Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

,

USAID and Coca-Cola: Improving Watershed Management

Watershed Management
To expand the Water and Development Alliance, Coca-Cola and USAID are donating a combined investment of $22 million to provide safe water and sanitation to communities throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Coca-Cola and USAID, through WADA, act in 22 countries worldwide including 16 countries in Africa.

The Water and Development Alliance hosts volunteers in the local communities to participate in watershed management. Keeping the locals involved in the process of establishing improved attitudes and behaviors promotes the importance of maintaining positive health benefits, such as better hygiene and sanitation. This also advocates for smart water usage, thus preventing wastefulness and ultimately protecting the environment while providing economic benefits.

The Global Environment and Technology Foundation encourages the development of new projects and continued progress as the partnership manager. GETF is a non-profit from Washington, D.C. that aims to build partnerships, such as the one between Coca-Cola and USAID, to aid humanity. The three core issues at the center of GETF’s mission are safe water and sanitation, clean energy and climate change reversal, as well as overall sustainability for communities around the world.

In places like Chimoio, Mozambique, the TextAfrica water treatment plant received the funding for restoration and expansion as the facility now benefits 25,000 people in the surrounding area. Partnerships between public and private entities can do a lot of good with adequate funding and oversight to fix problems anywhere in the world. Successful sanitation and hygiene education campaigns are spreading to over one million people across West Java, Indonesia through another WADA-supported project.

The partnership is not limited to Coca-Cola, USAID and GETF. A local non-profit in Kano State, Nigeria called Women Farmer’s Advancement Network helped implement eased water and sanitation access directly in their communities. Also, in Tarija, Bolivia, stakeholder forum PROAGUA raised support for improved water resources and watershed management to the benefit of 150,000 living within the large basin area.

It is important to remember that joining for a common purpose can aid in the fight against poverty, hunger and illness. GETF works to ensure that more successful partnerships such as this may form and make a difference in the lives of real people everywhere. Coca-Cola and USAID continue to strengthen their bond and find new innovative ways to bring basic needs to those struggling to maintain their way of life.

– Aaron Walsh

Photo: Flickr

Reducing Poverty in Nepal

Poverty in Nepal
Poverty in Nepal has experienced a steady decline since the 1990s. The country’s efforts to further reduce poverty will build off existing success, population growth control and using sustainable development goals to promote development.

Between 1995 and 2015, Nepal’s poverty rate declined by an estimated 2.2-3.2 percentage points each year. The national poverty rate in 1995 was 41.8%, a figure that was reduced to 21.2% in 2015. The main drivers of Nepal’s poverty decline are remittances from migration, more diverse labor income and slowed population growth.

Migration remittances increased from less than 1% to 29% of Nepal’s GDP between the late 1990s and 2014. Remittances have caused wage increases within Nepal and driven demand for non-food items and services, generating employment in more diverse industries.

Population growth control has been a main fixture of the government as a means to combat poverty in Nepal. The country’s population doubled between 1960 and 1990 and was expected to double again between 1990 and 2015. However, beginning in the 1990s, the average number of births for a Nepali woman dropped from six in the 1970s to two in 2014, slowing population growth.

Population growth still hinders progress in Nepal’s more rural regions, where the number of births has not declined. In Nepal’s mountains, hills and Terai plains regions, there is insufficient land to accommodate the livelihoods for an increasing number of people. The Nepali government is continuing to make population growth control a central tenant of its poverty reduction plans by promoting a two-child family as the norm.

While progress is underway, natural disaster hinders Nepal’s growth. The 2015 earthquake pushed 700,000 Nepalis under the poverty line. Recovery is ongoing and can appear slow. Distribution of aid is often uneven and cash grants needed for reconstruction have been distributed slowly and in small increments.

While there are areas of recovery in need of improvement, international support programs show hope for regrowth. The U.N. Development Program has implemented cash-for-work programs and supported the restoration of micro-enterprises, both of which build individual recovery and community resilience. Sustained commitment to the SDGs will facilitate earthquake recovery and continued poverty reduction in Nepal. Two main objectives of earthquake recovery are poverty eradication and gender equality, both of which align with the SDGs.

In order to promote sustained growth, Nepal must frame its commitment to the SDGs in a national context. “What works for Bolivia might not work for Nepal,” says UNDP resident representative in Nepal, Valerie Julliand. Identifying the precise ways in which the SDGs can benefit Nepali citizens will facilitate their implementation and enable further poverty reduction.

Between the Nepali government’s plans and programs enacted by international organizations, Nepal is progressing towards sustained economic growth and poverty reduction. Poverty in Nepal has experienced a steady decline in recent decades and continued commitment to earthquake recovery and the SDGs proves promising for the country’s development.

– McKenna Lux

Photo: Flickr

, ,

Education Provided to Syrian Refugees in Hosting Countries

Education Provided to Syrian Refugees in Hosting Countries
When the Arab Spring began in 2011, the Middle East’s future became unclear. Since its advent, nearly 300,000 people have been killed and 11 million have been displaced externally. Syrian refugees have taken refuge in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Greece and Germany.

Even though the countries have granted them asylum, many young children do not attend school. Of the 11 million displaced Syrians, nearly 2.5 million are school-aged children. Attending school is a difficult task for these children. As an overarching issue, the education system cannot sustain the thousands of Syrian refugee children entering their classrooms.

Another major issue is that Syrian refugee children are behind in the curriculum and don’t speak the language. Many children, especially young boys, have to choose between working and schooling. Their families cannot afford to send their children to school. These obstacles contribute to the fact that 80% of Syrian refugee children in Lebanon are not attending school. As a result, many children end up dropping out, contributing to the 56% of refugee children who are not enrolled in Jordanian schools.

Since 2012, the Jordanian Government, Ministry of Education and Higher Education have either covered Syrian children’s fee or waived them. Even if the children can afford to go to school, parents do not think it’s safe for their children to be journeying a long way. To overcome these barriers, War Child Holland in Lebanon created a walking bus. Instead of children walking alone to school, they walk together in one large group.  In Jordan, UNICEF provides buses to take children to school.

To accommodate those who are not attending school or who have dropped out, the Lebanese NGO Iqra runs Classroom in a Bus whereby students and teachers are trained and taught in the town. In Turkey, students now do not have to show any identification, they can enroll for free and are taught in a Syrian Arabic curriculum. These adjustments coupled with the collaboration between Turkey and UNICEF to build seven new schools is a contributing factor to the 30% increase in enrollment. As a global initiative, donors and host countries have pledged, as the Human Rights Watch states, “more than $11 billion in multi-year support to meet goals including universal school enrollment in refugee-hosting countries by 2017.”

Through donations, global workings and Human Rights Watch projects, there are expansions, “to address other barriers.” Some of these include issues of documentation, NGO roles, addressing dropouts and reducing child labor. The NGO, government and global initiative contribute to UNICEF’s strategy, No Lost Generation, which ensures all Syrian refugees are provided with adequate educational opportunities.

The Syrian Crisis is one of the worst humanitarian crises. Yet, there is an admirable level of determination to help Syrian refugees adapt and provide them with equal opportunities.

– Kristen Guyler

Photo: Flickr

,

Why Foreign Aid in Ghana is a Smart Investment

Foreign Aid in Ghana
As the United States heads into its 2017 fiscal year, it plans to spend $4 billion less on foreign aid than it planned in 2016. Cuts like these may reflect growing fears that foreign aid is at best ineffective, or at worst detrimental. But when the money is funneled into smart investments — as is happening with aid in Ghana — it can benefit everyone, giver and receiver alike.

Foreign aid comes under frequent fire for its long-term effects on recipient countries. Opponents argue that it usually ends up lining the pockets of corrupt bureaucrats, and even when it gets to the people who need it, it depresses local economic development, increases dependency and perpetuates destitution. The standard argument is simple: if a wealthy country is distributing a good for free, local producers of that good cannot possibly compete. They succumb to falling prices and stop producing it. When there are no producers, consumers are forced to rely on foreign aid to obtain it, causing that aid to continue in a self-reinforcing, never-ending cycle.

But aid doesn’t have to be just a matter of giving handouts. Used smartly, foreign dollars can boost struggling economies and help build the infrastructure necessary for continued development. In Ghana, for example, USAID recently partnered with the Ghana Grains Council to carry out the sixth annual Pre-Harvest Agribusiness Forum, which aimed to “foster long-term business relationships, discussions, and the exchange of ideas in order to drive economic growth in Ghana’s agricultural sector.”

Many believe that USAID simply gives free food to the hungry, but the Agribusiness conference is one example of how the agency uses its money much more carefully than that implied. By providing a forum for participants in the agricultural industry to interact, network and share best practices, it is contributing to a more powerful, robust food market that will help decrease dependence on foreign funds. With programs like this, aid in Ghana will not always have to be a reality.

In addition, when poorer countries begin to flourish, the benefits are felt throughout the globe. Half of U.S. exports go to developing nations; more purchasing power in Ghana, therefore means more purchases from Americans. Beyond the trade benefits, economic stability can bring more political stability, so a strong economy in a volatile region can help to keep the area from descending into chaos. When all is said and done, aid in Ghana is good not just for Ghanaians, but for Americans as well.

– Madeleine Read

Photo: Flickr

The Neighborhood Effect: Improving Urban Health?

"The Neighborhood Effect" Exerted by Clusters of Rural Homes
A recent Warwick Medical School study revealed that households within a community are affected by similar health factors. This effect has been aptly termed the neighborhood effect and has important health implications.

Urban communities in developing countries often concentrate households as a result of high population density and low space availability. Close contact increases the likelihood of outbreaks of severe diseases such as tuberculosis and influenza.

While epidemics are likely to gain momentum rapidly, the neighborhood effect suggests it is equally true that small improvements in health provision can have positive outcomes for entire communities at once. For instance, introduction of vaccines to prevent disease onset can shield most of the population from contracting the disease.

Establishment of local clinics and health facilities cater to large numbers of people at once, making health provision a lucrative and beneficial venture. It can also encourage individuals to seek healthcare more frequently, especially when they witness the benefits such as decreased rate of illness, improved vitality and greater life expectancy in the surrounding community.

Many overcrowded communities struggle to match supply with demand for resources. Provision of clean water is a notable problem, as waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery can be easily transmitted through consumption of or interaction with unclean water sources. Mass water purification techniques can quickly benefit large numbers of people, reducing the likelihood of contracting waterborne illnesses and other diseases associated with consumption of unclean water.

Statistics indicate that 54 percent of the global population lived in urban areas in 2015. This is predicted to increase to 66 percent by 2050. The United Nations expects low- and middle-income countries to be responsible for 90 percent of future urban population growth, and Cities Alliance reports that one third of the urban population in developing countries lives in slums.

Especially in light of these statistics, the neighborhood effect has important implications for the interventions we choose to provide to urban areas. The same phenomenon that amplifies health hazards in crowded slums has the potential to bring rapid health improvements instead.

– Tanvi Ambulkar

Photo: Flickr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s War On Poverty in India

War On Poverty in India
On Saturday, Sep. 25, 2016, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Pakistan for the first time. This address occurred in the wake of the Uri attacks, in which four terrorists snuck into an army camp and killed 18 soldiers. Modi confronted Pakistan on the attacks, saying, “We are ready to fight you if you have the courage.”

However, the war he declared was not one on the Pakistani people, but on poverty in India and in Pakistan. Modi, whose platform is buttressed with promises to uplift the poor, reiterated his pledge for the 21st century: freedom from poverty, injustice, unemployment, corruption and acts of violence against women. Modi’s war on poverty in India would work to not only make strides towards these goals in his country of India, but to neighboring countries like Pakistan.

Though Pakistan has made big strides toward reducing absolute poverty since 1991, unrest in the country and natural disasters have made many of its citizens vulnerable to falling below the poverty line. Pakistan is also behind other countries in terms of educational and health benefits for its citizens.

Keeping its citizens educated and healthy would provide Pakistan with a wealth of resources with which to bolster the country’s economy and the quality of life for its workers. India’s war on poverty, if Modi’s challenge is accepted, would be hugely beneficial not only to Pakistan but to the global community. Putting an end to poverty in Pakistan would not only help its people but its neighbors. Ending poverty is as important for peace and stability as it is for economic development.

So, India is ready for war — a war on poverty, a war on underemployment, a war on illiteracy and infant mortality and maternal deaths. According to Modi, “Let both countries fight to see who would eradicate poverty first.” Though Prime Minister Modi has challenged Pakistan to see who wins the war on poverty in India, this is a war nobody will lose.

– Kayla Provencher

Photo: Flickr

,

Factors Driving Lack of Access to Education

Access to Education
Education remains an unreachable right for millions of children around the globe. Currently, upward of 72 million children in the primary education age (five to 12 years) are not in school and 759 million adults are illiterate. There are a plethora of reasons why such a large number of children in lower income countries do not receive the adequate education at the primary school level. Below are just some of the factors driving a lack of access to education:

  • There aren’t enough schools. Many of the poorest countries in the world do not have access to the adequate financial resources necessary to create schools. Providing schooling materials along with recruiting and training teachers cost money, and aid from fellow countries generally is not sufficient enough to establish an education system for all children.
  • There is a low value of education. Many times in remote areas of the world, children who belong to the indigenous population are more trained at finding food and livelihood for themselves rather than focusing on education. Due to this, they are never taught the value and importance of education.
  • The geographical location is not ideal for schooling. This includes things like severe weather conditions, rough terrain and lack of transportation. For example, children in the Philippines have to walk miles before they can reach the nearest primary school. Some areas in India meanwhile are just too stiff to climb and for transportation to pass.
  • Many families cannot afford school and are oftentimes forced into child labor. Over 300 million children between the ages of five and 17 years are engaged in employment worldwide. Most of these children work to financially support their families making child labor a significant contributor to high numbers of them being out of school. Parents, as well as governments, are more concerned about other important things like finding food, shelter and water for the families.
  • Minority groups are often excluded or forgotten. Specific groups find themselves marginalized while their children are deprived of education opportunities. This tends to happen either because of passive underinvestment by the government in particular geographies where the ethnic minorities are concentrated or because of active discrimination.
  • Conflict within a country overruns the opportunities for education. Children in war-ridden countries don’t have a chance to go to school and be educated. Child refugees caught in war and conflict spend the majority of their young lives in refugee camps. Instead of spending time in a classroom learning, they are caught in the middle of chaos which they do not deserve.

Access to schools is the first step toward increasing the right to an education for all children on a global level. Taking steps to resolve the hindering factors driving the lack of access to education will be crucial in overcoming education’s inaccessibility to so many young minds.

– Keaton McCalla

Photo: Flickr

,

Basa Pilipinas: Childhood Literacy in the Philippines

Basa Pilipinas: Childhood Literacy in the Philippines
The United States Agency for International Development and the Philippines Department of Education collaborated over the last three years to improve childhood literacy in the Philippines through a program called Basa Pilipinas, or “Read Philippines.” Basa Pilipinas aims to enhance reading skills in English, Filipino and other mother tongues for one million children in grades one through three. Begun in January 2013, the $39.7 million program is scheduled to conclude on Dec. 31 of this year.

On Oct. 26, 2016, Trey Hicks of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee visited several Cebu elementary schools to reiterate a commitment to childhood literacy in the Philippines. Hicks led reading activities for the children and was joined by USAID Office of Education Chief Brian Levey, who remarked: “Education…set[s children] on a path towards making informed and healthy decisions and taking advantage of limitless economic opportunities.” As Basa Pilipinas draws toward a conclusion, its effects on children and education will continue to evince themselves.

Operating at the classroom level, Basa Pilipinas expands access to reading materials. Roughly 8 million copies of teaching and learning materials, including teacher’s guides and textbooks in both English and local dialects, were distributed throughout the Philippines in the last three years.

Likewise, Basa works to improve reading delivery systems. The program assists the Philippines Department of Education in setting valid early grade reading standards and regulating teacher training in the school systems. Providing hands-on professional development to teachers ensures newly established reading standards are met. Modifications such as these at the systemic level establish achievable literacy goals for students and teachers alike.

Teacher training in literacy instruction is perhaps most crucial to the goals set forth through Basa Pilipinas. Almost 13,000 teachers received training on effective reading instruction, and nearly 3,500 Department of Education supervisors and school heads strategized teacher training support and Learning Action Cells facilitation. LACs are a “group-based intervention for improving teaching practice.” Through these programs “colleagues study content and pedagogies together, plan lessons collaboratively, and conduct action research as a group.” LACs are sustainable, low-cost ways to afford ongoing teacher development.

Basa Pilipinas has directly benefitted more than 1.6 million students, and 2 million more have been indirectly influenced. Evaluations of Basa Pilipinas in 2015 revealed the increased fluency of students by an additional nine words per minute as well as a 23 percent advancement in reading comprehension. And because most of the education reforms Basa imposed were on the systemic and teacher-training level, these dramatic improvements should only be the beginning of the progress in childhood literacy in the Philippines.

– Robin Lee

Photo: Flickr

Renewable Energy in China for a Cleaner Environment

Renewable Energy in China
Environmentally-friendly sources of renewable energy have been championed for years not only for their benefits to the environment but also in terms of long-term cost-effectiveness and population health. China is particularly known for its commitment to clean energy, which is evidenced by its vast usage of solar energy and hydropower fueled resources.

Despite its usage of clean energy, China is heavily reliant on coal-powered activities. Recently, an analysis published by The Guardian outlined the effect of building “coal power plants in China” — the plants contribute to environmental pollution and exacerbate poverty. The unexpected effect of coal power plants is primarily explained by their inability to reach individuals in remote, rural areas and the fact that poor households often have insufficient access to electricity.

It is worth noting that despite increasing amounts of clean energy in China, the country has very high carbon dioxide emission rates. Significant carbon dioxide emissions can accelerate the effect of global warming. Global warming has undesirable effects on global poverty by increasing the frequency of radical weather changes, which can have a disproportionate effect on poorly built homes and farming prospects. A report by the World Bank suggests that an additional 100 million people can be afflicted by poverty by the year 2030, mainly as a consequence of climate change.

Rising carbon dioxide emissions have also been linked with numerous health risks. Carbon dioxide released from coal combustion can increase the risk of premature deaths due to air pollution. Through increased formation of ozone in the atmosphere, individuals are predisposed to conditions such as emphysema and cardiovascular disease, which can severely impair their quality of life.

In areas that are distant from mainstream sources of electricity, it is more pragmatic to build independent sources of renewable energy. Another important feature that characterizes developing countries is high unemployment rates and these can be addressed to some extent by the establishment of local renewable energy providers. Recently, it was estimated that approximately 8.1 million individuals globally are employed by the renewable energy industry.

With the multitude of benefits that renewable energy offers, what makes it so difficult for China to transition to a society that is completely reliant on clean energy? With coal comprising approximately 70 percent of China’s energy reserves, it is logistically difficult for the country to completely switch to renewable energy as this would cause a dramatic rise in unemployment. The costs of building new hydropower plants, solar powered systems and wind turbines also need to be factored.

In summary, the benefits of renewable energy sources outweigh the drawbacks by a significant margin. The objective to increase clean energy in China can be fulfilled by financial planning of involved costs, a thorough cost-benefit analysis of renewable energy and greater investment in sources of energy that facilitate a reduction in harmful carbon emissions.

– Tanvi Ambulkar

Photo: Flickr

A Sad Goodbye to Bhumibol Adulyadej, Longest Ruling Monarch

Bhumibol Adulyadej
In Bangkok, Thailand, the reign of the world’s longest-serving monarch has come to an end. On Thursday, Oct. 13, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand was pronounced dead at age 88. The cause of his death was associated with medical complications from a recent surgical procedure. The king reigned over the country for 70 years as it passed through the Cold War, conflict near Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and several military coups.

For decades, King Bhumibol Adulyadej acted as a liaison between the country’s political rivals. He was known as the glue that held the country together. The king represented a symbol of national unity and was greatly revered by the people of Thailand. His portraits can be seen throughout the country in buildings, schools and along highways. His death may have the potential to cause political instability in the country.

Maha Vajiralongkorn, King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit’s only son, is the next in line to the Thai throne. He was named crown prince in 1972 by his father at age 20. Many are skeptical about the country’s future because of the crown prince’s reputation for being a playboy and for lacking financial restraint.

Many of Vajiralongkorn’s escapades have been hidden from Thai society because of the country’s stringent lèse-majesté laws. The laws have helped protect Bhumibol and his family from defamation due to the prince’s exploits. Stories about Vajiralongkorn are a gossip mainstay nationwide, and he is loathed by many of his future subjects, including the elite circles expected to crown him and then help him rule. Many believe this apprehension prompted the military to stage a coup in 2014 to gain a strong hold on the government.

Many anticipated that the king would appoint his widely cherished daughter, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, as heritor. Thailand, however, has never had a ruling queen because the laws of succession specify male heirs.

Although the king’s passing is devastating for Thailand, the people of Thailand hope that his successor will uphold his father’s fairness and courage.

– Needum Lekia

Photo: Flickr