PCPartPicker and charity: water formed an unexpected partnership, united in their common goal of providing clean drinking water for communities in developing nations.
PCPartPicker
PCPartPicker was founded in 2011 by Philip Carmichael. The website was designed to guide computer enthusiasts on how to build their PCs from scratch.
Carmichael, a Texas A&M University educated software engineer, started PCPartPicker with the intention of creating something that would impact more than just the PC-building community: “My desire was, and still is, to help people with fundamental needs that we often take for granted, such as access to clean water and sanitation.” That is why PCPartPicker has supported charity: water, a non-profit organization that provides access to clean drinking water in communities across 29 developing countries.
The World’s Water Crisis
In 2017, the World Health Organization reported that 2.2 billion people do not have access to safely managed water services. Of those 2.2 billion, 785 million do not have immediate access to clean drinking water. Immediate access in this case refers to access that takes less than 30min of travel time. In other words, 10% of the world’s population often have to travel long distances to collect water for themselves and their families.
Most of those who are unable to use a safely managed drinking water source end up using water that is contaminated as a result of poorly maintained sanitation and water services. Diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and dysentery can be spread through these contaminated water sources. Almost a million people die each year due to infected drinking water, unsafe sanitation and poor hygiene. These deaths are completely preventable.
If clean drinking water was more accessible, millions of people would not have to spend hours every day traveling to collect it. Instead, children could spend more time in school and community members could spend more time growing food, starting small businesses and earning an income. The 40 billion hours a year women spend walking to collect water in Africa alone could be invested in those activities which are far more beneficial for improving livelihoods and in turn alleviating poverty.
charity: water
Founded in 2006, charity: water seeks to end the global water crisis. The organization raises funds to provide safe drinking water in communities that historically have not had access. According to its website, charity: water works with experts within each community to develop clean water solutions that will be sustainable over time. Examples of sustainable solutions include rainwater harvesting tanks, wells, piped systems or BioSand Filters that treat contaminated water to make it safe for consumption.
Once the community has been provided access to safe drinking water, charity: water’s partners implement training for preventing disease through safe hygiene and sanitation practices. A “water committee” is also elected from within the community in order to keep the standard of the water safe for years after the organization completes its project.
As of November 2020, charity: water has completed or is working on 59,608 projects helping more than 11 million people across the world. Transparency is a priority to the organization, which has an interactive map on its website showing every location at which it has completed a project.
An Unexpected Team
In order to fulfill his desire to help others, Carmichael began donating PCPartPicker profits to charity: water right from the start of the company’s journey. After many requests, the website launched a merchandise store in 2012 and Carmichael pledged 100% of proceeds to be donated to charity: water. The first completion report was posted in 2014 when Carmichael shared that the merchandise proceeds as well as the portion of earnings he donated monthly, funded access to clean drinking water for 373 people in Malawi.
The latest report, posted in July 2020, shows that charity: water has completed several projects in Ethiopia, Malawi, Bangladesh, India, Rwanda, Niger, Nepal and Uganda as a direct result of PCPartPicker’s donations. Together, these organizations have helped 34, 853 people gain access to clean drinking water.
Clean, safe drinking water is a fundamental human right. Organizations such as charity: water and PCPartPicker are dedicated to helping the cause and ensuring clean water access for as many people as possible.
– Emma Maytham
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About the Causes of Poverty in Tanzania
5 Causes of Poverty in Tanzania
Progress in Eradicating Poverty
The key to eradicating poverty in Tanzania is education. However, for more children to become educated, there needs to be an increase in access to education and school attendance. As of 2020, Tanzania’s literacy rate is 70.6%. However, the literacy rate has fluctuated over the last decade, hindering continuous growth.
Nevertheless, the organization Room to Read is taking the necessary steps to ensure that 14.3 million children are literate. The organization helps young children become educated, literate and aware of personal health and proper forms of family planning. Its work primarily targets young girls. Room to Read distributes its resources not only to Tanzania but also to more than 12 other countries around the world. If Tanzania’s government recognizes the importance of education, a better health care system and an increase in employment opportunities and receives funding to implement changes, the causes of poverty in Tanzania may dissolve sooner than expected. This, in turn, could help set an example for other impoverished countries.
– Montana Moore
Photo: Flickr
The HALO Trust in Nagorno-Karabakh
The Bloody History of Landmines in Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, has been a site of geopolitical contention since the Soviet collapse. When the region seceded from Azerbaijan by referendum in 1988, neighboring Azerbaijan and Armenia engaged in protracted fighting to wrest control of the border. The two former Soviet Republics each lay rival territorial claims to Nagorno-Karabakh. While a majority of its 130,000 inhabitants are ethnically Armenian, Soviet districting placed it within Azerbaijan’s borders for decades, which Azerbaijan has sought to maintain.
Because of prolonged fighting between 1988 and 1994 and intermittent skirmishing since, tens of thousands of landmines in Nagorno-Karabakh remain scattered throughout the region. Estimates from 2005 placed the count at upwards of 50,000. Unexploded ordinance (UXO) and abandoned munitions were also noted. Meanwhile, fighting from October and November of 2020 introduced unexploded rockets and cluster munitions to civilian areas including the capital, Stepanakert, which Azerbaijan repeatedly shelled with artillery.
An Explosive Threat
Together, the explosives riddling Nagorno-Karabakh pose a serious public health risk to its local population. Tens of thousands fled the latest fighting as refugees, but the danger is residual and longstanding. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls landmines “a health threat not to be ignored” and claims that the global burden of disease linked to them is historically underreported. WHO estimates that landmines cause 11 to 12 casualties daily worldwide.
In Nagorno-Karabakh, there are more landmine accidents per capita than anywhere else in the world. When victims of these accidents survive, they are often missing limbs and can take months, or even years, to recover. These dangers force communities to disband as families relocate to safer areas. They also cause food insecurity. Nagorno-Karabakh is mountainous and many of its flat, open areas are unworkable minefields that farmers must avoid.
Because children are less educated or tend to engage in riskier behavior than adults, they make up more than a quarter of all landmine victims in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The HALO Trust: Relief Efforts
To address this longstanding public health risk, a British charity, The HALO Trust, has carried out operations targeting landmines in Nagorno-Karabakh. With teams often made up of local volunteers, it has surveyed thousands of acres and organized the removal of nearly 500 minefields since 2000. HALO teams have also supported communities in the wake of border skirmishes between Azerbaijan and Armenia that have left explosives in streets, homes and backyards.
In the latest bouts of fighting, Azerbaijan fired cluster munitions on residential areas in four separate incidents, as reported by Human Rights Watch. Cluster munitions are banned in international humanitarian law because they cannot be directed at a legitimate target, harming civilians and combatants indiscriminately. HALO teams have been responding to local alarms in the wake of these attacks. “In the last five days alone,” HALO reports, “our team has used its expertise and equipment to safely destroy over 150 explosive items.” Teams also delivered relief supplies to sheltering families throughout the fighting, including hygiene kits, blankets and fuel.
In addition to providing relief from landmines in Nagorno-Karabakh, HALO volunteers educate local communities on how to remain safe around landmines and other explosives. Its members frequent schools because of landmines’ disproportionate impact on children.
Landmine Removal Success
Conflict, unexploded ordinance and 30-year-old landmines in Nagorno-Karabakh, continually threaten lives in the mountainous region. Thanks to the work of the HALO, however, de-mining projects have worked to mitigate the risk of explosives and serve local communities. The 4,000 landmines and 8,000 items of ordinance removed since 2000 are a testament to the success of de-mining efforts.
– Skye Jacobs
Photo: Flickr
How Livestock Can Alleviate Poverty
Oxfam: Livestock for Poverty Reduction
Oxfam, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty, donates money, food and livestock to struggling communities for long-term success. Oxfam works with local organizations and coalitions in 70 countries both before and after crises occur to treat both the symptoms of systemic inequality as well as the systems themselves. Oxfam advocates for the rights of the impoverished and those facing oppression by challenging government leaders to do more for their constituency.
Feed the Future Campaign
Oxfam has worked with the U.S. food security initiative, Feed the Future, to help farmers in countries like Ghana, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Haiti, Senegal and Tanzania. Through intense research and direct communication with local communities, Oxfam has strengthened strategies for the success of female farmers, growth in the agriculture sector and maternal and child nutrition. Oxfam stresses the importance of aiding small scale farmers to end the cyclical nature of poverty and food insecurity. This initiative includes providing access to opportunities and resources that some families do not have, holding accountable the governments and businesses for the harmful policies that affect farmers and ensuring a positive relationship with local groups.
The Impact of Livestock
Part of Oxfam’s mission is to set communities up for success in the long-term by providing them with resources and tools to maintain these resources. Oxfam does not just provide livestock such as goats and sheep, but it provides farmers with resources and training for herds to be healthy and successful. Growth in agriculture directly leads to economic security and growth. It profits the entire community as it lowers the costs of food, creates wealth for producers and creates opportunities for other economic areas to flourish as more consumables become accessible. The work Oxfam does in bringing livestock to impoverished communities alleviates poverty and produces greater economic growth and opportunity. Livestock can alleviate poverty as it takes on laborious duties that lessen the strain on families. Livestock also produces and becomes a source of food and increases the flow of income and ability to work on other aspects of life.
Nyalit, a woman in South Sudan, was given two goats from Oxfam and has seen her life improve tremendously since the contribution. The goats provide a source of food and income, producing milk. The goats have also reproduced, allowing the farm to grow.
Livestock Programs Reduce Poverty
Oxfam has made considerable contributions to lessen the impact of poverty throughout the world and continues to do so with its programs. Its work is evidence that livestock can alleviate poverty and expand the socio-economic opportunities of the farmers. The organization has empowered female farmers, provided food security for mothers and children in developing areas and encouraged growth in the agricultural sector.
– Lizzy Herestofa
Photo: Flickr
Water Access: PCPartPicker Supports charity: water
PCPartPicker
PCPartPicker was founded in 2011 by Philip Carmichael. The website was designed to guide computer enthusiasts on how to build their PCs from scratch.
Carmichael, a Texas A&M University educated software engineer, started PCPartPicker with the intention of creating something that would impact more than just the PC-building community: “My desire was, and still is, to help people with fundamental needs that we often take for granted, such as access to clean water and sanitation.” That is why PCPartPicker has supported charity: water, a non-profit organization that provides access to clean drinking water in communities across 29 developing countries.
The World’s Water Crisis
In 2017, the World Health Organization reported that 2.2 billion people do not have access to safely managed water services. Of those 2.2 billion, 785 million do not have immediate access to clean drinking water. Immediate access in this case refers to access that takes less than 30min of travel time. In other words, 10% of the world’s population often have to travel long distances to collect water for themselves and their families.
Most of those who are unable to use a safely managed drinking water source end up using water that is contaminated as a result of poorly maintained sanitation and water services. Diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and dysentery can be spread through these contaminated water sources. Almost a million people die each year due to infected drinking water, unsafe sanitation and poor hygiene. These deaths are completely preventable.
If clean drinking water was more accessible, millions of people would not have to spend hours every day traveling to collect it. Instead, children could spend more time in school and community members could spend more time growing food, starting small businesses and earning an income. The 40 billion hours a year women spend walking to collect water in Africa alone could be invested in those activities which are far more beneficial for improving livelihoods and in turn alleviating poverty.
charity: water
Founded in 2006, charity: water seeks to end the global water crisis. The organization raises funds to provide safe drinking water in communities that historically have not had access. According to its website, charity: water works with experts within each community to develop clean water solutions that will be sustainable over time. Examples of sustainable solutions include rainwater harvesting tanks, wells, piped systems or BioSand Filters that treat contaminated water to make it safe for consumption.
Once the community has been provided access to safe drinking water, charity: water’s partners implement training for preventing disease through safe hygiene and sanitation practices. A “water committee” is also elected from within the community in order to keep the standard of the water safe for years after the organization completes its project.
As of November 2020, charity: water has completed or is working on 59,608 projects helping more than 11 million people across the world. Transparency is a priority to the organization, which has an interactive map on its website showing every location at which it has completed a project.
An Unexpected Team
In order to fulfill his desire to help others, Carmichael began donating PCPartPicker profits to charity: water right from the start of the company’s journey. After many requests, the website launched a merchandise store in 2012 and Carmichael pledged 100% of proceeds to be donated to charity: water. The first completion report was posted in 2014 when Carmichael shared that the merchandise proceeds as well as the portion of earnings he donated monthly, funded access to clean drinking water for 373 people in Malawi.
The latest report, posted in July 2020, shows that charity: water has completed several projects in Ethiopia, Malawi, Bangladesh, India, Rwanda, Niger, Nepal and Uganda as a direct result of PCPartPicker’s donations. Together, these organizations have helped 34, 853 people gain access to clean drinking water.
Clean, safe drinking water is a fundamental human right. Organizations such as charity: water and PCPartPicker are dedicated to helping the cause and ensuring clean water access for as many people as possible.
– Emma Maytham
Photo: Flickr
Paulownia Trees Reduce Poverty in Uzbekistan
A Proactive Mission
Sojida Jabborova, a Uzbekistani woman, observed both the poverty crisis within her country and the successful poverty reduction measures taken in China to create a plan. Under Mirziyovev’s reform campaign and insistence to study Chinese practices, Jabborova found the versatile Paulownia trees and entered the business world.
Each part of the Paulownia tree can be utilized to lift communities out of poverty. They are capable of adapting to poor soil, fertilizing it and purifying the air of harmful gases. Paulownia leaves can be used to feed livestock, they contain nectar for bees and other insects and their wood is sturdy enough to be used for houses and furniture. In 2018, Jabborova negotiated with Chinese business partners to deliver seeds and seedlings to Uzbekistan where they are now grown in experimental fields in four different regions. She has not stopped the investigation into how Paulownia trees can aid poverty reduction, continuing presentations and experiments on various products.
Uzbekistan Reform Campaign
Once in office in 2017, President Mirziyovev began multiple reforms to lift Uzbekistan out of economic depravity and better the livelihoods of its citizens. Poverty reduction has moved to top priority in Uzbekistan as the government granted $700 million to be spent on anti-poverty efforts in 2020. The administration believes to reduce poverty in Uzbekistan, they must first address unemployment and bolster entrepreneurship. This includes improving the tourism industry, improved training for essential trades and heightening economic literacy for citizens, particularly women.
Uzbekistan established a partnership with China to investigate and solve issues of unemployment, gender inequality and poverty in early October 2020. The Institute for Tourism Development in Uzbekistan has engaged in a joint research project to link tourism and poverty reduction. The plan for Uzbekistan is to increase the production of exports, expand the industry, boost small businesses, and in the long-term, improve government regulations and education regarding these fields.
Innovative Entrepreneurship Leading to Solutions
Sojida Jabborova was once a dentist in Uzbekistan, however, she was driven by the critical state of poverty in her country to find a solution. The reform campaign created the perfect atmosphere for Jabbarova to begin her work as the nation honed in on entrepreneurship and financial literacy in women especially. The partnership between China and Uzbekistan, with Beijing as the model for Uzbekistan’s progress, provided Jabbarova with the knowledge and support to begin experimentation with Paulownia trees. In the beginning, Paulownia trees were only grown on 19 acres and now they are grown in fields in Fergana, Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent.
Poverty Reduction in a Global Pandemic
Sojida Jabbarova’s efforts in exploring how Paulownia trees can aid in poverty reduction is crucial. Her spirit along with the dedication of the Uzbekistani administration to place poverty reduction at the top of the to-do list will surely mean progress. These efforts have been constrained by the global pandemic where the administration focused on protecting lives and businesses and maintaining headway in the fight against poverty. The administration has centered on healthcare, financial support and social assistance in the fight against COVID-19.
The administration’s efforts for poverty reduction are substantial and the alliance with China has brought great insight on how to best lift citizens from poverty and kickstart a downtrodden economy. Jabbarova and her Paulownia tree fields are a success story for poverty reduction efforts and the overall reform campaign begun by President Mirziyovev.
– Lizzie Herestofa
Photo: Flickr
Elderly Poverty in El Salvador
El Salvador is one of the most densely populated countries in Central America. Salvadoran elders represent almost 12% of the population, according to the Ministry of Health. Of 1.2 million elders, only 200,000 receive a pension, prompting a situation where abandoned elders enter poverty. Moreover, the World Bank estimates that the COVID-19 pandemic will negatively affect the country’s economic growth, decreasing GDP by 8.9%. Together with existing factors, this may influence the severity of elderly poverty in El Salvador.
El Salvador’s Pensionary System
El Salvador’s pensionary system consists of a privately defined contribution scheme, constructed by the employer and the employee’s contributions. However, it does not guarantee a stable future for elders. Often, their life earnings are insufficient to fulfill their basic needs throughout their lives.
Abandoned Elders
Juan Lainez, age 83, is the owner of an ambulant shop on the sidewalk of Rosales Hospital in San Salvador. For 21 years, he has woken up at 7 a.m. to sell purses and accessories to pedestrians. He used to work at a dairy company, but after retirement, he has no access to Social Security or to the pensionary system. Many third-age Salvadorians face similar situations. Individuals facing elderly poverty in El Salvador beg for money on the streets, while others live in public homes for abandoned elders.
Organizations Fighting Elderly Poverty in El Salvador
Stories such as Lainez’s have triggered Salvadorians into action. Our Lady of Peace Home for Abandoned Elders receives visitors who donate food and cleaning materials. Some initiatives come from Salvadoran enterprises and others come from particulars. Our Lady of Peace houses 40 elders and it does not receive fixed donations. Some elders pay a symbolic amount while the organization rescues others from the streets.
The nonprofit organization Touching Hearts works has the motto that “if you cannot feed 100 people, then feed [one].”
The Borgen Project spoke to Cristina Hauener, a member of the organization. Hauener explains that the project began as a family initiative and then expanded to close friends, volunteers and donors. “Three years ago, I visited the Bloom public hospital and overheard a conversation. It was a mother asking her neighbor to buy 25 cents worth of tortillas to feed her children, who were home alone without a meal. As a mother, those words shook me. I have never lacked a meal and it was so hard to see how several Salvadorians had nothing to eat,” Hauener confessed. Touching Hearts aims to provide food for people in extreme poverty.
In the beginning, the organization gave donations to the Bloom hospital and to a home for kids with cerebral palsy. As donations grew, the project focused on feeding abandoned elders. The organization members gathered every Monday to prepare the meals: “As in the human body, each member fulfills his function. Some cook the meals, some pack and others distribute and visit the elders,” she listed.
Elderly poverty in El Salvador is a growing social issue. However, small-scale initiatives are making progress with the resources in their reach.
– Paola Arriaza Avilés
Photo: Flickr
Examining Poverty in Moldova
The Situation in Moldova
Because of Moldova’s previous alliance with Russia, many of Moldova’s citizens believe that they should trade exclusively with Russia. The rest of the population believes that the country should look toward the future and trade with European countries. Doina Grecu, a woman who has spent the majority of her life in Moldova, told The Borgen Project in an interview that these people have seen the prosperity of Europe and how their trade policies have benefited them, and so they believe that they should “jump on the bandwagon.” Not to mention, Russia has threatened Moldova not to trade with Europe. During her interview, Grecu recalled seeing a video of Russian smashing Moldovan apples because Moldova signed a trade deal with the EU.
Families used to be separated in order to find work, and technology was not advanced enough for them to stay connected across borders. Grecu recounts that two of her uncles moved to France and Italy respectively; her own father had to leave the country in order to find work. People had to move in order to support their families that stayed in Moldova. Grecu explained that back when technology was not as advanced as it is now and electricity was not very affordable or reliable, people would go for long periods of time without being able to contact their family members who were abroad. This caused large amounts of immigration in Moldova.
As an agricultural economy, Moldova has high prospects in the world market as more and more people are now seeing the value of organic produce. Farming is Moldova’s highest paying trade. Despite this, Moldova’s urban areas still have less poverty than the rural areas by five times.
Child Poverty in Moldova
Child poverty in developing countries is often depicted as an entirely separate issue. And that is because it is. As previously mentioned, adults can leave countries like Moldova and find work elsewhere, while children do not have that luxury. The children of Moldova are no different.
Grecu taught children English through the Access Microscholarship Program. She observed that some children were part of orphanages even though their parents were still alive. This was because their families were so poor and the grandparents were too old to take care of the children. Sometimes the children would stay at the orphanage on weekdays, and then they were able to go home on the weekends.
The Access Microscholarship Program has not only been implemented in Moldova but in 84 other countries as well. This two-year program has been operating for 17 years. It provides development in the English language for young teens. This program is sponsored by American Councils for International Education and the U.S. Embassy awards certificates to those who finish the program successfully.
Alleviating Poverty in Moldova
In more recent years, things have gotten better for the country of Moldova. Technology has allowed people to stay in touch and Moldova has better trade relations with the EU. As Grecu put it—it is surprising when someone knows where Moldova is in the world because so few people are taught or learn about it. We asked a class of students studying Russian (spoken in Moldova), “Do you believe that Moldova’s poverty situation has improved over the past 10 years?” Half of the respondents answered yes and the other half answered yes.
However, all the students concluded that more aid needs to be given to improve Moldova’s living standards. People’s perception of Moldova seems to accurately reflect Moldova’s situation. While there is still much room to improve poverty in Moldova, the country’s future looks bright.
– Moriah Thomas
Photo: Flickr
Examining Mental Health Policies in Botswana
A patient’s next of kin who is an adult or any other person at least 21 years of age who has seen the patient within the last 14 days may apply for a reception order to the District Commissioner, who in turn liaises with a medical practitioner on referral and treatment protocols. If the patient does not comply, the District Commissioner is allowed to use law enforcement and can choose to carry out the processes of the reception order either privately or publicly. The District Commissioner also has the responsibility to safeguard the patient’s personal belongings and to allow a willing person to provide caregiving in the case of a Class III patient (one who does not require skilled medical care, failure to which is punishable by law).
Currently, mental health in Botswana is guided by the mental health policy drawn in 2003 that is now fully implemented and in line with human rights agreements.
Botswana’s Mental Health Services
Botswana is an upper-middle-income country with a population of 2.3 million and a physician-patient ratio of 0.5 to 1,000. As of 2014, Botswana had a total of 361 inpatient mental health professionals and a ratio of 17.7 mental health workers to 100,000 people. Nurses made up the highest proportion of these professionals at 12.17, and psychiatrists were fewest at 0.29 to a population of 100,000 with one mental hospital and five psychiatric units across different general hospitals. In 2014, there were 46 mental hospital inpatients, 6% of whom were involuntarily admitted. Of all inpatients, 93% stayed less than one year.
The University of Botswana and the U.N. partnered to promote mental health in Botswana. In a 2019 forum, the university vice-chancellor reported that the most prevalent mental and neurological disorders were schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders and depression, with the majority of patients being males. In 2010, 14,481 Batswana youth aged 15-34 had a mental disorder. The Ministry of Health and Wellness representative pointed to risks of alcohol abuse among the youth dealing with mental health challenges and the U.N. Regional Representative encouraged students to build stress resilience and coping. The university offers mental health services to students through a psychiatric nurse, who can also make advanced care referrals where necessary.
The country also has mental health promotion programs for children as well as an alcohol abuse prevention program for all age groups across the country. The Botswana Network for Mental Health, a subsidiary of the global Mental Health Network (MHN), aims to promote mental health in Botswana through advocacy and community empowerment activities. The organization further addresses the stigma associated with mental illness and helps people access mental health care.
Traditional Systems
Botswana’s constitution makes provision for the House of Chiefs, or Ntlo ya Dikgotsi, a 15-member non-partisan system, of which seven of the members are Dikgotsi (chiefs) representing the different tribes. Eight are elected by their jurisdictions, four of whom are Dikgotsana (sub-chiefs). At the grassroots is the Kgotla, which serves as a local court system and informs parliament on community affairs, a go-between on local and tribal matters including property and customary law.
This Kgotla further encourages free expression in the community by providing a platform for open dialogue for conflict resolution. The Kgotla also handles minor criminal offenses and can take disciplinary action on wayward behavior. The Kgotla thereby promotes community cohesion and psychosocial health for overall mental health in Botswana.
Reforms in Mental Health in Botswana
Despite some human rights inadequacies in the 1969 Mental Health Act, mental health in Botswana has improved over the years, becoming increasingly compliant with WHO’s directives as stipulated in the 2003 mental health policy. The traditional systems of government have also boosted social cohesion, thereby promoting mental health in Botswana.
– Beth Warūgūrū Hinga
Photo: Flickr
Top 10 Facts About Life Expectancy in Japan
Top 10 Facts About Life Expectancy in Japan
– Bolorzul Dorjsuren
Photo: Flickr
Elderly Poverty in Haiti Needs More Attention
Natural Disaster Created Major Need
The devastating earthquake of 2010 demolished Port-au-Prince, which led to about 250,000 deaths and more than 1.5 million displacements. In the aftermath of the disaster, many elderly Haitians went without shelter, proper clothing and sanitation. Age is the main factor contributing to the immense vulnerability of this population after a disaster. Often, the young and healthy receive vital aid during catastrophes rather than the elderly. As a result, the lack of food and water has hit Haitian elders exceptionally hard.
Water can come with a hefty price tag that some cannot afford. Unfortunately, Haitians living in poverty often walk for miles to streams or ponds to obtain water. If that fails, people sometimes resort to “garbage-filled rivers” to supply their households with water for daily use. This can be an impossible task for an elderly Haitian struggling with mobility. The task of accessing clean water is even more of a challenge for those living in Haiti’s countryside. A majority of Haitians live in rural areas and almost 70% are deemed “chronically poor” in comparison to only about 20% living in urban areas.
Elderly Poverty in Haiti During COVID-19
In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to remember all groups need assistance. Different segments of society often receive help unequally. Those left behind in terms of aid tend to be the impoverished elderly, many of whom do not have the resources to help protect themselves. An October 2020 assessment found that 98% of older adult Haitians did not know the location of the nearest COVID-19 testing site or treatment facility. Soap and basic sanitary needs are now luxuries. Additionally, almost 90% reported having less than two days’ worth of food at home. Further, nearly half say the consequences of COVID-19 are impacting their mental health and worry plagues them most, if not all of the time. The pandemic has worsened the situation of elderly poverty in Haiti amid recovery from the 2010 earthquake.
Aid for the Elderly
Nonprofits and NGOs are stepping up to aid the elderly in Haiti. One nonprofit committed to solving this need is Mission-Haiti, founded in 2005. Within its first year, the organization was able to build the Mission-Haiti Orphanage. The organization then furthered its efforts by opening the SAM Home for the Elderly, a Haitian-led elderly care program. The SAM Home for the Elderly provides elders in need with a safe place to live, access to medical care and three meals a day. Mission-Haiti also began an Advocates for Elders program, which allows anyone to sponsor an elderly Haitian in need for $35 a month.
Increased housing is one of many solutions to ending elderly poverty in Haiti. The World Bank’s projects in Haiti provide an array of other types of aid, including sanitation and water. One of the World Bank’s water projects has seen major success. In its efforts to build, extend and improve drinking water supply systems, more than 70,000 Haitians in rural areas now have better access to clean drinking water.
In response to COVID-19, the World Bank collaborated with UNICEF and OREPA to set up more than 2,100 hand-washing stations. The organization has also helped to build 50 sanitation blocks in various public schools and markets, helping 26,000 people gain access to sanitation facilities. In the first three months of the pandemic, health care facilities received protective equipment, including 3.5 million masks. Additionally, around 750 oxygen concentrators were installed to aid in treatments for COVID-19 patients. The World Bank has also established awareness campaigns on the importance of good hygiene practices and regular hand-washing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Looking to the Future
The extensive list of adversities that elderly Haitians face will continue to require resilience. However, ongoing activism can eradicate elderly poverty in Haiti. But, in order to achieve this, efforts must be inclusive of all. Increased efforts to end elderly poverty in Haiti will allow the country’s life expectancy to continue its upward trend.
– Sarah Ottosen
Photo: Flickr