Honey Pride Arua, a private organization started in 2015 by Sam Aderubo offered an innovative approach to inclusive economic development across the region of Arua, Uganda. Specializing in honey, the organization aims to construct sustainable markets for beekeeping and production, alongside raising awareness amongst local farmers of the commercial potentials of beekeeping.
A comprehensive program offers education on all aspects of beekeeping and the honey production process, from apiary management to the packaging and distribution of goods. Through this, the organization enables existing local farmers and anyone with a desire or interest to enter into beekeeping to convert their hobbies into economic output, sustaining themselves and their families.
The Effects
As Betty Ayikoru, a local beekeeper and councilor outlined beekeeping benefits communities in more ways than selling honey. Honey Pride Arua has grown commercially in the scale of operations and income, but what is more significant is the effect this has on the surrounding community and stakeholders.
Today working with more than 1,700 farmers – 30% women and 60% youth, the organization makes emphasis on targeting marginalized members of the community. A holistic and immensely effective approach in addressing local unemployment by gearing their project to those in the community most likely to be unemployed, or equipped on average with lower prospects.
Honey Pride is also noted for the inclusion and support of refugees in economic activity for local development. Arua, in Northern Uganda, is a region largely populated with refugees compared to other parts of the country. Honey Prides’ inclusivity played a key role in gaining external funding from the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
Stable markets offer stable incomes and Honey Pride’s activity has helped local farmers put children through school, financially sustain households and their families, as well as offering a nutritious element to their diet, according to a U.N. News podcast.
Previously it was difficult to find a reliable market with stable prices to sell one’s honey in Arua. However, prospects for beekeepers have drastically changed since Honey Pride entered the industry. Delivering on one of its central tenets, a stable honey market has emerged across the region. A kilogram of honey in 2015 was worth 3,500 Ugandan Shillings, today the market price is around 7,000 Shillings per kilogram. Encouraging statistics motivates many young members of the community to venture into beekeeping.
Another noteworthy aspect of Honey Pride’s operations is the efficiency of its practices. The organization works to eliminate waste by offering excess produce and residue to the community to fertilize local gardens and land, as well as feed livestock, according to a U.N. News podcast.
Investment
The most significant challenge to the organization has been financial. As Sam Aderubo himself states in the podcast, “finance is the lifeline of a business.” The organization in its early years, like most small Ugandan businesses, was unable to get investment from commercial banks. Aware of its social impacts and inclusivity practices focused on a community-benefit model, the UNCDF found a worthy beneficiary, investing over $117,000 to help Honey Pride Arua reach a certain threshold at which it will begin to attract investment from larger commercial banks and private equity firms.
This came in the form of loans for processing equipment and operations, alongside technical assistance and support in designing a sustainable and viable business model. Through these efforts, Honey Pride procured the likes of professional filtering equipment, an electric honey press for the extraction process and eight honey settling tanks each with a capacity of 1,000kg, UNCDF reported.
A direct impact of such measures saw a substantial increase in output from three to five tonnes per month post-investment, which, according to UNCDF, in 2021 amounted to a monthly increase in income by over $8,000.
Following the successful implementation of these loans in growing the organization, in the case of Honey Pride, several private equity firms have since displayed an interest in investing, offering a blueprint for further upscaling and aligning the company for greater success in the future, according to the U.N. News podcast.
What the Future Holds
Further expansion and entry into new markets is the next step for Honey Pride, having met international standards with its product. With increases in output and income, Honey Pride can begin to invest more in outreach and marketing, further consolidating the stability of local markets in addition to developing foreign ones as well.
Looking ahead, Honey Pride Arua aims to implement a program to equip local farmers or those with a desire to venture into beekeeping with the required equipment and facilities. This way, it is helping to establish more local beekeeping businesses that return on the investment they received from Honey Pride through their yield. An innovative, circular model of business. As Honey Pride grows commercially, its inclusive practices and reach spread, benefiting ever greater numbers of people.
– Bojan Ivancic
Photo: Unsplash
Empowering Women in Bangladesh
Women are pushing for representation in many fields, including education, technology, architecture, fashion, health care, journalism and sports. Every year, an increasing number of female entrepreneurs enter the market and significantly contribute to the global economy. Women’s enterprises in Bangladesh are gradually developing to have a similar stream of development potential. However, women in entrepreneurship are not as prevalent in Bangladesh, where women own just 7.2% of all businesses.
Nevertheless, the situation is slowly evolving, and more Bangladeshi women are entering the corporate sphere as leaders, opening the path for thousands of others by motivating and mentoring them. One of the recent highlights of this development was the Women Entrepreneurship Training Program by BRAC University, called Venture Maestras. The initiative aims to promote gender equality and empower women entrepreneurs, in line with the U.N.’s fifth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). The Venture Maestras Program gives theoretical underpinnings and techniques for tackling business challenges that women encounter and a practical understanding of the real-world market. Here are more details about how Venture Maestras is empowering women in Bangladesh.
The Program’s Mission
This program’s purpose is to make significant contributions to empowering women in Bangladesh. Additionally, the future vision is to achieve gender equality and sustainable, long-term prosperity for the nation and its global status. Venture Maestras has three core objectives. Firstly, it is empowering women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh by offering information, skills and training to enrich their competence. It also works on providing continuous support services for various projects that participants undertake and doing research to promote gender equality and the long-term well-being of all Bangladeshis. Moreover, the program focuses on creating awareness of opportunities in business fields and motivating women to engage in such activities.
A Vision Beyond the Program Itself
Bringing awareness and equality in a closed-door room does not help much when it concerns the entire nation. It takes tremendous effort to grow the network to a size where it is able to spread the word to every corner of the country. As a result, the program works on building an effective network between established women entrepreneurs, which helps the women share their knowledge and aid. Secondly, it includes significant research and case studies on economic and social issues that affect many women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. These studies help innovate business ideas and bring solutions to decades-old problems. Finally, all the connections with public, private and non-government organizations help to reach a broader audience.
How the Program is Managed
The pilot program starts with an orientation where the participants can engage in discussions with successful female entrepreneurs. Subsequent sessions cover the business canvas model and entrepreneurial skills, including HR management, digital marketing and many legal aspects. The program also includes loan and financial management lessons. At the end of the program, participants present their business proposals to a panel of experts for evaluation. The program doe not include any special requirements other than a high school level education and the intention to start or manage one’s own enterprises. After the program ends, the top three finalists receive 100,000 BDT as an award, which is roughly $1,000 USD.
According to the BRAC Business School, the participants greatly benefited from the program’s offerings. According to the survey, entrepreneurs found some training sessions more effective than others, with training in the business canvas model, marketing and digital marketing being the top choices. Without entrepreneurial support, the country will fail to see any industrial breakthrough – even when there is technical progress. However, with these kinds of programs and training, Bangladesh can become a strong participant in the global market.
– Zahin Tasnin
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About Child Poverty in Chad
5 Facts about Child Poverty in Chad
Child poverty in Chad continues to run rampant with the youth facing harsh conditions, unfair lifestyles and limited health care. Child poverty is not only a breach of human rights but it also strips children of their innocence and forces them to grow up too quickly.
– Ruby Wallace
Photo: Flickr
3inaya Project Promotes Gender Equality in Morocco
Gender Equality in Morocco
Regarding the current situation of gender equality in Morocco, Franceline Toe Bouda, Committee Expert and Reporteur commended the country for making progress in accord with their Family Code. However, it was also “noted that the maternal mortality rate in rural areas (over 100 deaths per 100,000 births) was far higher than in urban areas (around 11 per 100,000).” This signifies that there are still areas of improvement in women’s health care and that whilst making strides in urban and more metropolitan areas, more emphasis is necessary in rural areas.
Gender-based violence is sadly prevalent in Morocco, with a report that the High Planning Commission published stating that “the number of victims who experienced at least one act of violence fell from 63% to 57% between 2009 and 2019,” despite being a drop is still a very high statistic. The survey looked at women aged 18 to 64 years, however, didn’t review cyber-harassment or violence.
In 2018, the Moroccan Ministry of Education focused on promoting gender equality by supporting the implementation of a Medium-term Strategic Action Plan. The plan aimed to normalize gender equality in the Moroccan education system through “the dissemination of a positive and objective image of women through the diffusion of knowledge” and “the adoption of a quota for female representation greater than or equal to 30% (aiming for parity) in the statutes and laws governing both education and trade unions” among other goals.
How Will the 3inaya Project Help?
The 3inaya project aims “to promote gender equality and sexual health through educating and raising awareness among individuals.” This strategy extends not only to women but also men and young people to change social norms.
President of LDDF-Injad Network, Najia Tazrout has expressed her desire for widespread education, “arguing that violence against women remains persistent” and “that there is a sense of “normalization and justification” of violence in the country,” Morocco World News reports.
The main action points of the 3inaya project are to train teachers to be able to identify violence toward victims by creating training modules on “sexual health, rights and gender” in higher education such as universities. They have also decided to train health professionals such as nurses and doctors to be able to identify, screen, and care for women victims of violence. Additionally, they intend of training health professionals and social workers in psychological support for sexual assault survivors.
So far, the program has supported “4,500 women and child survivors” of gender-based violence. The project has also trained “12 CSOs from the Réseau Femmes Solidaires, 60 teachers, 90 health professionals, six social workers and the media,” according to Santé Sud.
Improvements and changes that Santé Sud has been making through the 3inaya project promise to show results and make a significant difference in gender equality in Morocco and how the country approaches reducing gender-based violence and stigmatization of victims.
– Priya Maiti
Photo: Flickr
5 Charities Assisting Flood Victims in Nigeria
Nigeria is a country in West Africa with a population of more than 210 million people. It is the most populous country in Africa and boasts one of the largest economies in Africa. Since September 2022, Nigeria has faced devastating floods that damaged Nigeria’s infrastructure and led to dire humanitarian consequences. These floods stand as the most destructive floods that Nigeria has experienced in more than 10 years. The floods have led to more than 600 deaths, more than 1 million displacements and thousands of injuries. Below are five charities assisting flood victims in Nigeria.
5 Charities Assisting Flood Victims in Nigeria
Looking Ahead
These five charities assisting flood victims in Nigeria work to provide essential resources and aid to people who need help. Through their work into the future, flooding victims in Nigeria should be able to continue receiving support.
– Dylan Priday
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
India’s First Solar-Powered Village
In October 2022, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Modhera as India’s first solar-powered village. Despite being a small remote village in Gujarat, residents within Modhera are now living a higher quality of life due to technological advancements. Modhera is well-known for its Sun Temple, located on the bank of the Pushpavati river. However. now, with a modern twist, the village will also be famous for its solar-powered grid. “Whenever there will be talks of solar power, Modhera will be the first name to emerge,” said Modi, according to The Tribune India.
According to the World Bank, 98.5% of India’s rural population had access to electricity in 2020. However, high costs of electricity make power unaffordable for low-income households. However, in Modhera, the solar-powered grid allows a cost-effective electricity supply for villagers.
Benefits of India’s First Solar-Powered Village
This solar project in Modhera received financing from the federal and provincial governments of about $10 million. The funding provided more than “1,300 rooftop panels for residential houses and government buildings.” Modhera has solar panels installed on the roofs of dwellings, education facilities, bus stops, parking lots and even the Sun Temple grounds. The solar power grids provide for daily needs, even after dusk, and also provide a surplus that can be stored for future use.
When the generated electricity from solar power outweighs the amount used by the residents, residents can sell extra unconsumed electricity to power utility companies. In this way, the government helps the residents to earn additional income. Besides having to pay little to nothing for electricity bills, the residents greatly benefit from the income arising from selling surplus electricity.
Stable electricity has allowed many to strengthen their livelihoods by increasing productivity in the workplace. For instance, a part-time tailor, Reena Ben bought an electric motor worth about $25 to run her sewing machine, Euronews reported. The abundance of solar power electricity allows her to sew a few more items of clothes every day. Through the additional income from selling extra electricity, another tailor, Praveen Bhai, plans to buy a gas line and stove to upgrade from the wood-fired stoves that produce excessive smoke and reduce the air quality.
Local farmers are greatly benefiting from low electricity bills and can now save that money or put it toward education endeavors or other living costs. Kailash Ben, who earns a small income through farming, saves around 2,000 rupees($25) every month, which she uses for daily expenses and her children’s education.
Looking Ahead
For Gujarat, India’s first solar-powered village Modhera represents progressive steps toward sustainability and self-sufficiency. Modhera is India’s first solar-powered village, but it is certainly not the last. Every resident benefits in a multitude of ways from solar power grids. Even the famous Sun Temple, which is dedicated to the Sun God, now relies on solar power to run its 3D light shows, light up premises and provide electric vehicle charging stations. By incorporating technological advancements to keep its centuries-old cultural monument functional and provide electricity to all, the village is one step closer to achieving self-sustainability. Now Modhera is a role model for neighboring villages, cities and many other nations. The solar-powered village not only lights the path for a green India but also raises the quality of life for citizens.
– Zahin Tasnin
Photo: Flickr
Upcycle Africa: A Green Initiative to Reduce Poverty
Upcycle Africa is an organization focused on re-orienting and re-educating African communities towards a greener future. Through the process of upcycling, a community can reduce its waste accumulation by transforming useless products, materials or energy into something functional. Sustainable development is a well-known concept that involves achieving economic growth in the long term. Upcycle Africa is proof that the goals of a greener industry and profitable entrepreneurship are not mutually exclusive.
Waste Crisis in Africa
Waste management in Africa has been a problem since the rise of industrialization and urbanization. The uncontrolled accumulation of waste in both urban and rural areas continues to skyrocket as the population continues to increase. The African population is the fastest growing among all continents, with an annual growth rate of roughly 3.5%. The growing number of people puts more pressure on waste management efforts because of inadequate infrastructure across a large portion of the continent.
Moreover, Asian countries such as China have banned plastic dumping in their own countries so Africa has become the new destination for waste trade. Countries like Kenya and Senegal received 1 billion tons of waste when China banned waste trading. The main problem with waste in Africa is that waste collection and proper treatment are often insufficient – more than half the waste generated is not collected. Africa has 19 of the 50 largest uncontrolled dumpsites where waste is regularly burned and poorly manipulated. People living nearby have to dig through the waste to make a living and are living with constant exposure to dangerous health risks. Prolonged exposure can result in the development of diseases such as asthma, tuberculosis and diabetes.
Sustainable Development is the Answer
Eradicating poverty sustainably has become a priority even though traditionally, the idea was that the least developed countries (LDCs) could not afford to develop their economies without polluting. Over the years, a shift in mentality has led to the acceptance of greener economies and practices. Many have come to the realization that there will be no future economy in case of mismanagement and overuse of the environment and its resources. This is especially true in Africa, where 15% of the continent’s GDP is agriculturally based. Hence, the livelihood of millions of people depends on the preservation of the African natural environment. Waste management is essential for sustainable development; it not only leads to the collection of waste but also prevents further damage to the environment.
Upcycle Africa in Action
Upcycle Africa’s goal is to transform waste-related problems in Africa into employment opportunities. To achieve this it focuses on three programs.
The first, Zero Waste Campaign, addresses the principal problem of waste accumulation in African countries – waste pollution. Upcycle Africa believes that to achieve more effective results, the emphasis should be on specific communities. Understanding how waste can be economically beneficial can be difficult, so improving education is one of the core objectives of the program.
The second program, Waste to Wealth, focuses on cleaning up spaces and encouraging the population to embrace these practices while rejecting the uncontrolled dumping of waste.
The third program, Business Development, is all about green entrepreneurship. A transition to a greener economy starts with initiatives that focus on providing sustainable products and services as well as greener production processes. Upcycling is the perfect way to start this transition, as it transforms a huge pollution problem into a source of job creation.
One of the most successful projects Upcycle Africa has undertaken is the building of houses with plastic bottles in Uganda. Uganda’s rapid population growth makes it difficult to ensure decent housing for everyone. Through this initiative, Upcycle Africa has managed to educate communities about the importance of protecting the environment while also creating something useful. The constructed houses are affordable and highly resistant to earthquakes. In 2021, Upcycle Africa also announced their partnership with Engineered Waste to Energy Solutions for the World (E.S.E.S), an organization committed to generating energy from waste.
Through these initiatives, Upcycle Africa is one step closer to transforming waste collection into an economically beneficial practice in LDCs.
– Carla Tomas
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Honey Pride Arua and Its Effect on the Local Economy in Uganda
Honey Pride Arua, a private organization started in 2015 by Sam Aderubo offered an innovative approach to inclusive economic development across the region of Arua, Uganda. Specializing in honey, the organization aims to construct sustainable markets for beekeeping and production, alongside raising awareness amongst local farmers of the commercial potentials of beekeeping.
A comprehensive program offers education on all aspects of beekeeping and the honey production process, from apiary management to the packaging and distribution of goods. Through this, the organization enables existing local farmers and anyone with a desire or interest to enter into beekeeping to convert their hobbies into economic output, sustaining themselves and their families.
The Effects
As Betty Ayikoru, a local beekeeper and councilor outlined beekeeping benefits communities in more ways than selling honey. Honey Pride Arua has grown commercially in the scale of operations and income, but what is more significant is the effect this has on the surrounding community and stakeholders.
Today working with more than 1,700 farmers – 30% women and 60% youth, the organization makes emphasis on targeting marginalized members of the community. A holistic and immensely effective approach in addressing local unemployment by gearing their project to those in the community most likely to be unemployed, or equipped on average with lower prospects.
Honey Pride is also noted for the inclusion and support of refugees in economic activity for local development. Arua, in Northern Uganda, is a region largely populated with refugees compared to other parts of the country. Honey Prides’ inclusivity played a key role in gaining external funding from the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
Stable markets offer stable incomes and Honey Pride’s activity has helped local farmers put children through school, financially sustain households and their families, as well as offering a nutritious element to their diet, according to a U.N. News podcast.
Previously it was difficult to find a reliable market with stable prices to sell one’s honey in Arua. However, prospects for beekeepers have drastically changed since Honey Pride entered the industry. Delivering on one of its central tenets, a stable honey market has emerged across the region. A kilogram of honey in 2015 was worth 3,500 Ugandan Shillings, today the market price is around 7,000 Shillings per kilogram. Encouraging statistics motivates many young members of the community to venture into beekeeping.
Another noteworthy aspect of Honey Pride’s operations is the efficiency of its practices. The organization works to eliminate waste by offering excess produce and residue to the community to fertilize local gardens and land, as well as feed livestock, according to a U.N. News podcast.
Investment
The most significant challenge to the organization has been financial. As Sam Aderubo himself states in the podcast, “finance is the lifeline of a business.” The organization in its early years, like most small Ugandan businesses, was unable to get investment from commercial banks. Aware of its social impacts and inclusivity practices focused on a community-benefit model, the UNCDF found a worthy beneficiary, investing over $117,000 to help Honey Pride Arua reach a certain threshold at which it will begin to attract investment from larger commercial banks and private equity firms.
This came in the form of loans for processing equipment and operations, alongside technical assistance and support in designing a sustainable and viable business model. Through these efforts, Honey Pride procured the likes of professional filtering equipment, an electric honey press for the extraction process and eight honey settling tanks each with a capacity of 1,000kg, UNCDF reported.
A direct impact of such measures saw a substantial increase in output from three to five tonnes per month post-investment, which, according to UNCDF, in 2021 amounted to a monthly increase in income by over $8,000.
Following the successful implementation of these loans in growing the organization, in the case of Honey Pride, several private equity firms have since displayed an interest in investing, offering a blueprint for further upscaling and aligning the company for greater success in the future, according to the U.N. News podcast.
What the Future Holds
Further expansion and entry into new markets is the next step for Honey Pride, having met international standards with its product. With increases in output and income, Honey Pride can begin to invest more in outreach and marketing, further consolidating the stability of local markets in addition to developing foreign ones as well.
Looking ahead, Honey Pride Arua aims to implement a program to equip local farmers or those with a desire to venture into beekeeping with the required equipment and facilities. This way, it is helping to establish more local beekeeping businesses that return on the investment they received from Honey Pride through their yield. An innovative, circular model of business. As Honey Pride grows commercially, its inclusive practices and reach spread, benefiting ever greater numbers of people.
– Bojan Ivancic
Photo: Unsplash
5 Charities Operating in Portugal
In Portugal, there are around 185,000 people working for nonprofit institutions. This figure represents about 4.3% of Portugal’s total employment. While this percentage might not seem staggering, the nonprofit sector makes up quite a significant portion of Portugal’s employment with a large number of charities operating in the nation. In fact, Portugal’s nonprofit sector actually makes up more of the national employment than the agricultural sector. This article will focus on five charities operating in Portugal and how they are making a difference.
5 Charities Operating in Portugal
These charities operating in Portugal are examples of organizations fighting poverty and social inequality. They are looking to provide support for impoverished and vulnerable populations across Portugal and the world.
– Timothy Ginter
Photo: Unsplash
Poverty in Cambridge: The UK’s Most Unequal City
As of 2020, Cambridge stood as the “U.K.’s most unequal city” — a surprising ranking considering that the city is famous for its university and education system. Cambridge is one of the U.K.’s most unaffordable cities to live in and food insecurity and homelessness are becoming more prevalent. Efforts to reduce levels of inequality and poverty in Cambridge are currently underway.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, “one in every six children in Cambridgeshire” endured poverty. By March 2020, 33,449 children lived “below the breadline in the country,” CambridgeshireLive reported. It is also important to consider that this statistic does not account for the cost of housing, meaning the number is likely higher.
The Social Mobility Index has assessed the likelihood that “a child from a disadvantaged background will do well at school and get a good job across each of the 324 local authority district areas of England,” a briefing note from the Cambridge City Council says. The Social Mobility Index 2016 ranks Cambridge as a “social mobility coldspot,” which describes “the worst performing 20[%] of local authorities.” The report notes that Cambridge has “weaknesses in education for disadvantaged children but relatively good performance on adulthood measures.”
Geographical Divisions
Poverty in Cambridge is also geographically disparate. The Equality Trust reported that poverty is most prevalent in the northern and eastern parts of Cambridge. Furthermore, “the difference in life expectancy between the highest ranked neighborhood compared to the lowest is around 10 years.”
The Guardian notes that inequalities in Cambridge reflect the “town and gown” divide in the city, a phrase coined to express the separation between city residents and university students. “Academics are protected from the worst financial pressures of living in Cambridge, benefiting from central, subsidized college accommodation, free meals and access to a cheap, university-backed shared equity mortgage scheme,” the Guardian said.
The inequality is evident when considering that the 31 colleges in Cambridge had a collective wealth of about £6.9 billion in 2018. Community initiatives on the part of Cambridge’s tertiary institutions would contribute to reducing levels of poverty and inequality.
Cambridge City Council’s Efforts
The Cambridge City Council looks to reduce inequality and poverty in Cambridge through its vision “One Cambridge – Fair for All.” This vision includes addressing social exclusion and poverty and merging “town and gown.” This vision will undergo implementation in the Council’s corporate plan for 2022 to 2027.
The Cambridge City Council also has in place an Anti-Poverty Strategy for 2020 to 2023. The previous Anti-Poverty Strategy that the Cambridge City Council implemented in 2014 noted progress in several areas, including building council-owned residential homes leased at affordable rates and raising the incomes of lower-income families.
The Cambridge Food Poverty Alliance and Cambridge 2030
Cambridge Sustainable Food is a partnership of organizations working to alleviate food insecurity in the city. It leads the Cambridge Food Poverty Alliance (CFPA), formed in October 2017. Through an action plan, the CFPA aims to meet several food security objectives. One of the goals listed in the action plan is guaranteeing daily access to food for children across an entire year. The objectives under this goal include “funding for [three] community fridges and an associated surplus distribution scheme” as well as “funding for ingredients for holiday lunches across the city.”
Other key focus areas in their scheme include raising “the uptake of a living wage” and expanding the uptake of cost-free school meals among eligible students. These aims will lead to greater household incomes and ensure children make the most of their state-entitled food provisions for better health and educational outcomes.
Cambridge 2030 aims to “bring together the public, private, voluntary and community sectors in collaborative action to bridge gaps in the provision of resources” in Cambridge. The Cambridge 2030 website states that the central goal of the “first phase of action” is “promoting wellbeing, beginning before birth.” The initiative brings together many organizations such as It Takes a city and Cambridge United to action its promises.
The efforts currently underway have the potential to significantly reduce poverty and inequality in Cambridge.
– Priya Maiti
Photo: Unsplash
COVID-19’s Impact on Gambia
Gambia is currently classified as one of the least developed countries in the world with a GDP per capita of $835 in 2021 and more than 50% of the country’s population living in poverty in 2022, the World Bank reports. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated Gambia’s economic and healthcare-related problems, which prompted the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to provide the country with about $21 million worth of Special Drawing Rights emergency funding in 2020 to keep the nation from collapsing. COVID-19’s impact on Gambia is significant, but not irreversible.
Economic Problems
Gambia is the smallest country within mainland Africa and lacks economic diversity because of its heavy reliance upon its agricultural sector, which accounts for 30% of Gambia’s GDP. In Gambia, 70% of the labor force relies upon crops and livestock in order to secure their livelihoods.
Gambia’s economy is also reliant upon its service sector and hospitality industry as its abundant wildlife and attractive coastline make the country a desirable tourist destination. The pandemic severely affected Gambia and exacerbated the country’s economic problems by bringing a halt to industries and putting a strain upon its fragile healthcare system and limited resources. COVID-19’s impact on Gambia is still ongoing as Gambia’s tourism industry is struggling to rebound to pre-pandemic success.
The Impact on Agriculture
COVID-19’s impact on Gambia exposed how sensitive Gambia’s food systems are to external shocks. The pandemic brought to light Gambia’s heavy reliance upon its vulnerable agricultural economy and highlighted a need for more sustainable investments in rural and agricultural development. The transition to a more resilient and environmentally sustainable food system would likely strengthen Gambia’s socioeconomic landscape and protect Gambia against future crises. In 2021, more than 13% of Gambia’s population experienced food insecurity, and currently, more than 10% of the population suffers from acute malnourishment.
The pandemic magnified food insecurity in the nation because Gambia is a net food importer country. As a result, supply chain constraints and rising global food prices hit the country especially hard. COVID-19’s impact on Gambia in 2020 is estimated to have increased poverty in urban areas by about 5% and 92% of households nationwide experienced a loss in total income by August 2020.
Recovery
Gambia is continuing to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is expected to affect this recovery by driving up the cost of resources that Gambia imports. Gambia relies on imports for important resources such as fertilizer, food and fuel. As the prices of these resources rise, these imports become more difficult for Gambia to obtain. Despite these challenges, Gambia can potentially achieve economic growth and rebound from the pandemic in the coming years if its leaders adopt new governmental reforms.
Strengthening the Agricultural Sector
In November 2021, Gambia secured $40 million through the World Bank for the Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV).
The GIRAV project supports Gambia’s national goal of poverty reduction by strengthening food and agricultural production through improved value chain coordination. This process entails a shift from subsistence agriculture to market-oriented agriculture and aims to address constraints in Gambia’s agricultural supply chain. GIRAV is expected to strengthen the livelihoods of about 50,000 farmers. To reduce poverty among the most vulnerable groups, women will account for at least half of the project beneficiaries and Gambia’s youth will account for 30% of beneficiaries.
Through a focus on climate-smart agriculture, the project aims to increase resilience in the agricultural sector. Apart from boosting income generation among Gambians, the project will also reduce food insecurity. GIRAV and future investments of this nature show promise for Gambia and are strategies that set the stage for a country-wide recovery from the effects of COVID-19. Gambia’s government has the potential to improve the welfare of its people and accelerate economic growth by adopting new economic policies and investing in its future.
– Dylan Priday
Photo: Flickr