Dreams can come true in the most unusual ways. For some Indians, their dreams came true through a teenage-oriented, pop song-dancing social media app called TikTok. In the ever-growing age of the internet, TikTok has been able to connect India’s poor with the rest of the world, something that no other platform has been able to accomplish. TikTok has fought poverty in India by making simple workers into celebrities. The once monopolized entertainment industry is now wide open for aspiring actors and artists. TikTok has made what many found to be a dark and dirty life into one of glitz and glamour.
A Unique Platform
TikTok is not the first social media app to exist in India. Well-established platforms like Facebook and Instagram have been in the Indian market for years, however, none of them have received the enormous popularity that TikTok has experienced. Projections have indicated that TikTok will reach 125 million users in India by the end of 2020. This is more than Instagram’s 79 million, and six times more than Snapchat’s 18 million.
This success is attributable to a few reasons. One, TikTok has been able to bridge the historic divide between religion and wealth. While India has abolished many direct forms of discrimination, there is still a large amount of prejudice within the country. India only abolished its caste system in 1950. This system has placed millions of people into poverty with very little opportunity to get out of it. While far and between, there are still occasional conflicts between Muslims and Hindus.
Social media like Facebook and Instagram are personal. Any prejudice that someone holds in the real world can easily persist online. But with TikTok, many of these rooted divides go away. TikTok has fought poverty in India by creating a social environment that is free of class, religion and prejudice.
People who were once put down or turned away because of their backgrounds are now free to express themselves. This especially benefits the poor and marginalized.
Uprooting Bollywood
Traditionally, getting into the entertainment industry required large sums of money. Camera equipment, actors, sets and special effects all add up to create quality content. TikTok, however, just requires a smartphone. Editing, special effects and music are all part of the app. TikTok has fought poverty by giving everyone access to these amazing tools. Despite a large inequality in wealth, around 340 million people use smartphones in India.
This means that many of the poor in India can produce content that is just as good as the rich and people are paying attention to it. In India, the music industry and Bollywood are one and the same. In fact, many aspiring artists and actors have been turned down because of Bollywood’s iron grip on the entertainment industry. The majority of successful music is from large companies, not small indie artists.
But TikTok has fought poverty by providing tremendous opportunities for those who had none. Gathering a fanbase attracts sponsorships as well as attention from movie studios. There are many stories of Indians in poverty who rose to Bollywood fame through TikTok. Not only does TikTok subvert the grip that large companies like T-Series have on the entertainment industry, but they also provide opportunities for aspiring artists and actors.
Security Concerns
Despite TikTok’s tremendous positive impact on India, there are still many concerns about the app. Many people question the threat that TikTok poses.
Authorities have linked TikTok back to the Chinese government, which could undermine national security. On June 29, 2020, the Indian government banned TikTok along with 59 other apps. There was public outrage against this action, and many hope that TikTok will return in the future, but for now, things remain uncertain.
While on the rise, India still has a large population in poverty. Around 268 million Indians remain below the poverty line.
However, help can come in unusual ways. TikTok has fought poverty in India by bridging historic divides, providing opportunities for the poor and marginalized, and subverting powerful monopolies in the entertainment industry. While there is still some uncertainty as to the security of the app, TikTok has proven to be a force of good for millions of people in India.
– Evan Weber
Photo: Pixabay
Evolution and Healthcare in the UAE
The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) has undergone many transformations throughout the years. This is because of the discovery of oil in 1958. In 1971, after gaining independence from Great Britain, seven different monarchies came together to form the federation that stands to this day. It is already a highly-developed country but continues to modernize and diversify. Moreover, many of the changes have to do with healthcare in the U.A.E.
The Evolution of the UAE
The U.A.E. has historically been very reliant on oil production with the region holding the fifth-largest oil reserve in the world. The availability of oil has been a great advantage to kickstart their economy and help it flourish into the second-largest economy in the Middle East. However, there has been a focus on transforming the oil-based economy into a service-based economy — similar to what is seen in other developed countries. Major infrastructure projects have been completed in the hope of making the U.A.E. a giant in the tourism industry. The country has made great strides from the era of British colonialism with a high standard of living and an estimated GDP per capita of $41,000.
Additionally, in past decades, the U.A.E. has worked to build off its oil-based society. Due to high temperatures, citizens of the U.A.E. are among the largest consumers of energy in the world. The government has looked to expand on alternative energy sources. In 2013 Abu Dhabi opened a major solar power plant, capable of powering up to 20,000 homes. Furthermore, in 2009, construction began on four nuclear power plants; one of them is currently operating.
Healthcare in the UAE
The U.A.E. has many advantages working in their favor when it comes to building a comprehensive healthcare system for its citizenry. As the U.A.E. was able to develop so quickly, consequently it lacks a current, deeply rooted healthcare network. The government can observe the most effective practices and employ the newest technologies. The quality of care in the U.A.E. has made it a hot spot for medical tourism.
In recent years, there has been growth in the private healthcare sector. As a result, healthcare in public hospitals is free for citizens. The government also subsidizes health insurance for citizens. The combination of premium quality care and low costs lead to world-renowned healthcare in the U.A.E. The system has been able to handle COVID-19 patients with relative ease. For example, 66,000 Emiratis have contracted the virus and only 370 have lost their lives.
Migrant Workers Slip Through the Cracks
Furthermore, the U.A.E. has gone through an unprecedented boom in the construction of skyscrapers. To fill their labor needs, the U.A.E. has a heavy dependence on foreign labor. Migrants make up about 90% of the Emirati’s population. Those 8 million migrants are mostly migrant workers from surrounding countries in search of economic opportunity. Employers exploit them while treating them as outsiders. They do not have access to the perks enjoyed by Emirati nationals. Less than 30% of Emirati, companies are required to provide health insurance to employees. Normally, only the most serious injuries receive medical attention. Additionally, construction work is very dangerous in the U.A.E.; between eight and 10 bodies are sent to their native countries, each month.
Although the U.A.E. is a very wealthy collection of states, they have been unable to guarantee quality healthcare for all. Migrant workers overwork for nominal wages. Whether it is by choice or a result of their societal structure, these laborers do not get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
– Matthew Beach
Photo: Flickr
Hunger and Malnutrition in New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a French territory off the east coast of Australia. Like many Pacific Island nations, its main food staples include fish, fruit and coconut. While food insecurity is not a prevalent issue in the territory as a whole, food deserts are certainly. Rising food prices drive the poorest citizens — most often, those of the Kanak community (New Caledonia’s indigenous Melanesian population) — to scrounge for their needed caloric intake. Cheap food products sacrifice nutrition for convenience and the prevalence of these food deserts in New Caledonia has prevented the entire population from enjoying the sustenance the island has to offer. These are the factors that are contributing to the problem of malnutrition in New Caledonia.
Growth in Both Prosperity and Food Prices?
Growth stunting and hunger levels are generally low in New Caledonia. However, as food prices rise, it becomes difficult for rural and tribal communities (which have been most affected by the country’s spike in poverty rates) to maintain healthy diets. These increases follow the nation’s growth in prosperity — derived from its lucrative nickel industry and payments from mainland France.
Malnutrition in New Caledonia arises from economic and geographical limitations. Despite how the territory seems to flourish, wealth is unequally distributed. This, in turn, leads to a significant portion of the population struggling with rising food prices. When markets lack competition, sellers can raise the price of goods without the risk of a competitor undercutting them. On top of wealth and wage disparities, the poorest populations in the country cannot afford nutritional food.
A Victim of Geography
Like most islands, New Caledonia operates under the constraints of its remoteness, which involves limited space and a smaller, local market. Food prices are about 33% higher in New Caledonia, with inflation having risen in the territory at a faster rate than it did in France. Those above the poverty line in New Caledonia spend only about a quarter of their income on food. Yet, for the 17% living below it — they might spend more than half of their income on food. In New Caledonia, 85% of adults eat fish at least once a week. Of the total amount fished, 92% is used for subsistence, which leaves the remaining 8% for the market.
While New Caledonia has several great agricultural staples, the reliance on agriculture has been decreasing due to a reduction in available land (as well as the increase of non-agricultural jobs). The distribution of available agricultural land parallels the disparity in wealth distribution and food security concerning the Kanak community and the rest of New Caledonia’s population. The predominantly European-settled Southern Province holds about 22% of New Caledonia’s limited farmland. Meanwhile, the native Kanak Northern Province holds only about 14%.
During 2004–2006, the prevalence of undernourishment in the population was at 9.6%. This rate decreased in the next decade, dropping to 8.2% during 2017–2019. For comparison, the rate of undernourishment in the U.S., one of the wealthiest nations in the world, is less than 2.5%.
Closing the Gaps
While hunger is not an issue for all of its citizens, malnutrition in New Caledonia tends to plague those who receive less of the territory’s wealth as compared with others. As food prices rise, many of those who do not receive proper nutrition fall into the lower-income bracket and thus, below the poverty line. Also, this unfortunately tends to include members of the Kanak community. This wealth disparity (and subsequent nutrition disparity) is exacerbated by lower rates of education and job training within the Kanak communities. This of course results in lower rates of employment among the Kanak. By first bridging the education and employment gap, closures on the wealth and nutritional gaps can then follow.
– Catherine Lin
Photo: Flickr
Botswana Wives Granted Equal Land Ownership
On September 17, 2020, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi announced that wives will now be able to own land independently from their husbands. This is an amendment to the 2015 Land Policy that prevented women from owning land independently if their husband was already a landowner or even co-owning land equally along with their husbands. Botswana, a landlocked country located in Africa, had also prevented widowed women from inheriting their deceased husband’s property. Because people considered women to be their husband’s property, the deceased husband’s inheritance would then pass down to a male relative, leaving the widow without any land to live or work on. Now that Botswana gives women equal land ownership, wives can regain independence inside of marriage. Married women are able to choose their own plot of land, which includes both state-owned and tribal land.
Measures Toward Equal Land Ownership
Unmarried women could purchase land after the 2015 Land Policy passed, but married women and widows had always experienced exclusion from this right. Additionally, husbands had the power to sell a property without consulting their wives, preventing them from having access to land used to work. Because Botswana gives women equal land ownership, wives are now equal to their husbands.
As an extra measure, President Masisi encouraged non-governmental organizations to teach women about their rights. Women will also have access to legal support to assist them in securing their success as landowners. This additional project will ensure the enforcement of the amendment so that as many women as possible can benefit from it.
This amendment is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, as widows previously could not inherit their husband’s land. Widows face the threat of becoming social outcasts and typically have no choice but to marry male relatives to grant security. Now that Botswana gives women equal land ownership, widows are able to support themselves and remain independent.
Women in Agriculture in Botswana
Land ownership is especially important for women in order to make a living from farming. About 80% of Botswana’s population are farmers, the majority being single women who can own land. Married women now will have an equal opportunity to work and contribute to their family income. Less than one month after President Masisi’s announcement, 53% of the 620,660 people on a waitlist to purchase property were women according to Botswana’s land audits reports. Globally, only 15% of female farmers own land, despite women making up the majority of farmworkers.
When announcing the new amendment, President Masisi said “The Botswana Land Policy 2015 was discriminatory against married women and did not give them equal treatment with men, and I am happy to report that this discriminatory sub-section has since been repealed.”
Botswana certainly has a long way to go with securing women’s rights, but protecting widows and granting wives equality to their husbands is a huge step in the right direction. Botswana’s recognition of married women’s rights to own land promises further advancements in women’s rights.
– Karena Korbin
Photo: Flickr
Strawberries Support Poverty Eradication in Senegal
A strawberry company named FraiSen is boosting economic growth in Africa and demonstrating that social enterprises are the future of innovations in poverty eradication in Senegal.
Poverty in Senegal
Senegal has long-term peace and political stability. However, much of the country is still in poverty. According to the World Food Program, 39% of the Senegal population live in poverty. In addition, about 75% of families suffer from chronic poverty. Poverty in Senegal has critical links to irregularities in the agricultural industry. Unpredictable rainfall patterns and inefficient farming practices have resulted in a struggling overall economy.
Alarming Job Loss in Africa
Additionally, the global COVID-19 outbreak is taking a major toll on African economies. As the African Development Bank reported, projections have determined that 24 to 30 million Africans could lose their jobs in 2020 alone. This is especially serious because many developing countries in Africa, like Senegal, already suffer high rates of poverty.
Social enterprises could be the solution to the poverty that the global COVID-19 outbreak in Africa has caused. According to a British Council study, “Social enterprises are five times more likely to support vulnerable groups like women and people living in poverty than profit-first businesses … which could be key in helping those hardest hit by job losses during COVID-19.” Social enterprises are a beneficial tool for African economies recovering from the pandemic. It is also a critical part of innovation in poverty eradication in Senegal.
Social Enterprise in Senegal
In Senegal, a technology and innovation hub called Kosmos Innovation Center is working to cultivate sustainable economic growth in West Africa by sponsoring new social enterprises. The Kosmos Innovation Center aims to contribute to the creation of healthier and more diverse economies. It will do this by helping the new generation of entrepreneurs and facilitating innovation in sectors beyond oil and gas. By supporting African businesses, Kosmos Innovation Center is creating jobs and reducing poverty in Africa.
So What About Strawberries?
One of Kosmos’ projects is a social enterprise in Dakar, Senegal called FraiSen. FraiSen is a centralized network of small strawberry farms in Senegal along with several African countries. Due to the country’s climate, the strawberry industry had great potential in Senegal in the past. However, the industry lacked the technical and transportation resources and efficiency necessary to make the industry profitable on an international scale.
FraiSen gives the necessary resources and training to the small strawberry farms in order to maximize the strawberry yield and export them to other African countries and even to Europe. By facilitating and connecting these small businesses, FraiSen is creating higher-paying job opportunities in impoverished communities. It bolsters the “Made in Africa” label across the continent. Currently, FraiSen receives orders for approximately 10 tons of strawberries per week.
FraiSen is just one example of a social enterprise that is reducing poverty by growing small, African businesses and creating sustainable job opportunities in developing countries. Its success demonstrates the potential for Senegal to more widely use social enterprises as an innovation in poverty eradication in Senegal.
– Courtney Bergsieker
Photo: Flickr
Impact of RSPO on Sustainable Palm Oil Production
RSPO’s Initiative
The palm oil industry is large in size. As a result, it does not have many regulations. The side effects that come with this are significant. They include improper and unethical farming, unequal pay for workers and unsafe working conditions. The most predominant consequence is deforestation.
By recognizing these malpractices and their impact on the employees and environment, RSPO sought a new and progressive technique. After being formally established in April 2004, the RSPO introduced its Principles and Criteria (P&C) for the production of sustainable palm oil. To account for unique national laws and the complexity of the palm oil supply chain, the P&C undergoes revision every five years and varies internationally. However, the fundamental elements remain the same.
Additionally, the P&C prioritizes deforestation prevention. This means that companies are unable to clear or cultivate in substantially forested areas containing valuable biodiversity or fragile ecosystems. In addition, the requirements also highlight the fair treatment of workers, abiding with international labor rights standards. They also decreased the use of harmful pesticides and chemicals. If these main guidelines, along with the others stated on the P&C, are successfully implemented and reviewed, palm oil producers are certified by the RSPO.
RSPO’s Theory of Change
By providing specific guidelines to guarantee sustainability certification, RSPO is mobilizing its main vision: to make sustainable palm oil the norm. Its Theory of Change protocol outlines the procedures in place to attain this goal. The roadmap analyzes the effectiveness of its outputs on three main areas: prosperity, the planet and the people.
Furthermore, one main effort which benefits the people is an increase in smallholder participation and overall mobilization of growers. This in turn leads to improved risk management and safer work practices. These smallholders are small-scale farmers with low hectarage and family-run labor. RSPO certification of smallholders improves their management practices, quality of fruit and yield and access to markets.
Progress Made in Mexico
Overall, the long-term progression on the Theory of Change roadmap suggests that farmers will experience more sustainable and financially stable lifestyles. This past year, Oleopalma became the first RSPO-certified company in Mexico. Since small-scale farmers account for 90% of Mexico’s palm oil farmers, this achievement will reflect widely in the prosperity of the people. After Columbia, Mexico is the largest consumer of palm oil in Latin America. This reaffirms the key benefits coming forward from this transformation. It is also the largest sourcing market for PepsiCo’s palm oil supply. This correlation suggests not only a drastic improvement in the lives of workers but eventually the environment and economy as well.
– Samantha Acevedo-Hernandez
Photo: Flickr
How Uruguay Was Prepared to Combat COVID-19
Uruguay’s History and Financial Situation
Uruguay, despite being located in South America, is more comparable to countries in Europe and not without reason. In the pre-colonial era, the entire region likely had a population of only around 10,000. Diseases brought by the first settlers in the 17th century killed most of that small population and so the area was left largely empty save for a few scattered groups of native people. After more than a century of fighting over the territory between colonial powers, Uruguay gained independence in 1830 and began to become a modern state by the 1870s.
In the late 19th century, hundreds of thousands of Europeans emigrated to Uruguay, bringing with them economic connections to the continent as well as better agricultural knowledge which kickstarted the country’s economy. Throughout the 20th century, despite some political conflicts, Uruguay made strides at becoming a developed country and brought its extreme poverty rate to the single digits. Since the early 2000s, the country has seen significant reductions in poverty and large improvements in healthcare capability and overall quality of life.
In a span of just 12 years from 2006 to 2018, the poverty rate in Uruguay decreased from more than 30% to 8%, while the extreme poverty rate went from 2.5% to 0.1%. Uruguay diversified its economy from one mostly reliant on its neighbors, Argentina and Brazil, to splitting its most important trade partners four ways, with China and the European Union becoming its two largest partners. Its success in creating a working, safe democracy in the 21st century has opened up the country as a popular tourism destination and tourism now accounts for nearly 10% of Uruguay’s GDP. Uruguay maintains the largest middle class in the Americas consisting of more than 60% of its population, fueling economic growth as most people in the country hold savings and can afford to buy consumer goods.
Uruguay’s Prepared Response to COVID-19
All of Uruguay’s recent economic success has allowed the country to create a well-functioning healthcare system capable of keeping its citizens healthy. Its history and geographical small size have led the country to be prepared to combat COVID-19. Uruguay’s health system, a mix of public and private care which also allows the lowest-income residents of the country to get high-quality care at low or zero-cost, was prepared to handle a crisis. Broad support for the government meant that at the start of the pandemic, citizens trusted their public health officials and followed the guidelines they put out.
The Uruguayan health system, unlike most others in South America, also had the capability to make its own COVID-19 PCR tests from the start of the pandemic—allowing public health officials to contact trace early cases. In May, when a region of Uruguay bordering Brazil saw a small outbreak, the public health response was immediate. As described by Dr. Rafael Radi, the coordinator of Uruguay’s scientific advisory group, “Within 24 hours there was a contingent of people—epidemiologists, nurses, physicians went to Treinta y Tres to completely follow the transmission chain, test every single person and follow up the contacts of the contacts.” Such strong measures make it difficult for the virus to gain a hold in the country.
Despite being located right next to Brazil, a COVID-19 hotspot, Uruguay was able to combat COVID-19 and reopen its internal economy quickly. Masks are required indoors and on public transport and are encouraged everywhere else. Most schools and universities in the country are open with in-person classes. To date, Uruguay has reported fewer than 3,000 cases of COVID-19 and 52 deaths. Already achieving high-income status, if Uruguay can continue its economic growth post-COVID-19 and improve its education system to train its youth for the future, the country is well on its way to being a truly developed nation on par with other small countries like Singapore and Ireland.
– Jeff Keare
Photo: Flickr
Ax the Tax to Solve Period Poverty in Australia
Period poverty in Australia impacts women and girls across the nation and has only worsened in the days since the coronavirus swept the globe. However, Australian authorities have noted this issue, and have taken action to alleviate some of the hardship for women in need.
Period Poverty for Young Girls
Women’s Agenda Australia, a small team composed of reputable, all-female journalists reporting on gender equality issues in their country, defines period poverty as “the inability to purchase sanitary products [that] presents a significant obstacle to health, comfort, and engagement with school and community activities.” The publication released an article regarding period poverty’s effect on young girls; the women they feature have to deal without necessary sanitary products, all while trying to navigate the high school experience, which is difficult in its own right no matter the resources a student may have.
Though research about period poverty in these scenarios is rather limited in terms of the scale of the problem in educational institutions, administrators can vouch for the fact that poor menstrual management impacts the emotional and physical wellbeing of adolescents, thereby affecting attendance. Dr. Ruth Knight from The Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies expands on this issue, sharing that she has “been told girls use socks or rolled up toilet paper with underwear left on the floor or in bins while toilets are only accessible at certain times of the day. Unfortunately, what is a basic human right is often seen as a taboo topic.”
The Impact of the Coronavirus
The implications of COVID-19 worsened period poverty all across the globe, and Australia is not exempt from repercussions. As the nation put stay-at-home orders in place, components of the production process of feminine hygiene products ended up shut down due to the need to manufacture other sanitary products directly linked to slowing the spread of the virus. For example, the program manager of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Initiatives, or WASH, Australia, described how one of its partners, Plan International, an independent development and humanitarian organization working for children’s and women’s rights, experienced supply chain disruption reducing its ability to produce pads.
Though precautions against COVID-19 are of utmost importance, menstrual hygiene concerns persist and even worsen due to this newfound neglect. Plan International compiled a report titled “Periods in a Pandemic” to detail this issue and used evidence from directly impacted Australian civilians to illustrate their cause. One of the document’s quotations from a woman they identify as a “young Australian” reads, “Due to bulk buying it has been extremely hard to find any products at all, and when you do find them, they are quite expensive.”
Solutions
Australian authorities have not completely turned a blind eye to period poverty. As of January 2019, the list of Goods and Services Tax (GST) exempt products now includes tampons. The campaign to “axe the tax,” as original advocates for the movement touted, was made a reality through a unanimously approved deal amongst state and territory treasurers in Melbourne along with Federal Official Josh Frydenberg back in 2018. This game-changing decision occurred, despite the $30 million Australia lost in tax revenue as a repercussion. The unanimity of the push for the removal of the tax demonstrates that officials recognize the issue, even though it may not be on the radars of Australians at the local level (such as those of the people that could play a hand in stopping period poverty in schools).
Young girls face period poverty in Australia every day and often miss out on pieces of their education as a result. Though little research has occurred on period poverty in this sector of the nation’s population, adolescents are monitored in tandem with their access to schooling, through attendance, academic performance, and the like. Therefore, though the hardship that these young women face appears to be the worst part of the problem, women beyond school age likely face the same challenges, even though unmonitored. COVID-19 only worsened the issue, as priority went to sanitary products pertaining to the virus over those created for menstruation. Period poverty in Australia is on the radar of the nation’s authorities, however, as proven by the country’s abolition of the tax on tampons in 2019.
– Ava Roberts
Photo: Pexels
Making Health Care in India Accessible
India, the second-most populous country in the world, faces a surprising paradox in its health care system. Though it has become a hub for high-quality medical treatment at supposedly affordable costs, health-related expenses cause as many as 63 million people in India to fall into poverty annually. As a result, it is essential that the country makes improvements to health care in India in order to improve its accessibility to those in poverty.
Fixing a Faulty Health Care System
As of 2015, prime minister Narendra Modi proposed the National Health Policy (NHP) to provide universal health care in India, regardless of socioeconomic status. This new policy also guarantees free public health care for those living below the poverty line.
This policy suggests an ambitious reform. Private practitioners continue to dominate India’s health care market. In fact, the private sector provides approximately 70% of health care.
Many more barriers come with delivering a new and improved health care program. With a severe shortage of medical professionals, financing issues and the public’s general lack of trust in the country’s ability to implement effective health care resources, India faces a problem in reforming its health care system.
This has presented a problem for citizens and the government alike. The government wastes expenditures on underutilized resources. Meanwhile, the private sector could include illegally trained doctors and possible medical malpractice, which may entail dangerous treatment and unnecessary expenditures for citizens. The prevalence of private health care partnered with poor insurance regulations results in up to 70% of medical costs from out-of-pocket expenditures, which exacerbates the economic stresses that the nation’s poor feels.
Lack of Public Trust
The driving force behind the underutilization of health care in India is public mistrust. People typically seek help from village doctors first, who are typically closer in proximity to their homes. Many citizens are also wary of poor service in public systems: many patients experience disrespect or the public systems overcharge them for various medical expenses and treatments.
Many citizens hesitate to turn to public hospitals until it is their last resort. There are cases of individuals earning less than INR 10 per day who would seek private care facilities rather than obtain government-granted medical care.
Cases like these are some in a pool of many. There are cases of mothers waiting hours before receiving help in labor, or individuals struggling to pay for necessary medications.
The expensive price tag of private practitioners makes quality care essentially inaccessible to those living in poverty. The prevalence of many low-income individuals desperate to pay high price tags for private care as opposed to visiting free, government-funded institutions presents a clear exclamation: health care in India experience reform to prioritize the trusts and needs of its residents.
Addressing the Problem
As low-income individuals face difficulty in obtaining quality health care, a number of organizations that readily seek to help continuously emerge.
HelpAge India has been around for multiple decades and has earned multiple accolades (NGO Leadership & Excellence Award, Times Social Impact Award, etc.) for its continued support of elderly populations in India. This NGO provides free medical care (cataract surgeries, cancer care, etc.) that would otherwise be unaffordable to many individuals in India.
The Smile Foundation has also focused on providing equitable medical care, especially to underprivileged families. The Smile Foundation provides easier access to health care in slums and lower-income communities and also promotes health care awareness within these communities.
The Rural Health Care Foundation also provides health care to low-income communities all across India. It provides primary care diagnoses, medications and cataract/cleft lip surgeries for those who are unable to pay for these procedures.
These organizations are a few of many seeking to improve systems of health care in India. The implementation of a new and improved health care system is ongoing. However, a combination of both newfound public optimism and institutional change is necessary to ensure health care access to everyone.
– Vanna Figueroa
Photo: Flickr
How TikTok Has Fought Poverty in India
Dreams can come true in the most unusual ways. For some Indians, their dreams came true through a teenage-oriented, pop song-dancing social media app called TikTok. In the ever-growing age of the internet, TikTok has been able to connect India’s poor with the rest of the world, something that no other platform has been able to accomplish. TikTok has fought poverty in India by making simple workers into celebrities. The once monopolized entertainment industry is now wide open for aspiring actors and artists. TikTok has made what many found to be a dark and dirty life into one of glitz and glamour.
A Unique Platform
TikTok is not the first social media app to exist in India. Well-established platforms like Facebook and Instagram have been in the Indian market for years, however, none of them have received the enormous popularity that TikTok has experienced. Projections have indicated that TikTok will reach 125 million users in India by the end of 2020. This is more than Instagram’s 79 million, and six times more than Snapchat’s 18 million.
This success is attributable to a few reasons. One, TikTok has been able to bridge the historic divide between religion and wealth. While India has abolished many direct forms of discrimination, there is still a large amount of prejudice within the country. India only abolished its caste system in 1950. This system has placed millions of people into poverty with very little opportunity to get out of it. While far and between, there are still occasional conflicts between Muslims and Hindus.
Social media like Facebook and Instagram are personal. Any prejudice that someone holds in the real world can easily persist online. But with TikTok, many of these rooted divides go away. TikTok has fought poverty in India by creating a social environment that is free of class, religion and prejudice.
People who were once put down or turned away because of their backgrounds are now free to express themselves. This especially benefits the poor and marginalized.
Uprooting Bollywood
Traditionally, getting into the entertainment industry required large sums of money. Camera equipment, actors, sets and special effects all add up to create quality content. TikTok, however, just requires a smartphone. Editing, special effects and music are all part of the app. TikTok has fought poverty by giving everyone access to these amazing tools. Despite a large inequality in wealth, around 340 million people use smartphones in India.
This means that many of the poor in India can produce content that is just as good as the rich and people are paying attention to it. In India, the music industry and Bollywood are one and the same. In fact, many aspiring artists and actors have been turned down because of Bollywood’s iron grip on the entertainment industry. The majority of successful music is from large companies, not small indie artists.
But TikTok has fought poverty by providing tremendous opportunities for those who had none. Gathering a fanbase attracts sponsorships as well as attention from movie studios. There are many stories of Indians in poverty who rose to Bollywood fame through TikTok. Not only does TikTok subvert the grip that large companies like T-Series have on the entertainment industry, but they also provide opportunities for aspiring artists and actors.
Security Concerns
Despite TikTok’s tremendous positive impact on India, there are still many concerns about the app. Many people question the threat that TikTok poses.
Authorities have linked TikTok back to the Chinese government, which could undermine national security. On June 29, 2020, the Indian government banned TikTok along with 59 other apps. There was public outrage against this action, and many hope that TikTok will return in the future, but for now, things remain uncertain.
While on the rise, India still has a large population in poverty. Around 268 million Indians remain below the poverty line.
However, help can come in unusual ways. TikTok has fought poverty in India by bridging historic divides, providing opportunities for the poor and marginalized, and subverting powerful monopolies in the entertainment industry. While there is still some uncertainty as to the security of the app, TikTok has proven to be a force of good for millions of people in India.
– Evan Weber
Photo: Pixabay
Bootleg Alcohol in Asia: An Insidious Problem
An Unaddressed Epidemic
The problem of fake alcohol has roamed around Asia for countless years. Unregulated distilleries and bathtubs produce counterfeit alcohol before it is distributed under the radar. It is estimated that up to 30% of alcohol in China is fake, with illegal alcohol having infiltrated even well-established bars and pubs under the guise of well-established liquor brands.
Much of the incentive in producing bootleg alcohol in Asia often comes from high import taxes on liquor, or even so far as government prohibition in certain countries. With higher restrictions on liquor sales, many people choose to turn to the black market as their only option.
Various countries have suffered from the effects of counterfeit alcohol. In Indonesia, 300 people have died from consuming counterfeit alcohol between 2014 and 2018 alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that half of all liquor consumed in India is contraband. This causes numerous cases of methanol poisoning, drunk driving incidents and exacerbating domestic abuse incidents. In 2019, 154 individuals in India had died from methanol poisoning alone.
Consequences, Risks and Poverty
Bootleg alcohol, typically made of dangerous chemicals, disproportionately affects communities facing poverty. Living in poverty is a leading risk factor for alcohol consumption.
Multiple factors make alcohol consumption particularly more threatening to poor communities. The addictive nature of alcohol combined with the weaker support networks and resources (counseling services, healthcare systems, etc.) in low-income communities make these populations vulnerable to prolonged alcohol abuse. Alcohol expenditure could limit the total amount for individuals to spend on food, healthcare and education. Most importantly, the health risks and hospitalization fees associated with alcohol could further exacerbate many families’ financial situations.
The risks associated with poverty and alcohol consumption combined with the cheaper price tag of bootleg alcohol in Asia further amplifies the problems faced by low-income communities. The WHO states that the limited medical resources for poor communities lead to high mortality rates for methanol poisoning.
What Now?
Counterfeit alcohol in Asia continues to run rampant for a straightforward reason: it is taboo. This taboo also makes it highly neglected. Although the WHO encourages public health campaigns addressing illicit alcohol production, few have tackled this issue head-on.
Organizations such as the Methanol Institute (MI) are one of the few that chose to lead the movement in addressing undocumented alcohol production. MI has partnered with countless organizations such as Mitsubishi, BP and Methanex. It provides market support and public awareness for methanol poisoning from counterfeit alcohol.
As of 2013, MI partnered with Lifesaving Initiatives About Methanol (LIAM) to create a pilot campaign in Indonesia to provide community education for citizens to recognize bootleg liquor and combat methanol poisoning. In December 2014, MI-LIAM-trained hospital staff were able to save the first two lives from methanol poisoning. As of 2015, MI-LIAM received funding to continue its effort in Indonesia. Moreover, they garnered approval to expand training in Vietnam.
While bootleg alcohol in Asia continues to be a persisting problem, awareness efforts have slowly highlighted the seriousness of this epidemic. As a handful of brave organizations spearhead efforts to mitigate this issue, many of us hope for others to follow along this path to recovery.
– Vanna Figueroa
Photo: Flickr