Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Access to Clean Water and Sanitation Services in Burundi

Access to Clean Water and Sanitation Services in Burundi

In 2015, Burundi’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was the lowest in the world at 276 U.S. dollars, and its population density was one of the highest at 435 people per square kilometer of land area, according to The World Bank. As a result, everyday things such as access to clean water and sanitation services in Burundi can be a struggle for the people who live there.

Burundi is located in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa and has been called “the Heart of Africa” because of its geographic shape and location. Although landlocked, the country’s freshwater sources are plentiful. Nearly the entire western border of Burundi lies on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, and most of its northern side is bordered by the Kanyaru River. Other bodies of water there include the Malagarasi, Rusize and Ruvubu Rivers; and Cohaha and Rwero Lakes.

A 2010 Water and Sanitation Profile on Burundi from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) reported that their renewable internal freshwater availability was equal to just under 330,000 gallons per person every year. With a number as large as this, how is it possible that access to clean water and sanitation services in Burundi is a struggle?

The Problems Facing Access to Clean Water and Sanitation Services in Burundi

Since 1962, four wars have taken place in Burundi, the results of which have directly impacted their water sector infrastructure. “Burundi’s water supply and sanitation (WSS), sector endured years of destruction brought on by sabotage and neglect during the civil war and its aftermath […] several kilometers of water pipes, connections and 80% of installed meters were destroyed,” according to USAID. This caused many people to use untreated water, which led to waterborne diseases, triggering higher mortality rates.

In 2000, world leaders adopted the U.N. Millennium Declaration along with seven goals, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), which had targets for addressing extreme poverty. Goal number 7, target 10, was to “halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation.” USAID reported that in 2008, 72% of urban and rural populations in Burundi had access to drinking water, and 46% had access to sanitation services. There was significant improvement seen in the availability of sanitation services, with 1.2 million people gaining access since 1990.

Although Burundi was likely to meet the MDG, targeting sustainable access to drinking water, it was not expected to reach the “water and sanitation services in Burundi” target. However, the Government of Burundi was working to improve their WSS sector by creating new policies to increase coverage throughout the country, according to the USAID. Past and current donors contributing to the WSS sector include the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and The World Bank.

– Kristin Westad

Photo: Flickr

Poverty in Togo


Togo is a largely underrepresented country when it comes to global poverty awareness. Up until about 500 years ago, nothing about the area was known. Togo is an African country sandwiched between Benin and Ghana on the Gulf of Guinea. It is characterized by palm-lined beaches, hilltop villages and phosphate production. Although Togo is one of the world’s top five producers of phosphates, an otherwise prosperous resource used in fertilizers, its inhabitants remain poor and almost entirely dependent on humanitarian foreign aid. Thus, the rates of poverty in Togo are very high.

Nearly 81.2 percent of Togo’s rural population lives under the global poverty line. This makes Togo one of the world’s poorest countries. Child welfare is a huge issue, as 49.5 percent of those impoverished are under 18 years of age. One out of every eight Togolese children will not live to see their fifth birthday. Many face disease, as well as violence and exploitation at the hands of corrupt labor forces and human trafficking. Although the Togolese put a lot of value into education, most children are unable to continue schooling, as their parents cannot afford it.

For years, Togo has been the target of criticism for its human rights policies and poor governance. Developmental aid for Togo was halted in 1992 due to poor governance and human rights issues. In the past, it has gained notoriety as a transit spot for ivory taken from poached elephants and rhinos. For many, this criminal behavior is an act of desperation, as poverty in Togo is so high that many see no other alternative.

However, work is being done. In 2015, Togo began making strides towards eliminating the worst forms of child labor. The Togolese government adopted a new penal code that would implement harsher penalties for human traffickers and other forms of child abuse. The National Committee for the Reception and Social Reinsertion of Trafficked Children also endorsed a new Protective Policy Document on Child Domestic Work which would launch movements to help vulnerable children access education.

As Togo relies heavily on NGOs and international organizations, it is also important that foreign governments help these children by supporting laws such as the Education for All Act.  Acts like this one would help to ensure that children similar to those in Togo receive a better education and opportunities.

– Kayla Provencher

Photo: Flickr

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SAP Enterprise Resource Planning in Kenya

SAP Enterprise Resource Planning in KenyaKenya has seen enormous economic growth during the last few years and is now officially a middle-income country. In order to sustain this growth, however, digital innovation and efficient service delivery need to be a priority.

This is why the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is partnering with SAP to implement a core technology software called SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

SAP was created in Germany in 1972 with the goal of transforming information technology. The company is the world leader in enterprise software and software-related services. It now has locations in more than 130 countries.

SAP in Africa is implementing a business process management software called ERP, allowing organizations to use a system of integrated applications to manage its business. ERP integrates product planning, development, manufacturing, sales and marketing into a single database.

Benefits of ERP include scalability, improved reporting and data quality, lower cost of operations and better customer relations. This is crucial to maintaining an efficient, flexible and uncorrupted e-government whose decisions are backed up with verifiable data.

The KRA is now the first east African company to adopt SAP ERP’s technology. The programs SAP will implement are expected to scale, accelerate and revolutionize decision-making and business management. Each government process in Kenya will now depend on a program called SAP HANA.

The goal of SAP HANA is to simplify the IT environment through data integration into a single, in-memory platform. This simplifies the time-consuming data management tasks and makes it possible for IT departments to focus more on technology innovation.

SAP HANA integrates data from a wide variety of sources with up-to-date insights. These insights can be used to detect patterns and make educated predictive analyses, ultimately making the KRA more citizen-centric, fast and efficient.

SAP Enterprise Resource Planning in Kenya is not just another ICT solution. This is a “massive technology leap” according to Ashley Boag, Acting Managing Director of SAP East Africa, and it is made possible by the full adoption of an e-government system.

SAP ERP’s integration into the Kenyan e-government will maximize technological efficiency and prepare Kenya for growth into the increasingly competitive digital economy. This is a major step towards realizing the development goals stipulated in the Kenya Vision 2030, which aims to transform Kenya into an industrializing, clean, secure and middle-income country by 2030.

– Liliana Rehorn

Photo: Flickr

American Car Sales, The Roads of India

American Car Sales, The Roads of India
American cars have populated roads from Texas to Vermont to Oregon for decades, yet domestic sales growth is not what it once was. India is the next emerging market with vast potential for American car sales, and companies are vying for dominance.

General Motors (G.M.) and Ford are two of the biggest auto companies that export American cars around the world. In recent years, this model made by the U.S. has shifted to opening new manufacturing and distribution systems across the world.

India is an emerging market in the global auto sales industry and G.M. and Ford have both invested early, resulting in competition for popularity, market share and profit. Based on the current circumstances, it appears that Ford has the advantage. Ford has made large investments in production plants, including the Sanand and Chennai Vehicle Assembly and Engine Plants, each with a price tag of $1 billion. Together, the combined production capacity of these plants is 440 thousand vehicles per year. Ford has seen steady increases in production from just over 14 thousand to 26.4 thousand cars sold in August of 2014, and 2016, respectively.

In contrast, G.M. has just halted a planned $1 billion investment which was aiming to double G.M.’s market share by 2020. Unpredictable consumer patterns and possible new environmental regulations may play a part in this development. Monthly sales are declining over time for G.M, with sales struggling to rise above 4,000 units in early 2015.

In India, only 18 per 1,000 individuals own a car, compared to the 800 per 1,000 in the U.S. India also saw the largest percentage increase in sales from January to November of 2015. The lack of saturation in the Indian market presents a huge potential for growth in American car sales, yet what remains to be seen is how American companies will re-invent themselves to be desirable in the eyes of the people of India.

In the past, U.S. companies brought models of the European theater to developing countries with reliable success, expanding American car sales into new markets. However, this tactic has proven ineffective in India where customers will not jump to a higher price bracket. These companies are attempting to figure out ways to follow the market much more closely than they have before, and it is proving more difficult than anticipated.

India is on the edge of an explosion in car sales as a result of the growing middle class that will disseminate out of the cities and into more rural areas. As this inevitable future approaches, the possibility of capitalizing on this growth becomes less and less certain for new companies that wish to enter this market. Will Ford and G.M. be flexible enough to attract the people of India to companies rooted in decades of American success?

– Patrick Tolosky

Photo: Flickr

What is Desertification?

what is desertification
What is desertification? Though an unfamiliar term, it is rather intuitive. Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semiarid, or dry subhumid regions due to climate variations and human activities such as over-cropping, overgrazing, improper irrigation practices and deforestation. Desertification occurs all across the world, but Sub-Saharan and Central Asian drylands are particularly vulnerable. Presently, somewhere between 25 and 30 percent of the world’s land surface area is affected, jeopardizing the livelihoods of around 1.2 billion people.

Desertification’s devastating effects on the availability of food, water, fuel and building materials renders landscapes inhospitable to human life. In these sort of resourceless, fragile states, local conflicts over water or land can escalate into civil wars, sexual violence or genocide, as for instance, in the cases of Darfur, Mali, Chad and Afghanistan. Depleted and destabilized communities quickly become humanitarian crises, as those affected flee to become refugees and forced migrants, or stay and fall into radical resource-driven wars. Environmental disasters inevitably become human calamities. Therefore, in order to address issues of poverty, it is necessary to address environmental issues, and vice versa.

While desertification is perhaps not a global priority, it ought to be; many are working to combat its effects on land and people. The European Union (EU) is funding a four-year project called Wadis-Mar to counter desertification in North Africa where water scarcity and overexploitation of groundwater have diminished the region. While Wadis-Mar will utilize new technologies to combat this water crisis, a focus on education in responsible water sustainability and agricultural techniques is crucial to the continued success of the project. Likewise, the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) applies curative measures to communities across the world ravaged by desertification, from reforestation projects in South Africa’s Baviaanskloof Hartland to Chinese public education events that teach sustainability, land restoration and conservation.

Landscapes don’t have to decay and displace people. Understanding the reciprocity of humans’ relationship to the earth and modifying practices can help defeat the poverty cycle and restore people to their homes.

– Robin Lee

Photo: Flickr

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Education System in Ethiopia

education system in Ethiopia
Even with one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The education system in Ethiopia is less than satisfactory and while it is free and compulsory, only 60 percent of children are enrolled in full-time education.

Education in Ethiopia is compulsory for children between the ages of 5 to 16, but with poor facilities and underprivileged backgrounds, many children do not get a high quality, full-time education. In Ethiopia, 95 percent of primary school teachers receives training, which is higher than the world median of 92 percent. While the quality of teaching is high, the ratio of teacher to a child is 1:64, so children are not able to receive the attention that they need in order to reach their full potential.

Prior to secular education being introduced in the early 1900s, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church dominated education in Ethiopia. Before 1974, the Ethiopian literacy rate was below 10 percent. Since then, the emphasis has been put on increasing this rate and it now stands at 49 percent. Even though this is very low compared to the rest of the world, it is a massive improvement for education in Ethiopia.

Although education in Ethiopia has improved over past years, there are still many difficulties that exist within the system. Currently, core subjects such as science and maths are being taught in English. As this is neither the teachers’ first language or the students, the concept of the subject gets lost in translation into Amharic.

Another downfall to education in Ethiopia is the lack of good governance. This occurs throughout the schools and universities across the country and puts the level of quality education at risk. And while the number of school dropouts has reduced, many students still finish school before reaching higher education, which limits their opportunity in the future.

Ethiopia joined the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in 2004, which has since given grants in order to improve the level of education. Ethiopia has received four GPE grants over the course of 10 years and is currently in its third grant. Between 2014 and 2017, Ethiopia will receive $100 million in order to improve the quality of general education throughout the country.

Previous GPE funding has significantly improved education in Ethiopia. Now, each child in education has a textbook, and 60 percent of schools were inspected in 2015. Teacher training was also provided to 100,000 adults in order to increase the number of qualified teachers throughout the entire school system.

Now, the focus in Ethiopia is to keep children in school and progress to higher education and to reduce the number of school dropouts. This can be done through vocational education, such as technical vocation and education programs. This will ensure that even those who are not in education will receive some kind of training, and will be learning new or improving existing skills.

– Georgia Boyle

Photo: Flickr

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Five Ways to Help Stop Desertification of the World

5 Ways on How to Stop Desertification
Drought, deforestation and climate change. All of these contribute to the extreme global issue known as desertification. According to the environmental campaign Clean Up the World, desertification is the degradation of land in drylands, which affects all continents except Antarctica. Approximately half of the people worldwide who live below the poverty line live in affected areas.

The result of desertification is barren land that cannot be used for crop and food production or other agricultural purposes. Prevention methods have been introduced and tend to be more successful than attempts to restore already damaged regions, which can be costly and yield limited results.

  1. Land and water management: Sustainable land use can fix issues such as overgrazing, overexploitation of plants, trampling of soils and irrigation practices that cause and worsen desertification.
  2. Protection of vegetative cover: Protecting soil from wind and water erosion helps to prevent the loss of ecosystem services during droughts.
  3. Alternative Farming and Industrial Techniques: Alternative livelihoods that are less demanding on local land and natural resource use, such as dryland aquaculture for production of fish, crustaceans and industrial compounds, limit desertification.
  4. Establish economic opportunities outside drylands: Unpacking new possibilities for people to earn a living, such as urban growth and infrastructure, could relieve and shift pressures underlying the desertification processes.
  5. Great Green Wall: Eleven countries in Sahel-Sahara Africa — Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal — have focused efforts to fight against land degradation and revive native plant life to the landscape. The initiative, managed in part by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), plants a line of trees as a sustainable way of regenerating the parkland and serves as an example for other problematic locations.

Such large-scale environmental complications may seem troubling to deal with, but the outlined methods and many more make all the difference, giving individuals an idea of how to stop desertification.

– Mikaela Frigillana

Photo: Flickr

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VOD Education in Kenya

VOD Education in Kenya
Kenya has seen remarkable growth in education in the last few years. Between 2012 and 2013 student enrollment increased by 20 percent, and the number of college graduates in Kenya is expected to exceed those without any formal education by 2020.

However, university resources aren’t keeping up with the rapid increase in student enrollment. According to Finance Minister Njeru Githae’s 2012 policy budget statement, “The sector’s biggest challenges include inadequate infrastructure and staffing, a slow pace of ICT integration and dealing with accelerated admissions to universities.”

Video on Demand or VOD education in Kenya has yet to blossom, but it has the potential to ease the pressures that Githae mentioned. Africa’s market is perfect for the system’s development and integration into school systems due to the country’s high population and extensive internet penetration.

The system allows students to select and watch video content of their choice via either their televisions or computers. VOD allows teachers to customize and live to stream their own content to give students in remote areas access to the most effective lectures.

When used as a supplement to traditional teaching methods, it reinforces students’ understanding of content. Students have the option to stop or replay parts of lectures as many times as needed, while advanced learners can use the system to explore more material. Students can also use the system to catch up on missed lectures.

VOD education in Kenya could give the country an advantage with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) competitiveness and innovation. The system will familiarize students with technology and prepare them for entrance into a modern workforce that highly values technological literacy.

The system also contributes to student empowerment, active engagement, leadership and collaboration. Educators who use VOD encourage students to collaborate with each other — even peers from other universities — to create their own material.

VOD generates revenue through subscriptions, sponsorship, and advertising models, which could be used to fund education and reduce the cost of tuition. Students can access the system for free with university hotspots.

VOD education thus far has been shown to enhance student performance and academic development. Not only does it have the potential to become a useful enhancement to 21st century teaching methods, but it also is compatible with Kenya’s goal of becoming a globally competitive and prosperous nation.

– Liliana Rehorn

Photo: Flickr

France to Close all Coal Power Plants

France to Close all Coal Power Plants
This November at an annual U.N. climate change conference, President Francois Hollande announced that by 2023, France will no longer rely on coal for any of its energy. The country already derives over 75 percent of its electricity from alternative methods and President Hollande’s announcement indicates that France is to close all coal power plants.

Coal is relatively cheap and easy, making it a popular global energy source. Today, it makes up 40 percent of the world’s energy. Coal energy also produces 39 percent of global Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Besides the heavy release of CO2 into the atmosphere, coal as an energy source is problematic in many ways. The mining and extraction process for obtaining coal can have severely detrimental effects on the environment. The process can cause the destruction of landscapes and habitats, deforestation and erosion, contamination of groundwater, air and dust pollution and the displacement of communities.

Coal mining releases methane into the atmosphere. In terms of contributing to climate change, methane is about 84 times as powerful as CO2. On top of this, coal mining is a very dangerous job and can often have harmful effects on workers’ health. Those who inhale coal dust can suffer from black lung disease, cardiopulmonary disease and hypertension.

France’s decision to close all coal power plants comes in the wake of The Paris Agreement, an agreement made between 195 countries in 2015 to set the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change.

The country has become a leader in low-carbon energy production by increasing its use of nuclear fission, which produces many more health and environmental risks than fossil fuels. The country creates so much nuclear energy that it is able to export much of it to neighboring nations, bringing in substantial domestic revenue. The decision to cut all coal energy production by 2023 will even beat the United Kingdom’s decision to do the same by two years.

The announcement shows that France is committed to the Paris Agreement and the radical changes that come along with it. The country passed a bill in September banning the use of plastic cups, silverware and dishware, which will be implemented in 2020. France is the first country in the world to pass such a law.

Countries such as Germany, Finland, the UK and Canada are following France’s example and committing to similar ecological goals. The U.S. gets about 33 percent of its energy from coal and President-elect Donald Trump has not yet outlined a plan for reducing coal production.

Overall, France’s commitment to close all coal power plants by 2030 is an example to follow. The goals of the Paris Agreement require concrete dedication to stopping climate change, and France and President Hollande recognize this.

– Peyton Jacobsen

Photo: Flickr

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Economic Growth in Pakistan Projects Future Prosperity

Economic Growth in Pakistan Projects Future Prosperity
This year, economic growth in Pakistan reached its highest rate in eight years. With 4.7 percent growth in FY 2016, up from four percent the previous year, the country shows promise for further economic success and prosperity.

The World Bank praised the government’s prudent efforts in restoring economic stability. Growth has largely been driven by consumption, and indicators of economic improvement include low inflation, a low budget deficit and a low current account deficit. Additionally, foreign exchange reserves strengthened.  The country’s recently upgraded ratings by Standard and Poor is proof of economic success.

In addition to economic growth, Pakistan has succeeded in reducing the percentage of people living in poverty. The percentage of people living in poverty in Pakistan decreased from 64.3 percent in 2002 to 29.5 percent in 2014. The World Bank president claims the country is on track to increased economic growth and prosperity, but in order to maintain and expand growth, the government must take additional steps.

Low rates of investment and declining export competitiveness hinder further growth. In order to strengthen economic growth in Pakistan, public, private and international investments will need to increase.

Despite Pakistan’s success in poverty reduction and improving health, nutrition and education have been trailing behind. The World Bank’s Country Director in Pakistan recommends implementing structural reforms that will benefit the entire population to promote viable and widespread success.

Pakistan will benefit from investments in electricity, education, health and nutrition. The government can help achieve these goals by expanding the electricity supply, accelerating energy reforms, ensuring anti-poverty measures and encouraging private sector investments. By expanding services and prioritizing individual prosperity, economic growth in Pakistan will benefit the population at-large.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister has expressed dedication to widespread growth by investing in the development of mega-hydropower projects, rail and road infrastructure, education and health.

Economic growth in Pakistan is attracting international interest and providing opportunities for investment. The high performance of the Pakistan Stock Exchange and projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor are leading the World Bank, the China Development Bank and other sovereign investment authorities to express interest in investing in Pakistan.

Although improvements are needed, economic growth in Pakistan is expected to continue. The World Bank projects further success for Pakistan, achieving a 4.8 percent growth rate in FY 2017 and 5.4 percent in FY 2018. Services in Pakistan are expected to grow by five percent. Large-scale manufacturing is expected to grow between four and 4.5 percent and investments are expected to increase from 14 to 14.6 percent of the GDP.

Economic growth in Pakistan is promising for the country’s future. Success in reducing poverty, stimulating economic growth and attracting international investments prove the country is committed to accelerating sustainable economic growth for years to come.

– McKenna Lux

Photo: Flickr