Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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How Mary’s Meals Is Reducing Hunger in Zambia

Mary's MealsZambia, a landlocked nation on a plateau in South-Central Africa, grapples with formidable challenges. Less than 5% of its land is arable, limiting opportunities for agricultural productivity. Consequently, more than one million schoolchildren in Zambia face the harsh reality of attending classes on empty stomachs, depriving a significant portion of the youth population of education.

Zambia continues to struggle with high malnutrition rates, ranking among the world’s highest. Recent reports from 2023 reveal a stark reality. Nearly 48% struggle to meet their daily minimum calorie requirements. At the same time, 35% of children suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition. Contributing to these distressing figures are inadequate and unhealthy diets, suboptimal feeding practices and a widespread lack of nutritional knowledge.

In response to this urgent humanitarian crisis, Mary made significant strides in alleviating hunger in Zambia. Mary’s Meals originated as Scottish International Relief (SIR), a charitable organization. When Magnus traveled to Malawi in 2002 during a famine and saw a mother who was dying of AIDS, Edward, her oldest kid, stated succinctly, “I want to have enough food to eat and to go to school one day,” in response to Magnus’ question on his life goals.

That incident inspired the establishment of Mary’s Meals, which started in 2002 by providing food for just 200 children in Malawi. Providing essential school meals addresses immediate nutritional needs and offers a vital lifeline to hungry children. Beyond combating hunger, this initiative opens the doors to education, empowering children with the opportunity to learn and thrive.

Mary’s Meals

The Mary’s Meals initiative took root in 2002, sparked by founder Magnus MacFarlane–Barrow’s eye-opening visit to Malawi during a devastating famine. Witnessing the profound impact of hunger firsthand, he was inspired to kickstart the foundation Mary’s Meals, which is committed to ensuring every kid receives a daily meal at school because of the firm belief that every child deserves access to education and sufficient nutrition. After seeing the critical need in Zambia, the nonprofit organization expanded its purpose in 2014 to address the region’s high malnutrition rates, poverty and food insecurity.

The charity began its journey by providing meals to 200 children in Malawi. Since then, it has expanded its reach exponentially, nourishing 2,429,182 children daily across 18 countries. By nourishing young minds and bodies, these meals empower children to focus on their education, fostering a generation capable of lifting themselves. Furthermore, Mary’s Meals envisions sustainable change, aiming for local communities and governments to increase their contributions progressively, amplifying the program’s impact. Through its commitment to reducing hunger, Mary’s Meals ignites a transformative ripple effect that reverberates throughout entire communities, paving the way for a brighter, more prosperous future for all.

Feeding Children

Mary’s Meals significantly impacts and alleviates hunger in Zambia by providing daily meals to 420,896 children across 752 schools. Central to this effort is the involvement of community volunteers who dedicate themselves to serving these meals, underlining the importance of fostering strong community ties for the sustained success of the school feeding program. Mary’s Meals stands out as the primary provider of school meals across all 10 districts in the Eastern Province, an area characterized by limited income stability and inadequate access to food and social support. According to a survey conducted between 2014 and 2019, children in Zambia who benefited from Mary’s Meals were six times less likely to experience hunger at school than their counterparts who did not receive such assistance.

Research and Results

In Zambia, a recent study revealed that after five years of receiving Mary’s Meals, the proportion of children who never fretted about hunger surged by 45%, underscoring the substantial impact of Mary’s Meals in addressing hunger in the region. This has led to a 25% increase in school enrollment rates and a notable decrease in absenteeism. These findings emphasize Mary’s Meals’ tangible and noteworthy effects on children’s well-being. The study affirms the organization’s efficacy in combating hunger in Zambia and its positive influence on children’s nutritional status, vitality and overall welfare.

– Arabella Wood-Collins
Photo: Flickr

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Feed the Future: Success Stories

Feed the Future: Success Stories in Combatting Food InsecurityFeed the Future, an agency within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) works to tackle food insecurity globally and invest in resilience allowing communities to bounce back from adversity. It prevents them from sliding back into poverty and works to alleviate the need for costly emergency relief when disaster strikes by adequately creating safeguards. Globally Feed the Future has accessed $4 billion in agricultural financing- which has spurned farmers generating $15.3 billion in revenue from their subsequent activities.

In partnering with governments and private entities, which globally have invested $2.2 billion, USAID has implemented policies and practices that have had real-world positive effects and 3 stories reflected from Kenya, Honduras and Nepal show just how these measures are unfolding on the ground. The following are some inspiring success stories in Feed the Future’s mission to tackle food insecurity that have empowered vulnerable individuals and through USAID measures, been able to create paths of their own on the journey of poverty alleviation.

Kenya: Veronica’s success

USAID is championing the development of entrepreneurship and leading to a culture of self-sufficiency. Feed the Future in conjunction with the Government of Kenya is working to make the market accessible, creating a safe, reliable and more equitable environment where hundreds of small traders can participate and create a self-sustaining livelihood. Veronica was a small business owner and is an example of the numerous success stories in Feed the Future’s mission to tackle food insecurity.

Furthermore, we see that the economic climate is not conducive to women’s success and the policy restricts women’s empowerment, we see that almost 100% of Kenya’s rural women work on farms but only 6% own titles to the land, restricting income capability and decision-making power.

Veronica, a proprietor in the Oldonyiro market previously expected to sell around one bag of flour every week. But after a $300 loan, to use in business activities, she was able to expand by buying valuable business assets such as a car, enabling her to bring more sellable produce to the market.

Furthermore, USAID installed roofing, to allow workers to work during heat and drought and incorporated drought detection systems to help sellers better manage produce.
Veronica has since been able to expand, selling maize, sugar and beans in addition to flour.
This has been crucial in helping her take care of her family, sending her children to school, feeding them and relieving the pains of poverty.

This is a key focus of the women entering the market. The hope is that women like this can expand their businesses and employ others in the community, thus creating a snowball effect in the mission to fight poverty.

Feed the Future: Nepal

In Nepal, 70% of its population generates income through agriculture, however, Nepal still struggles to produce an adequate, affordable supply of safe, nutritious food, with women and other disadvantaged groups being particularly afflicted. COVID-19’s movement restrictions severely disrupted food systems.

Amidst this unfortunate backdrop, there are indeed success stories in Feed the Future’s mission to tackle food insecurity. To protect progress and bolster food security, Feed the Future worked closely with Nepali farmers and business owners.

USAID has been working in Nepal to improve its resilience to external shocks and protect the population from exposure to food insecurity. USAID worked on facilitating livestock rearing, ultimately providing an income to rebuild homes. It also set up marketing chains, so that producers could have their foods delivered, this investment in the agriculture sector allowed for a rise in income whilst also maintaining an adequate food supply for the local population.

Honduras: Evelio’s success

Honduras, through a partnership with USAID, was able to establish market chains to establish demand for its small producers globally and worked also to connect them with processors in the next stage of work in the produce domestically. This is working to alleviate some of the challenges small agricultural producers face and to dampen external pressures from factors such as climate and is one of the success stories in Feed the Future’s mission to tackle food insecurity.

In Honduras, Evelio Miranda, who like other farmers is exposed to economic shocks, through the value of their produce, the price of coffee crashed domestically in 2018, which exposed Evelio and farmers alike to conditions of hardship. This forced individuals to look for work abroad, or a long commute from their home and made more acute the pains of food insecurity.

Through partnerships with the private sector orchestrated by USAID, farmers expanded their crop varieties to include those resilient to environmental shocks. One such collaboration involved EFI Solutions, a cosmetics firm, which supported the cultivation of cardamom by a farmer named Evelio. This initiative not only diversified Evelio’s farming activities but also enhanced the quality of his products and significantly increased his family’s income, showcasing the transformative power of targeted agricultural support.

Feed the Future: Advancing Global Food Security

Feed the Future, backed by USAID’s global efforts, continues to illuminate pathways out of poverty and food insecurity through innovative partnerships and investments in agricultural resilience. Success stories from Kenya, Honduras and Nepal exemplify the transformative impact of empowering local communities with the tools to build sustainable livelihoods. As these initiatives evolve, they hold the promise of fostering more equitable, productive and resilient food systems worldwide, ensuring a brighter future for vulnerable populations.

– Tevin Muendo
Photo: Flickr

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Women’s Rights in Burkina Faso

Women's Rights in Burkina FasoBurkina Faso is a country in West Africa that is part of the Sahel region. The nation is among the poorest in the world, ranked by the Human Development Index (HDI) at 184 out of 194 in the 2021-2022 HDI report. Nearly half of the population lives below the poverty line and due to a lack of women’s rights in Burkina Faso, women in particular struggle to escape.

Women in Society

There are different communities and ethnic groups across the country that vary in the way that they treat women. However, generally, there is a deep-rooted acceptance that women are beneath men in terms of social standing. The strict gender roles mean that women do not have assets of their own. They have no right to inheritance and cannot own land or have credit. Women are, therefore, forced to obtain permission from their husbands for many activities, especially to make payments.

Sexual Health

This lack of autonomy impacts their everyday activity and health. Due to transportation and medication fees, they cannot take themselves or their children to the hospital without prior permission. As well as this, they have no power to insist that their husband uses contraceptives. With a culture of polygamy and levirate, there is a high risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and contraceptives are incredibly important.

In general, there is limited access to sexual, reproductive and maternal services throughout the country. A lack of facilities combined with a lack of independence means that it is tough for women to get the help that they need, leading to high maternal mortality rates, high birth rates and illegal abortions.

Women in Education

For change to occur, it is vital to have women in positions of power. However, according to the United Nations (U.N.) Women, in 2021, Burkina Faso’s women took up only 6.3% of the seats in parliament. There are a multitude of social factors that dissuade girls from pursuing their education. This in turn affects the number of those who can fight for women’s rights in Burkina Faso.

Once a woman is married, their time is taken up by unpaid domestic labor. Education becomes less of a priority. Child marriage is a significant concern in Burkina Faso, with approximately 52% of women in 2018 between the ages of 20 and 24 married before the age of 18. It is believed that investing in a young girl’s education is futile as she will marry into a family very soon.

The fear of physical and sexual abuse in schools also influences a girl’s decision to continue her education. This abuse can be from both students and teachers, creating an association that school can result in unwanted pregnancies. As a result, 50% of the young female population in Burkina Faso are not in education or employment.

SWEDD

It has become clear to the government and the World Bank that investing in women is important for economic growth and social welfare. The World Bank’s Vice President for Western and Central Africa, Ousmane Diagana, says that “by investing in women and girls, countries will build resilient communities that can bounce back from crises and adapt to rising threats, such as climate change and fragility.”

The Sub-Saharan Africa Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) initiative was launched by the World Bank in 2015. The project addresses issues of child marriage, education and gender-based violence in Burkina Faso and across the Sahel region. Across the region, 3420 safe spaces have been established, providing vital support. Additionally, more than 7000 midwives have been deployed to rural areas, contributing to improved maternal and child health. SWEDD also works toward changing the mindset of both men and women to uproot internalized ideals about women’s rights in Burkina Faso.

SWEDD works with people from across the Sahel region who have an audience. More than 9000 religious leaders, 35 musicians and 17 footballers used its platforms to raise awareness and stimulate dialogue. Increasing resources and facilities is insufficient if women can’t use them. This is why social and behavioral change is necessary for women in Burkina Faso to gain independence and take control of their future.

– Liz Johnson
Photo: Flickr

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The Impacts of the USAID Complete Project in Palestine

The USAID Complete Project in PalestinePalestine is a region in the Eastern Mediterranean that encompasses parts of modern-day Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It holds deep cultural, religious and historical significance for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. Palestine, unfortunately, is in an economic tanking, with an estimated 45% increase in its poverty rate if things continue the way they have been. In 2000, the agricultural sector was the largest for the Palestinian economy, making up 22%. Today, it rests at 5-6% and slowly decreases as time goes on. However, with help from The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Competitive Economy Program for Trade Enhancement (Compete) Project, Palestine has hope to turn things around.

Agriculture in Palestine

The agricultural sector in Palestine is facing significant challenges, with Israeli restrictions on land and water access exacerbating the situation. The agricultural sector in Palestine has been experiencing a decline in its contribution to the country’s GDP and a reduction in the number of people employed within the industry.

One of the main reasons for this trend is the absence of a clear government vision for the sector. Additionally, local farmers find it difficult to compete with Israeli products that are flooding the market. This competition often results in a lengthy inspection process, which can cause spoilage of produce and further losses for Palestinian farmers.

Additionally, fertile lands are being converted into industrial zones, displacing farmers and contributing to environmental degradation. As agriculture provides economic opportunities such as job and food security, income generation, land preservation and export potential, conserving its remaining effects on the country’s overall well-being and economic success is increasingly crucial.

The Complete Project

The USAID Complete project in Palestine aimed to strengthen the competitiveness of Palestinian enterprises and facilitate their access to domestic and international markets. It focused on various sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing and services, to promote economic growth and job creation in the Palestinian territories.

The project provided technical assistance to companies to enhance their product value. It facilitated connections between smaller businesses and larger producers/exporters for more efficient market access. By improving information flow, product quality and technology adoption, Compete empowered firms to seize opportunities. Ultimately, the project aided 1,797 firms, resulting in a $383 million sales increase and $254 million in exports, creating more than 6,900 jobs and leveraging $105 million in private investment.

The Strawberry King

Osama Abu-Al Rub is one of the 20 strawberry farmers left in the West Bank. He began receiving aid from USAID in 2013 and has grown his business exponentially since then by gaining the opportunity to invest in technological advances such as computerized irrigation and by experimenting with covered, hanging growth techniques.

Osama’s success in his strawberry farming has allowed him to send his daughter Hanin to university, where she studies agricultural engineering. Occasionally, her friends visit their farm to learn new tactics from her father, which they will carry into the future of Palestine to generate success for decades to come.

The Future of Palestine

USAID has targeted a main core issue for the Palestinian economy and has significantly invested in eradicating the problem at hand. Even with restriction and pushback from some of the American people and government, USAID has found ways to implement knowledge and a foundational base that can potentially send Palestine’s economy skyrocketing if built in the right ways. By implementing these strategies, the Compete Project can help transform the agricultural sector in Palestine into a vibrant and dynamic contributor to the economy, generating employment, increasing incomes and fostering sustainable economic development for years to come.

– Tristen Jerkins
Photo: Flickr

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Ethos of Global Health Initiatives

Global Health InitiativesGlobal Health organizations play a crucial role in alleviating the suffering caused by poverty worldwide. However, as a paradigm rooted in colonialism with a history of racial bias, many receiving communities complain of the ineffectual nature of improperly conducted health care aid. Hence, professionals contributing to modern-day initiatives have to work hard to make sure that their global health interventions consider ethics at every step of implementation.

Leading the Charge for Ethics in Global Health

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) brought eth0s to the forefront of global health. This was achieved through its proven success in supporting other organizations in measuring the impact of interventions to avoid funneling money into unsuccessful or unethical initiatives. J-PAL focuses on tracking and analyzing program outcomes by training specialists in surveying for community feedback through “randomized evaluations and scoping studies.”

The initiative conducts impact evaluations in partnership with actors on the global health stage to highlight the most cost-efficient and largest-impact interventions and report on local community review and feedback. This article will delve into current programs run by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to demonstrate the critical role of impact evaluation in assessing the success and ethos of global health initiatives, improving services and informing policy for a more impactful future.

Taking Responsibility

In 2024, the WHO announced it is pushing forward its 2022 One Health initiative, emphasizing its goal to incorporate a holistic approach to intervention that focuses on collaborative efforts between environmental and public health entities in targeted regions. The spearheads of the initiative express goals that echo tones from J-Pal-supported programs, understanding the importance of regional participation and feedback in sustainable and ethical health development.

Under this new program, WHO believes it will “[empower] countries, [strengthen] health systems and [foster] cross-sectoral collaboration to drive transformative change from the ground up to achieve improved health and well-being globally.” This emphasis on collaboration at a local level, across all agencies involved in health development programs, is a crucial aspect of modern success in ethical development within the global health sector. Moving forward, prominent actors on the scene, such as the WHO, are stepping up to set an example of cultural relativism, distancing themselves from global health’s foundations in ethnocentrism.

Holistic Approach

An example of this holistic approach is the WHO’s recent initiative in Côte d’Ivoire to “reduce avoidable maternal deaths by 75% between 2022 and 2024.” By analyzing historical evidence pointing to the most common causes of maternal deaths in the region, including postpartum hemorrhage, high blood pressure and infections, the WHO staff in Côte d’Ivoire realized that the simplest solution is training hospital staff and local midwives. This training focuses on a structured birth plan and “key life-saving clinical skills.”

The initiative will implement sustainable change by working with regional birthing professionals in the formal and informal sectors and considering environmental and cultural factors. This change aims to be passed down through generations, facilitating obstetric and midwife practices in the region and decreasing maternal mortality rates.

On the other hand, nongovernmental organizations (NG0) like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are demonstrating this same implementation plan by funding J-PAL’s research into previously unregulated direct cash transfers for child health programs in India. In this context, J-PAL research is conducted by residents of India, which is a crucial part of ethical global intervention.

By avoiding sending foreigners to do the jobs that can be provided to locals, organizations like J-PAL positively contribute to regional economies and generate a more sustainable and community-accepted impact due to a deeper connection to and understanding of the people they are serving. Moreover, by analyzing evidence of cash transfer impact over the years, J-PAL will offer the Indian government a blueprint to upscale the most successful cash transfer programs efficiently and effectively.

Looking Ahead

While many unregulated organizations continue to ignore the ethical implications of their work, increased awareness surrounding best practices in the field makes it easy to identify bad ethos. By fostering positive examples of sustainable and culturally relevant initiatives, global health professionals can contribute to the phasing out of organizations that do more harm than good.

– Kiera Gorman
Photo: Flickr

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Diseases Impacting Albania

Diseases Impacting AlbaniaWhen it comes to the right to health, Albania is achieving 66.3% of what it should based on its income level, according to the Human Rights Measurement Initiative. This estimate measures preventative and reproductive health care, health rehabilitation, the right to health for children and adults and disease control. As for the latter category, several diseases are impacting Albania.

Top Causes of Death in Albania

The World Health Organization (WHO) finds that from its 2.9 million population, these are the most prominent causes of death per 100,000 people in Albania as of 2019:

  • Stroke (378 deaths in women and 235 in men)
  • Ischaemic heart disease (338 deaths in women and 274 in men)
  • Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (93 deaths in women and 34 in men)
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (17 deaths in women and 33 in men)
  • Lower respiratory infections (24 deaths in women and 20 in men).

All the current deadliest diseases impacting Albania fall under the non-communicable category. However, a 2011 study also found a 19% prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) among Albanian children. Though not as impactful to the overall population as their non-communicable counterparts, it is worth noting that infectious diseases are a category Albanians are susceptible to as well.

One of the most prominent communicable diseases impacting Albania is HIV, a viral sexually transmitted disease that leads to AIDS. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the number of Albanian adults and children living with HIV as of 2022 was approximately 1500. Of this estimate, less than 500 were women aged 15 and above and 1000 were men of the same demographic. That same year, less than 100 Albanian adults died and less than 500 children from 0 to 17 became orphans due to AIDS.

The Good News

Despite statistics depicting that the government needs even further work to address the rate of diseases impacting Albania, the country has seen significant improvements in the health department. The life expectancy at birth in Albania as of 2021 is 76, a 2.5-year improvement from what it was in 2000. Similarly, the percentage of children under a year old receiving the measles vaccine is 86 and the total population receiving all eight basic vaccines is 75.

Initiatives and Solutions

Even with the substantial estimate of Albanian adults and children living with HIV, 31.72% of young people aged 15 to 24 are knowledgeable about HIV prevention. The coverage of adults and children receiving antiretroviral therapy is even higher, estimated at 57%.

The organization Aksion Plus takes credit for this step. Founded in 1992, Aksion Plus is a volunteer group that aims to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in Albania through four main objectives:

  • Raising awareness through peer education: A team of social workers provides educational tools and counseling in high schools about HIV/AIDS prevention and reproductive health.
  • Advocacy: Aksion Plus uses advocacy and capacity building to influence policymakers on HIV/AIDS, as well as deliver training sessions to teachers, students, police officers, health practitioners and caregivers.
  • Research: Cooperation with organizations like UNICEF, WHO and the Institute of Public Health enables the foundation to research and evaluate HIV/AIDS statistics in Albania.
  • Treatment for vulnerable groups: Aksion Plus implements several programs to provide treatment to drug users or sex workers. Such programs include “The Center for Harm Reduction and Resource Center,” which focuses on harm reduction, advocacy and promoting healthy lifestyle education for drug users.

With the support of WHO, Albania also established a cross-sector national program on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Since its development in 2017, the program has aimed to reduce health inequalities, introduce NCD prevention programs and implement health care to maximize population coverage.

Health for All Program

Another program that tackles the NCD burden in Albania is the “Health for All Program” (HAP). In addition to assisting with the development of the “National Health Promotion Action Plan,” HAP has also helped support health literacy and promotion in the country through a variety of approaches:

  • Media campaigns: A November 2017 campaign on diabetes awareness accumulated 88,000 viewers.
  • Health promotion in schools: More than 600 children, their parents and 57 teachers participated in the “Health Promoting Schools” initiative, which provides guidance and information on sports and healthy eating in schools. The initiative also hosted nutrition fairs in Dibër.
  • Hypertension awareness and control: In 2018, HAP partnered with local health centers to provide educational presentations on hypertension risk factors and blood pressure screenings to several municipalities and the cities of Tirana and Durrës. The attendance estimate was 7,058 community members.

Such statistics highlight the meaningful progress the government and NGOs have made in addressing and combating the rate of communicable and non-communicable diseases impacting Albania.

– Jay Kosumi
Photo: Flickr

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Education, Poverty and UBIs in Liberia

UBIs in Liberia

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a stipend provided to individuals irrespective of their employment status. It aims to bolster the economy across various demographics and sparks contentious debates. A central inquiry revolves around UBI’s long-term economic stimulation, with education emerging as a critical solution. Education and poverty are intricately intertwined. According to Montgomery County, “In general, average achievement scores decrease as the duration of poverty impact increases.” As academic performance declines, the prospects for a high quality of life also diminish. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) highlights that proficient reading skills alone have the potential to uplift hundreds of millions of individuals living in poverty from their current circumstances. Education serves as a pathway out of poverty. The debate surrounding UBI has persisted for a significant period, with arguments presented by both proponents and opponents. Each side offers compelling reasons to support or oppose UBI initiatives. Nevertheless, GiveDirectly presents persuasive evidence that UBIs are effective, showcasing their ability to reduce poverty in Liberia significantly.

Some Information: How UBIs Lower Poverty in Liberia

UBIs are easy to understand. They are an amount of money distributed to individuals in a society suffering extreme poverty. Poverty in Liberia falls within this guideline. Over half of the country’s population struggles to survive on less than $2 daily.

UBIs do not discriminate based on employment, age or health concerns. GiveDirectly allocates them to an entire demographic of people. They are “Universal.” The idea is that providing a baseline for an economy on which to grow will bolster that economy enough to jumpstart productivity and ensure long-term growth. GiveDirectly’s UBI also allocates more considerable sums instead of dividing them into small payments over time. Even their name suggests their goal. To “Give Directly” the support people need.

GiveDirectly: The Data

GiveDirectly is an organization fighting poverty in Liberia and other places around the globe. Since 2009, GiveDirectly has afforded more than $700 million to impoverished people. It has had initiatives to fight poverty in Liberia and years of meticulous research to back up its efforts.

The Borgen Project consulted Yonah Lieberman, GiveDirectly’s Senior Manager of Communications and Press, to gain insight into how Liberians utilized their monetary allocations. Lieberman responded by presenting a comprehensive breakdown, allowing the figures to speak for themselves.

33% of the funds went to education, 20% for food expenses, 14% for constructing new houses and 9% for home upgrades or structural improvements. Recipients set aside 8% of the funds for purchasing clothes and furnishings to improve comfort and quality of life. The remaining 4% of the funds were invested in agriculture, covering expenses related to seeds and fertilizers. GiveDirectly’s website provides extensive information about research methods and the outcomes of its UBI initiative.

Poverty in Liberia: Education

The numbers were impressive and the first item on Lieberman’s list encouraged the data further, i.e., education. Knowledge is power, an old maxim but a tried and true one. Many of the fears surrounding UBI stem from its longevity and sustainability. Naysayers argue that UBIs in Liberia are short-term fixes, bandaids on a wound that needs direct treatment. Nevertheless, the data from GiveDirectly combats that argument.

Education is among the highest concerns and a statistic continually linked to poverty. Wherever one reads tables and graphs measuring poverty, one also comes across that region’s deficit in educational resources. When it comes to poverty in Liberia, the case is no different. Education contributes more than 25% of the factors governing the country’s overall Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). In layperson’s terms, this means that a significant portion of the general reasons poverty in Liberia rates so high is because of Liberian’s lack of educational resources.

The Good News

On GiveDirectly’s webpage, visitors can discover numerous personal accounts detailing the impact of the organization’s support on education. Jennifer shares her experience of being able to cover her children’s school fees after receiving an initial sum of $111. Sarah recounts how she used $150 to settle school fee debts for her children from previous terms and enable her daughter to obtain certificates, paving the way for her college education. Meanwhile, Masha shares her journey of enrolling in college as a part-time student to pursue a course in masonry.

These stories are regularly updated and showcased in a dynamic feed on GiveDirectly’s website, offering real-time insights into the progress made by individuals. Visitors are encouraged to revisit the site for ongoing updates on GiveDirectly’s UBI initiative and its significant impact on poverty alleviation in Liberia throughout the year.

– Antonio Muhs
Photo: Flickr

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The Progress Against Child Poverty in Estonia

Child Poverty in EstoniaThe rising number of people in Estonia who are at risk of poverty is a worrying trend, particularly when it comes to child poverty. Children in Estonia are increasingly becoming more exposed to poverty, which requires urgent attention. Despite the challenges posed by this growing rate, encouraging progress is being made. From government-determined family benefits that can put a child through university to nonprofit food banks, there are many ways that the issue is being addressed, as well as opportunities for individuals to get involved.

Mistreatment 

Though the highest rate of those at risk of poverty is consistently older people who live alone, child poverty in Estonia is not absent. The recent at-risk-poverty rate increased the greatest for families with children, specifically those with three or more. As living prices for households continue to rise, particularly in the area of groceries, the at-risk number continues to climb, with the total number of people living in absolute poverty increasing from 18,000 in 2021 to almost 48,000 in 2022.

Many children are placed in state orphanages by the courts and while they may be temporarily placed in foster care, they are often not adopted. The The main reason for this is the significant challenge that foster parents face when caring for a child who has experienced trauma. With such a destabilized and traumatic upbringing, the children are not often given the chances or the tools for proper integration and often turn to delinquency.

Discrimination

On top of this, there is an issue of discrimination when large percentages of the population do not speak Estonian. Much of the population speaks only Russian. Though there are efforts to integrate minorities, they still face struggles in the job market when many professions and employers require that they speak fluent Estonian. This, in turn, creates more hardship for the children of the unemployed and difficulties for their future careers.

The percentage of children living in poverty, whether they are in families or living on their own, may vary over time, but it is a persistent issue that requires attention. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has developed a comprehensive plan to fully realize every child’s rights by 2030. Its data on Estonia indicates that, historically, the efforts employed to address the needs of children who live both in extreme poverty as well as anywhere below the national poverty line have been “average.” For these needs to be met by the 2030 goal, that effort will need to be increased to “very high effort” and “high effort,” respectively.

Encouraging Progress

Despite these hardships, there is still encouraging progress in the fight against child poverty in Estonia. Based on the 2022 Estonian Social Survey, even though the risk of poverty rate has gone up over the last 15 or so years, the absolute poverty rate has rapidly declined along the same timetable, with a spike in 2022 requiring focused effort to flatten out again.

As mentioned, food is one of the most significant factors pushing Estonian families and children into poverty. However, this is being addressed by several efforts to make it more accessible for those in need. One is the Estonian Food Bank, which has been significantly supported by the nonprofit organization Riesenkampff Stiftung. The Riesenkampff Stiftung Foundation was established in 2016 by the Riesenkampffs, a Baltic German family, specifically focusing on charitable and philanthropic initiatives in Estonia.

The Food Bank, established in 2010, works hard to fight poverty and encourage solidarity. Through the efforts of the local government and nearly 300 charity organizations, food is being distributed around the country to those in need by saving and redistributing surplus food, most of which would otherwise go to waste. Since the beginning of its food distribution in 2015, the initiative has provided food for an average of 25,000 people per year, with a large portion of them receiving aid twice a year.

Moving Forward

Unlike other European countries, the percentage of those living below absolute poverty in Estonia is measured, which gives an excellent indication of where the statistics truly lie. Since 2014, child poverty has been on a steady decline. At the same time, more effective family benefits systems have been implemented. A monthly child allowance has been the primary one helping children in poverty in Estonia precisely. Because it is not dependent on family income, it ensures opportunities for every child. With the child allowance, every child is eligible for a monthly allowance until age 16, which extends to 19 if they decide to pursue higher education.

Estonia is a small and often off-the-radar country and its plight, especially that of its children, is real. They face poverty, marginalization and uncertain futures. However, despite these real and present hardships, there is encouraging progress being made in terms of overall poverty in the country, as well as specifically addressing the needs of the children in absolute poverty.

– Isaac Songster
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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SAPA’s Efforts to Enhance Health Care Access in Sudan

SAPA's Efforts to Enhance Health Care Access in SudanThe Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) is an exciting and commendable nonprofit operating in multiple capacities to increase health care access in Sudan and ease the suffering of the people. The organization provides a forum for medical professionals of Sudanese descent within the United States (U.S.) to collaborate, as well as promote the advancement of health care, medical practice, clinical and basic sciences education and research. Furthermore, SAPA actively strives to enhance the quality of graduate training for Sudanese physicians as well as increase collaboration across the developed and developing world.

Current Events in Sudan

Sudan currently faces a severe civil war that has intensified longstanding poverty challenges, including access to health care, food security and economic stability. These issues have deep roots in Sudan, with significant disparities emerging more than 30 years ago following the creation of the ‘Hamdi Triangle,’ a relatively prosperous area within a day’s travel from Khartoum, amidst widespread poverty.

The effect of this has been to concentrate Sudanese wealth into this relatively small geographical area, with Khartoum receiving as much as 85% of total investment in Sudan in 2007. On top of this, the central government collects 97% of all tax revenue in the country, meaning that states are increasingly reliant on transfers from the central government to maintain the delivery of basic services. The combination of these factors, as well as the civil war, means that living in Sudan is difficult enough, but those far from the capital city suffer especially.

Although SAPA also tackles food insecurity and addresses hygiene deficiencies, this article will focus on how the organization is miraculously increasing health care access in both urban and rural settings, taking targeted action in multiple areas that demand assistance as the war and subsequent humanitarian crisis unfold.

Khartoum

SAPA partnered with Elbuluk Hospital in July 2023 to bolster primary health care and nutrition services for pediatric patients and, ‘as the sole pediatric hospital operating in the region, it has become a lifeline for more than a million people residing, just outside of Khartoum. SAPA’s work attracted UNICEF, which joined the initiative in November 2023, and by December, health care access had already substantially increased, with many children seen for consultations, vaccinations and general checkups.

SAPA also supported the establishment of specialized clinics focusing on diabetic patients and an encompassing approach to pediatric care. These types of initiatives are desperately needed throughout Khartoum, where specialized pediatric and maternal care facilities are increasingly being converted into mass casualty response centers. The Turkish Hospital in southern Khartoum highlighted a significant gap in prenatal, postnatal and vaccination services in late 2023, underscoring the urgent need for such health care provisions.

Northern state

In February 2024, the Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA) launched the Provision of Primary Health Care Services for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Host Communities in Northern State – Sudan project, in collaboration with USAID and IOM. Despite Northern State’s low contribution to Sudanese poverty before the conflict, it hosted 403,000 IDPs by February 18, 2024. The influx strains host community health services and raises concerns about increasing food insecurity.

Wad Madani

Another display of forward-thinking by SAPA is the work it is currently undertaking in Wad Madani, Sudan’s second biggest city. The exodus of citizens from Khartoum, as well as other areas of the country, means that there are now nearly 8 million internally displaced individuals. In direct response to the displacement of people from Khartoum to Wad Madani, SAPA established a health center to provide essential care, offering family medicine, pediatric services and gynecology.

With the conflict now raging in the city where the SAPA headquarters are located, the organization finds itself in a challenging position. It is dangerous work for the organization, which remains committed to the health center and several mobile clinics it operates in Wad Madani, even with the possibility of being subject to violence. With at least 60 verified attacks on health care establishments and many humanitarian and health worker deaths during the war, SAPA staff understand the risks of their work.

Looking Ahead

SAPA’s commitment and efforts in Sudan deserve widespread recognition and support. Above all, the organization tirelessly operates across the nation in various capacities, with its staff on the ground facing daily risks to ensure the Sudanese people maintain access to health care.

– Arshiya Eslamdoust
Photo: Unsplash

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Positive Updates on SDG 3 in Austria

SDG 3 in AustriaSet out by the United Nations (U.N) in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to create a better quality of life for individuals globally. Among the 17 goals, the third aims to promote good health and well-being worldwide. Austria has a robust health care system to cover most of the population. However, its poorest province, Burgenland, still faces some challenges. The Sustainable Development Report (2023) documented that Austria has made “moderate improvement” toward achieving SDG 3, demonstrating some progress.

What Progress Has Austria Made With SDG 3?

SDG 3 is subdivided into smaller health-related objectives tailored to each country’s specific needs, making the broader target more attainable. For Austria, these include decreasing dependency on alcohol and lowering the number of daily smokers. Another aim of SDG 3 is to slow down diagnoses of tuberculosis (TB), an infection of the lungs, on a global scale. In 1989, Austria saw a spike in TB infections, which had to be lowered for better overall health of the country.

Evidence of progress towards reducing TB diagnoses is documented in the Sustainable Development Report, with low disease rates among the population being reported. Additionally, the report notes that this goal will likely be maintained in the future. This is backed up by data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), whose research demonstrates the near eradication of TB, indicating success in improving physical health: a positive update on SDG 3 in Austria.

What Aspects of SDG 3 Require More Improvement?

When reporting updates on SDG 3 in Austria, it is crucial to recognize that there are still some hurdles to overcome. The focus is particularly in the area of addiction. This implies a need for increased efforts to achieve progress within the country’s health sector, specifically in mental health.

More specifically, this manifests as high smoking rates, which, in turn, may lead to further complicated (and long-term) health issues, putting more strain on health care departments. This is also supported by researchers at the Medical University of Vienna, who state that, from 2007 to 2016, “Austria performed poor in implementation of Framework Convention of Tobacco Control,” highlighting the need to lower smoking rates for better health outcomes.

How Can These Areas Be Targeted in the Future?

One nongovernmental organization (NGO), the Austrian Council on Smoking and Health, founded in 1965, does important work promoting anti-smoking projects for the public, such as campaigning for legislation against smoking indoors. This law was then put forward in 2009. The organization is continuing to draw attention to high smoking rates in Austria by targeting younger generations and spreading awareness of the dangers of cigarettes and other popular nicotine products, such as vapes.

Its current approach consists of thinking ahead to create a smoke-free future. Serving as evidence for lowering smoking rates and decreasing the occurrence of nicotine use. The work of this successful independent organization demonstrates that high smoking rates in Austria are likely to decline in the future, thus aligning with the goals of SDG 3.

Final Remark

The updates on SDG 3 in Austria indicate that the country is making positive progress in improving the health and well-being of its population. Moreover, the future of better health in the country looks promising. NGOs are actively addressing current issues in SDG 3. They are accomplishing this by promoting anti-smoking education among the Austrian youth, providing resources to create better health programs and offering motivation schemes to quit smoking.

– Amelie Bunce
Photo: Unsplash