Comoros, an island nation off the southeastern coast of Africa, has a multidimensional poverty rate of 19.2%, with an additional 19.4% of the population considered vulnerable to falling into poverty, according to the United Nations Development Programme. Multidimensional poverty measures overlapping challenges people face in health, education and living standards, rather than income alone. Between 2004 and 2014, multidimensional poverty declined due to improvements in living conditions. Today, many organizations are helping fight poverty in Comoros, aiming to lower poverty levels throughout the country and its communities.

Role of the Government

Although many organizations help improve living conditions, the Comorian government also plays a major role in fighting poverty. The National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction currently works to prevent disasters and strengthen the country’s resilience. The strategy ensures rapid and effective responses to emergencies, which helps reduce the amount of damage and impact on communities. However, most support comes from outside groups and organizations, and without their assistance, poverty levels would increase.

World Bank Group

The World Bank Group is one of many organizations helping fight poverty in Comoros. It supports the Regional Emergency Preparedness and Inclusive Recovery Program (REPAIR), which enhances financial readiness to respond to environmental disasters in Comoros, Madagascar and Mozambique. As a participating country, Comoros will now benefit from financial tools that will deliver funds to the country within seven days of a disaster. This support will help reduce the damage to communities.

REPAIR aims to preserve jobs and support all enterprises and livelihoods in areas facing climate shocks and climate disasters. These disasters cause major economic losses and often affect poorer communities, further worsening poverty. Since the introduction of REPAIR, Comoros has received aid in its water supply through the supply of water tanks and pipelines, after the Tropical Cyclone Chido that affected villages on Anjouan Island.

Agence Française de Développement

The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) is also a notable organization that works to reduce poverty in Comoros. The islands off the coast of Southeast Africa face significant vulnerability to the changing climate because of their location. As a close neighbor of Mayotte, a French overseas department, Comoros maintains strong historical and cultural ties with France.

Through the AFD, Comoros received grants to help strengthen the government, aiding economic development and social sectors. Remittances from the large Comorian diaspora living in France account for nearly 20% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). As agriculture remains a major part of the country’s economy, climate change impacts the country on a significant level. Through its 60-year partnership with Comorian authorities, AFD has reinforced health, education, economic development, and economic diversification.

Muslim World League

The Muslim World League is another one of the many organizations helping fight poverty in Comoros. Cataracts remain a leading cause of preventable blindness in the country, and the organization has funded surgeries and other medical services to help address gaps in eye care.

As part of their humanitarian mission in Africa, the organization has carried out several health aid programs in Comoros. These programs include the construction of medical facilities throughout many under-resourced communities and funding of cataract surgeries.

Comoros Red Crescent

The Comoros Red Crescent helps communities respond to emergencies and address long-term needs. These needs include disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and development through volunteering. The organization relies on community engagement and financial sustainability to support its programs, operating through three branches and 224 local units staffed by more than 3,200 volunteers across the islands.

MAEECHA

MAEECHA, also known as Mouvement Associatif pour l’Éducation et l’Égalité des Chances, is a nongovernmental organization based in the Union of Comoros and focuses on education. Many children in the country are unable to read and understand age-appropriate texts by the age of 10, which contributes to the country’s learning crisis. MAEECHA has supported children’s education since 2005.

MAEECHA works to provide families living in poverty more opportunities to send their children to school. The organization aided in the development of primary public schools and built the first community school in the village of Adda. By providing specialized training needed for children’s education, their support in schools and for teachers has directly helped more than 9,952 children and another 4,900 indirectly

– Jacquelyn Orr

Jacquelyn is based in Philadelphia, PA, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

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