Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

The Impact of Tourism in Indonesia on Poverty

Tourism in IndonesiaThe tourism economy in Indonesia provides jobs, increases funding for other programs, and improves the overall economy of the nation. The country attracts international travelers, companies interested in profit, and people who hope to earn a living in this industry. The expansion of tourism positively affects the citizens and their livelihoods. This article examines the impact on tourism in Indonesia on poverty.

Concerns

The onset of the coronavirus pandemic brought on several strict government lockdowns to reduce the spread of infection. With borders closed throughout most of 2020, international travel to Indonesia dropped 83%. The isolation impacted tourism in Indonesia significantly. Bali and Java’s reliance on travelers during the prolonged era impacted thousands of jobs in the industry. The unemployment rate increased nearly 2% from 2019 to 7.1% in 2023. The reopening of borders and commerce within the South Asian nation returned travel, trade, and unemployment to pre-pandemic levels.

Jobs and Growth

According to a study by Tien Pham and Anda Nugroho published in 2022, tourism provides countries with limited natural resources with job opportunities and improves international trade relations. In 2018, the tourism sector accounted for 5.8% of Indonesia’s total gross domestic product. Bali remains the most popular destination in the country, accounting for more than 40% of Indonesia’s total international tourism revenue.

The revenue from tourism has advanced economic growth and improved the standard of living. The positive economic growth in the country led to significant decreases in poverty from 24% in 1998 to 9.2% in 2019, according to Pham and Nugroho.

In 2018, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, in conjunction with the Indonesian government, approved nearly $250 million for a large tourist attraction based in Mandalika, in the province of West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. This large project will draw in tourists and will create stable jobs and income and a better quality of life for Indonesians in the area. Several advocates voiced concerns regarding the environmental and humanitarian impact of this endeavor, however, both the AIIB and the government claim the project will not negatively affect the region.

Wage Increases

According to a 2020 study by Arif Haryana published in the Indonesian Journal of Development Planning, 95% of businesses in the tourism sector in Indonesia reported an increase in profits and sales that correlated with the rise in international visitors. This increase in work provides more families with the money they need to survive. In the study, over 1,250 workers participated in the survey and 19% worked in tourism-related jobs. Nearly 85% of employees claimed to receive under 2 million Rupiah a month, or $130 USD.

Although the average monthly wage mirrors other industries in Indonesia, many workers also demand a wage increase for their taxing jobs. With 5.2 million tourists in 2022, the government hopes to create an additional 4 million jobs by 2024 to accommodate the surging visitors, with no comment about pay raises.

Environmental concerns

The expansion of tourism in Indonesia has also brought negative impacts on the environment. Unsustainable magazine highlights that “Certain areas simply aren’t equipped to handle the sheer volume of people, leading to increased pollution, traffic congestion, and unsustainable practices. It’s heartbreaking to see natural wonders like the beaches in Uluwatu and national parks in northern Bali overrun with tourists, leaving trails of litter and damage in their wake. The challenge now is finding ways to balance the economic benefits of tourism with the need to preserve these destinations for future generations to enjoy.”

Balinese Governor Wayan Koster announced in 2023 a one-time payment from foreign tourists of $10 to enter the island. This fee system, set to begin in 2024, aims to draw in “high-quality tourists” who will respect both the culture and environment. The fees will go toward preserving culture and the environment and public works such as bridges and roads.

The impact of tourism in Indonesia on poverty cannot be understated. International interest in the country boosts the economy, increases job opportunities and allows for the promotion of their customs.

– Abigail Dudley

Photo: Flickr

10 Movies About Poverty

Movies About Poverty
Movies have always been a medium for conveying social messages and the reality of present times, increasing awareness while delivering entertainment. Over the years, there have been many such movies that have focused on bringing global poverty to mainstream media, showing the condition of poverty in different parts of the world and among different communities. Out of these, a few movies about poverty are more accurate and more popular than the others. Here are 10 movies about poverty.

10 Movies About Poverty

  1. “Parasite:” Awarded the Oscar for Best Picture in 2020, “Parasite” is a chilling movie that throws its audience right into the reality of poverty. Bong Joon-ho directed this masterpiece of social commentary, which poses as a horror flick and includes dark themes and symbolism throughout.
  2. “Bicycle Thieves:” Vittorio De Sica directed “Bicycle Thieves,” which is an Italian movie that came out in 1948. Based on the novel of the same name by Luigi Bartolini, the movie portrays the mundane in poverty. This movie takes place in the post-World War II period and shows the importance of small things in the life of the poor and how much of a difference these things can make.
  3. “Slumdog Millionaire:” Showcasing a character from the biggest slum in the world — that is, the slums of Mumbai — this movie by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan went on to receive high acclaim. Introducing its audience to the hardships of the poor in India, the movie becomes a small window for the audience to get a glimpse of poverty in the country.
  4. “The Pursuit of Happyness:” “The Pursuit of Happyness” is a movie that portrays both hardships and strength of courage, hopelessness and optimism. Gabriele Muccino directed this movie, which is a biographical drama starring Will Smith. Showing the multi-faceted struggle that Smith’s character faces, the movie pulls at its audience’s heartstrings.
  5. “Les Misérables:” “Les Misérables” is a 2012 movie directed by Tom Hooper and is based on the novel (and the stage musical) by the same name. The movie addresses the themes of poverty with a large part of the movie taking place against the backdrops of prostitution and prison in 19th-century France.
  6. “Precious:” Lee Daniels directed this movie in 2009, which shows how poverty is not just an economic problem, but one which reaches into every aspect of an individual’s life and affects them in multiple ways. An adaptation of the 1996 novel “Push” by Sapphire, the movie is a bold portrayal of poverty in the U.S
  7. “Oliver Twist:” Roman Polanski directed “Oliver Twist” in 2005 and is adapted from the very famous novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. Exposing the condition of poverty in Britain during the Victorian era, the movie follows the story of a poor orphan, Oliver.
  8. “The Florida Project:” A 2017 movie that Sean Baker directed, “The Florida Project” is a unique movie, told from the perspective of a 6-year-old named Moonee. Filled with amazing cinematography, the movie is an accurate commentary on poverty in the U.S.
  9. “Capernaum:” Awarded the Jury Prize in the Cannes Film Festival, 2018 and nominated for an Oscar, “Capernaum” is a Lebanese film directed by Nadine Labaki. Acclaimed for its “documentary-like realism,” the movie is told through the perspective of 12-year-old Zain. The movie depicts the plight of the poor and mixes it with the hardships of the refugees, creating a film that strikes an emotional chord with its audience.
  10. “The Grapes of Wrath:” A 1940 movie, John Ford directed “The Grapes of Wrath” and is based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel of the same name by John Steinbeck. The movie is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression of the 1930s and tells the story of a family of sharecroppers who lost their farm and became migrant workers in the U.S.

Concluding Thoughts

Although cinema and poverty might seem worlds apart, these 10 movies are a good place to start if one wants to understand poverty in an emotional way, a way that allows one to sympathize with the challenges impoverished individuals face.

– Manasvi Kadian
Photo: Flickr

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Everything to Know about Hunger in Palestine

Hunger in PalestineAs all eyes turn to Palestine and Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, basic resource management and distribution will undoubtedly be essential for the survival of millions. As of October 9th, 2023, Israel laid a “complete siege” on Gaza, known as “the world’s largest open-air prison.” With no food, water or electricity allowed into the area, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is racing against time to serve more than 800,000 people in need of basic resources.

Facts on the Gaza Strip

The Palestinian territories are split into two main regions, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The Gaza Strip is home to 2.3 million people and is considered one of the most “densely populated territories” internationally. According to the United Nations, 80% of Gazans live in poverty. However, food insecurity and insufficiency, while undoubtedly in need of critical attention right now, are not new needs in the Palestinian territories.

Hunger Crisis in Palestine

Here are four numbers you need to know about the hunger crisis in Palestine.

  1. About 76% is the percentage of those suffering from food insecurity in Gaza. According to the Food Security Cluster’s 2022 analysis, the clear majority of those suffering from food insecurity in the Palestinian territories are located in Gaza. Thus, 24% of “food insecure people” are located in the West Bank.
  2. As many as 400,000 in Gaza and the West Bank are routinely receiving UN World Food Programme assistance. The WFP has served Palestine since 1991. It provides general food assistance, mainly through the form of electronic vouchers, encouraging Palestinians through economic hardship and restricted accessibility to resources, and supporting the Palestinian Authority’s national safety net.
  3. Roughly 42% of children are receiving a “minimum diversity diet.” The flip side is that 58% of young children are not receiving the nutrients necessary for development. According to UNICEF, minimum dietary diversity is defined as regularly eating food from at least four of the seven food groups: “1) grains, roots and tubers, 2) legumes and nuts, 3) dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), 4) flesh foods (meat, fish, poultry and liver/organ meats), 5) eggs, 6) vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables, and 7) other fruits and vegetables.”
  4. About 95% is the percentage of wheat that Palestine must import. This statistic is extremely important as it expresses the fragility of Palestine’s food access and its integral reliance on Israel for resources and products. The Israel-Hamas war undoubtedly will have negative effects on Israel and Palestine’s food exchange. The Palestine Authority (PA) does not own any food storage infrastructure, so it must rely on Israel’s facilities and the PA’s private sector.

Chain Reaction in Israel and Palestine from the Russia-Ukraine War

But the chain reaction does not stop there. Because Israel imports “half of its grain and cereals from Ukraine,” Israel, and thus Palestine, suffered great decreases in food reception because of the ongoing Ukraine crisis. According to the World Food Programme, the war between Russia and Ukraine resulted in increased food prices in the Palestinian territories with “wheat flour (up by 23.6%), corn oil (26.3%), lentils (17.6%) and table salt (30%), decimating Palestinians’ purchasing power.”

There is one more number to consider: 522,000. This is the number of people that the WFP has assisted in Palestine with cash and food since the start of the crisis. The organization’s current goal, in Palestine specifically, is to reach 805,000 people with food by the end of November 2023.

Focusing on Those in Need During the Israel-Hamas War

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization. It has been active in serving others since 1961. The group is entirely reliant on donations from governments, institutions, groups and individuals, and “a total 93.5% of all government contributions go directly to supporting life-saving and life-changing operations.” The WFP aims to raise $74 million over the next three months to provide adequate assistance to those in need in Palestine. 

As Palestine and Israel continue to dominate headlines, humanitarian aid is poured out to those in need. However, the severe humanitarian and hunger crisis in Palestine is not a new or temporary occurrence. The Palestinian territories, now more than ever, need assistance from other countries and governmental organizations for access to food, water and sanitation.

– Kaitlyn Garrett
Photo: Flickr

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The NALA Foundation WASH Program in Ethiopia

The NALA Foundation WASH ProgramClean and drinkable water is an essential human right. Whether out of bottles in grocery stores, a faucet or tap water. Unfortunately, this is not the case for some people in developing nations. People living in impoverished areas often only have access to water full of parasites, bacteria and other disease-causing organisms. In Ethiopia, this issue causes needless death and stymies the ability of people to lift themselves out of poverty. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of 2022, 2 billion people were without access to safe drinking water in their homes. 

Nearly 80% of communicable diseases in Ethiopia come from an unsanitary water supply. Another contributing factor to the spread of disease is unsafe hygiene practices. Unsafe hygiene leads to poor overall health and nutrition, making it harder for people in impoverished communities to go to school or work, leading to school absences, unemployment and continuing poverty. If they cannot go to school or work, lifting themselves out of poverty will be more challenging. Fortunately, the NALA Foundation WASH program is doing its part to give Ethiopians improved access to clean water and ultimately lead to a healthier lifestyle that will help them grow and prosper.

What is NALA?

The mission of the NALA (NTD Advocacy Learning Action) Foundation is to eradicate diseases of poverty, especially neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). NALA is an organization that specializes in educating the people who need them about NTDs. These diseases are typically found in tropical areas and mainly affect poverty-stricken communities.  Through education and work with local communities, the NALA Foundation addresses the leading cause of these diseases. It works to combat poverty, not just in Ethiopia but in many different countries, by eradicating NTDs at the source and changing the hygiene behavior of the people they help.

The organization began after its founder, Professor Zvi Bentwich, MD, discovered a connection between HIV and tropical diseases. The founder was inspired to help at-risk communities protect themselves from preventable diseases. Bentwich founded the NALA foundation soon after that. It started as a small-scale operation out of a small area in Ethiopia with a high rate of NTDs. It has since grown to help many communities. 

The WASH Program in Ethiopia

More specifically, the NALA Foundation runs a program focusing on preventing water-borne illnesses through local involvement. This program is the WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) program. The NALA Foundation WASH Program emphasizes the need for communities to keep the community ownership of the project and maintenance of the infrastructure running after the organization has come through and helped them. NALA emphasizes the need for community members to be involved in making their water cleaner and for the people to continue to educate themselves. Community engagement in such projects ensures that these people in Ethiopia have the kind of water purification system they want and the one that will work for their town or village.

The Department of International Development and the Department of Management of the London School of Economics and Political Science did a 2015-16 study in Tanzania, which demonstrated the role of community engagement is in making people more aware of how to keep their water clean and live healthier lives. For example, the disease Schistomiasis declined by 4.4% in children after preventative measures were taken regarding hygiene. With the NALA Foundation model, the organization has reduced rates of intestinal worms in children by nearly 90%. The model consists of WASH programs, health education and drug administration. The Nala Foundation WASH program is just one part of a collective plan.

How Does NALA Lift People Out of Poverty? 

The entire purpose of the NALA Foundation WASH Program is to give people a chance to leave poverty and give themselves better opportunities to advance by preventing the spread of infectious diseases that make it difficult for people to go to work or school. The “Bring Bilharzia to Zero” field project has been in existence since 2015 and has resulted in a 60% drop in the rate of NTDs among children in school. Another initiative would be the “Deworming Mekelle” initiative. Through extensive drug administration, hygiene education and increased water sanitation, in 2014, after five years, the city of Mekelle received official recognition as the first city in Ethiopia to be free of Bilharzia. By focusing several programs on schoolchildren, NALA helps children stay in school and miss fewer days due to preventable diseases. More education leads to better knowledge and a greater chance of escaping poverty. 

The NALA Foundation WASH program does excellent things for Ethiopians in need. The stress of worrying about diseases that could prevent them from getting an education and going to work is a thing of the past. Whether eradicating the disease in a city where that had been a considerable issue or making children less likely to miss school, because of the NALA Foundation WASH program, people in Ethiopia and other African nations can worry a little less about education and community engagement in projects designed for their safety, with any luck, this program will change many lives for years.

– Calder Miller
Photo: Flickr

Rising Student Suicides in India Call for Greater Mental Health Care

Student Suicides in IndiaEducation is a proven pathway out of poverty and many see it as a ladder to success and economic prosperity. The societal mindset in India is one where grades define an individual. As such, students face parental and societal pressure to attain a quality education and excel academically. Anyone falling short of these standards is seen as a failure by their family and society. This stress, along with adequate mental health support for the population in general, has contributed to rising student suicides in India, a country where millions endure poverty.

The Situation in Numbers

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released an Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India (ADSI) report in 2022 as the suicide rate in India reached an all-time high in 2021. According to the report, in 2020, 864 out of 10,732 suicides were due to “failure in examination.” The report noted more than 13,000 student suicides in India in 2021 at the rate of more than 35 per day. This concerning report highlights a need for urgent action.

Academic Stress

In August 2023, the coaching hub Kota of India recorded 23 student suicides. The coaching centers in Kota prepare students for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), for engineering and the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medicine. The hub draws more than 200,000 students annually to help them prepare for these exams. The high-pressure culture that surrounds these coaching centers shows a glimpse of the stress students face academically.

These exams are considered the most difficult and are entry tickets to placements in noteworthy education institutes. Institutes like IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) or IISC (Indian Institute of Science) select the highest rankers. The pressure on students does not decrease once they pass these exams. The Union Ministry of Education had told Parliament that 61 student suicides were recorded across top educational institutes — IITs, NITs and IIMs in 2023.

The focus on skill development is minimal, and there is a strong emphasis on scientific and mathematical fields. Approximately 90% of the education is theoretical, with limited opportunities for practical learning and student research.

Poverty also contributes to the academic pressure experienced by students. Many consider high-quality education a way to escape poverty, as it can lead to better job opportunities. A paper that The National Library of Medicine published in 2022 revealed that a significant majority of suicide victims in India were from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The data indicated that economic hardship was a significant factor in 64.2% of the 164,033 student suicides in 2021. These students had an annual income of less than Rs 1 lakh.

Mental Well-Being and Stigma

Mental health draws a lot of stigma in India. Many see people who seek psychological as mentally ill or deranged. There is also a significant shortage of psychologists and psychiatrists, with only three professionals available for every 100,000 people dealing with mental health challenges. Despite this scarcity of mental health services, the prevailing cultural taboo makes it limited to public discourse. On the bright side, the government of India is taking action to fight the stigma surrounding mental health and to make mental health care services more accessible in order to improve mental health across the country.

Launched on July 21, 2020, MANODARPAN, an initiative by the government of India, actively facilitates a comprehensive array of measures to bolster the mental and emotional well-being of students, teachers and families. This encompasses organizing workshops and seminars on happiness and wellness, delivering regular yoga sessions and implementing induction programs like Paricharcha. Further, there are considerations for extracurricular engagement in sports and cultural activities. Appointed student counselors are responsible for nurturing holistic personality development and alleviating student stress. A “National Toll-free Helpline (8448440632) [is available] to provide tele-counseling to students across schools, colleges and universities and their parents and teachers to address their mental health and psychosocial issues,” the National Council of Educational Research and Training website states.

Looking Ahead

With sustained commitments to address the mental health needs of students, India could see decreasing rates of student suicides.

– Asra Mairaj
Photo: Pexels

Addressing Child Poverty in Mozambique

Child Poverty in MozambiqueMozambique sits on the southeast coast of Africa. With access to trade via the Indian Ocean and an abundance of natural resources, its economy saw rapid growth soon after the turn of the century. Despite this, poverty reduction remains stagnant, and 46% of children are multidimensionally poor. Working to bring relief to the country’s most afflicted is a host of NGOs and government initiatives addressing some of the worst aspects of child poverty in Mozambique. 

Malnutrition 

Food insecurity and malnourishment are prevalent among children across the country, severely impacting their physical development. The rate of stunting among children under five was 36.4% in 2022. Despite showing moderate improvement over the last 20 years, the under-5 mortality rate remains high at 70 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021. To make matters worse, a string of severe cyclones has impacted farming and food production. Additionally, conflict in the north has caused nearly 1 million people to be internally displaced and lacking food. In June 2022, one-third of the almost 90,000 displaced individuals were children. 

In a bid to stem the tide of food insecurity, the World Food Program (WFP) has been operating in Mozambique since 1977. Throughout the first six months of 2022, it provided food and medical assistance to 920,000 people. Additionally, it set up nutrition mobile clinics in hard-to-reach rural areas to diagnose and treat people suffering from acute malnutrition. It treated more than 19,000 vulnerable children aged six-59 months, 91.4% of whom fully recovered. Its efforts continue.

With education being key to poverty reduction, last year, the Ministry of Education and Human Development implemented the National School Feeding Program. Supported by WFP, it provided almost 220,000 pupils with nutritious locally sourced food, keeping them well-nourished and incentivizing them to stay in school while stimulating the local economy. 

HIV Infections 

One of the more malicious consequences of child poverty in Mozambique is the child HIV rate. The nation has one of the highest in the world. In 2021, approximately 160,000 children between 0-14 years old were living with HIV. Information shows that HIV newly infected 18,000 children, and there were 10,000 child deaths from AIDS-related illnesses in the same year. 

Tackling this challenge head-on is ECHO, a USAID-funded project that supports the Mozambican government in its fight to reduce HIV prevalence in the country. Its objective is for 95% of HIV-infected people to know they are infected, for 95% of this group to get treatment, and for 95% of this latter group to have a low viral load. 

As of 2022, 353,498 people have been diagnosed with HIV and started treatment, which is nearly twice the number since before the project started, giving them a better chance at living a fulfilling life. 

Child Marriage 

Child marriage is common in Mozambique, with 48% of girls being married before their 18th birthday. Furthermore, 14% are married before they reach the age of 15. In rural parts of the country, 44% of girls are pregnant before they reach 18. This forces girls to drop out of school, with less than half of them making it to fifth grade. In addition, only around 1% go to college. The female and male literacy rates (28% and 60% respectively) reflect this.

Child marriage perpetuates the cycle of poverty as it prevents girls from getting an education, a key indicator of poverty reduction. Girls Not Brides is an advocacy group aiming to end child marriage. Every extra year a girl spends in secondary school, she is six percentage points less likely to marry as a child. This could help to reduce child poverty in Mozambique.

In 2016, the group partnered with UNICEF and UNFPA to roll out the Global Program to End Child Marriage. This multifaceted program involves advocating for legislation to eradicate child marriage, multimedia awareness campaigns, community dialogues targeted at young people and improving access to family planning. 

It also inspired the hit radio show “Ouro Negro (Black Gold),” an entertaining and educational radio drama broadcasting on 118 radio stations across the country. This show explores a range of topical social issues, including child marriage. The media campaigns and community dialogues reached a whopping 5.9 million people in 2018 alone and around 13 million people between 2016 and 2019.

The partnership also provided school fees and materials for 6,466 girls to attend secondary school and successfully dissolved 461 cases of child marriage. This strategy also promotes gender equality, reduces domestic violence and lowers the likelihood of contracting HIV.

The Law on Premature Unions

The campaign played a major role in the Mozambican government’s decision to pass the Law on Premature Unions in 2019, making it illegal to enter into a marriage until the age of 18. Enforcement of the law has been slow, with one in two girls still marrying prematurely. However, this is partly due to a lack of knowledge of the new law on the part of public servants, as well as the fact that many ordinary citizens lack access to law enforcement and legal services. 

There has also been an upturn in the number of female members of parliament in the last two decades. Women make up 45.5% of the executive branch as of 2021, compared to 20% in 2004. Stakeholders hope this will result in greater enforcement of the new law in the coming years.    

Looking Ahead

Life for children in Mozambique can seem precarious at times. However, the work that individuals and institutions are doing may just provide them with the means to escape some of the worst aspects of poverty and live prosperous and fulfilling lives.  

– Marcos Caro
Photo: Flickr

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Addressing the Issue of Child Soldiers in Nigeria 

Child Soldiers in NigeriaSeveral people in Nigeria are facing displacement and vulnerability due to the issue of child soldiers. Armed groups recruit children under 18, classifying them as “child soldiers.” Despite international efforts, recruitment continues, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive measures to protect these children. There are a number of factors driving this crisis, but on the bright side, international collaborations and educational initiatives play a significant role in bringing about positive change. These endeavors aim to safeguard Nigeria’s children from the horrors of armed conflicts, offering them a future free from fear and violence.

Globally, armed conflicts unfortunately involve children, with at least 105,000 child soldiers reported between 2005 and 2022. Armed groups compel these children into service through methods such as abduction, threats, poverty or the need for survival, all of which violate international law and child rights. Within these armed forces, these children endure violence, perilous tasks and deprivation, significantly affecting their physical and mental well-being.

In 2021, a United Nations (UN) report highlighted alarming rates of child soldiers in Nigeria and sexual violence against children in West and Central Africa. Within five years, government forces and armed groups recruited more than 21,000 children in the region. Furthermore, abductions affected more than 3,500 children, ranking the nation as the second-highest globally in abductions.

Humanitarian Crisis

Various security issues plague Nigeria, including the persistent Boko Haram insurgency in the North, prolonged unrest in the Niger Delta, escalating clashes between herders and farmers in the central and southern regions and the separatist movement in the South East known as Biafra agitation.

Boko Haram, an Islamist extremist group, has violently affected the Lake Chad Basin region in West Africa for more than 12 years, displacing at least 2 million people and causing a severe humanitarian crisis. The group’s goal has been to create an Islamic caliphate based in Nigeria. Additionally, this conflict has impacted neighboring countries such as Cameroon, Chad and Niger, leading to the displacement of millions of people across these regions. Armed groups abduct, kill and force children into becoming child soldiers and suicide bombers. They also attack villages, depriving residents of essential resources such as safe water and healthcare. The ongoing crisis has led to a sharp rise in child malnutrition rates.

Child Warfare 

Boko Haram is employing new strategies, notably involving children in warfare, to regain influence and global infamy.

In July 2020, the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict condemned Boko Haram’s grave violations against children in Nigeria’s northeast. Between January 2017 and December 2019, Boko Haram recruited 3,601 children, including 1,385 child soldiers through abduction, forced combat and sexual slavery.

Boko Haram has recruited child soldiers as young as 5 to 8 years old. Even more concerning is the group’s use of young girls as suicide bombers. Between April 2011 and June 2017, they deployed 434 bombers, with more than 50% being females. Shockingly, 81 of them were children and teenagers. This number exceeds the 44 child bombers used by the Tamil Tigers over a decade.

The Fight for the Future 

Armed groups in Nigeria recruit and use child soldiers due to various contributing factors. Cash incentives are attractive to countries with a large population living below the poverty line, which makes recruitment easier. Moreover, the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria exposes out-of-school children to vulnerability, making them susceptible to armed groups. Despite efforts to address the problem, including heightened security measures in Northern Nigeria, the UN considers the situation “unacceptable and immoral.” The issue remains unresolved, even though the UN and the Nigerian government have worked together to combat it.

The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict is urging regional efforts to prevent children from joining armed groups by providing them with better opportunities such as education and meaningful activities. This approach involves establishing child protection agencies, reintegrating rescued children and prioritizing education to reduce vulnerability and the number of out-of-school children, thereby making them less susceptible to recruitment by non-state armed groups.

Urgent global attention and coordinated efforts from the international community, the UN and the Nigerian government appear to be vital in addressing the issue of child soldiers in Nigeria. The involvement of children, as young as 5 years old, vividly highlights the severity of the issue. Despite recent initiatives like enacting the Child Rights Act and endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration, the issue of child recruitment persists, underscoring the need for a comprehensive approach.

Both recent and ongoing trends regarding this problem emphasize the need for sustained commitment from all stakeholders to eradicate the use of child soldiers in Nigeria and provide a brighter future for the nation’s young generations.

– Ellen Jones
Photo: Flickr

5 Updates on the Yemen Crisis

Yemen CrisisYemen has been in the grips of one of the worst humanitarian crises since the conflict broke out in early 2015. In the years since, the Yemen crisis has been defined by the displacement of millions of Yemenis as well as an unstable economy which has driven the prices of food, fuel and other vital resources to an unattainable price for the majority of citizens. However, the arrival of a ceasefire in April 2022 provided refuge to the Yemeni people and an opportunity for progress.

The Crisis in Yemen

The Republic of Yemen is located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula with approximately 29 million inhabitants. Yemen has long been the poorest country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with half of the population living in poverty even before the outbreak of conflict. In early 2015, a civil war erupted in the country between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, a political organization originating in the northwestern province of Saada. Since then, the unrelenting fighting has destabilized the economy and destroyed much of the local infrastructure, driving the poverty rate up to as high as 78% of the population. 

This conflict has resulted in mass displacement, food shortages and famine with 16.2 million residents at risk of malnutrition due to food insecurity. Furthermore, because of large-scale displacement and poor sanitation, there have been a series of disease outbreaks over recent years including outbreaks of cholera, measles and diphtheria, all of which have been eradicated across much of the rest of the world. 

In April 2022, the United Nations announced that a two-month cease-fire had been agreed upon by opposing sides. In a progressive move, this truce was renewed a further two times before officially ending in October of the same year. Despite the end of the cease-fire, fighting has not resumed to the same extent as before, providing Yemen and its inhabitants with a period of relative stability and the opportunity to receive foreign aid.

Visible Progress

With the country finding some degree of stability in the wake of the six-month truce in 2022, the people of Yemen have been able to receive aid from international organizations such as UNICEF.

Here are five updates on the progress visible amid the Yemen crisis since the truce period in 2022.

  1. Peace: Several steps have been taken towards establishing peace with both sides participating in peace talks and a significant prisoner trade. Furthermore, in another step towards peace in the region, the Houthis — the internationally recognized government — have participated in peace talks with neighboring Saudi Arabia.
  2. Health: With the input of international organizations such as UNICEF, the truce has allowed for the deployment of health workers to rural areas as well as the dispersal of additional resources to all regions including providing nearly 3,000 health facilities with the necessary personal protective equipment such as gloves and masks.
  3. Education: Similar to health care, UNICEF has invested in the reopening of education facilities by providing cash incentives to close to 35,000 teachers and other school staff. Additionally, UNICEF has been providing further training and support on topics such as nutrition and hygiene to school staff. 
  4. Housing: As the Yemen crisis continues, there is still approximately 14% of the Yemeni population who are displaced. Despite this, international organizations such as UNICEF and the U.N. Refugee Agency are continuing to assist thousands of displaced families across all governorates by providing essential items such as blankets, sleeping mats and mattresses. 
  5. Food and Water: While there is still widespread food insecurity in the country with approximately 18 million Yemeni living without access to safe water sources, progress is being made. For example, 120,000 children were treated for malnutrition by UNICEF in the first quarter of 2023 alone. Furthermore, efforts to rehabilitate water points and provide water tanks to those who are displaced have also continued.

Initially, the Yemen crisis was heavily publicized; however, media coverage and charitable appeals have dwindled by comparison in the years since. Because of this, it is easy to be disillusioned about the current struggles the Yemenis are facing. In spite of this, progress has continued to occur at an accelerated rate in the wake of a temporary ceasefire which scaled back significant proportions of the fighting and has created a fragile state of stability across the country.

– Holly Coop
Photo: Unsplash

Higher Education in Jamaica

Higher Education in JamaicaJamaica (with a population of 2.8 billion) currently has 50 institutes of higher learning. The United States, by comparison, has 4,360. When accounting for population sizes, the proportions are rather similar. However, the access to quality tertiary educational opportunities is far from equal. Improving access to higher education in Jamaica is a must for people to become more fulfilled intellectually and economically.

What are Some Barriers to Better Education? 

Currently, 19% of Jamaicans aged 19–24 attend some college or university. The college-educated make up only 15% of the entire workforce. Lack of funding for proper resources, infrastructure and previous government policies surrounding wealth inequality all contribute to this development. As of 2017, it was reported that 400,000 people lived in poverty, and 14,000 lived in extreme poverty. Along with overcoming a decades-long culture of elitism in academia, Jamaica does not have a strong structure in place for technical and vocational training programs. Dating back to 2009, at the time, 70% of the labor force, or 700,000, had no formal training.

What Has Jamaica Done to Combat These Challenges?

Over time, Jamaica has increased its investments to enhance formal instruction. The Human Employment and Resource Training (HEART) trust, a government agency, made gains in offering trade learning at 20 centers nationwide. 

In addition, Jamaica has emphasized improving its standards to ensure that teachers are more qualified and able to make a more significant impact on their communities’ youth. Until the early 2010s, school teachers could work in the field once they earned a three-year diploma in teaching degree from their university. Now, they must earn a bachelor of education degree, a four-year degree that includes student teaching in its curriculum. Part of making higher education in Jamaica a true possibility for its citizens centers around preparing students to be mentally and emotionally prepared to reach the next level. 

Moreover, the government recognizes that funding and resources must go into this department for positive changes. In the fiscal year 2022/2023, the Ministry of Education made up the highest expenditure on the government’s budget. Of the roughly $141.3 trillion JMD ($912 billion USD) government spending outlined, education received approximately $18.9 trillion JMD ($122 billion USD), with higher education priorities raking in $3.2 trillion JMD ($20.6 billion) of that sum. This is a significant increase from 2016/2017 when the education budget totaled $90.5 billion (~$14 trillion JMD).

What Have the United States and Other Developed Nations Done to Help?

Since Jamaica’s independence in 1962, the United States provided more than $1.4 billion ($185.9 trillion JMD) across various sectors. Part of this involved assisting in the funding for the Mona School of Business and Management and the College of Agriculture, Science, and Education. USAID efforts have helped more than a million young students from early childhood to tertiary levels, offering resources to improve literacy and mathematics skills. As for the European Union (EU), it has pledged to provide at least €30 million (~$5 billion JMD) from 2021 to 2027 to improve access to digital technology in the workplace and resources to fight against changing weather patterns. 

Effects of COVID-19

From 2019 to 2021, Jamaica saw its total yearly foreign aid reception plummet from $125 million to $58 million. COVID-19 created a global shockwave, which is the reason for the heavy decrease. Nonetheless, in some of the most dangerous and unprecedented times, struggling countries like Jamaica have been left in the dust. To be clear, the response to ending poverty and improving access to education in Jamaica was poor before the pandemic. However, a nearly 50% cut is drastic. It slashes opportunities to not only further build education but also to address water and food insecurity, lack of sustainable housing and everything else across the board. 

While Jamaica is classified as a middle-upper-level income country, it struggles with growth. Even as it is set to recover from its 10% drop in real GDP in 2023, underlying economic concerns still require attention. Underdeveloped business structures, low productivity, persistent crime and limited technological advancements for most citizens are all points of emphasis.

Hope for systemic improvement is never lost, but the global response must substantially increase to streamline the process. Developed countries cutting foreign aid expenditures should never be the solution to address deficits. After all, foreign aid is an investment that leads to prosperity for both parties involved.

– Elliott Borawski
Photo: Unsplash

Disability and Poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Disability and Poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina
War and genocide have caused stagnation in the development of social welfare policies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a result, concerns regarding disability and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina remain highly neglected by the country’s separate entities. While certain USAID programs have worked to improve the accessibility of public spaces for people with disabilities (PWDs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, little has been done to target the reduction of unemployment and poverty. Institutions must set in motion the provision of effective education and training to PWDs as a solution to systemic disability inequality in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Social Exclusion and Marginalization

In 2010, Bosnia and Herzegovina ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as a preliminary obligation in the commitment to reduce the relationship between disability and poverty in the country. More than 350,000 of the 569,000 PWDs in Bosnia and Herzegovina registered themselves as unemployed in 2017. This, therefore, indicates that, despite initial efforts made by the state, PWDs still face extreme social and economic marginalization. Stereotyping and social stigmatization by employers and employees lead to the exclusion of people with learning and physical disabilities from the labor market, making PWDs the most disadvantaged social group by unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They become trapped in a cycle of poverty, leading to poor access to housing, health care and education.

The discrimination that interconnects disability and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina manifests in several ways. Architectural design in most Bosnian towns and villages hinders workplace accessibility for those with physical disabilities. Only in populated, urban areas, such as Sarajevo, will there be a handful of companies that adhere to the requirement of employing one person with a disability per several employees. In a similar vein, people with learning disabilities lack the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to participate in the economy and live independently. Instead, they are, at large, placed in institutions where patient abuse by staff is rife.

Regulatory Frameworks

The lack of cohesion in legislation regarding disability and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina hinders PWDs from realizing their rights and breaking the poverty cycle. The country is divided into two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Republika Srpska. Each has its own legislature, but the FBiH faces a deeper legal integration issue due to its 10 cantons. Any new legal document must gain approval from each individual canton, making progress toward the equality of opportunity for PWDs slow and incoherent.

This, coupled with the stigmatization that leads to the institutionalization and maltreatment of PWDs by employers and caretakers, indicates a need for stronger enforcement measures across the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding the right to work for PWDs. In addition, the nation needs further funding for training and education programs by the state and foreign development programs.

Creating programs that aim to incorporate PWDs into the workforce in Bosnia and Herzegovina reduces the abhorrent conditions of poverty. It also benefits the country by reducing the overall unemployment rate, therefore enabling more consumers to participate in the economy.

Breaking the Cycle with Cybersecurity

This year, the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina advertised a funding opportunity for a program intending to train PWDs for jobs in cybersecurity. Non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and educational institutions are all eligible to apply and help provide PWDs with valuable, transferable skills in the nation’s underdeveloped field of cybersecurity. The devisers of the program are seeking $250,000 for the total award for the successful recipient organization. The organization will then use the award to provide all the teaching, coaching and certification for the PWDs. 

Developing programs like this aids the fight against the age-old marginalization of people who want to enter the workforce but are prevented from doing so due to their physical or learning disabilities. More funding from foreign aid development programs, in tandem with coherent social welfare policies, is needed to break up the relationship between disability and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina once and for all.

– Zara Brown
Photo: Flickr