“The World Bank estimates that 702 million people live in ‘extreme global poverty,’ which is defined as living on less than $1.90/day (USD),” according to www.onedayswages.org. From 1990 to 2010, poverty rates fell by 52 percent, and child mortality rates decreased by 47 percent, according to www.usaid.gov. During this period, it adds, around 2 billion people gained access to clean water. Jim Yong Kim, World Bank group president, said the major reductions in poverty were due to investments in people’s education, health, and social safety nets in developing countries in recent years. Further reductions in poverty rates would come from evidence-based approaches to improve opportunities to earn income, education and health, according to www.worldbank.org. “With these strategies in place, the world stands a vastly better chance of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and raising the life prospects of low-income families,” said Kim. The U.N. Office for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) conducted a study identifying the significance of addressing structural vulnerability in developing countries. The point was highlighted by the outbreak of Ebola, which was concentrated in three least developed countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The U.N. study identifies gender inequality, institutional frameworks, infrastructure development and service delivery, along with external factors as the main determinants of extreme poverty reduction in LDCs, according to www.un.org. “Actions by LDC development partners on trade, official development assistance and other forms of external finance, including foreign direct investment, and technology transfer and acquisition will determine progress in ending poverty to a large degree,” says a U.N. report. ONE campaign, an international advocacy organization, highlighted 10 main issues affecting poverty: infectious diseases, agriculture, transparency, energy, development assistance, water and sanitation, debt cancellation, trade and investment, maternal and child health, and education. ONE groups believe these issues should be evaluated along with the progression of developing countries in order to further the efforts of resolving poverty. The Borgen Project, an advocacy non-governmental organization, argued addressing global poverty is essential to U.S. economic growth. As people climb out of poverty, they participate more in the U.S. economy as consumers. One out of five U.S. jobs is export-based and 50 percent of U.S. exports go to developing nations, according to the Borgen Project website. Foreign Policy Magazine describes the world’s poor as the largest untapped market on earth. Low-income households collectively possess most of the buying power in many developing countries. Businesses miss most of this market if they ignore the bottom of the economic pyramid. Research has shown that deteriorations in security correlate with poverty, and 500 million people live in countries at risk of becoming less peaceful, with 200 million of them already living below the poverty line, according to www.visionofhumanity.org. Rebecca Vigoren, a senior majoring in international cultural studies from Washington and president of the BYU-Hawaii ONE Student Association, encourages people to support U.S. Foreign Aid, even if they don’t have very much money. Vigoren said middle-class citizens in America are wealthier than 50 percent of the world population. “We struggle to pay for higher education, but the people we are trying help in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot afford to go to kindergarten. They can’t afford electricity for running water. They are dying for no access to healthcare,” said Vigoren. Vigoren said only 1 percent of the total $4 trillion U.S. budget, or $40 billion, is for foreign aid. However, she said the aid already has had significant influence on addressing extreme poverty. “In economically unstable countries, extreme groups are able to easily gain control. By combating poverty, we are combating religious extremism, and we are combating groups like ISIS. It is the best way to secure international safety,” said Vigoren. She pointed out people need to realize they are global citizens. What happens around the world will eventually affect everyone, Vigoren explained. According to www.renewableenergyworld.com, the Electrify Africa Act was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama on Feb. 8. This act aims to direct U.S. government agencies to prioritize foreign loans, providing technical support to generate and transmit power in Sub-Saharan African countries. The ultimate goal of the Electrify Africa Act is to add at least 20,000 megawatts of power, providing first-time electrical access for at least 50 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2020, according to www.renewableenergyworld.com In the Monduli district of Tanzania, 70 percent of Tanzanians live in rural areas, reports USAID, and only one out of 10 have access to electricity there. Elizabeth Moringe, 20, from Esilalei Village in Tanzania, shared her gratitude for electrical access in her home with USAID officials. “I was very happy the day the computer came and I started at computer school. The electricity is helping us solve many problems. We can store milk in the fridge to keep it fresh. I am expecting my kids to go to school, and when they come home they will be able to do homework because they have light to study at night.”
Writer: Danna Osumo
