Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

Solidifying the Future of Solar Power in Developing Countries

Solar power in Developing countries
Since its inception 45 years ago, the Barefoot College has trained 1430 people from poor communities to install and maintain solar-powered electrical systems. This was mainly started with the aim of introducing solar power in developing countries.

The most remarkable fact of this program is that all of the students in the solar engineering program are women and they enter with absolutely no prior formal education. These solar engineers return to their villages with a sense of opportunity and independence not only for themselves but also for the community at large.

The founder of the program, Bunker Roy, recognized that the people living in the poor communities are immeasurably knowledgeable about the world around them and the needs of their people. Roy’s vision to bolster the use of solar power in developing countries started with the construction of the first Barefoot College in Tilonaia, India in 1977. It now operates in 100 countries around the globe and 15 states throughout India.

Impact of the Barefoot Program in Afghanistan

According to ALCS 2016-17 survey, only 26 percent of the population in Afghanistan had access to the electrical grid in the years 2011-12. In five years, that number got increased by five percent with around 31 percent of the population enjoying access to the grid. Yet, this access was heavily concentrated within urban areas. The majority of the people living in rural regions of Afghanistan were still yearning to come out of the dark.

The idea of Barefoot College – to enhance the use of solar power in developing countries – became a boon for many in the rural areas. In 2007, merely 2 percent of the households in Afghanistan were powered using solar panels. Today, that same figure has reached 59.4 percent at a national level and 73.2 percent in rural areas. While it’s impossible to tell how much of this success can be attributed directly to Barefoot College, Bunker Roy and his colleagues have undoubtedly made a significant impact.

In his 2011 TEDTalk, Roy shared the story of three illiterate Afghan women who had never left their homes. They came to India and trained to become solar engineers. On returning to Afghanistan, they electrified 100 villages, set up workshops and trained 27 more women to follow their footsteps.

One of the three women, a 55-year-old named Gul Bahar, provided solar electricity to 200 houses herself. She also took the opportunity to educate the head of a large engineering department in Afghanistan on the difference between AC and DC.

Today, more than 84 engineers have been trained by the graduates from Barefoot College to provide a fundamental service to thousands of Afghans in need. Afghanistan is now well on its way to becoming a fully electrified country with 97.7 percent of households having access to electricity. The difference between the electrification of rural and urban homes is also quickly disappearing.

Impact of the Barefoot Program in Honduras

Access to electricity in urban areas of Honduras has reached 100 percent, but one-quarter of the people living in rural areas are still living without it. These same areas are also subject to extreme poverty, severe droughts, and increasing uncertainty in the agricultural industry. Without access to electricity, families are dependent on kerosene lamps that provide poor light, emit toxic chemicals when burned and increase the risk of fire outbreaks.

With help from the Indian Government and the Small Grants Program (SGP), Barefoot College sought to improve the dire situation that the agrarian communities of Honduras find themselves in. Four women from different corners of Honduras were chosen to travel to the original Barefoot College campus in Tilonia, India. Iris Marlene Espinal, Carmen Lourdes Zambrano Cruz, Alnora Casy Estrada and Ingrid Miranda Martinez came to the campus without knowing how to read or write. However, through their practical knowledge, strong will and rugged resourcefulness, they returned home as solar engineers.

These four women have successfully installed 207 85-watt solar panel systems that power lamps, televisions, radios and cell phones for 54 families across Honduras. Without this new technology, the children of a small village called Los Hornos were unable to study indoors even during the day and were showing signs of respiratory issues. To further improve the quality of education for young children in Honduras, the engineers are installing solar systems in schools. The teachers there can now utilize modern technological tools in their lessons.

Seemingly small, incremental changes, like the introduction of solar power in developing countries, have massive implications for the quality of life in poor communities. As Alorna Casy stated in an interview with the UNDP, “We brought back a lot of knowledge to benefit our communities and, in a sense, to help them to escape from poverty”.

Enhancing Access to Solar Power in Developing Countries

In 2016, Barefoot College began the Pacific Island Solar initiative and is still working toward the initial goal of providing new technologies to 2,800 houses across 14 Pacific Island Countries. To date, 10,000 solar installations have already been completed and the construction of a Barefoot College located in Fiji has been approved. The institution is, thus, unstoppable in its mission to revolutionize the use of solar power in developing countries.

The new campus will provide solar engineering training alongside courses in Digital Technology Skills, Financial Literacy and Inclusion, Environmental Stewardship, Women’s Reproductive Health and Nutrition, Micro-enterprise Skills and much more.

Bunker Roy built his first college with the help of 12 “barefoot architects” who couldn’t read or write. Since then, the institution continues to empower those who lack resources but are intelligent enough and in desperate need of a future that fully utilizes their potential. Thus, the idea of enhancing access to solar power in developing countries will definitely spread light in many more dark corners of the world.

–John Chapman
Photo: Flickr

Four Bestselling Authors Who Give Back

bestselling authors who give back
To be a bestselling author, you must have quite an expansive imagination. The following four bestselling authors, however, imagine a world not afflicted by poverty as they give their time and money from book and movie royalties toward helping the world’s poor.

Sylvia Day’s Day it Forward

Japanese-American romance author Sylvia Day is no stranger to the bestseller’s list, as she has received the distinction of being the number one bestseller in over 20 countries worldwide. Day has published dozens of romance novels in dozens of languages around the globe, but perhaps her biggest accomplishment is her charity work.

Day’s charitable works have a wide scope, ranging from engaging with other romance writers in her Daylight Scholarship and Romance Writers of America programs, to orphans in Ohio and overseas troops in her One Way Farm and Troops Ongoing Project charities respectively.

One of Day’s more interesting approaches to charity has her readers and fans sending her short essays describing which charities are important to them or why it is important for others to help out said charity. Day’s program, aptly named Day it Forward, has reached an eclectic group of charities including the Red Panda Network — a nonprofit dedicated to eco-conservation, sustainable livelihoods and alleviating poverty in Nepal. Day it Forward has also contributed to United for Puerto Rico, Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children, and many more since its inception in 2015.

Dave Eggers and the VAD Foundation

The next writer on the list of bestselling authors who give back is the man responsible for A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and the literary magazine McSweeney’s, Dave Eggers. Eggers is a spokesman and co-founder of the Valentino Achak Deng (VAD) Foundation that works to educate the war-ridden regions in South Sudan.

Eggers and Valentino created the VAD Foundation after Valentino — a community college student known for his enchanting public speeches and work for the Southern Sudanese communities — asked Eggers to help him write his autobiography. Valentino thought his story “could convey to the world the realities of what had happened in the civil war in South Sedan, and its effect on the people there.”

The duo decided that the proceeds from the book, ‘What Is the What,’ would go to South Sudanese communities to help recover from the war, including Valentino’s home village of Marial Bai. They founded the Marial Bai Secondary School as part of the VAD Foundation, and the structure was the first fully-operational high school in the entire region.

Since the school is independent of the Sudanese government, poor funding and budget concerns leave the school unaffected, and the school consistently ranks as one of the best schools in the country, thanks to the charitable efforts of Eggers and Valentino. Due to the success of the Marlai Bai Secondary School, the South Sudanese government has granted the VAD Foundation a new campus, which will soon be transformed into the Alok Girls’ Academy.

John Green’s Project for Awesome and The Foundation to Decrease World Suck

John Green, author of the heart-wrenching tale ‘The Fault in Our Stars,’ certainly gave his fans reasons for tears in his story about two cancer patients falling in love, but fret not, because Green’s Project for Awesome (P4A) only promises happy tears.

Project for Awesome operates similarly to Sylvia Day’s Day it Forward mentioned above in that he asks fans to tell him and his board which charities mean the most to them and allows the P4A community to have some say in which charities receive donations. According to Green’s website, P4A occurs annually on the second Friday and Saturday in December and “thousands of people post videos about and advocating for charities that decrease the overall level of world suck.”

The P4a raises money for Green’s foundation, The Foundation to Decrease World Suck, and acts as an aggregate nonprofit, donating its proceeds to other nonprofits and charities. P4A, a 100 percent volunteer operation raised over $2 million last year, with the proceeds going to a whole slew of charities ranging form Save the Children, Against Malaria Foundation, Ultimate Peace, The Ocean Cleanup and many, many more.

Isabel Allende Foundation

Isabel Allende, the prolific Chilean writer, recipient of Chile’s National Literature Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama founded the Isabel Allende Foundation to pay respects to her late daughter Paula Frias.

Frias spent most of her short life volunteering in poor communities in Venezuela and Spain before her untimely death due to a rare blood disorder that Allende says “nowadays should not be fatal,” but she received negligent treatment in the hospital. After an epiphany Allende had while on a trip to India grieving for her lost daughter, she decided to create a charity devoted to helping empower women, girls and immigrants.

The Isabel Allende Foundation, like most of the programs headed by the rest of our list of bestselling authors who give back acts as an aggregate organization, giving grants and donations to other nonprofit organizations headquartered in her native Chile and now home of California. The grants range from $1,000 to $80,000 and fund a wide range of programs such as the Global Fund for Women to Kids in Need of Defense.

Although our list of bestselling authors who give back can’t quite write out global poverty entirely, their charitable efforts and nonprofit foundations are certainly a step in the right direction.

– Nick Hodges
Photo: Google

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Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Switzerland

top 10 switzerland

Switzerland is a great example of how addressing poverty and encouraging economic growth can lead to a multitude of positive outcomes. It is a country full of history, rich culture and magnificent mountains. Recently, the country has popped up on the radar as its general state of living has risen to a considerably high level. Many have started to consider moving to the alpine country as a result. Below are the top 10 facts about living conditions in Switzerland.

Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Switzerland

  1. The cost of living in Switzerland is extremely high. The value of the franc increased when the country switched to a floating exchange rate. Bern, Zurich, and Geneva were ranked among the most expensive 15 cities in the world.
  2. The high cost of living isn’t a huge problem for Swiss citizens as the net financial wealth of the average household in Switzerland is $128,415, compared to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments reported an average of $90,570. The net adjusted disposable income for the average household sits at $36,378 compared to the OECD reported an average of $30,563. This means that Swiss households have over $6,000 more to spend per year on goods and services. Switzerland was placed third on the scale of the highest amount of disposable income in Europe.
  3. Overall poverty is low. Only 6.6 percent of the population is reported to live in poverty, and only 4.6 percent live in extreme poverty. The rate of poverty has been decreasing steadily since 2007.
  4. Healthcare in Switzerland has gained a reputation of its own. Their combination of private, subsidized private and public healthcare systems experience no wait-lists, highly qualified doctors, hospitals and medicals facilities with the best equipment seen around Europe. However, the universal healthcare system is not free, nor is it tax-based. Health insurance in Switzerland is mandatory, and the out of pocket payments and monthly premiums are pricey for the individual. Swiss health insurance is reported to cost around 10 percent of the average Swiss salary.
  5. Switzerland has a high-quality education system as well. The country comes in at nine out of 65 countries in an educational standards survey given to 15-year-olds. Unlike most countries, the Swiss have a decentralized education system that is not paid for by the government. The 26 member states that make up the country are primarily responsible for the system. Education has a multilingual focus, which encourages international students and the option for public, private, bilingual and international schools.
  6. The country has a life expectancy of 83 years, which is three years higher than the OECD average of 80 years. The life expectancy is high despite the slightly higher than average level of atmospheric pollutants that are damaging to the lungs. Reports measure the rate of pollutants at 14.5 micrograms per cubic meter, whereas the average is 13.9 micrograms per cubic meter.
  7. Switzerland ranks below average in civic engagement. It has one of the lowest levels of voter turnout in the OECD at 49 percent; whereas, the reported average is 69 percent. The gap between voters is large as well. Fifty-nine percent of the top 20 percent of the population participates, in comparison to 41 percent of the lowest 20 percent of the population. This is a larger gap than the average.
  8. Crime continues to fall to lower rates in Switzerland. In fact, in 2017, crime was down by more than 6 percent. Burglaries are the most common offense in Switzerland, making up two-thirds of the reported criminal offenses. Burglaries had also decreased by 6 percent, but police threats and cybercrime were reported to rise last year.
  9. Childcare was also quite expensive in Switzerland. As a result of this, a temporary programme has set out to increase the number of child care facilities in the country. This will increase the number of options parents have for childcare and lower the rate as supply and demand will encourage competition and lower prices.
  10. Overall, Swiss are much more satisfied with their living conditions than most. They scored a 7.5 out of 10 on the scale for satisfaction, compared to the OECD average of 6.5.

Switzerland is doing quite well. The economic growth along with the decline of poverty rates have resulted in better childcare, education, rates of disposable income and increased safety. These top 10 facts about living conditions in Switzerland act as a clear paradigm of how addressing poverty and encouraging economic growth has a positive domino effect on other aspects of life. Not only do people live better but they also feel happier and enjoy a closer sense of community. Addressing global poverty does much more than just save lives, it betters the individual, the country, the economy and the impact on the rest of the world.

– Mary Spindler

Photo: Flickr

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Top 5 Songs About Hunger

Top 5 Songs About Hunger
Hunger is an issue that affects more than 800 million people worldwide. It can lead to malnutrition, which in turn can lead to a number of health issues and chronic diseases.

In addition to the hard work of advocacy groups and other nonprofits, recording artists like Beyonce and Jay-Z hold and perform at benefit concerts to bring awareness to global issues like poverty and hunger, and raise money for relief efforts. Not only do artists hold benefit concerts for these issues, but they also sing about them.

Top 5 Songs About Hunger

“Is This The World We Created?” by Queen

Just look at all those hungry mouths we have to feed
Take a look at all the suffering we breed
So many lonely faces scattered all around
Searching for what they need

This song kicks off the list of the Top 5 Songs About Hunger because it directly talks about the hunger and suffering going on in the world, and singer Freddy Mercury begs the question, “is this the world we created?” suggesting that these issues are manmade and preventable. One of the ways that the band Queen helped bring relief to world hunger was through Live Aid. This benefit concert was organized by Irish rock singer, Bob Geldof. Many different artists and bands came together to put on this concert and were able to raise over $125 million for famine relief in Africa.

“Another Day In Paradise” by Phil Collins

She calls out to the man on the street
He can see she’s been crying
She’s got blisters on the soles of her feet
She can’t walk but she’s trying

Oh think twice, it’s another day for
You and me in paradise

This song brings attention to homelessness and singer Phil Collins tells the listener to be grateful for what they have because they are in paradise compared to the woman on the street. The global organization, Action Against Hunger, utilizes the donations of those who can provide (arguably, those that live in ‘paradise’) to help those in need. Their focus is hunger relief. So far, this organization has had a lifesaving impact on over 45 countries and helped over 20 million people.

“Them Belly Full” by Bob Marley

Them belly full, but we hungry
A hungry mob is a angry mob
A rain will fall, but the dirt it tough
A pot a cook but the food nah nuff

The third song to make it onto the Top 5 Songs About Hunger, “Them Belly Full” by Bob Marley calls attention to the fact that in some countries, the government is corrupt and neglects their people, leaving them poor and hungry. When he says, “them belly full” he is referring to the government and the “we” in “but we hungry” are the people of Jamaica.

Other governments have taken to weaponizing aid. Take for instance the Syrian regime, which withholds humanitarian access to basic necessities like food in order to “weaken opposition groups and to prevent the creation of an alternative political order.” Still, many organizations continue to work hard to reach those in need. One such organization is Relief International, which provides aid to the refugees that cross the border into Turkey.

“In The Ghetto” by Elvis Presley

Well the world turns
And a hungry little boy with a runny nose
Plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto

The lyrics throughout this song tell the story of a boy growing up in the ghetto and emphasize how hard life is for those living in poorer areas. Singer Elvis Presley also calls out the fact that people often turn a blind eye to those impacted by poverty. Presley used his fame as a platform to help normalize polio vaccinations in the 1950s. Today, the disease has been eradicated in all but two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, two impoverished countries, who are working hard to completely wipe out this disease.

“Beans For Breakfast” by Johnny Cash

Caught a cold with the window open
Crow droppings o my window sill
Probably got histoplasmosis
… Beans for breakfast once again
Hard to eat them from the can
Plastic forks are a dime a dozen
I’m a hungry nasty lonesome man

Histoplasmosis, a fungal disease that affects the lungs and causes skin lesions, most commonly impacts those with HIV/AIDS or others with compromised immune systems. In Africa, it is most prevalent in the central and western parts. Treatment options include anti-fungal medications such as Amphotericin B or Oral Itraconazole.  The organization LIFE aims to improve fungal infection case outcomes through advocacy and educating public health and medical professionals so that may be able to spot these diseases and effectively treat the patients.

World hunger is an issue that can never get enough advocacy. Through the combined efforts of many people, ranging from politicians to everyday people, including the artists who made it on to the Top 5 Songs About Hunger, it is an issue that is steadily gaining more awareness. In the year 2000, about 900 million people were chronically malnourished, but as of 2018, that number is down to 821 million people. The fight against hunger has proved to be one that takes time and resilience, but with many organizations, including the ones listed here whose mission is to downsize global hunger, it is a fight that can be won.

– CJ Sternfels

Photo: Flickr

Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Senegal

Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Senegal
In the transition from a French colony to an independent nation, Senegal has made substantial progress in regards to improving the living standard of its people. As one of the most politically stable nations in Africa, there has been greater space in the political arena to focus on development. Despite the political stability and continual growth of the economy, there are still key aspects and dimensions in the life of Senegalese people life that can be improved. In the article below, the top 10 facts about the living conditions in Senegal are presented.

Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Senegal

  1. Senegal’s economy is primarily based on agriculture, as the sector contributes to approximately 15 percent of GDP and 77 of the workforce. Many initiatives to address development in Senegal, such as youth employment, empowerment of women and stability of rural communities are centered around agricultural developments.
  2. Women in Senegal perform 70 percent of the agricultural work, doing predominately manual labor because mechanical agricultural equipment used contemporarily is unavailable to rural communities. Organizations such as the Italian Development Cooperation Agency have trained women in modern technologies and practices, hoping this knowledge will empower women in their communities to teach and be given greater entrepreneurial autonomy over the land and yield.
  3. Climate change is drastically altering the yield and land each season which impacts the food and employment security of the Senegalese peoples. The Senegal Food and Livelihoods Enhancement Initiative (SFLEI) by the World Vision organization is implementing farmer-managed natural regeneration to address degraded soils, erosion and increase farmland fertility.
  4. Senegal has one of the highest electricity access rates, about 64 percent overall. The development of a centralized energy grid could provide more profuse access in the rural communities, but that is a cost-intensive endeavor for the nation. Solar and hydropower would be the most effective renewable sources for the country.
  5. NoPiwouma is the Senegalese offshoot of MeToo movement. It translates from Wolof to: “I will not shut up.” Due to the work of two women, Ndambaw Kama Thiat and Olivia Codouhe, Senegal is slowly beginning the conversation around sexual assault and harassment. The Google form these women created and Thiat’s blog are spaces that allow for women, traditionally suppressed by ideas of familial reputation, to tell of their experiences. Unlike the legal and economic aspects of the MeToo movement in the U.S., the mission of NoPiwouma is breaking the cultural boundaries of silence and submission.
  6. Hip-hop and rap is a medium that confronts Senegalese reality, recounts profound experiences of hardship and calls for actions of change. In Senegal, a 95 percent Muslim country, pervasive division of labor, societal roles and religious norms still exist. Rapping and involvement in this artistic movement allow for an honest, raw, politically charged reflection of these social values. Africulturban, a local youth organization, began a project for formerly incarcerated youth, encouraging access to the arts as an outlet for their stories and a space for stigmas in urban life to be discussed and molded.
  7. More than 60 percent of Senegal’s population is under the age of 25. A critique of many nations is the disengagement of the youth in politics, but the government of Senegal actively continues to try and engage this demographic through initiatives such as Plan of Action for Youth that aims to create coordinated policies through the National Youth Council of Senegal that integrate the youth in decision making and implementation of policies regarding education, employment, culture and health.
  8. Education in Senegal is free and compulsory until the age of 16. In 2000, primary school enrollment was 69.3 percent, and in 2009, it was 84 percent. While the percentage of Senegalese youth attending school is particularly high, there are various aspects that direly need improvement such as the material goods needed for modern education. USAID is working to improve education in Senegal by providing internet access to more rural locations, textbooks for each grade level and renovating schools.
  9. Senegal practices some of the best methods of combating HIV and AIDS. One of the first initiatives that the country enacted was the elimination of an excise tax that made condoms unaffordable, in conjunction with an education initiative to emphasize the importance of safe sexual practices. The religious community took action too, as AIDS became a regular topic in Friday sermons in mosques and religious figures addressed the issue on television and radio. Of the adult population between ages 15 and 49, 0.4 percent suffer from AIDS, indicating positive results from government and religious efforts.
  10. Senegal possesses one of the most developed water infrastructures on the African continent, but due to its location in sub-Saharan Africa, sustained and equal access to water is a challenge. There exists inequality in access and a disparity in the quality of water transportation systems. In 2010, the government and the World Bank began the Water and Sanitation Millennium Program that benefited 654,520 people in five years. Based on this success, the project was renewed for the period 2015-2020.
With Senegal showing and remaining dedicated to progress, the outlook for poverty reduction in the country is hopeful. These top 10 facts about living conditions in Senegal highlight the current situation in the country and are meant to give the face to the burgeoning development happening contemporarily in the country.

– Natalie Gates
Photo: Flickr

State of Russian Higher Education

Higher Education in Russia

The course of formal learning in society takes a mold that has been carefully crafted over the course of history. Similar to business, hierarchal structures remain in place to provide a linear path for young and ambitious students to rise through the levels of education in order to become better contributors to society. This logic path applies to all developed nations of the world, but for the developing nation of Russia, a massive suboptimal state within higher education continues to disenfranchise the student population from the institutions themselves.

State of Higher Education in Russia

The suboptimal state of higher education in Russia presents itself in the faulty relationship between faculty-led lecture and curriculum learning and student capability. Currently, the system of education in Russia mimics that of United States by level and progression. Russia has three primary levels of education available to its 143 million citizens: primary school, secondary school, college and tertiary school that is often referred to as university or post-secondary education.

Unlike the United States where higher education finds its roots in Jeffersonian ideals of limited government and freedom of expression, states and religious communities, all higher education in Russia is either commercial or state-owned and operated. Commercially owned universities take on the same form as privately owned universities in the United States where a board of controllers share a stake in the institution and design its curriculum and policies.

Conversely, state-owned and operated universities in Russia is where the suboptimal state of higher education in Russia materializes. Faculty are on the government payroll and often found work in higher education as an alternative to finding private sector work. Lack of qualifications coupled with a general apathy corrodes the quality of higher education in Russia.

Contrary to the United States where the possession of a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) represents the terminal degree of higher education and right of passage into a professorship, poor education standards in Russia afford more graduate students to earn their Ph.D. equivalents and enter the employment world of higher education. Proper education training programs are not pushed on professors as much as it is in the United States.

Higher Education and Poverty in Russia

According to World Education News and Reviews, around 54 percent of Russians aged from 25 to 64 held tertiary degrees as of 2015. Representing more than 50 percent of Russia’s demographic of educable citizens, the country is ranked as one of the most educated nations in the world. Where then does the suboptimal state of higher education in Russia fit into the equation of global poverty?

The answer is complex. Because government-owned universities offer free tuition and significant subsidies on student housing and extraneous costs, the state proctors an array of difficult entrance exams that determine a candidates eligibility into Russian university. For those who do not pass the exam or have little care for the system of higher education altogether, a pivot toward traditional blue-collar trades such as electricians, plumbers and contractors is not unfamiliar. However, the pursuit of blue-collar work does not afford Russians the same pay scale and livelihood as it does for U.S. laborers. Herein lies the trickle-down effects of higher education restraints into the poverty of the Russian’s middle-class.

Present and Future of Higher Education in Russia

In 2019, higher education in Russia is beginning to respond to the needs of the labor market and mimic the same dynamic of labor – education as in the United States. Around 20 years prior, laborers with a Bachelor of Science or Arts degree were very competitive and employable in the labor force. Currently, bachelor degrees are being less valued by Americans and now college graduates pursue a masters degree in addition to a four-year degree so to better secure their chances of higher job security and pay.

Notwithstanding this change, the trend of Americans who believes a four year-year degree will lead to a good job and higher lifetime earnings represents only 49 percent of the population, down 13 percentage points when the same question was asked four years earlier.

There are a few possible solutions to the link between middle-class poverty in Russia and the shambolic higher education offered. Requiring professors in Russia to visit select cities where intense training and education is offered in preparation for professorship may cure the qualifications issue.

Additionally, commercial universities ought to take measures of their own to increase competitiveness and admission rates to receive the pressure off of state-run institutions. Russia is presently molding its education philosophy around Western ideals that hinge on government deregulation, freedom of choice and competition. Implementing additional measures and programs that fall in line with that philosophical shift is not beyond Russia’s capability. The survival of Russia’s educated middle class depends on it.

– Nicholas Maldarelli

Photo: Pixabay

Outbreaks in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Outbreaks in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Cholera, MERS and influenza continue to devastate the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This region, found near the Mediterranean Sea, consists of the Levant, the Middle East and North Africa. Fortunately, the World Health Organization (WHO) monitors and records these outbreaks in the Eastern Mediterranean Region in order to better understand epidemic trends.

Each epidemic consists of different symptoms that can be lethal if the individual does not undergo proper treatment. Unfortunately, a majority of the countries within the Eastern Mediterranean Region lack access to the medication and proper public health infrastructure necessary to combat these epidemics. As a result, cholera, MERS and influenza are major public health problems that affect a large population of citizens.

Defining Cholera

Cholera is a bacterial disease spread through contaminated drinking water or food. Symptoms consist of diarrhea and dehydration, and if cholera is left untreated, the symptoms could worsen to seizures and, ultimately, lead to death.

Cholera is quite common among developing states due to a lack of sanitation and infrastructural advancements. Somalia, a country in Africa, is consistently faced with cholera outbreaks. In fact, the last outbreak was August 23, 2018, in which the Ministry of Health discovered 39 new cases since August 16 of that same year. They found that approximately 72 percent of new cases were children under the age of five, and in August 2018, the Ministry of Health recorded 230 cholera cases overall.

The number of cases per week continue to fluctuate, with some weeks showing 151 to 344 new cases. Yemen, which is located South of Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, possesses the world’s worst outbreak with approximately 220,000 cases reported as of 2017. BBC reports that 1,300 people have died, with 25 percent being children. Now, there are about 10,000 suspected cases weekly, and numbers are expected to rise.

These statistics are disheartening, yet the World Health Organization is helping to decrease cholera. The WHO has a Global Task Force on cholera control in this region. This task force has led to initiatives — such as the launch of the Cholera Kits — which prepare families for an upcoming outbreak for the first month, decreasing their chances of contracting the illness. WHO has also planned “Ending Cholera: A Global Roadmap to 2030,” which will monitor water sources, administer vaccinations and construct sanitary networks and healthcare systems. They have also given families in hotspots the oral cholera vaccine.

Impacts of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is a respiratory illness with symptoms such as fever, cough, dizziness and shortness of breath. This disease can be fatal if not treated correctly. MERS is extremely rare within industrialized countries, yet it does frequently occur in developing countries.

Saudi Arabia is one of the many victims of the MERS outbreak, and astonishingly accounts for 83.2 percent of new cases. The World Health Organization reports that Saudi Arabia had 1861 new cases of MERS in July 2018, and about 719 of those individuals died, which makes the fatality rate 38.6 percent. The fatality rate increased by 3.1 percent since June 2018.

MERS is an epidemic with devastating impacts on society; thankfully, WHO is learning more about this illness through international and local conventions that discuss implementation goals and research. Recently, the WHO hosted a convention in which scientists, doctors and researchers discussed the outbreak of MERS.

They delved into the correlation between human and animal health, research projects/initiatives and preventative methods. The disease was only discovered in 2012 so there is still a lot the world does not know about MERS, but thankfully, organizations like WHO are continually making efforts to understand the epidemic.

Ramifications of Influenza

Influenza is a viral infection transmitted through contaminated surfaces, contact and saliva. Its symptoms include fever, cough, congestion, fatigue and muscle aches. Influenza is one of the outbreaks in the Eastern Mediterranean Region dependent upon seasonal changes and is a common global phenonmenon. Despite its preventability and treatability in developed countries, in other parts of the world, it can be deadly — especially among high-risk groups.

Egypt, Qatar and Iraq were the only countries that reported a high-level of influenza activity —  each reported a higher rate of the H1N1 strain. The number of cases of influenza continue to decrease, particularly in the month of July, and WHO continues to help decrease the number of influenza cases through research improvements. WHO continues to monitor influenza and its strains while also creating the “Global Influenza Surveillance & Response System” in order to teach states how to prepare for influenza.

They have given the Eastern Mediterranean Region technical support in order to better responses to influenza, and also funded projects to better influenza treatment — such as building new, advanced laboratories and upgrading surveillance programs in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Populations.

Preventative Measures

Although the outbreaks are devastating, the World Health Organization perservers in its fight against outbreaks in the Eastern Mediterranean Region through inter-organizational collaboration, science conventions and advanced surveillance programs. With groups like WHO actively researching and collecting data, the progress in preventing cholera, MERS and influenza is an ever-increasing occurrence.

– Diana Hallisey
Photo: Flickr

How Tech is Improving Food Security in Nigeria

Food Security in Nigeria
Malnutrition has been labeled Nigeria’s silent crisis by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health. The most vulnerable group affected are children as up to one million children under the age of five are affected by severe acute malnutrition in Nigerian each year. Policy predictions about future access to nutrition continue to place food security in Nigeria as a pressing issue for government, NGOs and local organizations.

Chowberry

Oscar Ekponimo, a Nigerian entrepreneur, had personal experience with hunger as a child that led him to develop a cloud-based software app called Chowberry. When he was a child, his mom used to remind him that hunger was not forever, and he cites this reminder as one of the reasons that kept him going every day. The idea for the app came as he walked the aisles of a grocery store and came across a can of tuna about to expire. With the goal of reducing food waste by redirecting it to those in need, Chowberry combines technology with the missions of local NGOs to address the momentous issue of food security in Nigeria.

In fact, this app allows retailers to monitor and track food product expiration in order to allow customers to access deep discounts through the app’s algorithm. The discounts become larger the longer the food waits on the shelves. The beta version – a 3-month trial of the app – connected 300 users with 20 retailers that provided nutrition to approximately 150 orphans and vulnerable children through partnership with orphanages. This pilot program was a success as it allowed participating orphanages to cut down on spending by more than 70 percent.

The app also reaches non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are able to purchase food at reasonable prices and acquire more food for distribution. The app logs a list of the NGOs’ preferences and notifies them when it receives the type of food the charities need for their food distribution programs. As of right now, Ekponimo’s biggest challenge is fighting ‘red tape’ that makes larger companies slow to adopt the necessary technology.

Powerful Partnerships

There has been a growing demand for Chowberry’s services over the past few years, and the organization now has a team of nine in Abuja that works with 20 retailers. Chowberry partners with three local charities to enhance food security in Nigeria: the Afro Global Care Foundation, Hold My Hands Women and Youth Development Foundation and Thrifty Slayer.

Ekponimo doesn’t stop his social activism with Chowberry; he also delivers free training and mentorship to school-age children on how to tackle hunger, malnutrition and achieving sustainable development. His social entrepreneurship and commitment to addressing food security in Nigeria won Ekponimo the 2016 Rolex Award of Enterprise and the title of being named one of Time magazine’s Next Generation Leader for 2017.

Creating Sustainable Innovations and Improvement

Although Nigeria is Africa’s wealthiest and most populated country, more than half the people residing in its borders live below the poverty line. Furthermore, Northern Nigeria has the third highest rate of chronic undernutrition of children in the world, and the International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that approximately 300,000 children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in Nigeria over the coming year.

Food security remains at the forefront of challenges within th enation, and there is thus no doubt that the need exists for innovations like Chowberry.

– Georgie Giannopoulos
Photo: Flickr

 

Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Liberia

Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Liberia
The Republic of Liberia is one of the poorest countries in the world, partly because of the 14-year long civil war that ended in 1997, which has continued to impact its population of 4.9 million people.

These top 10 facts about living conditions in Liberia portray what life is like for Liberians.

Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Liberia

  1. Poverty
    Half of Liberians live in abject poverty which means they are severely deprived of basic needs like food, clean water, shelter, sanitation and health care access.
  2. Corruption
    The 14-year civil war in Liberia caused a breakdown in law enforcement which has disproportionately affected the poor. However, in more recent years, there has been an increase in the number of professional arrests as well as a decline in reports of torture and mistreatment in detention centers. These improvements are in part due to the United Nations Mission in Liberia initiatives on law enforcement monitoring and training.
  3. Literacy Rates
    A recent report shows that roughly 64.7 percent of Liberians are literate, compared to 10 years ago when only 42 percent of the population could read and write. Though the literacy rate has increased, the gender gap continues to highlight the lack of educational opportunities for women. While 77 percent of Liberian men can read and write, only 54 percent of women are literate.
  4. Ebola
    Ebola virus disease, which is transmitted to people from animals and human-to-human, has killed more than 11,000 Liberians.  Though the country was declared Ebola-free in 2015, two people died of the disease a few weeks after the announcement. The outbreak has impacted crop production, income levels and food security as well. Poor living conditions, like access to clean water and adequate medical facilities, have also exacerbated the impact of this deadly virus. In 2018, the WHO reported that two out of a group of 16 people that received an experimental drug for the Ebola virus have recovered. This is a big step in the eradication of Ebola in Liberia.In 2017, Liberia experienced a deadly outbreak of meningococcal disease but this was contained within weeks with help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  5. HIV/AIDS
    HIV/AIDS has also negatively affected the country. In 2016 alone, Liberia had 2,900 new HIV/AIDS infections added to the already 43,000 people living with the disease. And of the 43,000, only 19 percent were able to access antiretroviral treatment. The following year, the Liberia National Policy on Condoms was created to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, as well as to increase awareness regarding safe sex practices.
  6. Clean Water Access
    Following the most recent Ebola outbreak, nonprofits such as Water Aid and Waves for Water campaigned to improve clean water access in Liberia. Today, two-thirds of Liberians have access to clean water sources. However, there is still work to be done as 3.7 million people still do not have a decent toilet.
  7. Food Supply
    Years after the war, 80 percent of Liberians continue to experience food insecurity. Though the country has a vast amount of farming land and plenty of natural resources, the war has had a lasting impact on productive assets. An increase in food prices also causes a threat to food supply. As a result of increased food prices, many have changed their diet and now eat less protein and vegetables. Not surprisingly this has led to higher rates of malnutrition especially among children under the age of five.
  8. Child Labor
    Poor living conditions in Liberian has forced many families to send their children to work instead of school. As of 2018, 21 percent of children are engaged in child labor. Organizations such as the Liberia National Police’s Women and Children Protection Section lack resources to enforce laws against child labor and many children continue to be forced to work in dangerous environments such as the production of rubber and mining.
  9. Road Infrastructure
    The President of Liberia promised the government would not get worse under his leadership. In doing so, he has become committed to the country’s development, especially as it relates to improving feeder roads. The President has noted that the development and growth from road connectivity will not only be safer but will also help to support economic activities as well.
  10. Slum Upgrading Unit
    The growing population of Liberia is creating a housing shortage, with many living in inadequate housing structures. To combat this issue, the government has begun a “pro-poor national agenda” that has resulted in the establishment of a Slum Upgrading Unit with Habitat for Humanity. This program supports slums and unsafe communities that constitute 70 percent of housing in the town of Monrovia. It also aims to facilitate the supplying of basic services and infrastructure.

These top 10 facts about living conditions in Liberia showcase progress in areas such as clean water access and addressing the Ebola virus. However, there remain areas for improvement as it relates to food security and health care.

– Andrea Rodriguez
Photo: Flickr

Middle-Class Poverty in Russia Alleviated by Retail Market

Middle Class Poverty in Russia
For most of Russia’s history as a developing nation, foreign direct investments have taken the form of oil and land. The consumer market within Russia has remained a small part of its economy because of a consistently weak Russian currency- ruble, market volatility and consumer hesitation in purchasing durable goods such as cars and other less-liquid assets.

Russian Economy

A weakened economy and increased embargoes from the United States and other Western nations have led to the worsening of middle-class poverty in Russia. Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) fell on average 1.5 percent yearly between 2014 and 2016. GDP is a measure of the country’s finished goods and services produced within its borders and sold to trade partners.

If a country’s GDP is decreasing, the nation’s consumers have fewer goods and services to purchase. As a result, this adversely affects the country’s economy and consumer market. As of 2016, the population living below the poverty line in Russia rose to 23 percent and amounts to around 20 million people. A rebound in oil prices coupled with a growing agricultural sector has improved Russia’s chance for a massive economy turnaround. Increased trade with China has also given room for economic improvements to the developing nation.

Middle-Class Poverty in Russia and Retail Market

In turn, middle-class poverty in Russia is being addressed through a revitalization of consumerism in malls and small shops across large Russian citizens such as Moscow, St. Petersburg and Saransk. A renewed interest in mass consumerism across this Eastern nation has inspired thousands of businesses to open and offer a variety of goods to consumers.

Mass production of commodity items mimics the consumerism attitude in the United States. Historically, Russian consumers have taken rubles out of the country and purchased goods and services abroad because of lower prices and an increased purchasing power. However, because Russia is producing and selling its own goods and services, consumers are remaining in the country and spending their money with Russian businesses.

As a result of increased consumerism and small to medium-sized enterprise business growth, additional Russian business owners have flooded the market with new enterprises. As of January 2019, Russia’s employment rate is 59.90 percent. The developing nation has seen unemployment continuously fall as a result of improved geopolitics and business within its borders.

The Future Opportunities

Within the next 10 years, Russia’s consumer market is expected to grow internally and the economy is expected to improve. Currently, Russia’s economic freedom score is 58.2 on an index of 100, ranking the country globally as the 107th freest in the 2018 index. Compared to the United States, ranked at the 18th place with a score of 78.8, Russian consumers exercise a significantly lesser degree of economic freedom in their daily purchases and investments.

The Russian government intends to reverse this downward trend with increased investment in malls and shopping centers across the country. The burgeoning consumer market is one solution to alleviating middle-class poverty in Russia as it creates more jobs and opportunities for less-skilled laborers.

Additionally, Russian can begin to encourage more multinational businesses and franchises to do business within its borders. The presence of well-known global brands works cooperatively with Russia’s present goals of increasing consumerism and mall traffic. Russia has a long way to go yet before it improves its global ranking as an economically free country of consumers. The present geopolitical landscape lends itself to a much-needed overhaul of economic policy within Russia.

Russia is combatting economic strife and political pressure from the rest of the world by revitalizing its consumer market. Brand development is a key success factor in this revitalization process. If the country continues to mimic the United States of America in the rebuilding of its consumer market, the middle-class poverty in Russia can potentially be eradicated and lead Russia into the new decade of economic growth and prosperity.

– Nicholas Maldarelli

Photo: Pixabay