Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Education in Namibia and Its Role in Development

Education in Namibia
The United Nations recently presented its Human Development Report in Windhoek, Namibia. The Report included the U.N.’s Human Development Index (HDI) which not only measures a nation’s economic well-being but also that of its citizens. Many find the HDI useful because it takes into account the citizenry’s quality of life.

The Report provided sobering news for the host nation when it was revealed its HDI rank was 126 out of 188. Despite its status as an upper middle-income nation, Namibia ranks fairly low on quality of life metric.

The HDI shows that a rising gross domestic product cannot cover up the citizen’s poor standard of living. The HDI points out that there is wealth inequality, poverty, poor healthcare and educational underperformance in Namibia.

Babatunde Omilola, the United Nations Development Programme’s chief of development planning in New York offered his opinion on solutions to these issues. In particular, Omilola noted that Namibia “could do better if it invests more in education.”

For example, Namibia invests billions of dollars in its education, yet only 30 percent of 12th graders in 2013 met the requirements for college admissions. With statistics showing that college graduates earn more throughout their lifetime, Namibia’s lack of collegiate students translates to unrealized potential.

By improving education in Namibia, it is likely that its citizens will benefit from increased opportunities and a higher HDI as the country tries to overcome a staggering poverty rate of 30 percent.

Omilola also noted that education “allows people to enhance their capabilities by providing them with acquired skills and knowledge.”

He then concludes this by saying Namibia’s “Education and skills need to be boosted.”

With a greater focus on education in Namibia, it is hoped that the country will produce more college graduates that have 21st century skills. These graduates will be able to fill the nation’s skills gap, and take advantage of the nation’s abundant resources.

– Andrew Wildes

Sources: Capacity4dev, World Bank, UNDP, Namibian 1, Namibian 2, Namibian Sun, WHO
Photo: UNDP

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Fighting Starvation: Madaya Finally Receives Aid

Madaya
The World Food Programme announced that trucks carrying food for more than 40,000 people safely reached Madaya, Syria on Jan. 12, 2016.

Boxes of food containing rice, wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, canned food, beans and lentils came on what Madaya’s residents hope to be the first of many aid convoys according to the World Food Programme.

“You could see a mixture of hope in people’s eyes and disbelief that this thing was actually happening,” Pawel Krzysiek of the International Committee of the Red Cross told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Unfortunately, residents of Madaya have been suffering from starvation as aid had not reached the area since Oct. 18, 2015, according to CNN; however it is not for a lack of trying.

Yacoub El Hillo, U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator in Syria and Kevin Kennedy, regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria Crisis released a statement from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA) on Jan. 7, 2016 indicating that Madaya has been, “inaccessible since then despite numerous requests for access.”

The statement calls for unimpeded humanitarian access to reach those in need in hard-to-reach and besieged areas in Syria and claimed that the almost 42,000 people remaining in Madaya are at risk of further hunger and starvation.

“We do not want to see this as a one-off,” El Hillo told BBC News. “Ultimately the real solution to this predicament, to the plight of the people besieged in these towns, is for the siege to be lifted.”

World Food Programme Spokeswoman Abeer Etefa told CNN the recent convoy should sustain 40,000 for a month.

Oxfam America issued a press release on Jan. 11, 2016 expressing relief that aid was scheduled to reach those starving in Madaya, but warned that this may not be sufficient.

“Madaya is one of 15 areas across Syria under siege, with inhabitants restricted from leaving and aid workers blocked from bringing in food, medicine, fuel and other supplies,” according to Oxfam America’s press release. “People in these areas also desperately need assistance and protection, yet access to them keeps deteriorating.”

The World Food Programme reported that nutritional items from UNICEF, medical supplies from the World Health Organization (WHO) and items from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent were delivered with their convoy.

The second aid convoy is reported to have reached Madaya on Jan. 14, 2016 according to BBC News.

– Summer Jackson

Sources: BBC, CNN, Oxfam America, Relief Web, WFP, News Yahoo
Photo: Catch News

Mobile Weather Texts Prepare West African Farmers

west African Farmers
Swedish technology company and social enterprise Ignitia has teamed up with Business Call to Action (BCtA) to send tropical weather forecasts via text message to 1.2 million small-scale west African farmers by the end of 2017.

The BCtA is backed by the UNDP and encourages businesses to include poverty-level populations and help to achieve sustainable development goals.

Founded in 2010 as a physics and meteorologist research team, Ignitia offers weather forecasts to prepare west African farmers for inclement weather.

The company has since developed algorithms that provide weather forecasts to 3,400 small-scale farmers in Ghana – with an 82 percent level of accuracy, compared to the 39 percent standard, according to Ignitia .

Here’s how it works: Ignitia’s weather forecasts are reported through Iska as text messages and are sent directly to small-scale farmers throughout tropical regions. Each forecast is tailored to a specific farmer’s crop location via an automated application that finds its GPS coordinates.

Farmers receive these forecasts by subscribing to an SMS service for $0.04 per day that can be paid in installments or from pre-paid credit on a mobile phone. This equals less than two percent of a farmer’s total expenditures, according to The Guardian.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sy0INKw_bg

Iska offers warnings of heavy rains and dry spells, specific start and end dates for the rainy season and provides two-day forecasts to west African farmers daily, in addition to a monthly outlook report and two six-month seasonal reports.

About 40 percent of the world’s population lives in the tropics where most livelihoods come from small-scale farming, with sub-Saharan African farmers seeing the lowest yields in the world.

Since tropical weather conditions can change drastically in a short amount of time, monitoring crops can be a tricky task for farmers. Changes in weather patterns and the unpredictability of severe weather make traditional farming methodologies less dependable.

Iska’s short-mid and long-range forecast messaging offers these farmers a vital way of adapting to climate change. The Guardian reports that at least 20 percent of yields are lost due to weather, but meteorology updates like the ones Iska provides can help increase a farmer’s income by 80 percent.

In West Africa, Iska demonstrated an 84 percent accuracy rate during the 2013 and 2014 rainy seasons, according to Ignitia.

“With Iska, smallholder farmers receive the vital information they need to mitigate risk and create resilience. In doing so, farmers are able to increase yields and improve their livelihoods, year after year,” said Liisa Petrykowska, Ignitia’s chief executive officer.

Ignitia has provided over six million weather forecasts to 80,000 small-time African farmers and plans to expand its services to 20 other countries throughout Southeast Asia, Central America and other regions of Africa.

– Kelsey Lay

Sources: Ignitia 1, Ignitia 2, Ignitia 3, The Guardian
Photo: Times Higher Education

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Finding Solutions for Unemployed Youth in Zambia

Zambia
While Zambia continues to make strides economically and socially, there are clear problems that need to be addressed, according to a report by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The most pressing issue, the report states, is the growing number of unemployed youths in Zambia.

The Statistical Context

This past decade has been quite fruitful for Zambia’s economy, which has grown at an annual rate of 6 percent since 2000. However, poverty still afflicts 60.5 percent of the population. Moreover, from 2004 to 2013, the population has increased by 3.3 million to 14.5 million. The result is a disproportionately large population of Zambian youths.

This expansion amounts to an annual average rate of 3 percent, which exceeds the 2.7 percent average of other sub-Saharan countries.

According to the U.N.’s World Population Prospects, the working age youth population is expected to grow at a rate of 34 percent for the next two decades. This means that the youth labor force is expected to nearly double from 5.5 million to 10.1 million.

While Zambia’s economy has shown significant growth, the expected influx of youth into the labor market presents a challenge and a question: How can they all be absorbed into the workforce?

Currently, youth make up 64.2 percent of the working-age population. And of that pool, only 11 percent obtain public jobs. The private sector, on the other hand, accounts for a small percentage of the employed youth.

Not surprisingly, agriculture accounts for the majority of the jobs that youths hold as the economy continues to rely on that industry for growth.

This fact suggests that the economy has not undergone a structural transformation. In other words, the Zambian market has not yet incorporated technology-intensive manufacturing firms. And this has left otherwise able youth underemployed, performing marginal jobs of an irregular nature.

The Underlying Factors

Zambia boasts tremendous improvement in primary school enrollment rates, having increased from 72 percent in 2002 to 94 percent in 2012. However, as the report notes, the true indicator of a stable and effective education system is the progression rate of students from primary school all the way to tertiary school.

In that regard, Zambia performs poorly: out of every 100 primary school children, only 1.07 will enroll at a tertiary institution (i.e. university or vocational school).

This rate is six times below the average of neighboring countries and 19 times below the world average. Since many Zambian youth do not complete secondary or tertiary school, they are unable to find jobs and many may resort to agricultural or household work.

The struggle in transitioning from school to work depends on several factors. The quality of education is one, but it is not uncommon for young Zambians to be in and out of school trying to find sponsors to pay for their education.

Some end up graduating secondary school (i.e. high school) in their twenties.

For this reason, entrepreneurship is quite popular among Zambians as a compelling option for those who leave school. And, while the business set up have so far not been very stable — as a result of their establishment being out of economic necessity rather than opportunity — many see promise if these individuals are better supported.

The Solutions

Technical and vocational educational training schools or TVETs have been created to address the huge scarcity of skilled workers and a need for out-of-school students to find training.

However, there are two challenges facing these schools. First, is a lack of capacity: about 300,000 Zambians leave the school system every year, yet the universities and TVETs can only absorb 14,000 students.

Second, there has yet to be much stock put in the graduates of TVETs as compared to graduates of universities. Historically, TVET graduates are viewed as favorably as university graduates even though they possess the technical skills needed for a growing young economy like Zambia’s.

The government has enacted soft policies to help combat youth unemployment. The National Youth Policy (NYP) was first adopted in 1994 and was later readdressed in 2013.

The result was the National Action Plan on Youth Employment in Zambia, which developed a framework to monitor and evaluate youth unemployment to better produce jobs and resources.

Donor communities and Zambia’s NGO sector also assist. Street Kids International established the Youth Skills Enterprise Initiative, giving youth in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, opportunities to earn daily income and learn life skills. Another venture, BongoHive, acts as a networking hub for young graduates to program and gain employable skills.

– Shehrose Mian

Sources: Bloomberg, IDRC, Bongohive
Photo: The World Bank

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Creative Industries Offer Economic Opportunity

Economic_Opportunity_in_AfricaWhen it comes to creating jobs and economic opportunity in Africa, industries such as agriculture, mining and oil typically receive the most attention and investment from governments.

However, the cultural and creative industries are consistently overlooked as viable avenues for economic growth. These industries include food, film, fashion, textiles, literature, music, performing/visual arts, museums and more.

Africa is no exception to the massive potential benefits that these industries could yield. The recent worldwide growth of tourism serves to further generate increased exposure and outside interest as well.

Further, the labor-intensive aspect of the creative industries offers an opportunity to generate more skilled and unskilled jobs. Additionally, this is a sector where modern technology can be adopted at a relatively low cost of investment.

Though there is no shortage of creative talent in Africa, there are logistical and infrastructural obstacles.

These barriers include a lack of skilled managers and industry professionals, lack of avenues for training artists’ technical competence, poor packaging and lack of standardization of cultural products, and poor distribution systems.

In order to move forward, governments will need to increase investments and implement relevant policies for the cultural and creative industries. An increase in economic opportunity in Africa through the arts requires government support.

Global and regional supply chains across the continent should also be built that will, in turn, create new trade patterns for African economies. For this to happen, there needs to be increased collaboration between global and Africans brands, designers/manufacturers, and development partners and governments.

Though there is a lot of work to be done, recent developments point to the strong possibility of incoming progress in the future.

Efforts to direct focus to the arts and address obstacles have recently emerged. For example, at Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stakeholder meetings in May 2015, the fifteen member states were urged to shift their focus from timber, cocoa and mineral exports to the introduction of relevant policies and funding for arts and cultural industries that will generate new economic opportunity in Africa.

In addition, ECOWAS members were called upon to support artists with training and offer them opportunities to collaborate with international partner organizations to help quality, standardization and packaging.

Further, the African Development Bank’s Office of the Special Envoy on Gender (AfDB) launched several initiatives in 2015. Such initiatives included Fashioeconomics, an event which brought together fashion designers and development partners to talk about the challenges of securing financing to build up the sector.

Additional forums and events regarding the fashion industry have also taken place, with participants highlighting the needs for innovative financing mechanisms to provide incentives to grow the industry.

Participants also highlight the need for fresh approaches to scale up African design firms through entrepreneurship, training and skills development, and boosting access to finance and global markets.

– Anton Li

Sources: The Africa Report, XinhuaNet, Daily Nation, African Development Bank Group (AFDB)
Photo: Flickr

4 Steps for Refugee Resettlement in the US

Refugee Resettlement Process
The U.S. first opened its doors to refugees in 1948 following World War II, when over 200,000 Europeans fled from Nazi persecution. The 1948 Displaced Persons Act granted these refugees permanent residence and the right to employment in the U.S. Later, the Refugee Act of 1980 standardized the process of refugee resettlement in the U.S. by defining official refugee status and becoming the legal framework for today’s U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

Refugee Resettlement Process

 

Qualifying as a Refugee

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) defines refugees as “people who have been persecuted or fear they will be persecuted on account of race, religion, nationality, and/or membership in a particular social group or political opinion.” In the past, this has included people fleeing Nazi persecution or Communist regimes.

Today, thousands are fleeing Central America to avoid escalating violence as well as Syria to avoid what has been referred to as “the worst humanitarian crisis of our time.” The process by which refugees can enter the U.S. can only begin if a person is considered an official refugee under U.S. immigration law. If a person qualifies as a refugee, they must then be admitted to the U.S. Resettlement Program (USRP).

Being admitted to the U.S. Resettlement Program (USRP)

If a person qualifies as a refugee, they must then be admitted to the U.S. Resettlement Program (USRP) through a referral from the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR), a U.S. Embassy, the U.S. Department of State or a family member already in the U.S. seeking to reunite. Nine Resettlement Support Centers (RSCs) around the world receive these referrals and assemble eligible applications for further consideration.

These centers are largely faith-based nonprofit organizations approved by the U.S. government to ensure utmost security when recommending an applicant for resettlement. Part of the application process requires a security screening (handled by the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS) and a health screening to ensure that applicants with a security concern or an infectious disease do not enter the U.S.

This process, on average, takes between 18 and 24 months.

Refugee Resettlement in the U.S.

If all is cleared, a refugee is paired with a sponsorship program, such as Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR) or Immigrant Connect, which provide new immigrants with counseling, translation and interpretation services, cultural orientation, English tutoring, financial stability during their transition to the U.S. and job search help.

Organizations like SOAR depend on community involvement in sponsoring or co-sponsoring a refugee and donating necessities such as clothing, bedding, lamps, dishes, diapers and toiletries. Volunteers help new immigrants navigate the public transit system, pick up their social security cards, obtain health services, and register for school. Refugees do not pay out of pocket for the initial cost of transitioning to the US.

Many sponsors receive grants from non-profit organizations that enable them to cover the first month’s rent and food for refugees so that newcomers may focus their energy on assimilating into the American way of life. Refugees are placed in the U.S. primarily according to connections they may have in a particular state.

A State Department spokesperson, speaking about refugees resettling in the U.S., explains, “We try very hard to get refugees close to people that they know because we think that they have a better chance of success if they have [a] support network when they first arrive, aside from just the volunteers.” Other factors include easy access to healthcare depending on personal medical conditions, fluency in English, and job prospects.

Assimilation and building a new life

After the initial chaos and novelty of entering a new country subsides, new immigrants seek to build a new life. They must acquire the appropriate credentials sanctioned by U.S. standards to continue in a field such as medicine or teaching. As a result, many immigrants find themselves at first in low-skilled jobs.

Though refugees do not pay out of pocket for any of their costs at the time of their resettlement, they must begin repaying their travel loan 6 months after arrival.

Though they receive up to three month’s rent, they do not enter subsidized housing, and therefore must find a job shortly after resettling in the U.S. In addition, U.S. agencies, such as Catholic Charities USA, are set up to help refugees apply for jobs and find education and training for their trade.

Just like any American citizen, they are free to relocate as they wish. Local organizations are set up in many cities to continue giving support to refugees.

– Mary Furth

Sources: Refugees, State.gov, UWB, USCIS, US News
Photo: Googgle Images

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Karam Foundation: Reconstructing Education in Syria

Karam_Foundation
The Karam Foundation is an American-based charity, that operates outside of Turkey. Its main purpose is to raise funds to rebuild schools in Syria, as well as to secure opportunities for Syrian children.

The organization’s mission is especially important at a time when the conflict in Syria has led to the recent closure of some schools in the protectorates of Raqqa, Deir-ez-Zour and other rural areas. These combined factors have disrupted the education of more than 670,000 students, according to UNICEF.

In addition, the majority of the country’s 5,000 schools cannot be used because they have been damaged, destroyed, or recently bombed. Some schools have even become bases for the armed forces and rebel groups. In 2015, more than 120 schools were bombed, in some cases, deliberately.

Not surprisingly, many parents have stopped sending their children to school. Syrian teachers have also paid a heavy price, as many have been forced to leave their jobs as a result of the ongoing conflict.

However, Karam Foundation has proposed that even in the face of adversity, it is necessary to invest in the children living in Syria by rebuilding their education and promoting prosperity.

The Foundation is focused on reconstructing the education system to ensure sustainability instead of finding short-term solutions that may not be durable.

The Karam Foundation also explains on its website that it is, “On a mission to build better future for Syria, this initiative is dedicated to providing aid that matters and finding the most effective and impactful ways to help the Syrian people.”

The Foundation has implemented both creative and therapeutic programs, with the help of dozens of experts that bring inspiration to thousands of displaced Syrian children. Through its sustainable development mechanism, the organization also provides innovative technology, effective business models and grants for Syrian children who desire to maintain themselves.

Moreover, year round, Karam Foundation provides basic necessities, such a food, clothing and heating fuel to thousands of Syrian families.

– Isabella Rölz

Sources: Karam Foundation, UNICEF, FIP
Photo: Wikipedia                                                                                   

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Yudala Makes First Drone Delivery in Nigeria

YudalaYudala made the first drone delivery in Nigeria during its Black Friday sale.

A group of spectators and several media organizations came with camera crews to watch the drone take off from the Yudala headquarters in Gbagada.

The drone delivered a Nokia smart phone to a customer who ordered from the Yudala website. It flew all the way to an Access Bank branch located along the Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway where the item was successfully delivered, according to Vanguard.

The customer who received the smart phone, Yetunde Lawal, said, “I am extremely delighted and indeed short of words to explain how I feel to be the first person to receive an item via drone delivery in Nigeria, all thanks to Yudala. This is an innovative concept in the evolution of e-commerce in the country, which I am sure other competitors will want to copy.”

Yudala continued to make drone deliveries throughout the rest of its Black Friday sales, which took place from November 26 to November 30.

Lawal said, “Yudala has met and exceeded my expectations, and I can only encourage all my colleagues, friends and family to shop and shop on Yudala. Black Friday is here, and I am glad that the Yudala offer will run till Monday.”

Companies such as Amazon are working to incorporate drone deliveries into their businesses, according to CNN. Drone deliveries are believed to be the future for online delivery companies.

Yudala is Nigeria’s first true composite online and offline retail chain. The word means “best wishes, peace of mind and prosperity” and is the first organization in Nigeria to combine an online platform with offline stores located in cities across Africa.

According to MSN News, Yudala has a strong ambition to control the pace and set new milestones for online and offline retail business. The company started up four months ago and has been very successful ever since.

They have been working on some powerful campaigns to break through to Africa, including “Neighbor to Neighbor Mega-Deals” and “October Mid-Day Madness,” according to Innov8tiv.com.

They have also entered into partnerships with other companies such as HP, Lenovo, Apple, Microsoft, Sony and Dell.

– Jordan Connell

Sources: CNN, Innov8tiv.com, MSN News, Vanguard
Photo: Somtoo

MicroSave Counters Poverty in India with Micro-financing

MicroSaveThe MicroSave international consulting agency has been operating for more than 20 years. The organization uses micro-financing techniques to create value-led projects and organizations in India in order to counter poverty.

Their team consists of more than 175 professionals in the field, who use their skills to assist professionals in underdeveloped countries. Their work focuses on a market-led approach, which allows them to find customer-driven solutions. They take the time to visit low-income customers personally and to learn about their interests, strengths and circumstances to better help their clients target these customers, along with helping them hone their skills and implement maximum impact in their field.

The MicroSave team aspires to create a world where everyone from different backgrounds and cultures can obtain financial services tailored to their needs, and use these services to create anti-poverty solutions.

Their mission is to strengthen the capacity of institutions in underdeveloped countries through a series of financial inclusion models that help deliver financial services to people in a more effective manner. MicroSave has created a large number of these models to cover multiple fields of business, including sales and retail, small and medium enterprise financing, energy financing and digital financial services. The models connect people with a large range of stakeholders including self-help groups, banking correspondents and community-based financial organizations.

MicroSave also offers training and workshops that teach leaders how to build strong institutions, by effectively reaching out to customers through proper services, marketing, product development and innovation. These workshops provide clients with the knowledge needed to successfully become businessmen and women.

MircoSave’s team is divided into four groups to help apply services effectively. These groups include training, research, finance and risk management. The training group ensures knowledge is leveraged among their clients through preparatory materials, classroom training and certification.

The group responsible for research helps keep MicroSave and its clients afloat by making sure tactics are up to date and reliable in the specific industry they are working in.

The finance team teaches responsibility in finances to their clients, so money is used properly during and after their time with their clients.

Lastly, the risk management group focuses on training clients to work efficiently, decreasing their margin of error.

Over the last few years, MicroSave has expanded its services throughout Asia and Africa, working toward the goal of spreading proper financing techniques, and decreasing poverty throughout the world.

– Julia Hettiger

Sources: MicroSave, Bloomberg, Microfinance Focus
Photo: Madhyame

Top 5 Humanitarian Aid Organizations

Top Humanitarian Aid Organizations
The Borgen Project has received lots of praise for an innovative approach that has taken the global poverty fight to the political level, but there are numerous aid organizations doing great work. The United Nations offers consultative status to 3,900 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with roughly one-third of these located within the United States.  While most NGOs offer humanitarian aid, some focus on issues regarding hunger while others on human trafficking. With so many different groups and issues to choose from, how does one decide which of the top humanitarian aid organizations to support?

 

Top Humanitarian Aid Organizations

 

1. World Food Programme (WFP) 

This organization is part of the U.N. system and is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  Each year, the WFP reaches 90 million people with food assistance in 80 countries.  In 2012, the WFP provided 53 percent of global food aid and distributed 3.5 million tons of food.

2. Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE)

CARE is an organization dedicated to fighting global poverty.  The organization leads community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of disease, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity, and protect natural resources.  CARE also provides emergency aid for war and natural disasters.  They have supported close to 1000 poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid projects.

3. Oxfam International

Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organizations working in approximately 90 countries worldwide to find solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world.  They focus on issues of active citizenship, agriculture, education, gender justice, health, peace and security and youth outreach.  Through advocacy, campaigning, policy research and development projects, Oxfam continues to change the lives of many.

4. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) 

IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network, reaching 150 million people in 189 National Societies.  Their vast volunteering network of 13 million allows them to tackle issues in four main areas: disaster response, disaster preparedness, health and community care and promote humanitarian values of social inclusion and peace.

5. Action Against Hunger (AAH) 

AAH is a global humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger, works to save the lives of malnourished children while providing communities with access to safe water and sustainable solutions to hunger.  In 2012, AAH provided 550,000 small farmers with tools, treated 42,000 malnourished children in the Democratic Republic of Congo and helped 170,000 people gain access to clean water in Kenya.

Any of these humanitarian organizations offer chances to donate, volunteer, and advocate for their respective causes.  For more information regarding humanitarian aid and charity organizations, visit charitynavigator.org.