Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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A Mine-Free Mozambique

A Mine-Free MozambiqueDecades of international relief efforts and humanitarian aid helped result in a mine-free Mozambique. The country had been “mine-contaminated” for decades as a result of years of fighting and civil war. The civil war resulted in land mines covering most of the land thereby creating hazardous conditions and impeding a normal quality of life for the country’s citizens. Mozambique declared independence from France in 1975, yet greatly struggled to strengthen and solidify its government and economy partially due to the vast amount of remaining inactivated mines posing threats across the country. Poverty rates in the newly independent country skyrocketed as one result of this.

Civil War

Mozambique’s civil war, which occurred from 1977 to 1992, was a lengthy and violent conflict resulting in 1 million deaths. In addition to the deaths, both sides left large amounts of land mines around the country. Mines in Mozambique threatened many aspects of daily life in the country such as being able to go to work or school or even retrieving clean water. Mines severely affected farmers in particular, as they were unable to work their land without fear which threatened their source of income.

Poverty

Significant economic growth began once the civil war ended. Poverty rates began to fall while the population started to grow. Though the population is growing fast and a large percentage of the country continues to live in poverty, that percentage has fallen over the past few decades from more than 70% in 1996-97 to 60% in 2019.

In 2008, 69.7% of the country lived at the international poverty line, yet by 2014 that figure fell to approximately 61.4% indicating significant progress.

International Efforts

In 2014, Mozambique was declared mine-free after at least three decades of international cooperation efforts. A mine-free Mozambique happened largely thanks to organizations such as the Canadian Association for Mine and Explosive Ordinance Security (CAMEO) and the Swiss government’s cooperation program.

The main goal of these programs were to pursue mine-clearing efforts in a humanitarian manner. Many of the people in the organizations and international groups were former members of the military or trained similarly, so they had the right equipment to deal with the land mines that remained in Mozambique after the civil war.

Mozambique also receives help from various NGOs including the Mine Action Coordinator for Handicap International (HI) which also seeks to demine the country. HI is part of the U.N.’s Development Program, which, unfortunately, is constantly overstretched around the world. However, although the operation was working “below capacity,” Mozambique still managed to successfully demine in 2014, according to The New Humanitarian (TNH).

Though there were significant obstacles on the path to being mine-free such as organizations redirecting aid elsewhere and government corruption, a mine-free Mozambique looked possible in the early 2010s. With the help of various governments, international organizations and NGOs, the country is now an exemplar in the region of what demining efforts can achieve.

Looking forward, those tracking the country’s progress are hopeful that Mozambique can continue to slash its poverty rate. The COVID-19 pandemic has halted poverty relief efforts, but the country is hopeful that it can return to its pre-pandemic downward trend. A significant focus will be on creating equity between rural and urban areas as well as ensuring a debt-free and uncorrupt government.

– Lara Drinan
Photo: Flickr

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Homelessness in Tanzania

Homelessness in TanzaniaToday, and for the longest time throughout its history, homelessness in Tanzania represents an uncompromising problem to solve. With an ever-increasing population of roughly 60 million people, and with one in 10 of the population living below the poverty line, homelessness requires urgent action.

The Current State of Homelessness in Tanzania

Homelessness in any nation has a connection to poverty, and in Tanzania, this is no exception. Poverty in Tanzania has seen a steady, but albeit ambiguous level in progress in recent times. According to the World Bank, significant economic growth within the last 20 years has moved the nation along, “culminating in its transition from low-income to lower-middle income status in July 2020.”

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as of last year’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which determines a nation’s level of poverty through three key factors in health, education and standard of living, Tanzania possesses an MPI value of 0.284. Making up Tanzania’s rating on the MPI are 10 indicators, such as nutrition and access to electricity. Housing deprivation was at 9.3% as of 2021.

The current rate of homelessness in Tanzania represents a significant obstacle to overcome for the nation. The housing demand across Tanzania continues to rise on an annual basis, as according to Shelter Afrique, 3 million units with an additional 200,000 more units are expected every year.

The Primary Causes of Tanzania’s Homelessness Problem

The root of Tanzania’s homelessness problem is not due to a sole contributing factor. A questionnaire to National Human Rights Institutions, which the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights presented, identified six key factors as causes of homelessness in Tanzania. These are:

  1. “Poverty among the people.
  2. Unlawful eviction causes people to be homeless.
  3. Gender stereotypes and discrimination based on social construct between gender.
  4. Discrimination and inequality based on culture, customary law and informal justice.
  5. Natural hazards such as floods fire break.
  6. The urbanization process transcends an idea that in cities there are good lives.”

A leading contributor to homelessness in Tanzania is the right to residency throughout the nation. In accordance with the United Republic of Tanzania’s Constitution of 1977, there is no clear mention that housing is considered a basic human right. Tanzania’s lack of legal right to housing manifests a situation in which millions of citizens cannot afford basic housing.

Affordability of housing in Tanzania represents a significant problem, with the average annual salary per person in Tanzania at $1,140 as of 2021. Affordability, absence of the legal right to housing and the lack of housing are problems that Tanzania’s frequent natural disasters aggravate. The nation experienced 46 natural disasters between 2008 and 2021, which led to the displacement of nearly 250,000 people.

Solutions to Tanzania’s Homelessness Problem

The continued work of multiple nonprofit organizations in Tanzania is proving to be a catalyst for progress. Habitat for Humanity, for example, began working in Tanzania in 1986 and focuses on offering housing opportunities through microfinancing, as well as advocating for effective housing policy, and addressing water, hygiene and sanitation concerns. Habitat for Humanity’s microfinancing program started in July 2009 and has proven to be a continued success in providing affordable means of housing. In the fiscal year of 2018, 2,340 individuals received direct assistance for Habitat for Humanity’s work on the ground.

The World Food Programme (WFP) began working in Tanzania in 1963 with the goals to provide food for the most vulnerable, incentivize food production for agricultural workers and set up social protection systems that play a vital role in supplying basic supplies after natural disasters. WFP’s current operation in Tanzania, which provides $16 million in funding, started in July 2022 and will run until December. One of its primary objectives during this six-month period is to provide care and assistance to 202,540 refugees.

The continued work of nonprofit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the World Food Programme provides an essential service to the millions of Tanzanians in desperate need due to the homelessness crisis.

– James Garwood
Photo: Flickr

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How One Company Empowers Entrepreneurs in Africa

entrepreneurs in AfricaThe Baobab Network is an investment company dedicated to empowering small business owners across the African continent. Many countries in Africa including Ethiopia, have incredibly fast-growing economies. While aid has been a long-standing form of economic assistance to many of the low-income countries in Africa, small entrepreneurs in Africa often lack access, connections and funding to reap those benefits. The Baobab Network does more than just throw money into the economy. The company gets tech-focused businesses off the ground to sustain their communities.

The Baobab Network’s Mission

The baobab tree is infamous across sub-Saharan Africa and a true symbol of the company’s philosophy. With an emphasis on the power of technology, The Baobab Network seeks to build sustainability in the untapped marketplaces. What’s more, these solutions are working to solve some of the continent’s most pressing issues.

The strategy used by The Baobab Network to build up small businesses is three-pronged. The strategy starts with a $50,000 investment, an intensive venture consulting regimen and access to an entire network of experts, investors and potential business partners. Capital is necessary for small businesses, especially those looking to break into a market where there was little opportunity as the technology and service sectors are underdeveloped in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa. This funding can be used to invest in the right people, the right equipment and the right business plan. Continued involvement in the early stages of the businesses that The Baobab Network supports ensures that growth is achieved. Capacity-building in the beginning, coupled with lifetime access to global support allows business owners in Africa to continue to grow their companies and contribute to the development of their communities.

Portfolio Companies

The companies that The Baobab network has invested in are achieving creative, groundbreaking solutions. For example, FXKudi, a company started by Abioye Oyetunji, Adetunji Afeez and Kodjo Kevin is connecting the West African marketplace through technology. FXKudi operates in six countries and allows people to spend, send and receive money through an app on their phone, allowing buyers and sellers to interact across borders. While countries in West Africa are close together geographically, they lack a strong interconnectedness, especially in their economies. This has shifted in recent years, and Brookings reports that cross-cultural engagement in Africa can be a vessel for economic rebuilding.

Thola is another successful company in The Baobab Network, started by a woman named Nneile based in South Africa. Thola champions “peer-to-peer lending,” connecting small business owners including livestock farmers to access to capital without the discouraging red tape. The company believes that simplifying relationships between lenders and investors is the best way to build community and achieve growth.

A number of other Baobab Network companies are doing great things including creating education marketplaces and digitizing manufacturing industries. The company focuses exclusively on African candidates and yet many of the companies are reaching a worldwide audience.

A Look Ahead

The Baobab Network is doing important work all over the continent. African entrepreneurs from Ethiopia to Sudan have the opportunity to secure investment and change their futures. Additionally, it is clear that the growth of self-sustaining businesses that are looking to the future of technology will have positive implications for the growth of the entire economy. Empowering one empowers many and The Baobab Network’s portfolio of successful companies could be changing the world.

– Hannah Yonas
Photo: Wikimedia

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How wooden boxes are improving childcare in South Africa

Childcare in South AfricaPoor urban merchants set up open-air stalls on sidewalks and unused motorways in the lively urban center of Durban, South Africa. Their offerings range from cooked bovine heads to traditional indigenous medicines. Over half of these nearly 25,000 merchants are women; many have children or infants who spend their days alongside their working mothers. A simple convertible wooden box is easing the strains of childcare in South Africa for these street-vending mothers. They are balancing myriad responsibilities in an often chaotic environment.

Working Mothers

Mothers with newborn babies are among the most vulnerable of these working women. Street vendors are informally self-employed, so they do not receive paid maternity leave. They must bring their children to work with them if they want to subsist financially. However, this working environment includes hot stoves and endless flows of passing city-goers, among other safety hazards. The noise and pollution of the bustling urban street market disrupt activities like breastfeeding and putting children down for naps. Few spaces are safe for these children to spend time as their parent works.

Some mothers began to use their storage crates, customarily filled with their vending supplies during the night but empty during the day, as a place to rest their babies. This sparked an ingenious idea of alleviating the difficulties that mothers working on the street face. 

The Umzanyana

The organization Asiye eTafuleni, a South African non-profit that focuses on inclusive planning and design, took this use of the storage box one step further. The organization partnered with these women to design a convertible wooden box that met many of their needs as vendors and as mothers throughout the day. The storage box can transform to serve as a tabletop, a playpen, a changing station, or a crib. It includes padding, sheets, and even a mobile for the baby to engage with. It can provide privacy, shade, and noise reduction for the baby while maintaining its operationality as a tool for selling goods. 

The box was dubbed an “Umzanyana,” which translates from isiZulu to “umbilical cord.” This is quite fitting, as an umbilical cord and the box both serve as something that connects mother and baby, allowing the mother to provide for the child’s needs.

Technology and Poverty

Seemingly small innovations like this can make a massive difference in the daily lived experiences of impoverished communities. A few tweaks to a wooden box improved childcare in South Africa for both parent and child.

The Umzanyana solves convenience problems, making it easier for mothers to maintain their income while keeping their babies safely near them. Research shows that when mothers and babies can be together all day long, it leads to better sleep and breastfeeding for the baby and increased confidence for new mothers. The Umzanyana improves the lives of not only the mother but the child as well.

Organizations like Asiye eTafuleni continue to work alongside these communities, utilizing their unique insights to improve the lives of the most vulnerable through technology and urban design.

– Grace Ramsey
Photo: Flickr

Education for Pregnant Students in Tanzania

Education for Pregnant StudentsThe African Court on Human and People’s Rights had to make a pivotal decision regarding the right to education for pregnant students in Tanzania. On November 19, 2020, Equality Now and Tike Mwabipile, executive director of Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA), filed a joint application to the African Court on Human and People’s Rights to abolish a discriminatory ban. Three human rights groups, the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Women’s Link Worldwide (WLW), joined the application as joint amici. This application is in direct response to the discriminatory ban in Tanzania, whereby the government of Tanzania is disregarding the rights of females who are pregnant, married or mothers.

The Discriminatory Ban and Joint Amicus

The discriminatory ban in question has been in practice for decades across Tanzania, but in 2017, former president John Magufuli introduced an official ban against the education of pregnant girls, married girls or mothers, stressing immorality as reasoning. The ban draws its power from the Tanzania Education Act, which states that expulsion for a student is deemed necessary when they have “committed an offense against morality.”

Tanzania’s current and first female president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who stepped into her role in March 2021 after Magufuli’s death, has made it her mission to incentivize the progression of women’s rights in Tanzania and distance herself from the controversial policies of the previous presidency.

The three human rights organizations, attempt to highlight the injustices that have come to fruition as a result of the discriminatory ban and to prioritize the need for education for pregnant students in their joint amicus, which highlights:

“Tanzania’s international and human rights obligations to guarantee the freedom from discrimination; to prevent and respond to violence against girls, including in school settings; and to safeguard the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women.”

This legal endeavor represents one of the many collective efforts for women’s rights progression in Tanzania in recent times. The discrepancy in policy regarding Tanzania’s education laws appears to represent a significant obstacle to overcome on the road toward progress.

However, in November 2021, Tanzania announced that it would make a critical step toward safeguarding the right to education by lifting the ban. Human Rights Watch says Tanzania has “recently removed restrictive policies, but [has] a policy gap,” indicating that this supposed breakthrough may have more effect on paper as opposed to in practice.

Tanzania’s History of Educational Subordination

Tanzania as a nation has a long and troubled history in regard to the education of women and young girls. Several core aspects of its education policy are founded on the decisions of a fundamentally patriarchal government in the 1960s, after the nation’s official independence from Great Britain in 1961.

These prior actions have resulted in a situation where, today, across Tanzania, the guarantee of education for pregnant students is far from a reality. According to a 2013 report by the Center for Reproductive Rights, a large percentage of schools across Tanzania interpret the act of pregnancy for students as immoral.  This has manifested as a situation that sees student dropout numbers at an alarming number according to figures provided by the World Bank in 2021: “More than 120,000 girls drop out of school every year in Tanzania. 6,500 of them because they are pregnant or have children.”

The 2013 report also noted a widespread belief within the education system in mainland Tanzania that expulsion is mandatory if a student is pregnant. However, the report found that there is in fact no legal mandate for expulsion, and on the contrary, according to the World Bank, “Tanzanian laws and policies promote and protect adolescent girls’ rights to education, health, nondiscrimination and privacy.”

Due to the widespread misconception in Tanzania that expulsion is legally necessary for pregnant students, and with standardized pregnancy tests standing as common practice within the education system, societal norms instilled by previous presidencies shape and control the educational rights of thousands of young girls.

The lifting of the ban not only leads to legal progress within Tanzania but also upholds the rights of women across the nation.

– James Garwood
Photo: Flickr

Elderly Poverty in Ukraine Reaches Peak

Elderly Poverty in UkraineAmid the destruction that Russian troops have wreaked on Ukraine lies a forgotten demographic that has been forced to bear the brunt of Russian aggression: the elderly. As Russia continues to target healthcare facilities, apartment complexes and power plants, access to food, shelter and electricity is now elusive. Poverty among the elderly is more pernicious than it has ever been. Today, senior citizens represent one-third of all Ukrainians in need of dire assistance: 91% of elderly Ukrainians require aid to get food and are suffering from extreme cold while 75% need basic hygiene items and 34% need urgent medication for chronic illness.

A Legacy of Poverty

Elderly poverty in Ukraine is not a novel issue. Although Ukrainian citizens aged 65 and over represent 17% of the nation’s population, their plight has been largely overlooked. The collapse of the Soviet Union left in its wake a pension system that hinged on contributions from the steadily declining working class, which condemns 80% of pensioners to live below the poverty line as Ukraine’s population dropped every year.

The inaccessibility of essential services, pharmacies, hospitals and grocery stores as a direct result of the war has only exacerbated the struggle of the elders who have already been denied access to these basic necessities. Disabilities and chronic illness obstruct them from evacuating to safety, and for many the fear of burdening their families has compelled them to remain in a war zone with little to no companionship or support network as their loved ones flee the country.

Organizations Aiding Ukrainian Elders

Global initiatives are rising to the challenge. HelpAge International is a network of organizations that advocate for senior citizens around the world. The network has continued to support elderly Ukrainians in eastern Ukraine since the dawn of the war in Donbas in 2014, supplying almost 5,000 older community members with peer-to-peer support, assistive devices, hygiene kids and home-based care.

In partnership with People in Need, CARE is a global organization with a commitment to “fight global poverty and world hunger by working alongside women and girls”. The partnership resulted in the founding of the Ukraine Crisis Fund which aims to provide at least four million vulnerable civilians affected by the Russo-Ukrainian War with emergency assistance. This includes food, water and hygiene supplies, as well as cash support and psychosocial aid. The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is helping elders recover shelter by helping to mend homes shelled by Russian airstrikes. Finally, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are working tirelessly to protect elderly citizens and all of Ukraine’s people. Their official fundraising account proves an effective way to improve Ukraine’s defense capability even from overseas.

Although war continues to rage, not all hope is lost. According to information services company Candid, which tracks funding data in real time, more than $1.3 billion has been donated to Ukraine through non-profits. Though it will take years for life to return to normal and even more years for elderly poverty in Ukraine to be remedied, the aid of the international community demonstrates that such change is indeed possible.

A Look Ahead

While recent airstrikes in Dnipro and Mykolaiv suggest that the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is far from over, new defense systems supplied by Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom have already boosted Ukraine’s ability to disrupt Russian missiles. Thanks to the new developments, the elderly can be better taken care of as their homeland becomes better fortified. Though poverty among the elderly continues to plague Ukraine, recent improvements to Ukraine’s national security as well as the work of NGOs and nonprofits make a future where this issue is no longer a death sentence.

– Stefania Bielkina
Photo: Flickr

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3 Organizations Combating Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa

Combating poverty in Sub-Saharan AfricaThe region of sub-Saharan Africa encompasses an aggregate of nations with diverse geographies, histories and cultures. Furthermore, the countries composing sub-Saharan Africa have diverse needs. From unaffordable health care to regional conflict, the issues besetting sub-Saharan Africa have left many of its inhabitants in poverty. Fortunately, philanthropic organizations have stepped up to the plate to remedy the many challenges affecting sub-Saharan Africa. Three organizations, in particular, have shown that there is not a universal methodology for combating poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa

According to the World Bank, in 2017, two-thirds of the “global extreme poor population” lived in sub-Saharan Africa. While poverty is actually slowly declining in the region, a rapid rise in population growth is stalling a reduction in the number of impoverished people in sub-Saharan Africa.

However, there are differences among sub-Saharan Africa’s constituent countries. According to the World Bank’s 2018 data, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 73% of people lived on less than $1.90 per day, the international poverty line. Additionally, the World Bank predicted that 27% of Ethiopians lived below the international poverty line in 2019. Finally, a 2020 U.N. report indicates that 18.9% of South Africans live on less than $1.90 a day.

Agrarian Communities “Grow Together” with Nanmo

Nanmo is an Arabic word meaning “growing together.” This word is the spirit of the partnership between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Qatar Fund for Development’s $200 million investment in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nanmo’s goal is to provide adaptive ways for rural farmers, especially women, to respond to climate-related difficulties. Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, told the Gulf Times that a “Majority of the poorest living in sub-Saharan Africa are the rural folk. They depend on agriculture…in parts of the world that are seeing much greater temperature fluctuation with frequent floods or frequent droughts.” The collaborative organization gives agrarian communities innovative technologies that can bolster their pathway to food security.

Suzman said that Nanmo was not confined to one country. However, a pilot program in Nigeria and Ethiopia showed an auspicious sign for the future of Nanmo in combating poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

Efficiency for Access: Ameliorating Poverty through Clean Energy Solutions

In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 600 million people lack a connection to their country’s energy grid. Efficiency for Access, a coalition coordinated by CLASP and Energy Saving Trust, is working to bring life-changing, clean-energy appliances to vulnerable communities.

Bridging the gap between those on and off the energy grid could lead to improved agricultural productivity and thus poverty alleviation. Mike Maina from CLASP told FairPlanet that “In sub-Saharan Africa, 60% to 70% of the population is involved in agricultural livelihoods with the least mechanization in the world. This is a region where using renewable energy can have a big impact, especially on low-income populations.”

In addition to agricultural appliances like solar water pumps, Efficiency for Access also supplies products such as solar-powered refrigerators, electric pressure cookers and fans. As CLASP conveyed to FairPlanet, its theory is to provide people with a livelihood and not just a light bulb.

Zoetis Provides Veterinary Care to Farmers’ Livestock

Despite sub-Saharan Africa’s sizable livestock population, it has the “lowest productivity per animal” of any region. According to Poultry World, Zoetis, an animal health company, is improving the health of livestock through its A.L.P.H.A. initiative. Inaugurated in 2017, this program provides accessible veterinary services to farmers across the region.

Throughout its five years in operation, Zoetis has worked with 128 million animals and educated 26,000 individuals, according to Poultry World. By supplying inoculations and medical training to communities in sub-Saharan Africa, the African Livestock Health and Productivity Advancement program has been a boon for food security in sub-Saharan Africa.

Zoetis’s activity in the region has enabled African communities to produce safer food while reducing the economic burden of raising livestock. Thus, the A.L.P.H.A. initiative has been successfully combating poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

A Glimpse into the Region’s Future

These three organizations are just some of the numerous charitable entities working on combating poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. While these organizations exemplify a propitious future for the region, it still requires more work.

Governments and NGOs alike need to work in harmony to ensure that the region’s sundry needs are met. However, these three organizations demonstrate that there is no “one size fits all” approach to combating poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the need for more concerted and adaptable action on behalf of the world’s poor, these three organizations provide a bright glimpse into the future for sub-Saharan Africa.

– Alexander Portner
Photo: Flickr

Upholding Education in Ukraine

education-in-ukraineOn February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine, resulting in the death of thousands of Ukrainian citizens. This decision has led to many fleeing the country, the separation of families, and the most significant refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. Putin’s crimes have brought forward a dreadful reality for those living in Ukraine, as they have witnessed the destruction of their homes, towns and cities. The Russo-Ukrainian War has affected countless facets of daily life including education in Ukraine.

Physical Damages

Education in Ukraine evidently stalled in the wake of Russia’s invasion. Commuting to schools and universities is certainly out of the question for the time being and remote learning began in mid-March 2020. In many regions, Russian attacks have destroyed the physical infrastructure of school buildings, leaving many children without a place to learn. A March 22 Voice of America YouTube video reported that “About 400 buildings have been damaged, about 60 have been fully destroyed.”

If Ukraine is unable to repair school buildings, many children will encounter educational burdens. COVID-19 forced students all over the world into the state of online learning, which disengaged many from their material. Combining the lack of a proper learning environment with the traumatizing events that Ukraine has seen in 2022, could produce a generation of disenfranchised individuals.

Ukrainian Efforts

The educational leaders of Ukraine had little time to prepare and adjust to these unprecedented circumstances. Given how swiftly the Russian army moved, these attacks caught much of the country off guard. One audible that rose in the wake of these devastating attacks came when Google teamed up with Serhily Shkaret, the Ukrainian Minister of Education. “Together with our colleagues from Google, we created an all-Ukraine online curriculum that is based on an average school curriculum. Even if there are no teachers, even if there is no possibility of being in a classroom in a group, children still have the ability to be a part of the education process.”

Google Meet and Zoom assisted Ukraine in its ever-changing educational approach. Even a stable internet connection became possible. This partly became possible “thanks in large part to technicians and telecom engineers who’ve risked their lives to keep the country online.”

Creating a Distraction

Children often get sidetracked from their work, especially in the classroom. For those that have a poor family dynamic at home, learning something new can serve as a distraction and focus their energy on something positive. Additionally, for the children growing up in Ukraine right now, there could not be more of a need for positive distractions. Ksenia Kalyniuk, the Head of Educational Platform in Ukraine illustrates her initiative’s motives: “There are a lot of students and I understand that our primary goal is to distract children and give them new information so they can use their time productively.” If not for these efforts, Ukrainian children would inherit a greater exposure to the ongoing troubles of their country.

Potential Poverty

Education in Ukraine should most definitely be at the forefront of United Nation and EU agendas. As with any war or violent conflict, the economy usually suffers in the weeks, months and years that follow. These economically demoralizing after-effects prove the value of education and display the urgency that families may sense as their children go through school. DNAIndiaNews provides a concerning statistic on the state of Ukraine that came from UNDP, stating that nine out of 10 Ukrainians may face poverty and economic vulnerability in the coming years. Concerns like these are especially devastating when accounting for the 20-year span of economic gain in Ukraine’s history.

It is evident that one country cannot tackle this crisis alone. Google’s efforts have been empowering because they have enabled Ukrainian educational leaders to continue their instruction amid a war with far-reaching humanitarian consequences. The impact of foreign aid on education in Ukraine could be significant. Ukraine’s children need to learn, grow and develop just as children do across the globe. Without an educational background, they may face an even more daunting challenge than the Putin-enforced reality has brought forth.

– Jason Montecalvo
Photo: Flickr

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Poverty Reduction in Chile

Poverty Reduction in ChileWith the highest GDP per capita in South America in 2020, Chile’s growth in the last few decades has been viewed as a model for Latin American development. Adopting a laissez-faire approach, the government shied away from significant spending on welfare, with the few existing programs geared toward middle and upper-class Chileans. However, recent administrations have made combating poverty a central theme of their campaigns, with presidents like Sebastián Piñera and Gabriel Boric both committing to the elimination of extreme poverty. Poverty reduction in Chile and the challenges the country faces serve as an inspiration and a warning for other developing nations.

Chile’s Approach to Poverty Reduction

Chile’s approach to poverty reduction is based upon a series of programs that focus on short-term income support and long-term economic security. During the 1990s, the Aylwin administration invested in hospitals and schools while also increasing the minimum wage. These reforms halved the number of Chileans living in poverty while contributing to the country’s steady growth throughout the decade. However, the highly centralized and inefficient public services system, coupled with strikes from teachers and health workers, meant Chile required a new solution for the new millennium.

Chile Solidario

With a new presidential administration and the need for change amid stagnating results, the government introduced ‘Chile Solidario’ as the country’s newest front in reducing poverty. Conceived in 2002, the program aimed to help low-income Chileans on an individual level while simplifying the arcane bureaucracy behind the country’s welfare system. Chile Solidario provided those in extreme poverty with cash stimuli and “psycho-social support” from social workers, assisting with immediate needs and future plans. In addition, the program synthesized many smaller financial assistance programs into a cohesive system, aiming to make aid more accessible to low-income citizens.

The program showed some successes with poverty reduction in Chile, albeit with limitations. The clearest evidence supporting Chile Solidario is the rapid decline of the percentage of people living in poverty in the years after the program’s introduction in 2002, from 29% to 8.6% by 2017.

Furthermore, attendance in schools and hospitals rose significantly, suggesting health and educational benefits in the future. A significant drawback of Chile Solidario is that while many in the program leave poverty, the rates of exit from the program are not as high. A study during Chile Solidario’s early years also found that household income per capita among recipients did not significantly increase.

The administration of Piñera further modified Chile Solidario. In 2012, President Piñera replaced Chile Solidario with the Ingreso Ético Familiar (Ethical Family Income). As part of his broader promise to end extreme poverty in Chile, IEF focuses primarily on conditional cash transfers to eligible Chileans, requiring school attendance and regular health checkups.

Looking Ahead

Unfortunately, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and Chile’s strict lockdown has challenged the nearly continual progress of poverty reduction in Chile, with the poverty rate increasing from the 2017 low of 8.6% to 10.8% in 2020. Chile’s new president Boric promised $3.7 billion in aid in April 2022, undertaking to create new jobs while raising the minimum wage.

The ongoing debate over Chile’s draft constitution offers hope in the fight against poverty, promising to end job insecurity and institute a universal basic income. However, it also risks undermining the gradual, albeit successful progress of the last four decades in its radical rejection of the blueprint of the 1980 constitution.

Poverty reduction in Chile stands at a crossroads, able to embrace more direct government involvement in reducing the poverty rate or continue to let economic growth naturally spread to its poorest citizens. President Boric’s government seems to firmly favor the former, but in September, it is up to Chileans to decide whether they agree with his vision for the country.

– Samuel Bowles
Photo: Pixabay

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Human Trafficking in Malawi’s Dzaleka Refugee Camp

Human Trafficking in Malawi's Dzaleka Refugee Camp“The [human trafficking] situation was much worse than we first envisaged,” says Maxwell Matewere from the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Malawi. “I even witnessed a kind of Sunday market, where people come to buy children who were then exploited in situations of forced labor and prostitution,” he says to the U.N. The place in question is Malawi’s Dzaleka Refugee Camp. Created in 1994, the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR)  built the camp to accommodate 10,000 refugees escaping war and violence from neighboring countries. It now houses more than 50,000 refugees with even more refugees forced to return to the camp because of the government’s decree. The UNODC and Malawian Police Service have uncovered instances of human trafficking in Malawi’s Dzaleka Refugee Camp.

Human Trafficking in the Refugee Camp

Human trafficking in Malawi’s Dzaleka Refugee Camp takes many forms. Traffickers force men into hard labor while women and girls face sexual exploitation inside the camp or traffickers move them to the city or other countries in southern Africa. Traffickers even recruit children for farm labor and domestic work. Oftentimes, traffickers require refugees to pay off a debt accumulated from “being smuggled into Malawi.” Traffickers then force the victims into labor or prostitution to pay off the debt. The UNODC suspects that the camp may even be a transitory point for larger international human trafficking networks.

Why Human Trafficking Persists

Since the discovery of human trafficking in Dzaleka, the UNODC has taken measures to dismantle the organizations, identify and rescue victims as well as prosecute the perpetrators. However, several factors make dismantling human trafficking networks exceptionally difficult.

  • Victims are Afraid of Testifying. According to the Malawian Police Service, prosecution is difficult because many victims are afraid to testify in court. According to the U.N., the primary reason is that victims fear that traffickers may target them or their families. In some cases, victims related to the trafficker will object to testifying out of a remaining “sense of love or loyalty.” Furthermore, victims are sometimes reluctant to cooperate because they do not trust the officials.
  • Distrust of Law Enforcement. Many victims have difficulty trusting law enforcement. Not only does this make victims reluctant to testify but this also makes it more difficult to identify and rescue victims. According to Deutsche Welle, the basis of distrust comes from a history of corruption among Malawian officials. As Caleb Ng’ombo from People Serving Girls at Risk (PSGR) said, “We still have high levels of corruption, and so most of the trafficking cases are thriving… The people entrusted to do their job cannot do it because someone is paying them under the table.” With an underlying sense of distrust, victims from Malawi’s refugee camps may doubt the intentions of undercover police officers attempting a rescue, complicating the process.
  • Untrained Staff. Upon the discovery of human trafficking in Malawi’s refugee camp, the UNODC held an initial training at Dzaleka to train the staff on identifying and preventing human trafficking. According to Matewere, “There’s very little knowledge of human trafficking among the camp staff.” In fact, after initial training, some members experienced feelings of guilt when they realized the prevalence of trafficking within the camp. Now, the camp has implemented the Protocol on Trafficking in Persons in order to effectively prevent and respond to incidences of human trafficking.

Anti-Trafficking Measures

Despite the difficulty of dismantling human trafficking in Malawi’s Dzaleka Refugee Camp, the UNODC and UNHCR are determined in their goals. Not only have they implemented new training and anti-trafficking procedures, but they have also coached 28 camp officials who will train their colleagues in turn. Furthermore, with U.N. intervention, victims now reside in safe houses instead of being placed in jail alongside perpetrators. With these steps in place, the UNODC has rescued more than 90 victims from the Dzaleka Refugee Camp as of June 2022.

Numerous NGOs are also working on the ground in Malawi. People Serving Girls at Risk (PSGR), for example, cares for women and girls who have faced trafficking or exploitation and handles more than 200 cases a year.

An undercover policeman trained by the UNODC identified and rescued a 16-year-old Congolese girl from forced prostitution. Trafficked at just 10 years old, she came to the camp in 2009 after leaving the DRC due to conflict and violence. At first, she did not trust the officer, but, eventually, he gained her trust. “That evening, I had been beaten by one of my clients for refusing to have sex due to a cut that was bleeding. I was in pain and it was visible. The officer was friendly and he took me to a safe house,” she said to the U.N. Now, she is taking computer literacy lessons and hopes to reunite with her family.

Looking Ahead

Although the path to eradicating human trafficking in Malawi’s Dzaleka Refugee Camp is complex, progress is visible. Hopefully, with the combined efforts of the U.N. and the government, Malawi can eradicate human trafficking in the refugee camp.

– Emilie Zhang
Photo: Flickr