Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

,

Hunger in Namibia: Fighting Aftereffects of Apartheid

NamibiaNamibia gained its independence from South Africa in 1990. However, it is still dealing with the result of socioeconomic inequalities that came from the apartheid system during colonization. The government has achieved the UNDP Millennium Development Goal of cutting its poverty rate in half, but has unfortunately failed to eradicate hunger in Namibia.

Namibia has a Global Hunger Index (GHI) of 31.4, as reported by the International Food Policy Research Institute. This shows an alarming level of hunger in Namibia. What makes it more serious is the fact that Namibia has the lowest percentage reductions in GHI scores since 2000. Though child stunting, child wasting and child mortality have declined, undernourishment has increased to 42.3 percent. The factors that lead to hunger in Namibia include frequent droughts and flooding, putting pressure on the country’s agricultural and livestock production.

Chronic droughts, lack of agricultural land and water shortages result in crop failure. This means that agricultural production is severely low, even though about 70 percent of the population depends on the agricultural sector for their subsistence.

15.8 percent of Namibia’s population lives on less than $ 1.25 per day. Its economy is largely dependent on extraction and limited processing of minerals like diamonds, gold and zinc. It is also one of the largest producers of uranium in the world. However, only 10 percent of the labor force is employed in the mining sector.

Poverty is the most important of the causes of hunger in Namibia, limiting access to food. Another problem is that Namibia is heavily reliant on food imports (60 percent of all its food requirements), which means it is subject to high prices. The proportion of food insecure individuals was estimated at 25 percent in 2016.

Recently, the World Food Programme and Namibia’s National Planning Commission launched a five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP) with an aim to end hunger in Namibia. The CSP is aligned with the Fifth National Development Plan and the Zero Hunger Roadmap, meant to achieve two strategic wins: enabling the vulnerable population to meet their food and nutrition requirement and ensuring government policies and programme designs are more informed of hunger issues. The support includes implementation of food-based safety net programmes, food management and monitoring system as well as capacity development to sustain the improvements and achieve zero hunger in Namibia.

– Tripti Sinha

Photo: Flickr

,

A Nation in Need: How to Help People in Tajikistan

How to Help People in TajikistanTajikistan is hardly at the forefront of many Westerners minds when it comes to global poverty. This landlocked and mountainous nation, nestled in the heart of Central Asia, is often forgotten about, but it requires assistance just as much as many other developing nations around the globe. For those interested in how to help people in Tajikistan, opportunities do indeed exist, largely in the form of NGOs working on the ground.

32 percent of Tajiks live below the poverty line, a rate significantly higher than its Central Asian neighbors. The nation is by far the most economically deprived in the Central Asian region, and its problems are frequently compounded by its unstable economy and geopolitical situation. More than one million Tajiks work in Russia and other ex-Soviet republics, leading 50 percent of the country’s GDP to be reliant on remittances. Additionally, its rarely-policed border with Afghanistan has led to pressure from Al-Qaeda extremists in its most remote corners.

How to help people in Tajikistan is reliant on the NGOs and aid organizations that operate there. Save the Children (STC) has had a presence in Tajikistan since 1992. Around 10 percent of school age children are currently absent from the education system. STC works to ensure Tajik children are in full-time education, especially girls. They have also made strides to protect the large homeless child population in the capital, Dushanbe, and have paid special attention to orphans. Consider donating or volunteering for STC to join them in their efforts.

The U.S. government has also joined the fight against poverty in Tajikistan. USAID has implemented the Feed the Future initiative, which assists farmers in achieving the crop development they need to sustain their families and communities. Thousands have achieved a more secure and sustainable relationship with their land as a result. USAID has multiple opportunities for American citizens to join them in their work. Volunteers are accepted on various projects both at home and abroad, and they are also eager to build partnerships with businesses and organizations to further their mission.

Rural Tajiks in the nation’s remote areas also receive support from groups such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Its agricultural financing facility is helping alleviate the crushing debt faced by many agricultural communities due to uncertain crop yields. A 25 million euro investment through the Tajik Agricultural Finance Framework (TAFF), set up by EBRD, has allowed farmers access to purchasing the crop of their choice, diversifying production and allowing for more economic stability. The EBRD also accepts volunteers, as well as businesses interested in partnering with non-profits that work in the Central Asia region.

These organizations offer the most salient answer for how to help people in Tajikistan. Through participating with these organizations, those interested in alleviating the crushing poverty experienced by many Tajiks can make a tangible difference.

– Jonathan Riddick

Photo: Flickr

10 Facts About the LRA Insurgency

Facts About the LRA InsurgencyKony has become a household name all over the world, but few people know much about the organization behind the infamous man. Here are 10 facts about the LRA insurgency:

  1. Joseph Kony founded the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda as a rebel organization with a military-type hierarchy in which he acts as commander in chief in 1987.
  2. The LRA’s initial purpose was to revolt against the Ugandan government and its army, consisting of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) and local defense units (LDUs).
  3. In order to increase its numbers and gain more power, the LRA abducts children and forces them to become soldiers for the LRA.
  4. The LRA operates by using fear tactics to terrorize civilians and their communities. Brutal acts committed by the LRA, such as public rapings, body mutilation and murder are intended to scare potential adversaries, increasing the LRA’s power.
  5. In 2005, the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of Joseph Kony and his fellow LRA leaders Vincent Otti, Raska Lukwiya, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen.
  6. Kony has been charged with 12 counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, enslavement, rape and inflicting serious bodily injury. He was also charged with 21 war crimes, including directing an attack against a civilian population, pillaging, inducing rape and forced enlistment of children.
  7. In 2006, the LRA ceased operations in Uganda. It continued its attacks in regions of central Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan.
  8. In 2012, a large social media campaign against Kony and the LRA went viral. Kony became a household name, and millions of people advocated for the arrest of Kony after watching a video urging the end of the LRA.
  9. Despite a large manhunt, Kony has still yet to be captured. All of his fellow leaders, except Otti, have been confirmed dead and had proceedings against them terminated. Otti is rumored to also be dead, following an altercation in which he was likely executed by Kony after planning to betray the LRA.
  10. Following increased global awareness and effort as well as the combined efforts of the Ugandan and American forces, the LRA’s number continue to decline and its power has decreased substantially.

These 10 facts about the LRA insurgency are only a few aspects of an organization that has displaced almost two million people and kidnapped more than 20,000 children. Thanks to global effort and government assistance, the growth of these numbers is consistently slowing.

– Jenae Atwell

Photo: U.S. Air Force

, ,

UNHCR Financing Higher Education for Refugees

Higher Education for RefugeesIn 2016, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) published its annual Global Report on the state of the world’s refugee crisis. Among other things, the report highlights a 6 percent rise in what it terms ‘populations of concern’ over the past year alone. That is a total increase of one million people.

Specifically, the global number of refugees — people who have been forced from their home countries due to war or other life-threatening occurrences — has risen by 6.7 million in just five years.

Imagine if nearly the entire population of Washington state was suddenly forced to leave, and depend entirely on their ability to convince a political body, over which they have no control, of the unequivocal necessity of their leaving home. The total number of people living this reality stands at 16.5 million.

What does this situation mean for college-aged adults? What access is there to higher education for refugees? According to UNHCR statistics on refugee education, the situation is bleak. Just 1 percent of all college-aged refugees are able to seek higher education, while the other 99 percent is left out.

However, there is one program that seems to have had a profoundly positive impact on thousands of college-aged refugees. The UNHCR’s Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative Fund (DAFI).

DAFI was first implemented in 1992, and has continued to receive a majority of its funding from the government of Germany. Through the financing of higher education for refugees at approved universities, DAFI aims to:

  • Promote self-reliance and empowerment for sponsored students and their family
  • Help sponsored students to become adept community leaders capable of assisting their home countries
  • Provide the training necessary for scholarship recipients to work within refugee communities while awaiting repatriation
  • Facilitate host country integration for scholarship recipients and their families
  • Demonstrate to all, especially women and girls, the value of education

So, what does it take for a potential scholar to be granted a DAFI scholarship? First, students must be in what the UNHCR terms “developing countries or countries in transition”, as well as have been granted asylum from the country in which they will pursue their studies. Second, they must be under 28 years of age when their studies begin.

Additionally, as the program is intended to arm a generation with the necessary skills required to help rebuild their countries of origin, all students must decide on a course of study that will see them quickly employed upon repatriation.

As of 2015, 2,321 people were able to achieve their dream of attending university. This is a substantial increase from a total of just 4,774 scholars in the first 15 years of its operation.

For its relatively short history, it would seem that the program of higher education for refugees has been hugely successful. Indeed, one of its only critiques may be that it cannot reach more would-be college students faster.

– Katarina Schrag

Photo: Flickr

The Ongoing Earthquake Recovery in Mexico

Earthquake Recovery in MexicoIn the wake of the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Mexico City on September 19, 2017, damaging thousands of buildings and killing at least 318 people, the nation of Mexico has come together in a number of ways to recover. One of the most notable ways is the “brigadas,” or the Mexican brigades consisting of volunteers that have helped pull people from the rubble. Ordinary citizens have been a major part of the earthquake recovery in Mexico.

Much of the initial response to the earthquake was formed out of frustration toward the Mexican government, which many citizens view as corrupt and incompetent. The Mexican armed forces, who have taken over much of the recovery, have been accused of gravely mismanaging the earthquake recovery. The military has simultaneously drawn ire for bulldozing buildings suspected of still having people trapped in the rubble, as well as wasting time and resources on futile rescue attempts. One of the higher-profile examples of the latter occurred when the navy spent days searching in vain for Frida Sofia, a 12-year old girl who later turned out not to have existed at all.

Another concern is that the trucks sent by the government with much needed food and medicine will end up being siphoned by corrupt politicians and criminals, or simply sent to places that do not need the aid. This fear is not unfounded; Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto and his Institutional Revolutionary Party remain very unpopular. Many do not trust the government on any level to handle the earthquake recovery in Mexico.

In spite of this, there have been some bright spots in the recovery efforts. Young people in particular have stepped up as volunteers. Social media apps like Facebook and WhatsApp have become critical tools in coordinating the earthquake recovery in Mexico. Some young people have joined the “brigadas,” which often venture into still-unsafe buildings to find survivors. Others have collected and distributed canned food to hungry citizens. Others still have used whatever talents they have, including music and performance, to entertain children in shelters who now have no home. Many volunteers have taken time off from their lives and livelihoods to assist in what ways they can.

Activists have also taken a stand to lead the way in the recovery. One notable example is a successful online campaign that has forced the major political parties in Mexico, set to spend record sums on the 2018 election, to redirect a quarter of the $375 million of public funds, originally earmarked by the National Electoral Institute, toward the earthquake recovery in Mexico instead.

Currently, many of the streets have been cleared, and people are going back to work and attempting to rebuild their lives. It may take years to fully complete the earthquake recovery in Mexico, but in a country known for its sharp socioeconomic divide, many Mexicans have been heartened by the way the earthquake recovery in Mexico has brought people together across class lines.

– Andrew Revord

Photo: Flickr

,

3 Causes of Hunger in Niger

Hunger in NigerNiger is a landlocked country in sub-Saharan Africa that struggles to feed its population. Three major factors that contribute to hunger in Niger are overpopulation, scarce water supply and armed conflict.

The food crisis in Niger is made worse by the staggering birth rates of the region. With an average of 7.6 children per woman, Niger’s population is growing fast.

This growth raises questions regarding how to feed these children. An estimated 2.5 million people have no secure source of food.

Niger has poor access to contraception, so the population is likely to continue increasing and put more strain on its already meager food supply.

Nigerien president Mahamadou Issoufou is working with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to better modernize the infrastructure of the country in an attempt to feed the growing population.

“We have launched the Nigeriens Nourish Nigeriens initiative, aiming to reduce poverty — which mainly affects women and rural populations — to 31 percent and enabling the complete eradication of hunger in Niger by 2021,” Issoufou said.

Niger is a landlocked country located just beneath the Sahara Desert. As a result, finding access to water can be difficult.

Niger’s food sources are vulnerable since the country relies heavily on subsistence rain-fed agriculture. The variance in rainfall and the harsh climatic conditions contribute to the chronic food insecurity.

AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina addressed members of Niger’s government on Sept. 26, 2017, in an effort to show how the AfDB plans to help mitigate the lack of water.

“I am convinced that the construction of the Kandadji dam, one of the projects we are financing here in Niger, will enable your country to overcome challenges in agriculture and energy. Once complete, the Kandadji dam will produce 1.5 billion square meters, 125 megawatts, and will allow about 45,000 hectares of land to be irrigated.”

Ongoing Boko Haram-related conflict has caused an influx of Nigerian refugees. Population displacement has left locals in the Diffa region of Niger food-insecure.

Boko Haram, the Islamist extremist group, has rampaged across the region for years, forcing more than two million people to flee their homes and farms. Across the border of Niger and Nigeria, trade has come to a halt. Markets have shut down because vendors have nothing to sell.

Because of Boko Haram-induced terror in Nigeria, refugees flee north into Niger. This places even more stress on the overpopulated and food-insecure country.

Farmers in Niger and Nigeria have begun to change their tactics, planting crops that lay low to the ground so as not to be easily spotted by raiding soldiers. However, this is a desperate solution to hunger in Niger that only direct actions from world powers can fix.

– Sam Bramlett

Photo: Flickr

Uncommon Cocoa Farmers in Latin America

Cocoa Farmers in Latin AmericaThe world’s cocoa (cacao) market is enormous and lucrative, with a worth of over $100 billion and over 4.8 million metric tons of cocoa being produced in 2012 alone. The majority of the world’s cocoa comes from smallholder farmers in Africa, although 15 percent of the industry’s production comes out of Latin America. Yet, despite the size and wealth of the industry, the average cocoa farmer lives on less than $2 a day. Thi is largely due to its complex value chain, with various different middlemen involved that ultimately soak up the profits, causing the actual farmers themselves to be left solely with the economic scraps from the system.

This systemic exploitation of smallholder farmers has caused many to become deeply entrenched in the cycle of poverty while the middlemen profit immensely from the hard labor of the farmers. Farmers can expect to receive no more than 6 percent of the final value of a chocolate bar containing their cocoa, while middlemen like processors will receive 40 percent of the final value of the same bar. Consequently, the economic impact on smallholder farmers is catastrophic, and has ultimately been creating a global decrease in the number of cocoa farmers despite an increase in demand for the product.

In 2010, a local social enterprise in Belize called Maya Mountain Cacao was founded in order to fight this system of exploitation. Maya Mountain Cacao cuts out the middlemen, partnering over 300 smallholder cocoa farmers directly with the fine chocolate industry. They start by purchasing the cocoa beans directly from the farmers themselves, and they do so at a higher rate than the farmers could receive from a purchaser involved in the traditional cocoa supply chain. After that, Maya Mountain Cacao ferments and dries the beans, finishing the whole process by selling them directly to exporters that cater to the fine chocolate industry.

Within two years, those farmers within the Maya Mountain Cacao network experienced an income increase of 20 percent, which allowed for an 85 percent increase in school attendance for their children. Maya Mountain Cacao had so much success that it ended up expanding its model to include nations outside of Belize, ultimately culminating in the creation of Uncommon Cacao, a transnational company serving smallholder cocoa farmers in Latin America.

Today, Uncommon Cacao farmers increase their income by over 100 percent, simply by eliminating the middlemen and connecting directly with the global fine chocolate industry. In an industry that is growing at an average of 3.1 percent per year, the need for sustainable value chain practices, such as those developed by Uncommon Cacao and its cocoa farmers in Latin America, is beyond significant; it is necessary.

– Kailee Nardi

Photo: Flickr

Addressing Malnutrition in Kenya with Local Grains

Malnutrition in KenyaThe issue of malnutrition is one that plagues nations all over the world. It contributes to almost half of all child deaths each year. Studies show that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, from conception to its second year of life, are critical in its development. This time period creates the foundation on which a child’s further development will be based and is consequently the most harmful time for a child to be malnourished.

This understanding is especially important to note when looking at the issue of malnutrition in Kenya specifically, where 40 percent of children below the critical age of two are considered “stunted” (too short for their age), a condition which arises as a direct result of malnutrition. Malnutrition essentially holds a child’s body hostage by inhibiting its growth and development. Further, children that suffer from chronic malnutrition also run the risk of brain damage, as their brains typically underdevelop.

In the thick of the effort to combat malnutrition in Kenya is an organization called Insta Products. Insta creates micronutrient-rich instant porridge packets that are specifically designed to combat malnutrition. The products also provide all nine of the human body’s essential amino acids, which is extremely important when considering the rarity of animal products that would typically provide said acids. The porridge contains grains and soybeans, the majority of which are sourced locally from Ugandan and Kenyan farmers in an effort to contribute to local economies, working to combat malnutrition by combating poverty.

The organization’s product has become so successful that it is purchased on an extremely wide scale. Approximately 89 million servings of the product have been sold by major aid organizations such as UNICEF and the United Nations World Food Programme. Insta has been given the honor of being one of seven suppliers recognized by UNICEF, an incredible feat for a company who focuses on sourcing local goods in order to holistically tackle the issue of malnutrition.

– Kailee Nardi

Photo: Flickr

, ,

African Development Bank Group’s Global Strategies

African Development Bank Group's Global StrategiesA large part of poverty strategies is implementing some kind of spur in economic growth. This kick-start can be a gateway to social and economic reform in some of the poorest countries in the world, eventually leading to self-sustainability. The African Development Bank Group has made it their mission to place poverty reduction back into the hands of Africans and to create a stimulus that can enable the extremely poor in reducing their poverty scores.

The African Development Bank Group was born out of three different economic groups in Africa. It has set a plan that began in 2013, targeted to reach major benchmarks by 2022. The group has recognized that Africa has begun a transformative journey and progressed greatly over the last decade, yet this progress remains markedly uneven in some areas of the continent. This particular organization relies on a few major objectives to help lift regional member countries out of poverty, while staying congruent with ideals and values. The group first aids by mobilizing and allocating a country’s resources, then provides advice and guidance on technical aspects for development efforts. The African Development Bank Group has also laid out 17 sustainable development goals in order to achieve its mission. These goals include food security measures, sanitation, healthcare, sustainable energy use and procurement, social equality across gender and age gaps, economic growth and stability and ecological preservation plans.

The holistic approach to poverty reduction through economic growth and sustainability is what sets apart the African Development Bank Group. While taking advantage of models such as the World Bank and Multilateral Development Banks, The African Development Bank Group is able to remain primarily domestically-reliant and position itself in such a way as to gain more traction as the 2022 goal nears. Balance sheet optimizations have been a key focus in doing so, as projects continue to be carried out in both the private and public sectors through multilateral funds involving developed countries. The group’s procurement procedures – unlike other bank methods – involve strict standards. These include investments in member countries whose approval processes ensure that procurements are in line with the values and mission of The African Development Bank Group.

– Casey Hess

Photo: Flickr

UNDP Supports Universal Immunization Program in India

UNDP Supports Universal Immunization Program in IndiaWith high risks of communicable diseases like bacterial diarrhea, malaria, hepatitis A and E and typhoid, there’s a rising necessity for a proper immunization program in India. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the Indian government and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to design and put into effect an Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN). This project, known as Improving Efficiency of Vaccination Systems in Multiple States, has already run since 2014 and is to run until 2021 to strengthen the evidence base for policy-making related to vaccine delivery, procurement and planning, and ensure equity in availability.

As the world’s largest immunization program, eVIN technology has already shown results in enabling real time information on cold chain temperatures and vaccine stocks and flows in all 371 implementing districts in India. It has managed to achieve over a 98 percent reporting rate from vaccine storage areas, with over 2 million transactions logged each month, and developed the skills of over 17,000 government staff in store keeping, data operating or cold chain handling in over 550 batches of training programs.

The eVIN is setup on a mobile application that easily allows cold chain handlers to log stock positions at the end of each routine immunization day, which is then relayed immediately onto a web interface for assessment by health officials. In India, this can come to play an important role as geography and communications can pose an issue, like in the small hill-state of Manipur, where vaccine vials are carried over extensive distances to session sites by auxiliary nurses and midwives. Instances of stock-outs have decreased by more than six times here, and eVIN has enabled staff to learn how to use a smartphone and other technology, improving quality of work and management in the process.

This immunization program in India has also significantly empowered women health workers, giving them the opportunity to work with technology after attending regional and district eVIN training sessions. This allows them to manage stocks and temperatures themselves, bridges the digital divide in rural parts of India and ensures transparency alongside accuracy. Over 50 percent of cold chain handlers are women, and many are from older age groups.

EVin has taken India out of the unproductive days of delayed decision making, shortages and expirations, and has created an efficient health system that allows for valuable state-wide geographic, stock-out or excess stock and temperature overviews on each district’s centers. It also allows for large savings by reducing vaccine wastage and allowing for timely and quality injections, as in Rewa, where around $70,000 was saved after six months of eVIN activation.

Though led by the UNDP and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India, the Universal Immunization Program is largely supported by GAVI, a global vaccine alliance established in 2000. With support from GAVI and the Indian government, the Universal Immunization Program in India has immunized at least 65 percent of India‘s children and expects to immunize 27 million more each oncoming year.

– Zar-Tashiya Khan

Photo: Flickr