Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Exploring Land Rights for Women in Kenya

land rights for womenThe Kenyan Constitution states that men and women are equal under the law. Despite the new legislation, women in Kenya still face discrimination for exercising their rights to own land with their name on it rather than their husbands’ name.

Women’s Land Rights in Kenya

Property and land rights for women recently expanded in Kenya, particularly for married women, a group denied land ownership in the past. Passed in 2013, the Matrimonial Property Act states that marriage between a man and a woman rests on a foundation of equality. It recognizes spouses as equal property owners and protects women’s rights to land ownership during marriage, divorce and separation.

The Act follows the repeal of previous gender-discriminatory laws, anointing a new progressive path for the country. Before the Act’s enactment, Kenya’s government enforced the Married Women’s Property Act of 1882, a piece of legislation leftover from the era of British colonization, explained Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Land Alliance (KLA) Faith Alubbe in an interview with The Borgen Project. KLA is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that advocates for equal land access in Kenya.

“For women, land ownership is very important for them to be able to feed their families, for them to be able to access or use land and to control it,” said Alubbe. “As it is right now, most women only access and use land. They rarely control and own it.”

Today, nearly a decade after the Act’s passage, only 10.3% of Kenyan women own land title deeds, according to statistics from KLA. Even with the implementation of this new law, varied customs and traditions that bar women from land ownership exist throughout Kenya’s 47 counties. Without complete and clear access to land titles, the disproportionate impact of homelessness and poverty on Kenyan women could worsen.

Land Advocacy for Kenyan Women

“How come women work on land a lot, use the resources, but they never own or control it?” This was the question Alubbe asked herself that propelled her deeper into land advocacy. Alubbe’s work in human rights and land justice in Kenya stretches back to 2006 when she worked for the Kenya Human Rights Commission, an NGO that promotes democratic change, and for the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-K), an NGO that extends free legal representation to women in Kenya.

From KLA’s efforts partnered with its network of 50 organizations, Alubbe informs Kenyan communities about their rights and helps individuals secure proper land title documentation to actualize land justice in Kenya and throughout East Africa. While Alubbe worked for FIDA-K, she was a member of the team that pushed for the passage of the 2013 Matrimonial Property Act.

Despite the Act’s intentions of creating greater land equality, as noted in a report by the Human Rights Watch in coordination with FIDA-K, it falls short of total enforcement. The Act does not recognize couples who are unofficially married although many Kenyan couples are not legally registered in their counties, disbarring them from protection under the law.

Justice System vs. Patriarchal Custom

Alubbe also believes the act has only been partly successful. Women rarely exit the court system empty-handed, but getting couples to trial, an expensive and often lengthy process, stands in the way of land justice for women. The financial hardships of covering court fees and paying lawyers can be enough to stop a woman from trying her case in the court system.

“With the precedents that are coming out of court, [the Matrimonial Property Act] has not been as successful as we had hoped it to be because [of] gray areas and a lot of discretion,” said Alubbe.

These “gray areas” could pertain to patriarchal traditions, customary laws and alternative justice systems found in countries that govern Kenyan communities, explained Alubbe. Customary laws, laws that oftentimes discriminate against land ownership for women, control more than 65% of the land in Kenya, according to HRW.

Rather than turning to the justice system, married couples in rural areas undergoing divorce will instead meet with community elders and chiefs for an efficient and affordable alternative. But, outside of court systems, customary laws that insist women have no entitlement to matrimonial property prevail, potentially leaving women with only their personal belongings and no roof over their heads.

“Those at the community level prefer [alternative justice systems] because it’s accessible and affordable. Though it can be very patriarchal, and since it’s not very regulated, it might also defeat justice,” said Alubbe.

According to customary laws in the Kilifi and Kakamega Kenyan counties, land titles are attributed solely to a woman’s husband or owned by his family. Any acquisitions or improvements to a couple’s property, regardless if they are made by the wife, do not belong to her. Although 96% of rural Kenyan women are responsible for farming, Oxfam reports, their contributions to the land are theirs only to sow not to reap for personal benefit.

If she can manage the costs, under the Matrimonial Property Act, she must also present proof of monetary or non-monetary contributions to her matrimonial property. But, what classifies as substantial evidence is not clearly outlined under the law, explained HRW. Unpaid care work, labor women are predominantly responsible for, can make or break a woman’s case, but it is also dependent on the judge’s interpretation of proof.

Consequences of Patriarchal Land Ownership

Due to ambiguities in legislation and customs that trump a woman’s ownership of land, less than 2% of land in Kenya is owned by women. These gaps in land title enforcement fail to protect women’s rights, intensifying the number of women who face the threat of eviction and poverty.

Separated, divorced and widowed women risk losing their homes to their husbands or their husbands’ families under customary laws. The Kilifi and Kakamega counties, where men are the majority landowners, also possess two of the highest divorce and separation rates in Kenya.

When women in Kenya are disbarred from owning land, which is a significant generator of income, they struggle to access other resources, including credit and agricultural crops. Alubbe adds that without disposable income or secure credit, education for women’s children falls through the cracks and malnutrition becomes a stark reality for families.

“Because land is the primary factor of production in Kenya, without land, then the level of poverty is quite high for women,” said Alubbe. Breaking down poverty by gender, Kenyan women are more likely to fall into poverty than men. For single, divorced and widowed women, this is especially true. Nearly 31% of divorced women fall into poverty while 38% of widowers fall into poverty, according to the World Bank.

Looking Ahead

Women in Kenya depend on land they can call their own. The law says women can finally own land — a crucial acknowledgment of Kenyan women’s contributions to their communities. This issue of land ownership extends beyond Kenya’s borders, though. According to the World Bank, only 30% of the world’s population has land titles today. Throughout rural sub-Saharan Africa, only 10% of the population has land titles.

Yet, Alubbe is personally working to expand access to land titles. This September, she personally drove herself to Kenya’s counties to train community members and assist with land registration and land rights for women in Kenya. After stopping in Laikipia, she noted that registration was going well and her key focus is for women to be part of the registration process.

“We are very hopeful because more women are gaining more knowledge,” said Alubbe. “Women themselves are being more sensitized and aware that to be involved, [they] should own land.”

– Grace Mayer
Photo: Flickr

The Blueprint for Ending Extreme Poverty in Moldova

Extreme Poverty in MoldovaFrom 1999 to 2015, Moldova went from a 36% extreme poverty rate to zero, effectively ending extreme poverty in Moldova. By analyzing Moldova’s poverty reduction strategies, organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank can form a blueprint to fight extreme poverty globally.

IMF Focus on Poverty Reduction

In 2000, the IMF instituted a three-pronged approach for ending extreme poverty in Moldova, which involved major reforms in governance and the public sector. Economic development, health care changes, educational developments and social safety nets were the primary focus to kickstart growth in the country.

  • The IMF’s focus on economic development revolved around public spending and the lack of private business. Aside from ensuring fiscal responsibility from the government, government retirement plans and debt were swallowing the country’s budgetary resources. The IMF advised Moldova to revise its tax system to be more equitable while strengthening its private sector by easing regulations and tax burdens on small and medium businesses.
  • Education was a foundational part of the reform process. The IMF ensured Moldova improved its education system through guidance from the World Bank. The primary focus was on improving education standards and increasing the availability of secondary education to needy students.
  • The health sector developed more substantial healthcare access to reduce long-term expenses and to involve the private sector.
  • Developing better social safety nets was a key pillar for the IMF in Moldova. Most importantly, the goal of the program is to keep children out of poverty. This included food security and funding to access human development services. Also on the agenda was reforming the nation’s pension system to protect aging populations.

The Impact of Changes in Moldova

These changes were to undergo implementation by no later than 2003 and most changes are ongoing. How well did the changes work? In 2000, Moldova’s GDP per capita was at $1,439 and by 2019 the GDP per capita rose to $3,715, doubling the nation’s economic growth. The secondary education enrollment rate was 48% in 1999 and grew to an 86% enrollment rate by 2019. Though absolute poverty remains high, these strategies were instrumental in ending extreme poverty in Moldova. Even by 2006, the extreme poverty rate was down to 4.5%.

The World Bank’s Evaluation

The World Bank processed an analysis from 2007 to 2014 using data to determine how ending extreme poverty in Moldova was effective. Compared to most of Europe, Moldova is still impoverished, but extreme poverty no longer plagued the country by 2014. There were four primary factors that the World Bank determined to be the cause of this success. Economic expansion, advanced opportunities for workers, better retirement fiscal responsibility for aging populations and international work being funneled back into Moldova’s economy, were the most effective tools for alleviating extreme poverty.

  • Despite a setback during the financial crisis in 2009, Moldova has seen steady GDP growth up until the COVID-19 pandemic. Of significant note is that Moldova showed continued growth rather than the ups and downs that the most impoverished nations experienced. Moldova’s commitment to attaining the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and effectively using guidance from the World Bank and IMF are reasons for this growth. Responsible governance and low corruption were instrumental in ending extreme poverty in Moldova.
  • Moldova’s workforce lowered from 2007 to 2014, primarily due to migration; however, wage growth was significant in jobs outside of the agricultural sector. Growth in food processing, manufacturing and ICT industry jobs increased wages exponentially, while the agricultural sector still struggled. These higher-skill jobs are attributable to the country’s focus on improving secondary education access, as outlined by the IMF, providing upward mobility.
  • Responsible pension disbursement was a chief agent for ending extreme poverty in Moldova. The significant increase in distributions to aging rural citizens living in extreme poverty was an essential investment by Moldova’s government.
  • The World Bank also found that after the economic crisis, remittances from Moldovan migrant workers sent back disposable income. Most of these migrants were from low-income rural areas of Moldova. From 2007 to 2014, rural households’ disposable income from migrant transfers rose from 16% to 23%. In Moldova, remittances played a considerable role in poverty reduction.

Using Moldova as a Blueprint Worldwide

Evaluating the success in ending extreme poverty in Moldova helps pave the way to implement similar strategies globally. So, what is the blueprint for ending extreme poverty?

  • The most crucial aspect is government accountability and a strong commitment to attain Millennium Development Goals. Strong oversight to prevent corruption and ensure fiscal responsibility to follow through with plans that organizations like the United Nations, the World Bank and the IMF laid out.
  • A commitment to make secondary education more accessible, especially in rural areas, advances what a nation’s workforce is capable of and helps create job and wage growth.
  • Protecting vulnerable populations by distributing funds where they are most necessary reduces extreme poverty.
  • The success of remittances in Moldova is a necessary imperative. An analysis across countries worldwide shows the significant poverty reduction effects of remittances.

Ending Extreme Poverty by 2030

The U.N. aims to end extreme poverty by 2030, and when looking at Moldova’s success, it is not an outrageously unrealistic goal. With fiscal oversight, dedication to protecting the impoverished and the world’s willingness to engage, extreme poverty can disappear.

– Zachary Kunze
Photo: pxfuel

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The State of Hunger in Lesotho

Hunger in Lesotho
Despite the government’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 2, hunger in Lesotho is worsening. Most recently, drought has ravaged Lesotho, exacerbating the problem and diminishing any effects of progress. This El-Niño-induced drought has left Lesotho in a food security crisis, causing 30% of the population to face acute food insecurity. On top of this, 508,125 people in Lesotho are already food insecure.

Pervasive Hunger in Lesotho

More than half of the population in Lesotho lives on less than $1 a day, which is categorized as extreme poverty. Nearly 80% of the population lives in rural areas and approximately 70% of those people engage in subsistence farming. As a result, agriculture provides not only the majority of the food for families but also provides much of their income. Countries with high rates of subsistence farming are even more susceptible to food insecurity than others. When subsistence farmers do not produce sufficient yields, they struggle with no food and no income to purchase food. This can quickly turn into a food crisis implicating the health and lives of many people.

On top of the high rates of subsistence farming, the climate in Lesotho makes it challenging to maintain high crop yields. Droughts are not a rare event. Weather in Lesotho is very unpredictable, with inconsistent rainfall and persistent droughts common. Despite many citizens engaging in subsistence farming, only 10% of the land is arable. Soil erosion is especially pervasive in Lesotho, exacerbated by droughts. All of these factors contribute to the state of hunger in Lesotho and stand as reasons why hunger in the country is particularly concerning.

Negative Effects of Hunger

Hunger can and does kill many people every year. Aside from food standing as a necessity for the survival of human beings, there are other negative ramifications associated with hunger in Lesotho.

Hunger exacerbates inequality, including gender inequality. Women who are food insecure often have to travel long distances to find work. As a result, they are more susceptible to sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. The work they travel to do is often exploitative as well as many become “domestic workers trading sex for money or food.” Annually, women and children are the recipients of 75% of the aid provided by Help Lesotho. They are the hungriest and need the most help.

There is also a vicious cycle of poverty and hunger. Poverty affects hunger and hunger affects poverty. Many individuals can find themselves in a poverty trap when faced with hunger. When people are impoverished, they may not be able to afford food. When people go hungry, they endure low energy levels and struggle to work to earn more money. This cycle has a hold over many citizens in Lesotho. More than 27% of women in Lesotho have anemia. If women do not have access to adequate nutrition, they cannot work. This cycle also impacts the country’s economy as Lesotho loses an estimated 7.3% of its GDP due to chronic malnutrition.

Actions to Address Hunger in Lesotho

To address pervasive hunger in Lesotho, many organizations are making this issue a focus of their efforts. Here are three of those organizations.

  1. The World Food Programme is funding the Lesotho Country Strategic Plan. This plan includes improving food quality and quantity while implementing sustainable farming practices to help guard against future food supply shocks. It features public work food programs and school feeding programs to ensure citizens are properly fed. Most notably, the intention is to allow a transitional government takeover. Because of this, it can be a foundational fix rather than a short-term bandage.
  2. The European Union has commissioned €4.8 million to help decrease hunger in Lesotho. The funding will provide food assistance directly to subsistence farming households affected by droughts and support disaster preparedness projects. Emergency aid from other donors is also needed, however, to provide immediate food security to hundreds of thousands of Lesotho residents. This aid can save tens of thousands of lives.
  3. The Kingdom of Lesotho’s Ministry of Health has its own projects and initiatives targeting food insecurity. One of these is the Lesotho Nutrition and Health System Strengthening Project. The project budgets more than $50 million for the implementation of health and nutrition programs designed to improve food security for the workforce. The government’s commitment to striving toward the second Sustainable Development Goal is reassuring, but it needs the resources to succeed.

Despite all of the work in progress to alleviate the effects of food insecurity and hunger in Lesotho, more can and needs to be done. While many things would help the situation in Lesotho, helping the government gain the resources to succeed on its own is probably the most helpful in the long term. Hopefully, with increased efforts, hunger in the country will decrease in the near future.

– Keagan James
Photo: Flickr

8 Facts About Depression and Mental Health in South Asia

Mental Health in South Asia
South Asia, a group of nine countries including India, Pakistan and Nepal, is home to more than 1.8 billion people. Of this population, between 150 and 200 million people suffer from mental illness. However, the severity of depression and mental health is often overlooked throughout the region, leaving millions without treatment and support. Here are eight quintessential facts about depression and mental health in South Asia and how the conditions are currently being addressed.

8 Facts About Depression and Mental Health in South Asia

  1. Depression affects 86 million people in Southeast Asia. The World Health Organization estimates that almost one-third of people suffering from depression worldwide live in South Asia, making the region home to a large majority of the world’s depressed.
  2. Mental illness is taboo in many South Asian communities. Professor Dinesh Bhugra, a mental health expert at London’s King’s College, states that the South Asian population carries “a bigger notion of shame” with them than other ethnic populations. South Asian religious and cultural influences often do not consider mental health a medical issue, referring to it as a “superstitious belief.” A 2010 study by the campaign Time to Change found that South Asians rarely discuss mental health because of the risk the subject poses to their reputation and status. Discussing mental health in South Asia has yet to be socially normalized.
  3. South Asian languages do not have a word for depression. Many South Asians are unable to express the specific condition of depression in their language. As a result, they often have to resort to downplaying it as part of “life’s ups and downs.” This language limitation also makes diagnoses and treatment difficult.
  4. Depression is a major contributor to global disease. Medical experts have found a correlation between the symptoms of depression and the perpetuation of disease. The World Health Organization has found an “interrelationship between depression and physical health,” such as depression leading to cardiovascular disease. As mental illness rates continue to rise in South Asia, so does the risk of physical diseases and illnesses.
  5. Postpartum depression in South Asian women is often undiagnosed and unrecognized. The gender of the baby, domestic violence and poverty are all factors that put new mothers at a higher risk for postpartum depression. The stigma surrounding mental health prevents new mothers from receiving any form of mental health care or support.
  6. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia have made mental health a “top priority.” These countries, along with a few others in South Asia, have created policies to address mental health on a national scale. The World Health Organization has recently lauded their work and the important step it takes towards normalizing and treating depression and mental illness.
  7. Non-government organizations (NGOs) have had a positive impact on mental health care. In countries where the government is not willing or able to make mental health a priority, NGOs are providing crucial support to people suffering from mental health issues. NGOs in South Asia have expanded their community-based programs and are providing specialized mental health services. For example, in the Maldives, a number of NGOs are offering rehabilitation, life-skills training and “resilience-building around social issues” to citizens. These efforts have drastically increased the access South Asians have to mental health care.
  8. Human capital increases when mental health is strong. Although poverty rates in South Asia are declining, the region accounted for nearly half of the world’s “multidimensionally poor” in 2017. Providing mental health care to South Asians is a major step in eradicating poverty within the region. According to the World Bank, strong mental health is a contributing factor to not only the wealth of nations but to the wealth and capital accumulation of individuals.

Improving mental health in South Asia requires not only the social recognition and normalization of depression and mental illness but the continued action of both government and non-government programs. With increased access to mental health care and support in South Asia, the expansive issues of poverty and illness will be positively affected.

– Karli Stone
Photo: Flickr

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3 Organizations Fighting Hunger in Nepal

Hunger in Nepal
In Nepal, one in four people lives below the national poverty line, earning only $0.50 a day. This makes it nearly impossible for them to afford basic needs like food, clothing and shelter. In recent years, many organizations have provided aid to Nepal to improve living conditions and lower hunger levels. Outlined below are three organizations fighting hunger in Nepal.

World Food Programme

The World Food Programme (WFP) is a humanitarian organization run by the United Nations with the goal of fighting global hunger. WFP distributes more than 15 billion rations to people affected by hunger in countries around the world. Two-thirds of the countries it serves are affected by conflict. Statistically, people in conflict-ridden countries are three times more likely to be malnourished than their counterparts living in peaceful environments.

One of the countries WFP has been working to address food security and hunger in is Nepal. Roughly 36% of Nepali children under five are stunted due to hunger, while an additional 27% are underweight, and 10% suffer from wasting due to acute malnutrition. As part of their work to address hunger in Nepal, WFP established the Zero Hunger strategy, which is a program with the goal to achieve zero hunger by 2030. This program has directly helped strengthen the government’s capacity to improve “food security, nutrition, as well as emergency preparedness and response.”

Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger was created to establish a stronger method for dealing with hunger. Over the past 40 years, it has provided life-saving services in more than 45 countries, one of which is Nepal. Since 2005, Action Against Hunger dedicated a team of 25 employees to address hunger in Nepal.

Nepal is very susceptible to natural disasters based on its proximity to the Himalayas. Its location causes more than 80% of the population to be at risk of storms, floods, landslides or earthquakes. A 2015 earthquake greatly affected Nepal’s Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts. In response, the team created and integrated water and sanitation reconstruction for the areas impacted.

In 2019, Action Against Hunger was able to provide treatments for severely malnourished children through two inpatient and 28 outpatient therapeutic care centers. The organization has carried out various livelihood programs that include helping Nepali citizens implement “home gardening, mushroom farming, poultry and integrated shed management” into their lives. In 2019 alone, the organization provided aid to 99,455 Nepali citizens. Among these citizens, 90,316 were reached by nutrition and health programs, 4,570 were reached by water, sanitation and hygiene programs and 4,569 were reached by food security and livelihood programs.

Feed the Future

Feed the Future was started with the intention of creating sustainable and long-term strategies that would put an end to chronic hunger and poverty across the globe. The organization now operates in twelve different countries affected by food insecurity to execute their goals.

In Nepal, almost 70% of the population works in agriculture; however, many farmers struggle to afford supplies to yield fruitful crops. Feed the Future works with the Nepali government and the agricultural private sector to “produce more diverse and nutritious foods, improve agricultural practices among farmers, and create more inclusive economic opportunities.” So far, the organization has increased nutrition access for 1.75 million children under the age of five. In 2018, it increased vegetable crop yields by 22% and raised farmers’ gross profit margins for vegetables by 17%. The organization also helped the farms it worked with generate $20 million in sales for their crops.

Eradicating Hunger

For years, Nepal has had high food insecurity and hunger due to economic hardships and natural disasters. However, organizations like the World Food Programme, Action Against Hunger and Feed the Future are making measurable and tangible differences in the lives of Nepali citizens. Through the work of these organizations and so many like them, eradicating hunger in Nepal is possible in the coming years.

– Sara Holm
Photo: Flickr

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The Pandemic’s Effects On Women: Period Poverty and Domestic Violence

Pandemic’s Effects On Women
As COVID-19 forces the world into lockdown, people are scrambling to provide medical services and save toppling economies. The pandemic affects schools and workplaces and everyone is struggling to adjust to a new way of life. Amid all the chaos, the world is overlooking other issues. The pandemic’s effects on women, which are especially harsh, are buried underneath the plethora of other challenges. Two of the greatest issues women face are period poverty and domestic violence, both of which the pandemic exacerbates.

Period Poverty

Period poverty manifests in a lack of access to restrooms, sanitary products, education on menstrual hygiene and improper waste management. Now, with disrupted supply chains of period products, increased financial strain and lockdowns making it difficult to go out and purchase basic amenities, women are having a harder time than ever accessing these necessities. Forced to make do with what they have, women put themselves at risk of infections and diseases, including cervical cancer.

High costs and taxation are also major contributors to period poverty. In the United States, for instance, menstrual products are subject to tax in many states. Though just as important, menstrual products are taxed while other essentials, like food and medicine, are not. Only nine out of 50 states in the U.S. have policies against taxing menstrual products, a situation not unique to the U.S. Across the world, even without tax, the costs of products are too high for those living in poverty to afford. According to Days for Girls, more than 500 million females endure period poverty globally.

Fortunately, where legislation and policies fall short, nonprofit organizations and charities are stepping in. Groups distributing products to women in need include I Support the Girls and PERIOD. These organizations are also helping to raise awareness about the pandemic’s effects on women.

Domestic Violence

Increased domestic violence is another dire consequence of the pandemic. Due to stay-at-home orders, many women and children are stuck with their abusers. An estimation by the United Nations Population Fund predicts that six months of lockdowns will cause 31 million more cases of gender-based violence. According to the National Hotline on Combating Domestic Violence, calls increased by 25% during the first two weeks of quarantine. Lockdowns also make it difficult for survivors and victims of domestic abuse to receive the treatment and support necessary.

Fortunately, people have begun to take note of these issues. Actress Charlize Theron began a campaign, Together For Her, which is working to address the additional cases of gender-based violence resulting from the lockdowns around the globe. In an interview with Vogue in May 2020, Theron states that she is distributing funds from the Together For Her campaign to “shelters, psychosocial support and counseling, helplines, crisis intervention, sexual and reproductive health services, community-based prevention and advocacy work to address gender-based violence.”

More than 50 prominent female celebrities in the fields of film, sports, music and more have shown support for Theron’s campaign. Actress Mariska Hargitay has contributed to Together for Her and says about the movement, “As someone who has worked on gender-based violence issues for two decades, I am proud to join such a powerful group of women to shine a light on the challenges facing survivors of domestic violence — not just during this pandemic but every day.” Together for Her gives women a voice and unites them in the face of difficulty.

Moving Forward

COVID-19 affects lives around the world but has hit some groups harder than others, especially women. Global lockdowns have greatly amplified the issues of period poverty and domestic violence and women and children are more vulnerable than ever. Fortunately, organizations are working to address the pandemic’s effects on women, supplying menstrual products and giving support to those who need it. Moving forward, it is essential that these efforts continue. Though times are challenging, through the persistence and dedication of the people behind these movements, well-being can prevail.

– Alison Ding
Photo: Flickr

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Effective Altruism: The Fight Against Extreme Poverty

Fight Against Extreme Poverty
Extreme poverty is a complex global issue and figuring out how to best alleviate it is a complicated challenge. The effective altruism movement aims to help solve this challenge by using data-driven evidence to find the best ways to fight against extreme poverty.

What is Effective Altruism?

Effective altruism involves using data and evidence to determine the best methods to help improve the world with its limited resources. For example, one important aspect of effective altruism is determining which issues experience neglect. These are issues that receive relatively little attention and funding in comparison with the value of solving or mitigating these issues. Effective altruism also promotes the use of data and transparency when looking at the success of charitable initiatives. With proper data, it is easier to determine if an initiative is helping improve lives, as well as how cost-effective it is.

Many frequently consider extreme poverty a neglected issue in effective altruism, because just small amounts of additional money and resources could substantially improve or even save a life if used effectively. William MacAskill, the author of “Doing Good Better,” estimates that it would cost just $3,400 to save the life of someone living in an impoverished country.

Many people want to help improve the world and have the ability to save a life, as McAskill explains, but the data involved in effective altruism and struggle to determine the best charitable initiatives overwhelms them. Some effective altruism organizations recognize this and conduct research for their donors to help them have the largest individual impact on those living in extreme poverty.

One for the World (OFTW)

Founded in 2014, One for the World (OFTW) is a relatively new organization that creates a portfolio of the most effective charitable initiatives fighting extreme poverty across the world. These are charities that provide enough data and are transparent enough to determine their efficacy and change as the data changes. These are frequently charities that help people meet basic health needs because they are low cost and high reward. According to OFTW, just $2.50 in the hands of the right charitable program can provide someone with an antimalarial bednet. Correspondingly, OFTW’s “Top Picks” are primarily charitable initiatives that focus on health, including vitamin A and antimalarial drug distribution to children, antimalarial bed net distribution and deworming. The remaining top pick is GiveDirectly, which provides one-time cash transfers directly to those living in poverty.

In addition to this unique portfolio of charities, OFTW also asks for donations in a fairly uncommon way. The organization focuses primarily on college campuses and encourages students to pledge 1% of their post-graduation income to these most effective charities. It is a great way to raise awareness among young people about effective altruism and the fight against extreme poverty, and college students in wealthy countries typically have a high future earning potential.

Kennan McClung, Director of Growth and Development at OFTW, explained to The Borgen Project that “[t]he OFTW pledge is important for college students to make because it is so simple, so easy and so effective. Without changing your lifestyle at all, you can markedly improve the lives of hundreds of people every year, saving multiple lives over the course of your career.” OFTW gives individuals the opportunity to have a large individual impact on the fight against extreme poverty.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the work that OFTW does is all the more important. McClung also touched on this, explaining that “[t]he looming economic recession is going to have disastrous effects in the developing world, with hundreds of millions of people expected to fall back into extreme poverty and years of progress expected to be erased. It’s more important than ever to not only support people living on so little but ensure that we are doing so in the most effective way possible.” It is also important to note that anyone, not just college students, can take the 1% pledge and start giving right away if in the position to do so.

McClung emphasizes that “OFTW members pursue a wide range of different careers, engage in other forms of philanthropy and volunteering, and have a diverse array of interests and values. That said, we are all united in the belief that we can live very reasonably on 99% of our incomes, and are committed to doing our part to make the world a better place — effectively.” Anyone can take the pledge and start improving lives today.

Givewell

Givewell, a partner of OFTW, is another research-driven organization to find the most effective charities working on a variety of causes, although particularly extreme poverty. It provides OFTW with a list of the most effective charities fighting global poverty. Individuals can also lookup various nonprofits on the website to see how effective they are according to Givewell’s measures.

Effective altruism uses data to determine which charitable initiatives are the most effective at combating neglected issues. Extreme poverty is among the most neglected, and therefore research to discover the best ways to fight it is extremely important. Giving to charities that provide data and have shown that their efforts are successful is ideal, but often it can be very time-consuming and overwhelming for an individual donor to complete alone. This is where charities like OFTW and Givewell step in, completing this important research and encouraging donors to give to the best charitable programs based on the available data. OFTW and Givewell have found that many of the best initiatives work to help provide for basic health needs, such as antimalarial bednet distribution and deworming.

Effective altruism can seem complicated and overwhelming at first, but it does not need to be. It simply aims to find the best ways to help improve lives using data. Fighting extreme poverty is a key issue in effective altruism because relatively small amounts of money can have a substantial impact if used effectively. Organizations like OFTW and Givewell do the heavy lifting for donors and determine which charitable initiatives are most cost-effective, could best use additional funds, are transparent and have a track record of success. This makes fighting extreme poverty in very effective ways possible for many people around the world.

– Kayleigh Crabb
Photo: Flickr

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The LeAP Initiative: Improving Education Worldwide

LeAP initiativeAccess to education is a global issue that is deeply connected to issues of global poverty. Education often provides impoverished people with a way to escape poverty through improved job opportunities and better knowledge of healthcare. In this way, reducing poverty in developing countries often requires improving access to education. The World Bank is currently implementing a program called the Learning Assessment Platform, or LeAP, which it hopes will allow world leaders to better track how effective and efficient their nations’ educational systems are. Through the LeAP initiative, the World Bank hopes to improve global education.

Learning in Crisis

Poor and absent education is a serious global issue, with UNESCO finding that roughly 258 million children were not enrolled in school in 2018. That number has likely increased since then as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even for children in impoverished countries who do get an education, many times the education they receive is poor in quality and ineffective. Among developing nations, only 44% of children enrolled in school had obtained proficiency in mathematics and reading in 2017. In sub-Saharan Africa, that number fell to only 10%.

According to the World Bank, a significant factor contributing to these low education rates is the fact that many developing countries lack systems to measure learning outcomes among populations. Without such systems, leaders in these countries are unable to accurately identify the reasons why their education systems are failing, which prevents them from implementing effective policies that would improve the education systems.

The LeAP Initiative

Despite these challenges, the World Bank is hoping to use its resources to improve education by leaps and bounds. In order to meet this goal, the World Bank is working to improve learning assessment systems in developing countries by developing a Learning Assessment Platform. The LeAP initiative would provide countries with the tools and resources needed to develop more effective systems for assessing the state of education among populations.

For the past decade, the World Bank has been working to build a solid base of learning assessment resources for the LeAP program to build off of. With the help of Russia’s similar learning assessment program, called the Russia Education Aid for Development (READ) Trust Fund program, the World Bank has developed a wide range of tools and resources specifically designed to help countries accurately gauge the effectiveness of education systems. These include free online courses for educating policymakers and specialists on effective learning assessment techniques, tools for benchmarking education success and access to more than 60 reports detailing the student assessment systems of dozens of countries.

Investing in Learning

In its efforts to improve global education, the World Bank has done more than just provide developing countries with learning assessment resources. Working with the READ Trust Fund program, the World Bank has helped secure more than $20 million in learning assessment system improvement grants for 12 different countries, including Ethiopia, Cambodia, India and Vietnam.

Through the LeAP initiative and several other global education programs, the World Bank hopes to reduce worldwide “learning poverty” by at least 50% by 2030.

The World Bank’s goal of cutting learning poverty is ambitious but its work on improving learning assessment systems around the world is an important step toward making it a reality. When countries are able to accurately assess the strengths and weaknesses of education systems, they are able to craft policies that more effectively improve these systems while also allowing other countries to learn from them and develop their own learning assessment systems. In this way, The World Bank’s LeAP initiative is pivotal in its effort to improve global education.

– Marshall Kirk
Photo: Flickr

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How Tanzania is Improving its Education

Tanzania is Improving its EducationTanzania has faced difficulty in promoting its own economic development in the past. While Tanzania has made progress, its progress has slowed over the past decade. As a result, Tanzania is improving its education to reduce poverty in the country.

Challenges and Progress in Tanzania

Tanzania is a country that has experienced severe poverty levels throughout its history. Yet over the past decade, the country has also made significant strides in reducing its poverty rate. While in 2007 Tanzania had a poverty rate of 34.4%, with more than a third of the population living under the poverty line, that number had fallen to 28.2% by 2012 and again to 26.4% by 2018.

This data shows a clear improvement in Tanzania’s poverty levels but it also reveals a slowing of the progress being made in fighting poverty in the country, with a roughly 6% reduction of the poverty rate between 2007 and 2012 and a roughly 2% reduction of the poverty rate from 2012 to 2018. Nearly 50% of Tanzania’s population still fall below the extreme poverty income line, meaning they are living on less than $1.90 a day.

While Tanzania’s economic progress had already been slowing in the last few years, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic is on track to hinder the country’s economic development even further. Both the formal and informal economies of Tanzania have been impacted by the effects of the pandemic, with Tanzania’s tourism industry being especially crippled.

The Tanzanian government estimates that only about 437,000 people will visit Tanzania from outside the country this year, which is a significant reduction from the 1,867,000 tourists estimated in 2019. It is predicted that Tanzania will lose around 146,000 jobs due to this drop in tourism.

Education Challenges in Tanzania

Yet, Tanzania is improving its education to reduce poverty among its poorer populations. In an effort to reduce poverty, the Tanzanian government has made investments in education over the past decade. Since 2007, Tanzania’s government has worked to provide free education for all its people and from 2011 to 2016, it increased its education spending budget by more than half. This led to a sharp increase in the rate of primary education enrollment but by 2012 this rate had fallen by nearly 20%.

While the efforts of Tanzania’s government to make education free have been broadly effective, many impoverished communities in Tanzania still struggle to access formal education. The cost of the tuition itself is only part of the total cost of education and many impoverished people in Tanzania are unable to afford the costs of traveling to and from school. In some rural parts of Tanzania, students have to travel nearly 15 miles every day just to receive an education.

As a result, many people in Tanzania choose to forgo formal education, with more than half of Tanzania’s rural population being illiterate.

Possible Solutions to Improve Education

Investing more in transportation systems for students may help to alleviate some of the financial burdens that impoverished communities face. Investing in teachers may also help Tanzania overcome its low education rate, as many public schools in Tanzania have many more students than available teachers. According to UNICEF, for every trained teacher at the pre-primary level of public education in Tanzania, there are roughly 131 students, meaning that many public schools in Tanzania end up being understaffed. By investing more funding into training teachers, the Tanzanian government could further improve its public education systems, which would improve career opportunities among its poorest communities.

Taking Action

Tanzania’s government has recognized the need to improve education among its populace. Currently, UNICEF is working with Tanzania’s President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government to bring increased education opportunities to more communities throughout the country. By working with the government, UNICEF hopes to develop policies that will allow for more effective and accessible systems of education to be established within the next year.

Tanzania’s economic development has faced significant roadblocks in the past, with the COVID-19 pandemic being especially detrimental. However, it is clear that Tanzania is improving its education to reduce poverty among its population. To reduce poverty rates and improve career opportunities, the Tanzanian government is investing in better education for its citizens. With the help of organizations such as UNICEF, Tanzania may see a lower poverty rate than ever before.

– Marshall Kirk
Photo: Flickr

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3 Initiatives Addressing Hunger in Spain

Hunger in Spain

Spain has shown remarkable resilience and growth over the past decade. Following the 2008 recession and debt crisis, the Spanish economy experienced a period of intense growth, which was fueled by a booming tourism sector and a steady inflow of immigrants. Today, Spain’s growth rate exceeds the eurozone average, which places the country at the 14th-largest economy in the world. 

However, while these factors qualify Spain as a developed country, hunger remains a concerning issue for many Spaniards. As of 2021, approximately 13.3% of Spanish households face food insecurity. Increasing temperatures and cuts to social assistance programs are expected to exacerbate this issue, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children. Fortunately, Spain is implementing a variety of programs to identify the root causes of hunger and implement long-term solutions. Below are the three most impactful initiatives addressing hunger in Spain that seek to provide vital assistance to hungry Spaniards.

3 Initiatives Addressing Hunger in Spain

  1. Basic Material Assistance Program. In 2024, Spain launched a basic material assistance program to provide vouchers and cards to households in severe poverty for essential items such as food and hygiene products. Through state funding distributed by the Spanish Red Cross, qualifying families will also receive an increase in financial aid, in addition to direct access to fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables from participating supermarkets. Approximately 70,000 families are expected to benefit from this initiative, which aims to alleviate child poverty and improve nutrition rates throughout the country.

  2. 2023-27 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Effective January 1, 2023, Spain’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 promotes sustainable agri-food development in hopes of establishing food security and a living rural environment. The primary objectives of the CAP are greater and improved income support, compliance with environmental commitments and implementing a wide range of sustainable measures designed to innovate the entire sector. In addition to direct financial aid distributed from a fund of approximately $54 million, the plan has supported farmers by providing them with tailored training, investments and technology to maximize agricultural yield. Small to medium-sized farmers, as well as rural areas, have benefited from a holistic revitalization of their respective areas, complemented by a reduction in the gender gap and accommodations for generational replacement. Today, the CAP continues to provide multidimensional support to farmers, ultimately seeking to alleviate existing burdens on the agri-food industry.

  3. Action Against Hunger. Since 2013, Action Against Hunger’s branch in Spain has ensured food security and socioeconomic integration of over 38,000 unemployed and vulnerable Spaniards. By offering employment and training pathways, qualifying participants have achieved a 43% job placement rate in less than six months. Furthermore, focused educational programs linking nutritional awareness with employment opportunities have fostered healthy lifestyle habits and professional success in families, particularly among underrepresented groups such as women. Clinical research on improving food insecurity is conducted in collaboration with the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Basic Operational Programme. In 2023, Action Against Hunger distributed an estimated $10 million to more than 5,000 families, and is currently working to exceed this number in the coming years.

The prevalence of food insecurity must engender action by the state. The above initiatives aim to successfully alleviate hunger and help those at risk of experiencing acute food insecurity in Spain, seeking to accomplish a comprehensively developed and supported nation in the near future.

– Noelle Nelson, Moon Jung Kim
Photo: Flickr

Updated: April 25, 2025