Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Habitat for Humanity: Eradicating Poverty through Affordable Housing


Habitat for Humanity has become an international organization well-known for its hands-on approach to eradicating poverty through affordable housing. However, a common misconception is that Jimmy Carter was the founder of Habitat for Humanity.

In reality, the seedling for this idea started on a small intentional community in Americus, Georgia, was cultivated by Millard Fuller, and then blossomed into the international powerhouse of eradicating poverty by Jimmy Carter.

Clarence Jordan and Koinonia Farm

Clarence Jordan was a farmer and an ordained minister who founded Koinonia Farm in the early 1940s. His early mission of this farm was to live in community with people from all backgrounds and guard against materialism and militarism. He fulfilled this mission by living in community with folk of many backgrounds, continuing to thrive in the midst of communist allegations in the 1950s and racial turmoil in the 1960s.

In these tumultuous times, Clarence Jordan cherished simple living and sought to redefine the farm’s purpose. He planted the seed of “partnership housing” and “Fund for Humanity” in the minds of the community at Koinonia Farm. In fact, Jordan stated in a letter to the Koinonians:

“Partnership Housing is concerned with the idea that the urban ghetto is to a considerable extent the product of rural displacement. People don’t move to the city unless living in the country has become intolerable or impossible. They do not voluntarily choose the degrading life in the big city slums; it is forced upon them. If the land in the country is made available to them on which to build a decent house, … they’ll stay put.”

Millard Fuller and Habitat for Humanity

Millard Fuller cultivated Clarence Jordan’s idea and expanded the goal of eradicating poverty through affordable housing through his endeavors of establishing Habitat for Humanity International. His story of reaching the farm is quite special. In 1965, Millard Fuller visited Koinonia Farm for the first time during a life crisis.

He and his wife had recently left a successful business in Alabama to begin a life of service and fulfillment. Together, Fuller and Jordan brought to fruition the plan of partnership housing through the “Fund for Humanity,” where the “money would come from the new homeowners’ house payments, no-interest loans provided by supporters and money earned from fundraising activities. The monies in the Fund for Humanity would be used to build more houses.”

Also, in this concept, volunteers and homeowners would work together to build the homes. Koinonia allotted 42 half-acre house sites in 1968. Sadly, this first project in the fruition of Habitat for Humanity was finished after Clarence Jordan’s death in 1969.

Millard and Linda Fuller continued to live on Clarence Jordan’s legacy. In 1973, they extended the concept of building decent and affordable housing outside of the United States on their trip to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). After three years of work abroad, the Fullers returned ambitious to expand Habitat for Humanity to the international arena and in 1976, Habitat for Humanity International was born.

Jimmy Carter and his Work Project

Former President Jimmy Carter started his famous work project in September 1984 to New York where they served 19 families in need. Since then, they have led 35 work projects, and collaborated with 101,276 volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair 4,290 homes.

Even as Jimmy Carter battled cancer and other health issues, he still continues to serve in this capacity as a leader of work projects. New York Times reported that during the 2017 build he became dehydrated and was taken to the hospital, but that did not stop him from embarking on his 2018 work project to Indiana later this year.

Since Former President Carter left office, he has dedicated his time to fighting injustices and human rights, such as eradicating poverty through affordable housing.

Habitat for Humanity Today

Today, Habitat for Humanity has grown tremendously — there are local affiliates and ReStore donation centers in 1,400 communities. College campus chapters have even started to develop where college students can take an alternative break trip and serve in one of these communities.

There are national events that focus on certain types of builds, and they even provide financial education for their homeowners. This organization proves how a small idea from one person can turn into an international organization that is eradicating poverty through affordable housing.

– Jenna Walmer

Photo: Flickr

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How Cell Phones Lead to Poverty Decline

How Cell Phones Lead to Poverty Decline
In India, a fisherman’s business has been revolutionized by cell phone usage. Vijay Navle sells fish to be exported from India and before he was able to use a cell phone, he had to spend most of his days physically visiting all his suppliers to know what was available. But since he and the other fishermen gained mobile phones, they can call each other easily and communicate stock, pricing and shipment, demonstrating how cell phones lead to poverty decline.

A Hub For Connection

In fact, Navle states: “I can immediately inform my customers that there’s a big catch coming in fresh and we get a better price for it.” Enhanced communication has allowed the business to grow more efficient and profitable for the lower-income workers in this industry.

In fact, India is the fastest growing market for cell phone usage and other new technology. From 2000 to now, the number of wireless subscriptions has grown from a little under two million to over 1 billion.

Manufactures and telecommunication companies are looking to expand smartphone usage in India as well since Indians use a cell phone to access the internet over 80 percent of the time, rather than using a desktop computer. Comparatively, in the U.S. and U.K., the internet is accessed using cell phones only about 30 percent of the time.

Increased Internet Access Combats Poverty

The access to the internet via smartphones has revolutionized many aspects of life across India. In Orissa, one of India’s poorest states, the non-profit mPowering creates incentives via apps to get children to attend school and reward mothers for attending health care classes.

These efforts are part of their campaign to reduce infant mortality and illiteracy in the area. The points earned can be redeemed for clothes, food and medicine every month. In the first year of the program, the percentage of children attending school had already increased for 52 to 71 percent and disease rates had fallen.

Financial Stability On the Rise

The use of the internet has also allowed financial stability to become more accessible to Indians. Besides free, educational information that they can access, the government of India is working to change life for rural agriculture workers by providing them with banking.

Since only 27 percent of villages have banks within five kilometers, the government is focusing on growing the mobile banking industry and licensing new banks. Cell phones also allow the agriculture industry to become more efficient and profitable, as the cell phones lead to poverty decline in rural areas.

Demand for Progress

The increased accessibility to cell phones still promises some growth. As mobile phones allow Indian people to be more successful, there is an increased demand for new technology — cellular and otherwise.

Cell phones lead to poverty decline across the nation, and the market for providers is competitive. Low prices for internet access promise connectivity to families all over, as technology becomes their greatest asset in improving their lives.

– Grace Gay

Photo: Flickr

Eye-Opening Facts About Poverty in Greece

Greece
The past decade has not been kind to Greece. The global recession in 2008 ravaged its markets and cut wages, leaving millions destitute and reliant on government handouts to survive. Despite the fact that a relatively large portion of Greece’s population is educated, many still cannot find employment within national borders. An ongoing EU bailout in the magnitude of billions of dollars has not brought an end to the financial predicament of Greek citizens. Here are the top 10 facts about poverty in Greece.

10 Eye-Opening Facts About Poverty in Greece

  1. The Greek unemployment rate, though lower than it was in 2014, sits at 20 percent — a fifth of the population cannot find a source of steady income. It comes in at last of all countries in the EU.
  2. The government is still largely inefficient, and its bureaucratic functions are largely characterized by personal connections and a lack of transparency. The Tsipras administration, which came to power in 2015, has failed to affect significant change.
  3. The recent fires in Greece took 93 lives. Investigations have shown both the possibility of arson and insufficient responses from the government to have exacerbated the fires.
  4. Slightly over 34 percent of Greece’s population is deemed to be at risk of poverty — one of the most unnerving facts about poverty in Greece. However, without government handouts and pensions, this figure would leap to nearly 51 percent.
  5. The Greek brain drain remains high, though slowing down in recent years. Over 130,000 postgraduates have left Greece since 2010, a trend that bears dire consequences for the future of Greece if they do not return.
  6. Greece’s GDP has recovered somewhat since its implosion in 2008. GDP growth was estimated at -0.2 percent in 2015, 0 percent in 2016 and 1.8 percent in 2017. GDP is a measure of economic performance and individual wealth, and last year’s small surge is good news for a country whose GDP had shrunk by a quarter from 2007.
  7. The fertility rate in Greece went from a local high of 1.5 births per woman in 2009, to a low of 1.29 in 2013 and steadily climbed (though very slowly) to 1.33 in 2016. Too-low fertility rates result in an aged and reduced workforce that cannot meet the demands of the market, culminating in a lack of competition and economic decline.
  8. Facts about poverty in Greece relating to children are the worst off in the European Union. The poverty rate for minors stands at 45 percent, according to a report by UNICEF in 2017.
  9. After a decade of international economic bailouts and austerity packages valued at nearly 250 billion euros, or $288 billion, Greece is due to stop borrowing by the end of this summer. If it maintains an efficient budget and pays back its debts, Greece can finally re-enter the international market as a self-sustaining economy.
  10. In March 2018, the Bank of Greece reported a 7 percent drop in the number of nonperforming loans or unpaid loans. At about 43 percent, it still has major hurdles to overcome; the EU average is below 10 percent.

Hope on the Horizon

Despite the palpable negativity of these top 10 facts about poverty in Greece, hope is on the horizon. The economy is better off now than it was at the height of the recession; though growth is slow, consumer confidence has grown and individual spending has increased in the past year. Foreign investment is also mounting — an indication of international expectations of an economic recovery.

Greece’s government is the crucial actor. If it blunders in its management of foreign debt and continues its streak of opacity, Greece could head towards another economic recession. If it initiates sizeable social and economic reforms ahead of expectations in the international community, Greece could even reach past its previous economic heights before the recession. Time will tell.

– Alex Qi
Photo: Flickr

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Solve Education: Transforming Education in Developing Countries  

Solve Education: Transforming Education in Developing Countries  
More than 250 million children do not attend school, according to UNESCO. After realizing that almost all NGOs only address this issue for a limited few thousand children, the famous venture capitalist Ong Peng Tsin became inspired to take a more revolutionary angle. Believing entrepreneurial investment in creative startups can increase social good for millions and eventually transforming education in developing countries, Tsin asked: “Can we teach without human teachers? Can you teach without schools?” 

What is Solve Education?

Gathering minds from the gaming industry, the social media world and pedagogues, Tsin then created a smartphone-based system called Solve Education. The company’s mission is to close the global education gap by taking advantage of the rise of smartphones and game mechanics to engage youths in accessible, educational opportunities.

Technology as a solution is relatively new to philanthropists worldwide, but the technology boom in Asia produces wealthy entrepreneurs looking to invest in social enterprise tech focused on multiplying impact with big-scale tech projects.

Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of the Asian Venture Philanthropy network, distinguishes between the generation of philanthropists who say: “Let’s build schools; let’s put our name on buildings” and the newer group who’ve “made their money through tech. And if you really want to look at social enterprise tech is the fastest way to scale.”

EdTech Investments

Global investors in the first half of 2017 have poured about $8.15 billion into edtech ventures. As a whole, the Asia-Pacific region has been predicted to own 54 percent of the global edtech market by 2020. Google and KPMG reported that India’s online education market will reach about $1.96 billion in the next four years, which equates to about the $1.2 billion invested in Chinese edtech companies in 2016.

The interest in edtech investments aligns with the fact that Asia has more young people than any other continent. Parents in Singapore invest about $70,939 annually for their children’s education, which is almost twice the global average amount. China, in its 13th Five-Year Plan, is encouraging the development of online education to gradually modernize China’s education system with $30 billion in investments by 2020. Other countries in Asia have similar plans revolving around increasing tech education.   

As part of an emerging style of philanthropy, Solve Education uses technology to take part in transforming education in developing countries by incorporating educational games to teach children across Southeast Asia. Solve Education hopes to reach 100 million people in teaching them basic vocational skills.

A Powerful Organization Advocating For Good

Tsin’s self-funded initiative, this application will be based on its initial success to essentially create millions of workers that will generate revenue flow in their field. So far, the initiative is being used in the following countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Rwanda, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Requiring only low-end smartphones and intermittent internet service, this application reaches those that are marginalized by education systems and opportunities.  

This crowd-working model is not a guaranteed success, but it does broach the issue of limited and inaccessible education in an innovative and optimistic way. It provides more opportunities for the youth, ethnic minorities, immigrants and refugees, women and girls, the unemployed and others that generally have difficulty gaining access to quality education.

All in all, Solve Education is a powerful nonprofit in its resourceful intersection of social good ambitions and use of rising edtech in transforming education in developing countries.

– Alice Lieu

Photo: Flickr

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How Galapagos Tourism Reduces Poverty in Ecuador

Galapagos tourism reduces poverty
Tourism can be an important tool for developing countries to reduce domestic poverty. The global industry is responsible for 5 percent of the world’s GDP and helps provide foreign exchange earnings and over 235 million jobs. Many of these jobs belong to the poor in developing countries because of the labor-intensive and low-skill nature of work in the tourism sector.

Tourism’s Impact

Workers can often make $1,000 to $4,000 a year which can help bring workers and their families above the poverty line. Employment can be scarce in some developing countries, which makes tourism a necessary stimulant in otherwise stagnant economies. International arrivals continue to increase each year, which creates an even greater demand for labor.

One developing nation that sustainably benefits from the tourism industry is Ecuador.

Equador and the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos islands host one of the few remaining natural sanctuaries for marine and bird life such as sea lions, octopi, sharks and flamingos in the world. Many of these species are endemic to the Galapagos, which means that they do not exist anywhere else in the world.

The animal life, geologic activity and lack of development have made the archipelago a premier travel destination for wealthy patrons looking for an expeditionary vacation. The islands continue to gain popularity as the number of visitors has grown from 17,500 in 1980 to over 200,000 in 2012.

The Ecuadorian government has kept pace with growing demand, while still preserving the untouched beauty of the Galapagos by employing a platform of Eco-Tourism.

Eco-Tourism

The World Conservation Union defines Eco Tourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people.” The goals of eco-tourism are to capitalize on the economic benefits of tourism while minimizing the negative effects it can have on the environment and local people.

Ecuadorian policymakers have actualized this approach in a manner that has maximized benefits to tourists, the local population and ecosystems alike.

The increasing popularity of the Galapagos islands for tourists has been met with several regulations designed to protect the environment and interests of the local people. The government mandates that cruise ships must be kept in Ecuadorian ports, which incentivizes international cruise liners to staff their boats with locals and purchase supplies from the mainland.

Poverty Reduction

Such occurrences couples the direct benefits of tourist expenditures on the islands with the indirect benefits of employment, trade, transport, construction and social services.

A study by Edward Taylor entitled Ecotourism and Economic Growth in the Galapagos (2006) found that overall tourism generates $200 million in revenues. Meanwhile, the locally-owned hostels have gained more popularity with tourists as a more affordable option to the small cruises.  These hostels expose tourists to local markets and restaurants, which further directs capital flows away from international cruise lines and towards the people of Ecuador.

Galapagos tourism reduces poverty by focusing on the inclusion and welfare of the locals. The environment has also benefited from this Eco-Touristic approach.

Economic and Environmental Benefits

The islands were made a national park in 1959 and have become further protected as tourist numbers have increased. “Cruises are limited to having 100 guests per trip,” only certain areas are designated for expeditions and 97 percent of the island is protected from human habitation. Measures like these have protected the endemic wildlife of the Galapagos from human interference and invasive species.

The Borgen Project had the opportunity to interview an expedition leader for the Silver Seas cruise in the Galapagos, and he stated that “tourism only adds an average of 1,500 extra people to the islands each day because of the regulations.” Thus, Galapagos tourism reduces poverty without harming the environment.

The conservation measures taken by the Ecuadorian government have minimized the effects of human activity, but the presence of humans has still caused problems for some of the native wildlife.

Migration Ramifications

The migration of mainland Ecuadorians to the three percent of the island not protected by national park statuses has created a presence of feral dogs, cats and goats that outcompete the native animals and bring some to the point of starvation.

The guide even explained that “feral dogs eat the baby giant tortoise eggs and the goats feed on the plants that several of native herbivores rely on to survive.”

A Prosperous Balance

The governing body of the Galapagos has responded by attempting to exterminate these feral animals and create breeding centers for endangered native species, but it’s important for tourists and migrants alike to respect the true natives of the archipelago.

Eco-Tourism, as seen in the Galapagos, should serve as a model for other vacation destinations. The Galapagos tourism reduces poverty through the influx of foreign spending and the jobs created, without harming the natural environment which is allowing tourism to flourish as well.

– Anand Tayal
Photo: Google

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The Venezuelan Crisis and Human Trafficking


Venezuela is currently in the midst of a humanitarian aid crisis spanning nearly ten years. As a developing country in South America, Venezuela has rich natural resources but suffers from an often harsh government that has not been cooperative with foreign NGOs in the past. Though NGOs operating in and outside of Venezuela are key to solving serious dilemmas in the areas of health, human trafficking, and education, the important thing in solving the crisis is an improvement of the strained relationship between the country’s government and foreign input.

The Crisis

The Venezuelan Crisis began in 2010 under the presidency of Hugo Chavez and has continued into the second six-year-term of current president Nicolas Maduro. The Venezuelan crisis has its roots in the country’s rich oil reserves, which under encouragement from Chavez (1999-2013), composed the majority of Venezuela’s earnings from exported goods.

Social programs were created with the influx of oil money, but when oil prices dropped in 2014 these programs were scaled back, and many Venezuelans began to struggle. Inflation has continued to rise steadily since 2012 and currently, Venezuela has the highest rate of inflation globally at 18,000% as of April 2018.

The political landscape of Venezuela has been tumultuous, yet ironically rigid in the transfer of power from Chavez to Maduro. Being hand-selected by Chavez to succeed him before his own passing, Maduro’s leadership has been marked with rumors of corruption, election fraud, and instances of police brutality against protestors and the unlawful imprisonment of political rivals.

As the government continues to deny foreign aid and refuses to allow foreign companies to invest in resident NGOs, the situation is becoming a humanitarian crisis worsened by the inability of aid organizations to alleviate the suffering of Venezuelan citizens. Despite these setbacks, multiple agencies are working hard to help the people living in Venezuela.

Due to extreme poverty caused by the Crisis, many Venezuelans are left vulnerable to human trafficking, an issue running rampant in this region of Central America. Those abducted are usually women and children, though men are taken as well. In often cases, the victims have moved from a rural area to an urban location, lured by the promise of higher earnings.

The Venezuelan government has done very little to eliminate this serious issue. The U.S. Department of Labor noted in 2017 that the Venezuelan government did not report any data whatsoever on human trafficking, and did little in the past year to combat the issue besides the arrest of seven individuals involved in human smuggling.

Venezuelans also face police brutality, lack of hospitals and medicine, and a nationwide shortage of food and clean water. As thousands of refugees pour out of the country, foreign NGOs are becoming more desperate to help. Some NGOs have banded together in order to fight the Crisis.

Strength in Numbers

The most significant humanitarian cooperative spearheading foreign relief efforts in Venezuela is Cuatro Por Venezuela, a Houston-based collective of 12 NGOs working together to fight the humanitarian aid crisis. The collective utilizes the resources of a vast web of partners and NGOs operating in Texas, Florida, and Chile.

By utilizing volunteers to deliver food, medicine, and other supplies, Cuatro Por Venezuela is able to work with NGOs in Venezuela to help them assist those in need. Though unable to fund resident NGOs, Cuatro Por Venezuela can still provide supplies and volunteers to Venezuela’s own humanitarian operations.  Cuatro Por Venezuela assisted nearly 100 humanitarian organizations and medical facilities for 14 states across the nation.

Though Venezuela’s government seems likely to deny foreign aid for the foreseeable future, the Venezuelan Crisis can still be alleviated by the collective efforts of NGOs in and outside this central American nation. Cuatro Por Venezuela represents the beneficial results produced when cooperation occurs between humanitarian groups.

– Jason Crosby
Photo: Flickr

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Top 10 Facts about Poverty in Ireland

Top Ten Facts about Poverty in Ireland
The poverty rate in Ireland has been increasing since the recession in 2008. Along with poor health and economic inequalities, unemployment has been a huge factor contributing to poverty in Ireland. 

Top 10 Facts About Poverty in Ireland

  1. Almost 800,000 people in Ireland live in poverty despite the improved economy: According to the Irish Times, although the economy is doing well, the people are not. Children make up a quarter of a million of the 790,000 people living in poverty in Ireland today.
  2. The “working poor” make up 105,000 of those in poverty: According to Social Justice Ireland, 18 percent of the adults in Ireland are working, but their salaries aren’t enough to afford the basic necessities for themselves or their families.
  3. Poverty is worse in rural areas: In Ireland, in the Border, Midlands and West regions there is a much higher number of those living in poverty. In fact, the Eastern and Southern regions of Ireland fewer than 50 percent of the people per capita live in poverty when compared with their rural counterparts. 
  4. The rent in Ireland has increased: The rent in Ireland is six times the average rate of other European countries. Poor families aren’t able to afford the basic necessities let alone a house with inflated rent despite the Housing Assistance Payments provided by the government. New plans are being considered to work to solve the issue.
  5. The gender gap is a large cause of women in poverty: Women often have to work in lower paying, sometimes temporary jobs. During the recession men in working families saw a 9 percent pay decrease, but women saw 14 percent. When coupled with the fact that women were already making less money than men, this cut only made the situation worse. 
  6. Single parents are more at risk: Single parents, of whom 84 percent are women, face some of the highest childcare costs in Europe, making it extremely difficult to work for a livable wage and take care of the family. The organization One Family is working to help alleviate poverty for single-parent families in Ireland. They hope to reduce poverty rates and create legislation to help support all families as well as bring recognition to the complications that single-parent families must face.
  7. Ireland’s Deprivation Gap has increased over time: Ireland has a significant and still increasing gap in deprivation between vulnerable adults (single parents and those with disabilities) and other adults in society. Between 2004-2015, Ireland’s showed the largest increase in its deprivation gap out of the 11 EU countries.
  8. The United Nations is working to help with the problem: The director of Social Justice Ireland was invited by the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs to be part of a meeting on “Strategies for Eradicating Poverty to Achieve Sustainable Development for All.” This was held at The United Nations in New York in May 2017. This group of experts was brought together to make policy recommendations to help reduce poverty.
  9. Social justice Ireland is helping with Five Outcomes to reduce poverty: Social Justice Ireland is an organization working to create a stronger, sustainable future in Ireland. The group wants to help face the issues by setting out goals for the government to achieve. Its view for a better future involves “a vibrant economy, decent services and infrastructure, just taxation, good governance and sustainability.” In April 2018, the government launched The Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan 2018-2020. This plan highlights 19 high-level actions that will promote awareness, participation, support and policy alignment to achieve sustainable goals for Ireland’s future.
  10. Despite the poverty, the economy is doing well: The Irish economy has been recovering since the recession of 2008 and has had time to grow. Since 2017, 55,000 jobs were created. Also, in 2018, Ireland saw a 4 percent growth in the economy. Although many are still in poverty, the creation of new jobs can help many struggling. One way the government is working to provide jobs is through energy reform. By alleviating energy poverty, the government would not only provide energy and fuel to poverty-stricken areas but also could create an estimated 3,200 jobs per year over the 15-year plan.

The poverty rates in Ireland have increased despite the some of the progress in the economy. The main reasons seen in the top 10 facts about poverty in Ireland can be solved by new government policies. Organizations like Social Justice Ireland are doing their best to help bring awareness of these policies to the government and the U.N. to build a better future for Ireland.

– Negin Nia
Photo: Pixabay

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Bloodless Malaria Test Sets Bright Future for Sub-Saharan Africa

Bloodless Malaria Test Sets Bright Future for Sub-Saharan Africa
Brian Gitta is the first and youngest Ugandan inventor to win the African prize for releasing his highly innovative bloodless malaria test. A device called Matibabu tests for malaria by shining a beam of light onto the patient’s finger and can be downloaded on mobile devices.

Matibabu

This bloodless malaria test is low cost and reusable and doesn’t require a physician’s presence. Gitta, in an interview with United Press International, said: “We are incredibly honored to win the Africa Prize — it’s such a big achievement for us because it means that we can better manage production in order to scale clinical trials and prove ourselves to regulators.” These clinical trials will open up new partnership opportunities for Matibabu and vastly expand its entrepreneurial ability.

Many scholars say that Matibabu is “a game changer” for the thousands of people affected by malaria. Clinical trials show that Matibabu has an 80 percent effectiveness rate in identifying malaria, and with constant technology adjustments, Gitta hopes to bring that number up to 90 percent in the coming months.

Gitta’s team continues to perform research on the device as it awaits examination from global regulators. Until the app’s official approval, support from the academic community continues to surface, offering financial and supportive aid to Matibabu.

Malaria in Uganda

Malaria, as defined by the CDC, is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People who become infected often experience flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, abdominal pain, vomiting or nausea.

In 2016, there were 216 million cases of malaria and over 400 thousand deaths linked to the disease. Uganda specifically bears a large burden by carrying the highest prevalence of malaria, with a rate of 478 cases per 1000 people on yearly basis.

Major challenges of malaria include high transmission intensity, inadequate healthcare resources and inadequate preparedness and response. Since 2014, the disease has decreased by almost 20 percent, but the prevalence is still striking. Inadequate resources include the inability to correctly diagnose the disease due to unqualified staff and inadequate training.

Several attempts have been made in the past to eliminate malaria. Some examples include insecticides and other chemically stronger indoor residual spraying of insecticides. Another example is the utilization of artemisinin-based therapy, which involves the prescription of two separate drugs used to eliminate the parasite located in the bloodstream.

However, these remedies have not proven to be one hundred percent effective. Data from the last decade shows no convincing evidence that malaria has decreased in Uganda in recent years. Gitta’s bloodless malaria test, however, is giving hope to many Ugandan residents who still face the struggle of diagnosis.

Benefits to the New Test

There are several long-term benefits of tests like Matibabu. The accessibility for the general public is arguably the most beneficial, as rural communities now have access to technology and can easily download the app.

Another benefit is that testing is more beneficial and cost-effective than presumption diagnosing. By affirming that a patient does, in fact, have malaria, available resources for malaria treatment can be distributed in the right way.

Furthermore, the World Health Organization states that: “Prompt parasitological confirmation by microscopy or alternatively by RDTs is recommended in all patients suspected of malaria before treatment is started. Treatment solely on the basis of clinical suspicion should only be considered when a parasitological diagnosis is not accessible.” By confirming a diagnosis, planning and treatments can be better financed through a more efficient allocation of money. For example, money being saved for testing could now be financed toward the research of other diseases in Uganda.

Matibabu plans to continue research in the upcoming months. By studying local transmission rates and local treatment costs, Matibabu is better suited to help the welfare of not only Uganda but many sub-Saharan African countries struggling to fight malaria.

– Logan Moore
Photo: Flickr

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Seven Facts About Human Rights in Rwanda

Human Rights in Rwanda
It’s been over 20 years since the Rwandan Genocide and, while this event is how most know of the small African nation, a reexamination of human rights in Rwanda is well past overdue. In 1994, over the course of a hundred days, nearly a million Rwandans were executed in an ethnic conflict. However, over the next two decades an exemplary justice and reconciliation process unfolded. Due to these efforts, Rwanda’s reputation for human rights violations no longer fits the reality of human rights in Rwanda today. Here are some important facts regarding human rights in Rwanda:

Seven Facts About Human Rights in Rwanda

  1. The 1994 genocide was largely drawn on ethnic lines. Following the overthrow of the Tutsi Monarchy in 1959, the Hutus (who had an 85 percent majority in the country) ruled for the next three decades. In April of 1994, however, the Hutu president was killed in a plane crash prompting Hutu extremists and ruling party officials to begin the systematic execution of the Tutsis. One hundred days later, between 800,000 and 1 million Tutsis were killed and 250,000 women had been raped by militia forces.
  2. By the close of 1994, following the genocide, the U.N. Security Council established The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Over the next decade and a half, The ICTR oversaw the sentencing of 61 people and received thousands of hours of witness testimony. The ICTR is now regarded as one of the preeminent mass violence tribunals and has been used as a model for similar events since. Seeing as The ICTR was so widely and successfully implemented across Rwanda, it is not surprising to learn the attitudes of those leading Rwanda still reflect the lessons learned from The ICTR. Today, human rights in Rwanda is treated with the utmost efficiency with a serious consideration for truth-seeking.
  3. In order to ensure the remaining fugitives were held accountable following the completion of The ICTR, The U.N. Security Council established The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT). MICT oversaw what remained of both the Rwandan and Yugoslavian criminal tribunals. One of those sentenced by MICT was former Prime Minister Jean Kambanda – the first head of government to be convicted of genocide. This was a clear signal sent that human rights in Rwanda were now being taken extremely seriously by the international and Rwandan community.
  4. The ICTR and MICT have not been the only judicial bodies present in Rwanda. The Rwandan National Court System has tried over 10,000 suspects accused of violating human rights relating to the genocide and has remained committed to trying human rights abusers. Interestingly, in the midst of these genocide trials, Rwanda abolished the death penalty, which reflects the growing divide between the former Rwanda, ravaged by genocide, and the Rwanda of today. The Rwandan national court system today strikes this balance well. While they no longer utilize the death penalty, judges continue to strike harsh sentences against human rights abusers to set the precedent that such actions will not be tolerated in contemporary Rwanda.
  5. An essential factor in restoring peace and reconciliation in Rwanda to avoid further human rights troubles was the need to rectify the fates of low-level participants in the genocide. To accomplish this task, the national government reestablished traditional Gacaca Courts. There, community members were tasked with hearing the confessions of those involved in the human rights violations. Confessions were important to the community as they allowed many families to learn of the fates of many of their missing loved ones. While the Gacaca courts held thousands of trials, some of the confessing suspects were permitted to return home with mandated community service, others were sentenced to hard labor. Gacaca courts today continue to play an integral role in maintaining a free and fair Rwanda. Contrary to popular belief, human rights violations seldom begin as a national level conspiracy, but rather those in the communities feel drawn to participate through local influences. Gacaca courts fight this by addressing and prosecuting the instigators at the local level – before it becomes a national crisis.
  6. During the Rwandan genocide, human rights violations spread to Burundi and The Democratic Republic of Congo. This spread was largely due to the influx of fleeing Tutsi refugees across the Great Lakes region and the subsequent pursuit of those attempting to execute the Tutsis. Those intending harm to the Tutsis took advantage of Burundi and DRC’s own internal strife to sew chaos across the region. Today, however, Rwanda works closely with its neighbors, playing an active role in monitoring for and preventing human rights violations. This is one of the biggest lessons learned from the genocide. Rwanda, while a small inland country, is nevertheless an integral regional partner. As such, human rights abuses within the country can spread outward and external abuses can spread inward. Seeing as this is the case, Rwanda has put forth an incredible effort to stymie human rights abuses in its neighboring countries.
  7. While in 1994, the Rwandan government was the sponsor of the genocide, the government today is not only one of the freest and fairest governments but also the most diverse in the region. In fact, women make up a majority of the legislature in Rwanda with 49 out of 80 seats in the lower house and 10 of 26 in the upper house.

While Rwanda is internationally known for the horrific 1994 genocide, this picture does not clearly paint the reality of human rights in Rwanda today. Following the genocide incredible strides were made to bring not only justice but reconciliation to Rwandans. While no reconciliation process is perfect, Rwanda was successful in not only starting to heal the wounds of the past but also ensuring that human rights in Rwanda are taken seriously, so that there is no chance of such tragedies happening again.

– Sam Kennedy
Photo: Flickr

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A Developing Country: Bangladesh

A Developing Country: Bangladesh
As a new academic year draws near in the fall, we reminisce spring graduation celebrations for secondary and post-secondary students in the United States, but also the heralding of a special graduation for one South Asian nation. During the March 2018 review, the United Nations’ Committee for Development Policy (CDP) predicted Bangladesh to satisfy the criteria to become a developing country.

Bangladesh Growth

With just 47 years of independence, Bangladesh is expected to earn a status of a developing country from the least developed country in the next six years. The CDP will most likely recommend Bangladesh at its triennial review of least developed countries in 2021, and full endorsement is expected to follow at its 2024 meeting.

Consideration for becoming a developing country means demonstrating years of satisfactory human and economic advancements, and Bangladesh has been gaining on the developing community with precocious stride.

Foreign aid, non-government organizations and state-operated agencies have been key in Bangladesh’s development. Since 1973, the Asian Development Bank has assisted Bangladesh with $20.75 billion in aid. Close to 70 cents per dollar has been allocated to four sectors—energy, transportation, education and agriculture, as well as to natural resources and rural development.

Criteria for a Developing Country

Eligibility for becoming a developing country is based on three standards: an economic vulnerability index, a human assets index and per capita income. The United Nations’ most recent standards to graduate from least developed to a developing country are scores of 32 and below for its economic vulnerability index, scores of 66 and above for its human assets index, and a gross national income per capita of at least $1,230.

These thresholds must be met on two of the three categories for six years or the course of two successive, triennial Committee reviews. Bangladesh is on pace to fulfill all three requirements since its economic vulnerability, human assets and per capita income graduation thresholds were respectively met in 2003, 2015, and 2017.

Economic Vulnerability

Economic vulnerability is calculated considering eight factors: population size, the population living in low coastal zones, remoteness, the share of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, export instability, export concentration, and victims of natural disasters.

In a show of economic ascendancy and national pride, Bangladesh launched its first communications and broadcasting satellite, the Bangabandhu-1, transported by an American manufactured SpaceX rocket in May 2018. In addition to accelerating telecommunication development, the Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization has developed remote-sensing technology that can be used in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, water resources and oceanography. Remote sensors collect data on energy emitted from the Earth and can be used for shoreline erosion prevention, natural disaster preparation and natural resource management. This type of growth is vital to becoming a developing country.

Bangladesh’s strong textile and fabric industry drives 80 percent of the country’s export economy, the 57th largest in the world. Only China and the European Union topped Bangladesh’s clothing exports in 2015. Clothing exports made up almost 14 percent share ($26 billion) of Bangladesh’s 2015 gross domestic product (GDP).

Bangladesh has experienced GDP growth of 6 percent or more since 2011 and 7.3 percent in 2017, the second-most of all South Asian countries behind Bhutan.

Human Assets Index

Becoming a developing country also requires notable progress in education and health. The CDP’s human assets index is calculated by maternal and under-five infant mortality, malnourishment, gross literacy, and gross secondary school enrollment.

From 2011 to 2016, Bangladesh boosted its literacy rate from 47 to 73 percent. Room to Read, a non-profit organization, dedicated to girl’s education and child literacy in Asia and Africa, has opened 6,000 classroom libraries for over 300,000 Bangladesh children in 1,000 primary schools. The organization has concentrated its outreach in rural areas such as the Brahamanbaria District, a flood-prone area just 14 meters above sea level, and the Natore District, an agriculturally dependent rural area. Bangladesh has also reached all-time highs of secondary school enrollment rates: 72.5 percent for girls and 69 percent for both sexes.

The Strengthening Household Ability to Respond to Development Opportunities II (SHOUHARDO II)–Bangladesh project has reduced physical growth failure due to chronic malnutrition, known as stunting, by 13 percent in children under the age of five. Bangladesh villages affected by the SHOUHARDO II project are Cox’s Bazar, Mymensingh, Rangpur and Sirajganj regions. As part of the SHOUHARDO II project, women learned optimal breastfeeding, life-skills, and investment and finance strategies. This project also implemented a monthly food ration program consisting of wheat, vegetable oil and yellow split peas. There is also an indication of improving health conditions for women in Bangladesh as maternal mortality ratios dropped by 32 percent from 2012 to 2015.

Per Capita Income

With a current economy worth $686.5 billion and a gross national income per capita of $1,433, Bangladesh has exceeded the average least developed country for over 20 years. On its road to becoming a developing country, about 50 million people in Bangladesh have escaped extreme poverty (living on $1.90 a day) since 1991. This rate has declined from 40 percent to 14 percent today.

While Bangladesh still faces challenges, such as Rohingya refugees, overpopulation, flooding and insufficient sanitation, it is well on its way to becoming a developing country within the years to come.

– Thomas Benjamin
Photo: Flickr