Irma Suffern: Blog Poverty in Zimbabwe

Summary:

                After independence for 34 years Zimbabwe is in very rough condition right now, they have unemployment rates above 80 percent. Promises made by President Mugabe back in 1980 have not come close to being true. The country is suffering greatly and each year they celebrate their independence as a country, they are slapped in the face with their reality that most of them live in poverty and see little optimism about their situation. This country is now deeply and desperately reliant on imports and humanitarian aid of other countries. The spirit of independence is not as bold and lively as a country could or should be. Instead the spirit of independence is dampened due to the conditions of poverty its people live in.

Response:

                One reason Zimbabwe is seeing no improvements, but further disaster is because they are not engaging in more exporting. They need to produce more good for trade to help bring in new money and also new opportunities. If Zimbabwe was needed for certain goods there would become a demand and jobs would begin to open up for its native people. Also having the same man as their president when he has not made good on any promises that would benefit his people is not wise. They need a leader who will make things happen for them and get their country on track with its fairly new independence. Having their independence as a country doesn’t matter because these people live lives at the mercy of others, they are entrapped and in other words, still enslaved.

URL: http://www.theindependent.co.zw/2014/04/17/zim-34-nation-goes-motions/

Date/Time: April 17, 2014, no time specified

Title: Zim @34: Nation goes through motions

Irma Suffern: Blog 9 Poverty in Africa

Analysis:

            Based on the article one of the main concerns expressed was that Africa’s poverty is upheld by the growth they are experiencing being in areas that are rather affluent. The areas that are rather desperate for the exponential growth are not experiencing it and it is resulting in their ultimate doom. These countries need to be made priority and for lack of better words cradled like a baby. Africa’s state is very fragile and the recovery of it is even more fragile. One economist said that the growth taking place in Africa is surrounding certain areas rich in oil, copper and iron. It is excluding agriculture and investment areas.

Response:

            As a proposition to further improve Africa is to give out cash distributions like Tanzania and Ethiopia. This will allow areas where resources are exploited to regain social pensions. This can help mothers in need for help with their children. Africa is also encouraged to engage more in exporting to help bring in more of an income to the country. Manufacturing and agriculture are in the decline in Africa so if they were to increase the production of those two assets then they could possibly see better days. Manufacturing items would definitely bring in more resources to the country due to exporting goods and trade. This would allow for Africa for the first time possibly to become a real asset in the trading world. The demand that the items they could produce could also increase the amount of money they’re bringing in and helping out their home people.

URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/201404080948.html

Title: Africa: World Bank Concerned Over Growth in Africa Amidst Poverty

Date/Time: April 8, 2014 N/A

Irma Suffern: Blog 8 Poverty in Afghanistan

Analysis:

            Around the world the rates of poverty has been doing well and decreasing. Even Afghanistan has seen some improvements for their native people. In the NRVA (Afghanistan's National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment) survey between 2008 and 2012 it showed results of infant mortality rates decreasing by 57 percent. There was better drinking water for the public, which ultimately led to less people becoming ill and dying. And the literacy rate amongst adults had increased by 5 percent. Despite all of these improvements Afghanistan still suffers from poverty. The improvement of poverty ridden countries has been proven to be more difficult when they are in a fragile state.

Response:

            The extent of poverty within Afghanistan is so great that over 50 percent of households reported to live off of less than $1.25 a day. This is less than what a cup of coffee costs in America. The poverty rate is stuck at 36 percent in Afghanistan. Afghanistan suffers from great inflation prices, although they have had great economic growth. Most of the stagnation of recent poverty numbers is due to inequality. Consumption amongst the richest Afghanis has grown significantly more and the consumption amongst the poor has hardly grown at all. However, the pace of future growth rates is unknown. Due to the current state of Afghanistan they are now facing the possibility of fragility challenges. These challenges can make it much more difficult to end and even reduce poverty in Afghanistan.

           

URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/borany-penh/a-tough-job-tackling-pove-afghanistan_b_5084874.html

Title: A Tough Job: Tackling Poverty and Fragility in Afghanistan

Date/Time: April 3, 2014 2:16 pm

Irma Suffern Blog 7: Poverty in Europe

 

Summary:

A survey taken shows an increase in the number of new poor people in seven different European countries and challenges the official European Union discourse. It is noted that the level of poverty in Europe is far worse than it was before and the levels of poverty is increasing. Children and youth of European countries are more and more introduced to impoverished lives.  Some say the most harm from the poverty that Europe is experiencing is the young graduates from the new poor that are attempting to enter into the labor market. There are people from Cyprus who are searching for food from others and are in desperate need.

 

Response:

                Based on the results shown from the surveys and the new forms of poverty placed on children and youth, Europe is on the downfall. The people of Greece watched helplessly as Europe began to take their economic downturn since 2008. A quote from the article "We in Brussels keep hearing that the economic crisis is over," Thorfinnur Omarsson, a spokesman for Caritas Europa said in Athens where the network of Catholic relief organisations released the report. "These findings not only doubt that the crisis is over but show it is the poor who are paying for a crisis they did not cause.” This explains how the poor people suffer from the ill made decisions of others who most often are rich and will not reap the repercussions.

 

 

Date: March 27, 2014

URL: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/27/europe-economic-crisis-worse-caritas-report

Title: Europe's economic crisis is getting worse not better, says Caritas report

Irma Suffern: Blog 6 Poverty

 

Summary:

                The article started out by telling a story of a Syrian woman and her daughter. The woman noticed her daughter was not doing very well and she managed to get to Lebanon to see a doctor. The doctor informed the woman her daughter was starving. Starvation in Syria was once very uncommon and frankly did not exists. A survey showed that four percent of children were suffering from starvation. Those numbers grew, in 2012, to 5.9 percent of children in Lebanon who are Syrian refugees and had malnutrition issues that.

 

 

Response:

                Things in Syria have become so bad. In a matter of time the country went from have health care that was virtually free to now having children who are starving to death and the parents are helpless. The poverty is so bad in Syria that if 10,000 children did not get immediate help they would die from malnourishment. Children are dying and at risk for dying due to the lack of money and resources to properly be fed. Women leave their home country for a better life and to get treatment for their children, but still cannot seem to catch a break, because Lebanon only offers basic care due to a lack of money and surplus in people in need. Kids were being turned away from doctors’ offices due to costs of covering the procedures needed was not available. Babies were facing starving to death due to other conditions that they have and it not being deemed as an emergency. The people of Syria are fearful for the future and so are their refugees. The place they once knew as home is now estranged.

 

Date: Mar 14, 2014 1:04 PM

URL: http://www.newser.com/article/995ae9632a1c462fa97767a3f6626fc2/malnutrition-grows-among-syrian-children-as-poverty-lack-of-heath-care-take-toll.html

Title: Malnutrition grows among Syrian children as poverty, lack of heath care take toll

Irma Suffern Blog 5: Poverty

Analysis:

            Peru is known for the world’s third largest production, copper. It is projected that its production of copper could triple by 2015. Mining within Peru is expected to boom as some projects they are working on completes in the next couple of years. The mining sector could pull in half of all investments in Peru over this time period of two years. The reliance and optimism regarding mining and all the possibilities it offers Peru is in disregard that the vast majority of the projects they have in progress are Chinese owned. But even with all of this promise to bring in new money to Peru, it has been noted that currently nearly seven and a half million people live in absolute poverty in Peru.

Response:

            When discussing the mining to be done in Peru, it was looked over that the mining was illegal. $3 billion worth of gold mining is illegally being done to bring in a profit to the country as well as others who they are in business with. With such high numbers of impoverished people in Peru, it is understandable why now more than ever it is necessary to try to improve their equity market. Peru is in competition with so many other countries, for trade of goods produced from mining, it seems their illegal efforts may not only fall short of what they need, but also put them into much more financial trouble. Peru is in need of legitimized means to experience a surplus in finances and improve the lives of their people.

Date and time: March 7, 2014 12:54 pm

URL: http://www.ibtimes.com/perus-mining-sector-bright-spot-amid-emerging-market-turmoil-1560111

Title: Peru’s Mining Sector: A Bright Spot Amid Emerging Market Turmoil?

Irma Suffern Blog 4 Poverty in Venezuela

Analysis:

                Students have been in the streets of Venezuela protesting for weeks now. According to Venezuelan President, this protesting and revolting is taking place simply because of the interference of the United States. Venezuelans are faced with paying inflation fees of 56 percent, which is the highest it’s ever been worldwide. They are also facing one of the highest murder rates in the world, without being in a war zone. These people are living is such impoverished conditions they do not have the basic necessities for sustaining daily life at a minimum level. They are without food, electricity and toilet paper.

 

Response:

With all of the revolting going on in Venezuela right now it is only natural to see an amount of poverty right in the front line. These people are fighting for their lives. The amount of destitution around them has caused an uproar and they won’t stop until their conditions for living are met and then some. The line has not only been crossed, but it has been totally obliterated. Venezuelans are fighting to win back some of their rights. Venezuela’s left most neighbors are not involving themselves, because this country is fighting for what they need and deserve to have as a people. It is understood that this revolt is long overdue and these people have a right to their fight. Things have become so bad that they are not even allowing major television stations to stay up and running. Coverage on the revolts has been strictly revoked and anyone caught doing so has and will be punished. This country is on the rise and is moving into the direction or reducing their poor conditions. Things may not be lavish, but they certainly won’t be as bad as they are now.

 

Date: February 24, 2014 at 9:06 am

URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carlosgonzalez/venezuela-international-left_b_4844724.html

Title: Venezuela and the Hypocrisy of the International Left

Irma Suffern- Blog Poverty in India

Analysis:

            India has one of the largest populations in Asia. It ranks third in population size, after China and Japan. Their population has just grown 4.5 percent in the 2021/2013 fiscal year and this was less than the prior fiscal year where their population experienced a growth percentage of 6.7. Recent reports state that India’s people lack the means to obtain basic needs. India is seen as most vulnerable in its current state. It has been suggested that India can overcome their hardships by applying and executing reforms that enhance job creation, apart from farming, and increase productivity in agriculture.

Response:

            With numbers as high as 6.7 growth percentage India can hardly afford to not keep afloat economically. With propositions made it could only help them to seek guidance from allies or spectators looking in with great and new ideas. India is hurting pretty bad with constant economic growth hits and high inflation, there is little room for economic growth and prosperity. It seems evident that India has the means to make for better economic lives, it is just a matter of them executing those means in a logical and effortful manner. If India can take heed to other countries surrounding them, in Asia, and their methods implemented they can take flight. India needs to branch off from just farming their land using that land in the most effective and beneficial way. Farming and agriculture is important to India’s economic prosperity, however they need to work out the kinks and broaden the job options they have available.

Feb 20, 2014, 03.52 PM

What India needs to do to stamp out poverty

http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/what-india-needs-to-do-to-stamp-out-poverty_1046264.html

Blog 2 Irma Suffern Poverty in China

Summary:

            This article explains how Fuping county in China has been on the nations list for poverty since 1994. This city is only three hours from Beijing and after a visit from their president they have experienced a life turn of events. The president made visits to the poorest of villages and encouraged the local officials to help the people there live the most beneficial lives they possibly could. Reports tell that and profit of money has made its way into this impoverished county and is the start of their benefit with some help.

 Analysis:

            The idea of a president showing up to a county and that being all they needed to see an up rise in their economic stance within the country is amazing and speaks volumes about the country and how advanced they are. Reports show that after the president’s visit to that county the money allocated within that county nearly doubled from the previous year. The country notes that money will not solve all the issues that county faces, but it should absolutely begin the start of an enlightening period for the people and inspire them to do more in their own lives. This country has sought to correct their poverty issues and to help ensure better lives for their people across the board. At one point China’s people were 42.8 percent below the poverty line. This percentage was taken out of the whole number or 300,000 people that China serves as home to. China is on the move.

09:12, February 11, 2014

Village changes reveal China's poverty alleviation conundrum

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/8532293.html

Irma Suffern Blog 1: Poverty

 

 

Summary:

This article mentions how impoverished Africa is and how they can possibly lower their statistics of poverty by adding more KFCs in the Sub-Saharan area. Statistics show that 23 percent of the food produced by subsistent farmers is wasted before it ever gets to the consumers and 30 percent of the consumers are suffering from malnourishment and the farmers are purposely not producing more foods. Mainly because they are not receiving the profit they want for the goods they are producing. But there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Urbanization began to take place with the growth that the country was seeing in economics. From that urbanization arose KFC in Africa.

Analysis:

With fast food companies like KFC in Africa the demand for higher quality foods is on and more than ever before. KFC cannot use such low quality foods that Africa is used to producing. This fast food joint is now forcing Africa to produce a much higher quality food and the small subsistence farmers they are used to will not be good enough. There will need to be high quality foods, including chicken, produced and they need to be produced locally. Such an investment will be great for the future of Africa. KFC expanding within Africa will ultimately be opening up more jobs for more people in Africa. The only thing now is to get things kick started. It will tough due to chickens only brining in value after reaching a certain weight and being sold. It’s an interesting way to incorporate more wealth and quality foods into the Sub-Saharan area to ultimately improve the living conditions there.

Tackling poverty means that there will be more KFCs in Africa

Posted Feb 3, 2014 9am

http://scholarsandrogues.com/2014/02/03/tackling-poverty-means-that-there-will-be-more-kfcs-in-africa/

 

 

Irma Suffern: Poverty

I am choosing to follow the topic of poverty for my blog over the next 10 weeks or so. I think it is rather interesting and affects a number of people on a large scale.