Only 57% of Ethiopians have access to clean water today. Time spent searching for clean water, a place to use the bathroom and money spent to treat waterborne illnesses contributes to the poverty crisis by impeding education and potential financial growth. These are four NGOs fighting water scarcity in Ethiopia.
Water4Ethiopia
Water4Ethiopia is an independent charity based in London working to improve water insecurity in Ethiopia. The organization has helped about 5,300 Ethiopians access clean water.
In many parts of Ethiopia, safe water is in relatively shallow ground, but the water supply is easily contaminated. Water4Ethiopia works with people local to the area to construct a protected hand-pumped well and treat it with a small amount of chlorine. Water4Ethiopia builds capped springs that transfer water to distribution points.
Water4Ethiopia has installed capped springs that move water to distribution points in Beku Golba, Saglie and Dodo. Hand-dug wells with pumps to distribute water have improved water conditions in Ababari, Kolle, Kidanemihret, Lower Woibla, Maje-Azwara, Mewagna and Kufif. Water4Ethiopia also implements hygiene and sanitation programs to ensure safe, clean water is readily available.
There are in-progress projects that Water4Ethiopia organized to meet its mission to end water scarcity in Ethiopia. Water4Ethiopia hopes to implement hand-dug wells with hand pumps in communities such as Lolo and Marwenz.
Lifewater
Lifewater is an organization that focuses on regions that are hard to reach and implements custom solutions to improve water scarcity in Ethiopia. Lifewater has built over 500 water sources in more than 395 villages. About 88% of WASH solutions are still running, and more than 198,000 people have improved their water sanitation. A core value of Lifewater is “serving the least, the lost, and the last.”
There are five types of custom water solutions engineers at Lifewater use that include hand-dug wells, drilled wells, protected springs, rainwater harvesting and rehabilitated wells. A team of engineers collaborates with the community to determine the best approach for a specific community. Every village is different in its resources, population, distance from water sources and time spent in line waiting for water.
Testing water quality has allowed 88% of water solutions to remain in place and continue to provide communities with water. The goal is to meet the WHO guidelines for having international water sources within one kilometer of one’s house with waiting times of less than 30 minutes.
Lifewater lists fundraisers on its website and shares periodic updates for funding and the progress of water solutions. Recently completed water projects in Ethiopia include hand-pumped wells in Erbaye Huleti, Kenchota and Shefele.
The Millennium Water Alliance Ethiopia Program
The Millennium Water Alliance (MWA) has created a sustainable water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) program outlining a five-year plan to help Ethiopia attain clean, low-cost water by 2030. This plan prioritizes increasing access in schools and hospitals, the functionality of water solutions and budgeting to ensure solutions last.
The MWA has recently taken a broader approach to improve water conditions. The organization considers the big picture rather than only focusing on infrastructure by focusing on sustainability to ensure water solutions operate long-term.
Researchers at the MWA utilize water point data to determine which districts in Ethiopia need WASH assistance. The Water Point Data Exchange (WPdx) works alongside the WASH program to monitor water accessibility and cleanliness in regions. Reporting collected data on the WPdx allows for collaboration between NGOs and the Ethiopian government to allocate resources.
The MWA also continues to learn about water scarcity in Ethiopia and effective methods to share with other NGOs or government organizations to recreate similar infrastructure in other regions. Thus far, the MWA has successfully provided clean water in Ethiopia for more than 2 million people in hard-to-reach areas.
Hope H2O
Hope H2O is a Canadian volunteer organization that develops educational and WASH projects in Ethiopia. Its mission is to enhance water sanitation and quality of life for Ethiopians. Dating back to 2010, Hope H2O has assisted more than 25,000 Gimbichu District residents.
Hope H2O strategies include large concrete reservoirs, water taps, drains and technology to track usage. All materials used for infrastructure came from Ethiopian merchants and community members that professional plumbers and masons assisted.
The organization works to ensure water points are accessible to most of the community and that the community understands proper sanitary procedures to keep water access points clean. Hygienic methods taught include consistent hand washing and designated family latrine pits that will not contaminate nearby water sources.
Work done in the Menjigsso Gora community improved an old government-installed pump and stationed a generator to extract safe water into a reservoir with a wide service zone. Creating water points in the local elementary school improved school conditions and education in the community, as it was previously difficult to retain teachers.
Hope H2O is currently in phase two of its project in Germama Village. The project entails the construction of sanitary water facilities and community sanitation education. COVID-19 and political unrest halted progress for about six months in 2020 until construction resumed.
Looking Ahead
Access to clean water is a human right vital for the health of Ethiopians and the fight against global poverty. Without water, families are unable to handle other factors contributing to their financial state. It is important to ensure every person has access to basic human needs and these NGOs are working towards that goal.
– Mikada Green
Photo: Flickr
4 NGOs Fighting Water Scarcity in Ethiopia
Only 57% of Ethiopians have access to clean water today. Time spent searching for clean water, a place to use the bathroom and money spent to treat waterborne illnesses contributes to the poverty crisis by impeding education and potential financial growth. These are four NGOs fighting water scarcity in Ethiopia.
Water4Ethiopia
Water4Ethiopia is an independent charity based in London working to improve water insecurity in Ethiopia. The organization has helped about 5,300 Ethiopians access clean water.
In many parts of Ethiopia, safe water is in relatively shallow ground, but the water supply is easily contaminated. Water4Ethiopia works with people local to the area to construct a protected hand-pumped well and treat it with a small amount of chlorine. Water4Ethiopia builds capped springs that transfer water to distribution points.
Water4Ethiopia has installed capped springs that move water to distribution points in Beku Golba, Saglie and Dodo. Hand-dug wells with pumps to distribute water have improved water conditions in Ababari, Kolle, Kidanemihret, Lower Woibla, Maje-Azwara, Mewagna and Kufif. Water4Ethiopia also implements hygiene and sanitation programs to ensure safe, clean water is readily available.
There are in-progress projects that Water4Ethiopia organized to meet its mission to end water scarcity in Ethiopia. Water4Ethiopia hopes to implement hand-dug wells with hand pumps in communities such as Lolo and Marwenz.
Lifewater
Lifewater is an organization that focuses on regions that are hard to reach and implements custom solutions to improve water scarcity in Ethiopia. Lifewater has built over 500 water sources in more than 395 villages. About 88% of WASH solutions are still running, and more than 198,000 people have improved their water sanitation. A core value of Lifewater is “serving the least, the lost, and the last.”
There are five types of custom water solutions engineers at Lifewater use that include hand-dug wells, drilled wells, protected springs, rainwater harvesting and rehabilitated wells. A team of engineers collaborates with the community to determine the best approach for a specific community. Every village is different in its resources, population, distance from water sources and time spent in line waiting for water.
Testing water quality has allowed 88% of water solutions to remain in place and continue to provide communities with water. The goal is to meet the WHO guidelines for having international water sources within one kilometer of one’s house with waiting times of less than 30 minutes.
Lifewater lists fundraisers on its website and shares periodic updates for funding and the progress of water solutions. Recently completed water projects in Ethiopia include hand-pumped wells in Erbaye Huleti, Kenchota and Shefele.
The Millennium Water Alliance Ethiopia Program
The Millennium Water Alliance (MWA) has created a sustainable water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) program outlining a five-year plan to help Ethiopia attain clean, low-cost water by 2030. This plan prioritizes increasing access in schools and hospitals, the functionality of water solutions and budgeting to ensure solutions last.
The MWA has recently taken a broader approach to improve water conditions. The organization considers the big picture rather than only focusing on infrastructure by focusing on sustainability to ensure water solutions operate long-term.
Researchers at the MWA utilize water point data to determine which districts in Ethiopia need WASH assistance. The Water Point Data Exchange (WPdx) works alongside the WASH program to monitor water accessibility and cleanliness in regions. Reporting collected data on the WPdx allows for collaboration between NGOs and the Ethiopian government to allocate resources.
The MWA also continues to learn about water scarcity in Ethiopia and effective methods to share with other NGOs or government organizations to recreate similar infrastructure in other regions. Thus far, the MWA has successfully provided clean water in Ethiopia for more than 2 million people in hard-to-reach areas.
Hope H2O
Hope H2O is a Canadian volunteer organization that develops educational and WASH projects in Ethiopia. Its mission is to enhance water sanitation and quality of life for Ethiopians. Dating back to 2010, Hope H2O has assisted more than 25,000 Gimbichu District residents.
Hope H2O strategies include large concrete reservoirs, water taps, drains and technology to track usage. All materials used for infrastructure came from Ethiopian merchants and community members that professional plumbers and masons assisted.
The organization works to ensure water points are accessible to most of the community and that the community understands proper sanitary procedures to keep water access points clean. Hygienic methods taught include consistent hand washing and designated family latrine pits that will not contaminate nearby water sources.
Work done in the Menjigsso Gora community improved an old government-installed pump and stationed a generator to extract safe water into a reservoir with a wide service zone. Creating water points in the local elementary school improved school conditions and education in the community, as it was previously difficult to retain teachers.
Hope H2O is currently in phase two of its project in Germama Village. The project entails the construction of sanitary water facilities and community sanitation education. COVID-19 and political unrest halted progress for about six months in 2020 until construction resumed.
Looking Ahead
Access to clean water is a human right vital for the health of Ethiopians and the fight against global poverty. Without water, families are unable to handle other factors contributing to their financial state. It is important to ensure every person has access to basic human needs and these NGOs are working towards that goal.
– Mikada Green
Photo: Flickr
The Global Library Initiative Expands Technology Access in Public Libraries
All over the world, libraries provide the public with free resources in order to inform, educate, enlighten, empower and equip communities with the tools to succeed. Being such an integral part of communities, it is important that everyone has access to libraries or public spaces for educational purposes. Currently, most “economic, educational, health and social opportunities” are dependent on access to the internet. The Gates Foundation’s Global Library Initiative is working to expand technology access in public libraries around the globe.
The Global Library Initiative’s Strategy
The Global Library Initiative, which the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has sponsored, works in partnership with governments around the world to expand technology access, foster innovation, train community leaders and advocate for policy changes that benefit public libraries. By investing more than $1 billion globally to enhance the power of libraries, the Global Library Initiative is improving lives. Over the next 10 years, the Gates Foundation plans on implementing:
The Significance
“Access to information is a great equalizer” reported the Gates Foundation in response to the significance of The Global Library Initiative. After the technology boom, economic, educational, health and social opportunities almost always depend on an individual’s access to resources found online. A lack of internet access can usually translate to a lack of opportunity.
The World Economic Forum reported that the pandemic exposed the true digital divide across the globe. It reported that almost half of the world’s population had no access to the internet and fewer than one in five people in countries that are least developed around the world were connected. Furthermore, women are 30-50% less likely than men to use the internet to participate in public life.
Because so many people are unable to access the internet that would otherwise provide them with useful knowledge, funding and supporting libraries across the globe provides a smart solution. However, even though many countries already have public libraries, the communities they support often overlook their use and importance and underutilize them. In sustaining these pre-existing libraries, The Global Library Initiative can train staff to provide services to users, supportive networks and broadband connectivity rather than construct new structures entirely.
The Global Library Initiative at Work to Improve Technology Access: Romania
Because the Global Library Initiative is not contained in a single country, the program works with libraries across the globe. One example of the benefits includes their partnership with Biblionet in Romania. In partnering with the Global Library Initiative through the Gates Foundation, the Association of Librarians of Romania, and local and national governments, Biblionet allowed librarians to inspire and “breathe new life into Romanian Communities.”
The Global Library Initiative equipped 80% of all of Romania’s libraries with tech tools that offered strong internet connectivity. Then, the program funded the training of just more than 4,000 librarians in using the technology in order to ensure its accessibility to the public. In doing so, more than 41,000 farmers were able to file online applications for agricultural subsidies through public libraries. This resulted in more than $63 million worth of subsidies granted to them from the Ministry of Agriculture. Without access to the internet through the public library system, the farmers would not have received their fair share of subsidies.
The Global Library Initiative is bridging the gap between access to the internet and connectivity. The program allows more individuals to access free online resources that they would otherwise not have access to. Now, the disadvantaged have access to opportunities previously only available to more fortunate individuals, thus helping bridge the poverty gap.
– Opal Vitharana
Photo: Flickr
4 NGOs Improving Living Conditions in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a Central American country bordered by Honduras to the North, Panama to the South and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to the west and east, respectively. Though Nicaragua has made substantial progress toward ending poverty in recent decades by cutting the national poverty rate from 47.9% in 1997 to 24.9% in 2016, much of the population still lack adequate access to food, education, employment and clean water. Addressing these issues is key to ending poverty and improving the quality of life for Nicaraguan citizens. Here are four NGOs improving living conditions in Nicaragua.
4 NGOs Improving Living Conditions in Nicaragua
Looking Forward
Though recent developments in Nicaragua’s political situation make the fate of these NGOs uncertain, they have still done great work, and will hopefully continue to improve living conditions in Nicaragua.
– Xander Heiple
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Rising Prices Causing Record Inflation in Italy
Inflation has been surging worldwide, especially hitting hard Italy. Already facing economic stagnation and record unemployment, the supply chain halt and economic crisis that the Russia-Ukraine crisis has particularly impacted Italy. In fact, inflation in Italy has risen so dramatically that the main industry lobby is warning of an “economic earthquake.”
Rising Inflation and the Economic Crisis
Like most of the EU, energy costs have been surging in Italy. Prices have been rising at an annual rate of 38.3%. This is largely due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, as Ukraine had previously supplied most of Europe’s natural gas supply. Inflation in Italy is also at an all-time high in Italy; in fact, Italy has the third-highest inflation rate in the EU. In August 2022, the inflation rate jumped to 9%, likely due to the increase in energy and electricity prices.
Increasing inflation will have ramifications for Italy. Unlike the rest of the EU, Italian wages have been stagnant for the past decade. In fact, data that the OECD collected found that Italy was the only country in the EU where wages actually declined.
Moreover, unemployment is also at an all-time high in Italy. Currently, the unemployment rate is 7.8%, but things are far worse for Italy’s youth, who have an unemployment rate of almost 21.2%. It is the highest youth unemployment rate in the EU. and one can attribute it to poor education and a largely stagnant economy. In fact, the past decade has had the worst economic gain in Italy since 1861.
Inflation & Poverty
The poor in Italy have felt the brunt of the economic impact caused by rising inflation. The decline of the Italian economy noticeably correlates with a rising poverty rate. Poverty has increased sharply in recent years, largely due to the pandemic. The recent increase in the cost of living has also pushed many people into poverty, with almost a 10th of the Italian population living below the poverty line.
Governmental Action
Although things may look bleak for Italy’s economy, its government has been working to prevent a catastrophe. Recently, the Italian government approved an aid package worth $17.4 billion. This package aims to curbe energy prices to protect families from rising prices. The nation has budgeted around 35 billion euros to reduce the impact of rising energy and electricity prices.
In addition, the government has also extended bonuses to low and middle-income citizens, including migrants, because they are more susceptible to falling into poverty during this economic crisis.
Like many other countries in Europe and around the world, Italy has faced considerable detriment as a country from recent crises like the global pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Despite this, things like the unemployment rate and poverty have still been decreasing according to the most recent estimates. Furthermore, considerable government action has seen to it that Italian citizens are protected from rising prices, shielding them from further economic crises.
– Padma Balaji
Photo: Unsplash
Campaigning to Address Period Poverty
Period poverty affects those who menstruate in both developing and developed countries. According to the United Nations Population Fund, “period poverty describes the struggle many low-income women and girls face while trying to afford menstrual products.” Period poverty also includes a lack of access to hygiene and sanitation facilities to properly manage menstruation. The World Bank highlights that, across the world, “an estimated 500 million lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management.” Furthermore, “1.25 billion women and girls have no access to a safe, private toilet” and 526 million females have no access to any toilet. Despite this form of poverty affecting women and girls globally, period poverty affects developing countries the most. In many developing countries, 50% of all females resort to using “items like rags, grass and paper” to manage their menstruation rather than safe sanitary products, a 2022 article by ActionAid said. For these reasons, campaigns for governments to address period poverty are essential.
Comments from a Youth Campaigner
Sixth former Ellie Massey is a former member of the Youth Parliament for Northern Ireland. Massey played an instrumental role in campaigning for Northern Ireland to pass legislation for the free provision of sanitary products. In an interview with The Borgen Project, she highlighted that there needs to be further progress on the scheme within universities. Many tertiary-level students live away from their families and are already facing student debt in order to access university education, meaning that “period products are a lot less accessible for them.”
Massey speaks on useful techniques campaigners can use when campaigning to address period poverty. For instance, writing a personal plea for politicians and lawmakers to address the issue as opposed to “generic letters” that flood their inboxes.
Massey detailed that within a personal plea regarding addressing period poverty should be reasons why it is the politician’s responsibility to make legislative progress on the issue and specific details on the actions the politician can take to help.
During her time of campaigning for progress in the realm of period poverty in the United Kingdom, she wrote a letter to the education minister at the time, Peter Weir, and reached out to organizations such as the Human Rights Commission. She also interviewed students that period poverty affected and included these personal quotes in her letter to give it more standing.
Massey said that advocacy on the issue works better via in-person meetings or Zoom as politicians can put a face to a name and campaigners tend to argue points better when talking face-to-face. Once politicians actually realize the devastating impact of the issue, most of them are happy to help, so it is just about getting the message across in the most effective and impactful way.
Campaigning for Change
Amika George is a British youth activist who at the age of 17 began the Free Periods campaign in the U.K. to address period poverty and its impacts on girls’ education. The campaign began as an online petition after George learned that students in the U.K. would miss as much as a week of school per month due to the inability to afford sanitary products while menstruating.
Speaking on the issue, the activist commented to Cherwell that “the existence of period poverty only came to public consciousness as recently as [2018] when reports of girls routinely missing school because they couldn’t afford menstrual products were thrust into the media glare.”
“What’s been depressing since then is the lack of any affirmative action by the government, despite outrage and horror that girls were using socks stuffed with tissue or newspaper,” George said. The petition called on the U.K. government to take action by providing free period products to students who are eligible for free school meals and to work toward addressing period poverty.
Organizations Addressing Period Poverty Internationally
The Gift Wellness Foundation works to address period poverty in the U.K. and beyond. In August 2022, volunteers and Dr. Zareen Roohi Ahmed, the Foundation’s chair, delivered sanitary products to Syrian women across six refugee camps in Lebanon. The delivery included 500 boxes of menstrual products as well other essentials such as “shampoo, soap and washing powder.”
Commenting on the trip to Lebanon, Roohi Ahmed said on the Foundation’s website that the Syrian women refugees showed inspiring “resilience and bravery in the face of such upheaval.” However, “no one should be without basic menstrual products. The children in these camps need their mums to be empowered if they are to have any future at all.”
The Gift Wellness Foundation also donated sanitary pads to Rohingya women in Bangladesh. This took place within Cox’s Bazaar refugee camp, which is “the largest refugee camp in the world.” The Communities Against Poverty (CAP) Foundation runs a women’s health center in the camp, where many women give birth. In fact, “60,000 Rohingya women and young girls have given birth in the camp after being raped in Myanmar.”
The Gift Wellness Foundation provided more than 10,000 pads to support these women. Iqra International partners with the Foundation to give out sanitary pads in schools across the most impoverished areas of Bangladesh.
Looking Ahead
In the face of alarming statistics regarding period poverty and the impacts on female health and education, young activists and campaigners are taking a stand to create change.
– Claire Dickson
Photo: Flickr
Energy Crisis in Germany Threatens to Push Thousands into Poverty
Thousands of Germans have received distressing letters in the mail about expensive gas bills. With utility companies such as Vattenfall, passing on the ever-increasing costs to consumers, more and more Germans cannot pay the bills. In fact, prices have increased by more than 100% since the end of 2021. Record prices of €0.13 ($0.13) per kilowatt hour up to €0.25 per kilowatt hour by utility giant Vattenfall have become the norm. With 55% of the natural gas, 52% of the coal and 34% of mineral oil coming from Russia, Germany is as dependent on Russia as very few other Western countries. Without many alternatives, politicians fear social unrest, rationing and deep recession should the energy crisis in Germany not be under control soon.
Russian Pressure
Even worse, higher prices aren’t the tip of the iceberg. The energy crisis in Germany, due to the Russian energy sanctions that have affected the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, is becoming more and more visible. The presidential palace is no longer lit up at night, the city of Hannover is turning off warm water in public pools and gyms and the light has been switched off for 200 tourist attractions.
Daunting Energy Predictions for the Lower-Income Classes
Much more daunting are the consequences that the population could suffer from the already existing energy crisis in Germany as well as further energy cuts. The economic and energy minister Robert Habeck predicted “mass unemployment, poverty, people who can’t heat their homes, people who run out of petrol” if Russian oil and gas became no longer available in March 2022. The German research institute IW is in agreement with the green party and warns of energy poverty” which arises when “the share of energy bills of an individual’s net income exceeds ten percent.” This was the case for 25% of all German citizens in May 2022, a 10% increase from the previous year.
Unfortunately, these figures do not favor the lower and middle classes but divide the top and bottom even further. A middle-class family household uses 18,000-kilowatt hours of energy per year on average, which cost €1,080 ($1,099) in 2021. With the price increase, the same consumption would cost a family €3,240 — an average monthly income. Citizens from the “lower middle class” that have a net income of 60 to 80% of the median income, are twice as likely to become energy poor in 2022 as in the years before. The research institute highly recommends extended social schemes to support lower-class households with their utility bills.
Prospects of Government Relief
So far, the German government has spent €30 billion to support citizens in paying their electricity bills since the end of 2021. Chancellor Olaf Scholz added in a recent interview that the government is not planning additional social schemes but could implement them if necessary. The government is working hard to find alternative energy solutions and to get German citizens through the winter. Yet, despite requests from the Christian democratic party to cut the Russian energy supply once and for all, the government’s hands are tied and in desperate need of alternative solutions that are universally accessible to all Germans.
– Pauline Luetzenkirchen
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
COVID-19’s Impact on Bangladesh
Since 2020, the world has turned upside down while facing the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite every country living through the same traumatic experience, the consequences were not the same for everyone. Especially developing and underdeveloped countries took a harder hit from the pandemic than any developed nations. The pandemic did destroy not only global health but also disrupted the national economy, education system, social values and more. Even after national recovery, some failed to recover from the unforgettable past on a personal level which included losing loved ones, unemployment, hunger, health deficiency and so on. For example, in some cases, women were more likely to stop working after the pandemic, and low-skilled workers were more likely to lose their jobs than more educated workers. Notably, COVID-19’s impact on Bangladesh raised many domestic and global concerns. Here are four facts about COVID-19’s impact on Bangladesh.
4 Facts About COVID-19’s Impact on Bangladesh
Solutions
Like many other countries, COVID-19’s impact on Bangladesh was unthinkable. The severity of COVID-19’s impact on Bangladesh gradually disintegrated due to much foreign support and social unity. One of the most significant foreign support was from the United States. The U.S. has provided Bangladesh with more than $96 million. These aids included 5.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, medical supplies, ventilators, oxygen equipment, pulse oximeters and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Moreover, since the start of the pandemic also the World Bank has provided about $3 billion to Bangladesh, which has been effective in improving the emergency health response, the private sector, creating jobs, boosting human capital development and more. Besides foreign aid, the Bangladesh government also took many precautions and strict domestic policies to reduce the spread as much as possible. Some remarkable actions from the government were closing the government buildings, offices, schools and universities, prohibiting social gatherings and canceling federal holiday celebrations.
In the end, COVID-19’s impact on Bangladesh was traumatizing. However, it also showed people how vulnerability can spread through a nation in a short time period. The government and its people learned to be patient, understanding and generous to each other. COVID-19’s impact on Bangladesh did not stop yet, but the world has seen a great deal of recovery from the country.
Photo: Flickr
Food Systems in Sri Lanka
Food systems globally are having to adapt to increasing numbers of challenges; a growing population, supply chain inadequacies and an overwhelming strain on the environment that in itself disrupt harvests and crop growth. Food systems in Sri Lanka are experiencing major shortages in recent years due to government mismanagement and a failed transition to organic agriculture, alongside crippling economic conditions and mounting foreign debt. People’s food security is a growing concern.
The World Food Programme (WFP) reported an estimated 6.3 million people, nearly 30% of the population believed to be experiencing moderate to severe acute food insecurity in September 2022. This follows after successive poor harvests and a limit on imports of food grains as a result of a depreciating currency and rising prices of goods.
Imports account for 22% of the country’s food consumption. Previously self-sustained in the production of rice, meat, fish, eggs and fruit and vegetables, poor harvests have rendered domestic supplies inadequate, forcing Sri Lanka to import $450 million worth of rice, despite the price for the staple crop rising some 50%. Maintaining a nutritious diet has become increasingly difficult for the average household as inflation rises to 57.4% and incomes fall.
How it Happened
One can attribute poor harvests to environmental impacts and government policy. Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in April 2021 imposed a national ban on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in an effort to transition Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector to organic production methods. This was carried out without an integration period, effectively ordering 2 million of the countries’ farmers to go organic overnight.
Whilst the notion of organic farming is appealing through the environmental benefits it offers, the use of synthetic fertilizers attains consistency in yield that is difficult to replicate. Consequently, since the imposition of the ban, Sri Lanka’s rice production has substantially declined.
The foreign exchange felt the economic drawbacks of this policy after tea production took a hit and Sri Lanka’s export revenue decreased, weakening a key industry that employs many across rural areas. The significant decline in agricultural output sent many Sri Lankan farmers into poverty.
Intrinsically altering the nature of production and operations of food systems in Sri Lanka in such a way requires education programs to introduce farmers to alternative methods of crop growth. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka did not take such measures.
Following public outcry, in October 2021 the government went back on its synthetic fertilizer ban. Despite this, the global rise in prices has seen farmers struggling to afford imports of fertilizer, resulting in continued shortages of harvest and food.
The need for sustainability in agriculture is irrefutable; for the attainment of various SDGs as well as the health of the consumer. A gradual approach, alongside a holistic framework, reappraising all the involved sectors and stakeholders will be necessary to ensure vulnerable communities are provided with the required subsistence levels.
Solutions
To curb the effects of current shortages, NGOs and foreign governments are actively sending remittance packages targeting vulnerable communities and Sri Lankan food systems.
In September 2022, the United States embassy announced a package worth $40 million supplying Sri Lankan farmers with fertilizer needed to resume crop growth. A crucial step in kickstarting the agricultural sector. The embassy also announced a package worth $20 million addressing immediate humanitarian needs across the country, focusing on the groups that the shortages most affected, including pregnant women and children.
The WFP appealed for $63 million in emergency funds earlier in the year to supply those most affected by the crisis, including vulnerable groups, pregnant women and children. It aims to offer food vouchers to help cover expenses and provide emergency nutrition and school meals until the end of the year.
Australia was the first country to meet the WFP’s appeal, from whom Sri Lanka received a donation of rice worth $15 million in September. The Australian government has scheduled further donations of rice and cooking oil to be shipped to Sri Lanka in the coming months.
Many are hungry and much rely on a successful harvest in the coming season. However, with the measures in place, some pressure on the agricultural sector and food systems in Sri Lanka is being relieved, and the immediate needs of the most vulnerable groups are receiving attention.
– Bojan Ivancic
Photo: Flickr
What the 2022 Annual Goalkeepers Reports Says About the Future of Poverty
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently released its annual Goalkeepers Report aimed at analyzing data relating to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and insights on the future of poverty. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a nonprofit with the goals of fighting poverty, disease and inequalities around the world. Bill and Melinda Gates formed it in 1994. As philanthropists, they made it their Foundation’s mission to use their resources to fulfill the U.N.’s SDGs which also aligns with the work of their Foundation.
The SDGs
The SDGs are 17 economic, social or environmental goals that the U.N. implemented to protect the planet, achieve prosperity and end poverty. The 2022 Goalkeepers Report is ambitious and complex, in that the expectations of enduring a pandemic and multiple wars were non-existent while setting the SDGs. However, the report stated that the magnitude of these events may have had ill effects on the data but a positive one on the actual reality of working towards those goals. The report also stated that there are two things no data point can prove: crisis and innovation.
Major Takeaways and Analyses from the 2022 Goalkeepers Report
Going back to the effects of the pandemic and conflicts such as the Ukraine-Russia war, it is not unusual for these events to negatively affect the data. The pandemic left 114 million people unemployed in 2020, meaning 114 million people lost stable livelihoods. Not only the pandemic left people without jobs, but it also caused severe disruptions in the supply chain due to border closures, a lack of workforce and financial instability. Panic buying and deficiency in stocks were major consequences of the inadequate supply chain, making goods less and less accessible.
Another disruption that hit the supply chain was the Russia-Ukraine War. Many African nations heavily depended on wheat imports from Ukraine. With the emergence of war stopping the shipments, the price of wheat-based products surged to the highest level its been in 40 years. Even though prices have relatively stabilized, the small shock showed how modern famine could present itself and how little the world is prepared for it.
After turbulent times for the world economy, Goalkeepers Report data shows promise not necessarily in the numbers themselves, but in the intangible potential for human ingenuity. Gates commented in the report that “No projection can ever account for the possibility of game-changing innovation” on the data projections on the SDGs for the next 10 years.
Financial Autonomy for Women
A significant step in reducing poverty is firstly making sure all people have access to money. Gender equality is essential in making sure both men and women have the same opportunities and means of accessing their money. Making financial platforms available and secure for women, especially in low-income countries, is necessary for achieving financial autonomy for both genders.
Data shows there has been an upwards trend in the last 5 years in the number of women owning a financial account and mobile money account. Mobile money account ownership of women in low-income countries increase from approximately 12% in 2017 to 24% in 2021. What this dataset indicates is more than the concrete number of women owning bank accounts, but the subject of women taking ownership of their livelihoods.
Tieing this to the initial message of the report, even though data is just data, the human aspect behind it is what makes the future more hopeful and brighter. Another take on the future of poverty from the report is the need for a replanning of the strategy behind food and humanitarian aid.
Strategy for Humanitarian Aid
Gates highlights that “The goal should not simply be giving more food aid. It should be to ensure no aid is needed in the first place.” Numbers on the report show the money spent on food aid keeps getting more and more every year, hitting a high of $57 billion in 2020. Whereas funding for agricultural research which will help developing countries create food security in the long run barely increase in the last 10 years, with only $9 billion in 2020. Comparing the money spent on a temporary solution such as food aid to agricultural research, numbers seem promising yet the truth behind it is that our strategy needs improving.
Taking into account the severe climate stress the agriculture industry will endure in Sub-Saharan Africa, “32 million more people in Africa are projected to be hungry in 2030” the report states. Solving world hunger is key to reducing poverty in the future, as more food on the market means cheaper and more accessible it is for the more disadvantaged. It is a very achievable challenge, as long as people change the strategy in their approach to food crises and look beyond the data.
As Gates states, “That challenge (solving food hunger) can’t be solved with donations. It requires innovation.” This is exactly what the Gatekeepers 2022 report suggests and promotes. A look beyond data and a vision larger than just numbers are what will define the future of poverty.
– Selin Oztuncman
Photo: Flickr
Increasing Efforts in Poverty Reduction in Uganda
In January 2022, Uganda’s economy grew by 4.6% an uptick from 3.4% in 2021 and 3% in 2020. Despite facing challenges during the pandemic, the country’s economy quickly recovered as the services sector and industries resumed activity. However, the East African nation with a population of 47.1 million people has an international poverty rate of 42% making poverty reduction efforts more critical than ever.
The Slowdown in Poverty Reduction in Uganda
The slowdown in poverty reduction in Uganda was in part due to rising commodity prices and disruptions in the global supply chain exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. This triggered high inflation which reached 6.8% from only about 2.7% in 2021. In response, the Bank of Uganda increased its policy rate by 1% in 2022 to 7.5%. This monetary policy slows the economy to keep inflation stable and return to lower price levels. A more stable economy in January 2022 allowed Uganda to experience increased private investment and higher activity in construction and manufacturing and export diversification.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty Reduction in Uganda
One cannot dismiss COVID-19’s impact on poverty reduction in Uganda. In 2020, the government closed the borders and issued a nationwide lockdown and curfew. In addition, it also shut down schools, shops and churches. Economic growth slowed down and the government’s free health care programs reduced access to health care. In this period, relief aid went to urban areas and the poorest in rural areas ended up vulnerable. After seeing the impact of the pandemic the government gave out credit facilities, offered waivers of interest on tax, tax deductions and lowered interest rates to finance the private, agribusiness and manufacturing sectors.
The Village Enterprise Microenterprise Program
NGOs have also stepped in to boost Uganda’s economic growth and development. The Village Enterprise microenterprise program partners with governments and NGOs to eradicate extreme poverty primarily in rural East Africa. It works directly with poor households through entrepreneurship with the objective of lifting 20 million people out of extreme poverty by 2030. Over a period of one year, it provides them with mentorship, cash transfers, business training and the formation of saving groups. In Uganda, more than 30,000 businesses started through this program and 113,000 first-time entrepreneurs have received training. The impact created more consumption and income and improved the standard of living of hundreds of thousands of households.
The Strengthening Education Systems for Improved Learning (SESIL) Program
Uganda’s low education level presents another challenge directly contributing to poverty. Two out of five secondary school teachers did not have undergraduate degrees in 2017. Additionally, most classrooms have too many students, in some cases more than 60 which does not provide an environment that facilitates quality education. Uganda has one of the fastest-growing youth populations but government spending on education has fallen from about 25% in the early 2000s to only 11% in 2018.
The government recognized the growing youth population and in 2018 launched the Strengthening Education Systems for Improved Learning (SESIL) program. This U.K. aid-funded program improved the quality and equity of education in lower primary schools by focusing on an approach called Managing for Results (M4R). Teachers and ministry officials used data collection and analysis to monitor student progress. Based on their interpretation they were able to make decisions to improve students’ learning outcomes. This program has undergone implementation in more than 1,800 schools and trained more than 6,000 teachers in Uganda. There has already been evidence of the value of the program and its data collection approach to spot challenges and sustainable solutions in lower education.
The youth is what makes poverty reduction in Uganda and in other parts of the world important. They make up the future generation of this world. Their education is of the highest priority. It not only provides them with opportunities and pathways away from poverty but it also guarantees a more sustainable future.
– Hans Harelimana Hirwa
Photo: Flickr