Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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The Success of Humanitarian Aid to Namibia

The Success of Humanitarian Aid to Namibia
The Republic of Namibia, a small Southwest African country, suffers heavily from natural disasters. These are disasters such as flash floods, droughts, epidemics and tropical cyclones. Furthermore, Namibia is crippled with a high percentage of HIV and TB. However, in recent years, the humanitarian aid to Namibia is finally making a noticeable impact. Programs such as Project HOPE, the USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster and UNICEF have all provided a helping hand.

Project HOPE Humanitarian Aid in Namibia

Project HOPE’s humanitarian aid to Namibia started in 2002. Initially, its primary focus was on inputting healthcare services and providing health education. Since then, the organization has grown to spread awareness of HIV and tuberculosis (TB).

In 2013, HOPE launched a 5-year program called the Namibia Adherence and Retention project (NARP). The program’s goal was to establish stronger cohesion and retention to HIV care treatment, which includes preventing transmission between mother and child. Another goal is to improve the impact of HIV of those living with the condition.

By 2016, HIV was the leading cause of premature death in adults and the sixth leading cause for children. To combat the disease, Project HOPE created a Collaboration Program which strived to introduce TB/HIV collaborative activities into current community-based programs. Simultaneously, the program aimed to advance TB diagnostics.

The USAID Office of Foreign Disaster

The USAID Office of Foreign Disaster assists Namibia mostly with natural disasters. Namibia’s environmental stressors negatively affect food security in vulnerable homes, livestock and crop growth.

In 2017, the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster provided a substantial donation to northern regions of Africa. It offered $8.6 million to multi-sectors as well as $1 million to improve sanitary conditions, water needs and hygiene. Another $1.9 million was provided to protect food security.

USAID also provided about $27,000 to UNICEF to improve nutritional needs.

Other relief actors have focused on bettering agricultural and harvesting needs. As of a result of these various donations, regions like Namibia have seen an improvement in food security in vulnerable households.

UNICEF’s Contribution to Humanitarian Aid in Namibia

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) made a considerable difference with the children of Namibia. As a result of droughts, poor sanitation and flooding, many children have severe acute malnutrition (SAM).

As a result, UNICEF supporters were able to help more than 4,000 children suffering from SAC and provide proper treatment. UNICEF was also able to train close to 150 health workers to adequately treat infants and young children with SAM.

Furthermore, malaria continues to spread in the northern reigns of Namibia; in 2017, the UNICEF discovered 53,000 new cases of Malaria.

The humanitarian aid to Namibia is substantial and providing necessary help in the aftermath of natural disasters such as food and shelter. Furthermore, humanitarian workers are helping the country manage and control its outbreaks of HIV and tuberculosis. As a result, the Republic of Namibia is seeing significant improvements throughout the country.

– Cassidy Dyce

Photo: Flickr

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Humanitarian Aid to Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome

Located off Africa’s western shore, Sao Tome and Principe is home to about 200,000 people. According to the World Bank, almost 62 percent are living in poverty. With a moderate-to-weak economy, humanitarian aid to Sao Tome and Principe is essential to improve social and health-related issues.

The Economy of Sao Tome and Principe

The economy of Sao Tome and Principe consists mostly of cocoa exports and tourism to showcase its diverse wildlife and tropical forests.

The Portuguese-speaking islands currently struggle to provide educational, as well as economic, opportunities to its children. Approximately 44 percent of the population is made up by children under 14. While about 97 percent of children attend primary school, the rate of secondary school attendance falls drastically to 38 percent.

Programs Providing Humanitarian Aid to Sao Tome and Principe

The International Development Association (IDA) aimed to improve education attendance rates by providing more than $4 million in educational assistance. The program, Quality Education for All, strengthens the educational system by improving teachers’ training and enriching student’s curriculum. By improving primary education, the IDA is building a foundation for secondary education down the road.

Another program contributing to humanitarian aid to Sao Tome and Principe is the Entrepreneurship Curriculum Programme for the Youth of Sao Tome and Principe. Funded by the Trust Fund for Youth Employment, $34,333 was devoted to teaching entrepreneurial skills in secondary education in hopes of better preparing students for the workforce. The program’s goal is to impact at least 1,500 students with entrepreneurial training.

Combatting Diseases in Sao Tome and Principe

Other issues that plague Sao Tome and Principe are personal health and protection from diseases such as malaria and HIV. In 2009, malaria was reported in a total of 33.8 percent out of 1,000 people. However, thanks to relief efforts, this number had drastically declined to 9.7 percent per 1,000 people by 2014.

Along with the decline of reported malaria cases, Sao Tome and Principe reported a total of zero malaria-related deaths in 2014. To further prevent the threat of malaria, the UNDP has worked with the Global Fund. Together, these organizations have provided a $6 million grant that finances the purchase of mosquito repellants along with bed nets. The grant’s goal is to eliminate all threats of malaria and other illnesses by 2030.

Sao Tome and Principe continues improving with help from organizations like the Global Fund and the UNDP, as well as others. By addressing core issues like citizen’s health and education, humanitarian aid to Sao Tome and Principe is providing opportunities for continued growth.

– Austin Stoltzfus

Photo: Flickr

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Curbing Type Two Diabetes in the Marshall Islands

Curbing Diabetes in the Marshall Islands

In 2017, diabetes in the Marshall Islands had the highest prevalence worldwide, with nearly one-third of Marshallese adults suffering from the disease. The Marshall Islands is a country consisting of two archipelago island chains in the western Pacific with a population of about 75,000 people, two-thirds of whom live on the atolls of Majuro and Ebeye.

The majority of people with diabetes in the Marshall Islands, as with most other countries, have type two, which results from the body’s inefficient use of insulin. Common causes of type two diabetes include obesity and a lack of physical activity. According to a 2016 estimate, 53 percent of adults in the Marshall Islands are obese, the fourth highest percentage of in the world. Type two diabetes has reached epidemic levels in the Marshall Islands, and its increase is primarily attributed to poor dietary habits and low levels of physical activity.

Majuro has become increasingly dependent on imported food due to overpopulation. Domestic production supplies only 10 to 20 percent of all food calories consumed since local foods tend to be more expensive than imported foods and the quantity is insufficient to sustain the whole population. Of the food imported, fruits, vegetables and other healthy perishables are the most expensive.

The Marshallese diet is comprised primarily of imported, processed foods that are high in sugar. For example, typical breakfast foods include pancakes, fried doughnuts, ramen, coffeebread, rice and spam. Lunch and dinner usually feature white rice and fresh or canned meat.

Perhaps the greatest change to dietary practices required is a change in attitude. When it comes to food purchase and consumption, the Marshallese tend to value quantity and price over quality. However, results from a recent child development study confirming the link between poor nutrition and growth stunting in the Marshall Islands led the government to consider this issue in setting priorities for development programs and interventions. The study identified poor nutrition as the cause of growth stunting in 35 percent of children surveyed.

In the National Strategic Plan 2015 – 2017, the government addressed the need for both increased access to nutritious foods and the implementation of nutrition education programs in Marshallese schools. Also, in November of 2017, President of the Marshall Islands Hilda Heine met with the World Bank to discuss a long-term early childhood health project to improve childhood health status.

“We received a very enthusiastic response from the World Bank,” President Heine said.

Still, several challenges lie ahead for effective health reform in the Marshall Islands. But the current steps being taken to achieve better health outcomes have the potential to prevent and reduce the prevalence of diabetes in the Marshall Islands.

– Gabrielle Doran

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About USAID That Everyone Should Know

10 Facts About USAIDThe United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the world’s premier development organization. Founded in 1961, the agency has overseen decades of world economic growth and an unprecedented reduction in global poverty.

 

10 Important Facts About USAID:

 

  1. USAID is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government and operates subject to the guidance of the President, the Secretary of State and the National Security Council.
  2. USAID is the largest provider of food assistance in the world.
  3. USAID’s annual budget of $27 billion is larger than the national spending of 165 countries.
  4. Intervention by USAID is always subject to careful analysis to prevent disruption of local agricultural production, markets and adverse effects on recipient nation currencies.
  5. USAID’s budget, spending and programs are subject to oversight and auditing by the Office of Management and Budget in the White House, and the Government Accountability Office under the legislative branch. All of its budget and oversight documents are public record.
  6. USAID has made steady improvement in recent years in rankings by the International Aid Transparency Initiative, primarily due to better data management and increased technology modernization.
  7. As these 10 facts about USAID demonstrate, the organization’s mission involves much more than direct crisis aid. Besides food and disaster relief, USAID has major directives in health, human rights and governance, education, economic growth, agriculture and food security and gender equality.
  8. A significant number of countries have gone from recipients of USAID programs to become donor nations themselves. The Republic of Korea and Brazil are two prime examples.
  9. USAID’s spending accounts for less than one-half of one percent of the U.S. federal budget.
  10. After decades of change, in 2013 USAID launched a new mission statement for the 21st century built on two pillars: ending extreme poverty, and promoting democratic, resilient societies.

As a key pillar in development efforts worldwide, USAID is central to the history of this century, as the world stands on the cusp of some of its greatest humanitarian achievements while, at the same time, facing unprecedented ecological challenges. USAID is a leader and a massively experienced player in facing the world’s biggest problems. Strategies to improve aid and development around the world and to sustain progress into the future rely on these facts about USAID.

– Paul Robertson

Photo: Flickr

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The Ways the US Benefits from Foreign Aid to Brazil

U.S. Benefits from Foreign Aid to Brazil
For the projected Fiscal Year 2018 budget, the United States is allotting $815,000 to Brazil. This budgetary decision is planned to further a partnership with the government of Brazil in improving regional stability through security and law-enforcement, progress in medical care and increasing environmental coordinating and military training. In addition to these improved Brazilian conditions, there will be U.S. benefits that come from foreign aid to Brazil.

A Fruitful Partnership

This budget will assist the Ministry of Health in creating an AIDs-free future population. Funding from this budget will also address military protection to combat transnational crime through advancements in the rule of law and counterterrorism programs.

The two countries also opened dialogues addressing other concerns regarding climate change. Previous signing in 2015 of the U.S.-Brazil Joint Initiative on Climate Change, and the USAID-GOB Development Objective Agreement on Biodiversity Conservation signed in 2014, focuses on biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.

This partnership that enables the countries to address current issues is one way the U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Brazil.

Since The United States was the first country to recognize Brazil’s independence in 1822, the two countries have a long history of working together to expand economic growth, support human rights and improve defense and security.

Shared Interests

The countries have shared development in education, energy, health, science and technology. Due to previous foreign aid, Brazil has bolstered itself into a position of economic growth that has enabled it to import U.S. goods and export to the U.S. while also supplying foreign aid to other developing countries.

Combatting the Zika Virus

There are also large efforts being taken between the U.S. government and the government of Brazil to address and fight the Zika virus. USAID and Brazil are also looking to further development in other countries, particularly African and Latin America, as well as provide food security through agriculture development and productivity in Haiti, Honduras and Mozambique.

Trade and Tourism

Some other ways the U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Brazil are through trade, business investments and tourism. Since 2003, Brazilian firms made large investments in the U.S., amounting to billions of dollars. These projects amounted to $2.5 billion in 2010 and, once they’re completed, will create 4,806 new jobs in a variety of different sectors.

Commerce with Brazil creates both small and large business ventures, with one being the WindStream company based out of New Albany, Illinois.

This partnership between the U.S. and Brazil promotes the growth of both economies through trade and provides economic durability. It furthers the advancements of both countries enabling the countries to supply aid to developing countries. The partnership between the U.S. and Brazil shows the benefits of foreign aid and the progression that continuous aid can provide to other countries.

– Bronti DeRoche

Photo: Flickr

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What Makes a Country Developed? Moving Past Poverty

what makes a country developedWhat makes a country developed? The commonalities between developed countries include an improved quality of life and greater access to basic necessities. Conversely, underdeveloped nations around the world also share common characteristics. Citizens suffer from preventable diseases, extreme poverty and lack of access to healthcare and clean water. Understanding the characteristics of underdeveloped countries can allow for a more strategic aid process to contribute to their development.

The former Secretary of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, said that a developed country is “one that allows all its citizens to enjoy a free and healthy life in a safe environment.” While this may be an oversimplified statement, it highlights key issues that must be addressed in order for a country to develop. Here are some characteristics of underdeveloped countries.

Low life expectancy 

While the life expectancy of developed countries is typically in the 70s and 80s, underdeveloped countries often have life expectancies in the low 50s. This is common in African nations and is due to high birthrates and low contraception use, poor access to health care and potable water, lack of education and disease. All of this can easily be prevented.

Many measures can raise life expectancy while decreasing overpopulation and deaths resulting from preventable diseases. This includes using technology to help medical clinics in rural areas, increasing the number of wells, utilizing solar sanitation systems, revamping national education standards and having a sharper focus on vaccines.

Poor education and literacy 

Similarly to life expectancy, literacy rates and educational systems are telltale signs of a developed country. While countries like Norway consistently maintain a 100 percent literacy rate, underdeveloped countries, such as Niger, maintain an estimated 19 percent. While primary school is mandatory for most of the world’s children, many drop out in underdeveloped countries. The lack of secondary and vocational education for children prevents them from entering the workforce later in life. This can be combated by revamping curriculum and teacher training and by enforcing internationally recognized standards.

Poverty rates 

The economy factors greatly into what makes a country developed. Lack of income prevents people from access to basic human rights such as clean water, food and preventable measures against disease. While only 15 percent of Americans live in poverty, over 60 percent in the Congo and neighboring countries do. With additional aid, underdeveloped countries can increase credit access and improve agricultural and infrastructural systems, which would produce food and create jobs simultaneously.

High fertility rates 

Overpopulation is another characteristic of underdeveloped countries. Lack of education and birth control have contributed greatly to high fertility rates. In countries like Chad, for instance, only five percent utilize contraception. It has contributed to high birth rates, a population in which the majority are adolescents and have low life expectancies. Better education and access to birth control can balance the booming population in underdeveloped countries.

It is clear that the steps to helping underdeveloped countries are simple. Healthcare, education and credit access contribute to what makes a country developed. By addressing the aforementioned issues, underdeveloped countries can take steps to develop further and contribute to eliminating global poverty.

– Eric Paulsen

Photo: Flickr

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Refugee Aid in Thailand

refugee aid in ThailandThe history of humanitarian aid in Thailand is considered a success story. In recent times, there has been a specific increase in refugee aid in Thailand.

The History of Humanitarian Aid in Thailand

Over the past four decades, economic growth has been significant, with the formerly low-income country becoming an upper-income state. Poverty declined to 7.2 percent in 2015 from a high of 67 percent in 1986. This was in part because of the high growth rate and increased agricultural prices.

Seeking Asylum in Thailand

As of July 2017, 102,000 refugees from Myanmar have found asylum in Thailand. Many families have sought, or continue to seek, refuge in Thailand.

Nine camps situated along the border house refugees and provide basic needs such as healthcare, food, shelter, water, sanitation, education and protection. These camps function as small communities, limiting the livelihoods of the refugees to these areas but supplying protection from the state they fled.

In many circumstances, individuals get married, bear children and spend extensive time in these larger camps. Mae La is the largest refugee camp in Thailand.

Increasing Refugee Aid in Thailand

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) Support Center provides refugee aid in Thailand. Its programs help families and individuals locate documents to allow them to further their citizenship paperwork.

This foundation also supplies food, water and healthcare to people that live in the camps. Economic wellbeing is also one of the goals on the organization’s agenda to help displaced people.

Economic wellbeing, according to the International Rescue Committee, is meeting individuals’ basic needs and allowing individuals to find employment. Allowing refugees to work and earn an income encourages prosperity within the family unit and society.

Through the work that the IRC accomplishes, refugee aid in Thailand will benefit not only the refugees but allow for a country to gain further economic strength.

– Bronti DeRoche

Photo: Flickr

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How Old Do You Have to Be to Run for Congress?

How Old Do You Have to Be to Run for Congress?How old do you have to be to run for Congress? To hold a seat in the U.S. Senate, the youngest a person can be is 30 years old. However, one does not have to be 30 years old in order to run for Senate as long as they are 30 years old by the time that they are sworn in. For example, Joe Biden was 29 years old when he ran and was elected as a senator of Delaware.

Despite the fact that Biden was extremely young when he first took office in the Senate, he is only the fifth-youngest senator in U.S. history. The youngest senator in U.S. history is John Henry Eaton of Tennessee, who was 28 years old when he became a senator. Though Eaton was elected after the age requirement for the Senate was established in 1787, birth records were poorly kept during this time so it was much harder to guarantee that all candidates were of age.

The age requirement for the Senate was debated after establishing the age requirement for the House of Representatives, which was originally 21 years old, or the voting age at the time. The age was later increased to 25 years old after a move by George Mason of Virginia, who claimed that to hold a seat in the House, one should have time to get his or her own affairs in order before trying to manage a nation. This fact helps to answer the question “how old do you have to be to run for Congress?”

However, the age requirement for the House remained lower than many other positions because the founders wanted this legislative chamber to be closer to the people than any other chamber. Due to this desire, the founders were a lot less restrictive when establishing the requirements for the House. The restriction on age for the Senate is different because the founders felt that the greater responsibilities of Senators required those in office to have more knowledge and greater character stability than Representatives.

While Eaton was the youngest Senator in US history at 28 years old, William Charles Claiborne, also from Tennessee, was the youngest Representative ever. Claiborne, born in 1775, was 22 when he was elected as a Representative. Claiborne was later elected again, at age 24, while he still did not meet the age requirement.

Though the U.S. has elected quite a few Congressmen who are under the age requirement, this trend has not continued, as the average age of a U.S. Senator is 60 years old. However, some young people who have run for Congress recently are trying to encourage more young people to run for office and get more involved in politics.

“How old do you have to be to run for Congress?” was a question that went through the mind of Erin Schrode. Schrode, a woman from Marin County, California, began a campaign for Congress when she was only 24. Schrode did not win the 2016 election for House of Representatives, but if she had, she would have been the youngest ever Congresswoman. This title is currently held by Elise Stefanik, who was 30 years old when she was elected to be a Representative in 2014.

Schrode claims that she never intended to get involved in politics, but after seeing her mother’s dedication to her work towards combating skyrocketing cancer rates, Schrode developed a passion for politics. She believes that more young people should run for Congress because 35 percent of the U.S. population is under the age of 30, but people under 30 rarely hold Congressional seats.

– Haley Rogers

Photo: Flickr

Drugs and Poverty in Albania: What it Means for Europe


On December 1, 2016, the BBC reported that Albania’s clandestine drug industry may be producing almost half of the nation’s total GDP on a yearly basis. The recent aspiration of the Albanian government to become admitted into the European Union, though, has successfully and drastically accelerated efforts to crack down on the mafias, corruption and poverty in Albania which allow these occurrences to take place.

But first, the events beg the question: how has the situation gotten so bad? Albania has been stable in recent decades, although not on a large enough scale. For instance, while the capital of Tirana had seen significant growth in services and order, most of the rest of the country was neglected. Poor and impoverished citizens in the rural regions were left to fend for themselves – and found a better life through the growth of illegal drugs. These are just a few examples of the effects of poverty in Albania backed by research.

In response to this, Prime Minister Edi Rama showed eagerness in establishing prosperous policies and projects. For instance, the government of Albania is attempting to curb issues mentioned heretofore by providing financial services to rural areas, establishing consumer protection and promoting tourism throughout the nation. Also, police salaries have risen between 10 and 17 percent to steer away bribery.

Of course, more turbulent methods are also being pursued — Rama has promised to deal with the more aggressive concerns by expanding currently existing assets. With the help of the Italian government, and significantly more senior officers, keeping track of and attacking these illicit organizations has become easier. For instance, Rama oversaw the besiege of Lazarat in 2014, a village in southern Albania, where civilians ineffectively utilized military-grade weaponry against police.

At this rate, the flow of certain drugs throughout Europe should significantly decrease since Albania is one of the root causes of this spread. Today, Albania has opened up more government jobs to citizens while it also works to rebuild and refurnish once-neglected regions. Programs to promote rehabilitation are also a must to not only help in reducing poverty in Albania, but to also further the nation as a whole. As a result of these efforts, Rama hopes Albania will be accepted into the EU in the early 2020s.

– Kristopher Nasse

Photo: Flickr

Progress of Road Infrastructure in Mali Drives Development

infrastructure in mali
Mali is the eighth largest country in Africa bordering Algeria, Niger, Mauritania, Guinea, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso and is located in the North-Western region of the continent.

Infrastructure Development

Most of the population in Mali is concentrated in the southern area with mostly nomads inhabiting farther north. In the south, there is easier access to resources, agriculture and the market for buying/selling goods.

Infrastructure greatly reflects the accommodation to this geographic and demographic distribution. Road infrastructure in Mali is particularly keen on creating a network of connectivity between people, resources and export ports. This is why Mali has one of the most spatially concentrated infrastructure networks in the continent.

There are three international corridors that link landlocked Mali to the sea: Tema-Ouagadougou-Bamako, Dakar-Bamako and Abidjan-Ferkesessedougou-Bamako. These routes help bring Malian exports to central ports for shipping as well as interregional trade between other nations. Both of these help build the economy in Mali rather than keeping it as a self-reliant country struggling with poverty.

Local and Global Connectivity

The connectivity of road infrastructure in Mali has greatly improved local and global business prospects. For example, there is a transnational intercity highway known as Kankan-Kourémalé-Bamako that is the only way to enter and exit between Conakry (a port city in Guinea) and Bamako (the capital city of Mali). The African Development Bank Group highlights how this highway has “revolutionized the daily lives of thousands of people.” The highway has seen an increase in traffic for commuting workers who are now able to travel longer distances for better work. Traders set up their stalls along the highway and have seen a significant increase in customers and profits.

Mali does excellent work to maintain their roads, especially the significant highways and interregional methods of transport. Road infrastructure in Mali has guaranteed excellent safety for all users; in fact, a newly generated Road Authority has allowed for necessary maintenance throughout the year.

Despite inadequate funding, road infrastructure in Mali has been a highlighted priority to pave the way for economic growth. The nation’s government has directed much of its national funds toward maintenance and development of the overall road network, and as a result, Mali has set an excellent example for neighboring countries for how to diversify the economy by expanding transportation networks.

– Caysi Simpson

Photo: Flickr