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Social Protection in Angola

social protection angolaOver the past decade, Angola has significantly enhanced its social protection system, transitioning from emergency aid to comprehensive safety nets. Situated in southwestern Africa, Angola has experienced significant economic growth, primarily driven by its oil sector, despite years of conflict. The country has strengthened its social protection framework to address disparities and effectively safeguard vulnerable citizens. Social protection Development in Angola has progressed from simple humanitarian assistance during periods of conflict to well-organised programmes specifically aimed at poverty reduction. This transformation demonstrates Angola’s developmental trajectory and its unwavering commitment to improving social systems.

Cartão Kikuia (Kikuia Card)

Launched in 2013, the program had 101,246 beneficiaries nationwide. This innovative program aims to address the social impacts of economic reforms, particularly regarding fuel subsidies, by combining cash transfers with subsidised access to essential goods. It’s all about making life a little easier.  Beneficiaries are issued a prepaid card with KZ10,000 ($10.76) monthly, allowing them to purchase a select range of products at discounted rates from registered vendors. The primary goals of the program are to tackle income poverty and food insecurity while also fostering local market growth.

Initially tested in urban regions, the Cartão Kikuia program has progressively expanded into peri-urban and certain rural areas. Evaluations of the program have revealed beneficial effects on household consumption and dietary diversity. The program encompasses vulnerable groups, including widows with orphans, people with disabilities and ex-combatants.

Kwenda Program

The Kwenda Program stands as Angola’s first cash transfer social protection initiative, launched in May 2020 to address the needs of the most vulnerable households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Backed by $320 million from the World Bank and $100 million from the Angolan Government, this program is dedicated to supporting 1.6 million at-risk households. Designed with flexibility in mind, the Kwenda Program efficiently and safely reaches its beneficiaries, with most recipients receiving e-payments, granting most of them access to the financial system for the very first time in their lives.

Since its inception, the Kwenda program has made a significant impact, allocating $23 million by early 2022 and conducting 314,000 cash transfers, with 60% of beneficiaries being women. Enrolment has surged, exceeding half a million families registered by January 2022, and nearly half (247,000) have received at least one cash transfer. Thanks to the Social Protection Development in Angola, more than a million families are enrolled in the Kwenda programme, most of whom have received direct financial aid.

Maria Feliciana, a 92-year-old citizen from Catete in Icolo Bengo Province, a local vendor, shared her thoughts on the government program: “This initiative shows that the government remembers the poorest among us. It’s for everyone in need, even those in the villages. It treated us with respect and dignity.” She added, “Please bring the program back! Do not forget us older people in the villages. We have contributed to this country throughout our lives. This small help means everything to us. And please make it permanent—one year is not enough to change a lifetime of poverty.”

Valor Criança Social Cash Transfer Pilot

Valor Criança is a pilot program of social cash transfers, implemented by the Ministry of Social Action, Family and Women’s Promotion, with technical support from UNICEF, designed as a child-sensitive, unconditional social cash transfer program targeted at households with children aged zero to five years in selected municipalities prone to food insecurity. The program began implementation in 2019 as a pilot program, initially benefiting 20,000 children through monthly delivery of 3,000 AOA to 7,700 families in 257 municipalities in the provinces of Moxico, Bié and Uíge. It provided a monthly cash transfer of AOA 3,000 ($10 in the period) per child under 5, which was increased to AOA 5,000 in response to COVID-19, with the transfer amount directly paid to the child’s caregiver (predominantly women), limited to three eligible children per household.

The program served as an important foundation for Angola’s broader social protection system and has shown a significant impact in supporting vulnerable families with young children. The program also linked families to other services, including birth registration and early childhood development services, making it more than just a cash transfer program.

Institutional Framework and Governance

The Ministry of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Women oversees social protection policies in Angola. Recent reforms aim to improve coordination among ministries and government levels, contributing positively to social protection development in Angola.

The National Social Action Policy (PNAS) came after various initiatives, setting up a framework for future actions. One significant initiative that started in 2019 was the Strengthen and Scale Up Social Assistance to Vulnerable Population of Angola (APROSOC) project, which focused on enhancing social assistance for the vulnerable population and received funding from the European Union.

Angola has also made progress in strengthening its social registry system, which helps identify potential beneficiaries and reduce duplication across programs. The Cadastro Social Único (Unified Social Registry) is gradually spreading nationwide, though challenges remain in reaching remote populations.

Further Ahead

Angola is making progress in its Social Protection framework by improving data collection and policy development. An International Labor Organization (ILO) workshop held in Luanda, Angola, in June 2025 saw the Interministerial Group on Social Protection Statistics convene to prepare the second Social Protection Statistics Bulletin, with new members participating.

This initiative signifies a shift towards systematic monitoring and evaluation in social protection development in Angola’s governance. Technicians from 12 key institutions collaborated to analyse data from 2022-2024, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 1.3.1 on social protection coverage. Furthermore, projects funded by Portugal’s Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the European Union back these efforts, highlighting Angola’s commitment to expanding social protection and fostering economic growth.

– Vanuza Antonio

Vanuza is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Development Workshop is making a difference in Angola

development workshopAngola is located in Southern Africa and borders Namibia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. It became an independent state in 1975 and has since garnered a population of 36.75 million. Angola has a high poverty rate of 51.1%. Many of its citizens are also plagued with a lack of food supply. Studies show that approximately 37.6% of children aged less than 5 years suffer from suppressed growth. Fortunately, many NGOs have stepped forward to take the initiative. The first of its kind is Development Workshop.

Development Workshop

Founded in 1981, Development Workshop was “the only NGO in the country’ for many years. On its website, the organization states: “We have continuously worked with our partners to build and empower local capacities and search for sustainable solutions throughout and post, the emergency environment.”

Development Workshop has significantly contributed to water sanitation in Angola. From 1995 to 1998, it provided advice on the country’s water system expansion project. This project was a part of the Luanda Infrastructure Program; it gathered insights into community water needs and their willingness to pay for these services. This data helped inform the expansion of the city’s main water supply network, benefiting over a million residents to this day.

Aside from this massive endeavor, Development Workshop also helped in the restoration of the Huambo Water supply system and its damaged infrastructure, providing even more access to safe drinking water. These improvements affected around 130,000 people.

Helping the Society

To provide a voice for the community, Development Workshop also founded the paper Ondaka. This is a local newspaper that states the ideas and opinions of groups in Angola.

Recently, the organization launched the “Espaco Muhler” project, focusing on providing training and resources to enhance women’s participation in the community. Through this program, women learn the skills to take on leadership roles within their communities. The project also offers workshops on entrepreneurship and small business management. Furthermore, women also learn about the rights they possess such as land ownership, inheritance and protection against gender-based violence, which is prevalent in Angola. According to UNICEF, “almost 34% of women have been survivors of violence throughout their lives.”

Digital Workshop also established KixiCredito, a microfinance agency that aims to provide small loans to entrepreneurs who could not get them from traditional banks. Since then, KixiCredito now operates in 17 Angolian provinces and serves more than 25,000 active clients.

Development Workshop has been extremely successful since its founding. It has partnered with numerous equally successful organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, USAID and Homeless International. It has made a huge impact on the lives of Angolans and will hopefully continue to do so.

– Mustafa Tareen

Mustafa is based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan and focuses on Global Health and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Lobito Trading Corridor: Growing Africa’s Economy

Lobito Trading CorridorLobito is a municipality in Angola with a population of 484,000. It is known for its shipping port, constructed in 1903 to transport goods worldwide. Also at this time, building began on the Benguela Railway connecting the Port of Lobito to the resource-rich Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). During Angola’s civil war from 1975-2002, many of its transport systems were damaged, and goods could no longer reach the port for export. This heavily impacted the African economy. The Lobito Corridor initiative is the flagship project of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI). In 2022, the G7 formed the PGI, intending to invest $600 billion by 2027 to improve the infrastructure globally. Re-establishing its Lobito Trading Corridor could increase the efficiency of resource mobilization from the DRC to Angola’s port for trade with developed countries globally.

The Impact of The Lobito Trading Corridor on Africa

The Lobito Corridor is likely to improve international relationships. In August 2024, the first Lobito Corridor train carrying copper reached Lobito’s export port after its refurbishment. It took just six days to reach the port from the DRC, a journey that by road would usually take over 30 days, according to CNN. Before this, most of Africa’s resources went to Asia. Positive relationships between the U.S. and Africa hope to see increased trading efforts and economic growth for the developing country. Economic growth would allow continued building of Africa’s infrastructures and investment in humanitarian services.

Currently, 30% of Angola’s population lives below the poverty line. The country suffers from high and widespread unemployment, according to CNN. The Lobito Trading Corridor Initiative could bring many jobs to Angola and areas feeding the Lobito Corridor to keep the railway functioning. With more of its citizens in employment, poverty levels could decrease.

The Lobito Corridor could also provide transport assistance to support local businesses, such as agriculture. Businesses along the Lobito Corridor could use the railway to transport their crops and other services to regional communities or further afield. On a larger scale, the Angolan food production company, Carrinho Industry, also has the potential to benefit from this initiative. With initially poor road and communication infrastructure, transportation of food to supply Africa was difficult and expensive. However, with the more efficient Lobito Corridor, essential food supplies can reach those in need much faster, CNN reports.

The Future

Feasibility studies are currently taking place to assess the viability of extending the railway 800 kilometers to service Zambia, another mineral-rich African country. With more than 60% of its population living in poverty, the success of this phase could lead to economic growth and job security. Similarly, another future phase of the initiative is extending the railway to the Indian Ocean through Tanzania. This would allow an even more expansive trading opportunity for Africa.

– Millie Trussler

Millie is based in London, UK and focuses on Technology and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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USAID in Angola: Impacting Poverty

USAID in AngolaAngola is not inherently an impoverished country; however, it has been significantly affected by a tumultuous history marked by slavery and civil conflict. These historical injustices have led to widespread inequality and left a substantial portion of the population living in precarious conditions. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal government agency responsible for international development and humanitarian assistance. USAID plays a vital role in Angola by providing support aimed at fostering sustainable development, improving health outcomes and enhancing economic opportunities for its citizens.

Historical Background

Since 1992, USAID has been engaged in relief and development programs in Angola, initially focusing on immediate health interventions like immunization campaigns and emergency feeding. Following the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola made strides in rebuilding its infrastructure and economy. However, challenges such as poverty, inadequate health care and limited education remain. In response, USAID expanded its efforts to address these critical areas for recovery. By 2011, USAID celebrated its 50th anniversary and 15 years in Angola, providing support across agriculture, economic growth, health and governance.

Health Care Assistance

USAID’s health programs in Angola focus on improving health care services and addressing high maternal and child mortality rates. Collaborating with the Government of Angola (GRA) and various stakeholders, USAID supports initiatives like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) to combat malaria, HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases in the nation.

Despite these efforts, Angola faces significant health challenges, with nearly one in five children dying before age 5 and a maternal mortality ratio of 199 deaths per 100,000 live births. The country also has a high fertility rate of 5.8 births per woman, straining health care resources. The Angolan National Health Development Plan (2012-2025) aims to reduce malaria morbidity from 21% to 12%, maintain HIV/AIDS prevalence at 2%, triple the number of doctors per 10,000 citizens, improve skilled birth attendance from 49% to 70% and increase access to family planning services from 6% to 45%.

Food Assistance

​​Angola is highly vulnerable to recurring climatic shocks, such as droughts and floods, which have severely limited agricultural production and exacerbated food insecurity. Moreover, inadequate access to safe drinking water and essential health care services has led to increased morbidity and mortality rates. According to the World Food Program (WFP), as of September 2021, more than 1.3 million people in the Cunene, Huíla and Namibe provinces required emergency food assistance.

In response to this crisis, U.S. Ambassador Tulinabo S. Mushingi issued a redeclaration of humanitarian needs on November 29, 2022, highlighting the widespread food insecurity affecting the country. In light of these challenges, USAID continues to provide critical support in food, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene assistance to improve food security and nutrition outcomes for at-risk populations in Angola.

Environmental Protection

USAID’s Regional Environmental Activities prioritize the conservation and sustainable management of the Cubango-Okavango Basin, one of Africa’s most biodiverse ecosystems, which supports more than one million people who depend on its water for drinking, fishing, agriculture and tourism. However, changes in land use, water diversion and urbanization threaten these unique ecosystems and their vital resources. In response, the Ecosystems, Communities and Climate – Cubango-Okavango (ECCO) initiative has been launched, funded by USAID and bolstered by private sector support.

This initiative focuses on enhancing community governance of water and sanitation services while promoting cross-sector collaboration for biodiversity conservation. USAID’s efforts in Angola also include supporting national forest inventories, implementing community forestry pilot projects, conducting fire management capacity assessments and evaluating Angola’s protected area network. These initiatives complement regional programs aimed at safeguarding Angola’s natural resources, enhancing economic opportunities and promoting sustainable development across Angola, Namibia and Botswana.

Economic Development

Furthermore, USAID has developed a five-year Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) that acknowledges Angola’s growing economy, rising regional status and ongoing development challenges. This strategy aims to transition Angola from a donor-recipient relationship to a partnership model, where the country will take the lead in financing and managing its economic and social development with targeted technical assistance from USAID.

Recognizing agriculture as the backbone of the economy, USAID fosters economic growth and trade by mobilizing private sector investments. Collaborating with companies like ExxonMobil and Azule Energy, USAID supports rural women farmers through initiatives that enhance land rights, literacy and agricultural productivity, such as the Women in Angola Farming project. Additionally, USAID’s Africa Trade and Investment program under the Prosper Africa initiative boosts trade and investment between Africa and the U.S., addressing energy poverty and promoting sustainable innovation.

Conclusion

The USAID program in Angola represents a commitment to supporting the country’s development journey. Through targeted interventions in health care and food assistance, environmental protection and economic development, USAID has made a positive impact on the lives of many Angolans. Continued collaboration between the U.S. government, Angolan authorities and local communities will be essential to address ongoing challenges and promote sustainable development in the years to come.

– Hoi Ieng Chao

Hoi Ieng Chao is based in Macau and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project..

Photo: Flickr

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Education in Angola: Challenges and Developments

Education in AngolaEducation enhances the knowledge, health and lifestyles of people from all walks of life. However, for the people of Angola, education has become inaccessible to many, prompting concern for their future development. Angola borders the South Atlantic Coast of West Africa and has a population of more than 35 million.

The Angolan peninsula’s resources include oil and diamonds, but although these resources suggest wealth for the nation, the great majority of the country lives in poverty. The Angolan system lacks in meeting the needs of all of the nation’s citizens, with education being a prime example. Development within the system has quickly ensued, with the prospect of a refined education plan getting closer and closer each day.

The Civil War

With more than one-fourth of the population being considered illiterate and approximately two million children being out of school, the question arises as to why a country with such abundant resources has been lagging in its educational advancement. After the Portuguese granted Angola its independence, from 1975 to 2002, civil war invaded the lives of the Angolan people. Buildings and infrastructures nationwide were dilapidated from the war and one common structure that was destroyed was schools.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than 1500 schools were destroyed between 1992 and 1996 alone. Now that the war has officially ended, a lot of these schools have since been abandoned or burned out. With the schools that survived the war, the quality of these structures still lacked essentials. Many classrooms lack windows, doors, toilets, roofs, or even basic reading and writing facilities.

Not Enough Classrooms

According to statistics taken by Angop, the state-controlled news agency, the annual average rate of enrolling children without a place to study stands at a whopping 18.59%. Although children are willing to attend school, spatial barriers prevent many from receiving an education. The Luanda province, located on the Northern coast of Angola, reported that it was unable to find room for roughly 16,000 children who finished the 9th grade to continue their education.

Children who want to either enter or continue their schooling in various Angolan provinces are continually being denied due to a lack of infrastructure, although recent legislation regarding education seems to be improving the future of Angolan schooling.

Improvements and Progresses

Strides have been made to alleviate the issues within the education system, as legislation and funding for schooling have risen in recent years. As of December 8, 2023, the World Bank granted a 10-year program to support Angola’s tertiary education system, providing $550 million to enhance and aid the quality of programs in priority areas and strengthen governance within the education system. The program’s goal is to increase the number of highly qualified graduates who have labor market-aligned skills in various areas. In the next ten years, the expansion and progress of Angolan schooling will reach up to 3.2 million students nationwide, providing them with better learning opportunities and educational access.

Another initiative that has aided in the Angolan education system is the Back to School Campaign, supported by UNICEF, with its origin stemming from 2002. The campaign has supported the training of more than 20,000 teachers. It has also restored roughly 13,000 classrooms while still preparing thousands of education kits for children and teachers. The goal of the campaign is to increase the number of children in schools, as well as to improve the literacy rate throughout the country.

In recent years, progress in literacy has been made. The Angolan literacy rate has increased from 67.4% in 2001 to 72.4% in 2022 and has an average annual growth rate of 3.8%. This growth is concurrent with the implementation of funding and legislation in support of Angolan education. With an estimated increase in literacy each year, the future of schooling in Angola can take many turns for the better.

The Future of Education in Angola

Improvement of the Angolan education system will be a long-term process, especially after the devastation its infrastructure and economy have faced after the war. From the lack of classrooms to the low rates of literacy and graduation, the Angolan youth continue to seek a successful education.

Now, with the increase in funding for school governance, quality of programs, school building and teacher training, the future of Angolan education seems promising. Suppose the government continues to prioritize the restoration and development of the education system. In that case, Angola can transition into one of the educational powerhouses of Africa.

– Oliver Martin

Oliver is based in Honolulu, HI, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Nuclear Solutions to Angola’s Rural Poverty

Angola’s Rural PovertyAngola, a West African nation on the Atlantic coast, has a significant poverty issue in its southwestern rural provinces of Namibe, Huìla and Cunene, with 53% of the population earning $2.15 per day or less. According to the World Bank, this indicates that more than half of the region’s inhabitants live below the international poverty line.

Rural Reliance on Subsistence Agriculture

In this region, families primarily earn their income from informal work in an unregulated agricultural sector. Although the unemployment rate stood at 15% in 2022, 80% of the labor force is self-employed. Agricultural productivity frequently suffers due to the high instability of crops and the fact that families own about 80% of all cattle in southwestern Angola.

These figures of low income and limited opportunities reflect an overreliance on subsistence agriculture to sustain impoverished families. Essentially, the nutrition of these Angolan families depends entirely on the success of seasonal harvests, with virtually no social safety nets in place for farmers facing poor yields. Additionally, the war in Ukraine has led to skyrocketing prices for basic imported foodstuffs, further limiting access to alternative food sources.

Multi-Year Drought Affects Livestock

According to the Red Cross, over the last four harvest seasons, this region of Angola has experienced its most severe drought since the 1980s. This drought has worsened the region’s semi-arid conditions, already challenging livestock pasture grazing and crop harvesting. Increasing desertification due to lack of rainfall has caused agricultural production to falter. By the end of 2023, Huìla’s water reserves were completely depleted. Farmers can no longer feed their cattle as green pastures have turned arid and unusable. Consequently, harvest success is declining because oxen, which plow the crop fields, are also dying off. To find viable grazing areas, farmers often have to travel long distances with the remaining members of their herds.

IAEA Partnerships

In June 2021, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initiated its ‘Nuclear Saves’ partnerships series, aimed at enhancing the prosperity of disadvantaged communities amid severe climate change. Employing nuclear energy as a solution also bolsters public confidence in this technology. Specifically, the Animal Production and Health Subprogram of these partnerships focuses on improving the nutritional value of indigenous pasture grasses and other feed to ensure food security for local populations.

Nuclear Solution to Angola’s Rural Poverty

The Angolan government has partnered with the IAEA to reduce rural hunger and poverty in its southwestern communities. This partnership aims to estimate cattle pasture intake and identify sustainable, weather-resistant pasture grasses. Angola is setting up a nutrition laboratory to pinpoint nutritious grasses for widespread use, replacing current cattle feed. The technical operation adopts a nuclear solution, using stable isotopes to analyze key nutrients in cattle feed and excrement. These nonradioactive isotopes are commonly used to measure nutrient concentrations. Victor Tsuma, project leader at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, asserts that this solution will help “design a balanced diet for cattle with a mix of natural pastures and feed supplements.” This strategy aims to enhance animal production accordingly.

Fending Off Future Droughts

This initiative also aligns with ecological goals. By isolating and producing more nutrient-dense feeds, it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cattle in the region, which helps mitigate the irregular climate conditions that cause events like droughts in southwestern Angola. This approach not only prioritizes climate by aiming to lower carbon emissions through the feed that cattle consume but also enhances cattle productivity, which is linked to the health of pastures. Additionally, as the risk of overgrazing diminishes, it further protects the environment, improving the quality of grazing for farmers’ herds.

Looking Ahead

The partnership between Angola and the IAEA aims to alleviate Angola’s rural poverty and hunger by improving cattle nutrition through nuclear techniques. By identifying sustainable and nutritious pasture grasses, this initiative seeks to enhance livestock productivity and food security. Additionally, it addresses ecological concerns by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment from overgrazing, offering a comprehensive solution to the challenges faced by Angola’s southwestern rural provinces.

– Ramiro Ruiz Martinez

Ramiro is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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The Impact of Reducing Child Poverty in Angola

Child Poverty in AngolaAn intense history of a 27-year civil war burdens Angola. The children of Angola are suffering the most – with high rates of child poverty, illiteracy and mortality. Low contraceptive use has resulted in a fertility rate of more than five children per woman. Positively, Angola has been a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child since 1990 and efforts are underway to protect children in Angola from the consequences of poverty. That said, here are three areas that will undergo positive improvements if child poverty in Angola is reduced.

Education

Currently, 33% of children in Angola are illiterate and only 30% progress to upper secondary school. Additionally, more than a quarter of households in Angola have children who aren’t enrolled in school. This is mainly due to a lack of education, closely tied to intergenerational poverty traps. Education for girls is particularly at risk, with 30% of women aged 20-24 having been married or in a union before the age of 18. If poverty and hardship were not defining issues for these children, they could experience the normalcy of education and childhood.

Fortunately, there have already been significant improvements in education in Angola. The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has recognized multiple efforts being made to get more children into education. For example, the National Action Plan 2013-2020 was entitled “Education for All.” Additionally, the gross enrolment rate of children attending nursery, primary and secondary school increased to 97.5% in 2016.

Investment in the quality of teaching has led to more young people attending school – often due to the hard work of organizations such as SOS Children’s Villages. It works toward making education accessible to everyone. It has funded school fees, uniforms, learning materials and tutoring. Due to SOS Children’s Villages’ diligence and hard work, the project has enabled more than 1390 children in Angola to learn at its kindergartens and schools.

Health

Angola has suffered from an influx of droughts, flooding and diseases such as malaria, where medical treatment is sparse. Families in rural areas have found themselves struggling with rising food prices, leading to issues such as undernutrition being responsible for 45% of child deaths. A lack of access to water and sanitation has become a crucial issue for children’s health. However, when child poverty is dealt with, nutritious food will prevent the high rate of stunted children aged less than 5.

In response, Angola implemented a National Health Development Plan from 2012 to 2015, with one of its key objectives being to reduce maternal, infant and child mortality and morbidity rates. However, several challenges have arisen since the plan’s announcement. Malaria remains the leading cause of death in the country, responsible for more than 10,400 deaths in 2020. Additionally, the decline in oil growth in 2014 has led to decreased public spending in the health sector.

Despite these challenges, life expectancy in Angola is expected to increase from 61 years in 2023 to 68 years by 2050. Between 2018 and 2022, the health care workforce significantly increased and in 2020, Angola began offering specialty training courses for doctors in five provinces. By 2023, the program had expanded to include 2,500 medical doctors across 17 regions. The Minister of Health has also nominated a Task Force to oversee postgraduate training for health professionals.

SOS Children’s Villages is also actively working to ensure that social and health care facilities are accessible. Its efforts have enabled 450 families in Angola to stay together, providing crucial support and assistance.

Labor

Approximately 30% of Angolans live below the poverty line and widespread unemployment often leads to children becoming breadwinners for their households. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated a four-year recession in Angola, significantly impacting many families financially. Children aged 0-14 are particularly affected and live on less than $2.15 a day. Currently, three-quarters of children in Angola are living in poverty. Additionally, a staggering 19% of them work to support their families.

However, tackling extreme child poverty means that the number of children in the workforce within industries such as mining, construction and agricultural sectors will lessen and child trafficking will dissipate. Positive efforts have been made in this regard. Law no.3/14 criminalizes the exploitation of children for sexual purposes and prostitution.

Furthermore, in 2022, the Angolan government funded and participated in programs to prevent child labor. These initiatives include Social Protection Programs, Mobile Schools and Free School Meals for Children. Specifically, these programs target children in Southern Angola who are at high risk of being engaged in child labor.

– Xantippe Steele

Xantippe is based in Hove, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Mental Health in Angola

Mental Health in AngolaAngola is a small country situated on the western-central coast of Southern Africa. Generous petroleum and mineral reserves support its fast-growing economy. Collectively, Angola shares a crucial concern for mental health with all 54 countries in Africa. However, the treatment of mental health in Angola has been neglected.

Angola’s Health Care Challenges

Limited funding, inadequate mental health care policies, shortages of health care personnel and deficient training of health care workers are some of the health care challenges in Angola. In terms of health care facilities, there are approximately 3,000 people per facility, indicating a strain on accessibility. Moreover, with only 1.01 beds available per 1,000 patients, there’s a concerning shortage of hospital beds.

The physician-to-patient ratio stands at 0.3 per 1,000 patients, equivalent to around 14,000 physicians, which falls below the World Health Organization’s recommended level. Similarly, the nurse-to-patient ratio is 1.1 per 1,000 patients, suggesting further strain on health care resources. These statistics highlight the urgent need to address funding limitations, reform mental health care policies and invest in health care personnel and training to ensure adequate health care provision for the population.

Further, Angola’s 2023 budget allocated 23% of all government expenditures to the social sector, with health care receiving approximately 7%. However, it falls short of supporting the health care needs of 34.5 million people. For the health development plan to be effective, current statistics and comprehensive data could be utilized to upgrade existing priorities. Comprehensive data would include current population growth, distribution of population, infrastructure needs, financial models and human resources that would upgrade priorities.

Programs Tackling Mental Health in Angola

  1. African Center for Disease Control (CDC): In March 2024, the CDC launched a new Mental Health Leadership Program (AMHLP) to address mental health challenges in several African countries, including Angola. Wellcome, whose mission is to “support discovery research into life, health and well-being,” funded the program. The program aims to “mobilize decision-makers to support countries in reforming services and advising on public health measures to promote and protect mental health and well-being.”
  2. Education: Doctor Alisha Moreland-Capuia is a leading trauma-informed care expert. Her nonprofit, The Capuia Foundation, is constructing the Institute for Trauma-Informed Systems Change in Angola. Counseling and educating the people of Angola about mental health will help them develop a realistic understanding of mental illnesses.
  3. Kassai: Kassai is an eLearning platform funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI). This program trains health care workers in malaria, family planning and maternal and child health. By the end of 2022, the Kassai platform had 6,600 unique users and 31,000 course enrollments.

Mental health illnesses are a present-day concern in Angola. However, several programs are being initiated by both the Angola government and nonprofits to address mental health challenges in Angola.

– Pamela Fenton
Photo: Unsplash

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Renewable Energy in Angola

Renewable Energy in AngolaAngola is a small country in South-West Africa. The country currently has an energy production capacity of around 5 GW. Based on past governmental promises, Angola’s capacity is expected to be  6 GWs. However, with these goals not being achieved, the country has only a 43% electrification rate.

While incredibly low, this is nothing compared to rural areas’ 10% electrification rate. This inequality is further widened due to rural areas’ lack of other options. With 54% of the nation concentrated in rural areas, these regions have nowhere else to turn. With the government planning to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies causing energy prices to rise, the government has begun to push for renewable energy in Angola.

Angola’s Renewable Energy Revolution

Angola is in an optimal geographical position for renewable energy production. Studies conducted by the Ministry of Energy and Water found that the nation has the potential to generate 16 GW in solar power, 4 GW in wind power and 18 GW in hydropower. Using this to its advantage, the government of Angola has created the Angola 2025 Plan, which aims to utilize renewable energy to boost its energy production.

In this plan, the nation’s electrification rate would jump to 60%, with 70% coming from renewable sources. Part of this increase will be due to the three massive solar projects that the Government of Angola recently approved. One of these projects will be a partnership between the United Arab Emirates and Angola, resulting in a 150 MW solar farm.

Transforming Lives and Igniting Economic Opportunities

The benefit is threefold. First, this shift to renewable energy can massively benefit the electrification rates and provide electricity to underserved areas. For example, projects like the Masdar solar plant can bring electricity to 90,000 homes.

Second, renewable energy in Angola opens up many job opportunities by utilizing new technologies and creating an entirely new industry. Additionally, this massive boost in the energy sector is more significant for foreign investors and creates even more job opportunities.

This double-win for the job market will help drastically reduce poverty levels and close the inequality gap. Because many of these solar projects have taken place in rural areas like the Masdar solar plant, it directly gives these opportunities to the concentrated areas of low-income households.

Conclusion

While renewable energy in Angola is still an emerging market, its potential to completely shift the country’s economy and bring electricity to millions of people highlights its importance. By harnessing its abundant solar, wind and hydroelectricity resources, Angola can meet its energy needs and emerge as a regional leader in clean energy innovation.

– Aman Chaudhary
Photo: Flickr

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Poverty in Angola: Top Three Priorities to Reduce It

Poverty in AngolaAlthough the second-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa, Angola has a projected poverty rate of 12.4 million in 2024. This estimated figure is based on rising food prices and slowing growth in the nation during 2023, consequently leading to 33% of Angolans living below $2.15 a day. In hopes of limiting 2024 projections for Angola, the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework has offered support to the Central African region. It comes in the form of a development plan from 2024-2028, which highlights key areas of improvement. Sitting down with Jonathan Kenda, a recent volunteer worker in Angola, we learn whether the three priorities he spotted as reducing poverty in Angola are included in the U.N. development plan.

Issues on the Ground

“I did a lot of community service,” Kenda explains when describing his day-to-day role within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. “I was based in Luanda, but over the course of the year, I covered the whole of Angola.” With such broad awareness of Angola, Kenda pointed to a “scarcity of pure and clean water,” a divide between “areas that weren’t properly developed” and those that were and “waste pollution” as contributing factors to poverty in the Central African nation.

Validating Kenda’s observations are the droughts that the Southern provinces of Angola have suffered over the last decade and the six thousand tonnes of solid waste produced daily by Luanda, Angola’s capital, alone. To such issues, there have been responsive solutions. One is the “Water for All” campaign. The other and more recent, is the formation of a plastic reduction task force made by the Angolan government.

During the interview, however, these three issues, which have prompted respective aid campaigns, only form three of Kenda’s formative priorities to reduce poverty in Angola. Later in the conversation, he outlined the top three priorities to reduce poverty in Angola: Education, Infrastructure and Medicine.

Education

Kenda noted that “as a sector, its importance is rising in Angola.” This is mirrored in the U.N.’s Development Framework, with its top priority being to transform education. Nationally, Angola has shouldered responsibility, too. The government has not only set education as a top priority but has done so for the next four years.

However, “a lot more could be done”. Kenda explains that after “countless conversations [with] locals,” it became clear that “the majority of schools taught at a basic level due to the site not having resources to help students better their understanding.” Due to this material deprivation within schools, Kenda highlights that it is common to see families with money “sending their children overseas to receive an education.” The fact that less than 1% of Angolans attend university in the country, despite the growing education sector, underscores a systemic issue that fails to cultivate an attitude toward learning that exceeds expectations.

Kenda also pointed to teachers’ pay as a contributing factor to the growth of the education sector without significant progress. However, there are solutions in motion and just before the new year, a World Bank pledge offers even greater hope. The commitment involves a 10-year, $150 million aid service aimed at strengthening specifics such as school governance, teacher training and education courses across Angola.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure, identified as a priority to reduce poverty in Angola, is demonstrated in the material deprivation within the school system. However, according to Kenda, the infrastructure sector in Angola faces a bigger issue. “During the time I spent in Angola,” Kenda explains, “there were only a few areas that had a good network of roads and modes of transport.” This area of civil planning is a niche area within the sector of infrastructure. Aligning with the U.N.’s Development Framework, Kenda’s priority for reducing poverty in Angola through road planning is mirrored in the intent to develop rural roads.

As Kenda went on to explain that “of the road network, there were parts of it that needed improvements” due to roads prone to flooding, the approach made by the UN in its 2024-2028 plan reflects the on-the-ground concerns of the voluntary worker. As Kenda continued to explain, “of the road network, there were parts of it that needed improvements” due to roads prone to flooding. The approach made by the U.N. in its 2024-2028 plan reflects the on-the-ground concerns of the voluntary worker. The development of road planning is part of a broad national intent, too, which hopes to provide a significant transformation in Angolan infrastructure and which, in January 2024, was commended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Medicine

Kenda’s final priority to reduce poverty in Angola: Medicine. The U.N.’s Development Framework for Angola notes the intent to enhance the funding and quality of primary health care services. Although, no emphasis is placed on medicine. “Accessing medicine was difficult for the locals,” explains Kenda. “It was often too expensive and most of the time, the local pharmacies did not have many medicinal products that could effectively combat an array of illnesses.” Kenda’s worries stem from the one pharmacy for more than 22,000 Angolans and the drug shortages that hinder pharmacies across the country.

However, in a similar fashion to the growing sector for Infrastructure, financial predictions are set on the Angolan pharmaceutical market to experience significant growth over the coming years. Aside from the £130 million investment made by the U.K., investments to prompt such growth in the Angolan pharmaceutical sector fail to pile in.

Angolans in 2024

Kenda and the countless Angolans he encountered during his time in the nation have experienced and identified with these three priorities to reduce poverty in Angola. Responsive aid campaigns in the sector of education and infrastructure have provided more than ample solutions that are fit for the future. They contribute to a broad development in professional and academic experience, inspiring an upcoming generation of Angolans. Investments in the medical and pharmaceutical sector, however, flail behind slightly. To reduce poverty in Angola, the sector must undergo a transformation similar to the ongoing developments in education and infrastructure.

– Joseph Wray
Photo: Unsplash