Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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London’s Double-Decker Buses Aid the Homeless

Buses Aid the Homeless
In London, a nonprofit called Buses4Homeless is making good use out of decommissioned double-decker buses by turning them into mobile homeless shelters. These innovative buses aid the homeless, working towards ending homelessness in London and protecting vulnerable communities.

The Harsh Reality: Homelessness in London

Following the economic crisis that the global COVID-19 outbreak caused, the number of homeless people in London may rise. Even before the outbreak, however, homelessness in London has been an ever-growing problem. Since 2010, the number of homeless people in the major U.K. city has grown by 141%.

A rising homeless population comes with a plethora of related social problems. For instance, “rough sleepers,” or people who sleep on the street, are more likely to be victims of violence and suffer from mental health issues. Though the city government has social programs that aim to end homelessness, only 13% of London residents think that these programs are sufficient. Consequently, a few Londoners including Dan Atkins, founder of Buses4Homeless, are taking matters into their own hands and creating innovative solutions to homelessness.

Turning an Idea Into Action

Dan Atkins came up with the idea for Buses4Homeless in 2018 after he found that a friend had spent a night rough sleeping in the luggage bay of a coach bus. His idea was simple: refurbish buses into mobile homes that can function as social housing. Since then, his idea has grown into a successful nonprofit that serves as “a low-cost, holistic solution to homelessness.”

The nonprofit’s method is simple and sustainable. Buses4Homeless buys decommissioned double-decker buses and upcycles them into four types of mobile homeless shelters that travel through London: buses for eating, sleeping, learning and relaxing. The troupe of buses aid the homeless by working in tandem as a three-month program to secure housing and employment for each member. Importantly, the nonprofit strongly believes in taking a rehabilitative approach to end homelessness; the nonprofit provides job training and mental health services to members of the program to prevent suffering from the long-term consequences of chronic homelessness.

A Mobile Approach to Ending Homelessness

Buses4Homeless is unique in its ability to travel. The buses aid the homeless by being where people need them and going to places to benefit members of the program. In an interview with Reuters, Jonathan Pfahl, a training leader and mentor for the nonprofit, stated that “the genius thing with a bus is that we can take it wherever it’s needed … so park it in front of a job center, for example.”

The nonprofit’s innovative approach to ending homelessness has already motivated other passionate U.K. citizens to follow suit. Helping Open People’s Eyes, known as HOPE, has been working to end homelessness in Wales for years, but Buses4Homeless recently gave them the idea to purchase and transform a bus into a mobile homeless shelter. Now HOPE is almost done refurbishing their bus and looking forward to getting it on the streets of Wales.

Nonprofits like Buses4Homeless and HOPE are reimagining solutions to homelessness by transforming unused buses into mobile homeless shelters and rehabilitation centers. Their mobility allows them to be more adaptable and able to reach more people in need. Buses4Homeless has only been operating for two years, but its impact has been immense. Founder Dan Atkins hopes that the nonprofit will grow to a national and possibly international level in the future.

– Courtney Bergsieker
Photo: Unsplash

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H.R. 5338 – Global Hope Act of 2019

Global Hope ActCancer is regarded as the leading cause of death in children globally. However, in developing countries, only 20% of cancer cases are cured. In December 2019, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) introduced H.R. 5338 – Global Hope Act of 2019 to create international partnerships to address this issue of global childhood cancer.

The Childhood Cancer Crisis in Developing Countries

Every year, over 300,000 children under the age of 20 are diagnosed with cancer. In most cases, cancer is treatable, and yet, there is an extreme disparity in cancer prevention and treatment services available to children living in high-income nations versus middle and low-income nations. While more than 80% of childhood cancer cases in developed countries are cured, in developing countries only 20% of children diagnosed with cancer recover.

Poverty, ranging from the individual to the national level, creates challenges for acquiring the proper care for children with cancer. The cost of cytotoxics and medical visits may prove to be unaffordable for families that already struggle financially. Clinics and hospitals that offer treatment are sometimes inaccessible to cancer patients that live in rural areas and do not have reliable transportation. Providing lower-cost cancer drugs and services and expanding reach can create more opportunities for overcoming cancer in children in middle and low-income areas.

The Goals of the Global Hope Act of 2019

H.R. 5338 was first introduced on December 6, 2019 and was passed and sent to the Senate within two months. This bill has 20 co-sponsors and authorizes the Secretary of State to develop partnerships in research and finance with international institutions that seek to fight childhood cancer on a global scale. The text of the Global Hope Act of 2019 emphasizes that not only should infectious disease prevention and treatment be a priority for the United States, but also non-communicable diseases including cancer.

The primary objectives of the Global Hope Act of 2019 are to strengthen U.S. political commitment to global childhood cancer efforts. The policy includes supporting the expansion of medical infrastructure, increasing available technologies and medicines for childhood cancer treatment and expanding the number of trained healthcare workers. The passage of the bill would promote collaboration with the United Nations, the World Health Organization and other institutions in order to minimize the childhood cancer mortality rate.

Supporting the mission of the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, which was launched in 2018, would fall under the enactment of H.R. 5338. The initiative aims to increase the global survival rate of children with cancer to at least 60% by 2030, through raising awareness of the problem and assisting the governments of developing nations with cancer healthcare for their children. The initiative’s target is to aid 12 to 15 countries by the end of the year.

Results in Peru

The Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer has already proven to be effective in Peru. Designated as one of the initiative’s focus countries in 2019, Peru now has a pediatric cancer plan, which seeks to increase efforts to diagnose childhood cancer cases earlier, develop a national pediatric cancer registry, improve treatment services and decrease treatment abandonment rates.

Backing the WHO goals to increase childhood cancer survival rates as laid out in the Global Hope Act of 2019, could help create further progress in the work of the initiative.

The Future of the Global Hope Act of 2019

The Global Hope Act of 2019 is currently under review by the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Senate. Co-sponsor of the bill, Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) stressed the importance of H.R. 5338 in his statement following the House vote in January: “We have made incredible progress reducing childhood cancer mortality in America. The Global Hope Act will extend that success to developing nations by expanding pediatric medical training, treatments, and technologies to countries that need our help.” Continued movement of the bill in the Senate has the potential to provide significant support to many children battling cancer, especially those in impoverished countries.

– Ilana Issula
Photo: Wikimedia

Kazakhstan’s Rise out of Poverty

Kazakhstans Rise out of PovertyKazakhstan, a Central Asian country bordering Russia to the north and China to the east, has witnessed tremendous strides in poverty reduction over the past three decades. The nation gained independence after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and its government became heavily involved in Kazakhstan’s rise out of poverty by reforming the nation’s economic and political state. In 2001, the rate of individuals living below the national poverty line was 46.7%. Since then, the rate has fallen to 4.2%. Health and education conditions have also improved during this time, and as of 2017, the Asian Development Bank reported that 100% of its citizens had access to electricity. Government policies that developed the energy sector, opened the market, attracted foreign investment and provided social services to citizens, greatly contributed to these positive developments.

The “Kazakhstan – 2030” Strategy

In 1997, former President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced the “Kazakhstan-2030” Strategy. The following priorities were delineated for the nation:

  1. Defense of their independent status
  2. Unify citizens both socially and politically
  3. Attract foreign investments and establish domestic profits that contribute to an open, growing economy
  4. Education and health for citizens and sustainability for the environment
  5. Increase energy sector extraction and exportation
  6. Develop communication and transportation infrastructure
  7. Enhance efficiency in the public sector while representing the people

Steps to achieve these objectives were then broken down into segmented plans that addressed the country’s immediate needs in concordance with the goals. For instance, state programs addressing industry growth, education reforms and language standardization were created for the 2010 to 2020 period to increase GDP, human capital and societal unification.

Economic Reforms

Kazakhstan possesses the richest mineral and hydrocarbon deposits in Central Asia. The nation solicited foreign investment and created national companies in order to develop its energy sector after gaining independence. In 2016, the nation ranked seventh globally in coal exportation and one year later it ranked 12th globally in oil production. Profits from this sector have greatly impacted Kazakhstan’s rise out of poverty by contributing to citizens’ financial prosperity and the government’s ability to fund internal development.

The government has also privatized land properties, housing properties and automobiles and made policy adjustments that benefit small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in order to create an open market. These developments, along with reforms in education and pension, have fostered a growing middle class that has contributed to the reduction of poverty.

Foreign Policy

In accordance with economic incentives of attracting foreign investment and maintaining positive trade relations, Kazakhstan operates with a “multi-vector foreign policy” by participating in international organizations and engaging in diplomacy.

Trade relationships with China, Russia and regions of Southern Asia and Western Europe have proved vital to Kazakhstan’s rise out of poverty. Creating conditions for foreign investment has led to relationships with organizations such as the World Bank Group and the Japan International Cooperation Agency that provide critical assistance in developing SMEs, educational systems, transportation, agriculture, medical care and environmental sustainability. Kazakhstan is also a member of the World Trade Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union. Additionally, in 2010 it served as chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Looking Ahead

In 2012, Kazakhstan released a plan for 2050 that builds upon the “Kazakhstan – 2030” Strategy and aims to place the nation among the top 30 developed countries in the world. Innovations in the agricultural and food industries, empowerment of regional authorities and SMEs, increases in renewable energy and diversification in the economy, are among the priorities for this new agenda. Though the nation is focused on developing these areas, Kazakhstan’s rise out of poverty has equipped the country with the financial and structural means to continue making positive strides in all sectors of Kazakhstani life.

– Suzi Quigg
Photo: Flickr

Poverty and Poaching Reduction: A Success Story

Poverty and PoachingIn recent years, African nations have been grappling with a crisis: declining numbers of some of its most iconic animals. Over 90% of Zambia’s elephant population was wiped out because of poaching, which began in the 1950s. These staggering numbers, however, are connected to a more significant issue in the region: poverty. With a clear correlation between poaching and poverty, research suggests that if poverty can be abated, so can poaching.

The Link Between Poverty and Poaching

Poaching, which kills between 10,000 to 15,000 elephants per year, can largely be attributed to excessive rates of poverty in a particular area. In fact, in regions where elephant populations are faring better, the local human community is too. Where infant mortality and poverty density rates are lower, fewer elephants are being killed. Therefore, it is essential to understand that eliminating poverty and poaching are two sides of the same coin.

In Tanzania, a recent study corroborated the link between these issues. Of 173 local villagers, four out of five confessed to having participated in poaching to provide food or income to their families. The majority of participants maintained that if their basic needs could be met another way, they would permanently stop poaching. Therefore, by addressing their need for food and income, poaching could be significantly reduced.

A Local Organization with a Solution

Fortunately, a local Zambian organization recognized the connection between poverty and poaching and considerable progress has been made to diminish both. Community Markets for Conservation, or COMACO, located in the Luangwa Valley region of Eastern Zambia, works to fight poaching by addressing the root cause of why people poach: poverty. The organization educates villagers on sustainable conservation practices, creating a reliable source of income and food that can consistently provide for local families.

By addressing poverty and poaching as a holistic issue, COMACO has worked to reduce both issues in the Luangwa Valley region. The operation works with over 179,000 locals in 76 different chiefdoms across more than 10.5 million hectares of land. After educating villagers in sustainable ways, COMACO then purchases their goods at premium prices and sells them across Africa under the name “It’s Wild!” On average, farmers in this program turned a food deficit into a food surplus in only a couple of years.

A Proven Method for the Future

With women comprising over half of certified COMACO farmers, this organization has transformed both poverty and poaching in Eastern Zambia. The results show that 86% of farmers are food secure, and their income has tripled. Their pledges to support conservation efforts have yielded promising results.

Poaching incidents have dramatically decreased in the region, there is a surplus of nutritious food and incomes have seen substantial growth.

Poverty and poaching are two intertwined issues that can only be solved by addressing them comprehensively. Local villagers poach because of their inability to find food and a lack of income. COMACO, which understands this connection, has successfully implemented a system to address both and the results are wildly successful. By educating and supporting former poachers on sustainable agricultural practices, COMACO has diminished poverty and poaching. Villagers have a food surplus, a source of income and now, wildlife can safely and freely roam.

– Eliza Cochran
Photo: Flickr

Poverty in Newly Independent Nations

Poverty in Newly Independent Nations
Poverty in newly independent nations is an extremely common phenomenon. Within the past two decades, millions of people have sought independence through referendums and massive social movements, and have succeeded in severing ties with parent nations. However, these grand pursuits of freedom can often lead to instances of large-scale poverty. When analyzing the economic statuses and poverty in newly independent nations likeMontenegro, Kosovo and South Sudan, it is evident that they are no exception.

Montenegro

After the end of World War II, Montenegro became a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. When Yugoslavia dissolved in 1992, Montenegro unified with Serbia, originally the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Later in 2003, it joined Serbia and Montenegro in the much looser association. In the spring of 2006, Montenegro held a referendum on independence from the state union, citing its right under the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro. The vote for severing ties with Serbia exceeded 55%, officially allowing Montenegro to formally declare its independence on June 3, 2006.

Since this success, the country has experienced many changes and the growing issue of poverty. The majority of the poor in Montenegro, however, is its own citizens, despite housing an impressive number of refugees. When considering economic development by region, one can observe large disparities. In fact, in the northern region of Montenegro, the poverty rate has risen to 10.3%, much higher than the national average. Much work remains to combat poverty in Montenegro that its struggle for independence may have been temporarily overshadowed.

Kosovo

After declaring independence from Serbia in 2008, Kosovo established a parliamentary republic. It officially declared independence on February 17, 2008, and more than 100 United Nations members and 23 out of 28 members of the European Union currently recognize it as a fully independent nation.

Kosovo’s economy has experienced tremendous growth in the past decade. However, despite its economic inclusivity characterizing it, it has not been able to provide a sufficient amount of formal jobs for citizens, particularly for women and the youth. Additionally, Kosovo has failed to significantly reduce the high rates of unemployment across the nation. As a result, unemployment and poverty have been on the rise since 2008. There have been solid efforts on the part of the government, foreign aid and service projects–such as the Kosovo Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Project, a $31 million project to reduce energy consumption– to help alleviate poverty in the new nation, but it remains an issue requiring further attention.

South Sudan

The Republic of South Sudan became the world’s newest nation, as well as Africa’s 55th country, on July 9, 2011. However, resumed conflicts in late 2013 and mid-2016, undermined the development it achieved since independence, negating much of the progress that it had made.

With over half the population currently requiring humanitarian assistance, South Sudan faces massive challenges in economic development despite receiving considerable foreign aid and owning significant oil reserves. Not long after South Sudan’s independence, the country encountered successive crises, resulting in a large-scale conflict and an economic recession. By late 2017, nearly 4.5 million people experienced displacement from their homes, accounting for more than a third of the country’s population. Prolonged financial insecurity and large-scale displacement have taken a huge toll on the lives of the South Sudanese people.

Furthermore, private consumption has consistently fallen since the beginning of the civil war that prompted the nation to seek independence in the first place. Amid continuing violence, the economy is experiencing a significant reduction due to sinking oil revenue and disruptions of economic production.

Conclusion

These nations are a testament to the complications that may arise post-independence, including rising poverty levels and the difficulty of developing a robust economic sector capable of supporting citizens. However, the progress that some have made to reduce poverty in newly independent countries demonstrates that there is hope for these countries’ future success.

– Daniela Canales
Photo: Pixabay

Saving Lives in Mali: Muso Health

Saving Lives in Mali
The words “Health can’t wait” are on the website of the Drapers Richard Kaplan foundation. This foundation helps fund the upstart Muso Health, a venture philanthropy group. The statement captures the essence of the Muso Health mission: to deliver healthcare quickly and affordably to people living in poverty. By taking a unique approach to healthcare, Muso Health is saving lives in Mali.

Muso Health uses a proactive health care model; health care workers receive training to seek out, diagnose and treat patients in local communities. Unfortunately, children can die from malaria within 48 hours of contracting it. The Muso model increases the likelihood a child will get treatment in time.

The Origin

A coalition of Americans and Malians founded Muso Health in 2005. The tragedy of child funerals moved the founders of Muso and motivated them to make health care more accessible. Therefore, they began a simple operation of volunteers, dedicated to saving lives in Mali.

Volunteers assist the communities in Mali’s capital city, Bamako. The organization has expanded since 2005; the Muso Health website boasts that it has “grown 2000-fold.” At the beginning of 2020, an additional 50 new Community Health Workers (CHWs) joined Muso Health.

Muso’s CHWs are a group of local Malians who provide in-home health care. Most CHWs are women, and Muso means “woman” in the Bambara language of Mali. Muso Health chose its name, in part, because of the common Malian expression, “If you educate a woman, you educate her family, her community and her entire country.”

The Approach

Muso is saving lives in Mali through proactive community case management. This strategy consists of three main steps. First, Community Health Workers identify and diagnose sick individuals. If possible, the workers treat the illness on the spot. If not, they refer the patient to a clinic. Therefore, Malian families do not have to seek out treatment and diagnosis.

Muso Health also addresses obstacles to healthcare, including cost. Its door-to-door service eliminates transportation fees for the patient and their family. Additionally, Muso Health removes point-of-care fees, so even the most impoverished families can receive care. Lastly, Muso helps to boost Mali’s public health sector by expanding infrastructure and training providers.

The Impact

Muso was able to visit 358,379 homes during the first quarter of 2020. From January to mid-April of 2020, it treated 92% of peri-urban patients and 67% of rural patients within 24 hours. Thankfully, these efforts seem to be paying off. Studies suggest that Muso Health is having a positive impact on Mali.

A 2018 study in BMJ Global Health shows that the areas where Muso Health operates have seen the lowest rates of child death in Sub-Saharan Africa for five consecutive years. The study demonstrated that the child mortality rate was originally at 15.5%. After Muso interventions, the study found that the child mortality rate dropped to 1.7%. In making health care free, the health care costs shifted to Muso and the Malian government. This change only costs the Malian government an extra $8 per person.

Looking Forward

Ultimately, there is a high demand for innovative health care organizations like Muso Health. According to Muso CEO and Co-founder Ari Johnson, “The World Health Organization has estimated that 100 million people every year are driven into poverty by health-care costs.”

Although larger studies are necessary to determine whether the Muso model will work on a greater scale, Muso Health has been successful in Mali. Johnson and his team have received numerous awards for their work in saving lives through innovation. These awards include the 2014 UNICEF Innovation Challenge Award and the Harvard Presidential Scholars Public Service Award.

–  Joseph Maria
Photo: Flickr

The Process of Improving Farming in Saudi Arabia

Farming in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, a desert country that saw its fortunes skyrocket due to the discovery of oil, uses its billions of dollars of oil profits to power many parts of its economy and its citizen’s lives. One of these facets is its food supply — the Kingdom imports more than 80% of its necessary food supply with its oil money. Only about 1.5% of the land area of Saudi Arabia is arable, and what agriculture the country does have ends up taking over 80% of the Kingdom’s precious water supply. While the country is currently food-secure, farming in Saudi Arabia has been a crucial area of interest for those who wish to expand Saudi sustainability and shore up potential risks in global food supply network crashes.

Farming Policy

Saudi Arabia originally attempted agricultural self-sufficiency with aggressive government subsidies for farmers in the 1980s due to volatile food imports. Poor techniques and mismanagement of water resources forced the reimagining of these efforts in 2007. Now, the Kingdom subsidizes the use of manufactured feed for livestock farmers and encourages vegetable growth using greenhouses and drip irrigation methods. These techniques conserve water while ensuring a more sustainable food supply.

The Saudi government has made concerted efforts to improve its agricultural sector as part of its Vision 2030 program. A top priority for the Kingdom is increasing efficiency in its use of limited natural resources while developing rural areas. Farming is an important source of employment in the Kingdom, so supporting agribusiness in Saudi Arabia not only improves food security but the overall lives of many. Farmers are often some of the poorest individuals in the world, so providing aid and focusing on agricultural efficiency simultaneously fights Saudi hunger and poverty.

New Developments

The Kingdom is still a major importer of cereals, meat, dairy products and fruits and vegetables, but there has been a growing emphasis on farming in Saudi Arabia as demand for food continues to rise. Following the failed attempts in the 1980s, Saudis have used technology to help make their agricultural industry as efficient as possible. New strategies include the use of satellites to obtain pictures of farmland. The intention of the resulting thermal images is to better understand the relationship between crop growth and overall water use. This helps farmers compare water requirements for different crops and estimate which crop has the highest yield given a certain amount of water.

Another newer form of technology recently came into play in the United Arab Emirates, which shares a border and climate with Saudi Arabia. There, a Norwegian scientist introduced her patented Liquid Nanoclay (LNC) to Emirati desert farms. LNC is a treatment that gives sand a clay coating by mixing nanoparticles of clay with water and binding them with sand particles. Since sand particles are loose, they cannot trap water efficiently, but this treatment allows them to do so. Without using any chemicals, LNC saved water consumption by over 50% in its trial run in the Emirati farms. While it is still quite expensive, international technology like this provides hope for farming in Saudi Arabia, as well as other regions that are water-scarce and relatively reliant on food imports.

Current Trends

High seafood consumption levels have driven the Kingdom to transform and expand its aquaculture industry, or the farming of aquatic species in some body of water like a tank, cage or pond. Aquaculture also saw its start in the 1980s, but today it is the fastest-growing animal food cultivation industry in Saudi Arabia. Government support is a large driver of this — to enhance food security, the government allocated $35 billion toward Vision 2030 projects that include aquaculture funding. Examples of these projects include establishing a seafood processing plant for high-end fish and marine fin-fish cages in the Red Sea in addition to several other initiatives focused on land farming.

Better-informed practices and technological advancement of farming in Saudi Arabia have helped in creating a more sustainable domestic food supply in the Kingdom. Learning from its mistakes in the 1980s, the Saudi government has targeted its subsidies and projects toward more efficient crops and projects, like fish farming. Additionally, it has pivoted away from crops and growth methods having to do with wastewater. Technology like satellite use aides in current Saudi production while new, pioneering technology like Liquid Nanoclay provides hope for the future of Saudi food security and sustainability. Even though food imports still make up the majority of its supply, the Saudi government has recognized this issue and is making a concerted effort into reforming its agriculture industry. These efforts have the potential to help Saudi Arabia avoid a major food and poverty crisis in the future.

– Connor Bradbury
Photo: Flickr

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5 Innovations Fighting Global Poverty

Fight Global Poverty With These 5 Innovations

Now more than ever, technology is working hard to help those living in poverty. Although there are many innovations, here are five unique innovations fighting global poverty.

5 Innovations Fighting Global Poverty

  1. Score Stove 2: An appliance called Score Stove 2 not only cooks food but also creates electrical energy through heat combustion, an electricity source that one can use to charge up to 12 batteries at a time. To reduce deforestation, the stove requires almost 50% less wood than conventional stoves. Its energy-saving design also minimizes smoke inhalation. This environmentally friendly stove is a unique solution to a traditional stove.
  2. Hippo Roller: The Hippo Roller can carry up to 90 liters of water at a time, an efficient tool for those who need to carry several gallons of water a day to provide for their families. People can also use the Hippo Roller for irrigating crops, cleaning and cooking. Currently, 51 countries are using this appliance. It has supplied about 60,000 people with efficient water transportation. This innovation is a simple solution working to combat the water crisis and fight global poverty.
  3. LifeStraw: The LifeStraw also tackles the global water crisis, filtering and removing bacteria or parasites from water sources for those who do not have access to clean water. The LifeStraw has an unlimited shelf life, is very durable and lightweight and is an essential survival tool. Inside the shell is a membrane microfilter that remains effective for up to 1,000 gallons, or 4,000 liters, of water. The LifeStraw is now popular among hikers and backpackers. However, the original purpose of the LifeStraw was to help eradicate Guinea worms from water, making it safe to drink for those with limited access to clean water or healthcare.
  4. Life Saving Dot: Iodine bindis are saving lives in rural India as iodine deficiencies are a leading cause of brain damage and anemia. This Life Saving Dot, which people can wear like a bindi, gives a daily dose of 150-220 micrograms a day to the wearer. While the founders of the company have worked to give many away for free, Life Saving Dots generally sell at a low price to low-income families. Global poverty and health directly relate, both acting as the cause and effect of the other. Technology like this is helping to stop this cycle.
  5. Tree Planting Drones: Tree-planting drones in Myanmar are restoring forests. Biocarbon Engineering and the Worldview International Foundation have teamed up to plant trees in empty fields. The drones first collect data about the fields and then determine what plants would best survive there. The drones allow the coverage of more land at a faster rate than if people planted the trees by hand. Environmental factors, such as deforestation, flooding and drought, directly affect communities. Forests supply clean air, water resources and wood to help maintain food security and wealthy communities.

These five innovations fighting global poverty show how technology can be a powerful tool for addressing global poverty. Just one of these innovations offers so much relief to those in need; imagine what might happen if everyone in poverty had access to these technologies.

– Hannah Kaufman
Photo: Flickr

Agricultural Innovations in Poverty Eradication in Moldova

Poverty in MoldovaMoldova is the poorest country in Europe. It is heavily dependant on agriculture, yet fails to feed and employ its poor because of its highly diverse climate. In 2015, 9.6% of its citizens lived in absolute poverty. According to the United Nations, it has failed to adapt to changing weather patterns because most agricultural technology is dated to the 1970s and 80s. With these outdated technologies, poverty eradication in Moldova requires much attention to detail, patience and global aid.

Moldova has a history of famine. In 1947, under the Soviet Union, Moldova faced a drought that yielded less than half of what it harvested in 1940. While still recovering from the fallout of the Soviet Era, another devasting famine hit the country in 2007. The United Nations World Food Program claims the 2007 famine was “the most severe in living memory.” Once more in 2012, this small country suffered environmental damage and lost $1 billion of its $8 billion dollar GDP in 2011. This event struck 70% of Moldova’s cereal crops, 25% of its cattle, 50% of its pigs and 25% of all its chickens.

Moldova is heavily dependent on agriculture despite its history of drought. This sector accounts for 14.5% of its GDP and around 40% of the total employed population, with 70% in rural areas. Additionally, this sector occupies about 60% of all land. This poses serious concerns about the way the agriculture sector functions, long-term infrastructural changes and short-term technological innovations in Moldova. Here are six facts about the agricultural sector in Moldova and agricultural innovations in poverty eradication in Moldova.

6 Facts About the Agricultural Sector in Moldova

  1. Because much farming is small-scale, the country lacks the necessary robust infrastructure to feed its population or provide stable employment. Approximately 98% of farmers are small-scale and therefore lack the ability to produce economies of scale. Economies of scale are typically understood to make each unit produced cheaper through the ability to invest in more expensive, but more efficient, machinery. This increased profit margin also protects against economic shocks, such as droughts. Without these profit margins, farmers lack the capital to invest in technologies that can help them overcome poverty.
  2. Moldova is particularly notable because its patterns of migratory work do not necessarily reflect those of other nations for which remittances make up a significant portion of gross domestic product. Many Moldovans work in Western Europe, Israel and Russia while sending money to their home country. Unlike other countries, however, these workers are largely seasonal, because they do not move permanently to the nations they work in and instead send money home. In the off-season, they return to Moldova. As a result, Moldovans need critical agricultural infrastructure so citizens may make ends meet when they are not working in other countries.
  3. The government and private investors are taking tangible steps towards technological advancements and infrastructural changes. There has been a push away from crops vulnerable to climate versatility, like wheat, and towards climate-resistant crops, like the sunflower. The World Bank recommends that the country can do more, like investing in economically efficient irrigation, pest management and research for better weather forecasts.
  4. The World Bank is pushing for global contributions. Funds from the World Bank are providing measurable changes in agricultural infrastructure. In 2017, the bank helped fund more efficient irrigation systems that allow farmers to see a 40% increase in crops despite more rainy days.
  5. USAID’s High Value Agriculture Activity in Moldova, a project geared towards poverty eradication in Moldova, has created an Agriculture Innovation and Technology Transfer Fund. This fund should help popularize modern-planting along with technologies for preservation after harvesting and help critical technology meet safety standards in trade. Expectations are that sales will increase by $84 million, an additional 280 farmers with utilize new harvesting technologies and 5,000 people will receive training to use those new harvesting technologies.
  6. In 2010, The World Bank outlined long-term goals to eradicate poverty in Moldova. These include creating economies of scale, diversifying the economy and creating platforms to better coordinate and share knowledge. All of these are necessary to attract private investment, which can then lead to even greater growth and permanent opportunities. Yet, these long-term goals prove difficult to approach, because there will be little measurable effect if many poor farmers cannot afford to invest in new technology.

Investment in technological innovations in the agricultural sector should help with poverty eradication in Moldova. It should provide food for the hungry, jobs for the poor, ameliorate impacts of environmental catastrophe and boost the country’s economy. With this additional money, the country can begin to invest in the World Bank’s long-term goals.

Aid is essential to the survival of this small country. Moldova has successfully created a highly specialized elite force and researched better alternatives to current crops. Additionally, companies offering economically efficient energy have emerged. According to the United Nations, however, global investment is necessary so farmers may have access to technologies and crops that resist climate challenges.

– Bisma Punjani
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Child Poverty in Thailand: UNICEF’s New Strategy

child poverty in thailandWith clear waters and swaying palm trees, many voyage to Thailand for vacations and sightseeing excursions. Beyond these luxuries though, there is another side to reality for those who live there. Of approximately 18 million children, as many as one million are living in vulnerable and impoverished conditions. Thailand’s National Economic and Social Development Council has developed a program in partnership with UNICEF to address child poverty in Thailand. The council created a culturally specific Child Multidimensional Poverty Index (Child MPI) to adequately measure the various deprivations that children experience. The index identifies multiple ways children suffer and exist in poor conditions beyond the monetary scale. The focus falls on four main areas: education, welfare, living standards and health.

The Child Multidimensional Poverty Index

Thailand has officially become one of the first countries to adopt and utilize this type of multidimensional index for children. Thomas Davin, the UNICEF representative for Thailand, has accepted the Child MPI with open arms. UNICEF believes that this new standard of measurement will ensure that no child is left behind in regard to poverty. Poverty and lack of resources stem not only from money but from a variety of deeply rooted and interwoven issues that are often overlooked. In order to properly source and address these roots, UNICEF has dedicated itself to working alongside various aid initiatives and groups that support the Child MPI.

Poverty: Varied Causes and Effects

Studies show that Thailand’s poverty rates differ among varying regions of the country. Multidimensional child poverty stands at 23% in rural areas whereas the number is 19% in urban areas. The severity of impoverished conditions also varies from region to region, with some living standards being noticeably worse than others.
Additionally, there are various factors behind multidimensional child poverty in Thailand. Lack of proper educational resources, caregivers and nutrition are some of the greatest contributors to this nationwide affliction. Some parents also abandon their children, many of which suffer from HIV/AIDS or other illnesses and disabilities, essentially dooming them to impoverished conditions. Once these children are entrenched in poverty, child labor exploitation often becomes an issue. Even though efforts are being made to reduce child labor, an estimated 8% of children between the ages of 5 and 14 are fulfilling the need for cheap and unskilled labor. As these children grow into adolescents and adults, poverty continues to plague them. Thus, they continue the cycle as they begin their own families.

Room For Improvement

While much work still needs to be done to fix child poverty in Thailand, the numbers are improving. Between 2006 and 2005, the child MPI dropped from .170 to .127 for children between the ages of 5 and 14. Thailand also transitioned from being a lower-middle economy to an upper-middle economy in 2011. Despite this new influx of finances, however, not all Thai citizens have benefited. The rise from lower-middle to upper-middle has served mainly to expand the divide between the rich and the poor. As some people continue to rise, others have fallen even deeper into the trenches of poverty.

The progress that has been made should not be ignored, but it can not be fodder for complacency either. In order to achieve UNICEF’s goal for no child to be left behind, it has become incredibly important to continue aiding those who are still suffering. While the numbers have dropped, they are still not eradicated. Child poverty in Thailand is still an issue that needs to be addressed, and the Child MPI is a valuable tool to ensure that every child has a fighting chance to be seen and helped.

– Nicolette Schneiderman
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