Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

No Energy Bills for UK citizens

No Energy billsOctopus Energy, a U.K. energy provider, has merged with the housebuilding firm Ilke Homes in an attempt to revolutionize the U.K. energy market. Their new big promise is no energy bills for U.K. citizens. Data the energy market regulator Ofgem published stated that in 2021, the average U.K. citizen spent as much as £1,138 a year on electricity bills. Octopus has officially pledged to get rid of that entire number, provided consumers do not use more than 10MWh of energy (which is the annual standard energy usage).

The Partnership

The strategic partnership between the two companies comprises two factories, situated in Stanfordle-Hope, Essex, including an air source heat pump, solar panels and battery storage technology. These environmentally friendly technologies can generate clean, free energy whilst making use of the Octopus energy tariff. All of Octopus’s tariffs use 100% green electricity and are no more costly than other energy providers’ non-green tariffs.

Currently, the project is undergoing testing with two semi-detached, medium-sized family homes in Essex. The project consists of eco-friendly and intelligent houses, equipped with technology that sustainably collects and transforms energy. Further, exceptional insulation should prevent heat from escaping and reduce the need for gas-dependent heating. As the houses are meant to reach the “No Energy bills for U.K. citizens” specification as advertised, they will have highly efficient solar panels covering their entire roofs, heat pumps to convert solar energy into heating and a central battery to store any excess energy. In the case that this proves to be insufficient, the houses can still access the central electricity grid and can draw energy when needed. The scheme aims to start mass production of energy bill-free houses and is ready to deliver to all parts of the U.K.

The Cost of the Scheme

The scheme cannot undergo implementation in already existing houses, and buyers have to buy it when they acquire their homes. The setup itself adds an extra £8,000-£9,000 to the total buying price, which includes the individual energy generator components like the solar panels, the battery storage and the air source heat.

However, the providers argue that individuals should not only expect increasing living costs but also even higher energy price caps. The energy price cap in the U.K. increased to £1,971 per year in April 2022, and the previous cap had already been very troublesome for many. Ofgem’s CEO has stated that he predicts the energy cap will increase further and be around the £2,800 mark eventually. This could subsequently hit low-income households the hardest and force many into so-called ‘fuel poverty,’ which is defined as a household with an energy rating of band D or below.

A total of 8.5 million households are at risk of not being able to pay for heating and power. In that context, the junction shows real potential for the average citizen. Further, the CEO of Ilke trusts that “green technology building costs” are only going to reduce over the next few years with the hope of breaking even compared to conventional energy systems by 2030. No energy bills for U.K. citizens would not only lift millions out of poverty but also free up funds for children’s education, health care and pension funds. The U.K. government has not yet granted a grant scheme but continues to actively express its support for innovative and consumer-friendly schemes like Octopus X Ilke.

– Pauline Lützenkirchen
Photo: Flickr

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Abt Associates Is Tackling Global Issues

Abt AssociatesWith 9% of the world’s population living in poverty, there is going to be an excess of other major issues on account of poverty. Some of the effects linked to poverty include food insecurity, poor health, homelessness, lack of housing and more. As of 2021, nearly 698 million people are undergoing extreme poverty and that means hundreds of millions of people are most likely experiencing at least some of the problems poverty creates. Despite the detrimental impact poverty leaves, Abt Associates is tackling global issues in more than 50 countries around the world to alleviate some of the world’s ongoing difficulties.

What is Abt Associates?

Clark Abt founded Abt Associates in 1965. It is an organization with the goal of achieving his dream: a world no longer suffering from war and poverty. This organization is dedicated to addressing the world’s most drastic issues and implementing action through methods based on extensive research to create growth in those specific areas. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide,” the organization says on its website.

There are nine main areas that Abt Associates focuses on: education, inclusive economic growth and agriculture, equity and inclusion, governance and justice, environment, climate and energy, health, housing and financial capacity building and workforce and economic mobility.

There are five “capabilities” of Abt Associates including digital transformations and advanced analytics, data capture and surveys, research, monitoring and evaluation, technical assistance and implementation. Abt Associates is tackling global issues successfully by strengthening systems and organizations, creating knowledge and inform policy and improving population well-being.

Impacting the Entire World

From maintaining health to food security to economic well-being, Abt works in more than 50 countries to solve the challenges worldwide. Abt works in the following regions including the Middle East & North Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia & Asia-Pacific, United Kingdom & Europe and South & Central Asia. Of the regions, many countries are facing severe poverty rates. The regions include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Burundi and Guatemala, which are all countries in the top 10 highest poverty rates in the world.

Abt is working in other countries with high poverty rates, such as Haiti, with a 58.5% poverty rate, Sierra Leone, with a 56.6% poverty rate and Afghanistan, with a 54.5% poverty rate. The organization is currently working with more than 3,100 partners around the world to enact tangible and sustainable impact.

Life-Changing Projects

Abt Associates has dozens of current programs in place in each focus area to apply new technologies and solutions to improve lives. “Building the Next Generation of Resilient Ugandans” is one of the many programs in focus on food security and agriculture. This project aims to keep Ugandan children enrolled in school, make sure that families are on a healthy and nutritious food diet and are engaging in environmentally harmonious living from agriculture and other endeavors. The results have been a success. Abt Associates stated that in the first 18 months “we linked more than 1,400 community groups to markets, equipped more than 1,000 out-of-school girls with livelihood skills, and worked with 750 cultural leaders.”

The “Improving Nutrition for Tajik Mothers and Children” project works to improve Tajikistan’s health system, provide quality services to mothers, newborns and children and improve nutrition and child health. These are just a few of the many projects improving thousands of lives all over the world including “Building a 21st Century Road Map to Child Welfare Transformation”.

Abt Associate Awards

Abt Associates is tackling global issues and making real change in countries that are facing extreme issues, many of which are experiencing extreme poverty. For decades, Abt has been doing important research and making active and long-lasting changes in communities to improve quality of life. This organization has even been recognized with multiple awards for its notable work, including the MarCom Gold Award and the 2020 Commuter Connections Incentives Award. This powerful organization is essential in battling world issues and easing the gruesome effects that poverty generates.

– Dylan Olive
Photo: Flickr

Health Care in Kazakhstan Adopts AI

kazakhstan-adopts-ai-into-health-careIn this modern world, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having a positive impact on people’s lives in Kazakhstan, bringing the efficient technology that today’s health care systems increasingly need. More specifically, the country launched an AI health care device called PneumoNet to provide early diagnosis for the most infectious lung diseases.

Health Care in Kazakhstan

Here are a few key facts about health care in Kazakhstan:

  • Life expectancy at birth at 73.2 years in line with the global average.
  • The doctor-to-patient ratio stood at four doctors for every 1,000 people in 2014, exceeding the regional average of 3.3 and the global average of 1.8.
  • Lung disease is the third leading cause of death in Kazakhstan. Large cities and urban areas contributed to poor air quality, exacerbating lung diseases.
  • With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an already overworked medical team faced more pressure to assess data and recommend therapies as the number of patients receiving computed tomography (CT) scans rose from an estimated 60 to 100 per day, the World Bank reports.

In addition, the extraordinary scope of the pandemic brought attention to the health care system’s need for creative and economical approaches to the quick and precise identification and treatment of lung disorders.

Implementing AI

Incorporating AI into the health care system has several advantages. The first is greater efficiency. An automated system allows medical professionals to analyze patient data faster in order to deliver better health care more quickly. This can reduce the stress of the doctors that may already be overwhelmed.

Overall, PneumoNet allows Kazakhstan to effectively diagnose 17 of the most contagious lung diseases using AI techniques. These include pneumonia, tuberculosis, cancer and COVID-19. The Kazakh Research Institute of Oncology and Radiology (KRIOR) and the firm Forus Data partnered to develop and implement the technology.

“In the early days of the pandemic, frontline medical staff were introduced to working with the PneumoNet system. By May 2020, the system was used by three frontline hospitals in Almaty and Nur-Sultan, allowing radiologists to do their work in half the time and expediting the triaging of patients based on need for critical care and hospitalization. In addition, the system complemented the PCR diagnoses as the number of COVID-19 cases increased,” Dauren Baibazarov, the executive director of Forus Data told the World Bank.

A Better Future

Kazakhstan continues to prioritize the implementation of technology in health care in order to benefit patients. This is needed more than ever as the “wear and tear of medical equipment is at the level of 49.6%.” PM Smailov has made the decision to centralize medical equipment purchases in order to help remedy this.

Kazakhstan’s health care system and general state of health should advance with time and stable expansion. The continual development of medical technology is making it easier to identify illnesses and prepare to treat them when they are still in their early stages. This lessens the strain on people who live in larger cities and cannot afford quality health care.

– Frema Mensah
Photo: Unsplash

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International Student Scholarships in the United Kingdom

Student Scholarships in the United KingdomNowadays, many universities look to promote cultural diversity and provide opportunities for high-achieving disadvantaged students who face challenges in accessing higher education in a foreign country. Through international student scholarships in the United Kingdom, British universities are able to provide disadvantaged international students opportunities to study abroad. The number of fully funded scholarships that British universities have given has increased in recent years. For example, the available scholarships went from 2,840 for the 2021-22 academic year to 3,310 for the 2022-23 academic year. This article will provide an overview of student scholarships in the United Kingdom while providing some examples.

Overview of International Student Scholarships in the United Kingdom

In 2022, more than 3,000 opportunities for student scholarships in the United Kingdom covered multiple levels of higher education degrees, supporting students from bachelor’s degrees up to master’s degrees and doctoral degrees. Many of those fully funded scholarships are open to students from all over the globe, without any discrimination and exclusion, which could give the British universities a diverse, global academic environment and help more people from varying cultural backgrounds reach for a better life.

Some scholarships in the U.K. aim to help those most in need and are specifically for students from low-income backgrounds. The British government provides some of those scholarships, like the Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships. Meanwhile, individual universities, like the UCL (University College London) Global Masters Scholarship, provide others.

Special Scholarships For Indian Students

In June 2022, the U.K., cooperating with businesses in India, announced 75 fully-funded one-year master’s program scholarships awarded to talented Indian students. It is worth noting that the year 2022 happens to be the 75th anniversary of India’s independence from the United Kingdom after shedding its colonial status. The scholarship covers the university’s tuition fees, the cost of transportation and the students’ daily expenses.

Chevening, the British government’s international awards scheme that provides many student scholarships in the U.K., has partnered with Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) India to sponsor 15 of those 75 scholarships. HSBC India CEO Hitendra Dave believes that students receiving the money all have the potential to become leading stars in different fields.

Special Scholarships to Assist Ukrainian Students

The armed conflicts between Ukraine and Russia has severely affected the learning process of many university students in Ukraine. Under such circumstances, the University of Edinburgh has generously started implementing a pilot program for a sanctuary scholarship scheme that aims to aid students during conflicts.

The pilot program directly helps Ukrainian doctoral students whose study activities cannot carry on normally due to the war. The program “will enable students to study in Edinburgh, make short visits to the city, or receive support and mentoring to continue their research studies in their own country.”

In 2021, the U.K. ranked 10th on the list of countries providing financial support for international students. Through international student scholarships in the United Kingdom, disadvantaged students across the world have the opportunity to study at renowned institutions. With this high-quality tertiary education, these students are able to secure skilled jobs that pay well and enable them to improve their living standards.

– Ella Li
Photo: Flickr

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The United States and WFP Address Food Security in Africa

United States and WFPAmid the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine, changes in climate and terrorism, many countries in Africa are facing spikes in food insecurity and malnutrition. According to World Vision, in 2020, 282 million people faced malnutrition in Africa, equating to 46 million more malnourished people compared to 2019. In 2021, 33.8 million face acute food insecurity in East Africa. The World Food Programme (WFP) is working to help these individuals establish food security, especially those who are refugees and other displaced individuals.

United States policymakers and USAID are also working to support WFP in addressing food insecurity. On June 14, 2022, the U.S. announced funding assistance of $29.5 million to “support WFP’s humanitarian food assistance to 940,000 people affected by insecurity, conflict and natural disasters in northern Mozambique” and efficient “registration of displaced populations jointly with the Government of Mozambique and partners.” By establishing long-term solutions to poverty and malnutrition in refugee camps and providing emergency aid to host families of displaced people, the United States and WFP can strengthen food security throughout Africa.

Displaced throughout Africa

On June 16, 2022, USAID Administrator Samantha Power spoke with WFP Executive Director David Beasley to discuss how the two agencies would partner to supply “urgent humanitarian food assistance to crisis-affected people”, especially in light of recent crises including:

The effects of the pandemic and the blockage of grain exports from Ukraine to other countries are triggering a food crisis across the globe, mostly impacting vulnerable countries dependent on these exports. Dealing with one or more barriers to food access will increase poverty and malnutrition. These combinations of issues harshly impact host countries and people living in refugee camps.

US Commitment

The U.S. is the leading WFP donor worldwide and contributed $3.7 billion in 2021. The United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland visited WFP in Mozambique on June 14, 2022, to allocate aid for specific issues impacting Mozambique that exacerbate food insecurity in the nation. WFP Country Director Antonella D’Aprile said, “With so many overlapping crises around the world, the contribution of $29.5 million from the United States to the people of Mozambique is praiseworthy.”

Providing Aid

The World Food Programme (WFP) is able to assist through a network of resources that commit to addressing global hunger and aiding refugees. WFP is helping Kenya’s Kalobeyei refugee settlement by establishing farming systems to help those escaping violence in Burundi. The organization and partners “established rainwater harvesting ponds, built greenhouse-like structures and modern markets” to accelerate the area’s farming potential. The organization also developed “five irrigation water pans with a combined capacity of 265,000 cubic meters” to help farmers irrigate crops during times of drought.

WFP is grappling with the consequences of poor harvests, the COVID-19 pandemic and food shortages stemming from the war in Ukraine. Refugees from various regions of Africa are able to find WFP projects that can help them improve their quality of life and secure a better future.

Displaced people in different countries have the help of a range of conflict-specific aid to combat food insecurity and fight hunger in populations that are depending on programs that can provide stability amid multiple barriers. The United States and WFP are making this life-saving aid a priority, especially as new conflict arises.

– Karen Krosky
Photo: Flickr

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Russia-Ukraine Wheat Agreement Goes Into Effect 

Russia-Ukraine Wheat Agreement Russia and Ukraine are two of the largest grain producers in the world, combining to supply 30% of the world’s wheat and barley. A continuous flow of these goods is critical as the two countries account for over half of all wheat imports in 36 countries, according to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The Russia-Ukraine war put a stop to the export of these goods with Russia blocking Ukrainian ports since February. Fortunately, with the help of the United Nations and third-party countries, Russia and Ukraine were able to strike a deal allowing wheat and grain exports to leave the Ukrainian port in Odesa. The Russia-Ukraine wheat agreement went into effect on Monday, August 1, 2022.

Food Supply Threat

Port blockages posed a clear threat to food supply lines around the world, specifically in the Horn of Africa. Because wheat was unavailable from Russia and Ukraine, countries had to pay more for shipping from further away countries. Additionally, any vessels traveling through the black sea were in imminent danger, resulting in higher insurance premiums and an overall increase in food costs.

The situation was untenable, with it being an estimated 47 million people face acute hunger, USIP reports.

Fortunately, with the help of the United Nations and third-party countries, Russia and Ukraine were able to strike a deal allowing wheat and grain exports to leave the Ukrainian port in Odesa. The Russo-Ukrainian wheat agreement went into effect on Monday, August 1, 2022.

The Agreement

Two countries concluded the agreement last month, after two months of negotiation. United Nations and Turkey brokered the talks, with both Russia and Ukraine taking a seat at the table. The Russia-Ukraine wheat agreement should last 120 days, however, there’s an option to renew it indefinitely if both countries agree, according to BBC.

The reason for the nearly month-long delay between agreement and enaction of this deal comes from the difficult logistics that had to be ironed out. Ukrainian military mined the waters in Odesa to prevent Russian ships from entering. As a result, this makes travel by cargo ship incredibly difficult.

The Ukrainian military worked to finalize a route through the black sea suitable for cargo ships and devoid of mines. Second, all cargo ships entering and exiting Ukraine will go through inspection for weapons, upon Russia’s request. This inspection will happen at the Joint Coordination Center in Turkey, according to BBC.

Now that the agreement has gone into effect, Ukrainian officials announced that there are 17 ships carrying 600,000 tonnes of cargo waiting for inspection, BBC reports.

Compromises

Under the Russian-Ukraine wheat agreement, Russia has agreed not to take any military action on Odesa or the ships coming in and out of the port. Ukraine has agreed to use its naval vessels to guide all ships in and out of the mined waters, according to BBC.

As mentioned before, Russia had concerns over weapons being smuggled into Ukraine. To alleviate these concerns Ukraine agreed to mandatory inspections of all ships, which Turkey, as a third party, will conduct.

Issues

The Russo-Ukrainian Wheat Agreement is a major first step in building relationships and restoring food supply lines. However, there are still some concerns. First, there are concerns that Russia may not have agreed to this deal in good faith. Less than 24 hours after the deal was agreed to, Russia launched two missile strikes on Odesa port.

There are worries that Russia may continue to disrupt shipments through military action. Second, even with guidance from the Ukrainian navy, sea mines still pose a significant threat to cargo ships in the water. As a result, insurance premiums for vessels hoping to transport grain under this agreement will remain incredibly high and continue to put upwards pressure on the cost of food.

– Benjamin Brown
Photo: Flickr

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USAID Programs in Kenya

USAID Programs in KenyaDuring the closing weeks of July 2022, most of the world experienced a global heatwave that brought about soaring temperatures. Even many cities in the United States experienced temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. However, while many Americans enjoyed their indoor air conditioning, the same cannot be said for those living in poverty across the globe.

Effects of the Global Heatwave

The abnormally high temperatures that the world experienced in July were only a taste of what countries in eastern Africa have been experiencing for the last several months. This extreme heat can have detrimental effects on people living in developing countries as it significantly hampers food production and crop yield from farming. Kenya is experiencing some of the worst droughts, with many farmers losing 70% of their crops since May and more than 2 million livestock deaths.

Extreme Heat and Sickness

Extremely hot temperatures can also lead directly to sickness, especially in children. Many pathogens thrive better in hot water and food which can cause illnesses. Furthermore, reduced livestock production due to heat-related deaths means that children cannot consume high protein meals which further contributes to rising malnutrition levels.

Extreme heat experienced by children was shown to increase the rate of chronic malnutrition by 12% according to a study at Princeton University.

Other Issues Affecting The Food Supply

There are other issues affecting food supply and crop production besides extreme heat waves. The International Rescue Committee recently updated its Emergency Watchlist indicating that many countries in Eastern Africa could be facing imminent catastrophe if they do not receive international aid soon. Countries like Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia are on the precipice of a devastating famine that could affect millions.

This famine comes as a result of a drastic decrease in food production in Ukraine due to the nation’s recent conflict with Russia. Nearly 90% of East Africa’s wheat consumption came from Ukraine and Russia. This coupled with the severe droughts already crippling food production within their own countries, east Africa is in a dire situation.

USAID Programs in Kenya

Although the outlook for Kenya appears bleak, many countries are taking up the mantle to support these struggling nations. The United States through its USAID agency has promised to provide Kenya with $235 million dollars to help alleviate the hunger of nearly 900,000 children living through severe malnutrition, according to its website. This money will provide emergency food, nutritional aid, support for farmers and clean water to more than 1 million people in Kenya. This program may prove to be pivotal in preventing the worst famine of the 21st century.

Preventing a Food Crisis

Although Kenya is on a path toward famine, many countries like the United States have made significant contributions toward preventing this famine in Eastern Africa. Despite extreme heatwaves and droughts, as well as reduced global food production, millions of lives can be saved thanks to the efforts of USAID programs in Kenya providing emergency monetary relief.

The International Rescue Committee has made it clear that these countries are in desperate need of more emergency relief lest they face a famine crisis. Hopefully, the precedent set by the United States will encourage more relief for the millions struggling in Kenya and Eastern Africa.

– Declan Harkness
Photo: Unsplash

Pfizer is Helping and Healing

Pfizer is helpingAccess to good health care and proper medication is a problem for many countries. Nearly two billion people around the world do not have access to needed medication. This is due to issues such as accessibility, affordability and availability. Countries in poverty suffer the most from these difficulties, hitting the poorest of the population the hardest. But Pfizer, the drug manufacturer,  is helping by taking a step forward to help level the playing field in accessibility to medication. Recently Pfizer announced a new initiative, “An Accord for a Healthier World.”  The Accord will donate patented medicines and vaccines on a non-profit basis to some of the poorest countries in the world, helping 1.2 billion people in 45 low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Medicine Accessibility for Those in Poverty

The recent pandemic showcased problems when it comes to having medicine and vaccines available and ready for the public. But having a shortage of medication is only a piece of the puzzle.  Improvements are needed in areas including education, infrastructure, storage and diagnosis in order to balance health inequities around the world. “Inequities are everywhere. You can pick any disease and you will find inequities,” says Aida Habtezion M.D., Pfizer’s Chief Medical Officer.

Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Malawi and Uganda are the first countries to participate in the Accord. Eventually, the Accord will provide medication for 27 low-income countries and 18 lower-middle-income countries. Pfizer will assess best practices in providing medical infrastructure,  health education and diagnosis in the first five countries so it can make improvements when it rolls out the program in other countries.

Pfizer Foundation is Helping Elsewhere in Africa

The Pfizer Foundation has also recently committed to funding three separate humanitarian organizations that are helping with the refugee crisis in African countries. International Medical Corps, the International Rescue Committee, and World Vision are “working tirelessly to provide essential health care to the world’s most marginalized people” according to Caroline Roan, president of the Pfizer Foundation and Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Pfizer.

All three of these organizations have their own roles to play in this cooperation. The International Medical Corps will focus on mobile health outreach and strengthening the community health center in the Central African Republic (CAR) in order to give nutrition and health services to those displaced. This includes 20% of the total population in CAR at the moment. The International Rescue Committee will aid in improving the quantity and quality of immunization coverage in the Hagadera refugee camp in Kenya. The camp currently houses 83,000 refugees. World Vision will be helping in CAR as well as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to host people who cannot get access to healthcare. It will also work to increase protection for displaced children.

Beyond Donating Funds

These new initiatives are examples of how Pfizer is making a difference in the world, maximizing its resources as well as teaming up with other organizations. Eradicating poverty and its many repercussions takes more than just donating to the cause, but instead, it takes extensive research, follow-through and coordination to see how to solve the problem most effectively.

– Kelsy Jensen
Photo: Flickr

Impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Taiwan

No nation avoided the horrific impacts of COVID-19. On the other hand, some nations managed to mitigate them. Taiwan held strong and the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Taiwan has been low to date.

The Yonsei Medical Journal states that Taiwan responded decisively to COVID-19, reporting less than 100 cases per million people until late 2021. However, in the same year, the population percentage below the poverty line broke 4% for the first time in five years from a previous 1.5%. Despite the significant increase, the relatively low percentage suggests an overall successful response.

A Swift Response to COVID-19

Taiwan had numerous advantages going into the pandemic. Yonsei states that one of the major factors was its experience with the SARS outbreak in 2003, which inspired the country to improve its public health systems to better handle infectious diseases. The private sector also followed suit, providing more health care options for all demographics including those living in poverty.

Furthermore, Taiwan’s government and health organizations communicated through daily press releases, social media and telephone to keep citizens up to date with COVID-19 developments. The government also used citizen identification through apps and other media for contact tracing.

Overall, despite inadequate testing in 2020, the low rates of transmission and accessibility to medical care helped to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Taiwan.

A Creeping Inequality Issue for the Poor

Still, according to Taiwan News, some groups are concerned about underlying issues. The humanitarian organization World Vision stated that recently more than 8,500 homes of the 25,500 families it aids in Taiwan experienced poverty. In addition, more than three-fourths of children are struggling to afford school materials, a potential impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Taiwan.

Additionally, the News Lens shows that Taiwan uses a national poverty line of less than $1.90 per day instead of the upper middle-income-country poverty line of $5.50, thus underplaying the number of impoverished in the nation. Notably, Taiwan’s minimum wage of less than $1,000 per month is significantly lower compared to other countries with similar GDPs per capita.

Societal Issues Compounding the Problem

The Taiwanese government has begun approving financial aid to the poor but in insufficient amounts, according to Michael Turton of the Taipei Times. One of its programs allows a trade-in of NT$1,000 for NT$5,000 in vouchers or approximately $33.53 to $167.66. In addition to being too meager, the vouchers can only be used for specific purposes, limiting the benefits for those who need it most.

Other criticized factors of Taiwanese aid include low business subsidies that are not enough to keep businesses afloat. Turton’s sentiment is that rather than long-term and generous aid programs, Taiwan’s government supports band-aid fixes. Turton believes this is because high tax evasion rates in Taiwan result in an underfunded government.

While the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Taiwan has not been catastrophic, it has nonetheless revealed existing flaws in the island nation’s society and stance towards the poor.

What Can be Done to Help

Due to these systemic issues, humanitarian programs such as World Vision are instrumental in providing aid that the Taiwanese government cannot. The organization established a Taiwanese branch in 1964, 14 years after its founding in 1950. Not long after, the organization successfully launched aid centers in remote areas and became an outlet for the Taiwanese to provide both domestic and international aid.

Today, World Vision also operates many other significant programs. This includes emergency relief systems for natural disaster response, care for foster children and indigenous peoples, and a 24-hour hotline that handles domestic abuse and other social worker issues. Finally, World Vision also provides numerous avenues for people to contribute to its cause that range from standard donations to child sponsorship, a system that lets a donor personally connect with a child in need.

– Henry Bauer
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

TechLit Africa’s Mission to Lift Africans Out of Poverty

techlit-africas-mission-to-lift-africans-out-of-poverty
In what the World Bank refers to as a “connectivity gap,” Africa, especially its more rural regions, has yet to recognize the benefits that come with internet connectivity— such as the creation of jobs, economic growth via digital economies, increased access to basic services, as well as quality education and more. With only 22% of the African continent having reliable access to the internet, however, this might not come as much of a surprise. A non-profit known as TechLit Africa, however, plans to change this.

Teaching Technological Literacy

Also known simply as TechLit Africa, the non-profit is working to supply rural African schools with computer labs in order to teach kids the “technological literacy” and “self-efficacy” they have largely missed out on. Through computer classes, a digital curriculum and the learning of digital skills, TechLit Africa is striving to bring Africans into the digital world and out of poverty.

The Mission

Speaking to Software Engineering Daily in 2021, Nelly Cheboi, executive director and co-founder of TechLit Africa, gave a simple answer to the story behind the non-profit’s mission: “Starting TechLit Africa came from my own experience growing up in Kenya. I grew up in poverty and I’ve always been motivated to tackle poverty. I drew most of my experiences from watching my mom really struggle to put us through school… I saw education as the easiest way out of poverty.”

Thus, with this principle in mind, TechLit Africa grew and developed with the goal of teaching young Africans technology-based skills that have the potential to close the technological gap between themselves and the rest of the world.

Through the donation and refurbishment of old computers, TechLit Africa is partnering with schools and working to build computer labs within them. The non-profit then teaches various computer-based classes such as design, typing or coding (among other things) via a digital curriculum and the assistance of on-site TechLit educators.

In a recent interview with CNN, Cheboi gave a powerful vision for the non-profit’s goal. “My hope is that when the first TechLit kids graduate high school, they’re able to get a job online because they will know how to code, they will know how to do graphic design, they know how to do marketing… The world is your oyster when you are educated. By bringing the resources, by bringing these skills, we are opening up the world to them.”

TechLit Africa is currently running 10 computer labs in schools in rural Kenya, which is working to serve roughly 4,000 students. However, the organization does not plan to stop there by any means.

High Hopes for the Future

As TechLit Africa’s website spells out, the non-profit’s hopes for the future are ambitious and strongly emphasize rapid growth with even greater reach. As such, over the next several years it is their mission to begin putting down roots in even more schools.

“Last year, we partnered with 10 schools and taught over 4,000 kids. Our next milestone, 100 schools and 40,000 kids. We hope to hit by Q1 2023″

Simply put, for the future, the non-profit hopes to reach as many kids as possible; and in increasingly larger numbers; in order to equip them for the technological landscape of the future.

Indeed, teaching these skills and equipping young Africans for this future is incredibly important. As TechLit Africa’s website further highlights, Africans in rural communities simply lack many of the tools and skills necessary to take advantage of the digital economy like so much of the rest of the world has.

According to TechLit, many African talents don’t fit in the technological world, despite being well-educated. TechLit Africa “teaches digital skills using donated used computers that could end up in landfills… With these skills, [students] could be working remotely for tech companies all over the world straight from the village.”

By teaching these crucial technological skills, TechLit Africa is enabling young Africans to look forward to a brighter, self-sustainable and more secure future.

– Riley Wooldridge
Photo: Flickr