Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

How Berdo Aids the Disabled in Bangladesh

Disabled in BangladeshDue to the combination of widespread poverty and overpopulation, life can be especially difficult for the disabled in Bangladesh. The Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization (Berdo) started its journey on July 17, 1991. The objective of Berdo is to rehabilitate people with disabilities through “income generation, education, training and treatment facilities.” Through this process, the organization enables the blind and disabled to succeed and live life with relative normality.

Job Placement

A common issue among the disabled is getting secure employment. The job-generating project aims to aid the disabled in finding suitable employment. An important aspect of this will be communicating with prospective employers in order to best accommodate the needs of the disabled. This program is funded by the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC). The program has produced in excess of 115 jobs for people with disabilities, as of data from 2008.

Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR)

Community-based rehabilitation for the disabled is provided through the following methods:

  • Community-based counseling with other disabled people.

  • Training in mobility and skills needed for daily living.

  • Facilitating access to necessary loans.

  • Improving disability awareness.

  • Local self-help groups, parents groups and Disability Persons Organizations (DPOs).

  • Facilitating enrollment in schools for the disabled.

Braille Library

Access to braille literature is essential for the blind to obtain new information. A library with audiobooks, CDs and braille books is located in Bangladesh. Five hundred braille books and 300 audiobooks are currently available. The library also contains a recording studio for recording audiobooks.

The School of Information and Technology for the Visually Impairment (SITVI)

The School of Information and Technology for the Visually Impairment (SITVI) is a program to teach essential computer and internet skills to the visually impaired. Relief International Schools online provided the computers needed for this program. This program currently has four computers but will likely expand in the future.

Promotion of Human Rights

The Promotion of Human Rights of Persons with Disability in Bangladesh (PHRPBD) is a program that aims to expand and protect the rights of the disabled community. This program works alongside the Center for Disability in Development (CDD). These rights are addressed through several small meetings of female Persons with Disabilities (PWD):

  • Distribution of necessary assistive devices.

  • Helping people with disabilities obtain disability allowances.

  • Assisting children with disabilities with admission into schools.

  • Referral services and regular check-ups

Education

Berdo has opened centers in Dhaka and Madaripur. Within these centers are schools and hostels for the blind to access. Services provided by these centers include:

  • Foodservice

  • Lodging

  • Medical check-ups

  • Counseling Support

  • Education

  • Sports

  • Cultural Activities

Japan provided Berdo with a grant of $87,350. With this fund, Berdo was able to obtain and utilize a braille press. A braille press is essential for the process of making texts that can be accessed by the blind. Specifically, the organization will this press to make texts for the Berdo Blind School, library members and other blind people within Bangladesh. This could enhance the self-reliance of the visually impaired as well as promote adequate education.

While the current scope of Berdo is somewhat small compared to the population, it is providing essential services for the disabled. These services should continue to be expanded upon in order to give equal opportunities and allow the disabled to achieve more stability and success.

– Max Cole
Photo: Flickr

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Sex Trafficking in Papua New Guinea

Sex Trafficking in Papua New GuineaEvery year, both citizens and tourists fall victim to sex trafficking in Papua New Guinea (PNG). PNG is also used as a common transit point to aid in exploiting individuals from other countries.

What is Happening in Papua New Guinea?

The U.S. Department of State placed PNG on a Tier Two Watch List. “The government of Papua New Guinea does not meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so,” according to the U.S. Department of State report. There are many challenges and attributes to consider when evaluating sex trafficking in Papua New Guinea. Although PNG lacks a lot of resources, the country has begun to improve in its elimination of sex trafficking.

As one of the World’s least developed countries, PNG faces many challenges with education, advocacy and law enforcement of sex trafficking. Furthermore, the country has not prioritized the incarceration of traffickers. According to the TIP 2021 report, PNG did not report any new investigations or prosecutions in 2021.

Since its Criminal Code Amendment in 2013, PNG has only prosecuted one individual that resulted in incarceration in November 2020. However, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, PNG has seen a decrease in all criminal investigations, with minimal energy spent on sex trafficking, according to the U.S. Department of State.

The Efforts

Although sex trafficking in PNG may look glum, the country is continuing to work toward the goal of elimination. Since the release of the 2020 Trafficking in Person (TIP) report, PNG has gone from Tier Three to a Tier Two Watch List. The main difference in these tiers is that as a Tier Three, it is stated there is no effort to eliminate trafficking.

PNG has also made slight efforts to broadcast and spread awareness to the public. On the country’s national day against human trafficking, “local authorities sponsored an article in their national newspaper to increase general awareness of trafficking,” according to the Tier Two Watch List.

In coordination with law enforcement agencies, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has provided aid for both international and domestic victims. In 2019, PNG launched a “safe bus” in the capital city of Port Moresby which expanded to Lae. The bus began as a result of sexual harassment and assault on public transportation. Since its implementation, it has kept women and children safe in transit to and from work and school.

There are many providers of aid internationally, including the U.N., IOM and the U.S. government. Within the TIP reports, the U.S. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons also provides Prioritized Recommendations. Most notably, the recommendations, among others, include “implementing existing standard operating procedures (SOPs), increasing protective services for victims of trafficking, instituting a policy framework, increasing awareness of and participating in the committee by civil society and protection stakeholders and acceding to the 2000 U.N. TIP Protocol.”

The Progress

As a Tier Two Watch List country, the elimination of sex trafficking in Papua New Guinea is slowly improving. However, a lot of work needs to be done to accomplish this. With “an acute lack of financial and human resources,” according to the U.S. Department of State, PNG struggles to make strides.

Although domestic attempts to eliminate sex trafficking may appear minimal, the country has shown great growth by improving on the TIP Tier list. International support such as aid from the U.S. and the U.N. is continuing to rise. The government has followed prioritized recommendations, such as amending the criminal code in 2013.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally. It can be difficult to look past such daunting statistics. However, PNG is growing its resource pool and on the road to the elimination of sex trafficking. With the continued support of foreign aid, sex trafficking in Papua New Guinea could improve.

– Sierra Winch
Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts about Education in Niger

Education in NigerThe country of Niger has been fighting a war against poverty for years. In 2021, the United Nations named Niger the least developed country in the world, with 42.9% of its population earning less than $1.90 per day. As the country’s economic state has worsened, so has its education system. Children are unable to learn due to financial disparities and geographical disadvantages and are not receiving the level of education and social interaction that they need. Here are five facts about the realities of education in Niger.

5 Facts about Education in Niger

  1. More than 50% of children between the ages of 7 and 16 do not attend school. Meanwhile, the preschool enrollment rate sits at only 7%. These statistics are the results of food insecurity, extreme poverty and inadequate access to schools. One of the greatest barriers to education in Niger is hunger, as children are not able to attend school for weeks at a time due to malnutrition. While schooling in Niger is compulsory, many areas do not have educational facilities to accommodate children. Too many students live much too far to walk to school, and some families do not have enough money to purchase a car to get them there.
  2. As of 2020, the Government of Niger only spends 3.8% of its GDP on education, according to the World Bank. This low percentage is indicative of a lack of investment in the education of Niger’s youth. Niger continues to rank close to the bottom on the United Nations Development Programme’s Education Index but, since 2015, has spent less than 4.5% of its GDP on education.
  3. The literacy rate in Niger is only 13.6%, one of the lowest in the world. Less than 8% of children have acquired adequate numeracy and literacy skills by the end of primary school, and only one-third of teachers demonstrated satisfactory competency levels in 2017. Education in Niger demonstrates favor toward the men of the population, as the literacy rate for males ages 15-24 is higher than those of women in the same age group by more than 10%.
  4. Access to and completion of education is worse among minority groups in Niger, such as girls living in rural areas and children with physical and mental disabilities. Only four out of 10 girls make it as far as the sixth grade before dropping out due to financial or familial difficulties. In addition, the country’s lack of adaptive classrooms and inclusive training means that schools are not meeting the standard of education that students with disabilities need in order to succeed.
  5. The impacts of COVID-19 worsened the challenges that the education system in Niger was already facing. In addition to the 2.5 million children who were already being deprived of an education, 3.6 million children had to leave school, and few had the resources to participate in virtual learning. More than 80,000 teachers ended up out of a job, and dropout rates began to increase. The closure of schools in Niger has had a very negative impact on students, and many are still recovering from the financial and educational setbacks that their families have suffered.

UNICEF continues to advocate for more accountability of Niger’s government, urging them to allocate more funds toward education. In July 2020, the Global Partnership for Education donated $70,000 to Niger to help it recover from the pandemic, which will go toward drawing up a plan to rebuild and redefine education in Niger. Organizations around the world are acknowledging the disparities in Niger’s education system and are working to provide a stronger foundation for students.

– Ava Lombardi
Photo: Flickr

Right To Be Free Addresses Human Trafficking in Ghana

Right To Be FreeIn an interview with The Borgen Project, Eric Peasah, founder and executive director of Right To Be Free (RBTF), speaks about the organization’s commitment to the prevention of human trafficking with a special emphasis on women and children in Ghana. His work not only lifts up the most marginalized and vulnerable but is also successful at a political level — Peasah played an important role in the development of Ghana’s Human Trafficking Act, among other efforts.

Impact

Peasah says that the organization’s mission is to make the world a better place for everyone. RTBF directly supports the “rescue, rehabilitation, reunification and reintegration of victims of human trafficking” and other exploitative conditions.

Further, modern-day slavery is far more widespread and in need of urgent action than the world may be aware of. To illustrate, the U.S. has a total population of 320 million, out of which more than 400,000 are enduring conditions of modern slavery. In Ghana,  more than 130,000 live in modern slavery out of a total of 30 million. Of all the children trafficked in Ghana, an estimated 60% have been trafficked on Lake Volta, one of the hotspots where Peasah has worked.

Founding of Right To Be Free

Peasah says he was supposed to become a lawyer long before he started working as a social worker full-time. Instead of studying law, he went to school for social engineering and part of his studying would take place outside of the classroom, on the streets.

Wanting to go into the areas most affected by poverty, he conducted a six-month academic project on the streets of Ghana where he worked for the International Organization for Migration near Lake Volta. Peasah and his team “identified trafficked children working on and along the lake as fishing children, cattle herdsmen or domestic servants in the villages.” A quickly assembled team found that these children were in most cases trafficked by their parents – with and without consent – to support their respective households. In response, Peasah and his team established a program to rescue these trafficked children, marking the beginning of Right To Be Free.

The Main Factors contributing to Human Trafficking

Peasah says, in his view, that the two biggest problems contributing to human trafficking are extreme poverty and ignorance. In terms of Africa, it is also the lack of employment and lack of opportunity that makes trafficking so widespread. He explains that children who lack perspective or a financial support network at home, especially girls, are more susceptible to lures of a better life in Kuwait, Qatar and the Gulf countries through potential jobs as domestic servants.

Advocacy

Right To Be Free follows the four Ps: “protection, prevention, prosecution and partnership” in order to foster genuine and sustainable improvement. Annually, RTBF staff members work with local villagers to raise awareness of the dangers of human trafficking.

Staff members also teach local fishermen about the legal and social consequences of child labor and provide alternate fishing methods or occupational training. Peasah points out that many parents genuinely believe their children may have a chance at a better life and send their children off based on false promises made by human traffickers.

Once children are rescued from oppressive conditions Right To Be Free tries to rehabilitate them and later integrate them back with their families. Where necessary, Right To Be Free provides micro-loans to victims’ parents or guardians to support them financially while simultaneously monitoring them. Right To Be Free facilitates education programs, either in the shape of community schools or as a course to teach women skills valuable for future employment.

The Link between Human Trafficking and Global Poverty

“Every country whether that is Ghana, Liberia, Pakistan, or Egypt has its unique answer to the root of human trafficking, yet the one unifying tie is that all people in those areas lack something. Poverty and trafficking 100% have a link.” Children are taken out of school by their parents to help with the family income, which results in a lack of education and vulnerability to trafficking. If the same parents had wealth, there would be no need to take children out of school and they would be apprehensive of the dangers of trafficking.

Future Plans

Peasah revealed that he would like to initiate a program where children who are currently suffering in silence can have a rescue line they can call. He says that rather than only working with the parents, it is just as important to give continued support to the children as well. Further, Right To Be Free plans on building more schools for communities over the coming years to educate children and parents on the dangers of trafficking.

– Pauline Lützenkirchen
Photo: Flickr

New Insights into Oceania’s Health Challenges

Oceania's Health ChallengesRecent genetic studies of Pacific Islanders are revealing new insights into Oceania’s health challenges. In turn, these insights may drive sustainable solutions that improve community health and save lives.

Convenience-food diets, obesity, lack of resources and the health challenges that result from these conditions are escalating in many island nations in the Pacific. Worse, the resulting non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are leading to an increase in preventable deaths. Activists from many nations are working to better protect many Pacific Island populations from Oceania’s health challenges.

Oceania

Oceania is a group of countries and territories that share a border with the Pacific Ocean. These 14 countries and territories are diverse culturally, economically, geographically and demographically. Oceania includes the large and wealthy countries of Australia and New Zealand and smaller and less affluent countries including Figi, Tonga and Palau.

Vulnerability

Indigenous people in Oceania are more genetically prone to gut issues and certain NCDs that evolved during colonization. While traditionally, Oceania diets were low-energy-density, the introduction of processed foods and more modern snacks brought obesity and linking issues. Before colonization, there was little to no obesity in the Pacific Islands. According to a 2019 study published in Frontiers in Immunology, “During the period of nutritional transition, the people came to consume energy-dense foods imported from Australia and New Zealand.”

The study reports that certain health conditions disproportionately affect specific indigenous populations including the Polynesians in Hawaii, the Maoris in New Zealand, and the Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islanders in Australia compared to non-indigenous people in the same places.  Mortality rates, NCDs and fertility decline are all issues that disproportionately affect these populations. Studying Pacific Islanders’ health data more closely, as this study did, may lead to sustainable solutions.

Environmental factors such as urbanization, sanitation and pathogen exposure also have the potential to increase disease susceptibility. Genetic vulnerability in the form of microbiome genetic mutations and immune function justifies population-specific medical studies and consideration in regards to nutrition. Accessibility and food insecurity have also driven people to foods that are low in nutrition.

Solutions

There are several specific solutions to combat the sharp rise in NCDs in the Pacific Islands. One strategy is better health monitoring. Current medical data surrounding nutrition is almost nonexistent and therefore Pacific Islander nutrition lacks proper evaluation. Increasing data and enhancing research in this area can better inform people about their eating habits.

The George Institute for Global Health, Fiji National University, Sydney University and Deakin University have created the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases project. This effort hopes to collect data on preventable deaths and possible food policy initiatives for the future. The researchers already found that decreasing salt intake by one gram a day for a year would prevent heart attacks and strokes and save 131 lives a year.

A second strategy is creating a sustainable interest and consumer demand for fresh and healthy foods.  Since COVID-19, Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture has distributed seeds for people to grow their own food at home. Additional countries could benefit from a program like this as well.

Other strategies include projects and policies that focus on building a stronger market for healthy foods. Finally, the study suggests applying a gender lens to improve Oceania’s health challenges.  While more women are joining the workforce, they continue to play the primary role in caring for and feeding their families.  They do not have the time to prepare complicated meals so they are turning to convenience foods.

World Bank Showcases Oceania Women Leaders

The 2019 genetic study, others like it and the projects mentioned above are setting a trend of focus on the nutritional health of Pacific Islanders. Sustainable change and progress are occurring throughout Oceania. This progress prompted the World Bank to showcase some inspiring women who are starting to implement solutions to Oceania’s health challenges. In Samoa, Lenara Tupa’i-Fui is the assistant CEO of Health Information Technology and Communications at the Somoa Ministry of Health. She is helping lead the Samoan eHealth system that will better track medical records and provide accessible health monitoring and data. As program director of the Partnership of Human Development in Timor-Leste, Armandian Gusmão Amaral advocates for better health care, especially for women and children. She also focuses on mentoring women to pursue careers in the medical profession.

Looking Ahead

Advocating for better data tracking and health communication, increasing the understanding of and demand for healthy foods and applying a gender lens to improving eating habits are all steps that are helping the vulnerable in Oceania take action on their health.

– Karen Krosky
Photo: Flickr

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How Google is Helping Africa’s Small Businesses

Africa’s Small BusinessesIn June 2022, Google announced a new initiative that targeted small businesses in Africa. The initiative was part of the company’s month-long celebration of International Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Business Day. Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, make up a large portion of the global economy, “[accounting] for 90% of businesses, 60 to 70% of employment and 50% of GDP worldwide.” The significant role that micro, small and medium-sized businesses play internationally as the backbone of economies holds true, especially in Africa. Consumers “buy more than 70% of their food, beverages and personal care products” from Africa’s small businesses.

Loyalty to Small Businesses

This loyalty to small businesses has continued despite the insurgence of corporate supermarkets and retail chain stores. Transitioning this loyalty to e-commerce holds incredible promise for economic development throughout the continent. South Africa posted online sales of $1.8 billion in 2020 and countries like Nigeria and Kenya where the retail sector is a major component of GDP posted 30% and 40% growth rates respectively in 2021.

The framework for e-commerce in Africa has been laid out. Internet coverage, access to credit cards and bank accounts and mobile phone usage have all increased substantially in Africa in the last decade. Google has noted this opportunity for growth in Africa, with Google’s country director for West Africa Juliet Ehimuan noting that “E-commerce presents an opportunity for small businesses in Africa to reach new customers and grow.”

However, the online market has remained untapped for many small and medium businesses in Africa. Technical know-how, as well as concerns over cybercrime, has impeded online market penetration by small and medium businesses in Africa, according to a report by World Trade Organization (WTO). Fortunately, Google’s new initiative is helping build online retail presences for Africa’s small businesses, aiming to “…assist small businesses in Africa to gain the expertise to connect online, expand their customer base and scale-up,” according to Ehimuan.

Google is accomplishing this strategy through a three-pronged plan. It includes the Shopping Small Business Summit, an online career certificate course, and the Local Opportunity Finder.

Shopping Small Business Summit

In late June 2022, Google hosted a Shopping Small Business Summit. According to The Guardian, this event was a one-hour virtual training session to help small and medium business owners develop the skills they need to compete in the online marketplace. This training session covered both e-commerce trends as well as digital marketing tools and skills.

Online Career Certificate Course

The second portion of Google’s plan to help build online retail presences for Africa’s small businesses is an online career certificate course, as The Guardian reported. Unlike the Shopping Small Business Summit, this course has limited availability and is not free. However, Google has offered 1,000 scholarships to Africans who wish to participate in the course. This course will cover digital marketing and e-commerce trends in a deeper capacity than the Small Business Summit, and it aims to prepare Africans for entry level-jobs in e-commerce.

Local Opportunity Finder

Google also launched the Local Opportunity Finder in June 2022. The Local Opportunity Finder is a free online tool for small and medium business owners that aims to improve their online presences. This new tool can analyze a Google Business Profile and then give personalized recommendations for improvement. These improvements are geared towards making e-commerce sites more appealing to consumers and overall more consumer-friendly.

Google’s commitment to growing small businesses is helping build online retail presences for Africa’s small businesses. The large African retail sector is dependent on small businesses. However, the continent has lagged behind in terms of digital market space until now. If African businesses can take advantage of Google’s initiatives and work through the impediments holding back e-commerce in the continent, they could scale their businesses up and expand their consumer bases.

– Benjamin Brown
Photo: Flickr

Solar Energy in Lebanon

solar-energy-for-all-in-lebanonWithin the last three years, Lebanon has experienced several crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Beirut port explosion without forgetting an unprecedented economic and political crisis that was recently worsened by the war in Ukraine and global inflation. However, there is one crisis that the Lebanese people have suffered since 1992: the electricity crisis. The Lebanese state never managed to provide its population with regular, 24 hours of electricity per day. People had thus come up with alternatives, such as private electricity generators and most recently solar energy to secure this basic right.

The Electricity Situation in Lebanon

For decades now, electricity has been a major issue in Lebanon. State-owned Electricité du Liban provides only two hours of electricity per day. However, some areas experience complete shut-off. Until today, the Lebanese people’s main alternative to state-provided electricity is resorting to private generators that work on diesel. Two problems emerge from this situation, the first one being the price of petroleum-related products.

With the ongoing economic crisis and the devaluation of the Lebanese Pounds, the Lebanese government does not have enough funds to purchase fuel and make the electricity factories functional. On the other hand, people are also not able to afford fuel for their own private generators. The second problem is related to over-exploited private generators that are forced to shut off a few hours a day, leaving most people living with long power outages.

Why Does Solar Energy in Lebanon Make Sense?

Given all the challenges Lebanon is facing to have proper access to electricity, renewable energy becomes an interesting option to consider. Lebanon has a lot of natural and biological advantages, such as wind, water, etc. However, the most interesting and important natural asset is the abundant sunshine the country enjoys for the majority of the year, making solar energy in Lebanon the ideal alternative to consider for Lebanon to get out of the electricity crisis.

Using solar energy in Lebanon saves money for the Lebanese people whose private generators’ cost keeps on increasing. In fact, for 12 hours of electricity a day, the fuel cost for private generators can be as high as $550 per day. Although the installation of solar panels is also expensive, it saves a lot for the consumer. If someone pays $550 per day on fuel, installing solar panels will reduce his cost to $140 per day, according to Beirut Today.

Solutions

Despite being essential and economic in the long term, installing solar energy in Lebanon is still very expensive for the average Lebanese household or business. Prices of solar installation range between $2,000 and $5,000, which is a substantial amount for Lebanese workers who usually earn around $550 on average. However, the Lebanese people are not alone and different actors are bringing new initiatives to allow the spread of solar energy in Lebanon. The Housing Bank is conducting one of these initiatives, which is proposing loans from 75 million to 200 million Lebanese Pounds over a period of 5 years, according to Arab News.

Other international and local NGOs are also helping the government as well as the people to have access to solar energy. For example, the UNDP, in collaboration with the Lebanese Ministry of Health has provided 10 hospitals with solar panels. While NGOs, such as Meghterbin Mejtemiin are looking for funds from the Lebanese Diaspora to help those in need in their home country.

As always, the Lebanese people are showing how resilient they are in times of crisis and how innovative they become to adapt to the different situations they are living in. Thankfully, people can also count on Lebanese solidarity, especially with the diaspora that is always ready to help, the most recent example being their support for solar energy implementation in Lebanon.

–Youssef Yazbek
Photo: Flickr

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G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment

G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and InvestmentG7 is an organization comprised of seven of the world’s most advanced and powerful economies: the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the United Kingdom and the European Union. The leaders of these nations recently came together to announce a new G7 partnership for global infrastructure and investment. The partnership will include a funding program of $600 billion with a focus on improving global infrastructure, medicine and technology. This international funding partnership is promising to improve the lives of millions, especially in the world’s impoverished and developing nations.

G7 Promises Relief for Global Economy and Low-Income Countries

In 2021, at the G7 summit, President Biden announced a plan to enhance the economic and infrastructure needs of developing nations, as well as support the economies of the United States and its allies. This initiative was part of Biden’s Build Back Better plan.

In June 2022, after a year of collaboration between the leaders of the G7 nations, President Biden announced the partnership for global infrastructure and investment, a $600 billion initiative of global infrastructure investments between the seven countries by 2027, according to The White House.

The collaboration will officially launch the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII). This should strengthen and diversify the supply chain, as well as improve the quality of life for millions of people in developing countries. The United States will contribute $200 billion over the course of five years, The White House reported. This makes it one of the most extensive contributions to low-income and developing countries in recent years, especially after facing global economic setbacks from the pandemic.

Some of the projects cited in the initiative are an industrial mRNA vaccine plant in Senegal, solar projects in Angola, a sub-sea cable linking South Asia and Europe, a linking port from Christmas Island and a modular nuclear reactor plant in Romania.

G7 Funding Program Demonstrates Effective International Cooperation

The G7 partnership for global infrastructure and investment is in part motivated by the United States and other economic powerhouses’ desire to compete with China’s Belt and Road initiative. China’s infrastructure initiative focuses on road transportation, bridges and mining, which economists estimate to cost $1 trillion.

In the G7 funding program, Biden references a wider range of goals including clean energy, gender equality, health care and communication technology. President Biden and the other G7 leaders are hopeful that the new G7 funding program will have a more direct positive impact on the lives of the impoverished, the global economy and the climate, The Guardian reports. Prior to the G7 summit, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan had each announced their individual global infrastructure investment plans.

In November 2021, President Biden met with multiple world leaders to ensure their plans could cooperate to create a more powerful global investment plan that would have a greater impact, according to The Guardian.

G7’s Commitment to Poverty Reduction

The G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment marks one of the most cohesive and extensive international investment plans in recent years. The PGII will support the clean energy initiative, U.S. national security and digital infrastructure. This initiative could offer relief to the 689 million people living in extreme poverty.

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the poverty rate up to 9.1% in 2022 from 7.8% in 2019, signaling a dire need to support people in developing nations by offering them improved digital communication, access to medical supplies and health care, emergency COVID-19 relief and economic support. President Biden asserts that the United States’ partnership with G7 could change millions of lives across the world and the global economy could experience some relief after the pandemic.

– Ella DeVries
Photo: Flickr

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Samoa

impact-of-covid-19-on-poverty-in-samoaThe impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Samoa is evident in several ways — from increased homelessness to insufficient medical supplies to lack of clean water access. However, thanks to government aid and international assistance, the most vulnerable groups are being supported.

ADRA Samoa Gives Shelter

As it relates to addressing homelessness, the Samoan Government and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) partnered to provide accommodation for families who lost their homes during the pandemic.

As of August 4, 2022, the Samoan Government distributed about 1 million Samoan tala ($369,659) in relief aid while 120 families were given brand new homes by ADRA. The Shelter and Hygiene Program provided ADRA with a grant of 2 million tala ($739,318) and an additional 1.5 million tala ($554,488) to construct specially-adapted homes for 88 households where a family member has a disability. All of the support the government and ADRA provide helps improve the lives of vulnerable families and inspires others.

“It has been a very exciting period for ADRA in Samoa, especially when we have been able, through the shelter interventions, to make a significant difference to people’s lives, and to help them strengthen their resilience to pandemics and natural disasters,” Su’a Julia Wallwork, director of the ADRA told Adventist Records in a statement. In collaboration with New Zealand Habitat for Humanity, ADRA will resume its work on a project called Maluapapa Safe Haven Project.

Samoa Receives Lifesaving COVID-19 Supplies

The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Samoa has also been far-reaching in terms of the country’s health care systems. To ensure that all residents have access to necessary resources, the World Health Organization (WHO), carried out by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and in partnership with the European Union (EU) shipped medical supplies to Samoa in May 2022.

The Minister of Health commented on the assistance the WHO, WFP and the EU provided stating “This equipment and medical supplies will be used by Samoan health workers around the country as they continue to test and treat patients and to remain safe themselves as they save lives.”

The supplies included 280,000 face masks, 248,300 hand gloves, 72,000 hospital garments, 30,000 N95 masks, 10,300 face covering, 6,000 COVID-19 testing kits, 3,000 pulse measuring devices and 50 oxygen gas generators which is a sufficient amount for the hospitals that may not have enough resources, the WFP reports.

Dr. Kim Eva Dickson, a WHO Representative to Samoa is grateful for the assistance from the EU due to the barriers they face during the pandemic, stating “We knew we needed to get this equipment and supplies into health workers’ hands here in Samoa, but getting it here was going to be a challenge, due to limited flights and inflated shipping costs. Thankfully, we spoke with our colleagues at WFP and, with support from the EU, they made this flight possible. ”

ARROWS Supplies Clean Water

The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Samoa can also be seen in terms of water scarcity. Caritas Australia and Caritas Samoa started the Advancing Resilience through Resources for Outreach and Water Security (ARROWS) program to provide service to families living in residential homes or villages who have no access to clean water.

The program built a water system for 32 families in the mainland of Upolu and Savai’i. Tului is from a family of 13 who had to live with polluted water for 10 years. Since the ARROWS program began, Tului and her family now have access to water, measured in a 3,000L tank to bathe, wash dishes and consume water safely without falling ill.

Many families experience hardships like lack of water, medical supplies, or losing their homes due to the pandemic. However, organizations like the ADRA and ARROWS made it possible for families not to endure the hard struggles but to strive for a future full of possibilities for their community.

– Jacara Watkins
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Shea Butter Plant in Ghana

Shea Butter Plant in GhanaShea butter, known as “women’s gold,” supports female empowerment, backs many U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enhances the global supply chain and promotes self-sufficient development in Southeastern Ghana. To make the most of this versatile nut, Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC), “the specialty oils and fats business of [U.S.-based] Bunge Limited,” opened Africa’s first and largest shea butter plant in Ghana, in 2019. Bunge’s example portrays how capitalizing on a burgeoning international market is mutually beneficial for the United States and the world’s impoverished, especially women.

Bunge’s Global Partnerships

As an international industry headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Bunge’s purpose is to “connect farmers to consumers to deliver essential food, feed and fuel to the world.” Bunge serves more than 70,000 farmers and consumers by “sourcing, processing and supplying oilseed and grain products and ingredients.”

The BLC sector specializes in delivering oils and fats to farmers and industries within and across borders. Reaping benefits since the opening of the shea plant in Tema, Ghana, Aaron Buettner, a president of BLC, said that the “latest investment in Ghana plays a critical role in strengthening BLC’s global infrastructure for processing and supplying high-quality shea products to our customers around the world, while also bolstering the entire ecosystem of regional crushers and local shea collectors in the West African region.”

BLC’s Shea Butter Plant opens Financial Opportunities in Ghana

Bunge’s global network increases employment and enhances the self-sustainable development of the local shea community in Ghana. About 16 million families in Africa rely on the shea industry to financially sustain their households. In late 2020, Tema’s shea butter plant provided jobs for 73 people, mostly residents and individuals around the community. Currently, in 2022, Ghana has met the unemployment rate indicator under the SDG “decent work and economic growth” at a value of 4.52.

Celebrating Ghanaian Women’s Empowerment

Women represent most of the shea butter plant industry in Ghana. With “skills passed on from mother to daughter,” women pick, process and sell shea nuts and their components. Women leave their homes at dawn and travel to the shea parklands to generate income for their families.

Autonomy in labor helps to raise the status of women. The gender equality goal of the Sustainable Development Report displays a value of 89.68 in 2020 for the ratio of female-to-male labor participation rate, indicating that Ghana is maintaining an egalitarian workforce.

Shortcomings to Women’s Rights in Ghana

Still, gender inequality remains a prevalent issue. Despite employment data that often only captures the world from its surface, women in Ghana generally have fewer assets and are more impoverished than men. In fact, according to Oxfam, about 94% of the wealthiest people in Ghana are men.

Women are even disadvantaged in the shea business due to their absence in key stages of the supply chain. Illiteracy and lack of skills prevent many women from maximizing their wealth and industries’ production. In fact, “significant challenges remain” in the ratio of female-to-male mean years of education received.

How BLC Helps Females in Ghana

The Where Life Grows campaign, connected with BLC, committed itself to “empower shea collecting women, create socio-economic value in their communities and conserve and regenerate the shea landscape.” The campaign builds the capacity of women through training and by providing innovative resources. For example, during the off-season, women working with the Where Life Goes program organize, plan and discuss their needs with colleagues and receive loans. The women use the borrowed money to rent land, buy fertilizer, hire tractors to plow the soil and more.

Furthermore, BLC and the campaign implement solutions to alleviate stagnated access to sustainable clean energy in Ghana that impedes on shea production. BLC’s management designs efforts that provide energy-efficient pots and stoves that “use 60% less wood,” emit less smoke and decrease nut boiling time. These newly improved tools improve working conditions, sanitation and efficiency. By investing in local skills development overseas, the Missouri-based company attains a more efficient and sustainable production process while accounting for humanitarian needs.

Bunge’s partnerships supply training, tools, farming activities and direct sourcing to women in Tema, ultimately strengthening both ends of the value chain. Global businesses, namely BLC, operate with a multitude of incentives, such as strengthening the independence of women in Ghana and creating jobs in the United States. The international shea business improves Ghanaian individual and economic wealth and works to close the gender gap.

– Anna Zawistowski
Photo: WikiCommons