverty. Therefore, strong cooperation between fiscal and monetary authorities and political stability in the country are necessary for the long-term effectiveness of policies related to remittance. 

– Asia Jamil
Photo: Unsplash

5 Facts About Gender-Based Violence in Afghanistan

According to U.N. Women, one in three women around the globe experience gender-based violence. Gender-based violence is an especially serious issue in Afghanistan — a country that ranked 157th out of 162 countries on the U.N.’s Gender Inequality Index. Here are five things to know about gender-based violence in Afghanistan. 

5 Facts About Gender-based Violence in Afghanistan

  1. One of the Highest Rates of Gender-Based Violence in the World. Ranking 170th out of 170 countries on the Women, Peace and Security Index, Afghanistan has a long way to go when it comes to improving women’s safety. According to Concern Worldwide US, 35% of women are victims of domestic violence. Women also face violence at the hands of their government as many women have experienced sexual assault, abduction and arranged marriage under the rule of the Taliban. 
  2. Women Face Violence from the Taliban Regime. When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, it began to strip women of their rights. The Taliban forced women to quit their jobs, restricted their access to health care and education, implemented a strict dress code and inhibited them from moving around freely while outdoors. 
  3. Survivors of Gender-Based Violence “have essentially been abandoned.” According to Amnesty International, the Taliban regime closed down shelters and released prisoners, many of which had committed crimes of gender-based violence in December 2021. This left many women who had survived gender-based violence with little protection. 
  4. Young Girls Are the Primary Victims. Many young Afghan girls’ families arrange marriages for them at early ages as they believe it will provide their children with more protection and financial security. 
  5. Poverty Increases the Threat of Gender-Based Violence. Afghanistan is currently undergoing both a humanitarian and an economic crisis. Due to these crises, this year, 11.6 million Afghan women and girls are in need of humanitarian assistance and 97% of the total population risk falling below the poverty line. Research has shown that there is a connection between poverty and gender-based violence as many women living in poverty lack the income and resources to leave violent relationships they may be involved in. 

Potential Solutions

According to U.N. Women, there are potential solutions to combat gender-based violence. For starters, the organization suggests increasing women’s ability to access support resources that will ensure their safety and protection from gender-based violence. 

Multiple organizations are currently advocating for greater protections for Afghan women. For example, Women for Afghan Women is a nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian assistance to Afghan women and girls in need of support. It also helps Afghan refugees who reside in the United States (U.S.) as they currently have a shelter in Alexandria, Virginia called the Virginia Community Center (VACC) which provides important resources such as mental health and legal services. Another organization working to protect Afghan women and girls is the Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund whose mission is to not only protect Afghan women but support their empowerment by assisting female Afghan leaders in civil society. 

Looking Ahead

Several organizations, including Women for Afghan Women and Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, are actively engaged in safeguarding Afghan women from gender-based violence and the oppression of the Taliban regime. With a heightened emphasis on protecting and empowering Afghan women and girls, there is optimism that these efforts will contribute to ending gender-based violence in Afghanistan.

– Nicole Alexander
Photo: Wikimedia

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Poverty on Sinking Islands

Poverty on Sinking IslandsAs the effects of climate change continue to manifest around the world, island nations bear the brunt of rising sea levels. Located in the Pacific Ocean, Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands are just a few of these “sinking islands.” Given their unique circumstances, these islands face distinctive challenges as they fight to fend for themselves. The following is an overview of the issue of poverty on sinking islands.

Tuvalu: Challenges

Tuvalu consists of nine islands, two of which are on the verge of submerging. Scientists predict that Tuvalu could become inhabitable in the next 50 to 100 years. Around three-quarters of the labor force operates in the informal economy, working in subsistence farming or fishing. Even so, Tuvalu’s salty soil renders the ground practically useless for agriculture, and the fish risk being affected by ciguatera poisoning, forcing locals to expend a large sum of money on imports. Furthermore, rising sea levels have contaminated underwater ground supplies, making Tuvalu entirely dependent on rainwater, which, coupled with the alarming frequency of droughts, is unreliable. 

Kiribati: Challenges 

The 33 islands of Kiribati are largely dependent on exports of copra and coconuts. However, a shortage of skilled workers and remoteness from international markets hinder its economic development. In 2019, 21.9% of the population lived below the national poverty line. 

As one of the most isolated countries in the world, Kiribati is battling several climate-related threats: severe storms cause the sea to invade the land more frequently, destroying crops and inundating homes; malnutrition increases the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis; and the salinization of water makes it hard to grow food and heightens the risk of diarrhea and skin infections. Furthermore, insufficient planning leaves Kiribati especially vulnerable to rising sea levels. 

Marshall Islands: Challenges 

The Marshall Islands is a collection of 29 atolls and five islands. Subsistence agriculture is the country’s primary economic industry, with coconut and breadfruit being the most crucial commercial crops. Commercial fisheries and tourism also generate substantial income. 

In 2018, a third of the nation fled for the United States (U.S.), seeking to escape impending climate hazards, including sea-level rise, droughts and tropical storms. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts a one-meter rise in the sea level by 2030, meaning entire islands will disappear, and its capital city Maduro will be irreparably flooded. On average, tropical typhoons occur twice a year, causing major landslides and flooding.

Foreign Aid and Potential Solutions

Most of Tuvalu’s GDP comprises donations from the U.N. and nearby countries. The U.N. has been present in Tuvalu since 2000, with 18 agencies actively implementing programs. Moreover, Australia’s partnership with Tuvalu has provided essential medicine and supplies; maintained access to essential goods and services, including education; contributed to the Tuvalu Trust Fund to allow greater economic development; and ensured infrastructure can withstand stubbornly strong winds, coastal erosion and heat waves. Funded by the U.N. Development Program, the construction of a 170-meter-long concrete sea wall to protect the administrative center of the capital is currently in progress. 

Foreign aid accounts for approximately 43% of Kiribati’s finances. The Revenue Equalization Reserve Fund (RERF) — Kiribati’s sovereign fund — holds investments in more than 20 currencies. In July 2023, a Chinese military-run hospital ship arrived in Kiribati, providing medical assistance to the island. In search of a realistic solution, the Kiribati government has purchased land in Fiji in hopes of growing crops and evacuating the whole island should the worst occur. 

Since achieving independence in 1986, the Marshall Islands has operated under a Compact of Free Association with the U.S. The U.S. gives the Marshall Islands more than $80 million in assistance every year, aiding in sectors like education and infrastructure. The country has additionally received aid from Australia, Japan, Taiwan, the U.A.E., Thailand and the E.U. In 2022, the World Bank approved a $30 million project to improve the climate resilience of urban areas in the Marshall Islands. 

Furthering these actions — strengthening infrastructure, building sea walls and buying foreign land — are all potential ways to combat rising sea levels.  

– Lauren Liu 
Photo: Wikimedia

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Education for Marginalized Girls in Afghanistan

Marginalized Girls in AfghanistanEducation for marginalized girls in Afghanistan is an opportunity that is often missed out on due to the government’s discouragement of women’s participation in public life. Particularly in rural communities, as women experience fear over who will marry them if they are not living up to the ideals of a woman, the pressure to conform to the traditional expectations of being a woman in society is held in high regard. A consequence of this is that marginalized girls in Afghanistan are more likely to drop out of school or never attend in the first place. 

The Mission To Improve Education 

In 2012, the U.K. government established a commitment to improving young girls’ lives around the world through education. These projects are funded by U.K. Aid and reach out to the most marginalized communities across the globe, including rural communities in Afghanistan. 

One of these projects, set to finish in September of 2023, is called Steps Towards Girls’ Education Success (STAGES). Across 16 provinces in Afghanistan, in 1078 communities, the STAGES project has supported 24,830 marginalized girls as U.K. Aid aimed to improve education for marginalized girls in Afghanistan through community-based classes. 

The Success of STAGES

The project has succeeded so far in establishing 1,411 community-based classes in Afghanistan. To improve the quality of education as a whole and ensure that girls continue their education, U.K. Aid has implemented several elements to the project. One significant element of this is mentorship. The program has built an environment where confident, more assertive students take part in activities while supporting more timid, weaker students. This mentorship is encouraged during extra-curricular activities such as creative writing and debating. 

A 2017 report on the success of STAGES in its first five years found that while this helped improve the self-esteem and attendance of the weaker students, the program also developed valuable leadership skills in the mentors. 

In extension to this, the STAGES project has given out grants to young girls from marginalized communities to have the opportunity to train to be a teacher by attending Teacher Training Colleges. So far, this has helped 1,995 young women enter teacher apprenticeship programs.

To continue education of high quality, the project ensures teachers are well trained and have implemented regular in-school teacher training lessons. The teaching practices promoted in these training sessions focus on how education must be accessible and inclusive to everyone, despite gender or disability. 

In addition to community-based classes, the STAGES project has supported 587 government schools in terms of improving academic facilities and school infrastructure.

So far, STAGES has seen great success in improving and sustaining education for marginalized girls in Afghanistan. STAGES will continue to fight for better education until September 2023 with these three goals in mind: 

  1. Support 5145 more students to complete their lower primary education (up to grade 6). 
  2. Continue the maintenance of 235 educational facilities. This will be carried out through monitoring in classes and establishing school management councils. 
  3. Undertake professional development for 358 teachers. 

Looking Ahead

The denial of women’s access to education in Afghanistan is still prevalent in many communities, but projects such as STAGES make the fight a little less daunting for young women who want to go to school. Projects like this are a key component to the improvement of education for marginalized girls in Afghanistan and thus, the improvement of the prospects of Afghanistan. 

– Poppy Harris 
Photo: Flickr

Period Poverty: Taiwan makes a change

Period Poverty in TaiwanPeriods are inevitable for the majority of women. However, period poverty is present in many of these women’s lives. In the U.K., one out of eight women struggle to afford sanity products. In developing countries, it is even worse. For example, only 36% of India’s population is able to afford any sort of menstruation product. In Tawain, 9% of girls are affected by period poverty.

Fortunately, in many areas of the world, organizations are working to combat period poverty. For example, in Taiwan in 2022, the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation gave access to period products if requested at 20 different railway stations. 

Background

Period poverty is an unknown term to many. The term “period poverty” has been described by the U.N. as the difficulty faced by low-income women to afford menstruation products. In many places, the only options for women are rags, tissue paper, cloth, paper towels taken from public bathrooms, or leftovers of children’s nappies. This is unsanitary and negatively affects women’s health. 

Taiwan Makes Huge Strides

Because of period poverty, many girls miss up to a week of school a month, further alienating women from the right to education. Since August 1, 2023, Taiwan has made period products available for free to all students, and students from low-income backgrounds are able to take home extra supplies. Taiwan’s Ministry of Education has invested $3.8 billion into the project. 

This program opens up the conversation about periods and tackles the stigma around periods. Many girls feel ashamed and embarrassed for something that is entirely natural and nonpreventable. Some stereotypes are that periods are dirty and women should not be around others when they are having one. By having the products available in schools it shows young boys that girls deserve a right to education just as much as they do.

Looking Forward

It is not only in schools that this program will be carried out but also in 10 other locations, including the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung and the National Taiwan Library in New Taipei. Overall, It is estimated that 95,000 girls will benefit from this program.

Taiwan is following in the footsteps of other countries, like Scotland in 2020 and New Zealand in 2021. Perhaps Taiwan’s project will encourage other countries to follow suit.

– Tegan Leonard
Photo: Flickr

The Cost of Living Crisis in Sudan

Cost of Living Crisis in SudanThe current instability in the global political scene has resulted in supply chain disruptions worldwide, which has ramifications for all nations, rich and poor. However, the costs for developing countries such as Sudan are often more significant. While the cost of living crisis in Sudan affects everyone, those living in extreme poverty suffer the most. With ongoing energy and food inflation, an effective policy response takes time to put in place. This process becomes lengthy because many means of support would be inflationary, potentially exacerbating the already prevalent problem of higher cost of living. Crises such as these are difficult to control but organizations and the international community must take action to aid the impoverished amid these economic shocks.

Rising Costs

One factor that has accelerated inflation is rising fuel costs, which affects energy bills and leaves less income to spend on other essentials. Due to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict, oil prices have soared and continue to soar today. In September 2023, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said Saudi Arabia and Russia would extend cuts on crude oil exports, thus further limiting supply and hiking up prices.

Fuel aside, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has continued to impact the prices of other staple goods, such as maize and wheat, as both countries are major exporters of these grains. The ongoing depreciation of the Sudanese pound also plays a role in the economic struggles of the local Sudanese people. The currency depreciation has meant that, alongside inflation, prices of imported goods, including agricultural, have risen. An April 2023 report by ReliefWeb indicates that food prices have increased exponentially, with some grain prices escalating 500-700% higher than the five-year average, reducing disposable income to negligible for most low-income families.

Cost of Living Crisis in Sudan

The conflict between the Sudanese Army and the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) has had economic repercussions, with many vendors being unable to sell their goods and many consumers unable to afford basic necessities, such as food. Overall, since 2021, Sudan has reported a 143% increase in food expenses. Sudanese vendors are even struggling to transport their goods for selling as the rising fuel prices have led to high transport costs.

Currently, there is cause for concern regarding the future recovery of the Sudanese economy and commodity production capabilities. High costs of production, reduced consumption and the resulting diminished profit may mean that many suppliers and agriculture workers may need help to sustain their business activities in the long run as economic activities draw closer to potentially reaching their shutdown points.

Policy and Solutions

Many solutions would entail a degree of inflation, as cash transfers and other benefits result in introducing additional cash into a nation’s money supply. Blanket policies, such as subsidizing energy bills for all, will ultimately benefit the rich and insufficiently provide for those most in need, creating widening inequality. More low-income targeted policies, such as unconditional cash transfers, tax cuts and vouchers, would likely be superior; however, with low-income groups having the highest marginal propensity to consume, inflation would be unavoidable. Inflation is regressive, similar to any blanket benefit policies, which tend to be accompanied by growing inequality. There is an evident trade-off between supporting those in need from rising costs and generating additional issues regarding inflation and inequality.

In May 2023, UNICEF launched a humanitarian appeal to gather urgent funding for the organization’s aid endeavors in Sudan. UNICEF reported that as of May 2023, about 25 million people in Sudan require aid. The organization aims to help at least 11.9 million of these people along with 9.4 million children and requires funding of $837.6 million to carry out these humanitarian activities. The funding will provide water, nutrition and health care to people affected by the current conflict.

The humanitarian aid will help to cushion the blow of rising costs of living while preventing deterioration on the poverty front. Sudan needs economic reform to return to stability, but with the correct policy frameworks, Sudan could successfully escape the state of extreme inflation. 

– Hannah Bugeja
Photo: Flickr

Creating Affordable Plastic Houses in Ethiopia

Plastic Houses in EthiopiaA new company called Kubik has developed a smart and ecological way to help build affordable plastic houses in Ethiopia and Africa more broadly. Kubik uses recycled plastic waste to create more sustainable and inexpensive building materials that can be used to create homes, schools, factories and more. Kubik recently received a combined investment of $3.34 million to expand their plastic houses business into Ethiopia, where there exists an enormous housing crisis. Hence, Kubik has the potential to go a long way in helping alleviate the housing crisis in Ethiopia and beyond while at the same time helping to create a more sustainable and ecological way of living. 

The Housing Crisis in Ethiopia

Ethiopia, like much of Africa, is facing rapid urbanization, which means that populations in large cities like Addis Abbas are growing at high rates. At the same time, as more and more people move into cities, there is an increasing demand for housing in these cities because people need to find a place to live. 

However, in Ethiopia, the rate at which people are moving into large cities per year far exceeds the rate at which new affordable houses are being built. More specifically, the housing demand is currently estimated to be more than 1 million in Ethiopia with current rates projecting an estimated net of 200,000 more houses needed each year to account for the growing population. Because of this, there is an ongoing housing crisis in which many people are forced to live in small government-owned houses made of mud and wood that leave people susceptible to dangerous diseases and other health problems or in some cases, force people into homelessness. 

Kubik’s Solution

Started by Kidus Asfaw and Penda Marre after seeing how school classrooms were made from plastic materials in Côte d’Ivoire, Kubik was initially founded with the intention of helping create more classrooms in Côte d’Ivoire. However, after seeing the potential that plastic had to be used as a building material, Afshaw and Marre soon shifted the focus of Kubik to providing cheap building materials that could be used to build affordable plastic houses and other important infrastructure such as public bathrooms, schools and eco-friendly factories. 

More specifically, Kubik accomplishes this goal by selling the plastic building materials it makes to real estate developers who use its plastic building materials to build houses at a less expensive cost. In fact, plastic building bricks are often around 40% cheaper than cement of which most ordinary housing bricks are made. 

Ecological Benefit

Although the primary benefit of Kubik’s plastic building materials is its ability to provide more affordable houses in places that urgently need them, they also offer a number of ecological benefits that contribute to protecting the planet as well as improving people’s overall health. First, Kubik’s plastic building materials emit approximately 500% less carbon dioxide than traditional building materials such as cement. Hence, houses made from Kubik’s plastic materials will help significantly in the effort to halt global warming. 

Additionally, Kubik is helping contribute to solving a significant plastic waste problem that is present in many African countries including Ethiopia which produces almost 400,000 tons of plastic waste annually. However, 96% of existing plastic waste does not get recycled. Not only can large amounts of plastic waste significantly disrupt ecosystems and harm marine animals, but because plastic takes so long to decay, plastic waste is often burned to release incredibly harmful chemicals into the air that can cause numerous associated health risks including respiratory problems. 

Kubik helps to reduce the amount of plastic waste and the problems associated with it by focusing on solely using plastics that would not otherwise be made into recyclable products in the production of their building materials. 

Conclusion

Ethiopia faces an ongoing affordable housing crisis as well as a crisis in the rapidly increasing build-up of plastic waste that can damage the environment and people’s health. Although Kubik cannot completely solve either of these two issues alone, the efforts go a long way in mitigating the effects of both by providing an innovative and creative way to turn unused plastic waste into materials used to make affordable plastic houses in Ethiopia. Furthermore, Kubik may serve as an inspiration to future entrepreneurs to develop creative methods that will help solve societal problems such as affordable housing and excessive plastic waste. 

– Athan Yanos
Photo: Unsplash

Global Hunger: Tech Inventions Putting an End to It

Global Hunger In 2021, the number of people affected by hunger globally rose to 828 million, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Lack of access to food, nutrients and water is a challenge that many people face, especially in underdeveloped countries. On the bright side, the following tech innovations are helping to put an end to global hunger. 

ShareTheMeal App

ShareTheMeal is a global app that allows you to donate meals to children in need all over the world. One in seven children does not have enough food to lead a healthy and active life. This app only requires one press of a button and $0.8 to feed a hungry child for one full day. The United Nations World Food Program provides the meal and shows you the location of the children you are helping. Its purpose is to empower people to end global hunger, and it has already shared at least 3 million meals across more than 80 countries. 

Going Digital in Ethiopia

Around 83% of Ethiopians live in rural areas where many families are dependent on their own agricultural production. It is vital for them to have access to education on agronomic information. According to the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), ensuring farmers receive up-to-date knowledge and data pertaining to agronomic information in a timely manner remains a great challenge in Ethiopia. However, Ethiopia now has an Agricultural and Farmer Hotline created by the ATA. With the creation of this hotline, about 500,000 users receive updated agronomic information on their cell phones via text messages and automated calls to help plan their operations. Having immediate access to new information will help smallholders make more informed decisions about their farming practices. The hotline also launched a Helpdesk that allows smallholders to ask questions and report issues to experts in the field.  

The Sanku Dosifier

Nearly half of the deaths among children under 5 years old are linked to undernutrition according to WHO. Globally, 8,000 children die every day due to preventable illness because of the lack of basic minerals and vitamins in their diet. However, the award-winning Sanku’s Dosifier adds precise amounts of essential nutrients into flour during the milling process. Sanku’s solution focuses on communities living in poverty. Most of these communities cannot afford fresh, nutrient-dense food items, so instead they live on calorie-dense, nutrient-poor maize flour to ease their hunger. Sanku partners with millers whose customers have a high incidence of poverty. Around 95% of those that Sanku has reached live on less than $5 a day and struggle to intake all of the necessary nutrients. So far, 2 million lives have been impacted by the Sanku Dosifier. 

Hippo Roller 

The average distance for women and children to walk for water in Africa and Asia is 3.7 miles according to World Visions. These communities typically balance heavy loads of water on their head (about 5 gallons), making it hard to access clean water without exhaustion. However, Hippo Roller is a drum that rolls over most terrain and holds about 24 gallons of water per drum. This reduces the time and hard work put forth just to access clean water. So far, 65,000 rollers have impacted lives throughout 50+ countries. 

WFP Innovation Accelerator Producing Less Food Waste

Almost one-fourth of produce grown for export in Kenya is rejected purely for its looks. According to WFP, that is the equivalent of throwing away 600,000 tomatoes every day purely because they “look ugly.” WFP launched a pilot project to change the destination of these vegetables from landfills to lunch by sending them into the country’s school meals program. The initiative is reducing food waste while also providing more meals for children in Kenya. Throughout the first four months of the initial project, WFP rescued more than five tons of produce and transformed it into meals for 2,200 children for 75 days. 

– Paige Falk
Photo: Unsplash

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Addressing Food Insecurity in Urban Slums

Food Insecurity in Urban Slums
Within the bustling landscapes of urban centers, where towering skyscrapers stand as symbols of progress, lies a stark reality that often goes unnoticed: the prevalence of food insecurity within urban slums. While cities may represent economic growth and technological advancements, they also encapsulate the struggles of marginalized populations residing in the shadows of affluence. This article aims to shed light on the complex issue of food insecurity in urban slums, exploring the challenges faced by these communities and examining innovative strategies aimed at providing sustenance and hope.

Food Insecurity in Urban Slums

  1. Limited Resources: Urban slums are characterized by densely populated areas with inadequate infrastructure and services. Access to essential resources, including nutritious food, remains a constant challenge for slum dwellers. Many families end up having to allocate a significant portion of their meager income to securing basic sustenance.
  2. High Food Prices: The cost of food within urban areas often surpasses the financial capacity of slum residents. The disparity between income and food prices leaves families with difficult choices, often sacrificing nutritional quality in favor of affordability.
  3. Inadequate Nutritional Intake: Food insecurity extends beyond the lack of quantity; it encompasses the lack of nutritional quality. Many urban slum residents struggle to access a diverse range of fresh and nutritious foods, leading to malnutrition and health issues, particularly among children.
  4. Unstable Livelihoods: Informal and irregular employment is common in urban slums. These unstable livelihoods lead to uncertain income streams, making it difficult to consistently secure food for families, further exacerbating food insecurity.

Innovative Strategies for Addressing Food Insecurity

  1. Urban Agriculture: Initiatives promoting urban agriculture empower slum communities to cultivate their own food. Rooftop gardens, community plots and vertical farming offer solutions for growing fresh produce within limited urban spaces, increasing food access and dietary diversity.
  2. Mobile Markets and Food Vans: Mobile markets and food vans can act as lifelines, bringing affordable and nutritious food directly to urban slums. These mobile units eliminate the need for residents to travel long distances, bridging the gap between food sources and consumers.
  3. Community Kitchens: Establishing communal kitchens or community-based food cooperatives can enable cost-effective bulk purchasing of ingredients and shared cooking facilities. This approach ensures that even those without cooking facilities can access cooked meals.
  4. Food Banks and Surplus Redistribution: Collaborations with food banks and surplus food redistribution programs redirect excess food from businesses and markets to vulnerable urban slum populations. This not only reduces food waste but also addresses food insecurity.
  5. Nutrition Education: Providing nutrition education workshops equips slum residents with essential knowledge on making nutritious choices with limited resources. Education empowers individuals to maximize the impact of the available food on their health.
  6. Social Safety Nets: Government-funded social safety net programs, such as conditional cash transfers or food vouchers, offer financial assistance to slum dwellers. These programs bridge the economic gap, allowing families to afford essential food items.

Conclusion

The specter of food insecurity looms large within urban slums, casting a shadow over the aspirations and dreams of countless individuals and families. Yet, innovative strategies can dispel the darkness. Urban agriculture, mobile markets, community kitchens, surplus redistribution, nutrition education and social safety nets offer rays of hope to those living in the shadows.

Food security is not only a basic human right but a fundamental building block for healthy lives and thriving communities. Collaborative efforts between local governments, non-profit organizations, businesses and empowered communities are crucial in implementing and sustaining these strategies. By collectively working towards addressing food insecurity, we can illuminate the path to a future where urban slum residents can step out of the shadows and into a life filled with sustenance, dignity and opportunity.

– Mihir Naik
Photo: Flickr

Elderly Poverty in Venezuela

Elderly Poverty in VenezuelaCurrently, almost 90% of Venezuelans more than the age of 60 are living below the world poverty line. While economic hardship is a widespread issue amongst all of the nation’s demographics, elderly poverty in Venezuela is a disproportionate problem. 

Underlying Causes and Exacerbating Factors

Since 2014, Venezuela has faced massive economic decline due to political corruption and fossil fuel reliance, yielding devastating effects on the nation’s elderly population. Over the past decade, Venezuela’s currency, the bolivar, has experienced an estimated 1 million percent inflation rate, making it increasingly difficult for Venezuelans to afford the goods and services necessary for survival, such as food and health care. 

These levels of inflation led to a mass exodus of more than 7 million Venezuelans – approximately 20% of the nation’s population – out of the country in search of better economic conditions and employment opportunities. As the majority of people fleeing the country were of working age, this left many seniors who decided to stay without younger relatives to care for them as they age. 

Although Venezuelans who are 65 and older have been following their families out of the country at increasing rates within the past few years, there are still plenty of elderly adults who are too weak to make the journey beyond the nation’s borders. For the senior citizens who remain in Venezuela, life is challenging, as the government lacks adequate policies and funding to care for its aging citizens.

The Current Situation

Like many nations, Venezuela maintains a government-funded old-age pension program that provides elderly individuals with a source of income after they retire from the workforce. Yet, the monthly pension that the government offers to elderly Venezuelans is essentially impossible to survive on, with each check equating to around $2.40. This $2.40 per month has already been adjusted to factor in the nation’s current inflation rate, with seniors having received less than $1 per month before May 2021. This meager monthly pension has forced many elderly Venezuelans to continue working in spite of their increasing age, and in many cases for elderly individuals who are too weak or too sick to work, to sell their possessions or beg on the streets. 

As of 2020, three in five Venezuelan seniors report going to bed hungry, and a shocking 95% of Venezuelan seniors report not having enough food on a daily basis. The Venezuelan government does have subsidized funds for community-based food distribution systems throughout the country known as Local Committees for Supply and Production. However, the food provided by these committees is generally not nutritionally dense and arrives sporadically for elderly individuals who are unable to leave the house and require their food to be delivered. 

Aside from food insecurity, there are also many obstacles preventing adequate health care for elderly Venezuelans including inflated prices and shortages of vital medications. Approximately 84% of Venezuelan seniors suffer from a chronic illness that requires medication, yet 75% of these seniors say that they are unable to access the medications or medical care that they need.   

Ongoing Efforts to Help Venezuela’s Elderly?

The European Commission has played a significant role in providing humanitarian aid to Venezuelans and has particularly focused on reaching the country’s most vulnerable populations including young children, pregnant women and the elderly. Since 2016, the European Commission has provided Venezuela with approximately  €390 million of humanitarian aid,  €75 million of which has been allocated throughout 2023. Improving food security, access to medical care and access to clean water are the top priorities for the European Commission’s work in Venezuela, and the organization continues to use its funds to provide Venezuela’s most vulnerable with critical medications, water purification equipment and nutrient-dense foods. 

Working specifically for Venezuela’s elderly is Help Age International, a non-governmental organization whose goal is to “improve the lives of older [individuals] in low-and middle-income countries” through advocacy and research, as well as direct humanitarian aid initiatives. In 2016, Help Age International formed a partnership with the Venezuelan humanitarian organization Convite in order to raise international awareness about the hardships affecting the elderly in Venezuela and to “deploy a humanitarian action program for distributing medicines” necessary to the health of seniors.

Moving Forward

Since Venezuela’s drastic economic decline, humanitarian aid organizations have provided extensive support in keeping the country’s population afloat. Fortunately as of 2021, the Venezuelan economy has begun to rebound and is now on a long, but hopeful track toward full revitalization. However, elderly poverty in Venezuela still remains a somewhat silent, and demographically disproportionate problem that continues to call for attention.  

– Reagan McDaniel
Photo: Flickr