Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Healthcare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

healthcare in the Democratic Republic of the CongoOne of the biggest challenges facing the Democratic Republic of the Congo is its healthcare system. The country faces many barriers to adequate healthcare, such as low funding, systematic and structural difficulties, poverty, proper treatment and testing, education and more. However, many organizations worldwide are working to improve healthcare in the country through direct aid and legislation.

The Problems with the Healthcare System in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The healthcare system lacks investment and funding. As a result, it is difficult for the country to combat prevalent healthcare issues, such as infectious diseases. It also provides obstacles to combatting more pervasive issues such as infant and mother mortality rates. According to the CDC, the top causes of death in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are “malaria, lower respiratory infections, neonatal disorders and tuberculosis.”

Many of these issues are preventable. However, as of 2017, the Democratic Republic of the Congo only dedicated 3.98% of GDP to healthcare. In comparison, the U.S. dedicated 17.06% to healthcare. Healthcare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo requires consistent funding and resources to ameliorate and reduce these problems; without increased investment, these healthcare problems will only continue to persist.

Furthermore, the WHO states that another complication facing the healthcare system is a lack of resources. The healthcare facilities that are up and running are “often poorly maintained” and difficult to access. Moreover, many communities throughout the country are isolated and spread out. For example, the WHO states that 80% of cholera patients are displaced throughout the country. With these patients vastly spread out, it becomes harder and harder to treat and reduce the impact of cholera. Additionally, traveling from one area to the next present difficulties because of damaged and underdeveloped roads, which introduces another barrier to proper treatment.

Therefore, it becomes increasingly difficult for citizens to even obtain access to healthcare clinics and/or hospitals. Factoring in violence and displacement, lack of food and healthy drinking water and extreme poverty conditions, healthcare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s is in dire need of support and aid.

What Organizations are Doing to Help

With that said, what are other countries and organizations doing to help the Democratic Republic of the Congo? There are many organizations around the world working to reduce global poverty and improve healthcare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other struggling countries. The focus herein are direct, firsthand efforts from organizations such as USAID, the CDC and WHO.

  • The WHO is actively trying to obtain accurate information about population and health in order to properly provide solutions for certain problems. For example, the WHO seeks to obtain information about issues, such as infant mortality rate and the necessary vaccines. Then, they modernize this information by implementing new technology and software to ensure that the data is upkept, accurate and transformative.
  • USAID is training local citizens and communities on proper healthcare treatment and issues. USAID helps these citizens utilize “locally available resources” to treat the pervasive health issues specific to the country. Additionally, USAID also seeks to increase education by providing scholarships to people to pursue comprehensive medical education. USAID also strives to increase funding and investment for healthcare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • The CDC has sent more than two million testing kits and thousands of vaccines/treatments to combat a multitude of issues such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, influenza and infections. Additionally, they have also increased the number of healthcare clinics and other testing and treatment sites across the country. These sites now include five new “sentinel sites for influenza and other infections”.

Moving Forward

Furthermore, advocacy organizations push federal legislation focused on reducing poverty and improving healthcare systems across the world. Equally important, these continual and consistent efforts prioritize allocation of U.S. foreign aid towards these economically struggling countries.

Overall, healthcare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, underfunded for many years, still requires intense rebuilding and change. However, many organizations across the world are understanding these healthcare issues and taking action to help. While much more progress must occur in order to ensure a stable, successful healthcare system, the progress that is currently underway should not be overlooked.

– Sophia McWilliams 
Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Sanitation in Lebanon

10 Facts About Sanitation in Lebanon
Lebanon is a Middle Eastern country located in Western Asia. Bordered by Syria and Israel, Lebanon has a population of about 6.8 million. In the past 40 years, Lebanon has faced a civil war, spillover from the Syrian civil war, years of political unrest and a two-and-a-half-year leadership gap in 2014. Lebanon’s sanitation issues have been a task the government has not yet solved due to the amount of political and governmental unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, foreign aid groups are intervening to keep the Lebanese people safe. Here are 10 facts about sanitation in Lebanon.

10 Facts About Sanitation in Lebanon

  1. Lebanon is facing a garbage crisis. In 2015, Naameh, a large Lebanese landfill site, closed due to unsanitary conditions and capacity issues. Government authorities struggled to find a contingency plan in time, leading to what Human Rights Watch calls a “national health crisis.” Garbage is piling up on streets and in riverbanks in its capital, Beirut. Burning waste is a method that Beirut and Mount Lebanon has used since Naameh closed, but it poses a threat to the Lebanese people. The Human Rights Watch reported that, since the closure, doctors near Beirut saw an increase in respiratory illnesses. In addition, experts have linked the inhalation of smoke from burning waste to heart disease, cancer and skin conditions. During the COVID-19 outbreak, this crisis has worsened. Nongovernmental organizations have to take Lebanon’s medical waste because the country cannot properly dispose of it.
  2. Water quality has deteriorated, in part due to the garbage crisis. USAID wrote that the dumping of waste in rivers, in combination with urbanization and the lack of a waste management system, has led to a deterioration in Lebanon’s water quality. Waterborne diseases, such as dysentery, hepatitis A, leishmaniasis and typhoid, are leading diseases that affect children.
  3. The Syrian crisis spillover into Lebanon has had harmful effects on the country’s water. The war has led to an influx of more than 1.5 million refugees to Lebanon. Consequently, this has added significantly to the country’s water stress. Access to a public network of water as a drinking source dropped from 57% to 35% between 2004 and 2009. Currently, UNICEF is working with the Lebanese government to improve access to both safe drinking water and waste services.
  4. Access to clean water is expensive. Nearly one in three Lebanese buys their drinking water from an alternative source because of the issues with official water supplies. These sources often come at a cost. Additionally, an average Beirut family can spend up to 15% of its monthly income on just water.
  5. The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has coordinated with Lebanese authorities to improve sanitary conditions and safe water access. UNHCR’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) efforts designs to help both refugees and Lebanese communities meet their basic needs and strengthen infrastructure. Its interventions helped sanitation in Lebanon. In fact, it improved sanitary conditions for 108,000 people and access to safe water for 27,000 people by the end of 2016. By June 2017, it had improved the sanitary conditions for 110,700 refugees and installed more than 147 km of pipeline in nine water supply systems.
  6. Lebanon’s air quality is unsafe. Recent data indicates that Lebanon’s annual mean concentration of PM 2.5 is three times the recommended maximum amount. Tourism and cement industries, food processing, mineral and chemical products, oil refining and vehicle emissions are all contributors to Lebanon’s poor air quality. Exposure to air pollution short term can lead to symptoms such as itchy throat, nose, eyes and chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, nausea and upper respiratory infections. Moreover, longterm effects include lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. Globally, one can attribute 5 million deaths each year to air pollution. Around 93% of the population in Beruit experiences exposure to high levels of air pollution. As of 2019, Lebanon is still looking for solutions for this.
  7. UNICEF helped more than 134,000 refugees learn about health and sanitation. About 18% of Syrian refugees in Lebanon live in tents or makeshift shelters. In addition, 73% of refugees rent units that are in poor condition, lacking kitchens, toilets and running water. The lack of these resources — especially for those living in makeshift settlements — is a sanitation risk. UNICEF reached out to more than 134,000 refugees living in Informal Settlements (ISs) to communicate “custom-tailored public health promotion messages” on topics relating to sanitation including safe water, hygiene, solid waste and communicable diseases.
  8. Rotary International has worked to improve hygiene in Lebanese schools. As of 2019, the Rotary wrote that it had installed a water filtration project to provide safe water to more than 1,000 schools. A second and third phase will work on advancing hygiene conversations between teachers and students and installing proper sewage systems and toilet seats in schools. It plans to continue its work by implementing water filtration in prisons.
  9. There has been an uptick in foodborne and waterborne diseases. The Ministry of Public Health’s epidemiological surveillance program has recorded increasing levels of water and foodborne illnesses. The cases rose from 1,072 in 2005 to 2,053 in 2018. This is likely because of people eating food that has come in contact with contaminated water. While the Rotary has worked on improving water conditions for schools and prisons, advocates are still attempting to bring awareness to the pollution issues in Lebanon.
  10. Foreign aid helps with Lebanon’s sanitation and access to water problems tremendously. In 2019, 98% of people had access to safely managed sanitation services. Meanwhile, about 93% of the population had access to safely managed drinking water services. More than 570,000 people gained access to improved drinking water through U.S. government assistance. The Lebanon Water Project, a five-year program with USAID, has funded $65 million in an attempt to create cleaner, more sustainable and reliable water sources in Lebanon. The project supports the Noth Lebanon Water Establishment with water infrastructure works and encourages the use of drip irrigation, which saves water.

While Lebanon still has a garbage crisis on its hands, something that the pandemic has made more difficult, organizations like USAID, WHO, UNICEF and UNHCR have helped improve sanitation in Lebanon outside of that crisis. As a result, more people have access to clean water.

– Sophie Grieser
Photo: Flickr

Himalayan Cataract Project Combats Blindness and Poverty Around the World

Himalayan Cataract ProjectIn 1995, Dr. Geoff Tabin and Dr. Sanduk Ruit launched the Himalayan Cataract Project to eliminate curable and preventable blindness in under-resourced Himalayan communities. The two founded their innovative campaign after recognizing that cataracts account for 70% of unnecessary blindness in Nepal. Cataracts, or cloudy, opaque areas in the eye that block light entry, occur naturally with age. Poor water quality, malnutrition and disease tend to exacerbate the issue in developing countries.

For years, Dr. Tabin and Dr. Ruit had seen Nepalese villagers take blindness as a death sentence. “It was just accepted that you get old, your hair turns white, your eyes turn white, you go blind and you die,” Dr. Tabin told the Stanford Medicine magazine. But after Dutch teams arrived in Nepal to perform cataract surgery, he explained, “People came back to life. It was amazing.”

The Strategy

The Himalayan Cataract Project delivers sight-restoring cataract surgery at a low cost. Dr. Ruit’s groundbreaking procedure lasts 10 minutes and costs just $25. Today the organization has succeeded in providing permanent refractive correction for well over 500,000 people.

In an effort to leave a more sustainable impact, the project works from a “train the trainer” model that empowers community health providers and enhances local eye care centers. Rather than simply treating patients in need, specialists introduce new methods and technology to strengthen the practices of existing clinics.

As a result of these and other advances, the blindness rate in Nepal has plummeted to 0.24%, similar to that of Western countries. The Himalayan Cataract Project now operates in India, Tibet and Myanmar. Dr. Tabin has also initiated training programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Ghana and Ethiopia. He hopes to see the same successes here as achieved in Asia.

The Link Between Blindness and Poverty

Addressing blindness is a critical step in the fight against poverty. Blindness prevents able-bodied workers from supporting themselves, shortens lives and reduces the workforce. Children of blind parents often stay home from school as they scramble to fulfill the duties of household caregivers and providers. In short, blindness worsens poverty, while poverty magnifies the risk of blindness.

The Himalayan Cataract Project aims to break the cycle of blindness and poverty. Studies have shown a 400% return on every dollar that the organization invests in eradicating curable and preventable blindness. Their procedures stimulate the economy by helping patients get back to work.

Individual success stories continue to power the organization. Adjoe, a 40-year-old mother from Togo, traveled to Ghana for surgery when she determined that her blind eye was hurting business. As a street vendor selling beans, she saw customers avoid her stand for fear of contagion. She consulted Dr. Boteng Wiafe, a partner of the Himalayan Cataract Project, who performed oculoplastic surgery and gave her a prosthetic eye. Carefully matching the prosthetic to the size, color and shape of her good eye, Dr. Wiafe ensured that Adjoe could return home to provide for her family once again.

Response to COVID-19

In recent months, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a halt to live clinical training and elective surgeries, but the backlog of blindness continues to grow worldwide. Meanwhile, concerns about the virus may dissuade blind patients from seeking treatment for the next several years.

While eye care has been suspended, the Himalayan Cataract Project is using this time to redesign and restructure their programs so as to emerge even stronger than before. The organization is also working to equip partner clinics with information and resources to keep their patients safe. Some communities have even taken part in the shift to remote education and implemented a virtual training system.

Despite the uncertainty of the months ahead, the Himalayan Cataract Project remains firm in its commitment to fighting blindness and poverty. Its partner clinics around the globe have been tireless in their efforts to affirm that the poor and vulnerable will receive the eye care they need once patients can receive in-person treatment again.

– Katie Painter
Photo: Flickr

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5 Congressional Leaders Tackling Global Poverty Issues

Congressional LeadersA Gallup poll taken before the government shutdown of 2018-19 found American’s approval rating of congressional leaders’ job performance at 18%. More recent polls show ratings have improved but remain low, with an average of 24.2% of people approving of Congress, according to Real Clear Politics. Government shutdowns and highly publicized filibusters highlight the challenge of passing bills and contribute to these low approval ratings. In fact, in 2016, after a House of Representatives sit-in over gun control measures, political analyst Larry Jacobs told a Minnesota local CBS affiliate that more than 90% of bills die in Senate or House committees.

However, as USHistory.org notes, passing bills is meant to be difficult with the checks and balances system in place. What’s more, bills do get introduced constantly. For instance, each of the 200 senators and 435 representatives in Congress is involved with at least a few of the hundreds of bills introduced throughout any given leaders’ tenure. Here are five leaders who have been especially active in supporting bills directly impacting the fight against global poverty.

5 Congressional Leaders Tackling Global Poverty Issues

  1. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine). Susan Collins has been a senator since 1997.  She directly sponsored 18 international affairs-related bills and co-sponsored an additional 374. Bills she introduced include the Clean Cookstoves and Fuels Support Act, which she introduced in various forms in 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2015. These bills encourage the U.S. to better help advance an international initiative to make clean cooking accessible to millions of people worldwide. Collins also introduced the Reach Every Mother and Child Acts of 2015, 2017, and 2019—which urge the president to create a five-year strategy to, as the bill states, help end “preventable child and maternal deaths globally by 2030.”
  2. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). A Senator since 1993, Robert Menendez has sponsored 178 and co-sponsored 650 international affairs bills. Menendez’s sponsored bills include the Ebola Eradication Act of 2019, which passed in the Senate in September 2019, the End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2019, which is still under Senate consideration, and the Venezuela Humanitarian Relief, Reconstruction, and Rule of Law Act of 2018.
  3. Representative Lois Frankel (D-Fl). Lois Frankel has been in Congress since 2013. She’s sponsored 12 international affairs-related bills and co-sponsored an additional 200 with a focus on women’s rights issues abroad. For example, one bill she introduced herself is the Women and Countering Violent Extremism Act of 2019, which authorizes aid to women’s groups abroad that address terrorism-related issues. Frankel also introduced the Keeping Girls in School Act, a bill improving access to education for young girls worldwide. Frankel introduced the initial version in 2018 and passed the new 2019 version in the House in January 2020.
  4. Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ). Christopher Smith has been in Congress since 1981. In that time, he’s sponsored 287 international affairs-related bills and co-sponsored an additional 1,208. One bill he introduced is the End Neglected Tropical Diseases Act, which directs the U.S. to help treat and eliminate under-the-radar tropical diseases to improve lives in at-risk regions. The bill passed in the House in December and is under review by a Senate committee. Another bill he introduced is the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2018, which extends the programs of the Global Food Security Act of 2016. Smith’s bill was a sibling to a Senate bill that passed through both legislatures first, becoming law in October 2018.
  5. Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY). A Congressman since 1989, Eliot Engel has personally introduced 150 bills addressing international affairs issues and co-sponsored an additional 1,312. One bill he introduced is the Venezuela Humanitarian Assistance and Defense of Democratic Governance Act of 2017, which calls for the U.S. to assist Venezuela amid its growing humanitarian crisis. The bill passed in the House in December 2017 and is under Senate review. Engel also introduced the Global Fragility Act to “establish the interagency Global Fragility Initiative to stabilize conflict-affected areas and prevent violence globally.” This act passed in the House in May 2019 and is under review by the Senate.

These five congressional leaders have worked directly on hundreds of bills addressing issues of global poverty. The examples above are only a snapshot of their individual contributions. These five leaders have had a total of 30 sponsored bills in the international affairs category become law; the process of introducing and passing bills never ends. The upcoming election will determine whether these leaders will continue to build on their legacies or cede their place to new leaders eager to make a mark on the legislative process.

– Amanda Ostuni
Photo: Flickr

Zambia’s Mining Industry Strikes Gold

Zambia's Mining IndustryThanks to the abundance of mineral deposits in Zambia, investors have continued to flock to the country in spite of the pandemic-fueled economic downturn in many parts of the world. By deeming gold a critical mineral, the government is actively expanding Zambia’s mining industry by mandating that Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings PLC (ZCCM-IH), a mining consortium, “drive the gold national agenda.”

Productive Mining Partnerships

Zambia’s government is a major investor in ZCCM-IH. Array Metals and ZCCM-IH have formed a partnership through Consolidated Gold Company Zambia (CGCZ). Array Metals determined that the venture will immediately generate local employment for 300 people. Mining is expected to commence sometime in June 2020 and will lead to another increase in employment. The establishment of new and competing mining firms will be beneficial for Zambia by encouraging a rise in gold production, increasing the national GDP and creating new opportunities for local employment.

Potential Profits from Gold Mining

With an approximation of 16,500 pounds of gold (around $400 million in value) within gold ore in Mumbwa, Zambia, continued investments in the Republic of Zambia are indicative of an economically auspicious future for the country. The gold mine is situated in Central Province, Zambia, and had been shut down for years before exploratory studies revealed the previously undiscovered resources within.

Roughly $2.5 million in capital has been devoted to the beginning portion of the project alone, with CGCZ aiming for an initial yield of 3 metric tons of gold (about $150 million in value).

How Zambia is Improving the Local Gold Mining Industry

According to CGCZ’s CEO Faisal Keer, “CGCZ is partnering with various small-scale gold miners in the country by providing mining technical expertise, and providing access to earthmoving machinery and gold processing lines to kick-start and boost their gold production.”

Since the majority of local miners mine through the process of gold panning, one focus of another partnership between ZCCM-IH and Karma Mining Services is to improve Zambia’s local gold mining efficiency. While CGCZ is only operating in the Mumbwa and Rufunsa districts of Zambia, there are more than 60 sites for gold mining. Local miners have also partnered with other foreign investors.

Although there is no official documentation, some have profited off illegally mining and smuggling gold out of Zambia. The government’s newfound focus on Zambia’s local gold mining has the perk of bringing lawfulness to a previously unformalized industry. In that spirit, the “government has given artisanal miners gold panning certificates to legalize their alluvial or riverbed gold mining activities.”

By supplying licensed miners with machinery, equipment, and knowledge about the industry through ZCCM-IH and CGCZ, Zambians are encouraged to participate in Zambia’s local gold mining. The formalizing of the gold mining industry will benefit more than Zambia, for it will enable licensed miners and locals to “reap the benefits of the assets under Zambian soil.”

– Carlos Williams
Photo: Flickr

What to Know About Hunger in Chad

hunger in ChadChad, a country in Central Africa, has one of the highest rates of hunger in the world. The country gained independence in 1960, and has struggled with political instability and conflict with surrounding nations ever since. These issues, paired with drought and climate change, have caused widespread hunger in Chad.

Lake Chad sits on the borders of Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger. The lake is used to support 30 million people in the surrounding regions who depend on the water source for agriculture, fisheries and livestock. However since the 60s, droughts, overuse and climate change have shrunk the lake down to 90% of its original size. This has caused millions in the Lake Chad region to suffer from food insecurity.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Chad

This, along with armed conflict in neighboring countries, has led to more than 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Chad. It has also contributed to an influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees from other central African countries. This puts significant strain on Chad’s scarce resources and has resulted in 66.2% of the population living in severe poverty. Additionally, the crisis places 4.3 million Chadians in need of humanitarian aid. Although humanitarian efforts are occurring in the Lake Chad region, millions of Chadians still face hunger daily across the country.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network predicts that this year’s growing season will produce “stressed levels of food insecurity” across regions disrupted by displacement and conflict. This includes the millions affected by drought and conflict around Lake Chad. The U.N.’s Children Fund (UNICEF) also found a 20% increase in children below the age of five who suffered from severe acute malnutrition in 2019 compared to the year before. This means a predicted 1.8 million young children in Chad may suffer from acute malnutrition in 2020.

The 2018 National Nutrition Survey recorded that 13.5% of the global population endures acute malnutrition. This number, however, is much larger in Chad. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that 4.5 million of Chad’s 14 million citizens face food insecurity. Furthermore, OCHA reports that 991,000 Chadians are severely food insecure. This means 7% of Chadians face severe malnutrition as a result of political instability, armed conflict from neighboring countries and the desertification of Lake Chad.

Organizations Helping the Hunger Crisis in Chad

In response to widespread hunger in Chad, USAID’s Office of Food for Peace, the U.N. World Food Program and non-governmental organizations work together to provide services for the most vulnerable. UNICEF administers treatment to children with severe acute malnutrition, provides vaccinates for the measles and distributes learning materials. In 2020, they aim to support pregnant and breastfeeding mothers with supplements. They also seek to continue their work treating children with severe acute malnutrition.

After three years in the Lake Chad region, Doctors Without Borders announced that living conditions for IDPs have greatly improved. The organization also stated that locals have begun slowly returning to their home villages thanks to development programs set up by aid agencies. This is an optimistic improvement and a step in the right direction to ending hunger in Chad. However, the aid cannot stop as hundreds of thousands of Chadians and refugees still depend on humanitarian aid.

Great work is being done to end hunger in Chad and support the 10 million people affected by the Lake Chad crisis. However, as of December, the International Organization for Migration found that at least 170,000 IDPs still remained in Chad. The hunger crisis in Chad needs increased aid to battle the rise of acute malnutrition in children and help all those whose livelihoods the Lake Chad crisis affect.

– Eleanor Williams 

Photo: Flickr

How Skateistan Brings Skateboarding Worldwide

Skateistan Brings Skateboarding WorldwideSkateistan is a nonprofit organization that works internationally to give poor and underprivileged children an opportunity to skateboard. Skateistan brings skateboarding worldwide by providing skating lessons and education in creative arts to children from low-income backgrounds

About Skateistan

Australian skateboarder and researcher Oliver Percovich founded the organization in 2007. Its headquarters are in Berlin, and there are Skateistan schools in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa. Children in these countries, especially girls and those with disabilities, benefit from picking up a new hobby in a safe space, such as skateboarding. A documentary about Skateistan’s work in Afghanistan, “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl),” came out in 2019 and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature (Short Subject) in 2020. Since it began, the nonprofit has had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of children in these three countries.

Afghanistan

Over half the population of Afghanistan lives below the poverty line, making it one of the poorest countries in the world. In addition, the country has extreme inequality between the sexes. The government discourages women from participating in sports and other group activities and strongly limits their education. Less than 14% of women in Afghanistan have literacy skills. These factors make the work Skateistan does crucial to the lives of many young girls there. Skateistan brings skateboarding worldwide and focuses on children who face these barriers. Afghanistan does not technically consider skateboarding a sport and therefore girls are able to take full advantage of the programs offered at Skateistan schools.

Participants in the programs go beyond just skateboarding outside. They gain important skills like teamwork while learning how to skate and are offered interactive courses that teach subjects such as art and nutrition. There are Skateistan schools in two cities in Afghanistan: Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif. Although the organization has had to make concessions due to the culture of Afghanistan, such as having specific girls-only days with female instructors, the program has been very successful. Afghanistan now has one of the highest percentages of female skateboarders in the world, thanks in part to Skateistan’s efforts.

Cambodia

Cambodia is among the poorest countries in Asia, although its poverty rate has been continuously decreasing over the past decade. Less than 15% of the population now lives in poverty. Skateistan has a school in the Cambodian city Phnom Penh. Children are allowed to take a skating lesson for up to one hour a day (using a skateboard and equipment provided by Skateistan) as long as they also study or read in the school’s classroom or library. This is intended to supplement the limited education that children in Cambodia typically receive, as well as to protect them from the crime and violence that many children face. The program also includes special courses for students with disabilities, helping them develop life skills such as confidence and communication.

South Africa

South Africa experiences intense inequality. The bottom 90% of the country earns only 35% of the total income, and as a result, many South Africans live in poverty. In 2016, Skateistan opened a school in Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa. The organization received financial support from various groups to fund and build this school, including the Tony Hawk Foundation and the Royal Danish Embassy. As with the Skateistan schools in Afghanistan and Cambodia, this will provide opportunities for underprivileged children to learn to skate while also supplementing their education with classes and homework help. Almost half of the hundreds of students who have enrolled at this school are girls.

Skateistan brings skateboarding worldwide to underprivileged children who would otherwise never have the opportunity to learn to skate. They are able to develop life skills while skating as well as gain education in various other subjects. The emphasis that the organization places on including girls and children with disabilities ensures that they are not left out. Many of the students who take part in the program return as teachers, using their love of skateboarding to help other children grow. This cycle of growth that Skateistan creates has helped thousands of impoverished children in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa.

– Gabriel Guerin

Photo: Wikimedia

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How COVID-19 Has Impacted Artisanal Gold Miners in Burkina Faso

How COVID-19 Has Impacted Artisanal Gold Miners in Burkina FasoThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted gold supply lines around the world. That disruption, along with the recent uncertainty around global health security, has dealt the artisanal gold miners of Burkina Faso a severe blow. Prior to the pandemic, local gold prices in Burkina Faso were 94 percent of international gold prices. After COVID-19 hit the nation in March, local prices fell to just 55 percent of international gold prices.

Artisanal gold mining has continued in Burkina Faso, though more slowly than before the pandemic. Measures to control the spread of the virus, such as curfews, social distancing and even police violence and raids by national security guards, have slowed the pace of gold panning. This means the miners have even less opportunity to make a livable income.

Why It Matters

Of the over 20 million people in Burkina Faso, over 430,000  are directly employed in the artisanal gold mining industry. Most of the miners have little education and rely on mining to provide for themselves and their families. The miners include both men and women, with studies estimating that between 40 and 50 percent are female. Women run most of the hangars in which the gold is processed. These women are known as Tãngpogse and have enjoyed more economic freedom than many women.

The disruptions caused by COVID-19 put all of these artisanal gold miners at risk. Even before the pandemic, 45 percent of people in Burkina Faso survived on less than the U.S. $1.25 per day. Artisanal mining is an industry employed by people trying to escape poverty. Now, instead of realizing that dream, miners are facing uncertainty and hunger.

To make matters worse, the COVID-19 crisis is piling on top of other crises in Burkina Faso—jihadist violence in the north, and drought throughout much of the country. In the face of this complicated situation, many gold miners are struggling to feed themselves and their families. Many find that they must sell their gold at low prices to predatory buyers, in order to generate an income. If the situation worsens, the miners could find themselves increasingly desperate, and willing to turn to banditry or prostitution for income.

How World Agencies Are Helping

Two world agencies have stepped in to provide relief for artisanal miners. The first, the World Bank, has created an emergency relief fund for artisanal miners around the globe. According to Reuters, the fund already has $5 million in donations, with a goal of $15 million. This money will aid miners of various materials in different countries, not just Burkina Faso. Still, the World Bank’s effort is an important one. World agencies rarely aim for emergency relief at artisanal miners specifically.

The second world agency, the Artisanal Gold Council, is an NGO based in Canada. The Artisanal Gold Council has focused specifically on the artisanal gold miners of Burkina Faso and has purchased gold directly from them at the pre-pandemic rate. This business provides miners with much-needed income and should help to ease some of the economic stress they are under. As with the World Bank’s emergency relief fund, the Artisanal Gold Council’s actions are rare for an NGO; other organizations consider the money and effort necessary to bring artisanal gold into formal channels of the trade too high of a price to pay.

Aid from these world agencies should improve the artisanal miners’ economic situation. Still, the high poverty rate and continuing cases of COVID-19 in Burkina Faso remain causes for concern. As of July 1, Burkina Faso had reported a total of 962 cases of COVID-19, and 53 deaths from the virus. As the pandemic’s effects linger on, the miners will need more help to finally achieve their dreams of climbing out of poverty.

– Emily Dexter
Photo: Flickr

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5 Reasons Child Marriage Continues in Togo

Child Marriage in TogoChild marriage is a very prevalent problem in Togo, a country in West Africa. In Togo, approximately 22% of girls under the age of 18 are married. Despite a large number of child marriages, there are many social and political aspects of Togolese society that propel child marriage in Togo. Here are five reasons child marriage continues in Togo.

  1. Poverty is one of the leading causes of child marriage in Togo. As one of the world’s poorest countries, more than 30% of the Togolese population faces extreme poverty. Many impoverished families arrange marriages for their daughters to help the family’s financial situation. Poverty also influences other problems that drive child marriages in Togo such as access to education and health.
  2. Health Issues: Many children in poverty predominantly suffer from health issues. Togo has a 50% life expectancy rate for children under 5. The death of a child for a family in poverty can create financial strain primarily when families rely on children to do housework or farming. The financial stress often pushes parents to marry their daughters as soon as possible to ease the financial strain. This forces many young girls into arranged marriages with strangers.
  3. Lack of Education: Education also plays a crucial role in driving child marriage. Young girls in Togo are married off if they do not reach a certain level of education. This especially impacts young girls in poverty who cannot go to school because they are helping their parents raise their siblings, do housework or farm. Almost half of the illiterate Togolese women in their early 20’s were married before the age of 18.
  4. Financial Dependency: Establishing financial independence for young women is essential for ending child marriages in Togo. Although many families marry their young children as a means to escape poverty, child marriage is counterproductive to ending the cycle of poverty for young girls in Togo. A girls’ rights advocate from Togo for PLAN International, Yolande, explains that marriage, especially at a young age, keeps girls from being financially independent. She states that “Most of the married girls in Togo come from poor families. Marriage keeps girls in poverty and prevents them from becoming financially empowered and flourishing as individuals.”
  5. No Political Support: Even though poverty often leads to child marriage in Togo, the lack of policies prohibiting child marriage allows child marriage to continue. It is illegal in Togo for girls to marry under the age of 18. However, girls can marry before the age of 18 with parental consent. Without the proper legislation for the prohibition of child marriage in Togo, child marriage will continue.

Working Toward a Solution

Many organizations are working to end child marriage in Togo. Women’s WorldWide Web (W4) is an online crowdfunding platform working specifically in Togo. They promote education and the empowerment of women. Their programs aim to provide income-generation for women who have been affected by young marriage. This helps women gain financial independence and create sustainable livelihoods for themselves.

Togo’s child marriage prevalence is mainly due to poverty itself, the rippling effects and the lack of government support for child marriage prohibition legislation. However, there are many organizations like W4.org fighting for these young women and their rights. With their efforts and the push for proper legislative policies, young Togolese girls may one-day gain financial and personal independence.

– Kaitlyn Gilbert
Photo: Flickr

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Coffee Production in Vietnam

Coffee Production in VietnamIn southeast Asia, Vietnam has dominated the coffee industry as the second-largest producer in the world behind Brazil. In 2016 alone, 1.8 million tons of coffee worth the equivalent of over $3 billion, was exported from Vietnam. Coffee production in Vietnam means more than popularity. It means economic stability and eliminating poverty.

Historical Production of Coffee

Coffee culture is an established social tradition in nearly all countries. Coffee beans have been one of the most impactful and cultivated products dating back to the 15th century. Societies changed with the creation of coffee houses and advances in technology to keep up with demands. The spike in crop exportation shifted coffee from an early morning refreshment to a global trade phenomenon.

Coffee production in Vietnam stems from French colonization in the mid-1850s. The Robusta bean became widespread throughout the country. After WWII and the Vietnam War, private farming opened up for more business opportunities. Vietnam began to slowly regain economic security in the late 1980s. Since then, 3 million jobs have been generated from coffee-based agriculture.

Technology

Advances in machinery have cut costs for farmers and have kept coffee production in Vietnam consistent compared with other competitors. Reducing the labor-intensive strip-picking with automative and mechanical harvesters has become the norm. Even hand-made equipment serve farmers by reducing damage to trees. Investing in technology to improve sustainability practices contributes to the national output. Coffee production in Vietnam has also profited due to investments put into advanced coffee plantlets from companies such as Nestlé.

Irrigation has a significant impact on coffee plantations due to water stress. Monitoring groundwater changes with water pilots help farmers evaluate how to manage aquifer recharge. Less water and pesticide use means a higher yield for farmers without paying more to combat the effects of climate change.

Gender Equality

Integrating women into coffee production in Vietnam has provided them with increased job opportunities. In contrast with predominantly male-run businesses, the coffee sector provides better access to women who wish to pursue business ventures.

Eighty-five percent of both men and women participate in economic enterprises in Vietnam. The inclusivity of women is higher in Vietnam than in other developing countries, where women are performing unpaid work. Through the booming coffee industry, women have aided in economic development through coffee trading companies. Negotiation strategies implemented by women through buyers and farmers prove to be successful. Training for the coffee supply chain given to women empowers them to make their own household decisions as entrepreneurs, and even own larger plots of land. Gender equality in the workplace is paving ways for gender equality throughout the country.

Sustainability

Vietnam has been ahead of other competitors regarding sustainable coffee production. Cooperatives such as K’Ho Coffee have utilized sustainable strategies such as planting nitrogen-fixing crops alongside coffee plants. This enhances the fertility of the soil. In addition, farmers raised free-range livestock and planted their own produce on their property to provide for themselves. Some experts also suggest that intercropping is the best way to increase the yield.

Programs focused on sustainable coffee production in Vietnam also increase annual income for farmers. The Sustainable Coffee Program has run for four years to help farmers adapt to the changing market. The program’s focus involved various ways to increase production, from resiliency to climate change to developing financial awareness.

Combating the risk of groundwater depletion through soil testing and reducing energy outputs helps the country produce coffee at low costs. Being sustainably certified puts Vietnam at the top of the competition. Improved efficiency within smallholder farms means less waste as well.

With a forecasted output of 32.2 million bags for 2020 and the country exceeding exportation rates to the US and the UK, Vietnam plans to stay near the top of the coffee sector. Coffee production in Vietnam turned a once-war-torn country into an export powerhouse. Locals enjoy quality coffee in various ways while tourists seek to try Cà phê trúng, egg coffee, for the first time. The tiny green bean is more than just a sweet morning pick-me-up. It’s a growing culture that is ever-changing the success of the country.

– Sydney Stokes
Photo: Pixabay