Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Solar-Powered Oxygen Systems in Somalia Save Lives

Solar-Powered Oxygen Systems
As of November 2022, the World Bank recorded that close to 70% of  Somalia’s population lives in poverty and 90% suffer from multidimensional impoverishment. Among many other basic necessities, many cannot afford health care services that prevent or cure fatal diseases, such as pneumonia. Solar-powered oxygen systems in Somalia provide an innovative solution to address pneumonia and prevent pneumonia-related deaths in Somalia. However, before early 2021, health facilities in Somalia struggled to provide patients with critical oxygen.

Pneumonia in Somalia

Many diseases plague Somalia due to widespread poverty and a lack of access to health care, nutritious food, clean water and safe sanitation. In 2019, lower respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, stood as the number one disease contributing to the highest number of deaths in Somalia. Somalia has one of the world’s highest rates of child mortality and pneumonia accounts for 25% of these deaths.

Pneumonia is a severe respiratory disease impacting the lungs. Caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi, pneumonia leads to breathing difficulties. A person with pneumonia experiences pain while breathing and cannot breathe in enough oxygen. “Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

However, parents can prevent pneumonia in children through vaccinations to protect against “Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough (pertussis),” the WHO highlights. To ensure the effectiveness of immunization, adequate nutrition is essential. Because Somalia is one of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Somali children suffer from malnutrition and undernutrition, which puts them at risk of weakened immune systems that could make them more susceptible to acquiring pneumonia.

Apart from the importance of adequate nutrition, oxygen is needed in large quantities as a therapy to combat pneumonia. Somalia lacks oxygen systems, tanks and other essential equipment, which makes the treatment of pneumonia and pneumonia-related diseases difficult. The need for oxygen systems in the country became more apparent and urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic as many people needed these to survive.

Poor parents in Somalia struggle to access health care services for their children because of financial constraints, putting timely health care treatment out of reach. Another issue impacting health care facilities is a lack of electricity to operate essential equipment and oxygen concentrators. The introduction of solar-powered oxygen tanks in Somalia resolves this issue.

Solar-Powered Oxygen Systems

A collaboration between the WHO, the innovative nonprofit Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) and a team from the University of Alberta gave rise to an innovation that has so far saved many from pneumonia-related deaths in Somalia.

Dr. Mamunur Rahman Malik, a WHO Somalia representative, said in an interview with VOA News, “pneumonia is the deadliest disease among children under the age of five in the country. Until now, health authorities had not had access to an intervention that could reduce deaths from childhood pneumonia.”

The partners installed the solar-powered oxygen system, “the first of its kind,” in January 2021 at the Hanaano General Hospital in Dusamareb, Somalia. By harnessing the sun, which is a cost-free resource, the systems capture enough solar energy to use during the day, at night and at times when the weather is not sunny, like on cloudy days.

The solar-powered oxygen system provided critical oxygen to 171 patients at the hospital from February 2021 to October 2021. Of these patients, 163 patients (95.3%) made full recoveries.

The innovative and life-saving solar-powered oxygen systems in Somalia have reduced the cost of treatment for pneumonia and pneumonia-related diseases and can operate without an electricity supply. This medical innovation has the potential to significantly reduce the mortality rate in the country.

– Oluwagbohunmi Bajela
Photo: Flickr

How One Acre Fund Helps Farmers in Africa

Farmers in Africa
The One Acre Fund is a Kenya-based social enterprise that believes “farmers are the key to achieving food security and prosperity.” Yet, in sub-Saharan Africa, farmers account for most individuals surviving on just a dollar per day. The One Acre Fund supports farmers in the nine African countries that are responsible for the production of 80% of Africa’s food supply. The One Acre Fund website highlights that by 2030, about 90% of individuals surviving on a dollar a day will reside in sub-Saharan Africa. With statistics such as these, it is clear to see why One Acre Fund has a particular focus on farmers in sub-Saharan Africa specifically. The social enterprise works to reduce poverty by providing farmers with vital supplies and training to increase yields and bring in more income with a goal to benefit 10 million farmers by 2030.

The Importance of Supporting Smallholder Farmers

Smallholder farmers depend on the crops they cultivate not only to gain a stable income but also to feed themselves and their families. By helping farmers just as the One Acre Fund does, farming families are able to secure a more stable supply of food all year round and perhaps even a surplus yield, benefiting nutrition and overall food security. Global Citizen highlights that “financing for farmers pays for itself — every $1 invested in agricultural research by demand-driven research institutions such as the CGIAR generates $6 or more in benefits, such as increased farmer income and better health and educational outcomes for community members.”

The One Acre Fund Training Programs

When it comes to boosting the success of smallholder farmers, receiving quality agricultural training is just as important as having quality supplies. One Acre Fund provides direct and personalized training to farmers to improve productivity and yields. For instance, farmers learn beneficial planting techniques, how to prepare the land for planting, how to prevent infestations of diseases and pests and battle unexpected barriers in growing crops, among other topics.

The One Acre Fund aims to provide farmers with the knowledge and skills to improve climate resiliency, considering that Africa often faces extreme weather conditions, such as floods and drought. The training of smallholder farmers not only enhances their knowledge and skills but also advances their independence and allows farmers to pass down the knowledge to more people in their communities to multiply the impact of the training.

Last Mile Delivery

In 2021, 58% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa lived in rural areas with many of these areas being remote and lacking infrastructure and road networks. This lack of connectedness introduces a new obstacle when it comes to delivering smallholder farmers the necessary resources to thrive agriculturally, like seeds and other essential farming supplies.

The One Acre Fund introduced the Last Mile Delivery strategy to ensure farmers in the most remote places can access essential resources that will help break the cycle of poverty. In order to do this, the social enterprise delivers through three pathways: retail shops, field officers and trials of online apps. One Acre Fund utilizes “geotagging software to pinpoint and monitor activity at each delivery site” to make sure farmers receive the supplies. Even if there are no proper roads because of a lack of infrastructure in under-developed areas, alternative modes of transport are utilized for deliveries, such as tractors and motorcycles.

The One Acre Fund’s Impacts

In 2021, the efforts of One Acre Fund benefited the lives and livelihoods of 3.2 million farmers. The social enterprise has expanded the income of farmers by about 40% annually, resulting in “$210 million in new farm profits,” its website says. One Acre Fund has provided job opportunities to about 9,500 individuals, mainly from rural locations. The social enterprise highlights a successful return on investment: “$2.70 new farm profits created for every $1 of donor investment.” Overall, the work of social enterprises such as the One Acre Fund betters the lives of disadvantaged smallholder farmers in Africa by increasing agricultural yields and reducing poverty.

– Ruby Wallace
Photo: Flickr

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Saving Women and Children in Kenya Amid Drought

 Women And Children in Kenya
Millions of women and children in Kenya are at risk of death due to the most severe drought experienced in four decades, the United Nation reported in January 2023. The drought has forced families to migrate away from health facilities in search of food and water, which means the rate of skilled birth attendance has reduced, increasing the risk of maternal mortality. Kenya’s maternal rate is 342 mothers per 100,000 live births and could increase due to the drought’s impacts. The United Nations Population Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) created an innovative motorbike emergency ambulance service to reduce maternal deaths in Kenya. Furthermore, the World Food Programme (WFP) partnered with the national government to provide various aid services to women and children in the most vulnerable regions, thus, minimizing the impact of Kenya’s drought on the population’s health.

The Long Drought

Before Kenya’s drought, health facilities in Kenya supported an average of 411 births per month, which amounts to a 70% skilled birth attendance rate. However, deliveries at these facilities drastically decreased to 100 per month by November 2022, equating to a 24.6% skilled birth attendance rate. A lack of skilled maternal care via trained professionals contributes to Kenya’s high maternal mortality rate.

Regardless of technological advances, Kenya consistently maintains a high maternal mortality rate. The government of Kenya has made efforts to train more health care professionals, but low-income people located in rural areas must still undertake arduous journeys to health centers due to the country’s complex geographical layout. Access to timely and routine health checkups at a closely located health facility is out of reach for many pregnant women in rural areas.

The drought has caused severe nutritional concerns for children and pregnant women due to food shortages. In particular, the drought has led to the deaths of 1.5 million livestock, which served as a primary source of food and income. By July 2022, more than 9,000 Kenyan children under 5 and 135,000 pregnant/nursing mothers suffered acute malnourishment.

The UNFPA and the WFP

The UNFPA created an emergency motorbike program, operational since November 2022, that transports pregnant women to health centers and significantly reduces the delivery time of emergency medical supplies. In the past, some pregnant women in rural Kenya delivered on the side of the road as they could not reach a health facility in time. The emergency motorbike ambulance program aims to help about 135,000 pregnant women/new mothers in Kenya who have difficulty accessing essential health care.

 The UNFPA provides reproductive health care services every two weeks to 15-20 pregnant women in the most rural parts of the country. Furthermore, the UNFPA also provides nutritional and immunization services to these communities. To continue its critical work amid Kenya’s drought, the UNFPA is appealing for $113.7 million to finance its Response Plan for the Horn of Africa Drought Crisis 2022-2023, with particular emphasis on supporting women and children in Kenya.

Amid the drought, in July 2022, the WFP partnered with Kenya’s government to transfer emergency cash and food to 19,000 families and implemented resilience programs to support more than 300,000 people. Moreover, the WFP also appealed for $130 million more to expand the aid to further families. The call for extra funding aimed to “cover food and cash for 960,000 and blanket supplementary feeding for 486,000 children and 122,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women in the worst affected counties.”

Kenya’s drought directly threatens the health of pregnant women and children in Kenya. However, by establishing programs and funding to increase access to health care and nutrition, the UNFPA and the WFP are providing life-saving services. The work of these intergovernmental organizations improves countries’ health, leading to more prosperity worldwide.

– Andres Valencia
Photo: Flickr

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How Digital Technologies Can Help End Child Poverty

Digital Technologies
Impoverished children have long been the target of anti-poverty efforts. In addition to being one of the groups most vulnerable to the effects of penury, ensuring children have opportunities to grow economically and socially is vital in the long-term fight against global poverty, considering they will form coming generations. This aspect has become more important than ever; due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, child poverty has seen a substantial increase in many parts of the world, and the fight against child poverty as a whole has experienced complications. Thankfully, focusing on digital technologies can yield multiple solutions to many of the issues bound up in child poverty.

Understanding Child Poverty

Today, 1 billion children are in multidimensional poverty (with about 356 million of those children being in extreme poverty), which means they lack access to various necessities ranging from clean water and food to a proper education. In recent years this number has unfortunately increased, with the COVID-19 pandemic pushing another 100 million children into poverty.

The effects of child poverty can be devastating, both short and long-term. About 3.1 million children die each year (or 8,500 children a day) from a lack of proper nutrition. For many other children, not having adequate nutrition or clean food can lead to several issues such as stunted growth. In the long term, if these impoverished children are unable to get a proper education, that will stymie opportunities for them to climb the economic and social ladders and raise themselves out of poverty. For these issues and many more, child poverty is a vital facet to focus on when fighting against world impoverishment.

Technological Solutions

Thankfully, digital technology has emerged as one avenue to fight child poverty. For example, one huge way digital technologies are improving the lives of impoverished children is by providing greater access to education. As technologies like computers and cellular connectivity continue to gain a greater foothold in the world’s poorest regions, they provide opportunities for children to have complete, safe and efficacious access to sources of education. Studies that the United Nations and agencies like UNICEF have backed this up by showing that using digital technologies to educate poor children can not only help them get into the educational system but help them catch up on time they lost in the classroom during events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital technology can also help fight child poverty in ways many may have never considered. For example, the introduction of new technologies into poor regions can help improve their Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems, programs that various national governments use to record data such as birth date, place and other vital information about individuals. These systems do not have records of many of the world’s poorest children, which means these children cannot access things that their governments provide such as social, health and education services. Streamlining digital technologies that allow for poor children to be registered in these systems, will ensure they have the full support and protection of rights from the government necessary to thrive and survive.

Looking Forward

Child poverty remains a top issue in the fight against global poverty. Thankfully, several of the issues rooted in this fight are possible to combat through the promotion of the innovative use of digital technology in the world’s poorest regions. As more research continues into how digital technologies can help end child poverty, progress will continue.

– Elijah Beglyakov
Photo: Flickr

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The Medicalization of Poverty Induced Mental Health Illnesses

Mental Health Illnesses
As the number of people with mental health illnesses increased in recent years, mental health has become the center of much discussion, with the highest rate among lower-income countries. A World Health Organization (WHO) report found that more than 80% of depressive disorders occurred in low to middle-income countries. Poverty, unemployment and other factors that people commonly associate with poverty, such as alcoholism, make the risk of depression higher. Many who develop mental health struggles go on to seek appropriate treatment for their symptoms from doctors and medical professionals, where available. On the other hand, treating the cause of their distress would arguably be more effective.

Living in Poverty: The Biological Stress Response and the Effects on Mental Health 

The neurological effects of poverty are already visible in infancy, with diminished brain development seen among children from low-income households. Meanwhile, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) reported that poverty can lead to ample detrimental physiological responses, including increased blood pressure and cortisol levels. Over time, a build-up of these responses can disrupt brain function, prompting long-term physical and mental health ramifications.

A 2015 report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found that schizophrenia and depression have a higher prevalence amongst those with lower socioeconomic status. Alcoholism and other substance abuse had a stronger association with those who lived in poverty for a long time.  

Mental Health in Low-income Countries 

What many may consider a disease that plagues the wealthy, the largest proportion of global mental health sufferers resides in the countries with the lowest incomes. Those living in poverty, with less educational access, and who struggle to acquire basic needs are at a greater risk of developing mental disorders. This means that the relationship between poverty and mental disorders resembles a vicious cycle in low to middle-income countries.

The lack of available mental health resources only further exacerbates this problem, with less than 1% of these countries’ budgets invested in mental health. Moreover, in the communities, there is a higher level of taboo surrounding mental health illness, leading to a lack of clarity and understanding.

Treatment: The Symptom, Not the Cause 

Low-income communities have a higher proportion of antidepressant users in comparison with those of higher income. A U.K. study that the DeStress Project conducted revealed that individuals living on Universal Credits and struggling with the distress from poverty reported resorting to medication as a means to legitimize their suffering, as well as being made to feel as though the cause of their grief was pathological, not systemic. Despite prescribing antidepressants, one doctor reported knowing in their “heart of hearts that it’s not a medical problem.” 

CBM UK: The Mental Health Charity Helping the World’s Poorest 

CBM U.K. has been working to help the lives of those suffering from mental health illnesses in the world’s poorest countries for more than 15 years. In 2017, CBM merged with the mental health charity BasicNeeds which only increased its technical capacity and reach. The charity aims to improve access to mental health resources such as therapy and medication, eradicate stigma and taboo surrounding mental health as well as train local communities to support those with mental health illnesses in rural and non-developed areas. In 2022, CBM U.K. gave 27,000 people support for mental health conditions, and the pandemic has enabled 2,500 medical professionals to provide support.

Looking Ahead

Nonetheless, treating mental health illness in poorer communities only addresses the symptoms rather than the cause. Solving poverty would reduce the number of cases of mental disorders and consequently eradicate the need for the unnecessary cost of prescriptions.

– Genevieve Lewis
Photo: Flickr

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5 Charities Operating in the Maldives

Charities Operating in the Maldives
 The Republic of Maldives is a South Asian island country located in the Indian Ocean. It is also known for being one of the smallest Muslim-majority countries and one of the smallest countries in Asia in general. Here are five charities operating in the Maldives.

5 Charities Operating in the Maldives

  1. Maldivian Red Crescent Society: This nonprofit is the first of the five charities operating in Maldives on this list. Maldivian Red Crescent Society is a member of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and has been providing humanitarian aid for more than 12 years. Since its founding, it has carried out emergency response, mental health, youth empowerment and patient transport programs.  One group this charity has focused on is migrants. It has helped many migrants with social inclusion and mental health improvement. The charity has also played an elemental role in the Maldives charity scene with its continued work in supporting the most vulnerable populations of the island.
  2. Coram International Maldives: This institution focuses on children’s rights. It provides research and consulting for a number of issues relating to children and human rights violations. Being an international institution, Coram provides assistance in more than 92 countries. In the Maldives specifically, the charity works to provide consulting and research related to education, child protection and youth unemployment. In 2019, Coram International paired with UNICEF Maldives to administer a situation analysis regarding the youth of the Maldives. This study developed an assessment report that could help organizations such as the U.N. and UNICEF better help the children of the Maldives.
  3. Maldives Family Foundation: The third on the list of five charities operating in Maldives is the Maldives Family Foundation. This foundation works to provide assistance to families through legal aid, psychological help, and financial guidance. Maldives Family Foundation also has a large presence on social media, with prominent Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. One way the charity has been helping the citizens of the Maldives is by raising awareness of the Child and Family Protective Services available within the country.
  4. UNICEF in Maldives: UNICEF is a worldwide organization that provides humanitarian aid to children. The charity has been operating in the Maldives since 1978. When UNICEF started in Maldives, it had a primary school enrollment rate of 15% and many children were dying before the age of 5. Since then, with the help of humanitarian organizations such as UNICEF, the Maldives has become a country with one of the lowest poverty rates in South Asia. One way in which UNICEF has contributed to the alleviation of poverty in the Maldives is through its partnership with the National Bureau of Statistics. In this partnership, the team created a Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index. This index collected data about “household income, consumption, and the complexities of deprivation and inequality among communities, and [shed] light on how these factors impact children.”
  5. Huvadhoo Aid: This organization is focused on providing for the Maldivian community in areas such as human rights, equality and the promotion of democracy. One project that Huvadhoo Aid undertook was a reproductive education and rights workshop in 2012. This workshop was held at a local preschool, where many youths gathered to learn about safe sexual practices. A core goal of the workshop was to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Maldives.

Looking Ahead

Whether it be working with climate issues, families, the youth or vulnerable populations, these charities are working to make the Maldives a better place. These organizations provide support, not just for residents of the Maldives, but for the international community.

– Timothy Ginter
Photo: Flickr

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The Inspiring Economic Development of Bangladesh

Economic Development of Bangladesh
After gaining independence in 1971, Bangladesh was described as a “basket case” and a collapsing and fragile state as it emerged from the war as the second poorest country in the world. At the time, Bangladesh was a war-torn agrarian economy with a number of human development challenges with dwindling productive assets and weak infrastructure. However, Bangladesh proved the international community wrong as they emerged victorious and resilient in their pursuit of economic development, particularly after the 1974 famine.

The World’s Fastest-Growing Economy

Economic development in Bangladesh in the past 50 years has been impressive, with GDP per capita rising to $2,734 in 2021 from $134 in 1971. Bangladesh quickly recovered from the aftermath of its War of Independence as one of the poorest countries in the world to achieve a steady growth rate, even during the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past two decades, extreme poverty has significantly declined by more than half, dropping from 34% in 2000 to just 11% in 2022. In addition, other key indicators of human well-being, such as maternal mortality rates, life expectancy and primary and secondary education attainment have also shown significant improvement.

One important factor is that almost all children go to school, with the primary school net enrolment rate at 97%. Moreover, more women continue to enroll in schools, and thus enter the workforce, contributing to growth in a wide range of economic sectors. Consequently, maternal mortality cases decreased significantly from 2000 to 2017, from 434 live births per 100,000 to 173.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh still found a way to prosper. Households saw improvements in regard to coping strategies and food security amidst the pandemic, and according to self-reported surveys, families residing in poor and slum areas of Dhaka and Chittagong experienced substantial improvement in their food security. This was linked to an increase in employment opportunities observed between two rounds of surveys conducted. Survey results also indicated a general improvement in the labor market and employment situation in 2022.

How Did They Do It?

There were several factors that contributed to the economic development of Bangladesh, particularly in the agricultural sector of the country. Following the birth of the nation in the 1970s, Bangladeshi scientists helped successfully implement innovations in crop varieties that made the country self-sufficient in food. Advancements in sustainable food production practices, despite the difficulties posed by frequent flooding, have been instrumental in combating hunger, poverty and malnutrition.

Furthermore, Bangladesh became the second largest exporter of ready-made garment (RMG) products in the world which greatly increased employment in the manufacturing sector. The growth of RMG also benefitted female labor, as the number of women entering the workforce increased to 35% in 2021, from 21% in 1990.  Clean energy also became more accessible for the 8.2 million people living in the rural parts of Bangladesh, with every home having access to electricity. These improvements led to increases in immigration and the nation saw an increase in economic contributions from migrant workers.

Partnership with the World Bank

In 1972, the World Bank saw potential in Bangladesh, beginning a partnership by investing a $50 million credit. This turned into more than $38 billion in financing for economic development in Bangladesh over the following years. Today, the World Bank is Bangladesh’s largest external funder. The decision to continue funding centered around Bangladesh’s impressive achievements and the necessary actions required to maintain Bangladesh’s progress toward its goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2031.

Despite these accomplishments, the current challenges of high inflation and declining foreign exchange reserves challenge the notion of stable macroeconomic performance in the country. Furthermore, concerns persist about the nature of growth and its impact on the population. Roughly 24.3% of the population struggles to fulfill basic necessities and the wealthiest 5% hold 27.8% of the nation’s income.

Nonetheless, the impressive economic development and poverty reduction in Bangladesh are inspiring. However, to achieve high-income status and meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), significantly increased efforts toward inclusive growth are necessary.

– Noura Matalqa
Photo: Flickr

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Human Trafficking in Mauritius

Human Trafficking in Mauritius
The United States Department of State ranks the island nation of Mauritius as a Tier 2 country in 2022 in terms of efforts to eradicate human trafficking. This rank, unchanged from 2021, means the “Government of Mauritius does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.”

5 Facts About Human Trafficking in Mauritius

  1. Migration. Mauritius saw almost 30,000 migrants in 2019. The increase in migration and lack of regulation has affected human trafficking in Mauritius. Financial difficulties and rising unemployment rates mean many low-income migrants and their families are susceptible to trafficking and exploitation.
  2. COVID-19 Pandemic. According to Statistics Mauritius, “Relative to the first quarter of 2020, the number of employed declined by almost 129,400 units” and 18% of households reported a loss of more than half their income. Moreso, the overall unemployment rate rose to more than 10% by May 2020 from around 7%. These economic factors put many low-income workers at greater risk of exploitation, particularly in terms of human trafficking.
  3. Children. Children are at significant risk of exploitation in Mauritius. In June 2022, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, Mama Fatima Singhateh, visited Mauritius to “promote strategies that prevent and combat the sale and sexual exploitation of children.” The 10-day-long visit aimed to tackle topics such as “the protection of children against sexual exploitation, child marriage, child trafficking for sexual exploitation, the exploitation of children living in the streets and the sale of children through illegal adoptions,” according to the website of the U.N. Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. Singhateh also held the purpose of examining Mauritius’ progress in addressing the exploitation of children since the last country visit in 2011.
  4. Laws. The Mauritian government has ratified several International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, such as ILO 29 Forced Labour convention on December 2, 1969, and the ILO 182 Worst forms of Child Labor on June 8, 2000. These conventions solidify Mauritius’s commitment to eradicating issues relating to human trafficking. In addition, laws such as the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act of 2009, which criminalizes sex trafficking and labor trafficking, and the Children’s Act of 2020, which criminalizes child sex trafficking, show the government’s attempt to combat this issue on a legislative level.
  5. Challenges. An obstacle for the government is that traffickers utilize multiple methods to exploit their victims. Family members or domestic partners are often complicit in the exploitation of girls for sex trafficking. Traffickers also work with Russian and Kazakh criminal networks to exploit and move women into Mauritius from places such as Belarus and Ukraine. Additionally, more than 35,000 workers in the manufacturing and construction sector, hailing mainly from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Nepal, are most at risk of forced labor.

Looking Ahead

Regardless of the challenges, according to the U.S. Department of State, the Mauritian government showed positive efforts against trafficking. These include increased services for identified child trafficking victims, working alongside a global organization to “renovate a shelter and repatriate foreign victims identified in previous years,” educating migrant workers on how to identify situations of trafficking and “reconvening the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Trafficking in Persons (IMCTIP) after it was inactive for two years,” the U.S. Department of State website says.

Though human trafficking is an issue of concern in Mauritius, the government is implementing strong measures to ensure the nation’s most vulnerable citizens are protected from trafficking and exploitation.

– Saad Haque
Photo: Flickr

The Akon Lighting Africa Project Brings Electricity to Africa

Electricity to Africa
Akon, a U.S.-Senegalese rapper whose real name is Aliaune Thiam, grew up in a rural town in Senegal and spent much of his childhood without electricity. He personally faced the challenges of living off the grid, from limited educational and career opportunities to health and quality of life concerns. In 2014, Akon launched the “Akon Lighting Africa” project to help Africans access low-cost yet sustainable energy through solar power. Understanding the affordability of solar power, Akon’s solar project aimed to bring much-needed electricity to more communities in Africa.

Electricity Access in Africa

According to the World Bank in 2022, millions of Africans still do not have access to electricity. “West Africa has one of the lowest rates of electricity access in the world; only about 42% of the total population and 8% of rural residents have access to electricity,” the World Bank says.

Akon founded the solar project in partnership with two visionary co-founders, Thione Niang, a passionate Senegalese political activist, and Samba Bathily, a successful entrepreneur and CEO of solar company Solektra International. The co-founders understand that rural African communities require more than just temporary aid from foreign donors. They believe in empowering these communities with “affordable renewable energy delivered by fully trained African professionals managing for-profit projects that bring longevity, generate jobs and build new self-sustaining economies,” the Guardian reports.

Benefits of Akon’s Solar Project

In the first year of operation, Akon Lighting Africa brought solar energy to 14 African nations through street lights and solar panels. The project has made a significant difference in the communities it targets. Solar electricity is allowing vendors with outside businesses to operate for longer hours, children are able to study after dark and crime rates are decreasing due to the visibility that solar-powered street lighting provides.

As of 2016, the project had made significant progress toward its goal of providing solar-powered electricity to 250 million people on the African continent by 2030. With the installation of 1 million solar-powered street lights in 480 communities across 16 nations and the establishment of 1,200 solar microgrids and 5,500 job opportunities, the project is well on its way to fulfilling its mission. By 2020, Akon Lighting Africa had provided solar energy to 25 nations and about 28.8 million Africans in need.

A Vision of Sustainability for the Future

The singer has also expressed his vision of building a futuristic city in Senegal, called Akon City, powered entirely by sustainable energy. The city, which will feature everything from homes to hotels, schools and even an airport, will embody the principles of sustainable development and futuristic design. Akon also intends to build a $1 billion hospital with 5,000 beds among its many amenities.

The Akon Lighting Africa project is dedicated to improving lives in sub-Saharan Africa by partnering with local governments, companies and nonprofits to bring accessible solar energy systems to families, hospitals and schools. With 70% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population being younger than 30, creating sustainable jobs is crucial in many communities. To achieve this, in 2015, the project launched the Solar Academy in Bamako, Mali’s capital city, where young people from all over Africa receive training to become skilled professionals in the solar energy sector, for example, by gaining skills to build and maintain solar energy equipment.

The Akon Lighting Africa project is a great example of how investing in renewable energy can create jobs and bring electricity to people who need it. The project is bringing electricity to Africa by working with Chinese manufacturers of solar-powered products to provide affordable solar power to more Africans. This project is a great example of using renewable resources to create sustainable benefits.

– Frida Sendoro
Photo: Flickr

3 Ways to Expand Health Care in Africa

Health Care in Africa
“Africa, which accounts for almost 17% of the world’s population, represents only 3% of global drug production,” the World Economic Forum stated. With the ongoing poverty issues in Africa, the country has been at a disadvantage in terms of providing adequate health care to its citizens. For example, with the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa was last in line to access vaccines and PPE to stop the spread of the virus. Africa needs to consider ways to expand health care. After all, inadequate health care in Africa plays a big role in the deaths that various diseases cause each year.

Poverty prevents others from considering countries as important as they should be which leads to many disadvantages. However, hope still exists as there are many ways to expand health care such as through private-sector engagement, a streamlined regulatory environment and strong coordination across the manufacturing ecosystem. Despite these ways, global support is one of the biggest factors to strengthen global health security.

Private Sector Engagement

A private sector business refers to a business that private individuals run rather than the government. Although it may be hard to develop a fully functional business in Africa due to insufficient resources, individuals can start a business in another country that has enough resources and supply its products to African citizens or even promote “made in Africa” products. According to the World Economic Forum, despite the costs that may arise when trying to help other people, international organizations can advocate for support from the government and could potentially collect donations to support a good cause.

Finances are not as big an issue to expand health care in Africa, but rather a lack of motivation in individuals to find ways to engage in the private sector to advocate for a cause. Individuals typically depend on the public sector to fund and increase accessibility to health care but, it is not enough to meet the demands of millions of people, especially during a global crisis.

Streamlined Regulatory Environment

With drug manufacturing and distribution, a streamlined regulatory system needs to be present in order to ensure all manufacturers follow regulations to provide safety and quality among the products. To date, Africa has not adopted a streamlined system which has led to weak and misaligned policies ultimately, making the process of product manufacturing to be very inefficient and ineffective by lengthening the process by four to seven years.

Despite this, a newly developed organization African Medicines Agency (AMA) aims to strengthen the policies regarding product/drug manufacturing by having regulatory authorities. Supporting this organization would inherently mean high-quality local products such as drugs and other health care products would reach the people that are in most need. However, this organization has gained support from only 23 out of 55 African countries, the World Economic Forum reported. Full ratification would allow the adoption of a streamlined regulatory environment that makes access to health care in Africa much more efficient and safe.

Strong Coordination Across the Manufacturing Ecosystem

To support the population of more than 1 billion people in the continent of Africa, “strong coordination across the manufacturing ecosystem” is necessary, according to the World Economic Forum. Manufacturers need to work together to ensure enough products are available for everyone to use. In order to develop such an ecosystem, understanding the current capacities of production is essential in order to grow and develop products that may require additional resources to produce. For example, manufacturing and producing drugs may not be a possibility in some parts of Africa in which considerations and goals need to emerge to develop such facilities in the future to increase products to meet the demands of all citizens.

The African Union and the Africa CDC’s Partnerships for African Vaccine Manufacturing Framework for Action are some examples of frameworks to boost manufacturing in Africa. Partnering with motivated organizations that have plans to help out with broader health care access can help Africa ensure that the basic needs of all citizens are met in an organized and effective manner.

Support in expanding health care in Africa could reduce the impact that a lack of accessibility to health care. However, more emphasis and adoption of certain approaches in necessary to obtain better health care for individuals.

– Parth Patel
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