Archive for category: Developing Countries

Information and stories about developing countries.

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Facts and Figures About Cuba

Facts and Figures About Cuba
A Caribbean island with Spanish as its official language, Cuba is a nation rich in tradition and culture. The United States has had a strained relationship with the country since the travel ban of 1962. However, learning about Cuba continues to provide incredible insight about how to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two countries. Here are 10 facts and figures about Cuba.

  1. Only 6.3 percent of the population lived below the poverty line in 1984, which is impressive for a nation with such limited resources.
  2. In 1986, nearly all school-aged children had enrolled in some form of schooling. By 1990, the country reached a 98 percent literacy rate.
  3. Fewer than five percent of Cubans can access the Internet. However, companies like Netflix and Google have made plans to incorporate their systems into the Cuban economy. Netflix made its services available to islanders in February of 2015.
  4. Although the official religion of Cuba is Roman-Catholicism, with 60 to 70 percent of individuals identifying as Roman Catholic, the island is home to great religious diversity. Approximately 5 percent of the population is Protestant, with most identifying as Baptists and Pentecostals. There are also 94,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses, 30,000 Seventh-Day Adventists and Methodists, 22,000 Anglicans, 15,000 Presbyterians, 300 Quakers, 50 Mormons and 1,500 Jews.
  5. The current population is around 11.2 million, making Cuba 107th on the list of global population density.
  6. Since 2011, 93.8 percent of Cubans have had access to improved drinking water sources, and 92.1 percent have had access to improved sanitation facilities. People living in urban areas largely have better resources than those in rural areas.
  7. Between 1990 and 2012, the under-5 mortality rate in Cuba decreased significantly. This rate was 13 percent in 1990 and is now about six percent.
  8. Cuba’s constitution lists healthcare as a fundamental human right. As a result, the government has implemented things like its vaccination program. The vaccination program began in 1962, and the nation maintains some of the lowest global rates of vaccine-preventable infectious disease.
  9. Cuba emphasizes women’s rights. It is ranked fourth in the world in terms of women in politics and approximately 43 percent of their parliament members identify as female. Women receive 18 weeks of maternity leave with full pay. They also have additional leave, with 60 percent pay for the first year of their children’s lives.
  10. Cuban cities are dedicated to sustainability efforts. As of 2010, for example, organic urban farms provided 100 percent of produce in Havana.

 

While these facts and figures about Cuba cannot fully encapsulate the country, they certainly paint a vivid picture of the exceptional nation that Cuba continues to be. A hub of diversity and human rights, Cuba’s recent successes support the claim that these things will continue improving in the future.

– Emily Chazen

Photo: Flickr

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How Walk Free Foundation is Helping Countries with the Most Slaves


The most recent update to the Global Slavery Index estimates that, in 2016, 45.8 million people were in some form of modern day slavery in the 167 countries surveyed. Of these countries, India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan are the countries with the most slaves, holding 58 percent of the worldwide slave population. The Global Slavery Index is a program developed by the Walk Free Foundation, an organization seeking to end modern slavery with a multifaceted method.

The foundation’s strategy includes building an extensive knowledge base through research that can be used to inform action. The Global Slavery Index reports the number of people enslaved around the globe, but it also provides other important data such as the global distribution of slavery. This indicates countries with the most slaves, as well as those with the least, and specific actions governments are taking to respond to slavery within their own borders and abroad.

 

Walk Free Foundation believes that a combination of direct implementation, faith-based grassroots, businesses, academics, NGOs and governments all around the world is needed to eradicate modern slavery for good. By teaming up with this variety of groups and individuals, the foundation can fight at the legislative, commercial and private levels. Attacking the issue from all these angles creates a better chance for ending slavery rather than just relocating the problem.

In August 2017, Walk Free Foundation’s founder Andrew Forrest will attend the Bali Process Government and Business Forum, where CEOs and business leaders will advise government officials on how to prevent and combat modern slavery. Since the majority of modern slaves are held in the private sector working in areas such as manufacturing, construction and agriculture, Walk Free Foundation and Bali Process focus on educating businesses on how to terminate all forms of slavery from their supply chains. The forum in August aims to raise awareness of modern slavery and address ways of action. This will be crucial countries with the most slaves.

– Hannah Kaiser

Photo: Flickr

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Countries That Still Have Slavery

Countries That Still Have Slavery
Although modern slavery is not always easy to recognize, it continues to exist in nearly every country. In total, there are 167 countries that still have slavery and around 46 million slaves today, according to the 2016 Global Slavery Index.

The U.S. Department of State defines modern slavery as “the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.”

India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and North Korea are at the top of the list for countries that still have slavery. Here are some facts about what slavery is like in each of these countries.

The Highest Numbers: 6 Countries That Still Have Slavery

  1. India (18.4 Million) India has the highest number of slaves in the world. Like many other countries, modern slavery in India can take the shape of domestic service, forced begging, commercial sexual exploitation, forced marriage and forced recruitment for armed services. Because of India’s growing economy, many modern slaves work in factories that export goods to other countries. Consequently, men, women and children work long hours without proper compensation or even basic rights.
  2. China (3.4 Million) The Chinese government relies on exports of goods and raw materials even more than India. According to a CNN report, people in China are forced into labor across many different industries. The migration of poor families from rural to urban areas in search of jobs often leads to opportunities for traffickers. Although families travel together, many eventually split up. Individuals sell young boys to other families who lack sons, and girls often face sex slavery or forced marriage.
  3. Pakistan (2.1 Million) Modern slavery in Pakistan, like India, centers on debt bondage, or bonded labor. Brick-making employs around 10 million people in Pakistan. Children and families often work 10 hours each day in brick kilns and are denied basic rights or laws to protect them. Without this protection, workers face torture and sexual exploitation.
  4. Bangladesh (1.5 Million) Contemporary slavery in Bangladesh is accounted for through 80 percent forced labor and 20 percent forced marriage, according to the Global Slavery Index. Poverty, natural disasters and government corruption have made Bangladesh the 11th most vulnerable country to slavery within Asia.
  5. Uzbekistan (1.2 Million) The main cash crop of Uzbekistan is cotton. Each fall, when cotton crops are booming, the government forces millions of people out of their jobs to work in the cotton fields. International organizations monitor the process, however, the government still does not compensate these people. They also do not enforce proper safety precautions.
  6. North Korea (1.1 Million) The government of North Korea has done little to criminalize modern slavery. People of all ages are subject to forced labor while their government says they are “living in a socialist paradise.” One in twenty North Koreans is enslaved. Although the country does not have the highest total number of slaves, it does have the highest concentration of forced labor.

While many countries have taken steps toward banning and criminalizing slavery, there is still much to do. Countries that still have slavery are facing many problems that we all must address. “Improving the rights of 45.8 million human beings is both wise and urgent for all leaders of countries and organizations,” said Andrew Forrest, Founder and Chairman of the Walk Free Foundation. “Eradicating slavery makes sense; morally, politically, logically and economically.”

– Madeline Boeding

Photo: Flickr

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Innovative Social Enterprise: ME to WE Works to End Global Poverty


The for-profit arm ME to WE, an innovative social enterprise, partially funds Free the Children, a well-known international charity re-branded as WE last year. With WE, ME to WE works to end global poverty in a variety of ways.

Brothers Marc and Craig Kielburger started WE more than a decade ago, when Craig was only 12 years old. Their goal was to give people with fewer opportunities and resources the chance to better their lives. That goal is still carried out in the daily workings of the corporation, which donates half of its net profits to WE while reinvesting the other half to grow the enterprise.

WE focuses on five pillars that are important to the advancement of underdeveloped communities: education, water, health, food and opportunity.

In cooperation with the WE Charity, ME to WE works to end global poverty in these three main ways:

1. Volunteering

ME to WE offers volunteer trips to a variety of countries where communities exist in dire need of assistance. They currently serve Kenya, India, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Haiti, Sierra Leone and rural China.

The WE Charity offers “holistic, sustainable development work” for the volunteers to participate in to help the community.

ME to WE recognizes the importance of volunteer work and how far a single act of kindness can stretch. Its trip website says that after participating in the volunteer trip, “you will take home these lessons, along with an action plan to make a difference.”

Those who volunteer may build houses, install wells or plant community gardens, making a lasting impact on those in need. These projects are designed to help communities develop into sustainable societies.

2. Selling merchandise

Along with offering trips, ME to WE works to end global poverty by selling merchandise that directly benefits poverty-stricken communities.

On the ME to WE Shop web page, there is a description of how a purchase affects a community: “All ME to WE products carry the Track Your Impact promise and create sustainable change around the world in WE villages and here at home through WE school programs.”

Pacsun, a California-based retail clothing brand geared for young people, gives back by selling ME to WE merchandise in stores and online. The brand proudly announced that with any purchase of a ME to WE item, “essential resources are delivered that work to break the cycle of poverty and create real, lasting change.”

3. Educating and giving opportunities

One of the most impactful ways ME to WE works to end global poverty is by empowering communities through problem solving. The WE Charity and ME to WE Foundation “carry the power of WE globally, empowering communities to lift themselves out of poverty.”

In rural Nicaragua, for instance, a group of unemployed and impoverished women struggled to put food on the table. WE stepped in and helped the community build a school and a well. ME and WE, in the meantime, gave the women options for income-earning. The women eventually chose to learn the craft of bracelet-making. ME to WE pays them for the dedication and passion involved in making jewelry, then sells the bracelets in Europe and North America.

For years now, ME to We helps women reward themselves and feed their families. Instead of charity, these passionate females received encouragement and sustainable skills that help them care for themselves and their families. This is just a couple of the many ways ME to WE and its nonprofit arm WE empower communities to support themselves.

– Sydney Missigman

Photo: Flickr

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Five Facts on Education in Benin


Centered between the countries of Nigeria and Togo, Benin resides on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean with a population of roughly 10 million. Education in Benin has been free for 10 years.

Benin has maintained a strong, democratic-style government since 1990 when it changed its name to the Republic of Benin. BBC News called the country “one of Africa’s most stable democracies.” Although Benin has a stable government, the country still faces plenty of issues.

Among these issues was the near-collapse of the economy in 1988, a 50 percent currency devaluation that caused inflation in 1994 and devastating floods that destroyed 55,000 homes, killed tens of thousands of livestock and displaced 680,000 people in 2010.

However, education in Benin has proved to be one of the bright spots of the nation’s domestic affairs.

Here are five facts about education in Benin:

  1. Education in Benin was declared free during an educational forum that took place in 2007. With free education, students are able to access Benin’s educational system that operates under 6-4-3-3-4 format. Students are taught in French, the primary language of the country, to start their educational journey by attending six years of primary school, followed by four years of junior high school, then three years senior high school, three years of a bachelor’s degree and finish with four years of a master’s degree. However, for students to pass junior high school, they must take the O-Level exam or Brevet d’Etudes du Premier Cycle: BEPC, and for students to pass senior high school, they must pass the A-level exam or Baccalauréat: BAC, which is the equivalent of a U.S. high school diploma.
  2. Education in Benin follows a numbered grading system. Similar to the letter-grading system, the number grading system ranges from 10 to 20 to determine a student’s level of classroom production. Averaging a 10 is good enough for a passing grade, 12 is a fairly good grade, 14-15 is a good grade, 16-17 is a very good grade and to score a 20 is excellent.
  3. Statistics of education in Benin demonstrate uneven gender enrollment, with the gross primary enrollment rate for boys at 88.4 percent opposed to 55.7 percent for girls, according to a survey conducted in 1996. Male students also maintain a better literacy rate between the ages of 15 and 24, with a 54.9 percent literacy rate, compared to female students who have a literacy rate of just 30.8 percent. The gap between male and female literacy rates worsens out of school, with the overall adult literacy at 40 percent, while only 25 percent of women are literate. Benin also ranks 35th out of 117 countries for having the most girls out of school, with 142,178 females not enrolled in primary or secondary school.
  4. State funding is the primary funding for education in Benin, and yet Benin saw a decline of the national budget towards educational spending between 1993 and 1999 when the percent of the national budget used for education dropped from 21.5 percent to 15.6 percent. However, during that same time span, primary education rose within the education budget from comprising 53 percent in 1993 to 60 percent in 1998.
  5. Education in Benin has also evolved into a variety of educational reforms. One of the earliest reforms took place in 1975 and was named a “new school” system, in hopes to democratize education, add more practical subjects to the curriculum and adapt to local conditions. Although the reform was beneficial for the first couple of years, the new school system reform was impacted by national and social crisis near the end of the 1980s that recorded a dropout rate of 31 percent in 1988 and 1989. Seven years later in 1996, the Government of Benin reconstructed the declaration on population policy. The impact of the revival of the national constitution was intended to support priorities in education, including progressively free-of-charge access to education, guaranteed equal opportunity for all and the fight against dropping out, especially for girls.

With all this said, education in Benin still faces an array of issues such as providing equal opportunity for education to women. Benin has made dramatic attempts to assure educational equality for all and needs to continue to put programs in place to ensure the future success of their educational system.

– Patrick Greeley

Photo: Flickr

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LDCs and the Reasons Why Foreign Aid Is So Important


Foreign aid is very important to many less-developed countries (LDCs) around the globe. It can have a substantial effect on their improvement by providing much-needed programs that provide jobs, healthcare and sustainability to the regions of the globe that need it most. Providing aid to LDCs can also promote positive outcomes for the country giving aid.

Here are 10 reasons why providing foreign aid to LDCs is so important:

  1. It can be used as humanitarian aid. This form of aid is generally given during times of great distress such as natural disasters until the state can support the disaster relief effort. The European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid categorizes humanitarian aid as a “…needs-based emergency response aimed at preserving life, preventing and alleviating human suffering, and maintaining human dignity wherever the need arises if governments and local actors are overwhelmed, unable, or unwilling to act.”
  2. It can help LDCs fight against diseases such as HIV/AIDS. HIV and AIDS are still a major threat in countries such as Africa and require support from other countries willing to help with the crisis. Organizations and governments around the globe, such as UNITAID and PEPFAR, provide aid to help fight HIV/AIDS in LDCs. A new plan submitted by UNAIDS projects the end of the HIV epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. The new plan would need $26.2 billion by 2020 and an additional $22.3 billion by 2030 to eliminate the disease.
  3. It helps with economic growth in LDCs. Aid is generally given in countries that are characterized as low income or that have high unemployment rates. This results in low savings and investments, meaning the capital stock is small. Countries that are provided aid need rapid economic development. Providing aid stimulates the growth of the world economy along with promoting economic development within the region.
  4. It can help with market expansion. Providing aid to a country could mean the expansion of goods and resources that can be shared between the two countries. This can attract new investors into the country further improving the LDCs economy.
  5. It helps with basic infrastructure in LDCs. Another key component to promoting a strong economy is the expansion of a well-developed infrastructure. Basic necessities such as transport, communication, power, education, health services and industry serve as key components to building a strong and long-lasting infrastructure.
  6. It helps promote improvements in agriculture. Aid can be used to teach farmers how to utilize their land and resources more efficiently to produce more crops. This, in turn, provides vitamin and nutrient giving foods to people living in LDCs.
  7. It can help with poverty relief. In 2013, 767 million people (10.7 percent of the world population) lived on less than $1.90 a day, well below the world poverty line. This is a drastic improvement from the 1.85 billion in 1990 and the number has gotten significantly better over the years. However, there is still much to do. Many of the global poor live in rural areas where they do not have access to adequate medical treatment and education.
  8. It helps LDCs grow and become more independent. By providing aid to promote health, education, and infrastructure, LDCs can focus more on growing their economies. By reducing the amount of disease and poverty, citizens of these regions will be able to flourish and contribute to the growth of the country.
  9. It promotes political ties. Aid can be used to establish and strengthen the connection between the donor and recipient countries. Aid is given to both LDCs and developed countries alike to promote solidarity and companionship.
  10. It makes the world safer. Providing LDCs with aid and development reduces the threat of terrorist organizations by alleviating poverty in susceptible countries. A study provided by the RAND Corporation concluded that development is a more effective strategy against terrorism than military force.

Providing foreign aid is, first and foremost, a humanitarian gesture. The aid’s ultimate goal is to support or stabilize an LDC until it is capable of supporting itself. When aid is provided, there are benefits for all participating nations involved way. In most developed nations, foreign aid is still an important part of the legislation and the conversation.

– Drew Hazzard

Photo: Flickr

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Impacts of Poverty in Countries with the Most Disasters

Poverty and Countries with the Most Disasters
According to a 2017 report from the World Bank, the link between poverty and natural disasters is simple: “natural disasters increase global poverty,” sending 26 million people into poverty each year and generating annual losses of $520 billion. Countries with the most disasters are spread around the globe, and the extent of the impact of natural disasters like hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes depends on where they strike.

The World Bank notes that a flood or earthquake can be disastrous for those in poverty while having a negligible impact on a country’s aggregate wealth or production. Impact on aggregate wealth has traditionally been the measurement for natural disaster severity. Measuring the severity of natural disaster based solely upon economic loss often means the poor are overlooked.

The top five countries with the most disasters are China, the United States, the Philippines, Indonesia and India. The list of countries with the most disasters is different than that of countries with the most deaths caused by natural disaster. Of the top 10 countries with the highest disaster mortality in 2014–China, India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Peru, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Japan and Indonesia–seven have low-income or lower-middle-income economies. There seems to be a correlation here, as  46.1 percent of disaster-related deaths in 2014 occurred in these seven countries.

The global average for socioeconomic resilience, defined as a country’s ability to bounce back from events such as natural disasters, is 62 percent. Low to middle-income economies generally have lower socioeconomic resilience rates than high-income economies. This means that after a natural disaster they struggle more than high-income economies to recuperate. For example, Guatemala, a lower-middle income economy, has a socioeconomic resiliency of 25 percent, while Denmark, a high-income economy, sits at 81 percent.

Measurement of natural disaster impact is changing to account more for those living in poverty. In a 2017 report, the World Bank addresses this issue by providing new strategies for determining natural disaster impact. These account for disaster impact in terms of loss of well-being rather than loss of financial assets alone.

Implementation of disaster management procedures in low- to middle-income countries can help protect against economic loss and reduce the likelihood of people falling into poverty. The World Bank estimates that policies targeting disaster response can save governments $100 billion dollars per year. Unlike in the past, the World Bank adds that “disaster risk management can be considered a poverty reduction policy,” providing a window into the future where resources are available to lessen the impact of these unavoidable phenomena in countries with the most disasters.

– Cleo Krejci

Photo: Flickr

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A Look at the Life of Dr. Osotimehin

A Look at the Life of Dr. Osotimehin
On June 4, 2017, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, died in his West Harrison, New York home at the age of 68. He led the United Nations Population Agency.

Dr. Osotimehin amassed renown for his work with women’s sexual health and reproductive rights around the world. Additionally, he promotes the UN goals of “preventing maternal deaths in childbirth, meeting all demands for family planning, and eliminating harmful practices against women and girls.” Here is a look back at the rich life of Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin.

Osotimehin was born on Feb. 6, 1949 in Ogun State, Nigeria. He received a doctorate in medicine from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom in 1979. He became the Nigerian Minister of Health in 2008. In addition, his achievements include an award for the Nigerian national honor and Officer of the Order of the Niger. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminate polio and other childhood diseases.

In 2011, Osotimehin assumed the position of the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund. This fund plays a significant role in providing health care and training to midwives to help women fleeing conflict in war-torn countries.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) funds programs that help mothers deliver babies during disasters. Additionally, it prevents violence against women and girls, and argue against female genital mutilation. Unfortunately, the UNFPA has been hit with a series of blows by the Trump Administration, including a $33 million funding cut.

“The world has lost a great champion of health and wellbeing for all,” the UN said in their press release of Dr. Osotimehin’s death. Nonetheless, the “UNFPA is dedicated to continuing Dr. Osotimehin’s grand vision for women and young people and will continue to stand up for the human rights and dignity of everyone, particularly the most vulnerable adolescent girls,” the statement added.

Dr. Osotimehin dedicated his life to helping women and girls around the world. Consequently, countless individuals will dearly miss him.

– Kelsey Jackson

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Rocinha, Brazil

10 Facts About Rocinha, Brazil

Just outside Rio de Janeiro are some of the largest urban slums in Latin America, filled with people and rich culture that makes up some of the unique parts of the country. One of these many slums is Rocinha, the country’s largest favela. Here are 10 facts about Rocinha, Brazil.

10 Facts About Rocinha, Brazil

  1. Rocinha is located in Rio de Janeiro’s South Zone on a large hillside overlooking the city.
  2. Rocinha is Rio de Janeiro’s largest “favela” or slum, with around 180,000 people living in the tightly packed city.
  3. Despite its large population, Rocinha takes up less than a square mile of land. This extreme lack of space forces families to build houses on top of one another. This results in house structures up to 11 stories tall.
  4. Rocinha is considered one of Brazil’s better favelas due to its close proximity to jobs and services. Easier access to jobs also means that families are better off and can afford basic necessities such as electricity and water.
  5. Although the slum has economic opportunities, drug-related violence is one of Rocinha’s more well-known characteristics.
  6. Since 2004, Rocinha has been under the control of a criminal group called Amigos dos Amigos, a gang known for violence and drug dealing.
  7. The average education level for a resident of Rocinha is 4.1 years, with less than 1 percent of the population receiving a degree above a high school diploma.
  8. In December of 2010, then-President Lula inaugurated Rua 4, a street development project that revamped a previously decrepit street into a downtown for the favela. With the new street came improved housing, gardens, playgrounds, plazas and locations for potential stores to open and boost the local economy.
  9. In 1998, an NGO called Two Brothers Foundation was founded in the slum in order to teach children and adults how to read and write in English for free. As of 2012, the organization had seven full-time staff members and about 50 volunteers from all over the world who join the program in order to help educate the residents of Rocinha.
  10. In 2012, a group called Green My Favela piloted its first “green space” in Rocinha. The project created a community garden in the urban slum and involved the local community by encouraging residents to come out and help maintain the garden. The garden has helped children get away from street violence and inspired interest in something benefitting the whole community.

These 10 facts about Rocinha, Brazil are a brief look into the favela. While the city has experienced hardships throughout its history, those who see all that the city has to offer to continue to make the city better for the generations that follow.

– Olivia Hayes

Photo: Flickr

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Decreasing the Rate of Poverty in Belize


Belize, located south of Mexico in Central America, was the center of the Mayan civilization thousands of years ago. Since then, Belize has developed into an independent, democratic country with English as its official language. The Belizean economy remains small, depending mainly on agriculture, merchandising and tourism. The sugar and banana industries make up two of the biggest sources of economic production. The developing nation has become an attractive travel destination for people around the world, but the rate of poverty in Belize remains very high.

As of September 2016, the rate of poverty in Belize stood at 41.3 percent, which meant that 380,010 people lived in conditions below the poverty line. People living in rural areas suffer more from poverty than those living in Belize City. This occurs because federal revenue is distributed to all the districts disproportionately.

When compared to other countries in the Caribbean, the rate of poverty in Belize ranks second-highest after Haiti. Reducing this statistic has proven to be a challenge for the Belizean government, as poverty in Belize often results from many factors, including lack of access to education, sanitary drinking water and medical attention.

While poverty in Belize cannot be eradicated overnight, the government of Belize has made significant steps in recent years. Belizean politicians have pursued legislation and programs to tackle the challenges faced by the people living below the poverty rate. The Belize Social Investment Fund, established in 1996, assists groups within communities in their efforts to help the poor.

The National Integrated Water Resources Act, approved by the government in 2010, will eventually result in access to clean water. When safe drinking water is brought in, communities see increased economic growth without fail, and Belize has been no exception.

Other pushes towards a decrease in poverty include the Quality School Initiative, resulting in increased school enrollment. Gender equality has also increased, with access to education, literacy rates and employment rates rising over the past 10 years. In 2015, the infant mortality rate had decreased by two-thirds. With increased efforts to attack the roots of poverty in Belize, the nation is sure to see a decrease in the poverty rate.

– Julia McCartney

Photo: Flickr