Human trafficking in North Korea is a cause of concern. According to the 2022 Trafficking in Persons report by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), North Korea does not meet the “minimum requirements for the elimination of trafficking.” North Korea ranks as a Tier 3 country in terms of efforts to end trafficking, which is the lowest rank possible.
Prison Camps
According to the 2022 TIP report, North Korea holds between 80,000 and 120,000 people in political prison camps and an “undetermined number of persons” reside in other types of confinement facilities, like re-education camps.
There are no official charges against many of these prisoners and authorities have not undertaken fair sentencing processes. All prisoners in these camps, including children, endure extreme working conditions through forced labor in areas such as mining, agriculture and logging for excessive amounts of time.
“In many cases, the government also detains all family members if one member is accused or arrested,” the report says. Children in the camps also undertake forced labor for as much as 12 hours daily and lack access to proper education. Conditions in these prisons are dire and prisoners face physical abuse, torture, hunger and inadequate medical care. The report highlights that “many prisoners do not survive.”
Child Labor in North Korea
From a tender age, North Korean children are forced into labor, including “agricultural labor support, item collection and construction work,” according to PSCORE. Children residing in prison camps, orphanages and relief shelters also engage in forced child labor.
The types of child labor typically vary according to season. In spring, children plant corn, sow seeds and collect certain beans and sunflower seeds. During summer, children must “remove grass and lay rocks to build railways,” use soil to mold bricks and collect certain nuts. Autumn’s activities involve agricultural support and collecting scrap iron and scrap paper. In winter, children work in mines and transport soil.
Agricultural Labor, Item Collection and Construction
Agricultural labor support is a term that describes compulsory farm work, such as harvesting, sowing, planting and weeding. “The government mobilizes children through the education system and sends them to local farms [that partner with schools]. Farm work is considered an essential component of the school curriculum and the work is unpaid,” PSCORE highlights.
The government also obligates students to collect specific items, such as scrap iron. Scrap iron is almost non-existent in the country yet failures to meet item quotas result in beatings and verbal abuse.
Students must also participate in building projects and performances on national holidays, such as the birthdays of the country’s leaders. Performances for Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-Il and Kim Jong-Un require the work of 50,000 children for six to 12 months. The children are tasked with flipping cards to create a colorful and dynamic site in honor of the leaders. The children practice the routine in extreme heat, which results in “casualties among the children.”
Students must also take part in construction products regarding “municipal infrastructure, school buildings, railroad repair and even private housing of school personnel.” The children engage in hazardous labor and, at times, “must also make or bring the materials necessary for construction at their own expense,” PSCORE says.
Forced Labor Abroad
North Korea does not only subject victims to exploitation within the country but also abroad. In 2015, the government had more than 50,000 citizens working abroad in Russia, China, Africa and the Middle East. The purpose of these workers is to earn money overseas to counteract the international sanctions countries impose on North Korea. The North Koreans abroad work for as many as 10 to 12 hours, six days a week. The government takes a bulk of their pay, 90%, which garners around $1.2 billion to $2.3 billion a year for North Korea, Reuters reported in 2016.
Help for North Koreans
Liberty in North Korea is an organization that provides support to North Koreans seeking refuge in other countries, such as South Korea. It also provides help to victims of human trafficking. The organization’s website tells the story of Joy. Via a broker, Joy left North Korea in search of a better life in China. The broker turned out to be a trafficker who sold her as a bride for $3,000. After some years, Joy safely made it to South Korea in 2013 with the help of Liberty in North Korea. Joy is currently studying social work and endeavors to help other North Korean women in situations of trafficking.
Though limited efforts are underway to address human trafficking in North Korea, the work of organizations like Liberty in North Korea is making a difference. By advocating and mobilizing to end human trafficking in North Korea, organizations can uphold the rights of North Koreans.
– David Keenan
Photo: Unsplash
Child Labor in Cobalt Mines of the DRC
Poverty and Child Labor in Cobalt Mines
Cobalt is a type of metal commonly used in lithium-ion batteries. The DRC is the leading mecca for cobalt production as the nation holds more than 50% of the global cobalt reserves. The excavation fields are mostly small artisanal mines, often lacking resources and protective equipment, such as gloves and masks, necessary for safer mining activities. Due to poverty rates in the country, child labor is common in mining and other sectors. In 2022, close to 62% of Congolese people, equal to around 60 million individuals, survived on less than $2.15 a day, the World Bank highlights.
Despite the poor and hazardous working conditions, children continue to work in these artisanal mines out of necessity. Impoverished families struggle to meet their basic needs and cannot afford the cost of school fees, therefore, many parents push their children to contribute to the household income by working in small mines that operate under little to no regulations. Some children do not attend school at all and engage in mining work full time while others do attend school and engage in this work after school or on weekends.
Although the Congolese government enacted the DRC Child Protection Code of 2009, which provides” free and compulsory primary education,” the lack of sufficient government funding for education places the responsibility of paying non-tuition fees, such as teachers’ salaries and uniform costs, on parents. Parents have to pay between 10,000 to 30,000 Congolese Francs ($10-30) a month, an expense unaffordable for many.
The Child Labor Experience
The exact nature of child labor in cobalt mines differs from site to site. Generally, children excavate in ditches, work in rivers, turn and sort the metal and haul heavy materials. If children are too young to work alone, they work with their mothers, helping with digging or sorting. According to research by Amnesty International and Afrewatch, children work for up to 12 hours a day in the mining fields. Even schoolchildren work similar hours on weekends.
In 2015, Amnesty International and Afrewatch researchers interviewed 17 Congolese children who worked or still work in the mines. The child miners shared their experiences, with many recounting that the mining areas are often sweltering or drenched with rain, lacking any overhead protection. The interviewees also reported that some security guards hired by the mining companies physically mistreated them or stole their wages.
Ending Child Labor in Cobalt Mines
UNICEF and the Global Battery Alliance (GBA), “a public-private collaboration platform founded in 2017 at the World Economic Forum to help establish a sustainable battery value chain by 2030,” are working to end child labor in the cobalt mines of the DRC. One of the partnership’s aims is to reintegrate into education 500 children from Kipushi territory who exited work in the mining sector. Social workers working for UNICEF register the children in the civil registry and some are placed in foster care if necessary. Children who have experienced violence or abuse also receive counseling and medical services. In 2021, 271 former Congolese child miners returned to school.
In 2021, UNICEF collaborated with RCS Global Group to develop and distribute a toolkit to help prevent child labor in cobalt mines as part of their Mitigating Child Rights Deprivations in ASM (Artisanal Small-scale Mining) Communities Project. Mining companies and supply chain stakeholders utilize the toolkit for identifying infringements on child rights and implementing more effective social protection measures in the affected communities.
Hope for Children in the DRC
Several organizations are working to eliminate child labor in cobalt mines. Alongside other alleviatory initiatives, these organizations are pushing for appropriate regulations in the mining industry. These efforts will allow Congolese children to participate in education without having to bear their family’s financial burden.
– Amber Kim
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Period Poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Defining Period Poverty
Period poverty entails a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, facilities, education and waste management. For young girls and women unable to purchase sanitary products, period poverty interrupts their progression as these girls cannot attend school or work. Period poverty can have negative effects on mental and physical health and serves as a barrier to the advancement and progression of females across the globe. Worldwide, period poverty affects an estimated 500 million people.
Period Poverty in the DRC
In Kinshasa, in the commune of Makala, specifically in the M’Fidi district, menstruating girls are separated from their peers and may not use the same sanitary facilities as the other children. In the M’Fidi district, almost all schools have only one communal toilet facility for both males and females, making it impossible for menstruating girls to use alternative facilities.
Due to the financial hardship many families face, many girls cannot afford adequate sanitary products. The cost of disposable sanitary pads in the country ranges between $2 and $3 per month. In 2022, almost 62% of Congolese, equal to around 60 million people, lived on less than $2.15 a day, the World Bank highlights. In a country with high poverty rates where the average family has around three daughters, the cost of menstrual hygiene products represents a significant financial burden. As a result, many girls are forced to reuse sanitary products or resort to unhygienic alternatives, which poses risks to their health.
Dangers of Poor Menstrual Hygiene
Poor menstrual hygiene can pose several potential risks to women’s reproductive health. Using unclean alternatives or used sanitary products can introduce bacteria into the vagina, leading to infections in the reproductive and urinary tract and possible infertility.
Another rare but dangerous complication of poor menstrual hygiene is toxic shock syndrome (TSS). TSS manifests as flu-like symptoms, blistering rash, low blood pressure, disorientation, vomiting and diarrhea. Bacterial toxins cause the condition and menstruating females who use tampons are at particular risk when proper hygiene protocols are not followed.
DRC Period Poverty Statistics
A study by Laura Rossouw and Hana Ross published in 2021 seeks to analyze the extent of period poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and seven other developing countries. The study found that 57% of the sample of women surveyed in Kinshasa reported that menstrual hygiene management facilities lacked privacy and 35% reported that these spaces are not safe. A staggering 75% of the surveyed females cannot lock the hygiene facility they use. In Kinshasa, as many as 84% of the sample reported a lack of access to water and/or soap in toilet facilities.
Impact of Reusable Sanitary Pads
The Uwezo Afrika Initiative, a non-governmental organization, launched a program in 2018 to eradicate period poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The organization manufactures reusable sanitary pads, called Maisha Pads, using fabrics from local markets and distributes them to schools, orphanages and low-income families. The reusable Maisha Pads sell in sets of three for the affordable price of $2.50 and one can reuse the pads safely for several months. Notably, the initiative provides employment opportunities for women on the production line and enables them to earn commissions on sales.
Looking Ahead
Period poverty in the Democratic Republic of the Congo poses a significant challenge to the emotional and physical well-being of girls and women throughout the nation. Nevertheless, the production and distribution of reusable pads offer a glimmer of hope to those facing the impacts of period poverty.
– Jess Steward
Photo: Flickr
Being Poor in Cuba
The embargo served to prevent the spread of communist ideology by isolating Cuba and restricting communication with the outside world. In an April 1960 memo, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Lester D. Mallory wrote, “Every possible means should be undertaken promptly to weaken the economic life of Cuba.” The embargo is still active in 2023, with many pressuring President Biden to put an end to the repressive blockade in order to improve the quality of life for those living the reality of being poor in Cuba.
3 Facts About Being Poor in Cuba
CARE’s Work in Cuba
As a British charity operating internationally, CARE works to solve global poverty and eradicate all problems of inequality with a particular focus on women and girls. In 1959, CARE began working in Cuba to provide food security for those with little to no means. In 2019, CARE began making efforts to enable Cuban farmers to develop climate resiliency in the face of changing weather patterns as a means of strengthening food security. CARE also ran programs to improve quality of life, ensure access to clean water and implement sustainable agricultural methods in vulnerable communities. In terms of upholding the right to food, nutrition and water, CARE has run nine programs in Cuba. In 2022, programs of this nature benefited more than 5,500 people.
Looking Ahead
Due to its complicated history and ongoing political difficulties, a large fraction of the Cuban population lives below the poverty line. Also, the U.S. embargo currently makes it challenging for U.S.-based charities to provide aid to Cuba. This leaves the responsibility of providing aid to Cuba to countries and organizations outside the U.S. Despite these struggles, Cuba’s health and education services help to raise the quality of life in the nation.
– Genevieve Lewis
Photo: Flickr
How Solar Backpacks in Botswana Help Students
Inadequate Power Impacts Academic Performance in Botswana
Across various African countries, academic performance tends to be higher among children living in urban areas compared to those in rural areas, often due to differences in access to social amenities, such as electricity. Many students in rural areas face long commutes to and from school, often resulting in limited time to complete assignments and study. Additionally, inadequate access to reliable sources of light, such as electricity, can further exacerbate this challenge. The consequence of this is that students in rural areas are not able to compete with their urban counterparts on a level playing field.
Solar Backpacks to the Rescue
Harnessing the potential of solar power in Botswana, Kedumetse Liphi, an electronic engineer and entrepreneur from Botswana, developed the Chedza solar backpack. Liphi recognized the impact of poverty on accessing resources and studying in rural areas. The idea for the solar backpack came after meeting a student from a low socio-economic background and realizing the potential of the abundant sunlight available during the day.
The durable backpack is made out of waterproof canvas and features a solar panel that absorbs light. It also includes an LED light and a USB port for charging small devices. The solar panel can store up to six hours of energy from the sun, making it possible to power digital devices for online learning.
Each backpack sells for $54, and as of March 2023, Liphi has sold more than 100 backpacks. While this price may be high for impoverished individuals in rural areas, efforts are underway to make the backpack more accessible through donations and partnerships with government and non-governmental organizations. One such organization, Botswana-based Dare to Dream, has already purchased 33 bags for its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program for girls.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development together with the Botswana Power Corporation and the First National Bank joined forces in launching a solar-powered backpack initiative in 2019. The initiative officially launched in August 2019 at the Ramonaka Primary School in the Kgatlend district. The initiative is also targeting other rural areas in Botswana. The solar backpacks in Botswana will support the educational activities of children at home and allow them to complete homework after daylight.
Hope for the Future
Solar backpacks in Botswana will not only help underserved schoolchildren pursue academic excellence but will also positively impact the environment by relying on renewable energy sources.
Botswana’s solar backpack initiative aims to improve educational outcomes among rural school students. By providing access to an alternative power source, educational success can become a possibility for these students. Overall, Botswana is working toward a brighter, more sustainable future for its youth.
– Chidinma Nwoha
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Kakuma Refugee Camp
Breaking Stereotypes
CARE tells the story of Jackiline Amina who has lived in the Kakuma Refugee camp since she fled her home in Tanzania and sought refuge in Kenya in 2013. Amina now works as an auto mechanic in the camp. Before she became an auto mechanic, she would work small jobs, including providing laundry services to other refugees and fetching water for people in the camp, to make ends meet. After the father of her youngest child left the family, Amina had to find a sustainable and profitable job to enable her to care for her children. To achieve this, she knew she had to learn a new skill.
Prior to becoming an auto mechanic, Amina tried her hands at welding but did not make much progress as the men in the trade refused to train her, saying “the work was not appropriate for women,” according to the CARE website. Eventually, she got in touch with the owner of a small garage that agreed to train her as a mechanic.
In Amina’s current line of work, she regularly faces gender discrimination and many males undermine a female’s ability to be a competent mechanic. Her fellow male auto mechanics, however, have accepted her into the auto mechanic community and treat her “like one of the guys.” Amina has aspirations of enrolling in an official training program or mechanics school so she can secure higher-paying jobs in the future.
Entering a Male-Dominated Field
In another CARE story, Lucy Nyanga Joseph left Sudan in 2019 and joined her sister, nieces and nephews at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. In 2022, she learned of an opportunity to become a solar engineer in the camp. She was one of three women who enrolled in the program and the only woman to begin working after completion.
Despite many people saying her career path is ill-suited for women, she has gone on to inspire 20 of her friends in the camp to enroll in training for traditionally male-dominated fields. Before becoming a solar technician, Joseph relied on aid from the U.N. Refugee Agency, receiving a total of $11.75 per month. This was barely enough to afford the quality of care she desired for her children. Her new job, however, enables her to provide better for her children.
Stepping out of Gender Roles
In 2019, U.N. Women told the story of Nyamam Gai Gatluak. At the time, Gatluak was a student of the Angelina Jolie Primary School in Kakuma Refugee Camp and a member of the IT club that has participated in several events aiming to empower girl children. She is one of 60 girls who received a place in the boarding school out of nearly 500 who applied. Gatluak has aspirations of becoming a software engineer as a result of the school and IT club empowering women within the refugee community.
She and other young women still face great challenges in pursuing education and career paths. In some cases, these women are not even able to attend school. Even for those who are able to attend, gender-prescribed household duties often prevent girls from fully concentrating on their studies. Typically, household and caretaking responsibilities do not affect young men as society considers this a female role.
Despite the challenges, Gatluak aspires to develop an app that can teach young girls, including those in refugee camps around the world, how to code. She also dreams of developing another app that teaches parents and young women their rights in different local languages. Gatluak understands that many parents and young girls do not know their rights and, as a result, are taken advantage of — a problem that Gatluak aims to alleviate.
Women Empowerment in Kenya (WEIKE)
Women Empowerment in Kenya (WEIKE) is a nonprofit in Kenya that helps vulnerable young women access education and funding to secure a better future for their families. Founded in 2017, WEIKE runs several women’s empowerment initiatives, including a soap-making project, economic education for women and agriculture projects. About 20 women participate in the soap-making project, producing multi-purpose soap for their personal use and selling the rest to bring in an income.
Looking Ahead
Organizations like WEIKE contribute to women’s empowerment, education and economic security in Kenya. Women’s empowerment in the Kakuma Refugee Camp enables them to work toward educating themselves, learning new skills and obtaining high-paying, in-demand jobs to support themselves and their families. The efforts in the camp and results so far help to pave the path to a future of freedom, equity and equality for the next generation of women.
– Ronni Winter
Photo: Flickr
5 Charities Operating in Kazakhstan
5 Charities Operating in Kazakhstan
Looking Ahead
Many Kazakh children and families still face hardships but ongoing efforts of charities operating in Kazakhstan and the government of Kazakhstan bode signs of better opportunities and progress for the young generation. The results so far are encouraging and paint a positive outlook for the future.
– Clare Calzada
Photo: Flickr
The Fight Against Human Trafficking in North Korea
Human trafficking in North Korea is a cause of concern. According to the 2022 Trafficking in Persons report by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), North Korea does not meet the “minimum requirements for the elimination of trafficking.” North Korea ranks as a Tier 3 country in terms of efforts to end trafficking, which is the lowest rank possible.
Prison Camps
According to the 2022 TIP report, North Korea holds between 80,000 and 120,000 people in political prison camps and an “undetermined number of persons” reside in other types of confinement facilities, like re-education camps.
There are no official charges against many of these prisoners and authorities have not undertaken fair sentencing processes. All prisoners in these camps, including children, endure extreme working conditions through forced labor in areas such as mining, agriculture and logging for excessive amounts of time.
“In many cases, the government also detains all family members if one member is accused or arrested,” the report says. Children in the camps also undertake forced labor for as much as 12 hours daily and lack access to proper education. Conditions in these prisons are dire and prisoners face physical abuse, torture, hunger and inadequate medical care. The report highlights that “many prisoners do not survive.”
Child Labor in North Korea
From a tender age, North Korean children are forced into labor, including “agricultural labor support, item collection and construction work,” according to PSCORE. Children residing in prison camps, orphanages and relief shelters also engage in forced child labor.
The types of child labor typically vary according to season. In spring, children plant corn, sow seeds and collect certain beans and sunflower seeds. During summer, children must “remove grass and lay rocks to build railways,” use soil to mold bricks and collect certain nuts. Autumn’s activities involve agricultural support and collecting scrap iron and scrap paper. In winter, children work in mines and transport soil.
Agricultural Labor, Item Collection and Construction
Agricultural labor support is a term that describes compulsory farm work, such as harvesting, sowing, planting and weeding. “The government mobilizes children through the education system and sends them to local farms [that partner with schools]. Farm work is considered an essential component of the school curriculum and the work is unpaid,” PSCORE highlights.
The government also obligates students to collect specific items, such as scrap iron. Scrap iron is almost non-existent in the country yet failures to meet item quotas result in beatings and verbal abuse.
Students must also participate in building projects and performances on national holidays, such as the birthdays of the country’s leaders. Performances for Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-Il and Kim Jong-Un require the work of 50,000 children for six to 12 months. The children are tasked with flipping cards to create a colorful and dynamic site in honor of the leaders. The children practice the routine in extreme heat, which results in “casualties among the children.”
Students must also take part in construction products regarding “municipal infrastructure, school buildings, railroad repair and even private housing of school personnel.” The children engage in hazardous labor and, at times, “must also make or bring the materials necessary for construction at their own expense,” PSCORE says.
Forced Labor Abroad
North Korea does not only subject victims to exploitation within the country but also abroad. In 2015, the government had more than 50,000 citizens working abroad in Russia, China, Africa and the Middle East. The purpose of these workers is to earn money overseas to counteract the international sanctions countries impose on North Korea. The North Koreans abroad work for as many as 10 to 12 hours, six days a week. The government takes a bulk of their pay, 90%, which garners around $1.2 billion to $2.3 billion a year for North Korea, Reuters reported in 2016.
Help for North Koreans
Liberty in North Korea is an organization that provides support to North Koreans seeking refuge in other countries, such as South Korea. It also provides help to victims of human trafficking. The organization’s website tells the story of Joy. Via a broker, Joy left North Korea in search of a better life in China. The broker turned out to be a trafficker who sold her as a bride for $3,000. After some years, Joy safely made it to South Korea in 2013 with the help of Liberty in North Korea. Joy is currently studying social work and endeavors to help other North Korean women in situations of trafficking.
Though limited efforts are underway to address human trafficking in North Korea, the work of organizations like Liberty in North Korea is making a difference. By advocating and mobilizing to end human trafficking in North Korea, organizations can uphold the rights of North Koreans.
– David Keenan
Photo: Unsplash
The Benefits of Electric Vehicles in Kenya
Kenya’s rapidly growing economy has earned it the status of a lower middle-income country, but it still struggles with a wide gap between the wealthy and the impoverished. This economic inequality is illustrated by the fact that two-thirds of Kenyans earn less than $3.20 per day, according to USAID. Moreso, the level of extreme poverty in Kenya is expected to stand at 25.3% in 2023.
Benefits of Electric Vehicles in Kenya
In Kenya, 75% of rural residents are farmers who typically lack access to cars, making it challenging for them to obtain fertilizers and seeds for planting. While some of them walk to their farms, motorcycles and bicycles are the popular modes of transportation.
Given the widespread use of two-wheeled vehicles in both urban and rural areas of Kenya, shifting to electric motorbikes can potentially increase mobility for residents while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and bringing other socio-economic advantages. Kenya will benefit from reduced air pollution when using electric vehicles. Nairobi, the capital city, has a pollution level of 70%, and this results in 19,000 deaths per year.
Ian Mbote, a staff member of Ampersand, an e-mobile company established in 2020 that has operated in Kenya since May 2022, spoke to African News about the cost efficiency of electric motorcycles. According to Mbote, swapping a full battery of an electric motorcycle costs 185 shillings and covers a distance of about 100 kilometers. In comparison, the cost of fuel for a fossil-fueled vehicle is 180 shillings per liter, which only covers a distance of 30 to 40 kilometers.
Electric Vehicles Initiatives in Kenya
One drawback of using electric vehicles in low and middle-income countries is the high cost of purchase, which may make the vehicles unaffordable for people living in poverty.
Several African governments are taking measures to make electric vehicles more affordable to their citizens. In Kenya, for example, the national treasury has lowered the excise duty for fully electric cars from 20% to 10%, making the vehicles more accessible. The government’s target is for electric vehicles to account for 5% of total imports by 2025, which would result in the importation of more than 15,000 such vehicles per year.
In addition to these measures, the Kenyan government plans to convert 2,000 cars and trucks to electric power over the next four years. According to CleanTechnica, “Kenya has an installed electricity generation capacity of 3,321 MW [and] the peak demand is 2,132MW. It is the low overnight off-peak demand of 1,100MW that Kenya Power wants to exploit initially to power Kenya’s transition to electric mobility.”
Looking Ahead
The high cost of electric vehicles is still an issue for many Kenyans living in poverty. But, there is still hope as efforts by the government are ongoing to make electric vehicles more accessible. These measures aim to bridge the gap between the high cost of electric vehicles and the need for sustainable transportation options in Kenya.
– Chidinma Nwoha
Photo: Flickr
Elderly Poverty in Moldova and the Role of Social Security
The Republic of Moldova’s share of the aging population is growing. In 2022, persons aged 60 and older accounted for 22.8% of the total population, and, by 2040, this demographic is projected to account for about 33% of the total population. The dynamics of such a change in the population demographic foreshadow an increased risk of financial deprivation for Moldova’s aging population. Though the government last recorded the rate of elderly poverty in Moldova at 13.8% in the 2014 census, the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI) found that, in 2020, only about a fifth of persons older than 60 felt that their income afforded them the economic security to live comfortably. While acknowledging that the elderly poverty experience reaches beyond just low-income levels, one of the mainstays of elderly poverty in Moldova is the challenge of the pension system’s sustainability to provide sufficient income to current and future generations of pensioners.
Moldova’s Pension System
In the past, Moldova’s pension system could not provide a sufficient safety net to allow beneficiaries to maintain a decent standard of living, with average replacement rates amounting to a mere 25% before the latest pension system reform in 2017. This is alarming considering that the European Code of Social Security recommended in Convention No. 102 that the minimum replacement rate should stand at 40%. However, even a 40% replacement rate may not be enough to prevent persons from falling into poverty if the benefits stand as the person’s sole income.
The Borgen Project had the opportunity to interview Elizaveta Covalciuc, a retired teacher from Micleuseni, Moldova, who noted the financial struggles she faced after contributing to the country’s social fund. In 1998, her pension only amounted to 114 MDL or $28. “I was disappointed that I had not been able to make a decent living after many years of contributing to the pension fund,” notes Covalciuc who had to return to work after reaching retirement age to make ends meet.
Fortunately, the system has increased in its efficiency and raised indexation over the years. As of October 2021, the current minimum state pension that a beneficiary can receive is 2,000 MDL, equal to $430.28. However, shortcomings remain. With the recent major shocks such as the strain on Moldova’s economy via the influx of refugees from Ukraine and the consumer price inflation of basic goods, pensions cannot sufficiently cover the current costs of living. Indeed, the Minister of Labour and Social Protection Marcel Spatari confirmed in November 2022 that the government could not afford to match the indexation rate of pensions to the current rate of inflation of 30%.
Challenges for Future Pensioners
A pension system is reliant upon the sustainable contributions that the current workforce is capable of contributing and is an integral cornerstone of a country’s social cohesion.
There is a great burden upon Moldova’s current workforce to support the social services that pensioners depend on for their livelihoods. To illustrate, the age dependency ratio had a rating of 50% in 2019 and stood at 6% higher than the EU’s. This strain upon contribution levels to the pension fund is exacerbated by factors such as high emigration, low employment rates and the prevalence of undeclared work. Such factors threaten the possibility of decreased social security coverage over time. The government must address these issues to ensure the current pension system is able to distribute sufficient income for pensioners.
It is important to acknowledge that the Moldovan government is taking steps to introduce policies and programs that aim to ease the strain of pension fund contributions placed on individuals. One notable example is the introduction of Law No.242 in July 2022. Before this law, there was no minimum contribution requirement for employers toward social security. Now, the compulsory contribution rate stands at 25% of each of their employee’s minimum salary, guaranteeing at least 875 MDL ($47) contributed per employee. While the legislation only had legal force in October 2022, this is a great first step to ensuring the security of future pensioners.
Additionally, the government has signed social security agreements with 16 countries in Europe to ensure the pension rights of citizens who have emigrated from Moldova to work in those countries. While the results from such agreements are currently unknown, this is another positive sign of improvements toward ensuring security for Moldova’s elderly citizens.
Looking forward, the path toward eliminating elderly poverty in Moldova is certainly not without challenges but with the government making it a priority to implement policies sensitive to the needs of the elderly and to strengthen demographic resilience, further progress is on its way.
– Lucy Gebbie
Photo: Flickr
How the Star Homes Project is Fighting Malaria in Tanzania
Tanzania ranks among the top 10 countries in the world with the highest reported malaria cases and deaths. A survey by the Severe Malaria Observatory (SMO) revealed that 93% of Tanzania’s population lives in areas that are at high risk of malaria outbreaks. Transmission rates of malaria in Tanzania vary between regions and the country goes through seasons where it expects large spikes in the number of cases. The Star Homes Project is fighting malaria in Tanzania through improved housing.
Malaria in Tanzania
The U.N. describes malaria as a disease that “impoverishes families, households and national economies.” The economic impact of malaria is especially evident in Africa where an annual spend of $12 billion goes into addressing malaria outbreaks. Plasmodium falciparum, a unicellular protozoan parasite, is responsible for 96% of malaria cases in Tanzania. Vector mosquitoes transmit malaria to the human population by carrying the parasite.
Tanzania experiences three distinct malaria transmission seasons: stable perennial transmission, stable malaria transmission and unstable seasonal malaria transmission. Stable perennial transmission impacts 60% of the country, whereas stable malaria transmission and unstable seasonal malaria transmission impact 20% of the country at any given time in a year. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines perennial transmission as “transmission that occurs throughout the year with no great variation in intensity.”
Tanzania’s Malaria Burden
The WHO’s World Malaria Report 2021 identified that Tanzania accounted for 4.1% of global malaria-related deaths in 2020. The report also outlined that malaria in Tanzania accounted for 12.8% of reported cases in East and Southern Africa in 2020. The country adopted the Malaria National Strategic Plan (MNSP) in 2020 and the scheme is due to continue until 2025. The MNSP hopes to diagnose malaria more effectively and extend medical services to disadvantaged groups in the rural areas of Tanzania.
The Star Homes Project
The Star Homes Project began in 2018 under the management of the company Ingvartsen Artikekter. Ingvarsten oversees a cross-functional team of architects, physicians, entomologists and members of Tanzania’s local communities. The Star Home Project is fighting malaria in Tanzania by providing affordable and improved housing with effective ventilation and physical protective barriers that stop mosquitoes from entering Tanzanian homes and infecting inhabitants.
As of November 2022, the Star Homes Project built 110 homes across 55 villages in Mtwara, a rural settlement in Tanzania. The company’s homes feature a two-story structure and “permeable facades of sea green screening mesh” that blocks mosquito access. The design also includes self-closing doors that control ventilation and helps the house to maintain cool temperatures throughout the day. From 2022 to 2024, the Star Homes Project will complete trials that compare the health of children living in the Star Home to those living in their usual residences.
Estimates predict that sub-Saharan Africa will have a population of 1.1 billion people by 2050. Following these predictions, the Star Homes Project has identified the need to implement better health measures so that Tanzania’s current and future residents can safeguard themselves against highly transmittable diseases and respiratory infections.
Looking Ahead
Malaria continues to be a prevalent issue in Tanzania requiring extensive efforts to decrease the risk of infection during peak transmission seasons. However, the Star Homes Project offers an innovative housing solution that could assist Tanzania in reducing its high malaria rates and usher Tanzanians into a safer, disease-free era.
– Jennifer Preece
Photo: Flickr