Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

How AI in Cuba Can Help Improve Living Standards in Cuba

AI in Cuba
In 2019, the island of Cuba announced that it would collaborate with China to build an institution dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence (AI), with the aim of displaying AI’s “capacity and potential” to diversify technology and be beneficial for Cuban society. The Hebei University of International Studies is based in China and is under the direction of Dr. Yailé Caballero, one of the leading Cuban scientists of AI and international relations. This new facility is symbolic of the potential benefits of AI in Cuba to help reduce poverty and improve living standards in the country and has boosted interest in AI among Cuban scientists since it was announced.

The Way AI Can Detect Weather

In early 2023, the Institute of Meteorology of Cuba began work on a project that uses AI to forecast periods of drought or heavy rainfall. By estimating the behavior of rainfall and droughts up to a year in advance, AI can be used in collaboration with farmers to preserve crop yield and prepare for adverse weather patterns. 

How AI Can Reduce Malnutrition and Food Poverty in Cuba

While recent efforts by social security services and the World Food Programme (WFP) have proved very effective in reducing levels of malnutrition and food poverty in Cuba, inflation levels have skyrocketed in recent times, slowing this progress. If a crop has a very low yield due to drought/excess rainfall, basic laws of supply and demand tell us that because there is less of it, the price of food will increase. With AI being able to forecast these weather patterns, the Cuban agricultural industry, in collaboration with water companies, is able to take necessary precautions and inform decision-making to keep yield high and prices down. 

With lower prices and greater availability of food, living standards in Cuba are likely to increase as a direct result of AI. A report by the Economist Group found that AI should boost the GDP of Latin American economies by 5%, incentivizing investment in AI technology. Cuban agriculture is the nation’s largest industry and employs roughly 18% of the population, meaning that the use of AI to protect farming by forecasting weather patterns months in advance will also help to secure employment and wages for 2 million people. This shelters a significant portion of the population from the risk of poverty and upholds living standards in the country. 

How AI Can Help Allocate Resources

Another way that AI could improve living standards in Cuba is in the allocation of resources. Cuba’s economy is centrally planned, meaning that the government exercises control over most economic planning through state-run companies. However, the impact of COVID-19, tight U.S. sanctions and a drop in oil supply from Venezuela have contributed to stagnant economic growth. A report from the Human Rights Commission found that certain algorithms that utilize AI can provide a more effective allocation of resources. By reducing government inefficiencies, money is better spent on programs that can boost Cuban living standards and alleviate those living in poverty. 

While AI is still in its early development in Cuba, future plans for extra funding are likely to spur further innovation in the industry, especially once the benefits of using AI in agriculture and resource allocation are fully realized. It is important that Cuba not only rely on AI to boost living standards but instead employ it as an instrument for its pre-existing (and fairly successful) poverty alleviation programs. 

– Tom Lowe
Photo: Flickr

,

Cows For Cambodia: Bringing Aid to Cambodian Families

Cows for CambodiaOver half of Cambodia’s population lives in rural areas, and many live on less than $3 per day. Owning a cow can give rural families a chance for a better life. The Australian charity Cows for Cambodia does that by providing cows to needy families.

Cows for Cambodia

Cows for Cambodia began when founder Andrew Costello visited Cambodia in 2011 and noticed the poverty level. He partnered with cattle expert Wallace Gunthorpe to bring his charity to life. By 2015, Cows for Cambodia had raised over $15,000 and given cows to 50 families. Today, it has become Cambodia’s biggest agricultural charity.

Cows for Cambodia is a cow bank. It loans pregnant cows to families who benefit from having them. The family looks after the pregnant cow, and when it gives birth, the family keeps the calf. The calf grows up, becoming worth $800 to the Cambodian family.

Many cows in Cambodia have bad reproductive performance, and calf survival rates have dropped significantly. Cambodian cattle also have poor body conditions and are susceptible to many diseases, such as foot and mouth disease and hemorrhagic septicemia. Worms, lice and flies also plague them. Cows for Cambodia’s goal is for each one of their cows to remain healthy and happy in Cambodia. Cows for Cambodia administers vaccinations and injections for each cow to ensure their health and happiness.

In Cambodia, a cow can be worth the same as a house, and many families only dream of owning one. Families can break free of the poverty cycle simply by owning a cow. Cattle are an important part of life in rural Cambodia, and they can become an investment for a family. Beyond just providing beef, families can use cattle as draft animals, and the cattle provide families with fertilizer so they can continue to farm. By owning a cow, a family’s finances improve, children stay in school longer and begin to lift themselves out of poverty.

Tours

In 2016, Cows for Cambodia had its first tour in Cambodia. Today’s tours center around charity work and cultural immersion in Cambodian villages. Participants of each tour have the opportunity to work with cows and families and learn about vaccinations and pregnancy testing at the cattle farm. Tours include cooking for kids and helping provide English lessons at the local village school. Tourists can also become a part of the world-famous rice run charity system and deliver over 3,000kg of rice to families who are in need.

Rice Runs

Cows for Cambodia began holding rice run donations in 2015, and they describe themselves as the fastest donation in the world. An Australian Facebook page asks people to donate $50 for a 50kg bag of rice. The donor can send a message to the Cambodian family that will receive the rice, which they write on the bag along with the donor’s name. The bag of rice reaches a Cambodian family within two hours, and the organization takes a photo of them with the rice, which they post on their Facebook page. This donation system ensures that 100% of the donation goes toward helping Cambodian families and allows the donor to see their donation’s use and who it helped.

How to Help

Cows for Cambodia offers ways donors can contribute to the cause and help these rural families. No matter the amount a donor is willing to donate, every amount can help a family. $15 can vaccinate a cow, $30 will feed a family for a month and $1000 will give a family a cow. Cows for Cambodia’s goal is to have 1,000 cows in the project, and each donation goes a long way toward achieving that goal.

– Jack Wells
Photo: Flickr

, ,

Child Soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Child Soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Belgium colonized the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for 80 years until the country was able to gain its rightful independence in 1960. Belgian rule allowed the use of torture in particular to political opponents, causing instability from the ground up that has stayed with the country even as it became a democratic nation. History has shown how difficult it is for countries to prosper once colonized and the Congo is unfortunately no different. Both internal struggles for power and outside conflicts have hindered the country for decades, and the most vulnerable group is feeling it the worst — children. Child Soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are nothing new, but the country is actively working to change that. One of the largest hurdles facing this issue is the extreme level of poverty in the country, where nearly 80% of citizens survive on less than $2 per day.

Congolese Politics

The DRC has had many instances of political violence, but the 1990s were a turning point. After seizing power in 1965, President Mobutu took control and ruled until he was overthrown in 1997. Former President Laurent Kabila took control and suspended the democratic process before he himself was assassinated a few years later. It was not until 2006 that democratic policies were reinstituted, but the internal conflicts of the past still remain today, including ethnic nationalism and tribalism throughout the region. The DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world. This poverty and constant internal conflict for power leave so many displaced, opening the door for child soldiers to be recruited and taken advantage of. With consistent instability, often the most at-risk groups feel the weight of the tension the most.

Child Soldiers

 Children as young as 6 find themselves routinely recruited to join militia groups, though the most common ages range from 8-16. There are varying positions they are forced to work including spies and messengers. Other child soldiers in the DRC find themselves fighting on the front lines for differing warlords.

 The UN has found militias operating in the DRC have a “staggeringly high number of violations against children.” They prey on children using patriotism as motivation or by taking advantage of the extreme level of poverty in the country. Government forces, who once also implemented child soldiers, have to shoulder some of the blame, as attacks on schools and hospitals have risen as well.

The U.S. Department of State provides a report to explain and understand how child soldiers are being implemented in the DRC while also showing the best estimation of child soldier numbers. The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report lists the DRC as a Tier 2 country on a 3-tier system. Tier 2 countries are those that have not eliminated trafficking but are making “significant efforts” to do so.

Solutions and Progress

The United States passed a law in 2008 that allows for the withholding of military aid to governments that use children in their armed forces, called the Child Soldiers Prevention Act. At the time, the Congolese government was still using child soldiers, but this act directly changed that. After its passing, the DRC signed a U.N. action plan that made certain guarantees leading to the end of its recruitment and use of child soldiers. Further penalties stem from TIP if a country is listed on Tier 3, which opens the door for U.S. sanctions.

The government of the DRC has taken further action against militia groups that are still involved by showing an increase in trafficking probes and prosecutions once caught. They have also removed children from these armed groups while agreeing with militia commanders on ending child recruitment, getting some to even renounce the practice altogether. That is quite an improvement in a country where this has taken place for decades.

 NGOs are operating in the country, including Mercy Corps, which is finding ways to help the government economically that in turn, help the citizens of the DRC. Mercy Corps is addressing basic needs by piping in clean water and building wash stations. It has also proposed strategies that are designed to tackle poverty by repairing economic relations with other African countries that are facing the same violence. Another path is using the Congo’s massive amount of natural resources, both diamonds and gold and refining them at home. 

There are still thousands of child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo being used as spies and messengers. There are programs being implemented to bring change in this area, by both the Congolese government and outside NGOs. Further outside help is being provided by foreign countries that have incentive programs to counteract child soldier use. The number of child soldiers is down, but without continued help to alleviate a major cause, extreme poverty, the threat of being forced to fight in armed conflicts will remain. 

– Benett Crim
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

,

Fighting Child Poverty In Sierra Leone

Child Poverty in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is one of the World’s poorest countries, and as much as 77% of children live in poverty without having all of their basic needs met. UNICEF defines child poverty in Sierra Leone as a child being deprived of at least one of seven basic needs: nutrition, water, sanitation, health, housing, education and information. UNICEF uses the term multidimensional poverty to describe this. The way that UNICEF defines child poverty is important because children experience poverty very differently from adults. Adults are expected to work in order to make an income, whereas children are not expected to work or have any income.

About Child Poverty in Sierra Leone

In 2016, UNICEF conducted a report on child poverty in Sierra Leone. It found that roughly 80% of children in Sierra Leone are considered to be poor. The most common basic need that these children are being deprived of is housing, where more than half of them are living in overcrowded or mud dwellings. On average, most children in Sierra Leone are deprived of at least two of their basic needs. About 28% of children are deprived of at least three basic needs and 11% are deprived of at least four. Ultimately, 77% of children who are impoverished are deprived of more than one of their basic needs. 

Child poverty is worse in rural areas where children lack access to a lot of things that can be found in more urban areas. In these rural areas, the amount of impoverished children can rise to as much as 90%. The area of Pujehun is estimated to have a child poverty rate of 93% and the area of Bonthe is estimated to have a child poverty level of 91%. Both Pujehun and Bonthe are in Southern Sierra Leone. Child poverty is generally highest in the North and the South where many children are living in more rural areas. The East and the West have lower levels of child poverty due to the larger more populated cities which bring more opportunities for families. In the South, a significantly higher number of children are deprived of at least three, four or five basic needs compared to the East and the West. 

Challenges With Education in Sierra Leone

Children are also entitled to an education. In Sierra Leone, more than half of children aged 15 and up are illiterate. Lack of education and information has greatly contributed to the amount of children living in poverty. UNICEF reports that among the children in rural areas who took exams in 2019, 24% failed the NPSE and 43% of them failed the BECE5. Girls are reportedly dropping out of school at rates much higher than boys, this is most likely caused by gender norms. Many girls have become involved in issues such as transactional sex and early marriages. 

A Solution 

UNICEF’s report on child poverty in Sierra Leone shows that reducing or eliminating the number of impoverished children in one area of their basic needs has little impact, therefore different measures must be taken that provide relief to multiple areas of the basic needs of children. The government of Sierra Leone has committed to reaching a sustainable development goal by 2030. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked goals working towards the betterment of planet Earth as a whole. The SDGs include goals like clean water, sanitation and quality education for all. This goal would cut the number of men, women and children living in poverty by at least half. UNICEF is working closely with the government and has committed to reducing the number of children living in multidimensional poverty in Sierra Leone. 

The government of Sierra Leone approved a National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) for the first time ever in 2011. Social protection is a framework that is concerned with preventing and managing situations that may negatively affect a population’s well-being. An NSPP may help families in extreme poverty find jobs and invest in the education and health of their children. Since the approval of an NSPP in Sierra Leone, UNICEF has been supporting the government in establishing a social protection system that provides aid to poor and vulnerable populations. The first phase of this system was officially launched in 2014, and by 2018 it had already reached 9 of the 16 districts in Sierra Leone helping more than 70,000 children. 

Looking Ahead

In the future, UNICEF will be working to establish child-sensitive policies that will aid children suffering from multidimensional poverty. These child-sensitive policies will support the government of Sierra Leone in monitoring the child poverty reduction rates and provide financial support to national surveys which will in turn help the government collect data so it can gauge program effectiveness and change it if necessary. 

– Jack Wells
Photo: Flickr

, ,

Solutions to Child Poverty in Saint Lucia After COVID-19

Child Poverty in Saint Lucia
When the COVID-19 virus spread out into the world in 2020, it caused hardships for all countries. People feared contracting the virus but were also impacted by entire countries shutting down, putting citizens indefinitely out of work. Saint Lucia was one small Caribbean island whose children felt the burden of their parents’ lack of income. Child poverty in Saint Lucia, a country with a population of 180,000, rose to 34.5% in 2021.

In 2020, the economic and social impact on households was directly related to the closing of schools, businesses and the border itself. This led to a reduction in income due to job loss and restriction of hours. In addition, many citizens were unable to work due to their health. The biggest impact lies in the hotel and tourism sectors, with 33,000 people impacted by the shutting down of hotels, restaurants and retail stores, according to a United Nations presentation of the Saint Lucia Economic Stimulus, Recovery and Resilience Strategy. In a survey of citizens, “30% of households ran out of food once or more during the 30 days prior to the survey.” For poor households, “nearly 50% experience[ed] a time when they ran out of food.”

Effects of the COVID-19 Virus on Child Labor

The accumulation of this loss of income has increased child poverty in Saint Lucia. Many children had to take jobs such as street vending to provide for their families. However, it also led to more dangerous options, such as drug and sex trafficking. In 2020, the government began a revision of the Labor Act to address issues that did not meet the Labor Department’s mandates. It also approved the Counter-Trafficking Amendment Act, which protects victims of trafficking regardless of citizenship.

Saint Lucia took several other steps to eliminate child poverty and child labor. Its efforts included increased labor inspectors, updated standard operating procedures and a minimum age for work of 15. This allowed children to stay in school until legally able to work. It also passed a prohibition on forced labor and child trafficking. Labor enforcement funding has also risen from $392,313 in 2020 to $496,296 in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. St. Lucia also employed twice the number of inspectors in 2021 who were being trained before going out into the field and offered refresher courses for them. 

Organizations Assisting Relief Efforts in Saint Lucia

On December 16, 2021, the Saint Lucia Ministry of Equity, UNICEF and the UN met for a development session on the impact and effects of the COVID-19 virus. They conferred together about the different measures that can be taken to learn from this pandemic. They also explored the extent of aid from social assistance responses. The World Food Programme (WFP) also stepped up in favor of the Income Support Program, which provided $1,500 each to more than 4,800 people unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, UNICEF donated up to $400 from July to September 2020 to children in foster care and $300 to the Child Disability Grant. The Public Assistance Program was able to accommodate an additional 1,000 households from November 2020 to April 2021, thanks to funding from the World Food Programme ($229,610) and the India UN ($500,000). 

However, citizens did not sit around waiting for assistance to find them. Despite the decrease in crucial tourist revenue, 16 hotels prepared and distributed meals to those impacted by the economic shutdown. In two months, they served 19,131 meals to those affected. 

The COVID-19 pandemic affected all families, but work is occurring to pull children off this path and into a promising future. “The highest poverty reduction effect overall would be achieved by supporting a large number of households (bottom 40%), followed by a universal child grant,” said the United Nations. “Support to all children would also achieve the highest reduction in the child poverty rate.” A better future for children means a better future for their country. 

– Jennifer Arias
Photo: Pixabay

Addressing the Gender Wage Gap in Japan

Gender Wage Gap in JapanIn 2013, Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a new economic initiative: womenomics. Womenomics was meant to bolster Japan’s economy by employing a larger percentage of women in the workforce. Following nearly two decades of slowed economic growth and constant recessions due to a decreased workforce, womenomics would increase the number of workers and allow Japan to return to growth. However, nearly a decade later, there is little evidence that these policies have been effective in giving women jobs and reducing the gender wage gap in Japan. Instead, Japan continues to have among the highest rates of income inequality throughout the world.

The Statistics

In 2018, the World Economic Forum released its Gender Gap Index, ranking countries based on four benchmarks. Japan ranked 110 out of 149, in the bottom third. This was spurred by Japan’s high gender wage gap, where women make just 75.5% of what a man would make for the same job. Much of this is because of the disproportionate number of women in part-time and contract positions. While only just over 14% of men in Japan are in these positions, 53% of women who are working are in non-regular jobs. These all greatly contribute to gender income inequality in Japan.

Womenomics

As previously mentioned, Japan began to tackle this issue under Prime Minister Abe’s “Womenomics.” Womenomics was meant to tackle a variety of factors preventing women from entering the workplace. From building more daycare and child care centers to allow women to leave their kids during the day safely to changing economic policies that allowed for tax breaks if a wife earned less than 1.03 million yen ($6,872), Abe seemed determined to make it easier for women to enter or reenter the workforce. Because women did not work at the same rates as women in places such as the United States, there were barriers to entering the workforce that are not as common in the U.S.

Now and Later

While policies have been somewhat effective, notably 66% of Japanese women are now in the workforce, and the tax break threshold has been upped to 1.5 million Yen, Japan still falls short of their goals. While it is great that two-thirds of Japanese women are now in the workforce, it is imperative that these women are afforded full-time roles like Japanese men. Until the percentage of women in those jobs goes up, womenomics will not be a success. Additionally, while Shinzo Abe looked to appoint more women to his cabinet, current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has only one woman in his cabinet. This does not set a good example when looking to reduce gender income inequality in Japan.

Tackling gender income inequality in Japan is one of the most important parts of revitalizing the Japanese economy. If successful, women would be able to be more financially and generally independent within Japan than they are now, allowing them to rely on their own wages and earnings and not just that of their husbands. 

– John Rooney
Photo: Flickr

, ,

Foreign Aid to India: Top 4 Contributions

Foreign Aid in IndiaIndia is the world’s largest recipient of foreign aid, receiving more than $80 billion in 2020. This aid comes from a variety of sources, including developed countries, international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). India is home to the world’s largest population of poor people. India has a population of more than 1.4 billion people and more than 280 million of them live below the poverty line. That is equivalent to 10 times the entire population of Australia!

Foreign Aid Has Been Instrumental in Reducing Poverty in India

The good news is that India has taken several initiatives over the last two decades to significantly improve its economic growth. According to the World Bank,  the poverty ratio in India fell from 45% in 1993 to 21% by 2011. This decline is attributed to several other factors, such as improving education standards and progressive economic policies, however, foreign aid has also played a key role in alleviating poverty in India.

Top 4 Ways Foreign Aid Has Helped in India’s Fight Against Poverty

  • Helping India in building infrastructure and promoting economic development. With only 1% of the world’s vehicles, India accounts for nearly 10% of all crash related deaths. According to a World Bank study, road crashes are estimated to cost the Indian economy between 5 to 7% of GDP a year. Over the last six decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided billions of dollars in aid to India for a variety of projects, including the Green Revolution, the construction of dams and irrigation canals and the provision of education and healthcare. Another leading example is World Bank which has also provided billions of dollars in aid to India, for projects such as the construction of roads and bridges, the development of renewable energy sources and the improvement of financial services.
  • Addressing humanitarian crises. In India, 2.4 million people suffer from HIV/AIDS infection and as per WHO, India has 15 million cases of malaria with 19,500–20,000 deaths annually. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to India for projects such as the fight against malaria and HIV/AIDS and the improvement of education and healthcare.
  • Advancing education and thereby creating employment opportunities. Although India has made significant progress in improving its literacy rate over the past two decades, it still stands at 74% as of 2018, meaning that more than 300 million people remain illiterate. Foreign Aid has helped improve education in India by supporting innovative educational programs designed to meet the needs of specific groups of children, such as girls, children from rural areas or children with disabilities. In 2020, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contributed more than $500,000 to Pratham, an NGO focused on improving education in India.
  • Advancing inclusive development and women’s economic empowerment. According to the latest World Bank figures from 2021, less than 1 in 5 Indian women work – at least formally. Foreign aid has helped build partnerships and leveraged local resources to ensure marginalized and underrepresented population have equitable access to quality healthcare, sanitation, education, nutrition, finance and household decision-making. In India, USAID combats stigma and discrimination and promotes the rights and inclusion of populations in high-risk situations, including indigenous and tribal peoples, women and persons with disabilities.

The Future of Foreign Aid in India

The resulting impact of foreign aid in India has been mixed. On the one hand, foreign aid has helped to reduce poverty and improve the lives of millions of Indians. On the other hand, there have also been some negative consequences, such as corruption and dependency on foreign assistance.

The future of foreign aid in India is uncertain. The Indian economy is growing rapidly and the country is becoming less reliant on foreign assistance. However, there are still many challenges that need to be addressed, such as poverty, hunger and illiteracy. Foreign aid can play a key role in addressing these challenges.

– Brijesh Goel
Photo: Unsplash

, , ,

How Political Polarization Affects Foreign Aid 

How Political Polarization Affects Foreign Aid 
Political polarization refers to the divergence of political attitudes toward ideological extremes. In simple terms, people are becoming more divided in their views and tending more toward far-right or far-left views, creating vast ideological distances between opposing political individuals. This results in overall less agreement among those of differing political beliefs. However, this may not be the only result of increasing polarization.

Consequently, viewpoints are increasingly becoming more singular, allowing prevalent issues in society to be turned monochrome. This has especially been exacerbated in political discourse surrounding issues with a strong moral component, which cannot be quantified by numbers or data. For example, the issue of foreign aid could be considered to have a high level of subjectivity, as there is no correct answer to how much foreign assistance ‘should’ be provided.

The Impact on Global Poverty

Studies have previously shown that high levels of political polarization can lead to a delay in the legislative process and that a divided government can critically slow the policymaking process. Research has uncovered how polarization can delay the legislative process by “60 days, on average,” a significant duration of time for which many issues cannot wait.

A delay in the legislative process will inevitably hinder decisions made regarding U.S. public policy, including foreign policy and aid measures. Furthermore, polarization can impact policy on an international scale, affecting international cooperation. This could be detrimental to recipient countries, leading to the neglect of those who are most in need.

Poverty Reduction Abroad, Impacts at Home

Addressing global poverty has benefits for domestic donors such as the U.S., including improvements to the economy, job creation and reinforcing national security. Reductions in global poverty mean that, on aggregate, fewer people will be living below the poverty line. Thus, their overall disposable income will be higher. Higher demand accompanies higher incomes. Therefore, consumption is likely to increase, which can increase global demand. Domestic markets will be able to reap the benefits of this increased demand, and additional job creation may occur. This can generate an incentive for addressing global poverty.

Fostering international relationships is yet another benefit of foreign aid. Providing assistance to other nations encourages international cooperation and may be a preventative measure against future conflict. National security grows stronger as alliances between nations are fostered. This provides another incentive for foreign aid.

Foreign aid given by the U.S. has already made a massive impact on global poverty reduction efforts. For example, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program tackling HIV in Africa, prevented many deaths that would have likely otherwise occurred due to the disease’s high mortality rates. Other aid programs have included alleviating famine in India, which, in addition to helping the Indian population, also spurred development in the agricultural industry. This resulted in better production techniques and higher yields. The military aid provided to many South American countries from the 1980s has accelerated the clamp-down on illegal substances, both for the U.S. and other nations, decreasing the global supply of drugs. Foreign aid plays a critical role in combating poverty, and, as demonstrated, has beneficial effects for all.

Individual Action

While the U.S. is numerically the largest contributor to overseas aid, when taking into account the per capita figure, the U.S. ranks significantly lower than other countries overall. Considering the vast size and GDP of the U.S., more could certainly be done in terms of providing foreign assistance.

Now more than ever, individual action is key in expediting the legislative process. Putting pressure on political leaders can be done in different forms, through emailing, calling, writing letters and much more. This is critical in obliging leaders to put foreign poverty reduction at the forefront of their agenda, and overcoming the delay created by intensifying polarization, in order to achieve a successful eradication of global poverty.

Solutions to Polarization

While polarization is a very real and worsening issue, it is more of a psychological phenomenon than a concrete issue. This makes any form of solution difficult to enact. Reducing prejudice and intolerance between different groups is key to becoming more open-minded. This can be facilitated through encouraging more contact and discussion between opposing groups. Encouraging open debate and analyzing alternative perspectives is helpful in avoiding polarization. This will ultimately be the key to mitigating the legislative time delays and other negative impacts of political polarization.

– Hannah Bugeja
Photo: Flickr

How Innovation Africa Is Combating Africa’s Water Crisis

Innovation Africa
More than 600 million people in Africa live without access to electricity, and with no electricity, there is often no clean water. Innovation Africa is a nonprofit organization that brings clean water to rural Africa.

Innovation Africa is an Israeli company that Sivan Yaari founded in 2008. Since then it has been bringing solar energy to rural villages all across Africa. The problem that these rural villages face is the access to the technology that would allow them to use the sun’s energy. Innovation Africa is solving this problem by installing solar panels in these villages. The energy provided by Innovation Africa helps pump clean water and bring electricity to villages that were previously without it.

Helping the Local Community

When a rural African village has no access to energy, it means that they are unable to pump clean water into the village. Not having a clean water pump means that villagers have to find other ways of obtaining safe drinking water. Methods include walking miles to the nearest water source and building surface dams or catching rainwater, both of which are very unreliable. A clean water pump, however, is a reliable source of clean water.

When a village has access to energy, it begins to thrive. Not only does health improve with access to clean water, but the overall well-being of the village improves. Women and young girls are relieved of having to walk miles each day in search of water. This allows them more time to pursue other opportunities and allows young girls the time they need to attend school. With a reliable clean water source, a community will also begin to become more economically stable, which allows for brick-making and agricultural projects to increase.

Innovation Africa enlists the help of local villagers to drill wells and install solar panels. Each project hires 10 locals who are paid and trained. Once a well has been drilled and the project has been completed, these locals are given a certificate that allows them to assist in future projects and gives them other career opportunities. A village that was once struggling can now become economically independent with the help of Innovation Africa.

How it Works

The process of installing solar energy and water pumps involves eight steps and ensures that a community has a reliable source of clean water. The first step of the process is drilling the well. Innovation Africa drills up to 820 feet in order to reach the aquifer. Next, a water tower of roughly 30 feet is built. The water tower houses the pump and the water tank. Solar panels are installed on top of the tower, and a solar pump is installed inside. The solar panels harness the sun’s energy and power the water pump.

A water tank is then put on the top of the tower and holds up to 10,000 liters of clean water. The contractors dig trenches that expand in a 4-8 kilometer radius and bring the water to 10-15 taps placed around the village. Next, technology that monitors the water is installed. This Israeli technology can track how much water has been pumped, as well as any malfunctions that may occur. Finally, the locals can enjoy clean and fresh water right from their village.

Innovation Africa has started and completed more than 900 projects in Senegal, Cameroon, DRC, Zambia, South Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia, helping more than 4 million people get access to clean water. Innovation Africa plans to continue providing rural villages with a clean and reliable water source. The organization is able to complete its work through donations on its website, where 100% of the proceeds go toward bringing clean water to rural Africa.

– Jack Wells
Photo: Flickr

Hip-Hop Music Is Helping Youth in Senegal Fight Poverty

Hip-Hop MusicSenegal is located on the West coast of Africa and has a population of more than 16 million people, according to the World Bank. In recent years, Senegal has been recognized as one of the most stable West African countries and has witnessed a reduction in its poverty rate, which dropped by roughly 5% between 2011 and 2018. Still, more than half of Senegal’s population is now living below the poverty line, and the country scored low in the 2018 Human Development Index, ranking 164 out of 189 countries, according to Oxfam.

As suggested by projections, social and economic could intensify following the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, frequent natural disasters and the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which have severely disrupted food supply chains. This, coupled with a high food inflation rate of 15% as of 2022, is pushing families deeper into poverty.

But Senegalese youth are fighting the system through the power of music — and hip-hop in particular.

Music and Poverty

The hip-hop scene has long been a vibrant and lively part of Senegalese culture. Originally, hip-hop was adopted by the upper and middle classes who had traveled to places like the U.S. and Europe, giving Senegalese hip-hop its distinct hybrid blend of local tradition and international influences.

In the early 1980s, the suburbs of the prosperous Senegalese city Dakar expanded, allowing people from poor, rural areas to move to the city, where they could flee severe drought and forge new lives for themselves. Immigration to Dakar brought with it new material culture from all over the world, and this included clothing, music and dance trends.

After the 1980s, social disparities in Senegal increased following decades of harsh government austerity measures that had left the government unable to provide robust health and social services. Gaining influence from the beats of South Bronx, hip-hop the poor used hip-hop to protest issues such as poverty, unemployment, crime and political corruption.

Discontent with the political system came to a head in 2011, and the Y’en a Marre movement (which translates to “I’m fed up”) was formed by rappers and journalists to persuade Senegalese youth to protest the Conservative government led by President Wade, who, according to them, had been acting undemocratically during his time in power.

Hip-hop has been especially important for connecting geographically dispersed communities, with 70% of those 18 and older living in rural areas where poverty rates are often much higher.

In such areas, the vulnerability rate of Senegalese families, which is the probability of a household falling into poverty following a shock such as a natural disaster or a disruption to supply chains, is a staggering 80%.

Girls and Hip-Hop

While Senegalese hip-hop has largely been associated with popular male artists and bands such as King & Cool, Positive Black Soul and Supreme Black, who are accredited for leading the movement, Senegalese girls are determined to show that they can rap too.

Sisters Create is a project in urban Dakar that was founded by Plan International, and it aims to unite girls from poor neighborhoods and give them the opportunity to protest the social issues they face. Not only do they rap about the problems of Senegalese politics, but they are keen to shed light on their shared experiences of menstruation, gender inequality and sexual assault.

The Genji Hip Hop group has about 70 members who express themselves through music and art, and it has organized many events and workshops for women to speak up against the system. This has been important as women in Senegal are the main victims of gender-based violence (GBV) and are economically disadvantaged compared to their male counterparts. U.N. Women reported that 33.3% of employed women were living below the international poverty line compared to 26.7% of men.

The Beat Goes On

Currently, Senegalese artists are utilizing hip-hop music to promote peacebuilding ahead of the 2024 elections. They stress the significance of human security and urge the government to prioritize reducing poverty, ensuring civil rights and enhancing food security.

The case of Senegalese hip-hop demonstrates that through the power of music, present-day youths are successfully using their voices to stand up for their rights, pushing their governments to do what is necessary.

– Tatum Richards
Photo: Flickr