Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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OCHA Overcomes Challenges to Delivering Aid in Somalia

Aid in Somalia
Since 2015, the African nation of Somalia has experienced five consecutive rainy season failures. The country is currently facing yet another drought, which will have serious impacts on food insecurity in the country. Humanitarian organizations like the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have made efforts to provide humanitarian aid in Somalia to combat the drought and prevent famine in the region. However, OCHA has faced obstacles in delivering aid in Somalia due to conflict in the area.

Conflict and Poverty in Somalia

Somalia has been in a state of civil war since 1988. Despite numerous attempts at peace, the conflict has failed to come to a resolution and has severely impacted poverty in the country. According to a World Bank report from 2019, almost 70% of the population of Somalia lived in poverty. Of the millions of people internally displaced due to the conflict, 74% endured poverty. The conflict has not only contributed to poverty in the country but has also presented barriers to delivering humanitarian aid in Somalia.

How Violence Makes Aid Difficult

Providing humanitarian aid in Somalia has proven difficult due to violence in some areas. According to OCHA, 565 “access incidents” were reported in 2022, threatening the “safety of aid workers” and the delivery of aid. More than 375,000 people living in areas controlled by armed non-state groups need humanitarian aid but are out of the reach of humanitarian organizations like OCHA. In Laas Caanood, aid programs, such as “school feeding, safety net and nutrition” initiatives, faced delays due to the risk of violence and conflict, affecting more than 15,700 households, a February 2023 OCHA situation report says. Despite these hurdles, OCHA continued to find ways to safely aid those in need.

Successful Aid Missions

To reach those in need, OCHA carried out multiple “caravan missions” using a U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) Cessna Caravan aircraft and a World Food Programme (WFP) helicopter. According to an OCHA situation report, the organization conducted 38 aid missions to 34 hard-to-access locations in Somalia between June 2021 and August 2022. Many of these areas had not seen humanitarian aid missions for a while. These missions helped aid “vulnerable people in hard-to-reach areas” and stand as examples of the determination of organizations like OCHA to provide humanitarian aid in Somalia.

OCHA also detailed successful operations in the Banadir region, an area with circumstances considered both “volatile and unpredictable” with aid workers often facing road closures and checkpoints when attempting to access hard-hit areas.

Despite these challenges, however, OCHA has proved successful in providing humanitarian aid to Somalia. In 2022, the organization reached 96% of its targeted population, providing aid to some 7.3 million people in the country. Initially targeting 761,000 people for nutrition assistance, OCHA reached 1.4 million Somali people with this assistance in 2022. OCHA also nearly reached its goal for food security, reaching 6.2 million people out of its 6.4 million target number. These successes are great examples of the dedication of humanitarian aid organizations like OCHA and their commitment to providing aid to all who need it, even if challenges present themselves along the way.

– Mohammad Samhouri
Photo: Flickr

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5 Charities Operating in Brazil

Charities Operating in Brazil
Between 2019 and 2021, 9.6 million people who were not previously impoverished fell below the poverty line. By 2021, 62.9 million people in Brazil (29.6% of the population) had a monthly per capita income of up to R$497. This was the highest level of poverty that the country had experienced since 2012. Although Brazil is facing a number of issues, such as homelessness and poverty, five charities operating in Brazil aim to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged citizens.

5 Charities Operating in Brazil

  1. The Favela Foundation. This organization came about in 2017 with the goal of, according to its website, “contributing to the development and growth of sustainable social and educational projects in the favelas of Brazil.” Essentially, the Favela Foundation provides various forms of support to grassroots initiatives working to advance education and improve social welfare in the favelas. The Foundation also works alongside NGOs to provide free English classes to people of all ages. Knowledge of English can help boost working and earning potential in Brazil. The Foundation’s main area of operation is in Rocinha — a favela located inside Rio de Janeiro and also the largest favela in the country.
  2. Catalytic Communities. This nonprofit organization is a Rio- based think tank and advocacy NGO. In short, this organization works as a news and research source that advocates for the well-being of the people who inhabit the favelas of Rio. This nonprofit plays a role in advocating for pro-favela legislation within the local and national governments by raising awareness and conducting research. Its most recent project is making a legislative proposal that would allow Community Land Trusts in Brazil. These trusts would help by essentially providing more affordable housing.
  3. Community in Action. Founded in 2004, this NGO focuses on social outreach with the goal of facilitating community development in the favelas through education initiatives and other projects. The organization has a large network of volunteers from all over the world. Volunteer opportunities include providing English lessons, assisting with child care, assisting with manual labor and urban gardening projects. With its plethora of volunteer opportunities, anyone who wishes to help has many options.
  4. ActionAid. This U.K.-based NGO has played a humanitarian role in Brazil since 1999. Most recently, ActionAid has made efforts to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Brazil’s most at-risk residents. It has helped vulnerable Brazilians amid the pandemic by providing food, hygiene kits and protective face masks to those in need. Prior to the pandemic, ActionAid focused on education for slum children, safeguarding girls from sexual exploitation and helping drought-ravaged areas to recover from extreme weather events and become more climate resilient, among other activities.
  5. Associacao Crescimento Limpo. This is a social services organization that is focused on the homeless population of Brazil. Located in a town outside of São Paulo, this organization provides services in the area of housing and job training. One of its most recent projects is a halfway house for people who are struggling with homelessness and drug abuse. Crescimento Limpo has made a positive difference by helping the homeless community in Brazil, with many success stories to prove it. One example of Crescimento Limpo’s success is visible in the story of Wayne. Wayne suffered from drug addiction and eventually sought help. He was later placed in one of Crescimento Limpo´s halfway houses. After recovery, he launched a new initiative with the organization called Caféla, a restaurant that provides jobs for unemployed residents.

Overall, through community initiatives, these five charities operating in Brazil are working to make Brazil a better and safer place. These organizations not only benefit Brazil but also contribute to the reduction of poverty worldwide.

– Timothy Ginter
Photo: Flickr

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Child Marriage in Thailand

Child Marriage in Thailand
Girls Not Brides has published concerning statistics regarding child marriage in Thailand. About 23% of girls in Thailand enter marriages before the age of 18 and 4% marry before turning 15. On the male side, 10% of boys enter marriages before turning 18. Overall, Thailand has the 11th highest rate of child marriages among boys worldwide.

The Causes of Early Marriage

Child marriage prevents many youths from having the opportunity to grow and reach their full potential. Child marriage and poverty have connections as high child marriage rates link to areas struggling with economic development.

The 2015-16 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys show that “30% of women in Thailand’s poorest households were married before 18, compared to 10% from the richest households. Many young girls are married off so families can collect the bride price and to ease a perceived financial burden on families,” Girls Not Brides highlights. Sometimes parents pressure their daughters into early marriage to protect them from experiencing the same hardships of poverty that they faced.

Plan International explains the factors causing child marriage to remain so prominent: “a combination of factors including poverty, lack of education and job opportunities, society’s views on girls’ roles, weak legal frameworks and their enforcement, insecurity in the face of conflict and the effect of harmful customs and tradition.” Plan International also projects that by 2020, about 800 million females across the world may face the repercussions of child marriages.

Time to Act!

According to Plan International, “Louder than Words” is “a collection of testimonies reflecting girls’ and boys’ activism in collaboration with Plan International in tackling and challenging root causes of [Child, Early and Forced Marriage] to prevent this harmful practice and achieve girls’ empowerment and equality, promotes, celebrates and highlights the regional efforts to prevent and end [child marriage] that has evolved into a regional initiative called Time to Act!”

The initiative, Time To Act!, is working throughout Thailand to educate the youth on sex and reduce child marriage in Thailand. The staff members discuss often taboo subjects, such as early pregnancy, marrying young and safe sex, with Thailand’s youth.

Plan International Thailand’s Teen Power for Better Life project holds training sessions that discuss these topics. The mission aims to teach girls “to discover the links between early marriage, adolescence pregnancies, and gender discrimination” and encourage them to take hold of their lives.

Thailand ranks 12th in the Asia-Pacific region for the prevalence of child marriage; therefore, it is essential that initiatives such as Time to Act reach the country.

Testimonies from “Louder Than Words”

The testimonies in “Louder Than Words” attempt to unmask the negative repercussions of this practice. Quotes from Teen Power for Better Life project participants, such as Orn, demonstrate the initiative’s effectiveness: “After the training, I realized that If I married early, I might not be able to follow my dream to be a businesswoman. I want to study and obtain a degree, not to be someone’s wife only.”

At just 16 years old, Orn has become increasingly involved in the program and even began to teach other teenagers after the program changed her own life. She spoke on the critical information she learned from the training: “I was empowered with the learning that as girls, we can make our own choices and no one has the right to force us to do anything we do not like.”

Many girls throughout Orn’s village feel pressure to conform to child marriage because of the economic strains they feel in their families. Child marriage and poverty are often consequences of each other in disadvantaged homes throughout Thailand. Orn continues to work as a youth leader for Teen Power for a Better life.

Supporting initiatives like Time to Act!, which deconstruct cultural norms encouraging child marriages, is vital in saving the next generation from the constrictions of early marriage. These initiatives work against child marriage and poverty by empowering young women with the skills and knowledge to achieve independence and economic stability without having to rely on the potential economic benefits of marriage. Girls throughout Thailand deserve the same opportunities to pursue education and jobs without the binds of forced wedding bands.

– Brooklynn Rich
Photo: Flickr

Brazil’s Affordable Housing Program “My Home, My Life” Returns

Brazil's Affordable Housing Program
Brazil’s affordable housing program is making a return. Brazil’s current president, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, announced plans to restart the nationwide federal housing program for low-income individuals in February 2023. President Lula initially created the program, named “Minha Casa, Minha Vida,” which translates to “My Home, My Life,” in 2009. However, former president Jair Bolsonaro neglected to manage the program, leaving more than 120,000 unfinished units throughout the country and many low-income people without access to affordable and sustainable homes.

Homelessness in Brazil

The Brazilian constitution guarantees adequate housing as a component of human dignity, therefore, the resurgence of Brazil’s affordable housing program will be extremely beneficial for disadvantaged Brazilians. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty has risen, impacting access to housing. Estimates indicate that one out of four Brazilians is either homeless or without adequate housing, according to the Homeless World Cup Foundation. Furthermore, in areas such as Rio de Janeiro, the lack of affordable housing and other basic services is magnified.

An Institute of Applied Economic Research study says, by March 2020, Brazil noted a homeless population of about 221,000 people, which equates to a rise of 140% in contrast to homeless numbers from 2012. Rising economic and social inequalities have forced a plethora of the population onto the streets. Abandoned hotels throughout the cities have become homes for many squatters. Many began occupying these abandoned buildings out of pure necessity but also as a form of protest for affordable housing in Brazil.

The pandemic forced significant numbers of citizens back under the poverty line, with around 27 million Brazilians surviving on less than 246 reais a month by March 2021. Brazil was on a positive trend of eliminating poverty until the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a skyrocketing poverty rate throughout the country.

My Home, My Life

The resurgence of the My Home, My Life program will open affordable housing to the low-income population. The original goal of the program in 2009 was to facilitate access to housing after the financial crisis of 2008. Families making under $1,647 a month qualified for the “My Home, My Life” program. Though the program lost funding through the years, it was still able to bring suitable housing to 5.5 million disadvantaged Brazilian people during its years of activity. Reigniting this program is important now more than ever, considering the impacts of the pandemic.

Between March 2020 and May 2022, landlords and authorities evicted more than 125,000 Brazilian people from their homes and 569,000 people faced the risk of eviction by September 2022, with the elderly, children and females accounting for many of those evicted.

President Lula spoke during his presidential debate about reigniting his affordable housing program, saying “We will once again have a far-reaching affordable housing program, with adequate financing mechanisms for each type of public. Having dignified housing, the primary guarantee of a family’s security is a universal right and a requirement for a developed and sovereign Brazil.”

Now that Lula is back in power, his revival of Brazil’s affordable housing program will soon benefit struggling families without adequate shelter.

– Olivia MacGregor
Photo: Flickr

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Foreign Aid to Somalia

Foreign Aid to Somalia
Amid a drought, political conflicts and extreme food insecurity, Somalia is facing a severe humanitarian crisis. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification projected that between January and March 2023, 6.4 million Somalis would endure “crisis” or worse levels of food insecurity. Of these people, 1.9 million individuals would endure “emergency” levels of food insecurity and 322,00 would endure catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Further, through July 2023, about 1.8 million Somali children will suffer acute malnourishment. These statistics are likely to worsen as the year progresses. With the forecasted continuation of a dry spell, foreign aid to Somalia is critical.

Famine, Drought and Poverty

Somalia has faced humanitarian crises since the civil war broke out in the 1990s, continuing to materialize in the famines of 2008, 2011 and 2017.

Droughts and famine have only brought Somalis deeper into crisis as the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimated that 260,000 Somalis died on top of expected deaths between the years 2010 and 2012 alone. The population of the country is difficult to precisely calculate due to the mass movement of Somali refugees in response to food insecurity and conflict. In 2018, Somalia stood as the world’s fifth-highest source of refugees, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

According to 2014 data, Somalia had only about 0.02 doctors for every 1,000 citizens and a hospital bed density of 0.9 beds per 1,000 people as of 2017. Infectious diseases run rampant, such as hepatitis, typhoid, malaria and polio. Along with food insecurity, Somalia faces problems with water scarcity, deforestation, water contamination and improper waste disposal. Due to political instability and poor governance, terrorism and extremism are prevalent in Somalia. According to Somalia’s Voluntary National Review report of 2022, “Nearly seven out of 10 Somalis live in poverty, the sixth-highest rate in the region. Poverty averages at 69[%] among nomadic pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and [internally displaced persons]” while urban poverty stands at 60%.

US Foreign Aid to Somalia

The U.S. Department of State’s website has reported that U.S. foreign policy in Somalia strives “to promote political and economic stability, prevent the use of Somalia as a safe haven for international terrorism and alleviate the humanitarian crisis caused by years of conflict, drought, flooding and poor governance.”

Since 2006, the U.S. has given more than $3 billion in humanitarian aid and $253 million in developmental aid since 2011. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allocated $411 million in December 2022 to respond to the drought and prevent famine in Somalia. In total, the U.S. contributed $1.3 billion in 2022 alone.

More Action

The U.S. can still do more to aid in the Somali crisis. Stephen M. Schwartz, a foreign policy and diplomacy expert and “the first U.S. ambassador to Somalia since 1991,” recommends the United States,  in an article published in the Foreign Policy Research Institute, “apply a whole-of-government approach” to alleviate tensions and extremism, something that could strengthen relations and national security.

He also urges the U.S. to support Somalia by improving corruption, establishing an economic connection between Somalis and U.S. citizens and businesses, accelerating and expanding developmental assistance and continuing efforts for military reform, which would improve quality of life and lessen conflicts.

In November 2022, the United Nations requested 25% more financial aid for 2023 to better aid and continue to fund humanitarian operations globally, highlighting that people in Somalia are already facing hunger-induced mortality.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has also warned about the growing gap between those suffering and response, reporting that it is working to increase its food assistance to benefit 4.5 million people per month, but required “$327 million until January 2023 to continue saving lives.”

In December 2022, UNICEF appealed for $10.3 billion to help more than 173 million people globally, including 110 million children, which would cover the millions of children impacted by famine in Somalia. By increasing funding for this appeal, UNICEF can send sufficient resources to fully meet the humanitarian needs of each struggling country. UNICEF projects that it requires $272.3 million to help the 7.7 million Somalis in need through nutrition, health, education and social protection. As countries continue and increase support financially, foreign aid to Somalia can save the lives of vulnerable people in the country.

– Audrey Gaines
Photo: Flickr

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Addressing Human Trafficking in Panama

Human Trafficking in Panama
Panama, among other countries in Central America, is “a path to displacement for South American and extra-continental migrants,” says the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC). According to the U.S. Department of State’s trafficking profile of Panama, human traffickers exploit both domestic and foreign victims.   

 What to Know About Human Trafficking

Each year, the Department of State issues trafficking persons reports for each country. The U.S. Department of State makes it clear that human traffickers prey on all ages, genders, nationalities and backgrounds for profit. Homeland Security defines human trafficking as the “use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.” The International Labor Organization (ILO) released Global Estimates of Modern Day Slavery in September 2022. The Global Estimates of Modern Day Slavery estimated 27.6 million victims worldwide at any given time in 2021.

It is important to know that two main categories fall under human trafficking including forced labor and sex trafficking. Within each category, there are three elements including acts, means and purpose that are essential in forming a human trafficking violation. It embodies an array of activities that involve coercion, fraud or force to exploit labor. Domestic servitude falls under forced labor in which a victim is working in a private residence. Under this umbrella is also forced child labor, where children are compelled to work under traffickers’ forced labor schemes.

Similar to labor trafficking, children fall victim to sex trafficking. Sex trafficking occurs when one uses force, fraud or coercion to pressure one into commercial sex acts. In cases where the individual is under 18, the means element is extraneous regardless of evidence of force, fraud or coercion, prohibiting the use of children in commercial sex acts in the U.S. and many other countries.

Human Trafficking in Panama

While most cases involve women from South and Central America, this does not exclude men, children and other individuals. Panama’s National Anti-Trafficking Commission reported 16 confirmed trafficking victims in 2021. Of the 16 victims, seven were sex trafficking victims and the other nine were labor trafficking victims.

Panama’s government indicated that more than two-thirds of Panama’s traffickers are foreign nationals from the People’s Republic of China, Columbia and Venezuela. Of the traffickers in Panama, about half are men. In the trafficking profile, it mentioned that children tend to be exploited by traffickers into domestic servitude and sex trafficking in Panama.

The government slightly decreased prosecution efforts for human trafficking in Panama. One can see the decrease in prosecution in three articles. Article 456 of the penal code does not criminalize all forms of sex and labor trafficking because there needs to be movement to initiate a trafficking offense. Trafficking offenses involving adults resulted in 15 to 20 years imprisonment, while offenses involving children are 20 to 30 years. This article conflicts with international law because it relies on fraud, force and coercion rather than the three essential elements.

Article 180 criminalizes commercial sex exploitations with seven to nine years imprisonment with a fine of 5,200 balboas. Article 186 criminalizes commercial sex acts from a child with a five to eight-year sentence. These two articles offer a lighter sentence for sex traffickers by charging them with non-trafficking offenses.

Solving Human Trafficking in Panama

Different projects and campaigns are launching to solve the human trafficking problem in Panama. UNDOC launched a campaign to make September the month against human trafficking in Panama. In doing so, UNDOC and the Ministry of Security (MINSEG) joined forces in a joint project to establish a shelter for human trafficking victims, develop a booklet for shelter for victims and develop and implement a Master Training Plan that covers different areas in the public and private sectors.

UNDOC also founded the Blue Heart Prevention Campaign in four Central American countries including Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador). The campaign’s objective is to raise awareness across the world about human trafficking as well as its effects on people and society through the stories of its victims. The Blue Heart Prevention Campaign is trying to prevent further cases while encouraging entities from the government, civil society and corporate sector to help.

The Blue Heart Prevention Campaign donates all proceeds to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking Persons. This provides vital assistance and protection to victims of human trafficking.

In 2014, Panama joined the Blue Heart Prevention Campaign and is making small strides toward solving human trafficking in Panama. The campaign hosted the Blue Heart Gala Concert where music held great power in bringing individuals together in the fight against human trafficking. More than 600 people attended the concert where the country’s National Symphony Orchestra and the Nemeth Quartet from Turkey performed.

Looking Ahead

Supporters across the globe continue to raise money and awareness for victims of human trafficking in Panama, but it still is not enough. Panama has a ways to go to meet the required standards for the elimination of human trafficking. With more focus returned to the prosecution of traffickers, it is possible that Panama can reach the required standards that the U.S. Department of State.

– Brianna Green
Photo: Flickr

The Obesity epidemic Threatening the Poor 

Obesity Epidemic
For a long time, many have considered obesity a disease that plagues the world’s countries with the highest incomes. It affects only those who could afford to over-eat. However, this is increasingly no longer the issue as low-middle-income countries bear the heaviest burden of obesity. The stain that diseases like life-threatening diabetes cause only further exacerbates this. An ODI report found that compared to high-income countries, obesity rates were twice as high in lower-income countries with the rates of fat and sugar consumption rising as well. Currently, the WHO estimates there are 115 million people with obesity in developing countries. Despite global health intervention efforts, diabetes continues to target the poorest and perhaps a more holistic approach would be more effective. Here is some information about the global obesity epidemic.

Genetics and the Environment

Previous studies have pointed to genetics as one of the main obesogenic factors. They suggest that lesser developed communities lack the genetic capacity to process a modern diet. However, recent research argues that sociocultural factors play the largest role, interacting in ways far more complex than genes or environment. One can see an example of this in the obesity prevention measures that mostly target indigenous communities. This stems from the presumption that they are better genetically programmed for feast and famine cycles and unfit for the modern diet which leads to fat-hoarding “thrifty genes” that conserve excess fat. Nonetheless, indigenous communities also tend to live in poverty and inequality drives obesity.

Changes in Global Production

Many changes in global food production are also leading to higher levels of obesity. One example is the way agricultural corporations use chemicals and factory farms in an effort to have high yields. Nonetheless, findings have determined there is a link between pesticides and industrial farming practices and obesity and other health conditions. Industrialized diets promote cheap energy-dense food and its marketing makes it more accessible. Moreover, areas with high rates of poverty also tend to have the least access to food that is both affordable and nutritious.

Aggressive Diabetes in Belize

The West treats diabetes as a manageable disease that is often non-life threatening, thanks to the various available medical resources. However, in Belize, diabetes is regarded as one of the leading causes of death. This high death rate is due to a lack of available resources and medical infrastructure in the country to treat patients. Moreover, patients have also cited the issue of struggling to afford the weekly bus fare to the hospital, causing them to miss medical appointments. Nonetheless, Belizean diabetic patients are instead using their voices to campaign for better medical infrastructure in the country, transforming themselves from victims to activists.

World Obesity Day Addressing the Obesity Epidemic

World Obesity Day serves to encourage discussion surrounding the global obesity epidemic to acknowledge its complexities and take action to break norms and revolutionize health outcomes. The World Obesity Federation emerged in 1967 as the former Obesity Association. It strives to provide and bring forward first-rate problem-solving in terms of the obesity crisis. The federation aims to change the narrative around global obesity and work with governments and health bodies to ensure the right initiatives are occurring to help solve the global obesity problem.

Obesity’s effects are detrimental to the poorest countries. Countries that are the least medically equipped must manage its repercussions. As World Obesity Day approaches on March 4th, it is imperative not to forget about low-income countries and the burden they bear. In the West, much of the discussion surrounding obesity focuses on a local problem. However, for those countries that cannot afford to provide medical treatment, this discussion should expand and interventions should be on offer to help obesity’s most vulnerable victims.

– Genevieve Lewis
Photo: Flickr

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6 Facts About Hunger in Eritrea

Hunger in Eritrea
Eritrea is an African country between Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti on the coast of the Red Sea. It is part of the geopolitical region in East Africa called the Horn of Africa or the Somali Peninsula. With a population of 6.21 million, according to The World Factbook, Eritrea remains one of the poorest countries on the continent, with a GDP of $2.37 billion.

Since its 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia ended in 1993, the dictatorial president Isaias Afwerki has run Eritrea. The government has not recognized any other political parties besides the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, which elected Afwerki in 1993. Afwerki serves as the head of government and the head of state, making both the executive and legislative decisions for the country.

As a result of the country’s sizable poverty rate—69%—and its totalitarian government, the Eritrean people are starving. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that more than 60% of the population does not receive enough nourishment. The following six facts about hunger in Eritrea illustrate the expanse and provide background for the debilitating hunger crisis in Eritrea.

6 Facts About Hunger in Eritrea

  1. Army Over Agriculture: The Eritrean government prioritizes defense over agricultural development, despite the widespread famine. All Eritreans, men and women, between the ages of 18 and 40 must enter indefinite national service, including compulsory military conscription. Conscription often lasts decades and extends far beyond 40 years old, despite formal Eritrean law limiting it to 18 months, according to Human Rights Watch. Citizens who could be contributing to the agricultural industry of Eritrea instead end up in military service. The food supply in Eritrea is largely dependent on food imports and aid because, according to the FAO, the contribution of agriculture to the trade balance is negative.
  2. COVID-19 Travel Ban: Not only does the Eritrean government neglect agricultural development, but it also lacks foreign trade. First, the nationwide lockdown in March 2020 limited all imported food. Then, the Eritrean government banned all domestic travel in December 2020, making informal trading and market selling impossible and exacerbating starvation.
  3. Family Farm to Family Table: According to The World Factbook, more than 80% of Eritreans work in subsistence agriculture, which is the act of farming just enough to feed one’s own family and leaving a little surplus for selling. Agriculture has little effect on the country’s economy because so little is left over, accounting for just 8% of the country’s GDP.
  4. Rejecting Aid: “Aspiring to be self-reliant,” as stated by the LA Times, the Eritrean government has ushered out aid programs, including the U.K.’s ACCORD, the U.S.’s Mercy Corps and Ireland’s Concern Worldwide. According to The New Humanitarian, the Eritrean government requested for the three international NGOs to stop operations and exit the country in 2006, having already expelled USAID in 2005.
  5. Russia-Ukraine War Effects: The Eastern European conflict has impacted food prices in Eastern Africa. Eritrea is especially vulnerable because it relies entirely on imports from Russia and Ukraine for wheat, in addition to soybeans and barley, according to the FAO. A deficit of these significant food resources continues to fuel widespread hunger across Eritrea.
  6. Child Malnutrition: The World Bank reports that child malnutrition is a tragic result of rampant hunger in Eritrea. One can calculate malnutrition using four factors: underweight, wasting, stunting and overweight, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). About 39.4% of children younger than five years old in Eritrea are underweight. About 14.6% of Eritrean children younger than five years old are wasting, which is the most severe form of malnutrition and results in an extremely low weight-to-height ratio. These children suffer from extremely weak immune systems, making them susceptible to disease and death. Furthermore, 52% of children younger than five years old experience stunting, which is a result of malnutrition that occurs when UNICEF defines a child as a “low height-for-age.” This inhibits children from harnessing their fullest physical and cognitive capability. Finally, more than half of all deaths of children younger than five years old are related to malnutrition. These large figures demonstrate how hunger in Eritrea has a detrimental effect on the young.

The Good News

The six facts about hunger in Eritrea featured above illustrate the rampant starvation, but luckily international aid organizations have not abandoned their cause, despite the government requesting their departure. UNICEF, for example, has a plan for humanitarian action in 2023.

The organization is seeking $14.7 million from the U.S. government to provide humanitarian services to treat malnutrition, thirst, lack of access to education and poverty in Eritrea. UNICEF’s predicted impact will help 40,000 wasted children, administer health care for 600,000 women and children, grant learning supplies for 200,000 children and provide water access to 100,000 Eritreans.

Eritrea has struggled with extreme poverty and hunger ever since its liberation from Ethiopia in 1993. From travel restrictions and military conscription to child malnutrition and rejection of foreign aid, Eritrea has a long way to go. However, as COVID-19 transportation bans have loosened, there is an aspiration across the world to help the Eritrean people. Organizations like UNICEF have committed themselves to providing aid to Eritrea. Furthermore, the literacy rate is higher than ever at 76.6%, according to the U.N. – a huge leap from the 52% literacy rate in 2002. With great progress in education, there is hope for homegrown agents of change to further Eritrea’s development.

– Skye Connors
Photo: Flickr

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How Vocational Training Centers in Uganda are Helping Women and Girls

Vocational Training Centers in Uganda
Uganda is an east-African nation occupied by dozens of ethnic groups. Over the past few decades, the Ugandan government has made several efforts to improve the lives of its female citizens, who make up 50.71% of the population. In addition to government-level actions, the women’s movement in Uganda is also one of the most diverse and progressive across Africa. However, recent political developments in the country, such as the 2021 re-election of President Yoweri Museveni, have constricted human rights, especially the rights of women. Luckily, vocational training centers in Uganda are emerging to empower women and girls.

Women’s Rights in Uganda

International conventions act as the framework through which people understand women’s rights in Uganda. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) have both influenced the country’s 1995 constitution, the foundation of the country’s legislation.

Formally, the Ugandan government claims to oppose all laws and practices which violate women’s rights. In actuality, countless women and girls in Uganda, especially those in rural areas, do not have the same rights as their male counterparts.

Moreover, the lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the rights of women and girls in Uganda because the government was unable to support women facing violence at home. As a result, about 90,000 girls under the age of 18 became pregnant.

Education for Girls in Uganda

Women and girls aged over 15 in Uganda spend 14.6% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work, compared to 8.8% of the time spent by men. In addition, girls often lack the educational rights of men. In primary and pre-primary education young girls and boys attend schools at similar rates. However, once children reach secondary school age – between 13 and 18 – lower numbers of girls attend school compared to boys. At the university age, the ratio is skewed in the favor of boys even more.

For many young girls early marriage and motherhood mean an end to their education. Women aged 15-49 – the typical reproductive age range – frequently face barriers to reproductive health care and often lack access to sexual health education. Female genital mutilation is also still a major challenge for women and girls in Uganda. ​​Vocational training centers in Uganda could offer young women a different future.

Enabling Women’s Empowerment in Uganda

According to the U.N., equipping young women and girls in Uganda with practical skills could be transformative in giving them greater financial autonomy. In Uganda, 38.5% of women are below the international poverty line compared to 33.9% of men. While it is clear that more needs to support all genders, the empowerment of women is an integral part of reducing poverty in the country.

Creating vocational training centers in Uganda will provide a brighter future for young women and girls. Grassroots and charity organizations such as Resilient Women Uganda are supporting women and girls by building these centers across Uganda.

Resilient Women Uganda

Resilient Women Uganda supports women and girls, who come from poor families and are between the ages of 10 and 20, through the provision of vocational training centers in Uganda. It works with those exposed to gender-based violence and at risk of school dropout. The projects conducted with Resilient Women Uganda aim to improve the socio-economic status of young women and girls by allowing them to develop marketable skills. These skills include tailoring and knitting, computer literacy, English lessons, hairdressing and more.

Resilient Women Uganda’s main priority is helping girls who have left education go back to school. The organization, which two women founded in 2016, relies on the commitment of a group of volunteers. So far the group has met 9,504 teenage girls and helped 359 women find jobs through vocational training centers.

A brighter future for young Ugandan women is within reach and could help alleviate poverty in the country by improving standards of living and increasing women’s rights.

– Florence Jones
Photo: Unsplash

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Madagascar’s Social Protection Programs

Madagascar’s Social Protection Programs
Although very little attention comes the way of Madagascar, recent U.N. aid has placed a much-needed spotlight on its problems. The small island nation off the east coast of Africa has one of the highest poverty rates in the world, with more than 75% of the population living on under $1.90 a day. Looking to address this issue within Madagascar’s institutions, the U.N. worked with local officials to create the ‘Fagnavotse’ social protection program. Fagnavotse provides a mix of health insurance, cash transfers and training services to the poorest Malagasies, reaching more than nine thousand households during its three-year existence. Here is some information about Madagascar’s social protection programs.

Drawbacks

A critical part of Fagnavotse is its emphasis on training and protection. Madagascar suffers from extremely low rates of human capital, meaning that despite its abundant natural resources, poor health, education and food access limit long-term growth. Meanwhile, pandemic shocks and the war in Ukraine have raised fuel prices and hampered growth. Madagascar’s social protection program educates farmers on proper practices, providing them with tools and equipping them for the country’s long drought periods. In addition, it offers women affected by gender-based violence and abuse counseling and community support. Over time, the U.N. hopes the program will boost the productivity of Madagascar’s poorest citizens.

Although Fagnavotse was a necessary step in the right direction, access to social protection programs continues to hamper economic growth. Originally conceived for Madagascar’s three most poverty-stricken communes, social protection programs like Fagnavotse only affect 6% of the population and take up around 1% of the budget, suggesting there is room for improvement. A World Bank Study in 2018 found that $50 cash transfers like those in Ethiopia could reduce the poverty rate by as much as 40%. Rather than a sign of defeat, the U.N. chose to treat this as an opportunity to expand its program.

Recent Developments

On February 6, 2023, the World Bank earmarked $250 million in loans for social protection programs in Madagascar. Over the next four years, the aid will target the 3 million poorest Malagasies, more than 13% of the population. The World Bank intends to merge many of the existing social protection programs into a more cohesive system, affecting more people more efficiently. As Marie-Chantal Unwanyiligara, the program’s country manager, stated, “We are very pleased to support a scale-up of Madagascar’s social protection programs … supported by a national social registry that other sectors will use to target the most vulnerable.”

Madagascar’s new social protection program, like Fagnavotse, focuses on immediate aid and long-term growth to reduce the country’s poverty count. The two key aspects of the new program are increased cash transfers to female heads of households and improved access to economic safety nets. This will provide immediate security to the many millions of Malagasies living in extreme poverty while working towards the U.N.’s goal of female empowerment. The World Bank hopes that these cash transfers will disperse themselves throughout the economy, multiplying their positive effect.

In addition, Madagascar’s new social protection program aims to spur growth and tackle the root of the country’s problems. Julia Ravelosa, an economist working with the World Bank, noted that one of the program’s primary objectives is to “encourage girls’ school attendance, promote access to reproductive and health care services, and encourage women’s participation in a package of accompanying measures including financial and economic inclusion.” Madagascar can significantly bolster the country’s overall productivity by improving women’s education and entry into the workforce.

The Road Ahead

Madagascar’s social protection programs still face the challenge of their implementation. For a struggling nation like Madagascar, these reforms are pivotal in reducing extreme poverty and present the quickest opportunity for growth. In the past, low funds and reach hindered the full implementation of these programs, but the World Bank’s support comes as a positive sign in a country that desperately needs one.

– Samuel Bowles
Photo: Pixabay