How Street Food Vendors Are Important in the Fight Against Poverty

Street Food VendorsThroughout the world, small businesses play an important role in the economy. By closely connecting with their communities, they can simultaneously promote economic activity and cultural preservation. This principle extends to urban Latin America, where many individuals engage in local microenterprises to earn a living. When considering global poverty, analysts must analyze how this highly localized entrepreneurship affects specific aspects of the issues.

Microenterprises and Small Businesses

To understand the significance of microenterprises and small businesses, it is necessary to explain what they are and how they function. A microenterprise is often described as a business with fewer than 10 employees and often requires a small amount of capital. Furthermore, they typically specialize in locally providing their goods or services.

Similarly, small businesses are firms that have a certain threshold for workers and revenues. Typically the range is under 100 employees. Such firms are extremely important in developing nations worldwide, employing around half of the population. Small businesses and microenterprises have increasingly become important in Latin America, highlighted by a 13.4% growth in the number of small businesses in 2022. This is important because the relationships between small businesses, economic growth and poverty reduction are positive. They create employment opportunities and foster self-reliance as well as entrepreneurship.

Street Food in Latin America

Many different types of small businesses and microenterprises are popular in Latin America, but street food is by far the most widespread. Street food vending mainly operates within the informal sector. This exposes a broader institutional failure related to the issue, which cannot be overlooked when considering poverty. This phenomenon is caused by poor living conditions in rural areas and a bad urbanization process that makes commuting long and difficult, as well as a lack of businesses with low-priced food near workplaces. As a result, those seeking better opportunities often enter the informal economy and must engage in businesses like this. However, there is hope, as street food vending effectively contributes to poverty reduction and destigmatizes marginalized urban populations. The industry generates an annual revenue of $127 billion and offers employment and community to those who otherwise wouldn’t have it.

Furthermore, the food these businesses typically sell, such as arepas or choripán, often represents staples of the culture’s cuisine. While it seems natural that an Argentinian vendor would sell Argentinian food, it leads to the recognition of that culture and those people who otherwise would not be there. Food is a powerful cultural tool that, due to its diversity, has shaped identity throughout Latin America. Through selling traditional foods, vendors can both preserve culture and foster a sense of community around it. This contributes to the fight against poverty, as greater consensus and a shared mission make policy implementation easier.

In Latin America, small businesses and microenterprises play a dual role in reducing poverty: they drive economic growth and preserve cultural identity. These enterprises, often rooted in communities, create jobs and opportunities for self-reliance. Street food vending, a prevalent informal industry, defies its challenges to provide employment and cultural recognition. By selling traditional foods, vendors not only sustain cultural heritage but also foster community cohesion, which in turn aids poverty alleviation efforts. In the face of poverty, these enterprises prove that economic and cultural vitality can go hand in hand.

– Eduardo Gonzalez del Valle
Photo: Flickr

Addressing Maternal Mortality: Global Efforts in DRC

Maternal Mortality in the DRCMaternal mortality remains high in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), at 620 per 100,000 live births in 2022, despite efforts to reduce the rate drastically. The DRC has the eighth-highest maternal mortality rate in the world and is not on track to reach its 2030 target according to USAID.

International Involvement: USAID

USAID is one of the biggest donors to the DRC in regard to its health sector. USAID has created a plan not only for the DRC but other nations impacted by high maternal mortality called the Preventing Child Deaths and Maternal Death Framework, taking place over a 7-year course between 2023-2030. The focus areas for USAID are ensuring that the quality of health care is improved through using a primary health care system, targeting the impoverished populations who do not have easy access to health care and ensuring that leaders within communities take accountability for health concerns.

International Involvement: UNICEF

UNICEF has been actively involved in some of the success associated with maternal mortality rates in the DRC for nearly 63 years. Between 2001 and 2018, maternal mortality fell by nearly 40%. UNICEF helps to tackle the issue before it becomes one such as preventing common diseases that mothers tend to face during pregnancy. UNICEF works closely with other international organizations such as Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM) to ensure women are visited and checked up regularly during the period of conception and childbirth, those delivering children have the necessary skills to ensure a safe delivery for both the mother and the child and ensuring that postnatal care exists for the mother and the baby.

International Involvement: UNFPA

DRC’s health infrastructure has been damaged by conflict and poverty. The high rates of sexual violence against women also contribute to health complications during childbirth, which could lead to maternal death. As of 2018, 42,000 women were waiting for surgical care in regard to their genital fistulas, which are caused by sexual violence. With the recent internal and external conflicts happening especially in Eastern DRC, more women are in vulnerable positions than ever before.

The United Nations Population Fund, or UNFPA is a U.N. agency that aims to tackle reproductive and maternal health globally. UNFPA has worked in the DRC since 1978. In 2021, UNFPA was able to help provide almost 700 fistula repair surgeries for women. They have provided 6,800 life skill programs for girls and helped prevent 4,932 child, early and forced marriages. UNFPA has continuously supported Congolese women who suffer from different difficult situations that have contributed to maternal mortality.

Many international organizations and agencies have been working in the DRC to help out a vulnerable population who do not get protection from different forms of violence due to poverty and conflict. With continuous and hopefully increased support from other agencies, maternal mortality rates will decrease soon.

– Christelle Wealth-Mukendi
Photo: Flickr

More Self-Adjustable Eyeglasses for People Living in Poverty

Self-Adjustable EyeglassesUntil recently, many people have overlooked vision impairment as a global concern. However, the reality is that vision impairment continues to pose significant health risks for billions of people worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) only released its first report on vision in 2019, but the results are staggering. At least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment globally and at least 1 billion people have a preventable or treatable vision impairment. Furthermore, lower-income countries, as well as rural populations or communities with older people, are most vulnerable to vision-related health problems. 

For people living in poverty, healthy vision is essential to nearly all aspects of daily life. Whether one is cooking, sewing, reading or farming, people with healthy vision are more likely to earn higher, improve within education and perform well in day-to-day activities. 

If providing treatment to people in need is not incentive enough, the WHO also outlined drastic financial losses from vision impairment worldwide. According to the 2019 World Report on Vision, more than $200 billion are lost globally each year due to productivity losses from vision impairments, including uncorrected myopia and presbyopia. 

The Impact of Self-adjustable Glasses 

On the bright side, new technology offers cost-effective solutions for treating vision impairment, especially in developing countries. One notable example is self-adjustable eyeglasses for people living in poverty. Traditional eyeglasses are the default solution for many people living with vision impairments. However, they are inaccessible or unaffordable for many people living in poverty. Only one optometrist exists for every 600,000 people on average in developing countries, which is in stark contrast to the accessibility of optometrists in the U.S. 

Confronting the barriers that make it difficult to treat vision impairment in developing countries is Professor Joshua Silver, professor of physics at The University of Oxford and founder of the Center for Vision in the Developing World (CVDW). Silver devised self-adjustable eyeglasses to treat nearsightedness and farsightedness (also called myopia and hyperopia, respectively) at a low cost and without the need for an optometrist. His glasses include a silicon fluid solution, which wearers adjust through a syringe that sits on each arm. Both lenses are composed of flexible membranes, which change depending on the amount of silicon solution they contain. In essence, wearers adjust the strength of their glasses whenever and however is best for them. 

Self-adjustable eyeglasses for people living in poverty are a necessity. As of 2021, 100,000 of Silver’s glasses have been distributed across 20 countries. Furthermore, numerous studies, including one conducted in rural China and published in The BMJ, have demonstrated the efficacy of adaptive eyeglasses.

The Current Situation

As things stand, vision impairment is only projected to intensify alongside population growth and aging in the coming years, according to the 2019 World Report on Vision. The WHO also predicts that vision-related health problems will rise into the top 10 global health issues affecting productivity and opportunity advancement in 2030, surpassing the global burden of HIV/AIDS. 

Unfortunately, despite the efficacy of self-adjustable eyeglasses for people living in poverty, they are not nearly as accessible yet as they should be. In 2015, Silver hoped that 1 billion of the world’s poorest people would have access to adaptive eyewear by 2020. As of 2021, only 100,000 people had access. 

Additionally, Silver and the CVDW partnered with Dow Corning in 2013 to create the Child Vision Project, an initiative to distribute top-notch eyewear to children in need across the developing world. However, a 2017 fundraising campaign for the Child Vision Project raised only a little over 5% of its goal before closing. Without strong monetary support, distributing adaptive eyewear to children in need is a much more difficult feat. 

Looking Ahead

Fortunately, research demonstrates the efficacy of self-adjustable eyeglasses for people living in poverty. Those who receive eyeglasses fare better in education, social participation and employment than those without eyeglasses. Moving forward, people in developed countries with access to vision-related health support must continue to mobilize behind the distribution of necessary eyewear worldwide. 

– Ben Hofmann
Photo: Unsplash

,

Impact of Hydroponics on Sahrawi Refugees

Sahrawi Refugees
Since 1976, the Sahrawi refugees have been in the middle of a dispute over who controls the Western Sahara, being confined to refugee camps in the Tindouf province of Algeria. The conflict has changed the way they live their lives settling in arid conditions and struggling for self-sustenance away from their traditional nomadic lifestyle. Due to the lack of self-sustenance many of the population residing in the camps largely depend on humanitarian aid for survival and food security. The impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara has had profound effects on food security, economic opportunities and reducing malnutrition in the camps raising the Sahrawi people’s standard of living.

Problems and Challenges Faced by Sahrawi Refugees

As of 2018, the total population of the five camps located in Tindouf was 175,000. Due to the Algerian desert being a very hostile environment to live in with frequent sandstorms and temperatures that can exceed 50 degrees Celsius, food is a major issue in the harsh environment making it nearly impossible for anything to grow naturally. The hostile climate combined with the lack of economic opportunities has led to around “one-quarter of the camps’ residents” facing chronic malnutrition. This chronic malnutrition comes from “the limited range of food available – which is mainly composed of cereals, sugar and oil but is lacking in protein.” Due to chronic malnutrition and hostile conditions, “food assistance accounts for 52% of refugees’ food consumption” with the “poorest households spending over 60%” of their income on food. 

Hydroponics as a Solution

H2Grow is a World Food Program (WFP) hydroponic initiative that uses low-tech hydroponic units to grow food for animals to “strengthen food security in the community” as the Sahrawi refugees’ diet traditionally consists of meat and milk. Hydroponics uses 90% less water than traditional agriculture without the use of soil. Therefore, this technique can be used to enable plant growth in areas that are non-fertile and arid, the same condition where the Sahrawi refugees currently reside.

The Sahrawi refugees value livestock for meat and milk; however, due to the Algerian desert’s arid climate, goats in the camp often end up eating garbage. Thus, using hydroponics, the WFP alongside local experts “developed a low-tech system to grow barley for use as animal fodder by refugees in camps in Tindouf.” The increase in the volume of barley has allowed more goats to be fed, increasing access to milk and meat, thereby improving food security in the camps. 

In 2017, the WFP made both a solar-powered container and DIY household unit built with “locally procured material at 10% of the cost” as well as household kits. Due to the success of hydroponics, the technique was scaled up in the camps increasing the number of units from four to now 200 as of 2018.

The Impact of Hydroponics on Sahrawi Refugees in the Algerian Sahara

The impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara has been significant, with the Sahrawi people working together to maintain and protect the hydroponic units from “wind, sandstorms and keeping it cool from the sun.” With the hydroponic units at full operation, refugees can use 90% less water to “grow barley grass from seed in just 7 days.” According to Oxfam, each unit produces about “132 pounds of fodder per day – enough to feed 20 goats.” The implementation of hydroponics has led to a better diet for goats, something the Sahrawi refugees rely on for livelihood whether for food or economic trade. The WFP has found that hydroponics had increased goat milk production by 250% when fed fresh fodder rather than garbage found around the campsite, with meat quality and quantity improving also. Furthermore, excess fodder was able to be sold creating a new revenue stream for the Sahrawi refugees.

The impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara has been huge. The WFP and Oxfam have taken huge leaps in improving food security and livelihood for the Sahrawi people who live in a hostile environment. Due to the success of hydroponics in Algeria, the technique can be used in “similarly challenging environments such as Chad, Jordan and Sudan.” The implementation and impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara show us that humans cannot just survive in hostile environments but thrive.  

– Kishan Patel
Photo: Pixabay

,

Economic Improvements in Jamaica

Economic Improvements in Jamaica
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamaica’s economy grew after its gross domestic product suffered a 10% decrease. It has done so by producing goods, such as food, beverages and tobacco, with the help of the goods and by self-producing industries such as restaurants, fishing, transportation, communication, construction, hotels, mining, agriculture and forestry. As a result of this, the country garnered its eighth consecutive period of economic growth during the March quarter of 2023, advancing 4.2% year-on-year after making it toward 3.8% growth during the previous quarter. Here is some information about the economic improvements in Jamaica.

Current Growth

After the 2022–2023 fiscal year had passed, the Bank of Jamaica Governor, Richard Byles, reported that the country’s economy grew in the range of 4% to 5.5% and that this outturn is up to par with the outcome that was said to come true by the institution itself. In addition to this, Byles has commented that the economic growth could be indicated by the estimated outturn for the period between the months of January and March 2023, which had a faster growth rate that quarter, ranging between 3.5% and 4.5%, than the period that had the previous fastest growth rate between October and December 2022, where 3.8% was recorded instead.

Predictions about Jamaica’s Future Economic State

Byles added that there were indications that the economy would continue to grow for the April to June 2023 period as a result of the advancements in agriculture and manufacturing production that support the resumption of production at the JAMALCO alumina plant. He further stated that as of May 18, 2023, Jamaica’s gross international reserves remained at a decent rate of $4.7 billion and that the Jamaican dollar increased in value against the U.S. dollar by 0.4%, in contrast to a 3.3% loss over the same time last year. He also commented that the Bank of Jamaica has so far sold $398.3 million through its foreign exchange intervention trading, the B-FXITT program, and an additional $10 million to certain state firms, including Petrojam, resulting in a net purchase of $470.3 million when offset by the bank’s purchases that it made.

How Economic Improvements in Jamaica are Occurring

Byles also stated that despite recent volatility in the banking industry abroad, the domestic financial system is strong with appropriate capital and liquidity. He added that the gross reserves will continue to be adequate in the medium term. Furthermore, he noted that deposit-taking institutions have maintained compliance with prudent liquidity standards and that the quality of the system’s loan portfolio has remained stable in itself.

Conclusion

To continue to combat the economic downturn and ensure economic improvements in Jamaica, Jamaica has progressively integrated climate change adaptation into its policy framework and reinforced its social protection system, which has led to an increase in fairness, a decrease in poverty and a better social structure.

– Deon Roberts
Photo: Flickr

,

The Czech Republic’s Foreign Aid

The Czech Republic’s Foreign Aid
The Czech Republic, also known today as Czechia, has a current GDP of about $290.92B, with a GDP per capita of $27,638.40 and a total population of more than 10 million people. The country has undergone decades of development, leading it to rank among the richest countries in the world. Because of this, the Czech Republic has developed foreign policy objectives to assist developing countries in need. The objectives include programs such as the Development Cooperation, which promotes development projects and offers humanitarian aid. 

Development Cooperation

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, the country’s development cooperation aims to support projects that bolster the Czech Republic’s foreign aid by providing scholarships to students and humanitarian aid and participating in global organizations that help developing nations. The Czech Republic is the 26th member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD’s) Development Assistance Committee, or DAC. In addition to providing assistance to other countries, the Czech Republic is able to pursue development projects in order to strengthen its own relations with other countries at a political and economic level. In doing so, the country improves its security on a global as well as regional scale. Overall, the Czech Republic’s national interests involve strengthening security, building international trade, international investment, climate adaptation and reducing disaster risk. 

The Czech Republic’s foreign aid programs in the development cooperation include shifting a centrally planned economy to a market economy and transitioning an existing political system to that of a democratic one. The country is keen on getting involved with the aforementioned programs so that it may utilize its own knowledge of government reform, justice reform, tax system modification, societal transformation and the development of market environments. 

According to the OECD, the Czech Republic’s development cooperation is a vital aspect of the country’s foreign policy. It aims to reduce global poverty and inequality by prioritizing economic growth, managing natural resources in a sustainable manner, developing democratic institutions and inclusive social transformations and promoting agricultural and rural growth. 

Official Development Assistance Allocation

In 2022, the Czech Republic allocated around 0.36% of its GNI to ODA, or official development assistance. Just a year prior, the country ranked the highest as a contributor to multilateral organizations and has had one of the highest shares of bilateral assistance for CSOs, or civil society organizations, further bolstering the success of the Czech Republic’s foreign aid. In 2021, the Czech Republic utilized 11.5% of its allocable bilateral aid to strengthen trade performance in developing countries and 8.9% toward reducing malnutrition. By allocating aid funds to developing nations, the Czech Republic allows countries to integrate into the world economy while also providing assistance and growth opportunities. 

Priority Countries

According to the OECD, the Czech Republic’s foreign aid initiatives concentrate its bilateral assistance in Mongolia, Ethiopia, Moldova, Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina. An estimated 35% of the Czech Republic’s bilateral ODA assisted these five countries in 2011. The Czech Republic further provided programs whereby the country could strengthen and establish democratic institutions, civil society, the rule of law and good governance. In order to get involved with the “Arab Spring” events, the Czech Republic extended its program countries to include those in Northern Africa: Tunisia and Egypt. 

The Czech Republic’s assistance in Afghanistan, for example, involves agriculture, education and water and sanitation, with sectors of the Czech development cooperation dedicated to these efforts. The Czech Development Agency implements bilateral project cooperation while also supporting national funds in Afghanistan. In turn, this support funds programs and projects of international Afghan organizations.

In February 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic signed a memorandum with the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation highlighting the bilateral Development Cooperation Program, which offers support for trade projects, humanitarian aid, smaller local projects and government scholarships. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been a significant partner in the Czech Republic’s development cooperation. The country underwent a post-war transformation and gained humanitarian assistance, which evolved into joining the European Union. This conveys the great impact and knowledge that the Czech Republic possesses when it comes to providing powerful resources for struggling countries. The agenda of the Czech Republic’s development cooperation for Bosnia and Herzegovina involved sustainability goals and democratic governance, including assistance with economic growth in relation to providing renewable energy, clean water and efficient political guidance. 

Agenda 2030 and Humanitarian Assistance Expansion

For the years 2018-2030, however, the country’s foreign aid program countries include Cambodia, Ethiopia and Zambia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova. Cambodia, Ethiopia and Zambia are categorized as the least developed countries by the OECD/DAC. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova are categorized as middle-income countries. 

In 2016, the Czech Republic’s bilateral assistance reached $10.97 million in least-developed countries, $19.98 million in lower-middle-income countries and $0.33 million in other low-income countries. Additionally, during this time, the Czech Republic’s ODA was worth $260 million, with the ODA/GNI share at 0.14%. In comparison to the year prior, the volume and GNI in 2016 were significantly higher. 

According to the Development Cooperation Strategy of the Czech Republic, 2018-2030, Agenda 2030 addresses the goals for global development as well as the country’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, the agenda lays out the aspects of development regarding economic, social and environmental sectors. In order to achieve development and humanitarian aid objectives, the Czech Republic sets out to collaborate with financial institutions as well as international organizations. 

The Czech Republic’s Foreign Aid Growth

All in all, the Czech Republic’s foreign policy initiatives employ the use of development cooperation in order to provide assistance to developing countries. At the same time, the country’s humanitarian aid acts as an opportunity for the Czech Republic to strengthen ties with its allies, further prompting social, economic, environmental and security growth. 

– Bianca Roh
Photo: Flickr

Gender inequality on China’s donation platform

Gender inequality on donation platformsThe “Spring Bud Project” is a well-known charity platform in mainland China, with the goal of sponsoring women in poor mountainous areas. However, it has recently been exposed by the media that the “Spring Bud Program” uses photos of poor girls in poor areas for publicity, but in fact, the recipients are boys, and most of them are adult males that are more than 20 years old and fully capable of working, accounting for 47% of the total number of recipients. Unfortunately, this issue of gender inequality on donation platforms appears to be widespread. 

Good Reputation

In 1989, under the leadership of the All-China Women’s Federation, the China Children’s and Teenagers’ Fund initiated and organized the implementation of the Spring Bud Project. According to its official website, the Spring Bud Project has sponsored more than 3.69 million girls, supported the construction of 1,811 Spring Bud schools, provided vocational education and training to 527,000 girls and prepared and distributed 2.17 million sets of manuals for the care of girls. Many girls have grown up and become successful under this program. As a result, the word “spring bud” carries extra weight in the hearts of many people.

The Beginning 

However, in December 2019, the “Spring Bud” program was discovered and questioned by netizens that 453 of the 1,267 high school students sponsored in this batch were boys, triggering widespread discussion and coverage. The Foundation confirmed this and said that the program was funded for reasons such as “local boys from poor families are also in need of help,” and said that the Spring Bud Program will always target girls for funding in its future implementation and that if there is a need for boys to be funded, it will be prominently featured in the fundraising literature.

This response did not quell the doubts, and some netizens believed that it violated the principle of “specific use of funds” for charitable aid, blurred the target group of the charity program and violated the relevant regulations of the Charity Law that the use of funds should not be changed without authorization. In the ensuing controversy, netizens pointed out that it was unreasonable to donate the “Spring Bud Program” special fund, which was intended to help out-of-school girls, to a 19-year-old “boy” in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a photographer.

Is It Fair?

As a country that prizes traditional values, there is still serious gender discrimination in Chinese society in 2023. This phenomenon is more and more serious in rural areas, where the majority of rural families are only willing to let boys go to school. It is for this reason that the general public has chosen to donate to this fund, which was set up especially for girls. However, the money from these donation platforms, which claim to “support girls in poor areas to study and change their destiny,” goes to adult men who also live in poor areas but only wish to own new iPads and cameras. This incident has also caused a large number of netizens to question whether it is fair to donate an equal amount to each of the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries when resources are already unequally distributed.

– Jiayi Liu
Photo: Flickr

The Relationship Between Poverty and Premature Aging

Poverty and Premature Aging
Aging is a natural, continuous process that occurs from the moment one is born and becomes more pronounced in middle age and beyond. Aging involves a gradual decline in both physical and mental capacity and is marked by an increased risk of disease and ultimately death. While everyone ages, this process is not linear and can be influenced by a multitude of factors including genetics as well as differences in physical and social environments. While it is less discussed, poverty is another circumstance that impacts this phenomenon. Further exploration of poverty and premature aging is needed in order to understand this issue.

How Premature Aging Affects Those in Poverty

People in poverty may experience several symptoms related to premature aging, including:

  • Limited physical capability: A study that the European Journal of Ageing published in 2019 assessed the association between poverty and premature aging through several tests frequently used to measure physical capability, including chair rise performance, hand grip strength and balance aptitude. Jump height was also measured for supplemental data. Researchers found that adults who lived below the relative poverty line for four or more years had less favorable scores in each measure of physical capability compared to financially stable individuals. This research supports previous studies that illustrated associations between poverty and reported limitations in performing basic self-care tasks such as bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence and eating.
  • Poorer cognitive functioning: Poverty has persistently been linked to cognitive functioning deficits. For example, middle-aged people who have experienced poverty score lower on cognitive function assessments which analyze verbal memory, performance, speed domains and executive skills, according to a study conducted by Al Hazzouri in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine in 2016. Moreover, cognitive performance, particularly processing speed, grows worse with further cumulative exposure to economic hardship.
  • Increased inflammatory levels and biological risk: High inflammatory levels and biological risks correlate with an increased risk of disease and mortality, all of which are associated with aging. Inflammatory levels can be assessed by calculating the number of immune cells in the blood that trigger systemic inflammation. High levels of inflammatory cells such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were detected in people experiencing economic hardship for four or more years. Similarly, a study published by the National Library of Medicine found that poverty status between the ages of 20-70 is marked by increased biological risks such as high blood pressure, pulse rate, total cholesterol, body mass index, glycated hemoglobin, c-reactive protein and albumin. In this study, Eileen M. Crimmins states that “a person in his or her 40s who lives in or near poverty has a level of biological risk similar to that of a person about 60 in a better-off family.”
  • Early onset of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs): While the relationship between communicable diseases and poverty has been well established, researchers have recently established an elevated risk of developing NCDs such as diabetes, stroke, heart attack and cancer in populations with lower socioeconomic status. Moreover, poverty increases the risk of death and disability from these diseases.
  • Early death: Premature aging among impoverished people ultimately results in early onset mortality. Even when biological risks are similar between those in poverty and the nonpoor, the former has a life expectancy of approximately 20 years shorter than the latter. Research conducted by the National Institute of Health in 2022 found that premature death risk in impoverished people increases even more when combined with other types of adversity in early childhood such as crowded housing or parental separation. Individuals with two adverse experiences have a 27% higher risk of early death, while those with four experiences have a whopping 45% higher risk.

Combating Poverty and Premature Aging

One way to combat premature aging in impoverished communities is to elucidate how poverty itself speeds up the aging process. This area of research has been relatively understudied, though several hypotheses have been offered. Researchers at the American Journal of Preventive Medicine propose that people in poverty may lack the proper resources to follow healthy lifestyles and access health care services, thus resulting in unfavorable health outcomes. Other studies suggest that the chronic stress that often accompanies prolonged poverty drives premature aging.

Despite the importance of researching these topics, studies can be hard to fund. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one organization that provides more funds for biomedical research than any other organization in the world. In 2022 alone, the NIH invested nearly $45 billion in appropriations to researchers working to improve human health. For example, the NIH provides 75% salary support to working researchers for a minimum of two years and up to $50,000 to interdisciplinary teams. This has benefited people like Rita Hama, a clinician and instructor at Stanford University, who is trying to “better understand how the social, psychological, political, cultural and economic circumstances of those living in poverty influence their chances for a healthy life.” Hopefully, supplementing research efforts with poverty reduction tactics will sever the link between poverty and premature aging altogether.

– Olivia Welling
Photo: Flickr

, ,

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Poverty Reduction in South Africa

Poverty Reduction in South AfricaIn 2015, all United Nations (U.N.) members adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which outlines 17 Goals in an urgent call to action by all states. The primary focus was on poverty reduction, sustainability, hygiene education and quality education. In 2019, the South African government finalized the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2020-25, which includes a multidisciplinary approach to tackling poverty in South Africa through consultation with civil society, academia, the private sector and others.

No Poverty

Goal 1, No Poverty, is a priority for many nations because of its pressing nature. Goal 1 includes eradicating all extreme poverty, to ensure people are living on at least $1.25, the benchmark, per day. In South Africa, there has been concern, as elsewhere in the continent, that the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed more people into poverty and has created more inequality between the rich and the poor.

The World Bank estimates that poverty in South Africa was 63% in 2022, based on the upper-middle-income country poverty line. Severe electricity shortages caused by ‘power rationing’ by the government of up to nine hours per day have also impacted and halted the economy since many sectors such as IT, water and service delivery cannot function. Alongside this, South Africa’s history of Apartheid still lingers today through inequality and poverty. For example, the 2020 multidimensional poverty report by UNICEF revealed that Black children were almost seven times more likely to live in poverty.

Taking Action

The South African government has taken some steps toward poverty reduction in South Africa. In 2012, the government adopted Vision 2030, a National Development Plan (NDP) aiming to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030. In the NDP, 74% of the SDG targets are directly addressed, showing a good alignment of the plan in tackling poverty in South Africa.

Focus areas of the National Development Plan included poverty reduction in South Africa, alongside the creation of employment and sustainability. The government administered financial assistance to around 17 million people, including grants to pensions, child support, disability and more, within the NDP. Despite these attempts, poverty continues to persist.

The Intervention of Charity Organizations

Charities have also been extremely important in realizing and helping to implement the SDGs. The Borgen Project spoke with Iris Salemi, an International Intern for the charity Where Rainbows Meet, who spent a month working in South Africa and witnessing first-hand the impact of poverty. Where Rainbows Meet provides weekly computer, sewing, gardening and business lessons, alongside CV and child education workshops to increase the employability of young people in the Vrygrond area in Cape Town. Daily power cuts have hindered the ability of charities such as Where Rainbows Meet to carry out crucial work that impacts poverty reduction in South Africa. For example, charities cannot provide computers during power cuts, the kitchen is out of use and the education programs cannot happen without electrical power. For Iris, charities need more government support in order to fight unemployment in a community-based manner.

Other charities also operate and work to reduce poverty in South Africa with the SDGs in mind. These include Nkosi’s Haven, which supports HIV-infected mothers and children through residential and holistic care and provides education to affected communities. For example, it developed Nkosi’s Haven Village, a 2.5-acre plot of land south of Johannesburg that accommodates 22 mothers and 121 children. Operation Hunger also operates in the country and provides food parcels all over South Africa for the most vulnerable. While these are just a few examples, they show the meaningful and crucial ongoing work to address poverty-related issues in South Africa in line with the SDGs.

The Interlinkage of the SDGs

The connection and overlapping of the SDGs are extremely important in addressing multidimensional poverty. For example, quality education (Goal 4) is linked to reducing poverty (Goal 1), as is decent work (Goal 8) and reduced inequalities (Goal 10). Salemi outlined this during her work in the Vrygrond community, saying that “tackling youth education is, as I see it, the most effective way to fight poverty”.

In South Africa, the 2020 multidimensional poverty report revealed that, as of 2021, 50% of individuals aged 15 to 24 were without employment. In her research, Salemi discovered that many individuals grappled with issues related to self-confidence, belief in their abilities and a lack of understanding about what constitutes success. For instance, some young learners struggled to discern the value of education, while others found themselves drawn into negative influences such as gangs. Additional factors contributing to this predicament encompass subpar educational opportunities and skill development, insufficient career guidance within educational institutions and the financial burdens associated with job-seeking, particularly for those residing in rural regions.

Where Rainbows Meet set up workshops in order to help more young people realize their ambitions and see their own value. With better work opportunities and quality education, there is hope for achieving poverty reduction. The role of the government and the work local charities do are consequently imperative in helping South Africa achieve the SDGs.

Taytin’s Experience

The interlinkage of the SDGs is shown in the case of Taytin, whom Iris met during her internship. Coming from a family engaged in drugs and gangs, Taytin’s only option to avoid engagement in this was the street, where he, his brother and father spent all of Taytin’s childhood. Taytin went to Where Rainbows Meet and is now a computer teacher at the charity, and Iris states, “he has helped so many kids and so many adults find a brighter path.” This personal story allows one to observe the importance of achieving the SDGs, all of which influence each other.

Looking Ahead

The pursuit of the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a complex and urgent task. Exacerbated by the pandemic, its historical inequalities and electricity shortages, South Africa faces challenges in reducing poverty. Charities have made meaningful and impactful strides toward addressing poverty-related issues, in line with the SDGs. In addressing poverty and implementing the framework necessary for its alleviation, South Africa can work toward meeting many of the other SDGs simultaneously, as underscored by the work of charities in the country.

– Rosie Lyons
Photo: Flickr

How National Parks in Chile Can Help Tackle Poverty

National Parks in ChileChile lines the West Coast of South America. At 4,270 km long, the country hosts a diverse and unique set of ecosystems, with many of the plants and animals being found only in those regions. These ecosystems are at risk though with the threat of droughts, desertification, devastating wildfires, deadly heat waves, sea level rise, coastal erosion and the increasing intensity of extreme weather events ruining them.

The threat of the collapse of these ecosystems not only affects the plants and animals in Chile but also the people. It has been proven that the preservation and conservation of these lands have helped to reduce poverty in Chile; therefore, it is imperative that efforts are made to ensure the continuation of these ecosystems. The Tompkins Foundation has made it their mission to both conserve land in Chile by creating national parks and rewild Chile by reintroducing native species that have already disappeared from these lands. These efforts directly impact poverty reduction, allowing the Chilean people to thrive.

The Tompkins Foundation

In the 1980s, both Douglas and Kristine Tompkins decided to sell their shares of the companies they owned and operated from the United States down to Chilean Patagonia. Douglas had started the multimillion-dollar companies The North Face and Esprit, and Kristine was the former CEO of the company Patagonia as well as a lifelong conservationist.

Using their funds, they founded the Tompkins Foundation and over the next 30 years they were able to purchase and preserve over 14 million acres of land in both Chile and Argentina. They felt a duty to give back to an earth that they had grown up in, explored and enjoyed. The couple then worked tirelessly to convert the lands that they had purchased into parks.

In 2017 they reached an agreement, in collaboration with the Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, to transform many of these privately owned parks into national parks for the Chilean people. Douglas, unfortunately, passed away in 2015 before he was able to see their plan to fruition. Kristine and the rest of the Tompkins Foundation continue to be dedicated to the mission of “preserving [the] land and sea, restoring biodiversity, and helping communities to thrive.”

Poverty Reduction and National Parks

One of these aforementioned parks donated by the Tompkins Foundation in 2017 was Patagonia National Park. Subsequently in 2020, the Conservation Strategy Fund conducted a study commissioned by The PEW Charitable Trust that found that living near these protected areas has helped Chileans avoid poverty. The research done by the Conservation Strategy Fund highlights a broader conversation on how conservation is obtainable while fitting in with economic development and human well-being.

This study focused on the economic indicators of poverty in Chilean households both close to Patagonia and far away, by looking at access to running water, electricity and if the household had a refrigerator. Over a 20-year period, they found that people living near protected areas had higher access to these economic indicators in comparison to people living far away from them.

Although the study took place over many regions both protected and unprotected in Chile, they found that the greatest positive impact was in the Patagonia region, which was the region with the largest amount of newly protected land added during the study. The reasoning for this is still unclear. Overall though, the study found two reasons as to why a decrease in poverty was seen for people situated near public lands; tourism and infrastructure.

These two factors go hand in hand. As the beautiful lands of Chile are turned into National Parks, tourism increases boosting the economies of both these regions and the country. Furthermore, as more tourists flow into the country federal funds are directed towards creating and updating infrastructure to accommodate them. One of the most influential additions to infrastructure is road connectivity, allowing the flow of goods and services, as well as people, to reach these areas further benefiting the economy.

Continuing Debates

Regardless of the apartment positive attributions public lands make to poverty reduction, they are still controversial. Many see conservation as a roadblock to economic development and poverty reduction because it does not allow access to lands that could be used for their natural resources. The two contrasting viewpoints regarding the purpose of protected areas, one that emphasizes conservation without direct socioeconomic benefits and the other that advocates for using protected areas to contribute to local well-being, are not new.

A Conversation With The Tompkins Foundation

Regarding this debate, The Borgen Project was able to speak with Carolina Morgado, the Executive Director of Rewilding Chile, a legacy foundation of Tompkins Conservation continuing the work in Chile today. Her take on the aforementioned debate was that “The notion that conservation doesn’t yield direct socioeconomic benefits relates to a failure to appreciate nature’s inherent value and its services to communities, relegating it solely to considering its instrumental value.” This comment contributes to the aforementioned study demonstrating a different and more sustainable perspective on how lands can contribute to human well-being. Both humans and the planet are taken into consideration and are able to thrive simultaneously.

Morgado underscores the importance of “framing access to public lands in Chile as advantageous for its citizens, highlighting benefits beyond the failure of valuing nature as an unlimited resource.” Notably, these insights align with the United Nations’ 2015 agenda, aiming to achieve global sustainable development by 2030 through the harmonization of human well-being and ecological preservation.

The amalgamation of the Conservation Strategy Fund’s recent discoveries with preceding research forms a compelling argument advocating for heightened financial support from the Chilean government to effectively manage the nation’s protected areas. Beyond demonstrating the societal merits of safeguarded regions, the presented findings hold the potential to attract fresh investments and crucial financial backing for presently underfunded Chilean protected areas.

– Ada Rose Wagar
Photo: Flickr