A global gender gap exists in internet usage and this gap is the largest in Africa. In 2022, the Connected African Girls Coding Camp is teaming up with the government of Namibia, U.N. Namibia, U.N. Women and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to host a two-week coding training camp dedicated to African females aged 12 to 25. This is the fifth time the camp is happening and 100 girls from Namibia will attend along with 2,000 girls from all over the African continent who will join virtually. Instructors will teach in both English and French to be inclusive for all participants. The coding camp runs from 16-24 August 2022 and will be hosted at the Windhoek Palm Hotel in Namibia.
Background
In Africa, internet usage is low in comparison to other regions of the world. Just 35% of men use the internet and an even lower 24% of women are digitally active, according to an ITU 2021 report. In addition, African women are less likely to own mobile phones, use a mobile phone on a daily basis, own a phone with internet access, own computers or access the internet regularly compared to African men.
In a world that continues to grow digitally, technological knowledge becomes a prerequisite for many professional fields. There is a correlation between the limited number of women in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) fields and the gender gap in internet usage. Without teaching women how to access and use the internet, the difficulty for women to participate in STEAM fields will remain and the gender gap will broaden.
Many groups are currently working to connect more women to the internet in Africa. The African School on Internet Governance, U.N. Women and many other organizations focus on eliminating certain barriers that prevent digital inequity. These include, for example, “unavailable or unaffordable access, low digital literacy and confidence and lack of relevant content,” The Washington Post reports.
The Boot Camp
The Connected African Girls Coding Camp also aims to reduce this gap by teaching young African women and girls the foundational skills to “find long-term success in education, employment and entrepreneurship while creating a conducive environment for collaborative efforts.”
The coding camp consists of four workshops that each teach the participants a different tech-related skill. These include “animation, web development & gaming, IoT & robotics and 3D printing.” The main workshops are accompanied by courses on topics such as “artificial intelligence, design thinking and computational thinking.” The training camp will also run master classes on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063 as well as gender-based violence and “personal development skills.”
On the last day of the camp, the participants will attend “an innovation fair” where the girls will showcase the projects they developed during the camp. These projects stand as potential solutions to tackling Africa’s socio-economic issues and barriers. During “the last four editions of the coding camp,” participants created 198 innovative projects. The program recognized 40 of these programs as “contributions to the community.”
Looking Ahead
The Connected African Girls Coding Camp aims to do more than teach thousands of young women and girls the foundations of technology and promote access to Information Technology and Communications (ICT). It hopes to empower them to thrive in the tech industry as a whole and build the confidence they need to be successful. Furthermore, organizers of the boot camp hope that participants will make meaningful connections throughout the two weeks.
Global economic growth is on a steep downturn, due primarily to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain shortages from the Russia/Ukraine conflict. The World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) had each predicted that global economic growth in 2022 would reach more than 4% earlier this year. At the beginning of June, they scratched the original estimates, saying that economic growth would barely reach 3%, indicating a possible crisis of global stagflation.
Economic Downtown After the Pandemic
At the end of 2021, many global organizations, including the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund, predicted that the global economy would see a post-pandemic boom. However, because of the conflict in Ukraine and the COVID-19 shutdown in China, the global supply chain took a significant hit. In turn, inflation is rising at an alarming rate, especially in global economic powerhouses like the United States and England. This is cause for concern not only for rich countries but for small and developing countries as well, which often rely on economic overflow from large nations.
Stagflation
The World Bank and the OECD declared that the global economy is at risk of stagflation, which is a combination of high, sustained inflation and stagnating growth. Global stagflation poses a risk for everyone, but poor and developing countries would face the worst of it. Many developing nations’ economies rely on exports to wealthy nations, meaning a global economic slowdown would seriously harm them. Additionally, high interest rates and low growth would make it nearly impossible to pay back large quantities of debt. The World Bank has predicted that some nations will default on their debts, which would mean a decline in living conditions.
The most recent stagflation crisis took place in the 1970s when the global economy saw aggressive inflation and low economic growth. The current situation is worrying to many economists and activists because at that time living standards and economic well-being took a drastic downturn in many developing countries in Latin America and the Middle East.
Avoiding Stagflation
The good news is that the circumstances of the current economic situation differ significantly from the stagflation crisis of the 1970s. Most central banks are now independently operated and the global economy is less reliant on low energy prices, two factors that provide some relief to poorer countries.
The OECD believes that a stagflation crisis can be avoided, but economic powerhouses and international organizations need to take serious action. There are significant factors in play that are preventing governments from stepping in, primarily the fact that developing nations have already accumulated record levels of debt.
To avoid stagnation, the World Bank suggests worldwide policymakers focus on five key areas. They need to:
Limit the harm caused by the war in Ukraine by coordinating the crisis response in terms of delivery of food and medicine and support of refugees.
Counter the high prices of oil and food by increasing supplies of key commodities.
Escalate debt relief as debt distress spreads from low-income countries to middle-income countries.
Continue to strive to contain COVID-19 globally through strong immunization programs.
Continue to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency and decrease their reliance on fossil fuels.
The United States Steps Up with Aid
Support from the United States could come from protecting and enhancing the International Affairs Budget, emergency COVID-19 relief and direct collaboration with the governments of developing nations concerning exports and investments. The United States has taken a step in the right direction by supporting the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), which will pledge $600 billion to the global economy over the next five years.
https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svg00Kim Thelwellhttps://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svgKim Thelwell2022-08-20 01:30:052022-08-18 04:53:13As a Global Stagflation Crisis Approaches, Foreign Aid Must Be a Priority
Many nomadic communities live in Peru’s Amazon rainforest and more than half of the world’s uncontacted tribes reside in the same lively forest near the Peru-Brazil border. However, illegal logging in Peru poses a devastating threat to tribes’ survival. Not only do contractors expose members of these tribes to fatal illnesses, they purposely undermine the real value of trees to create illegal scams. The education of indigenous communities has become the most effective deterrence against illegal logging, and innovative tools such as the Peruvian “Forest Backpack” is actively teaching local leaders how to detect and avoid scams.
Illegal Logging and its Effect on Amazonian Communities
In the Amazon rainforest, the main cause of forest and village degradation is illegal logging. The prevalence of illegal logging poses harsh consequences on Amazonian communities, as it can destroy many homes in the process.
In 2012, the World Bank reported that close to 80% of Peru’s logging exports were the result of illegal logging practices, in which timbermen forge documents to appear professional.
As illegal logging in Peru continues, it endangered the homes and livelihoods of Peruvian indigenous peoples. Since many communities sell their wood for prices that are not fair, the community loses out on opportunities for growth and improvement of living conditions.
With an already high poverty rate of 70% among indigenous Peruvian communities, illegal loggers take away from their potential prosperity. Countless villages are forced to flee to towns in fear of illegal loggers, putting them at risk for an illness they have never been exposed to before as well as erasing the traces of their previous tribal life, according to Reuters.
Government Recognition
Peruvian communities who fall victim to illegal logging face many difficulties with the government’s recognition. Since many of these communities do not appear on maps, lack official acknowledgment and instead must rely on the federations that represent them. Without the government’s affirmation, localities do not have legal protection.
Violence often follows deforestation, putting communities in direct danger and bringing disastrous ramifications. Edwin Chota was the leader of the Alto Tamaya-Saweto in the Ucayali region of the Amazon. Illegal loggers killed him after a long campaign with his community to gain the titles to their own land, The Guardian reports. Villagers embarked on a six-day river journey to report the atrocity, highlighting the struggle locals go through to gain access to law enforcement.
The Forest Backpack
In 2015, OSINFOR, the Peruvian agency that oversees the precious resources of the Amazon, began developing innovative solutions to prevent the further exploitation of indigenous communities. OSINFOR has received help from both USAID and the U.S. Forest Service in the training of community members, all using one simple, unassuming tool: a backpack.
Within the Forest Backpack are tool kits and laminated images that can be used to instruct others as well as measure the value of a given tree. Since 2019, OSINFOR has distributed these backpacks to indigenous communities where illegal logging hit the hardest.
Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to timber traders’ deception for multiple reasons, such as language barriers and lack of educational tools. OSINFOR focuses on speaking to communities in their own language and teaching leaders how to use the backpack’s indispensable tools, according to Medium.
To complement the fair selling of trees, these Peruvians are also harvesting seeds to plant the next generation of trees to become more sustainable. The growing accessibility of forest assessment tools and OSINFOR’s and USAID’s cooperation with underserved indigenous communities will eliminate illegal logging in Peru as well as improve quality of life.
In the words of Isideo Ruiz Apu, the leader of the Huitoto community of Pacuarquillo, “The forest is our market, our hospital, our bank; through the forest, we sustain our households and get what we need,” Medium reports.
– Caroline Zientek Photo: Flickr
https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svg00Jennifer Philipphttps://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svgJennifer Philipp2022-08-19 07:30:472024-06-11 23:17:21A Backpack Fights Illegal Logging in Peru
In 2022, inflation has been sweeping across the world like wildfire, and it has impacted the world’s impoverished the most severely. Here is some information about inflation in Egypt.
Inflation on the Rise
Inflation in Egypt rose to 13% in June 2022 from 11% in April 2022, after only seeing an inflation rate of 4.8% at the end of 2021. The Ukrainian war caused an increase in costs of goods which also caused the interest rates in the country to rise. These interest rates were already some of the highest in the world before the increase. These increases in the costs of imported and exported goods have made it much more challenging for the working class of the country to make a living.
There has been an increase in the prices of simple goods like bread, rice and sugar, making it hard for families to sustain themselves, and even things like nuts have moved into the category of luxury for most families. Inflation has affected individual families and Egypt’s economy as a whole as Egypt’s purchasing index contracted for the 18th consecutive month in May which is what caused the country to raise the interest rates for the first time since 2017. This has put a strain on small business owners who sell goods to survive because they no longer can afford to buy the product that they sell.
Humanitarian Impact
The U.S. has donated $30 billion in economic aid to Egypt since 1978 in order to provide stability to the region. USAID’s current plan to help the economy is to reduce the rising cost of food in Egypt. U.S. aid to Egypt reduced by 85% from 1998-2020 from $833 million to $125 million in 2020, however, the Biden Administration has requested $1.43 billion in aid for Egypt in 2022 amid the pandemic and the Ukrainian war.
The world cannot control what goes on in terms of the Russian and Ukrainian war, so the Goal of USAID is to impact the country in as many ways as possible from within. As of April 2022, the Biden Administrations’ funds are to go toward creating more and better jobs and enhancing the role of government officials to help the institutions of Egypt meet the economic needs of their people. Inflation in Egypt has been the cause of many people losing their jobs and so plans created to foster the economy are very relevant and should prove useful. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have emerged since 1978 in Egypt due to U.S. involvement, and that growth could be beneficial to combating inflation in Egypt.
Looking Ahead
The inflation crisis in Egypt is far from over, but the world is taking the proper steps in order to attempt to turn the tides. It may take months or years for one to be able to see the impact of the funds that Egypt received, however, the people of Egypt know that their struggle is not going unnoticed and that can be the spark someone needs to keep pushing for a little bit longer.
Founded in 2018, Living With Hope is an organization that is devoted to providing resources and training for people with disabilities in Africa. South Sudan native Michael Panther was left in a wheelchair due to illness and war in his country. After receiving care himself, Panther built Living With Hope to offer support for this often marginalized demographic.
People living with disabilities anywhere in the world face challenges, but these challenges are especially tough for those living in Africa. Approximately 80 million people in Africa are living with mental or physical disabilities and the barriers that they face every day have fundamental impacts. Some families in Africa feel ashamed of members who have disabilities and will sometimes hide them from the community to avoid social stigmas, discrimination and even death. There is a substantial lack of medical care or services to help people with disabilities in Africa and the widespread poverty in the country means that the needs of able-bodied people are put before those of disabled people.
The Treatment of People with Disabilities in Africa
The treatment of people with disabilities is not only lacking in comparison to the rest of the population, but also in comparison to each other. A study published in the 2016 African Disability Rights yearbook found that parents of girls in Africa with disabilities are more likely to abandon or kill their daughters at birth and the girls who survive are more likely to be victims of abuse as they grow up. Women with disabilities are three times more likely to have unmet needs for health care and two times less likely to find jobs.
Mental and physical disabilities disproportionately affect African people living in poverty as this population has little to no access to medical care. Around 20% of people with disabilities are living in the poorer regions of Africa. Additionally, 35 million people who require a wheelchair do not have access to one and are not granted the mobility to attend school or work, surrendering them to a life in poverty.
Mobility Device Distribution from Living with Hope
Living With Hope is helping people with disabilities in Africa by teaching them skills that will help them achieve their potential and live independently. It collaborates with other international disability ministries to change the conversation surrounding people with disabilities by reaching out to families, schools, churches and local organizations to strengthen awareness and action. Living With Hope mainly focuses on mobility device distribution, such as manual wheelchairs, crutches, walkers and canes, as well as wheelchair cushions and trays. It allows donors in various locations to drop off any mobility device they are willing to donate or make a payment to the organization so that they can purchase one. Living With Hope is also helping people with disabilities in Africa by working to raise funds to send affected children to school, so that they may grow up to participate in society as adults.
A Look Ahead
Africans facing the challenges that come with having a mental or physical disability are severely under-acknowledged and underserved. Very little research has been done on this population, which is necessary to design effective intervention plans. Organizations similar to Living With Hope are trying to help people with disabilities in Africa by raising awareness for and expanding the discussion surrounding this community.
https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svg00Jennifer Philipphttps://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svgJennifer Philipp2022-08-19 01:30:482024-06-04 01:08:53How Living With Hope is Helping People with Disabilities in Africa
In 2017, NASA, in partnership with the University of Maryland, established its official agriculture and food security program known as Harvest. Using resources like Earth observation (EO) data, artificial intelligence and the knowledge of experts worldwide, Harvest works to enable informed agricultural decision-making in the U.S. and around the world, all while doing so in a “cost-effective and transparent” manner. As part of this broader Harvest framework, however, there is also Harvest Africa— the more targeted initiative working to advance agriculture and food security in Africa specifically.
Harvest Africa’s Objectives
The program also works to advocate for the wider use and implementation of these advanced agricultural tools by both “public and private organizations” in an effort to “benefit food security, agriculture and human and environmental resiliency,” per Harvest’s mission statement. There are several key aspects to know about this program and its work on the African continent.
With an emphasis on Eastern and Southern Africa— two regions in which the World Bank projects an estimated 66.4 million people will experience food-related crises in July 2022. Harvest Africa intends to find innovative, partnership-driven solutions to address Africa’s most difficult food and agricultural issues.
Using data gathered from advanced satellite and machine technology, the program works to identify the root causes of problems like crop failure or production shortfall in Africa, all in an effort to get out in front of those problems early.
Several crucial objectives of Harvest Africa, according to its website, include:
Using “world-class technical expertise,” artificial intelligence and “EO-based data and tools” in order to advance agricultural land use, sustainability and productivity.
Promoting the implementation and use of satellite-based data and technology for crucial agricultural monitoring and assessment.
Working with agencies and organizations on both the national and local levels in developing and implementing these advanced agricultural tools.
Making this agricultural data as widely available to the public as possible in order to “promote the operational uptake and sustainability of these new methods.”
The Impact So Far
Harvest Africa is currently carrying out numerous projects; many of which are seeing extremely promising results. In Kenya, for example, an estimated 3.5 million people in the country’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) region are currently facing acute food insecurity. Harvest is running a program that is playing a massive role in helping government officials and local farmers diagnose and find solutions to widespread crop failure.
By using satellite data to track elements such as rainfall, soil moisture and land use, NASA teams funded by Harvest and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are helping to make more accurate and detailed assessments to track where crops are growing, according to NASA Applied Sciences.
As described on NASA’s website detailing the program, “Agriculture officials in Kenya now have help pinpointing exactly where farms are thriving or struggling. They’re using views from above provided by NASA satellites to help direct support where it is needed most,” NASA Applied Sciences reports.
Another Harvest project making great strides is the Crop Monitor. In close collaboration with several other global organizations, this project is working to implement the wider use of EO satellite data and agricultural monitoring systems in various African countries, according to EOS.
Having been “adapted and adopted for full operational use by national ministries in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda,” and “currently in development for use in Mali and Rwanda,” the Crop Monitor project is an exciting possibility for other African countries.
In countries like Mali, where over 29% of the population is battling malnourishment and Rwanda, where one-fifth of the population is food insecure, the development of such a project is certainly good news, as it has the potential to bring much-needed relief in the face of harsh struggle.
A Fighting Chance
As threats to African crop production prove more and more numerous— such as increased drought, frequent flooding and growing pest infestation — the need for innovative solutions and increased cooperation is higher than ever.
However, with the work of Harvest Africa, African countries and their farmers have a real chance of getting ahead of such disasters; a chance which leads to the potential for greater crop success and, as a result, increased food security.
With the help of these early warning systems, Earth observation data, artificial intelligence and some of the world’s brightest minds, Africa is becoming better equipped than ever before to thrive in the face of crisis.
Sri Lanka is experiencing an economic crisis of massive proportions. The U.N. has dubbed it a “food, fuel and finance crisis” that is endangering millions of people. This economic crisis has been building since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has recently culminated in a massive fuel shortage that has paralyzed the economy. The food, fuel and finance crisis in Sri Lanka is an indicator of a worldwide trend of rising prices, resource shortages and civil unrest.
Desperation and Unrest in Sri Lanka
Countries all over the world, both developed and developing have experienced the economic and social shocks of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Many nations are fearing a looming recession, poor health care resources amidst the pandemic and a slowing job market. For developing countries, this means a nearly complete depletion of food, energy, economic stability and COVID-19 response.
The U.N. found that three months of consistent heightened inflation have caused around 71 million people to fall into poverty. The citizens of many developing countries, including Sri Lanka are turning to public political turmoil out of desperation.
Since the end of June, Sri Lanka has been experiencing one of the worst fuel shortages in history. The demand for fuel is so high and the supply is so low that people often have to wait in line for over two days to fill their tanks. One woman said that she spends more than half of her income on fuel.
The Sri Lankan government has demanded that anyone who can must work remotely, schools have been shut down and public transportation services are almost completely stopped, according to The Business Standard. The country has essentially come to a complete standstill.
This fuel crisis comes alongside a prolonged economic catastrophe in Sri Lanka, in which citizens have been facing severe shortages of medicine and inflation that has skyrocketed to 55%. Sri Lankans are also experiencing governmental uncertainty, as their president resigned after a series of protests. The food, fuel and finance crisis in Sri Lanka also comes from a history of debt defaulting and account deficits. Sri Lanka’s economy and exports have been unstable since the 1980s and they are now crumbling as a result of the war in Ukraine, The Business Standard reports.
The Crisis in Sri Lanka is Apart from a Larger Trend
The crisis in Sri Lanka is an indicator of a more widespread food, fuel, and financial crisis that is seriously harming many low-income countries. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is claiming that the war in Ukraine is causing a wave of rising prices for essential commodities – food, fuel, medicine and energy – that are plunging millions into a standard of living crisis. The crisis put in danger about 1.6 billion people in 94 countries.
In the Middle East and North Africa, the livelihoods of 2.8 million people are threatened by this crisis and over 500 million people in Asia are exposed to the food and finance crisis, according to the U.N.
International Organizations Attempt to Break the Cycle of Crisis
International organizations like the U.N. and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are not ignoring the crisis in Sri Lanka and other countries, but they are not doing enough to help either. In order to avoid further civil unrest and slow the growing numbers of people experiencing extreme poverty, international organizations could focus on multilateral investments that pay more in capital and are focused specifically on targeted lending and crisis response measures, the U.N. reports.
The U.N. has employed its Global Crisis Response Group to administer targeted cash transfers directly to the affected countries as a form of direct aid.
Going Forward Amidst a Global Crisis
There has been widespread suffering globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. However, low-income and developing countries are experiencing record-breaking levels of hunger and lack of resources. The Secretary General of the U.N. believes that solving the global crisis is not possible without first paying attention to the economic crisis in developing countries.
People in low-income countries are in desperate need of food, economic support, fuel and adequate health care. Hopefully, international organizations and high-income countries can step in and help.
https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svg00Jennifer Philipphttps://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svgJennifer Philipp2022-08-19 01:30:032022-08-18 01:27:52Food, Fuel and Finance Crisis in Sri Lanka
For some, poverty in Mexico is their reality. Juana, a 17-year-old girl living in Maneadero, Mexico, was born into a family with no access to education, clean water, electricity or housing. This is becoming the norm in Mexico. Juana only managed to escape these conditions through the help of foundations that built her family home and provided her with a scholarship. Extreme poverty increased by 2.1 million from 2018 to 2020, with 43.9% of the population below the national poverty line. The current government welfare system is failing to deal with increasing poverty in Mexico. Many Mexicans are not as lucky as Juana. Here is everything you need to know about poverty in Mexico that is causing the lack of opportunities and high inequality.
Corruption, Security and Justice
Mexico is not a poor country. As of 2020, it has the 15th largest economy in the world and until recently had the largest economy in Latin America. However, 15 individuals hold 13% of Mexico’s wealth and corruption is rampant across all sectors. As a result, Mexico invests less money into public services due to bribes and misallocation of resources into unproductive activities and inefficient policies. This has led to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
In fact, Transparency International outlines that “corruption is the most regressive tax in the country and a direct obstacle to the access to the most basic services for development,” Huff Post reports. This plays a key role in the rising levels of poverty in Mexico.
On top of this, in Mexico wealth is not distributed evenly, with those living in rural areas receiving less. They have little access to infrastructure or social support. The most extreme examples of this are Chiapas and Oaxaca, with poverty rates over 60%.
In addition to rising levels of poverty, people’s quality of life is also impacted by the fact that 93% of all crimes go unreported in Mexico. Crime has multiplied due to Mexican law enforcement agencies failing to hold people accountable.
The growth of drug cartels and petty crime has led to greater political instability and affected economic growth. As a result of this, 12 million Mexicans now work through the black market without the protection of social security. These individuals are often exploited. The number in this situation is only increasing.
To help support the poor, The Hunger Project has set up a scheme that advocates and creates partnerships between municipalities in Mexico. The aim is to create self-reliant communities.
Since 2020, this has already seen success in Oaxaca. Some examples of this are The Hunger Project setting up backyard orchards in seven municipalities, introducing rainwater harvesting systems and installing ecological toilets. This has helped to deal with the issues of health care and education outlined below. The more awareness and opportunities that are introduced like this, the more people could get chances like Juana’s.
Health Care and COVID-19
As a result of corruption and instability, public institutions in Mexico fail to live up to the standards necessary to ensure people’s health and well-being. From 2012 to 2014, those with access to health care decreased by 3.5 million.
Consequently, families are likely to have more children, leading to less investment in each child. This means children develop fewer skills. As a result, families are more likely to stay in poverty. The added pressures of COVID-19 have made the situation worse, explaining the increased rates of poverty in recent years.
Moreover, 30% of the population experience nutritional problems as they cannot afford basic food items. This leads to underdevelopment in children and a higher mortality rate. As a result, human capital in Mexico is lacking.
While unemployment is high, where people do secure work, they are often weak and uneducated, leading to lower productivity. This has reduced economic growth, resulting in higher levels of poverty in Mexico.
Education
COVID-19 has also decreased access to education. Education was already limited, with only 62% of Mexican children reaching high school. This limits the opportunities for those in poverty, amplifying the divide between the rich and poor.
Furthermore, those living in rural areas have even less access to education meaning the uneven distribution of wealth in these areas is only increasing. Lack of skills and qualifications also means that many poor people cannot find jobs, resulting in extreme poverty levels of up to nearly 20% across the country.
Juana was lucky. From everything you need to know about poverty in Mexico, there is hope for a better future through schemes such as The Hunger Project. A self-reliant population could reduce the issues of elitism and corruption. Economic growth could prosper and poverty could decrease if this campaign continues. This could give Mexico the opportunity to renovate its infrastructure and institutions.
https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svg00Jennifer Philipphttps://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svgJennifer Philipp2022-08-18 07:30:472024-05-30 22:29:55All You Need to Know About Poverty in Mexico
Protected parks offer much in the way of land conservation and the protection of wildlife. However, many conservation projects have displaced and therefore harmed Indigenous communities across the globe. Throughout Africa, the displacement of African tribes is an ongoing concern as conservation efforts threaten Indigenous livelihoods.
Conservation Exiles Tribes from their Homes
As global efforts are underway to protect and conserve nearly 30% of the world’s land by 2030, experts are raising concerns, suggesting that the expansive and unethical “land grab” would not only be the largest in history but also would lead to the estimated displacement of nearly 300 million people–most of whom are Indigenous.
For example, the Baka forest pygmy tribe of southeast Cameroon, Africa, near Nki National Park lost the right to hunt or fish on lands the tribe has used for generations. Without legal access to their forest, the tribe suffers a loss of livelihood, even though their hunting reportedly does not negatively impact the environment.
And the Baka is not alone. Many other African tribes are suffering at the expense of conservation. These include the Sengwer tribe of Kenya. Its 5,000 hunters suffer from a 1964 ban that stops them from returning to their ancestral forests. The San Bushmen in Kalahari Desert, Botswana, lost their lands to mining and tourism. The Ogiek of Kenya lost rights to the Mau forest.
Also, while wildlife reserves offer employment and opportunity to local communities, their benefit may be exaggerated. There are many documented cases of abuse against the Indigenous people who live there.
Indigenous Tribes Benefit the Land
Not only does the displacement of African tribes hurt Indigenous communities, but it also may not help and may even hurt the land itself. For example, the Rainforest Foundation – United Kingdom (RFUK) documented that while conservation efforts in the Congo Basin totaled hundreds of millions of dollars over ten years, there is little to no evidence that protected areas are actually protecting biodiversity. Elephant and gorilla populations have declined drastically despite substantial funding for patrolling, anti-poaching and ecotourism.
On the other hand, there is evidence that Indigenous tribes do benefit the land. A 2022 study by the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact found that Indigenous Peoples offered strategies and traditions benefiting the fight against extreme weather patterns and supporting the overall improvement and sustained health of the lands they inhabit. Additionally, Indigenous lands offer critical biodiversity and sustainability practices, which experts emphasize should be at the forefront of decision-making when governments create conservation and climate change policies, laws and strategies.
Strategies for Harmony of Land and People
For this reason, as conservation efforts move forward throughout the world, many look to strategies that allow Indigenous peoples to remain and have access to and foster their land. Such strategies include ways to reverse the damages of the displacement of African tribes.
As Dr. Grace Lara Souza, a political ecology activist from Kings College in London, emphasizes, “any conservation initiative that does not include Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in its design, implementation and management, should be called into question.” She and other like-minded advocates suggest a community-based conservation model that empowers Indigenous people to oversee the protected lands rather than removing them from their ancestral grounds. When protected land is left without community monitors, miners, loggers and hunters often invade and destroy the ecosystem.
Since the year 1968, the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) has committed to “protecting, promoting and defending the rights of Indigenous peoples” across several regions, including Africa. To achieve this, the IWGIA partners with Indigenous peoples’ organizations across Africa. For example, the IWGIA partners with the Rwanda association for Indigenous people (CAURWA) to combat economic, social and political discrimination toward the Batwa people, hunter-gatherers who are the smallest Rwandan ethnic group. Together CAURWA and IWGIA advocate to apply existing land rights legislation to the Batwa.
Looking Forward
Organizations including IWGIA and activists including Dr. Souza offer hope to Indigenous people and their ancestral grounds. In Africa, their campaigns simultaneously improve conservation efforts and reverse the displacement of Indigenous African tribes.
https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svg00Kim Thelwellhttps://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svgKim Thelwell2022-08-18 07:30:042024-05-30 22:29:53Land Conservation and the Displacement of African Tribes
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a severe setback in consumer spending in Africa, data shows that historically, sub-Saharan Africa has been in a much better economic standing than before COVID-19. Consumer spending in 1981 was $145.64 billion, whereas in 2021 it was over $1.2 trillion. This is a stark difference. Overall, there has been a 3.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in consumer expenditure in Africa since 2010 and this momentum shows no signs of stopping. An industry that is exploiting the enormous market potential of 1.7 billion people is Africa’s beauty industry. The market growth in the industry is estimated to be $1.26 billion between 2020 and 2025, with a CAGR of 2%.
Africa’s Burgeoning Youth and Urbanization
High fertility rates coupled with lower mortality rates have led to Africa having the world’s youngest population. About 70% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population is less than 30 years old. Beauty and personal care products are favored by a younger demographic, who want to invest in fashion trends and their looks. This gives Africa the perfect leverage to boost its beauty and cosmetics industry.
It is estimated that by 2025, 45% of Africa’s population will be living in urban areas. According to McKinsey & Company, “per capita consumption spending in large cities in Africa is on average 79% higher at the city level than at the national level.”
Furthermore, as the country continues to develop, there is a shift from spending in informal markets (e.g., roadside stalls) to spending in more formal sectors, such as department stores, supermarkets, etc, according to Brookings. This is boosting beauty product sales.
Higher Purchasing Power
Over the last three decades, Africa’s middle class has tripled in size. By 2025, roughly 65% of African households will be earning more than $5,000, according to McKinsey & Company.
The increase in the number of people in the “discretionary spending income bracket” is likely to result in consumers increasing their spending on luxury items. This shift may also be due to a growing sense of personal hygiene among people and realizing the significant role that products such as soap, shampoo, etc. play in it. Africa’s beauty industry may help customers to realize and fulfill their body care goals.
It is no surprise that Africa’s beauty industry mainly caters to and is dominated by women. Greater access to education and high-paying jobs have increased the disposable income of African women. According to Beauty Africa, “…a significant chunk of [their] spending goes to the beauty and personal care products.”
Growth of E-Commerce
The GSM Association projects that by 2025, 615 million sub-Saharan Africans will subscribe to mobile services, 28% will have a 4G connection and 3% will have a 5G connection.
This will allow consumers to make electronic payments. In fact, mobile money “is growing five times faster in Africa than in any other region,” according to McKinsey & Company.
The evolution of e-commerce and fintech has made purchasing beauty products faster and easier. Additionally, technological advancements allow companies to better track market trends and profile customers, according to The Exchange.
Key Market Players
Nigeria’s beauty industry is attracting foreign direct investment because of its growing modern, fashion-conscious, female population. Her Imports, a U.S.-based hair-extension company, opened an outlet in Lagos, Nigeria in 2014. Patrick Terry, the CEO, said that their products were “performing sensationally in Africa,” according to Africa Business Pages.
According to The Guardian, the projected income for Her Imports from Africa “topped $100 million.”
South Africa is also a key market player. Between 2020-2025, it is expected that 53% of the market growth in Africa’s beauty industry will come from South Africa.
Many international companies are only now realizing Africa’s untapped potential. On May 27, 2022, global pop star Rihanna launched her beauty line, Fenty, in “South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe.” The launch of this premium brand comes as great news for African women who wanted a better representation of their skin tones.
Infrastructure and Poverty Alleviation Projects Helping
Infrastructure helps connect supply-demand chains, allows goods and services to move easily across borders and enhances overall efficiency in the production and consumption system. Improved infrastructure in the beauty and personal care industry not only generates more employment but also hikes up the sector’s growth rate, according to The Exchange. This increase in growth in turn attracts more investments for additional upgrades in infrastructure. This forms a continuous cycle that ultimately boosts the economic growth of Africa’s beauty industry.
Poverty alleviation projects could help people climb to the middle-income group and have greater purchasing power. Also, closing the gender gap and providing more women with education and equal opportunities could help them to earn income and spend it on the beauty and cosmetics market.
More private investment, advanced technology, improved infrastructure and greater contributions to poverty alleviation projects could help expand Africa’s beauty industry while keeping in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svg00Jennifer Philipphttps://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/borgen-project-logo.svgJennifer Philipp2022-08-18 01:30:262024-06-11 23:16:53Africa’s Beauty Industry is Booming with Potential
The Namibian Connected African Girls Coding Camp
Background
In Africa, internet usage is low in comparison to other regions of the world. Just 35% of men use the internet and an even lower 24% of women are digitally active, according to an ITU 2021 report. In addition, African women are less likely to own mobile phones, use a mobile phone on a daily basis, own a phone with internet access, own computers or access the internet regularly compared to African men.
In a world that continues to grow digitally, technological knowledge becomes a prerequisite for many professional fields. There is a correlation between the limited number of women in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) fields and the gender gap in internet usage. Without teaching women how to access and use the internet, the difficulty for women to participate in STEAM fields will remain and the gender gap will broaden.
Many groups are currently working to connect more women to the internet in Africa. The African School on Internet Governance, U.N. Women and many other organizations focus on eliminating certain barriers that prevent digital inequity. These include, for example, “unavailable or unaffordable access, low digital literacy and confidence and lack of relevant content,” The Washington Post reports.
The Boot Camp
The Connected African Girls Coding Camp also aims to reduce this gap by teaching young African women and girls the foundational skills to “find long-term success in education, employment and entrepreneurship while creating a conducive environment for collaborative efforts.”
The coding camp consists of four workshops that each teach the participants a different tech-related skill. These include “animation, web development & gaming, IoT & robotics and 3D printing.” The main workshops are accompanied by courses on topics such as “artificial intelligence, design thinking and computational thinking.” The training camp will also run master classes on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063 as well as gender-based violence and “personal development skills.”
On the last day of the camp, the participants will attend “an innovation fair” where the girls will showcase the projects they developed during the camp. These projects stand as potential solutions to tackling Africa’s socio-economic issues and barriers. During “the last four editions of the coding camp,” participants created 198 innovative projects. The program recognized 40 of these programs as “contributions to the community.”
Looking Ahead
The Connected African Girls Coding Camp aims to do more than teach thousands of young women and girls the foundations of technology and promote access to Information Technology and Communications (ICT). It hopes to empower them to thrive in the tech industry as a whole and build the confidence they need to be successful. Furthermore, organizers of the boot camp hope that participants will make meaningful connections throughout the two weeks.
– Jordan Oh
Photo: Flickr
As a Global Stagflation Crisis Approaches, Foreign Aid Must Be a Priority
Economic Downtown After the Pandemic
At the end of 2021, many global organizations, including the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund, predicted that the global economy would see a post-pandemic boom. However, because of the conflict in Ukraine and the COVID-19 shutdown in China, the global supply chain took a significant hit. In turn, inflation is rising at an alarming rate, especially in global economic powerhouses like the United States and England. This is cause for concern not only for rich countries but for small and developing countries as well, which often rely on economic overflow from large nations.
Stagflation
The World Bank and the OECD declared that the global economy is at risk of stagflation, which is a combination of high, sustained inflation and stagnating growth. Global stagflation poses a risk for everyone, but poor and developing countries would face the worst of it. Many developing nations’ economies rely on exports to wealthy nations, meaning a global economic slowdown would seriously harm them. Additionally, high interest rates and low growth would make it nearly impossible to pay back large quantities of debt. The World Bank has predicted that some nations will default on their debts, which would mean a decline in living conditions.
The most recent stagflation crisis took place in the 1970s when the global economy saw aggressive inflation and low economic growth. The current situation is worrying to many economists and activists because at that time living standards and economic well-being took a drastic downturn in many developing countries in Latin America and the Middle East.
Avoiding Stagflation
The good news is that the circumstances of the current economic situation differ significantly from the stagflation crisis of the 1970s. Most central banks are now independently operated and the global economy is less reliant on low energy prices, two factors that provide some relief to poorer countries.
The OECD believes that a stagflation crisis can be avoided, but economic powerhouses and international organizations need to take serious action. There are significant factors in play that are preventing governments from stepping in, primarily the fact that developing nations have already accumulated record levels of debt.
To avoid stagnation, the World Bank suggests worldwide policymakers focus on five key areas. They need to:
The United States Steps Up with Aid
Support from the United States could come from protecting and enhancing the International Affairs Budget, emergency COVID-19 relief and direct collaboration with the governments of developing nations concerning exports and investments. The United States has taken a step in the right direction by supporting the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), which will pledge $600 billion to the global economy over the next five years.
–Ella DeVries
Photo: Flickr
A Backpack Fights Illegal Logging in Peru
Illegal Logging and its Effect on Amazonian Communities
In the Amazon rainforest, the main cause of forest and village degradation is illegal logging. The prevalence of illegal logging poses harsh consequences on Amazonian communities, as it can destroy many homes in the process.
In 2012, the World Bank reported that close to 80% of Peru’s logging exports were the result of illegal logging practices, in which timbermen forge documents to appear professional.
As illegal logging in Peru continues, it endangered the homes and livelihoods of Peruvian indigenous peoples. Since many communities sell their wood for prices that are not fair, the community loses out on opportunities for growth and improvement of living conditions.
With an already high poverty rate of 70% among indigenous Peruvian communities, illegal loggers take away from their potential prosperity. Countless villages are forced to flee to towns in fear of illegal loggers, putting them at risk for an illness they have never been exposed to before as well as erasing the traces of their previous tribal life, according to Reuters.
Government Recognition
Peruvian communities who fall victim to illegal logging face many difficulties with the government’s recognition. Since many of these communities do not appear on maps, lack official acknowledgment and instead must rely on the federations that represent them. Without the government’s affirmation, localities do not have legal protection.
Violence often follows deforestation, putting communities in direct danger and bringing disastrous ramifications. Edwin Chota was the leader of the Alto Tamaya-Saweto in the Ucayali region of the Amazon. Illegal loggers killed him after a long campaign with his community to gain the titles to their own land, The Guardian reports. Villagers embarked on a six-day river journey to report the atrocity, highlighting the struggle locals go through to gain access to law enforcement.
The Forest Backpack
In 2015, OSINFOR, the Peruvian agency that oversees the precious resources of the Amazon, began developing innovative solutions to prevent the further exploitation of indigenous communities. OSINFOR has received help from both USAID and the U.S. Forest Service in the training of community members, all using one simple, unassuming tool: a backpack.
Within the Forest Backpack are tool kits and laminated images that can be used to instruct others as well as measure the value of a given tree. Since 2019, OSINFOR has distributed these backpacks to indigenous communities where illegal logging hit the hardest.
Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to timber traders’ deception for multiple reasons, such as language barriers and lack of educational tools. OSINFOR focuses on speaking to communities in their own language and teaching leaders how to use the backpack’s indispensable tools, according to Medium.
To complement the fair selling of trees, these Peruvians are also harvesting seeds to plant the next generation of trees to become more sustainable. The growing accessibility of forest assessment tools and OSINFOR’s and USAID’s cooperation with underserved indigenous communities will eliminate illegal logging in Peru as well as improve quality of life.
In the words of Isideo Ruiz Apu, the leader of the Huitoto community of Pacuarquillo, “The forest is our market, our hospital, our bank; through the forest, we sustain our households and get what we need,” Medium reports.
– Caroline Zientek
Photo: Flickr
Inflation in Egypt
Inflation on the Rise
Inflation in Egypt rose to 13% in June 2022 from 11% in April 2022, after only seeing an inflation rate of 4.8% at the end of 2021. The Ukrainian war caused an increase in costs of goods which also caused the interest rates in the country to rise. These interest rates were already some of the highest in the world before the increase. These increases in the costs of imported and exported goods have made it much more challenging for the working class of the country to make a living.
There has been an increase in the prices of simple goods like bread, rice and sugar, making it hard for families to sustain themselves, and even things like nuts have moved into the category of luxury for most families. Inflation has affected individual families and Egypt’s economy as a whole as Egypt’s purchasing index contracted for the 18th consecutive month in May which is what caused the country to raise the interest rates for the first time since 2017. This has put a strain on small business owners who sell goods to survive because they no longer can afford to buy the product that they sell.
Humanitarian Impact
The U.S. has donated $30 billion in economic aid to Egypt since 1978 in order to provide stability to the region. USAID’s current plan to help the economy is to reduce the rising cost of food in Egypt. U.S. aid to Egypt reduced by 85% from 1998-2020 from $833 million to $125 million in 2020, however, the Biden Administration has requested $1.43 billion in aid for Egypt in 2022 amid the pandemic and the Ukrainian war.
The world cannot control what goes on in terms of the Russian and Ukrainian war, so the Goal of USAID is to impact the country in as many ways as possible from within. As of April 2022, the Biden Administrations’ funds are to go toward creating more and better jobs and enhancing the role of government officials to help the institutions of Egypt meet the economic needs of their people. Inflation in Egypt has been the cause of many people losing their jobs and so plans created to foster the economy are very relevant and should prove useful. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have emerged since 1978 in Egypt due to U.S. involvement, and that growth could be beneficial to combating inflation in Egypt.
Looking Ahead
The inflation crisis in Egypt is far from over, but the world is taking the proper steps in order to attempt to turn the tides. It may take months or years for one to be able to see the impact of the funds that Egypt received, however, the people of Egypt know that their struggle is not going unnoticed and that can be the spark someone needs to keep pushing for a little bit longer.
– Alex Peterson
Photo: Flickr
How Living With Hope is Helping People with Disabilities in Africa
People living with disabilities anywhere in the world face challenges, but these challenges are especially tough for those living in Africa. Approximately 80 million people in Africa are living with mental or physical disabilities and the barriers that they face every day have fundamental impacts. Some families in Africa feel ashamed of members who have disabilities and will sometimes hide them from the community to avoid social stigmas, discrimination and even death. There is a substantial lack of medical care or services to help people with disabilities in Africa and the widespread poverty in the country means that the needs of able-bodied people are put before those of disabled people.
The Treatment of People with Disabilities in Africa
The treatment of people with disabilities is not only lacking in comparison to the rest of the population, but also in comparison to each other. A study published in the 2016 African Disability Rights yearbook found that parents of girls in Africa with disabilities are more likely to abandon or kill their daughters at birth and the girls who survive are more likely to be victims of abuse as they grow up. Women with disabilities are three times more likely to have unmet needs for health care and two times less likely to find jobs.
Mental and physical disabilities disproportionately affect African people living in poverty as this population has little to no access to medical care. Around 20% of people with disabilities are living in the poorer regions of Africa. Additionally, 35 million people who require a wheelchair do not have access to one and are not granted the mobility to attend school or work, surrendering them to a life in poverty.
Mobility Device Distribution from Living with Hope
Living With Hope is helping people with disabilities in Africa by teaching them skills that will help them achieve their potential and live independently. It collaborates with other international disability ministries to change the conversation surrounding people with disabilities by reaching out to families, schools, churches and local organizations to strengthen awareness and action. Living With Hope mainly focuses on mobility device distribution, such as manual wheelchairs, crutches, walkers and canes, as well as wheelchair cushions and trays. It allows donors in various locations to drop off any mobility device they are willing to donate or make a payment to the organization so that they can purchase one. Living With Hope is also helping people with disabilities in Africa by working to raise funds to send affected children to school, so that they may grow up to participate in society as adults.
A Look Ahead
Africans facing the challenges that come with having a mental or physical disability are severely under-acknowledged and underserved. Very little research has been done on this population, which is necessary to design effective intervention plans. Organizations similar to Living With Hope are trying to help people with disabilities in Africa by raising awareness for and expanding the discussion surrounding this community.
– Ava Lombardi
Photo: Unsplash
Harvest Africa Improving Agriculture and Food Security
Harvest Africa’s Objectives
The program also works to advocate for the wider use and implementation of these advanced agricultural tools by both “public and private organizations” in an effort to “benefit food security, agriculture and human and environmental resiliency,” per Harvest’s mission statement
With an emphasis on Eastern and Southern Africa— two regions in which the World Bank projects an estimated 66.4 million people will experience food-related crises in July 2022. Harvest Africa intends to find innovative, partnership-driven solutions to address Africa’s most difficult food and agricultural issues.
Using data gathered from advanced satellite and machine technology, the program works to identify the root causes of problems like crop failure or production shortfall in Africa, all in an effort to get out in front of those problems early.
Several crucial objectives of Harvest Africa, according to its website, include:
The Impact So Far
Harvest Africa is currently carrying out numerous projects; many of which are seeing extremely promising results. In Kenya, for example, an estimated 3.5 million people in the country’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) region are currently facing acute food insecurity. Harvest is running a program that is playing a massive role in helping government officials and local farmers diagnose and find solutions to widespread crop failure.
By using satellite data to track elements such as rainfall, soil moisture and land use, NASA teams funded by Harvest and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are helping to make more accurate and detailed assessments to track where crops are growing, according to NASA Applied Sciences.
As described on NASA’s website detailing the program, “Agriculture officials in Kenya now have help pinpointing exactly where farms are thriving or struggling. They’re using views from above provided by NASA satellites to help direct support where it is needed most,” NASA Applied Sciences reports.
Having been “adapted and adopted for full operational use by national ministries in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda,” and “currently in development for use in Mali and Rwanda,” the Crop Monitor project is an exciting possibility for other African countries.
A Fighting Chance
As threats to African crop production prove more and more numerous— such as increased drought, frequent flooding and growing pest infestation — the need for innovative solutions and increased cooperation is higher than ever.
However, with the work of Harvest Africa, African countries and their farmers have a real chance of getting ahead of such disasters; a chance which leads to the potential for greater crop success and, as a result, increased food security.
With the help of these early warning systems, Earth observation data, artificial intelligence and some of the world’s brightest minds, Africa is becoming better equipped than ever before to thrive in the face of crisis.
– Riley Wooldridge
Food, Fuel and Finance Crisis in Sri Lanka
Desperation and Unrest in Sri Lanka
Countries all over the world, both developed and developing have experienced the economic and social shocks of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Many nations are fearing a looming recession, poor health care resources amidst the pandemic and a slowing job market. For developing countries, this means a nearly complete depletion of food, energy, economic stability and COVID-19 response.
The U.N. found that three months of consistent heightened inflation have caused around 71 million people to fall into poverty. The citizens of many developing countries, including Sri Lanka are turning to public political turmoil out of desperation.
Since the end of June, Sri Lanka has been experiencing one of the worst fuel shortages in history. The demand for fuel is so high and the supply is so low that people often have to wait in line for over two days to fill their tanks. One woman said that she spends more than half of her income on fuel.
The Sri Lankan government has demanded that anyone who can must work remotely, schools have been shut down and public transportation services are almost completely stopped, according to The Business Standard. The country has essentially come to a complete standstill.
This fuel crisis comes alongside a prolonged economic catastrophe in Sri Lanka, in which citizens have been facing severe shortages of medicine and inflation that has skyrocketed to 55%. Sri Lankans are also experiencing governmental uncertainty, as their president resigned after a series of protests. The food, fuel and finance crisis in Sri Lanka also comes from a history of debt defaulting and account deficits. Sri Lanka’s economy and exports have been unstable since the 1980s and they are now crumbling as a result of the war in Ukraine, The Business Standard reports.
The Crisis in Sri Lanka is Apart from a Larger Trend
The crisis in Sri Lanka is an indicator of a more widespread food, fuel, and financial crisis that is seriously harming many low-income countries. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is claiming that the war in Ukraine is causing a wave of rising prices for essential commodities – food, fuel, medicine and energy – that are plunging millions into a standard of living crisis. The crisis put in danger about 1.6 billion people in 94 countries.
In the Middle East and North Africa, the livelihoods of 2.8 million people are threatened by this crisis and over 500 million people in Asia are exposed to the food and finance crisis, according to the U.N.
International Organizations Attempt to Break the Cycle of Crisis
International organizations like the U.N. and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are not ignoring the crisis in Sri Lanka and other countries, but they are not doing enough to help either. In order to avoid further civil unrest and slow the growing numbers of people experiencing extreme poverty, international organizations could focus on multilateral investments that pay more in capital and are focused specifically on targeted lending and crisis response measures, the U.N. reports.
The U.N. has employed its Global Crisis Response Group to administer targeted cash transfers directly to the affected countries as a form of direct aid.
Going Forward Amidst a Global Crisis
There has been widespread suffering globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. However, low-income and developing countries are experiencing record-breaking levels of hunger and lack of resources. The Secretary General of the U.N. believes that solving the global crisis is not possible without first paying attention to the economic crisis in developing countries.
People in low-income countries are in desperate need of food, economic support, fuel and adequate health care. Hopefully, international organizations and high-income countries can step in and help.
– Ella DeVries
Photo: Flickr
All You Need to Know About Poverty in Mexico
Corruption, Security and Justice
Mexico is not a poor country. As of 2020, it has the 15th largest economy in the world and until recently had the largest economy in Latin America. However, 15 individuals hold 13% of Mexico’s wealth and corruption is rampant across all sectors. As a result, Mexico invests less money into public services due to bribes and misallocation of resources into unproductive activities and inefficient policies. This has led to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
In fact, Transparency International outlines that “corruption is the most regressive tax in the country and a direct obstacle to the access to the most basic services for development,” Huff Post reports. This plays a key role in the rising levels of poverty in Mexico.
On top of this, in Mexico wealth is not distributed evenly, with those living in rural areas receiving less. They have little access to infrastructure or social support. The most extreme examples of this are Chiapas and Oaxaca, with poverty rates over 60%.
In addition to rising levels of poverty, people’s quality of life is also impacted by the fact that 93% of all crimes go unreported in Mexico. Crime has multiplied due to Mexican law enforcement agencies failing to hold people accountable.
The growth of drug cartels and petty crime has led to greater political instability and affected economic growth. As a result of this, 12 million Mexicans now work through the black market without the protection of social security. These individuals are often exploited. The number in this situation is only increasing.
To help support the poor, The Hunger Project has set up a scheme that advocates and creates partnerships between municipalities in Mexico. The aim is to create self-reliant communities.
Since 2020, this has already seen success in Oaxaca. Some examples of this are The Hunger Project setting up backyard orchards in seven municipalities, introducing rainwater harvesting systems and installing ecological toilets. This has helped to deal with the issues of health care and education outlined below. The more awareness and opportunities that are introduced like this, the more people could get chances like Juana’s.
Health Care and COVID-19
As a result of corruption and instability, public institutions in Mexico fail to live up to the standards necessary to ensure people’s health and well-being. From 2012 to 2014, those with access to health care decreased by 3.5 million.
Consequently, families are likely to have more children, leading to less investment in each child. This means children develop fewer skills. As a result, families are more likely to stay in poverty. The added pressures of COVID-19 have made the situation worse, explaining the increased rates of poverty in recent years.
Moreover, 30% of the population experience nutritional problems as they cannot afford basic food items. This leads to underdevelopment in children and a higher mortality rate. As a result, human capital in Mexico is lacking.
While unemployment is high, where people do secure work, they are often weak and uneducated, leading to lower productivity. This has reduced economic growth, resulting in higher levels of poverty in Mexico.
Education
COVID-19 has also decreased access to education. Education was already limited, with only 62% of Mexican children reaching high school. This limits the opportunities for those in poverty, amplifying the divide between the rich and poor.
Furthermore, those living in rural areas have even less access to education meaning the uneven distribution of wealth in these areas is only increasing. Lack of skills and qualifications also means that many poor people cannot find jobs, resulting in extreme poverty levels of up to nearly 20% across the country.
Juana was lucky. From everything you need to know about poverty in Mexico, there is hope for a better future through schemes such as The Hunger Project. A self-reliant population could reduce the issues of elitism and corruption. Economic growth could prosper and poverty could decrease if this campaign continues. This could give Mexico the opportunity to renovate its infrastructure and institutions.
– Reuben Cochrane
Photo: Flickr
Land Conservation and the Displacement of African Tribes
Conservation Exiles Tribes from their Homes
As global efforts are underway to protect and conserve nearly 30% of the world’s land by 2030, experts are raising concerns, suggesting that the expansive and unethical “land grab” would not only be the largest in history but also would lead to the estimated displacement of nearly 300 million people–most of whom are Indigenous.
For example, the Baka forest pygmy tribe of southeast Cameroon, Africa, near Nki National Park lost the right to hunt or fish on lands the tribe has used for generations. Without legal access to their forest, the tribe suffers a loss of livelihood, even though their hunting reportedly does not negatively impact the environment.
And the Baka is not alone. Many other African tribes are suffering at the expense of conservation. These include the Sengwer tribe of Kenya. Its 5,000 hunters suffer from a 1964 ban that stops them from returning to their ancestral forests. The San Bushmen in Kalahari Desert, Botswana, lost their lands to mining and tourism. The Ogiek of Kenya lost rights to the Mau forest.
Also, while wildlife reserves offer employment and opportunity to local communities, their benefit may be exaggerated. There are many documented cases of abuse against the Indigenous people who live there.
Indigenous Tribes Benefit the Land
Not only does the displacement of African tribes hurt Indigenous communities, but it also may not help and may even hurt the land itself. For example, the Rainforest Foundation – United Kingdom (RFUK) documented that while conservation efforts in the Congo Basin totaled hundreds of millions of dollars over ten years, there is little to no evidence that protected areas are actually protecting biodiversity. Elephant and gorilla populations have declined drastically despite substantial funding for patrolling, anti-poaching and ecotourism.
On the other hand, there is evidence that Indigenous tribes do benefit the land. A 2022 study by the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact found that Indigenous Peoples offered strategies and traditions benefiting the fight against extreme weather patterns and supporting the overall improvement and sustained health of the lands they inhabit. Additionally, Indigenous lands offer critical biodiversity and sustainability practices, which experts emphasize should be at the forefront of decision-making when governments create conservation and climate change policies, laws and strategies.
Strategies for Harmony of Land and People
For this reason, as conservation efforts move forward throughout the world, many look to strategies that allow Indigenous peoples to remain and have access to and foster their land. Such strategies include ways to reverse the damages of the displacement of African tribes.
As Dr. Grace Lara Souza, a political ecology activist from Kings College in London, emphasizes, “any conservation initiative that does not include Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in its design, implementation and management, should be called into question.” She and other like-minded advocates suggest a community-based conservation model that empowers Indigenous people to oversee the protected lands rather than removing them from their ancestral grounds. When protected land is left without community monitors, miners, loggers and hunters often invade and destroy the ecosystem.
Since the year 1968, the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) has committed to “protecting, promoting and defending the rights of Indigenous peoples” across several regions, including Africa. To achieve this, the IWGIA partners with Indigenous peoples’ organizations across Africa. For example, the IWGIA partners with the Rwanda association for Indigenous people (CAURWA) to combat economic, social and political discrimination toward the Batwa people, hunter-gatherers who are the smallest Rwandan ethnic group. Together CAURWA and IWGIA advocate to apply existing land rights legislation to the Batwa.
Looking Forward
Organizations including IWGIA and activists including Dr. Souza offer hope to Indigenous people and their ancestral grounds. In Africa, their campaigns simultaneously improve conservation efforts and reverse the displacement of Indigenous African tribes.
– Michelle Collingridge
Photo: Flickr
Africa’s Beauty Industry is Booming with Potential
Africa’s Burgeoning Youth and Urbanization
High fertility rates coupled with lower mortality rates have led to Africa having the world’s youngest population. About 70% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population is less than 30 years old. Beauty and personal care products are favored by a younger demographic, who want to invest in fashion trends and their looks. This gives Africa the perfect leverage to boost its beauty and cosmetics industry.
It is estimated that by 2025, 45% of Africa’s population will be living in urban areas. According to McKinsey & Company, “per capita consumption spending in large cities in Africa is on average 79% higher at the city level than at the national level.”
Furthermore, as the country continues to develop, there is a shift from spending in informal markets (e.g., roadside stalls) to spending in more formal sectors, such as department stores, supermarkets, etc, according to Brookings. This is boosting beauty product sales.
Higher Purchasing Power
Over the last three decades, Africa’s middle class has tripled in size. By 2025, roughly 65% of African households will be earning more than $5,000, according to McKinsey & Company.
The increase in the number of people in the “discretionary spending income bracket” is likely to result in consumers increasing their spending on luxury items. This shift may also be due to a growing sense of personal hygiene among people and realizing the significant role that products such as soap, shampoo, etc. play in it. Africa’s beauty industry may help customers to realize and fulfill their body care goals.
It is no surprise that Africa’s beauty industry mainly caters to and is dominated by women. Greater access to education and high-paying jobs have increased the disposable income of African women. According to Beauty Africa, “…a significant chunk of [their] spending goes to the beauty and personal care products.”
Growth of E-Commerce
The GSM Association projects that by 2025, 615 million sub-Saharan Africans will subscribe to mobile services, 28% will have a 4G connection and 3% will have a 5G connection.
This will allow consumers to make electronic payments. In fact, mobile money “is growing five times faster in Africa than in any other region,” according to McKinsey & Company.
The evolution of e-commerce and fintech has made purchasing beauty products faster and easier. Additionally, technological advancements allow companies to better track market trends and profile customers, according to The Exchange.
Key Market Players
Nigeria’s beauty industry is attracting foreign direct investment because of its growing modern, fashion-conscious, female population. Her Imports, a U.S.-based hair-extension company, opened an outlet in Lagos, Nigeria in 2014. Patrick Terry, the CEO, said that their products were “performing sensationally in Africa,” according to Africa Business Pages.
According to The Guardian, the projected income for Her Imports from Africa “topped $100 million.”
South Africa is also a key market player. Between 2020-2025, it is expected that 53% of the market growth in Africa’s beauty industry will come from South Africa.
Many international companies are only now realizing Africa’s untapped potential. On May 27, 2022, global pop star Rihanna launched her beauty line, Fenty, in “South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe.” The launch of this premium brand comes as great news for African women who wanted a better representation of their skin tones.
Infrastructure and Poverty Alleviation Projects Helping
Infrastructure helps connect supply-demand chains, allows goods and services to move easily across borders and enhances overall efficiency in the production and consumption system. Improved infrastructure in the beauty and personal care industry not only generates more employment but also hikes up the sector’s growth rate, according to The Exchange. This increase in growth in turn attracts more investments for additional upgrades in infrastructure. This forms a continuous cycle that ultimately boosts the economic growth of Africa’s beauty industry.
Poverty alleviation projects could help people climb to the middle-income group and have greater purchasing power. Also, closing the gender gap and providing more women with education and equal opportunities could help them to earn income and spend it on the beauty and cosmetics market.
More private investment, advanced technology, improved infrastructure and greater contributions to poverty alleviation projects could help expand Africa’s beauty industry while keeping in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
– Anushka Raychaudhuri
Photo: Flickr
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