Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

Bukavu’s Elderly Produce Sustainable Energy in Congo

how-the-rainforests-waste-is-used-to-produce-sustainable-energy-in-congoIn Congo’s easterly city of Bukavu, Bavon Mubake, a 62-year-old recent retiree, is helping to provide cheap, sustainable energy to the community while conserving Congo’s forests. By creating fuel pellets through reused waste, Mubake has set an example of how to produce sustainable energy in Congo.

Producing Sustainable Fuel Pellets

With plenty of energy and enthusiasm to spare, Mubake provided the spark to change his community for the better. The process begins with collecting waste such as leaves, maize stalks and cardboard. This mixture is soaked, dried and ground into a powder, which is then combined with sawdust to mold into energy-giving briquettes that communities can rely on for fuel.

“This work helps me to educate my children, to have food on the table and also to have enough to buy clothes and other things,” Mubake explains in an interview with Reuters.

Mubake’s work presents a lifeline for those in communities that have limited or no access to energy. According to Our World in Data, as of 2020, access to electricity sat at 19.1% across Congo. A lack of access to energy contributes to poverty in the nation. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in 2018, 73% of the population in Congo experienced extreme poverty.

Mubake and other retirees like him create the sustainable fuel pellets at Bukavu’s Rehabilitation Center for the Elderly. Three months into operation, the center produces an average number of 2,000 briquettes on a weekly basis. The sale of the briquettes produced by Mubake and the other retirees provides a source of income for the group.

Protecting Congo’s At-Risk Environment

The briquettes look to provide a sustainable alternative to the more traditional means of energy usage in Bukavu — locals cut down trees in the national park to use as charcoal. With the considerably low price of the sustainable briquettes made from waste standing at just $0.05, there is hope that efforts such as these, spearheaded by locals within the community, will help to reduce the dependency on Congo’s natural abundance of forest.

Dependence and depreciation of Congo’s natural forests are also fuelled by the abundance of high-value resources. According to World Wildlife Fund, “The Congo Basin is abundant in natural resources such as timber, diamonds and petroleum, but current methods and rates of extracting these resources are unsustainable and threaten the future of this vast wilderness area.”

Mubake’s innovation presents a solution to a much more significant problem that Congo faces, as the preservation and security of the Congo Basin are constantly under threat. On top of the ever-growing demand for natural resources across the Congo Basin, mass agricultural projects particularly in the region of South Kivu, home to Bukavu, present a genuine threat to wildlife due to deforestation.

According to data provided by Global Forest Watch, in a 20-year-period from 2001 to 2021, Congo lost “34% of its total tree cover loss.” Tree cover across the Congo Basin not only helps to deal with the absorption of harmful emissions but provides a home to countless unique and endangered animals such as the eastern lowland gorilla.

Ensuring protection for endangered species such as the eastern lowland gorilla is vital to annual tourism as thousands of tourists every year travel to Congo to experience one of the nation’s greatest spectacles. Not only do attractions such as the eastern lowland gorilla help to further Congo’s economy but they also help to provide employment for impoverished people within the community.

Through the efforts of Bukavu’s elderly, access to energy in Bukavu, while not universal as yet, is heading toward a promising goal. Hope remains that such actions will set a precedent for how communities can produce sustainable energy in Congo through initiative.

– James Garwood
Photo: Flickr

Nuclear Energy In Developing Countries

Nuclear Energy In Developing CountriesIn early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a rapid drop in energy demand, laying the foundation for an energy crisis. This foundation was strengthened by the 2020 Russia-Saudi Arabia Oil Price War and cemented by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, culminating in the collapse of the global oil trade, starting the energy crisis. The energy crisis has hit developing countries the hardest, as developing countries are more reliant on non-renewable sources of energy. As a result, renewable sources of energy, such as nuclear power, are gaining popularity in developing countries as a way to provide energy beyond the methods hurt by the energy crisis. However, nuclear energy in developing countries is still in its infancy. Here are some facts regarding the future of nuclear energy in developing countries.

4 Facts About Nuclear Energy in Developing Countries

  1. Countries Can Form New Partnerships. The most commonly used source of nuclear energy in developing countries, uranium, is not found in every country. By creating nuclear power plants based on uranium, many developing countries give off the impression to nations unaligned with them that they are looking to enter into new trade deals. This was the case in Pakistan in March 2021, when it completed a nuclear power plant with the help of China. This cooperation led to a new trade agreement between Pakistan and China that allowed for a greater exchange of minerals such as those necessary to help build the power plant.
  2. Protection Against Natural Disasters. Out of the 10 deadliest natural disasters in 2021, most of them occurred in developing countries. The threat of a natural disaster is a leading cause of anti-nuclear sentiments, as damage to a power plant could cause tens of thousands to have to evacuate and potentially kill thousands of people. However, through new thorium-based reactors, it is almost impossible to cause a meltdown in a modern nuclear power plant. This is because new reactors make use of a liquid form of thorium that relies on a plutonium battery to produce energy. If a natural disaster were to occur, the thorium could be drained away from the plutonium battery, preventing a meltdown and saving the lives of thousands of people in developing countries.
  3. Defense Against Terrorism. In many developing countries, terrorists pose a major threat to the energy industry. This is evident how in 2019, the Houthi destroyed an oil facility in Saudi Arabia, impacting the production of 5 million barrels per day, according to The Guardian. However, because of new isolation-based reactors, nuclear power plants do not face the same threat. This is because thorium is not a weaponizable material, since its fission doesn’t produce plutonium, which is one of the elements that nuclear weapons use.
  4. Removing the Reliance on Fossil Fuels. Due to an already established reliance on coal, oil, or other fossil fuels, it might be difficult for a developing country with a fossil fuel-based energy system to transition to nuclear-based energy. Despite this, investing in nuclear power has benefits in the long run, even if a developing country has a reliance on fossil fuels. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) projects that by 2050, nuclear energy “could contribute about 12% of global electricity.”

Looking Forward

While nuclear energy may have a slow start in many developing countries, it certainly has a promising future. For instance, in March 2022, Nigeria committed itself to construct a power plant, which could provide energy to millions of impoverished Nigerians.

Along with that, in 2021, Bangladesh began construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant with the primary purpose of solving Bangladesh’s longstanding energy problem.

There are certainly hurdles to developing nuclear energy in developing countries. However, as seen in Nigeria and Bangladesh, it is definitely possible to establish nuclear energy within developing countries. As these countries transition away from fossil fuels and into renewables such as nuclear energy, they could be providing a stable source of energy to tens of millions of impoverished people that could live a life with energy without the threat of global disruptions.

– Humzah Ahmad
Photo: Flickr

Orbán Might Increase Poverty in Hungary

Poverty In HungaryAfter joining the European Union in 2004, Hungary seemed to be on the path toward a more prosperous future. However, once Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán touted the idea of Hungary becoming an illiberal state, tensions between Brussels and Budapest reached new highs, threatening to destabilize the European Union with an autocratic member and potentially increase poverty in Hungary.

Orbán Erodes Democracy in Hungary

After first holding office from 1998 to 2002, Prime Minister Orbán returned as head of government in 2010, wanting to redesign governmental institutions. Orbán, a member of the Fidesz political party, subverted democratic norms and cemented one-party rule to ensure his assignment as prime minister and the supermajority of his party Fidesz.

In more than a decade since Orbán returned to the premiership, the Prime Minister and Fidesz have completely undermined Hungary’s democracy, erasing governmental integrity through the following methods:

  • Rewriting Hungary’s Constitution
  • Undermining the independence of the judiciary
  • Controlling media, including the Internet, television channels and even school textbooks
  • Gerrymandering to guarantee a Fidesz majority
  • Suspending civil society organizations

As a result of Orbán’s reforms, the think tank Freedom House demoted Hungary to the status of partly free, indicating that Hungary’s democracy is at the cusp of autocracy, according to E-International Relations.

Poverty in Hungary

Despite Hungary’s descent from a protected democracy, poverty under Orbán’s leadership is reaching new lows.

From 2015 to 2019, there was a 2.2% drop in poverty rates, leaving only 12.3% of Hungarians below the national poverty line. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted this trend of alleviating poverty rates, but official numbers are not yet available, as per the World Bank.

Hungary Depends on EU Funds

As Brussels and Budapest continue to clash, Hungary may become subject to financial repercussions. As one of the largest recipients of EU funds, the landlocked nation may find itself in tough times if cut off from much-needed aid.

From the 2014-2020 budget, Hungary received €40 billion ($40.8 billion). In just 2018, Hungary received €6.3 billion ($6.43 billion) from the EU, almost 5% of the country’s GDP.  Without EU funding, the nation’s economic growth and ability to counter domestic poverty may stagnate or suffer.

Confrontations Between the EU and Hungary

Hungary’s turn against democratic norms puts it at odds with the European Union, prompting concerns about whether the EU should continue funding the nation as it refutes the multinational organization’s liberal democratic values.

Hungary’s violations of rule-of-law principles by undermining the country’s judiciary, education system and electoral integrity have prompted the EU to assess the best path forward to divert Hungary from autocracy, according to E-International Relations. In addition, the EU has accused Hungary of mishandling its funds, citing a lack of transparency and corruption (including 52 probes into misuse of funds) in how the nation utilizes EU funds.

In the past, the European Union has explored two main tools to handle Hungary’s disobedience: Article 7 of the Treaty of Lisbon and infringement procedures.

Under Article 7 of the Treaty of Lisbon, the EU can suspend certain rights of member states if a nation violates liberal democratic values, according to E-International Relations. However, this procedure requires a unanimous vote by all EU member states, rendering this feat impossible due to Orbán’s staunch ally in Poland.

The other main tactic the EU has tried is infringements procedures, which, simply put, is a legal action against an EU country that does not uphold EU law. In the past, infringement procedures in Hungary totaled €100,000 a day, according to E-International Relations. However, taking Hungary to court is time-consuming and potentially too ineffective to curb the nation from authoritarianism.

Brussels has resorted to withholding funds from Hungary within the past two years. The EU prevented Hungary from accessing more than €7.2 billion ($7.34 billion) from the bloc’s coronavirus response fund, citing ongoing breaches of EU law.

Now, as tensions rise, Brussels can leverage its conditionality regulation. This tool, which came into effect in January 2021, allows the EU to withhold money from its general fund from member nations for rule-of-law breaches. The European Union can prevent Hungary from accessing €40 billion ($40.8 billion) from its 2021-2027 budget if Orbán does not abide by the EU’s rules. This robust measure, which could push Orbán farther away from autocracy, may ultimately be detrimental to poverty in Hungary.

A Path Forward

As Brussels and Budapest continue clashing over democratic principles and funding, the future of poor Hungarians is in limbo. Financial penalties could prevent infrastructural development, welfare assistance and other critical programs that combat poverty, impeding the progress made under Orbán’s regime.

However, chances for a compromise remain hopeful. In June, Orbán stated, “Everything is ready for an agreement to be struck between the union and Hungary, which I think both sides need.”

With the two sides approaching an agreement and potentially unlocking withheld funds, Hungary could hopefully be on a path away from both autocracy and poverty.

In the meantime, non-government organizations are working to combat poverty in Hungary, with Habitat for Humanity Hungary being a notable example. Habitat for Humanity began its work in Hungary in 1996 and it helps supply homes for the impoverished. In 2019, Habitat for Humanity has helped more than 230 Hungarians, trying to minimize the number of people in poor living conditions.

Although the political situation remains precarious, there is still hope for the poorest Hungarians. Brussels and Budapest are inching closer toward an agreement, hopefully bringing more assistance to the poorest Hungarians shortly.

– Michael Cardamone
Photo: Flickr

Young Innovators in Accra

young-innovatorsThe Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) is launching its 2022 Express accelerator program for entry startup companies in Accra, Ghana. Many young innovators are participating in this program. MEST’s mission is to “focus on empowering startups in Ghana that are providing solutions that use technology to drive transformational change to create a more sustainable future for all.” Sustainable social impact is a pillar of the incubator’s goals. Furthermore, the professional development of women entrepreneurs will receive priority for the upcoming cohort.

Accra is rapidly becoming one of the leading tech hubs in the world. As a center for innovation, talent from around West Africa are starting companies in Ghana. Rising regional innovators will soon arrive at MEST’s offices to fine-tune their projects into successful enterprises.

The Impact

The 20-week accelerator program began on July 28, 2022. Each startup receives $5,000 at the start of the program to develop its projects. Then, top-performing participants obtain $20,000 in equity-free funding for further business growth. Young innovators in Accra are getting the capital they need to build their emerging companies.

Along with funding, MEST supports entrepreneurs through mentorship and networking. The incubator’s team of experienced consultants gives a new perspective to growth stage projects. Sector experts help participants develop marketing strategies and identify target audiences. Furthermore, the MEST Express accelerator program connects young innovators in Accra with a transnational entrepreneurial community and investors.

Finally, the MEST curriculum develops business soft skills. The model prepares entrepreneurs for the professional world through leadership, communication, critical thinking and team-building development. Each startup must present its project at the end of the program. Program alumni gain valuable experience for future opportunities in the field. MEST is producing the next generation of young innovators in Accra.

Bottom-up investment is impactful on a local level and benefits macro-economic health. Startup entrepreneurs tend to be more in touch with community issues. Innovators’ products often reflect the environments they grow up in. It is essential to finance local entrepreneurs with the lived experience to properly address societal issues. MEST’s focus on social impact is funding community-driven transformation.

Through the MEST Express accelerator program, participants are empowered to become change-makers. The funding provides opportunities and creates new wealth for young innovators in Accra. MESTS’s bottom-up investment strategy encourages a thriving middle-class in Ghana and supports domestic, as well as global economic expansion.

Startup Highlight

Codetrain is one of MEST’s many successful alumni companies. The group provides training, guidance and professional opportunities to young coders in Ghana. The company develops students with little experience into world-class software programmers and sets them up to succeed with local and international tech companies.

The program trained more than 500 students in Accra and Kumasi since it opened in 2017. Roughly 90% of these coders found employment after graduating from Codetrain. Business accelerators expand the impact and economic growth exponentially.

Future of Innovation in Ghana

While Ghana is developing into a regional tech startup powerhouse, there are still challenges facing entrepreneurs in West Africa. It is crucial that opportunities for entrepreneurial development are extended to young innovators outside of urban centers. Greater investment in Ghanian incubator infrastructure is necessary to reach talent throughout the country.

Accelerators such as MEST generate global innovation, address social issues with sustainable solutions and maintain economic health. Identifying productive business incubators and funding the expansion of these initiatives should be foundational to the United States’ foreign strategy.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic is stunting the growth of start-ups in West Africa. Combating global vaccine inequality must be a policy priority to save lives and encourage economic growth.

MEST is gathering the top young innovators in Accra for the 2022 Express accelerator program. Social impact and gender equity in the tech sector are priorities for the initiative. Startups will receive funding to advance projects. Furthermore, participants will gain valuable soft skills, professional insight and networking opportunities.

While Ghana is becoming a rising hub for entrepreneurial activity, there are still roadblocks facing young innovators. Talent in rural areas is lost due to the limited reach of opportunity. Funding is needed to expand the business incubator infrastructure throughout Ghana. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disturb economic growth in West Africa. Global health care equity and investment in bottom-up strategies should be central to Washington’s foreign policy.

Despite these barriers, the future of Ghana’s tech sector is exciting. Many successful companies rose through MEST’s accelerator initiative. This year’s Express program in Accra is developing the next generation of entrepreneurs.

– Samson Heyer
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Digitization in India

digitization-in-indiaWith the highest 10% of the population holding 57% of India’s national income as of 2021, India stands as one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world. Governments and businesses remain in search of the most effective methods to lift Indians out of poverty. Recent research has explored the benefits of demonetization and digitization in India at the individual and government level.

India has come full swing in embracing the digital age, with Aadhaar – the national biometric digital identity program – covering 99.7% of the nation’s adult population as of December 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has further strengthened the drive to go online, with an increase in sellers on almost all e-commerce platforms. Digitization in India will help the nation make strides in poverty reduction.

Digitization and Improving the Economy

According to McKinsey, “60 million to 65 million [jobs] could be created through the direct impact of productivity-boosting digital applications” by 2025. Furthermore, with more than 10 million businesses brought to a common digital platform through the 2013 Goods and Services Tax Network, digitization is incentivizing businesses to go online, thus, enhancing cooperation and streamlining India’s fragmented and informal marketplace. Outside the commercial world, digitizing sectors such as agriculture, education and health care can create up to $150 billion of incremental economic value by 2025 as it can raise output and save on costs and time.

Digitization and Improving Government Services

Not only can digitization help boost the economy and provide jobs to millions but it can also improve the government services essential to the positive well-being of citizens. To improve urban service deliveries in Andhra Pradesh, the government and World Bank designed AI platforms to monitor municipal services. By using drones and Geographic Information System mapping, the World Bank updated town plans and geo-tagged citizens’ issues with “online visibility” to enhance transparency and hold municipal engineers accountable for resolving issues within a certain time period.

By linking applications for piped water supply to AI, the project also provided new water connections to more than 200,000 homes in 110 municipalities between 2015 and 2019. In this same time period, “revenue from property taxes and water charges more than doubled,” enabling the government to collect sufficient resources for civil projects.

The Downside of Digitization

Despite its promise for socio-economic transformation, digitization has a long way to go in lifting all classes of Indians out of poverty. As access to digital services is still largely reserved for the upper class, those living in poverty remain excluded from the advantages of e-commerce. Therefore, in some ways, digitization may be entrenching poverty instead of reducing it. This problem proves even more serious for Indian women, only about a third of whom have internet access and rely on education as their primary form of social security in 2022.

Hope for the Future

While many Indians are yet to experience the benefits of digitization, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India program, launched in 2015, centers around the internet as a utility for all citizens. The program’s goals include “universal digital literacy” and “easy access to a Common Service Centre” for all.

With more efficient government services and more Indians gaining access to the formal marketplace, digitization in India promises a future of reduced poverty.

– Imogen Scott
Photo: Flickr

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2022 Sees a Rise in Public Giving

Rise in Public GivingU.S. inflation reached 9.1% in June 2022, the highest inflation rate in nearly 40 years. An alarming rise in the cost of goods and services paired with stock market volatility reflects ongoing concerns of a burgeoning economic recession. Economists’ forecasts grow bleaker as the government races to tackle historic inflation rates. Even so, 2022 sees a rise in public giving despite mounting economic hardship.

2022 Fidelity Charitable Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)

According to Fidelity Charitable, the largest grantmaker in the United States, Americans donated a record-high $4.8 billion to Fidelity Charitable accounts within the first six months of 2022. Approximately $128 million of these donations went to Ukrainian relief efforts, providing aid to alleviate the many crises Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused. Donations to prominent NGOs such as Jose Andres’s Central World Kitchen and the International Medical Corps also increased significantly when compared to previous years.

Fidelity Charitable’s 11% increase in donations is a significant divergence from the norm, as charitable giving is generally the first thing cut from the budget during times of financial duress. The 2008 financial crisis, for example, caused donation rates to plummet by approximately 12%, according to Fast Company.

Recent changes in America’s charitable activity can be attributed to the emerging prominence of Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs). DAFs allow individuals and corporations alike to deposit assets for donations to charity over time. Donors invest their charitable donations in advance, allowing them to tap into these funds later down the road when a crisis unfolds. DAFs are essentially donation reserves that allow donors to access funds that have been already been set aside, thus enabling a steady rise in public giving despite mounting economic hardship.

DAFs Bolster Americans Capacity to Give

DAFs are quite new and have grown in popularity since the financial crisis of 2008. Because DAFs create a ready supply of donations over time, they bolster donors and charities alike against future economic hardships. Rapid economic expansion in the decade since the 2008 market crash boosted general economic confidence and encouraged expansive investment in DAFs, which is translating into elevated levels of giving during times of crisis, according to Fast Company.

The purpose of DAFs is to increase the amount that individuals and corporations are able to give. They are incredibly flexible, allowing individuals to invest cash donations as well as assets such as stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, life insurance and retirement funds, according to Nerd Wallet. The versatility of DAFs is part of what makes them so successful, as they provide a plethora of investment options that appeal to everyone from the wealthy elite to the average middle-class American family.

Once an individual invests assets in a DAF, they cannot retrieve their contribution from the fund. This works to prevent individuals or companies from abusing DAFs for their tax-deduction qualities. Sponsoring organization controls DAFs, which controls the assets within DAFs as well as the investment options available to donors, according to Nerd Wallet. Once invested, DAF assets mature or appreciate tax-free until they are donated.

Some sponsor organizations do not have a mandatory distribution date, meaning that a donor can allow their funds to grow as long as they wish before donating. Other sponsor organizations require donors to contribute a portion of their funds to charity regularly in order to avoid fraudulent activity.

DAFs offer various tax benefits, permitting donors to receive tax deductions for their DAF contributions. Tax-related donor benefits contributed to the expansive rise in DAF investment in the past decade, fostering the current rise in public giving despite mounting economic hardship. The tax deductions attributed to DAFs faced criticism in the past as they provide a possible tax shelter for the wealthy. Despite these concerns, DAFs have proven a vital funding source for charities during times of economic volatility by bolstering Americans’ capacity to give.

An Evolution in How Americans Give

Although it is America’s largest DAF sponsor organization, expanding DAF investment is not unique to Fidelity Charitable. The 15th annual DAF report by the National Philanthropic Trust of 2021 analyzes data from 976 charitable DAF sponsor organizations from 2020. The report found that DAF donor grants reached approximately $34.67 billion in 2021, an astonishing 27% increase since 2019.

Additionally, the number of individual DAF accounts within the U.S. reached 1 million for the first time in history. This encouraging increase in charitable investment and DAF donations seems counterintuitive considering the economic austerity imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of DAFs in 2020 and 2021 reflects the current rise in public giving despite mounting economic hardship.

Experts are confident that donation rates will continue to rise as 2022 persists, surpassing all previous records. Historically, Americans tend to give more during the fourth quarter of the financial year. The President of Fidelity Charitable, Jacob Pruitt, expects this trend to continue, with hopes of surpassing 2021’s year-end record of $10.3 billion, Fast Company reports. These donations will be a pertinent source of aid for low-income nations that are most vulnerable to high inflation rates.

Most DAF sponsor organizations do not have a minimum initial contribution, meaning anyone is welcome to open an account, according to Nerd Wallet. A small initial investment followed by regular deposits will appreciate over time, allowing one to mature their donation reserve at a pace that fits their financial situation. DAFs are an investment, so starting one now will not reap immediate results nor will it provide instant gratification.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it is that the course of life is unpredictable and that there will always be someone, somewhere in need of assistance. DAFs were designed with this reality in mind, enabling charitable individuals to plan ahead and prepare a ready reserve that can be tapped into when the need arises. A small DAF contribution today could translate into a major impact in the future, so there really is no better time to start investing than the present.

– Mollie Lund
Photo: Flickr

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3 Facts About Elderly Poverty in Malaysia

Elderly Poverty in Malaysia“I have heard of a friend who had six to seven children. Although some of them, husband and wife earn RM2,000- RM3,000 per month, they do not seem to offer to help their parents; at least RM200 is sufficient. But instead, they tell their mother, ‘I need RM200 from you, I want to pay for my house, my car and my children’s education.’ You have this kind of people. That is considered financial abuse.” This is a quote from a 68-year-old elder in Malaysia who participated in a study published by the ASM Science Journal. His words reflect the situation of elderly poverty in Malaysia and the intergenerational problem the society faces as the population ages. Here are three facts about elderly poverty in Malasyia.

3 Facts About Elderly Poverty in Malaysia

  1. Aging populations have few sources of income. Malaysia is a nation located in Southeast Asia and like many high-income countries, its population is rapidly aging. In fact, according to the World Bank, Malaysia will transition from its current state of an “aging” society to an “aged” society in the next two decades, going from 7% of the population being older than 65 to 14% by 2044. However, according to Dr. Soon Ting Kueh, “We feel Malaysia is not quite prepared for an aging society and hope the government will look into these problems soon.” Exacerbated by the relatively low minimum retirement age in Malaysia, only 45.2% of the population between the age of 55 and 64 has a job. Although people in this age group are more likely to be self-employed or work part-time, oftentimes, they no longer have a source of income.
  2. Financial security is harder for women. According to the World Bank, the gap in the employment rate is most obvious in the 50 to 60 age group. In Malaysia, only 17.9% of women in this demographic have a job compared to 59.7% of men. This may also be because more women are self-employed or work at home without pay. However, because of their unemployment status, women often have less coverage in terms of social insurance. One measurement of social security for the elderly in Malaysia is their Employees Provident Fund (EPF) balance, or how much money they were able to invest in a federal savings and retirement plan. According to the World Bank, men tend to have around RM233,000 ($51,260) in their EPF account compared to RM177,000 ($39,000) for women. This highlights the differences between the two groups and how financial security is harder to obtain for elderly women, which contributes to elderly poverty in Malaysia.
  3. Lack of geriatric care. Because older people are more vulnerable to diseases (chronic or not), they make up over 20% of admissions to Malaysia’s public hospitals. However, the development of geriatric care and health facilities has not kept up with the rate at which Malaysia’s population is aging. Not only is there a lack of geriatric infrastructure, but there is also a lack of community care, home care and other rehabilitation services. According to The Gerontologist, this may be because elders in Malaysia traditionally depended on the “family support system” that many Asian cultures emphasize. However, with the passage of time and modernization, these responsibilities have slowly transferred from the family to social structures, putting a large demand on public health care that is currently unavailable in this country. Coupled with the larger vulnerability to illnesses, the amount of money the elderly must pay for health care also depletes their savings and contributes to elderly poverty in Malaysia.

Making a Change

As the quote in the beginning suggests, the elderly are especially vulnerable when it comes to financial stability because, after retirement, many must financially rely on their children for income, or in some cases even fund their children’s expenditures.

Thankfully, NGOs such as The National Council of Senior Citizens Organizations Malaysia (NACSCOM) are rallying for the elderly of Malaysia. Established in 1990, NACSCOM has around 20,000 members worldwide and cooperates with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development of Malaysia to push government action and legislation in areas such as elderly health care.

The Old Folks Home they established in 2007 currently has 20 residents, and three day centers that were established across Malaysia continuously provide learning programs for the elderly.

As the population ages, elderly poverty in Malaysia may become an even more difficult issue. Coupled with the lack of quality health care, elderly people sometimes have to engage in part-time jobs or self-employment in order to escape elderly poverty. However, with the combined efforts of NGOs and the government, geriatric infrastructure and reforms for accessible health care may not be far from the future. With this in mind, hopefully, senior citizens could soon be able to live without financial vulnerability in Malaysia.

– Emilie Zhang
Photo: Unsplash

The Namibian Connected African Girls Coding Camp

Connected African Girls CodingA global gender gap exists in internet usage and this gap is the largest in Africa. In 2022, the Connected African Girls Coding Camp is teaming up with the government of Namibia, U.N. Namibia, U.N. Women and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to host a two-week coding training camp dedicated to African females aged 12 to 25. This is the fifth time the camp is happening and 100 girls from Namibia will attend along with 2,000 girls from all over the African continent who will join virtually. Instructors will teach in both English and French to be inclusive for all participants. The coding camp runs from 16-24 August 2022 and will be hosted at the Windhoek Palm Hotel in Namibia.

Background

In Africa, internet usage is low in comparison to other regions of the world. Just 35% of men use the internet and an even lower 24% of women are digitally active, according to an ITU 2021 report. In addition, African women are less likely to own mobile phones, use a mobile phone on a daily basis, own a phone with internet access, own computers or access the internet regularly compared to African men.

In a world that continues to grow digitally, technological knowledge becomes a prerequisite for many professional fields. There is a correlation between the limited number of women in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) fields and the gender gap in internet usage. Without teaching women how to access and use the internet, the difficulty for women to participate in STEAM fields will remain and the gender gap will broaden.

Many groups are currently working to connect more women to the internet in Africa. The African School on Internet Governance, U.N. Women and many other organizations focus on eliminating certain barriers that prevent digital inequity. These include, for example, “unavailable or unaffordable access, low digital literacy and confidence and lack of relevant content,” The Washington Post reports.

The Boot Camp

The Connected African Girls Coding Camp also aims to reduce this gap by teaching young African women and girls the foundational skills to “find long-term success in education, employment and entrepreneurship while creating a conducive environment for collaborative efforts.”

The coding camp consists of four workshops that each teach the participants a different tech-related skill. These include “animation, web development & gaming, IoT & robotics and 3D printing.” The main workshops are accompanied by courses on topics such as “artificial intelligence, design thinking and computational thinking.” The training camp will also run master classes on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa’s Agenda 2063 as well as gender-based violence and “personal development skills.”

On the last day of the camp, the participants will attend “an innovation fair” where the girls will showcase the projects they developed during the camp. These projects stand as potential solutions to tackling Africa’s socio-economic issues and barriers. During “the last four editions of the coding camp,” participants created 198 innovative projects. The program recognized 40 of these programs as “contributions to the community.”

Looking Ahead

The Connected African Girls Coding Camp aims to do more than teach thousands of young women and girls the foundations of technology and promote access to Information Technology and Communications (ICT). It hopes to empower them to thrive in the tech industry as a whole and build the confidence they need to be successful. Furthermore, organizers of the boot camp hope that participants will make meaningful connections throughout the two weeks.

– Jordan Oh
Photo: Flickr

As a Global Stagflation Crisis Approaches, Foreign Aid Must Be a Priority

Global economic growth is on a steep downturn, due primarily to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain shortages from the Russia/Ukraine conflict. The World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) had each predicted that global economic growth in 2022 would reach more than 4% earlier this year. At the beginning of June, they scratched the original estimates, saying that economic growth would barely reach 3%, indicating a possible crisis of global stagflation.

Economic Downtown After the Pandemic

At the end of 2021, many global organizations, including the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund, predicted that the global economy would see a post-pandemic boom. However, because of the conflict in Ukraine and the COVID-19 shutdown in China, the global supply chain took a significant hit. In turn, inflation is rising at an alarming rate, especially in global economic powerhouses like the United States and England. This is cause for concern not only for rich countries but for small and developing countries as well, which often rely on economic overflow from large nations.

Stagflation

The World Bank and the OECD declared that the global economy is at risk of stagflation, which is a combination of high, sustained inflation and stagnating growth. Global stagflation poses a risk for everyone, but poor and developing countries would face the worst of it. Many developing nations’ economies rely on exports to wealthy nations, meaning a global economic slowdown would seriously harm them. Additionally, high interest rates and low growth would make it nearly impossible to pay back large quantities of debt. The World Bank has predicted that some nations will default on their debts, which would mean a decline in living conditions.

The most recent stagflation crisis took place in the 1970s when the global economy saw aggressive inflation and low economic growth. The current situation is worrying to many economists and activists because at that time living standards and economic well-being took a drastic downturn in many developing countries in Latin America and the Middle East.

Avoiding Stagflation

The good news is that the circumstances of the current economic situation differ significantly from the stagflation crisis of the 1970s. Most central banks are now independently operated and the global economy is less reliant on low energy prices, two factors that provide some relief to poorer countries.

The OECD believes that a stagflation crisis can be avoided, but economic powerhouses and international organizations need to take serious action. There are significant factors in play that are preventing governments from stepping in, primarily the fact that developing nations have already accumulated record levels of debt.

To avoid stagnation, the World Bank suggests worldwide policymakers focus on five key areas. They need to:

  1. Limit the harm caused by the war in Ukraine by coordinating the crisis response in terms of delivery of food and medicine and support of refugees.
  2. Counter the high prices of oil and food by increasing supplies of key commodities.
  3. Escalate debt relief as debt distress spreads from low-income countries to middle-income countries.
  4. Continue to strive to contain COVID-19 globally through strong immunization programs.
  5. Continue to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency and decrease their reliance on fossil fuels.

The United States Steps Up with Aid

Support from the United States could come from protecting and enhancing the International Affairs Budget, emergency COVID-19 relief and direct collaboration with the governments of developing nations concerning exports and investments. The United States has taken a step in the right direction by supporting the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), which will pledge $600 billion to the global economy over the next five years.

–Ella DeVries
Photo: Flickr

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A Backpack Fights Illegal Logging in Peru 

Illegal Logging in PeruMany nomadic communities live in Peru’s Amazon rainforest and more than half of the world’s uncontacted tribes reside in the same lively forest near the Peru-Brazil border. However, illegal logging in Peru poses a devastating threat to tribes’ survival. Not only do contractors expose members of these tribes to fatal illnesses, they purposely undermine the real value of trees to create illegal scams. The education of indigenous communities has become the most effective deterrence against illegal logging, and innovative tools such as the Peruvian “Forest Backpack” is actively teaching local leaders how to detect and avoid scams.

Illegal Logging and its Effect on Amazonian Communities

In the Amazon rainforest, the main cause of forest and village degradation is illegal logging. The prevalence of illegal logging poses harsh consequences on Amazonian communities, as it can destroy many homes in the process.

In 2012, the World Bank reported that close to 80% of Peru’s logging exports were the result of illegal logging practices, in which timbermen forge documents to appear professional.

As illegal logging in Peru continues, it endangered the homes and livelihoods of Peruvian indigenous peoples. Since many communities sell their wood for prices that are not fair, the community loses out on opportunities for growth and improvement of living conditions.

With an already high poverty rate of 70% among indigenous Peruvian communities, illegal loggers take away from their potential prosperity. Countless villages are forced to flee to towns in fear of illegal loggers, putting them at risk for an illness they have never been exposed to before as well as erasing the traces of their previous tribal life, according to Reuters.

Government Recognition

Peruvian communities who fall victim to illegal logging face many difficulties with the government’s recognition. Since many of these communities do not appear on maps, lack official acknowledgment and instead must rely on the federations that represent them. Without the government’s affirmation, localities do not have legal protection.

Violence often follows deforestation, putting communities in direct danger and bringing disastrous ramifications. Edwin Chota was the leader of the Alto Tamaya-Saweto in the Ucayali region of the Amazon. Illegal loggers killed him after a long campaign with his community to gain the titles to their own land, The Guardian reports. Villagers embarked on a six-day river journey to report the atrocity, highlighting the struggle locals go through to gain access to law enforcement.

The Forest Backpack

In 2015, OSINFOR, the Peruvian agency that oversees the precious resources of the Amazon, began developing innovative solutions to prevent the further exploitation of indigenous communities. OSINFOR has received help from both USAID and the U.S. Forest Service in the training of community members, all using one simple, unassuming tool: a backpack.

Within the Forest Backpack are tool kits and laminated images that can be used to instruct others as well as measure the value of a given tree. Since 2019, OSINFOR has distributed these backpacks to indigenous communities where illegal logging hit the hardest.

Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to timber traders’ deception for multiple reasons, such as language barriers and lack of educational tools. OSINFOR focuses on speaking to communities in their own language and teaching leaders how to use the backpack’s indispensable tools, according to Medium.

To complement the fair selling of trees, these Peruvians are also harvesting seeds to plant the next generation of trees to become more sustainable. The growing accessibility of forest assessment tools and OSINFOR’s and USAID’s cooperation with underserved indigenous communities will eliminate illegal logging in Peru as well as improve quality of life.

In the words of Isideo Ruiz Apu, the leader of the Huitoto community of Pacuarquillo, “The forest is our market, our hospital, our bank; through the forest, we sustain our households and get what we need,” Medium reports.

– Caroline Zientek
Photo: Flickr