On Monday, We-CARE Foundation opened two parallel teacher training workshops at St. Teresa Convent in Monrovia. The events marked Reading Liberia’s project expansion to 26 schools. The workshops will run for 5 days. On the first day, participants were introduced to choral reading and discussed techniques for teaching reading and writing using simple texts. The workshops will have a strong impact on the initial outcomes of the Reading Liberia project. Ten certified teacher trainers are facilitating the workshop with ease and confidence. They are also notably balanced by gender.
The exit cards at the end first day indicated that trainees were generally impressed. There were questions such as how to fit the ABC techniques into 45 minutes [which is the typical length of a lesson in most schools]. Trainees also asked for continued peer support.
I took away several things; established connections with the teachers and trainers and understood their respective working conditions better. There is no doubt that Reading Liberia has some amazing trainers – motivated, experienced and breeding confidence. I enjoyed talking to Florence, Mike, Johnson and Anna. It will be a huge help when we start up Reading Sierra Leone later in the year.
As a parent, I learned how to use read aloud technique and develop writers starting from simple pictures. I was reminded about the value of making voices, changing tones, making faces to bring the characters to life; the importance of reading through a story first to prepare when to build suspense or ask questions. With this, I should be able to help my two kids to become fluent readers and better writers.
so I spent time visiting schools and talking to students, teaching staff. I sought to understand the nature of challenge that Reading Liberia is faced with, where the children stand in terms of reading and writing abilities and efforts underway in the classrooms. I was pleasantly surprised that the classes I visited, mostly grades 4 & 5, had more girls than boys or equal numbers. And, the girls were very active in classroom activities. But the painful part is that the percentage of girls will drop to a mere 10% by junior high school according to Mike [who is well knowledgeable about Liberia’s education system]. And this statistic is up there among the grand injustices of our time. Don’t you agree?
If I had any doubts about the nature of the influence We-CARE has in the country, I got my answer this week. During one of our meetings, a phone rang and, on the end of the line was the Deputy Minister of Education. How did I know? I heard Mike say repeatedly “yes Minister”. When the call was done, I asked for details. The Minister had called inquiring if We-Care had any books he could buy. He had heard of the famous books and now a large donor was itching to spend some money on them! We then turned our discussion to finding the best way to respond to the Minister in light of our book production timelines. Things are looking up indeed. I am also wondering if 30,000 copies per title might be enough if USAID and the Ministry were to follow through on their interest to purchase books.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Teacher training workshops in Liberia - I grab something fo
We-CARE Foundation opened two parallel workshops at St. Teresa Convent in Monrovia, Monday 25 October 2010. Participants were introduced to choral reading and discussed techniques for teaching reading and writing using simple texts. The workshops have a strong influence of the first products of Reading Liberia project. Ten certified teacher trainers are facilitating the workshop with extreme comfort. They are also notably balanced by gender.
The exit cards at the end first day indicated that trainees were generally impressed. There were questions such as how to fit the ABC techniques into 45 minutes [which is the typical length of a lesson in most schools]. Trainees also asked for continued peer support.
I took away several things; established connections with the teachers and trainers and understood their respective working conditions better. There is no doubt that Reading Liberia has some amazing trainers – motivated, experienced and breeding confidence. I enjoyed talking to Florence, Mike, Johnson and Anna.
As a parent, I learned how to use read aloud technique and develop writers starting from simple pictures. I was reminded about the value of making voices, changing tones, making faces to bring the characters to life; the importance of reading through a story first to prepare when to build suspense or ask questions. With this, I should be able to help my two kids to become fluent readers and better writers.
so I spent time visiting schools and talking to students, teaching staff. I sought to understand the nature of challenge that Reading Liberia is faced with, where the children stand in terms of reading and writing abilities and efforts underway in the classrooms. I was pleasantly surprised that the classes I visited, mostly grades 4 & 5, had more girls than boys or equal numbers. And, the girls were very active in classroom activities. But the painful part is that the percentage of girls will drop to a mere 10% by junior high school according to Mike [who is well knowledgeable about Liberia’s education system]. And this statistic is up there among the grand injustices of our time. Don’t you agree?
If I had any doubts about the nature of the influence We-CARE has in the country, I got my answer this week. During one of our meetings, a phone rang and, on the end of the line was the Deputy Minister of Education. How did I know? I heard Mike say repeatedly “yes Minister”. When the call was done, I asked for details. The Minister had called inquiring if We-Care had any books he could buy. He had heard of the famous books and now a large donor was itching to spend some money on them! We then turned our discussion to finding the best way to respond to the Minister in light of our book production timelines. Things are looking up indeed. I am also wondering if 30,000 copies per title might be enough if USAID and the Ministry were to follow through on their interest to purchase books.
Teacher trining workshops in Liberia - I grab a t
We-CARE Foundation opened two parallel workshops at St. Teresa Convent in Monrovia, Monday 25 October 2010. Participants were introduced to choral reading and discussed techniques for teaching reading and writing using simple texts. The workshops have a strong influence of the first products of Reading Liberia project. Ten certified teacher trainers are facilitating the workshop with extreme comfort. They are also notably balanced by gender.
The exit cards at the end first day indicated that trainees were generally impressed. There were questions such as how to fit the ABC techniques into 45 minutes [which is the typical length of a lesson in most schools]. Trainees also asked for continued peer support.
I took away several things; established connections with the teachers and trainers and understood their respective working conditions better. There is no doubt that Reading Liberia has some amazing trainers – motivated, experienced and breeding confidence. I enjoyed talking to Florence, Mike, Johnson and Anna.
As a parent, I learned how to use read aloud technique and develop writers starting from simple pictures. I was reminded about the value of making voices, changing tones, making faces to bring the characters to life; the importance of reading through a story first to prepare when to build suspense or ask questions. With this, I should be able to help my two kids to become fluent readers and better writers.
so I spent time visiting schools and talking to students, teaching staff. I sought to understand the nature of challenge that Reading Liberia is faced with, where the children stand in terms of reading and writing abilities and efforts underway in the classrooms. I was pleasantly surprised that the classes I visited, mostly grades 4 & 5, had more girls than boys or equal numbers. And, the girls were very active in classroom activities. But the painful part is that the percentage of girls will drop to a mere 10% by junior high school according to Mike [who is well knowledgeable about Liberia’s education system]. And this statistic is up there among the grand injustices of our time. Don’t you agree?
If I had any doubts about the nature of the influence We-CARE has in the country, I got my answer this week. During one of our meetings, a phone rang and, on the end of the line was the Deputy Minister of Education. How did I know? I heard Mike say repeatedly “yes Minister”. When the call was done, I asked for details. The Minister had called inquiring if We-Care had any books he could buy. He had heard of the famous books and now a large donor was itching to spend some money on them! We then turned our discussion to finding the best way to respond to the Minister in light of our book production timelines. Things are looking up indeed. I am also wondering if 30,000 copies per title might be enough if USAID and the Ministry were to follow through on their interest to purchase books.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Learning 36,000 Feet Above Sea Level
Dr. Haddad Wadi of TechKnowLogia fame once described qualities of successful individuals in the 21 century to include the “ability to learn to learn” -literally looking at every experience to learn and grow.
I did just that on my flight from Brussels to Monrovia. I sat beside a non-assuming gentleman and a couple of minutes later we were discussing Liberia’s development strategies and the importance of education. Roland, who works with the Ministry of Finance, retold his moving story of survival during the civil war and of the challenges facing a nation with a huge youth group that must learn new skills to survive a new kind of enemy – poverty.
Roland told me that Liberia’s new Poverty Reduction Strategic Plan sits on four pillars namely; peace and national security, economic revitalization, governance and the rule of the law, and infrastructure and basic services. Education is a key priority and another university has been built. I was impressed by Roland’s mastery of the national vision, issues and challenges when he’s barely in his 30s. He narrated his experience on a visit to Rwanda after genocide and how what he saw in that country strengthened his commitment to diversity and support for Liberia’s development.
From the airport, I engaged my youthful driver to debate what matters to Liberian youth. Without any hesitation, Morrison retorted; education and jobs. He spent the best part of our 1-hour drive to my hotel painting a picture of what his life would have been like if he had gone far enough with his education. With four kids, Morrison reiterated that supporting his kids to get quality education is the biggest motivation for his work.
see: http://www.codecan.org/blog/
I did just that on my flight from Brussels to Monrovia. I sat beside a non-assuming gentleman and a couple of minutes later we were discussing Liberia’s development strategies and the importance of education. Roland, who works with the Ministry of Finance, retold his moving story of survival during the civil war and of the challenges facing a nation with a huge youth group that must learn new skills to survive a new kind of enemy – poverty.
Roland told me that Liberia’s new Poverty Reduction Strategic Plan sits on four pillars namely; peace and national security, economic revitalization, governance and the rule of the law, and infrastructure and basic services. Education is a key priority and another university has been built. I was impressed by Roland’s mastery of the national vision, issues and challenges when he’s barely in his 30s. He narrated his experience on a visit to Rwanda after genocide and how what he saw in that country strengthened his commitment to diversity and support for Liberia’s development.
From the airport, I engaged my youthful driver to debate what matters to Liberian youth. Without any hesitation, Morrison retorted; education and jobs. He spent the best part of our 1-hour drive to my hotel painting a picture of what his life would have been like if he had gone far enough with his education. With four kids, Morrison reiterated that supporting his kids to get quality education is the biggest motivation for his work.
see: http://www.codecan.org/blog/
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Making flying a more pleasant experience
If you are like me, air travel is very boring and stressful experience. Which is why, any attempt at lightening the cabin is welcome. Thankfully, the humour is slowly getting into it.
On an Air Canada flight from London (UK) to Ottawa a flight attendant while urging us to stay seated ... until the usual “plane on the gate” stuff, reminded us that “...through the airlines industry history, no passengers has got to the gate ahead of the plane”. And we all bust into a bi laugh. Nice way hit the gate.
But checkout Kalula airlines humour-packed flight experience. Next time I am in South Africa, I plan to get on board for a piece of stand-up comedy in the air. Read along and while you are at it, share with us your moments of humour in any transit - plane, train, taxi or bus.
Here we go:
On a Kulula flight, (there is no assigned seating, you sit where you want)passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a
flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"
---o0o---
On another flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be
turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."
----o0o---
On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's
something we'd like to have."
----o0o---
"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."
---o0o---
"Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
---o0o---
As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Durban Airport , a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"
---o0o---
After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo, a flight attendant on a flight announced, "Please take care when opening
the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."
---o0o---
From a Kulula employee: " Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to Port Elizabeth. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and
pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, ou probably shouldn't be out in public
unsupervised."
---o0o---
"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your
face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are travelling with more than one
small child, pick your favourite."
---o0o---
Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember,
nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula Airlines."
----o0o---
"Your seats cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our
compliments."
---o0o---
"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight
attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses.."
---o0o---
And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in
the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"
---o0o---
On Kulula flight 255 just after a very hard landing in Cape Town, the flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump
and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight
attendant's fault. It was the asphalt."
---o0o---
On a Kulula flight into Cape Town on a particularly windy and bumpy day, during the final approach the Captain really had to fight
it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in your seats
with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"
---o0o---
Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to
the terminal."
---o0o---
An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which
required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline." He said
that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment.
Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Why, no Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?" The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"
---o0o---
After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg , the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain
Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning
bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.."
http://www.southafrica.to/transport/Airlines/Kulula-flights/Kulula-humour.php5
On an Air Canada flight from London (UK) to Ottawa a flight attendant while urging us to stay seated ... until the usual “plane on the gate” stuff, reminded us that “...through the airlines industry history, no passengers has got to the gate ahead of the plane”. And we all bust into a bi laugh. Nice way hit the gate.
But checkout Kalula airlines humour-packed flight experience. Next time I am in South Africa, I plan to get on board for a piece of stand-up comedy in the air. Read along and while you are at it, share with us your moments of humour in any transit - plane, train, taxi or bus.
Here we go:
On a Kulula flight, (there is no assigned seating, you sit where you want)passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a
flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"
---o0o---
On another flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be
turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."
----o0o---
On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's
something we'd like to have."
----o0o---
"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."
---o0o---
"Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
---o0o---
As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Durban Airport , a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"
---o0o---
After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo, a flight attendant on a flight announced, "Please take care when opening
the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."
---o0o---
From a Kulula employee: " Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to Port Elizabeth. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and
pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, ou probably shouldn't be out in public
unsupervised."
---o0o---
"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your
face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are travelling with more than one
small child, pick your favourite."
---o0o---
Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember,
nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula Airlines."
----o0o---
"Your seats cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our
compliments."
---o0o---
"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight
attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses.."
---o0o---
And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in
the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"
---o0o---
On Kulula flight 255 just after a very hard landing in Cape Town, the flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump
and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight
attendant's fault. It was the asphalt."
---o0o---
On a Kulula flight into Cape Town on a particularly windy and bumpy day, during the final approach the Captain really had to fight
it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in your seats
with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"
---o0o---
Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to
the terminal."
---o0o---
An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which
required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline." He said
that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment.
Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Why, no Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?" The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"
---o0o---
After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg , the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain
Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning
bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.."
http://www.southafrica.to/transport/Airlines/Kulula-flights/Kulula-humour.php5
Maiden flight to Liberia... back to Ghana
I am right now full of optimism and indescribable expectation. It’s my maiden flight to Liberia and a return to Ghana. I have done my best to prepare for this trip - like connecting with our local partners in both countries and reviewing their current affairs.
First part of the trip is to Liberia. After reading various articles about them, I am already inspired by the Liberians and their love for education. Take for instance David Klooster, who, in one of his dispatches writes: …”visitors are struck by the numerous signs [on billboards] around the capital city [Monrovia] urging progress i.e: “Our youth need good education and jobs, not weapons,”
I will be working with CODE’s local partner We Care Foundation, a respected NGO. The foundation is to reading promotion what pandas are to bamboo.
In Ghana, I will work with our partner Ghana Book Trust, will visit schools and meet the best of Ghanaian writers. I will also represent CODE at the first Burt Award ceremony. The award recognizes excellence in young adult fiction by Africa for Africans. We hope the Burt Award can grow into a Pan-African initiative. And how befitting that the second of such ceremonies is in Ghana? You see, Ghana has been at the centre of key Pan African initiatives going back several decades.
You see, Ghana has been at the centre of key Pan African initiatives going back several decades. In the same breath, one could mention the key role Ghanians played in creating the wave of African Independence that swept across the continent, the tremendous influence of Kwame Nkuruma as one of the fathers of Africa’s self determination, and Ghana’s recent leadership in drafting the Accra Declaration.
Do you see grounds for my optimism? And the best part is that I will share my thoughts and reflections with you along the way.
First part of the trip is to Liberia. After reading various articles about them, I am already inspired by the Liberians and their love for education. Take for instance David Klooster, who, in one of his dispatches writes: …”visitors are struck by the numerous signs [on billboards] around the capital city [Monrovia] urging progress i.e: “Our youth need good education and jobs, not weapons,”
I will be working with CODE’s local partner We Care Foundation, a respected NGO. The foundation is to reading promotion what pandas are to bamboo.
In Ghana, I will work with our partner Ghana Book Trust, will visit schools and meet the best of Ghanaian writers. I will also represent CODE at the first Burt Award ceremony. The award recognizes excellence in young adult fiction by Africa for Africans. We hope the Burt Award can grow into a Pan-African initiative. And how befitting that the second of such ceremonies is in Ghana? You see, Ghana has been at the centre of key Pan African initiatives going back several decades.
You see, Ghana has been at the centre of key Pan African initiatives going back several decades. In the same breath, one could mention the key role Ghanians played in creating the wave of African Independence that swept across the continent, the tremendous influence of Kwame Nkuruma as one of the fathers of Africa’s self determination, and Ghana’s recent leadership in drafting the Accra Declaration.
Do you see grounds for my optimism? And the best part is that I will share my thoughts and reflections with you along the way.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Refocusing the Battle against Global Poverty
The World Bank estimates that 1.4 billion people live under $1.25 a day. Through the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) the international community committed to reduce the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than a $1 per day by one-half http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty. Yet, global poverty remains the most important problem of this century. Considering the recent global food crisis, increased cost of energy and drought, at least 100 million more people are expected to fall into the poverty bracket. We need to act now with resolute, creativity and increased efficiency in tackling global poverty by targeting fundamental contributors to poverty like education and health.
Poverty eradication in an economic crisis
It would be helpful to start by addressing an equally important issue that pre-occupies the development community and governments; the global financial crisis. There are people who question the importance of poverty eradication programming especially beyond national borders. Others have urged for complete freeze of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). This position ignores our moral responsibility to poverty eradication but also takes away national competitiveness in opening new markets that could spur growth and more jobs as the economy emerges from the crisis. For instance, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia represent a huge untapped market which Canadian businesses could engage when the economy recovers. But first, these regions need to emerge out of extreme poverty and become consumers of goods and services. There is a security dimension too. People struggling at the bottom of the pyramid are more likely to be lured into terrorism and drug trafficking - the cost of the two is well documented. Canada should care about global poverty because the cost of doing nothing is too high and it is the right thing to do.
Practical strategies on global poverty
Increasing access to quality education is a key to poverty eradication. Gary Becker, the 1992 Nobel laureate in economics contends that the primary determinant of a country’s standard of living is how well it succeeds in developing and utilizing the skills, knowledge, health and habits of its population. While there has been a tremendous gain in elementary school enrolment in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia through national and international efforts, serious challenges remain (Albert-Eneas Gakusi, African Development Review, Vol. 22 No.1, 2010, 208-264) -
Irrelevant curriculum, poor learning outcomes, weak link with world of work and financing continue to undermine the net contribution to poverty eradication. To increase effectiveness, support to education needs to also include adult literacy, vocational training and strengthening education system capacity. Peasant farmers need new skills to cope with increasing drought, loss of soil fertility. The introduction of improved seed varieties will help to fight hunger if accompanied with training in reduction of huge on-farm post harvest losses.
Health is yet another important contributor to poverty. According to the WHO, health is “a state of physical, mental, and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system at all stages of life” (WHO 2004). Overall, poor health constrains productivity and undermines poverty eradication programs. Africa accounts for 11% of the world’s population but the continent has the highest burden of disease, seven times higher than high income countries. South-East Asia and Africa bore 54% of the global burden of disease in 2004 (The global burden of disease: 2004 update – WHO). HIV/AIDS, diarrhoeal, malaria, neonatal infection and lower respiratory infection were the main causes of burden of disease in the two regions. Malaria remains the leading cause of infant mortality in Africa with more than 90% of the estimated 300–500 million clinical cases of malaria that occur across the world every year. Additionally, of the 20 countries with the highest maternal mortality rates, 19 are in Africa. In 2002, in the African Region, an estimated 231 000 women died due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. The African Region’s neonatal death rate is the highest in the world. An estimated 43 out of every 1000 babies born in 2005 died during their first 28 days of life http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs314/en/index.html
The core causes of the burden of disease are preventable. Tapping the full potential of women has to be a major part of poverty eradication in Africa and Asia. Women are the back born of house hold productivity - working on small holder farms, trading in road side goods or keeping poultry. Yet, poor family health impacts women’s productivity more than men. We need to increase access to primary health care, early childhood development (ECD), strengthen African capacity to manage main causes of the burden of disease, leverage new technology to share expertise with the West in clinical case management and broaden women’s empowerment. Across the developing world, small initiatives have shown the way to improving health with limited resources. In Uganda for instance, in 2004, an association of traditional birth attendants helped to significantly reduce maternal mortality rates in Kamuli district using cell phones to provide 24/7 assistance to women in need.
Poverty eradication is a huge challenge. Nevertheless, the international community has made tremendous progress by enacting various instruments to eradicate it. There is no doubt that the upcoming G8 and G20 Summits in Huntsville, Ontario will provide Canada an excellent opportunity to re-affirm its commitment to global poverty eradication.
Poverty eradication in an economic crisis
It would be helpful to start by addressing an equally important issue that pre-occupies the development community and governments; the global financial crisis. There are people who question the importance of poverty eradication programming especially beyond national borders. Others have urged for complete freeze of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). This position ignores our moral responsibility to poverty eradication but also takes away national competitiveness in opening new markets that could spur growth and more jobs as the economy emerges from the crisis. For instance, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia represent a huge untapped market which Canadian businesses could engage when the economy recovers. But first, these regions need to emerge out of extreme poverty and become consumers of goods and services. There is a security dimension too. People struggling at the bottom of the pyramid are more likely to be lured into terrorism and drug trafficking - the cost of the two is well documented. Canada should care about global poverty because the cost of doing nothing is too high and it is the right thing to do.
Practical strategies on global poverty
Increasing access to quality education is a key to poverty eradication. Gary Becker, the 1992 Nobel laureate in economics contends that the primary determinant of a country’s standard of living is how well it succeeds in developing and utilizing the skills, knowledge, health and habits of its population. While there has been a tremendous gain in elementary school enrolment in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia through national and international efforts, serious challenges remain (Albert-Eneas Gakusi, African Development Review, Vol. 22 No.1, 2010, 208-264) -
Irrelevant curriculum, poor learning outcomes, weak link with world of work and financing continue to undermine the net contribution to poverty eradication. To increase effectiveness, support to education needs to also include adult literacy, vocational training and strengthening education system capacity. Peasant farmers need new skills to cope with increasing drought, loss of soil fertility. The introduction of improved seed varieties will help to fight hunger if accompanied with training in reduction of huge on-farm post harvest losses.
Health is yet another important contributor to poverty. According to the WHO, health is “a state of physical, mental, and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system at all stages of life” (WHO 2004). Overall, poor health constrains productivity and undermines poverty eradication programs. Africa accounts for 11% of the world’s population but the continent has the highest burden of disease, seven times higher than high income countries. South-East Asia and Africa bore 54% of the global burden of disease in 2004 (The global burden of disease: 2004 update – WHO). HIV/AIDS, diarrhoeal, malaria, neonatal infection and lower respiratory infection were the main causes of burden of disease in the two regions. Malaria remains the leading cause of infant mortality in Africa with more than 90% of the estimated 300–500 million clinical cases of malaria that occur across the world every year. Additionally, of the 20 countries with the highest maternal mortality rates, 19 are in Africa. In 2002, in the African Region, an estimated 231 000 women died due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. The African Region’s neonatal death rate is the highest in the world. An estimated 43 out of every 1000 babies born in 2005 died during their first 28 days of life http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs314/en/index.html
The core causes of the burden of disease are preventable. Tapping the full potential of women has to be a major part of poverty eradication in Africa and Asia. Women are the back born of house hold productivity - working on small holder farms, trading in road side goods or keeping poultry. Yet, poor family health impacts women’s productivity more than men. We need to increase access to primary health care, early childhood development (ECD), strengthen African capacity to manage main causes of the burden of disease, leverage new technology to share expertise with the West in clinical case management and broaden women’s empowerment. Across the developing world, small initiatives have shown the way to improving health with limited resources. In Uganda for instance, in 2004, an association of traditional birth attendants helped to significantly reduce maternal mortality rates in Kamuli district using cell phones to provide 24/7 assistance to women in need.
Poverty eradication is a huge challenge. Nevertheless, the international community has made tremendous progress by enacting various instruments to eradicate it. There is no doubt that the upcoming G8 and G20 Summits in Huntsville, Ontario will provide Canada an excellent opportunity to re-affirm its commitment to global poverty eradication.
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