By: Lana Henderson

Banerjee and Duflo discuss how micro-credits help communities by giving small loans at low interest rates so that small businesses have the ability to stay open. These micro credits are meant to help people begin to think in the long term rather than being limited by short term money restrictions. Though one thing this fails to take into consideration is the poverty trap that keeps saving many times from being a realistic goal. There are many problems that can occur that would require people to use money they have been saving. Duflo and Banerjee discuss how long-term saving may not appeal to poor communities due to the long term planning and the amount of short term temptations that occur. They further discuss how money doesn’t necessarily create the answer to the problems these small businesses are facing that are delaying their ability to expand. There is also an issue when observing how people react when they are unable to repay their loans. I agree that micro credits are in theory a great idea to help small businesses stay afloat but I feel like the issue of just throwing money at things when not really addressing the issues that are creating the problems is commonly overlooked. There is not a lack of aid it seems but rather a lack of institutional change, if you keep putting money into a system that isn’t producing or affective then really it’s just a waste of money that could instead be used to invest into the problems that are limiting these businesses from being able to expand and grow successfully.

Opportunity DRC is a group that works with micro credits and financing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One thing that this program does that is very thoughtful is training on savings and loans to small business entrepreneurs and their families. So that they can gain financial literacy and learn more about what to do to successfully invest their money into their business rather than simply giving them a loan and expecting these communities to understand what this is or what to do with it. They also have a majority of woman owned businesses they support which is commonly shown that women are the missing link needed to uplift their communities. They have had 5 women graduate from the Goldman Sachs’ Emerging Leaders program. They also provide information past financial literacy teaching communities the importance of nutrition and healthcare. The real worry those is that even a company such as this one is that they are still working small scale and with less than 50 employees their impact can only reach so many people at a time. Programs like these that target overall rather than just focusing on one aspect of the problem does show a lot of promise because of the problems listed above about micro financing where people who are unable to save at the rate, they need to due to having other aspects of life that interfere.

Another company that is working on improving things is the Global Financing Facility, GFF, which looks at provinces within the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the worst health and socioeconomic indicators as the region it targets with programs for help. There is a need to look at how to better finance all the problems associated with high costs of healthcare in those areas. Part of this includes financing essential vaccines, safe home-based management of diarrhea, services to support victims of sexual or gender-based violence, a sanitation and hygiene program and other things. They try to limit the problems see with other aid by changing investment plans into a program aimed at seeing results through continual contribution with program and frameworks to be followed from investors who are known to interact as international organizations who have economic stakeholders throughout the world.  There are hopes that the investment returned is improved health, nutrition, family planning and health system strengthening.

The Bookings article discusses some the ways that aid can fall off track for certain countries and though there has been a notable decrease in the amount of poverty listed through SDG goals there are certain areas that have made major impacts to this number while others are not having the same fate. Under the choice of the western aid companies there are certain countries that are known as donor darlings that receive a lot of international attention and aid and may be said to have a better chance at success than donor orphans who are not as often given the continual and consistent attention that the darlings get to benefit from. My country the DRC is noted on the list of countries that are not currently making a lot of improvements when it comes to decreasing their poverty or the other implications that are associated with the sustainable development goals. There is a lack of progress being made it seems for both countries who are not making the noted progress and those who are where you can see in the early 2000s they experienced a dip in the success that was followed by a rise in the amount of successfully implemented projects targeted at poverty reduction.

E-commerce has not had the ability to take off greatly in the DRC if given the chance it has the potential to boost the GDP. There has been reports that connect the growing youth population with a high mobile connect and handheld technology that is working better at connecting them to e-commerce. The DRC holds a lot of their job field from titanium mining which is later used to create a large range of mobile devices. There are currently not any big operating e-commerce companies, but this is not to be confused with them not engaging with this market. There has been interaction with international e-commerce and buying from platforms such as Amazon. In 2015 the country began to see a small rise of some e-commerce countries. There is still some problem with government regulations that lay out specific guidelines on how communication technology and information is set to be used within the conditions of the country. They have made technology information more of a priority proven by the networks that have popped up all around the DRC targeted at creating high speed internet.

The article discusses the ways that the same countries who are pouring aid into Africa are also taking from Africa at a much higher rate than contributions. There is a lot of money coming into Africa through aid but a lot of this can turn into debt because it is put into government or private sectors that is not being able to go through the same sectors that would promote investment rather than aid with the interactions that are already occurring through the amount of capital being taken out either through wildlife, natural resources, or tax breaks that corporations seek in these areas though majority of their money goes back to their host countries rather than these African countries. The private sector would be areas such schooling that then loses the ability for public schools to receive the same kind of attention that these areas are going to benefit from. Due to the amount of money and capital that is able to flow out of Africa there is a very big amount of control that this is allowing western corporations and governments to get a stronghold. This means that encouraging them to enter unfair markets or only giving money based. The general discussion that this author offers is that it’s about the way we discuss and interact with Africa in turn affects the way that investors and aid is seen in its interaction. We are not looking at the fact that many African countries are talked about in a way that doesn’t make them attractive to many of outsides investments and instead makes them seem like a wasteland for aid money with no notable improvement.

Resources

Dearden, Nick. Africa Is Not Poor, We Are Stealing Its Wealth. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/05/africa-poor-stealing-wealth-170524063731884.html. Accessed 26 Feb. 2019.

Democratic Republic of Congo | Global Financing Facility. https://www.globalfinancingfacility.org/democratic-republic-congo. Accessed 26 Feb. 2019.

Kharas, Geoffrey Gertz and Homi. “The Road to Ending Poverty Runs through 31 Severely off Track Countries.” Brookings, 13 Feb. 2018, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/02/13/the-road-to-ending-poverty-runs-through-31-severely-off-track-countries/.

“Opportunity DRC in Kinshasa Grows, Expanding Services in Congo.” Opportunity International, //opportunity.org/news/blog/2011/07/update-opportunity-drc-in-kinshasa-grows-expanding-microfinance-to-more-people-of-the-congo. Accessed 26 Feb. 2019.

Reluctant Entrepreneurs | Poor Economics. http://www.pooreconomics.com/chapters/9-reluctant-entrepreneurs. Accessed 26 Feb. 2019.

Micro-Finance & Micro-Credits, The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

By Amber Jones, 2/26/2019, Blog Post #5

Micro-finance and micro-credits. These terms sound to be like something that would add insult to injury. Why would people loan large amounts of money to those most struggling? How on earth would they be able to afford to pay it back when the targeted audience for this idea are those among the highest poverty levels?

In Mali, micro-finance is struggling hard. In 2005, the Premiere Agence de Microfinance Mali was established in line with the Malian government to initiate micro-finance into the country. This area is served by 14 banks that serve the urban areas, but the micro-finance sectors serve the more rural areas, which totals upwards of 1 million clients, and 126 licensed MFI’s serving them. The sector has been in crisis for some time though, and are technically bankrupt or need strengthening. This has caused the majority of the Malian population to lose faith in the system, especially with the growing political and security issues within their government.

In reflecting on the 31 off track countries, it is sad, but not surprising that Mali is listed among them. While Mali has received a large amount of aid, the mid to long term sustainability outlook is poor. One of the largest reasons for this is the Malian government and security for their own people. Even though Mali is technically a democratic state, their government still has a large amount of corruption, especially in the northern and rural areas. To further hinder the ending of poverty, many larger nations are now afraid to take chances investing in these countries, as they do not believe the risks outweigh the risks. This attitude is not helping the mass population, and the ones who suffer are those who cannot rise above the poverty level. It’s interesting to note that this article did mention singular projects that aim at aiding the countries, and while they have small to medium success in a small range, they struggle to make at – large impacts. This whole statements brings to mind projects like the Millennium villages and other initiatives. It’s upsetting to see that all the hard work and initiative put into these projects are unable to sustain larger parts of the countries they serve.

When looking at digital technology in Mali itself, we see that MyAgro has come in and is trying to fully digitize the country’s payment methods. How MyAgro works for those is poverty is that instead of paying for seed and fertilizer in one lump sum, the farmers use scratch cards they’ve purchased over time, and thus prevent them from spending the meager monies that these people have all at once. These digital technologies are trying to make the country go full digital in their payment methods, and so far in both Mali and Senegal, MyAgro is doing quite well.

With regards to the article that we are “stealing” Africa’s wealth, I personally had a hard time with this. While I do agree that problems of what seems like tax – workarounds that tend to profit the rich in their home countries by using Africa as a means to facilitate their finances, this plays into the corruption of many of the African country’s governments. Also, the citing that many of Africa’s natural resources are being illegally farmed, such as logging and fishing, which in turn affects those who may already be in poverty, furthering their need. One large thing I didn’t agree with is assigning a monetary amount to climate change. Now, I do know that climate change is real, and not refuting that it is having and is going to continue to have a large effect on climate, production, and wildlife, I find that assigning an arbitrary number to the consequence may be downplaying the effect. I realize the 36 billion dollars is not a small amount, but Africa alone is a large continent, and this monetary figure seems like it could be lower than the actual damage done by climate change. With the climate change burden, I believe that the effect would hit those in poverty the greatest, as they may lose their ability to farm, due to the harsh climates and lack of resources. I believe the term “stealing” to be a bit of a daring headline, but there definitely is a problem of people using and abusing Africa, and it’s hurting those most in need.

http://www.africanews.com/2018/11/20/mali-myagro-s-mobile-payment-platform-to-go-fully-digital-sci-tech//

https://www.akdn.org/where-we-work/west-africa/mali/microfinance-mali

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2017/05/africa-poor-stealing-wealth-170524063731884.html

by Jacob Feist

Part 1a: The Cheetah of Tanzania

In Post 3, I discussed Steven Radelet’s definition of the Cheetah Generation. This generation continues to make incredible social and political progress in Africa. However, progress in this grand scope is often hard to fully appreciate. Thus, I am highlighting the efforts and accomplishments of one member of the Cheetah Generation in Tanzania.

Rebeca Gyumi grew up in Tanzania and at a young age began to recognize the suffering imposed upon women. At 13, she witnessed children her age subjected to forced marriages due to unwanted pregnancies. This upsetting concept motivated her to join a youth initiative at the age of 20 to combat this problem. As she continued to work with this organization, she recognized the magnitude of this national problem. A staggering 37% of women were being forced into marriage before the age of 18 in Tanzania. Hence, she went to school at University of Dar es Salaam and received a degree in Law. She used her education and experience to create a political campaign and legal petition to raise the legal age of marriage.

In 2016, she accomplished her goal and The Marriage Act of Tanzania was altered. However, this was not the end of her struggle. Like many Cheetahs, she upset the status-quo and received harsh backlash from members of the Hippo Generation. The government appealed the ruling to the high court of Tanzania and continues to fight the ruling. In spite of all this, Gyumi stills lobbies on behalf of women’s rights and the changes to The Marriage Act. As a result, she was rewarded the 2018 UN Human Rights Prize.

Part 1b: Democracy in Tanzania

In Emerging Africa, Steven Radelet works to define democracy and the impact it has on society. His definition revolves around five key concepts that when present create a stable democracy.

1. Protecting fundamental political freedoms
2. Protecting civil liberties
3. Free and fair elections
4. Representative government
5. Checks on executive power

Currently, sources use similar definitions to grade a countries democracy or democratic progress. According to Freedomhouse, Tanzania classifies as “partly free” with a composite score of 60/100. The report indicates that the country is moderately free in both political and civil rights.

A more detailed report indicated the following:

Topic	Score
Electoral process	8 out of 12
Political pluralism	12 out of 16
Functioning government	7 out of 12
Freedom of expression	9 out of 16
Organizational Rights	6 out of 12
Rule of law	9 out of 16
Individual rights	9 out of 16
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2016/tanzania

This is also reflected in the Political Instability Chart on Systematicpeace, which showed their political stability rising over the 44-year sample size. However, the country still has much to accomplish. In the local news, current events discuss President John Magufuli’s persistence on fighting women’s rights initiatives. In December, he made a decree insisting young mothers should not be allowed to rejoin the public-school system. This law would prevent 35% of married women from receiving an education. Fortunately, young leaders still have access to create progress through role-models like Rebecca Gyumi or the YALI network.

Part 2: Effective Health Investments

 In Chapter 3 of “Poor Economics”, Banerjee and Duflo argue the economic benefits of effective health investments. Their position is rooted in the idea that the many prevalent poverty traps tend to stem from an ailment in the family or widespread health epidemics. This is supported by the evidence that countries with malaria outbreaks tend to have weaker economies than those without. While there are other determining factors, one can see the connection. A workforce plagued by disease will invariably be less productive, bringing down the overall efficiency of the market.

Hence, a relatively simple solution to strengthen a countries economy would be to invest in effective health investments. These investments are healthcare products that creating lasting economic returns for the user. One prime display is malaria nets in Kenya. Using data captured by the authors, we can see the return on investment for an individual in Kenya. (Table 1, data on page 45)

Table 1	No Investment in Malaria net	Investment in Malaria net
Malaria net	$0	$14
Effectiveness of malaria net	0%	30%
Annual income	Individual with malaria: $295	Healthy individual: $590
Potential return on investment	0	+$295
Expected return on investment	0	295*.30 = $88.5

Other examples of effective health investments include water sanitation and piping. Banerjee and Duflo explain that these two investments usually reduce infant mortality by 75% and overall mortality by 50%. They also limit the spread of disease and common illnesses. Consequentially, a country would have an increased workforce in both population and effectiveness.

However, effective health investments are not easy to implement. Primarily, people in poor, developing, nations tend to not spend money on preventative care. Even in cases that the items are inexpensive and readily available, only 10% of the population actually purchase the item. Furthermore, an increase in income creates minimal increases in demand, meaning that the only real impact is price reductions. This is amplified by a distrust for doctors and the public healthcare system. Unfortunately, this distrust is often justified, as public health centers have scored remarkably poor on both tests of reliability and consumer support. There is also a critical lack of education related to healthcare, biology, and medicine. Thus, people opt for alternative solutions or refuse to take medicines they deem ineffective.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/12/africa/gyumi-un-human-rights-prize/index.html

https://tanzania.savethechildren.net/news/rebeca-gyumi-wins-un-human-rights-prize

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2016

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2016/tanzania

http://www.systemicpeace.org/africa/PItaz.htm

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/rights-groups-tanzania-school-ban-young-mothers-181211083349665.html

https://yali.state.gov/yali-voices-with-carol-moses-ndosi-making-it-in-a-mans-world/

            By: Lana Henderson

Part I: A) The group I choose to follow for this assignment is the Lutte pour le Changement citizen movement known as LUCHA in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. LUCHA can be identified by a green arrow as their symbol or the use of green on their text. This is a group of the Congo’s youth that is dedicated through protecting civil liberties through mobilization and organization over the use of weapons such as guns as a source of power. In 2014 they organized a march to demand for clean drinking water in Goma which had a turnout of 3,000 participants. They further mobilized to get their message all over the city on billboards, posters, vans, buses and essentially any way they could to get their message out. They have meet problems from authority when trying to get their demands met. At a concert representing One Peace Day LUCHA felt that there was a low level of demands requested and so they showed up to the concert to assert their demands. This was not appreciated by the National Intelligence Agency that arrested three of their members. LUCHA has organized numerous sit-down events, marches, rallies and open letter events that are consistent with their nonviolent approach. When talking to a member, Fred Buhama, he discussed the discontent youth were feeling with the lack of results they saw from already established groups, so they believed that the best way to go forward was the creation of their own group. They are an informal movement that gains a lot of its power through a collective the group doesn’t have a president or a certain director who oversees the mission of the group. They create decisions during general assemblies and that are hosted in a collective manner so that now one feels that there is one group of idea that is getting majority of the attention. One of their other member Micheline Mwendike discussed how this was a male dominated group with about 30 percent of the member bring women due to societal pressures. There is a big reflection poorly on women who engage in this type of activism especially without a husband present as well as the rhetoric that engaging in “this type” of behavior will limit prospects for future marriage.

• According to Think Tank Freedom House the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not free. Part of the reasoning for this is like discusses by the group LUCHA there is harassment and unlawful detention of advocates, civil liberties groups and journalists After the attempts of president Joseph Kabila to make his term length longer in 2015 there were many eruptions of protests against this that led to many documented human rights violations as well as disappearances. There are also many rebel groups still prevalent that are contributing to internal displacement.  For political rights they scored a nine out of 40 (9/40) due to their being corruption within the office of the presidency but also within the army and forces that enforce rules. There is plenty of violence occurring at the hands of authority to those enquiring about their civil liberties. On civil liberties they scored sixteen out of sixty (16/60), this is mainly due to the limit on freedom of expression that can be clearly seen through the detention of journalists. There is also already very low defined freedom of speech discussed in the constitution. The judiciary system also has political manipulation and the charges brought forth to courts generally do not favor the citizens over the authority in power even if there is clear documentation of their wrong doings often victims do not receive any promise that they will receive justice. Government and government allied forces seem to hold impunity against even the “most heinous crimes”. The Polity IV Index rates the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a regime instability and armed conflict which is the worst rating given in their African Conflict page. This is tracked through the periods of stability, state formation instability, and post-formation instability. Due to the amount of revolutionary wars and ethnic warfare specifically is seems that the DRC has had more than one issue with these in their developmental stage. Another thing that went into this rating was a genocide or politicide that happened in the 1970s, this was the change of the DRC from is previously known Zaire. They also went through many foreign power disruptions that disrupted their progress. As well as with the shift of so many governmental problems there has also been a lot of inter warfare occurring as well as the rise of rebel groups to accompany governmental power corruption.

The Washington post article discusses 2018 being the 12^th consecutive year of declining democracy. Though there is a clear fall when looking at studies there is a still a big global pull toward democracy and majority of people claiming that is the type of leadership they want. There is also discussion on how world power such as America have impacted the approach to democracy, due to the way our president Trump has decided to discard American principles throughout his presidency and a sense of isolationism. There has also been a lot of look toward China that looks at how to use to technology to advance the control of a regime over its people. One reason being the Trump administration has had a loud voice in being racist, homophobic and otherwise generally speak against the tone that America has come to be known as when it comes to democracy. Also due to the growing amount of isolation America has taken from engaging in world issues a once known democracy powerhouse there is less fear about seeing consequences for their actions as a consequence it seems from the nations that are experiencing this change. YALI is active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On the site there is discussion from participants in the DRC who talk about the ways they’ve seen changes in their lives from being part of this program. One boy, James Ntakiruti Gihoma, discusses how through taking the online courses that are offered he has come to a realization about how strong it would be to raise the society if the girls where included in education. So, he has used the skills he is learned to help members of his community advocate for education. There is also another discussion with Santa Aziz who discusses how this program helps further their efforts with orphanages in the DRC. There is also a member Brackley Cassinga who discusses how this program has helped them to work with youth to make electronics from scratch and waste that help the community. He is teaching students how to create mobile apps, coding, designing websites, solar controller, an audio amp, inverters, regulators, and home automation systems. He works to empower the youth to be technologically literate. The most recent article I found on AllAfrica discussed the Ebola affected areas of the DRC. They have had a hard time with being able to collect data to understand more about the northern provinces. There is hope to use this survey to communicate a clear understanding of where the needs lie internally from the opinion of those dealing with it to the Red Cross.

Part II:

1. Chapter 4 discusses the problems that have been seen with education. There is little help with teachers and creating an environment that promotes learning and retention. There are little resources that are invested into the schools which makes the ability to learn seem very hindered. There is a problem with favoritism and the idea that certain kids are going to go on further and be able to graduate and get government jobs and these children are valued over the others. The children can sense this change in behavior they experience from their teacher and it causes behavioral problems within the learning efforts on top of increased other problems. Men’s school life expectancy is 11 years, yet women school life expectancy is only 9 years. One thing that has continually been shown through our readings though is the loss there is between the capabilities of girls and the change women have made to their economies. Due to needing workers at home it is likely that daughters rather than sons will be the ones kept home away from their studies but even seen within the unemployment rates women often to more to contribute to the rise of their societies. There is a way that women are regarded in this culture that can even be seen in their absence in groups such as LUCHA that show that educated and liberated women are looked down on in this country due to that being equivalent with promiscuity or lack of ability to be a “wife”. Data from USAID indicates that only 67% of children who start in primary school make it to sixth grade. Though the government has made some shifts that show that the understand the need to place more emphasis on education, in 2015 the DRC increased financial commitment from 7.9 percent of their budget to 14.7 percent. There is a measure being taken by the USAID and the United Kingdom department of international development that is set to go from 2016-2025 that works to target governments missions for education. This program also gets teachers training on developmental approaches for local languages as well as works on student retention efforts.

Resources

Congo, Democratic Republic of (Kinshasa). 22 Jan. 2016, https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2016/congo-democratic-republic-kinshasa.

“Country of the Week: Democratic Republic of the Congo | YALI.” Young African Leaders Initiative Network, 2 Mar. 2017, https://yali.state.gov/country-of-the-week-democratic-republic-of-the-congo/.

CSP Political Instability in Africa. http://www.systemicpeace.org/africa/africa.htm. Accessed 18 Feb. 2019.

Education | Democratic Republic of the Congo | U.S. Agency for International Development. 19 Apr. 2017, https://www.usaid.gov/democratic-republic-congo/education.

LUCHA: Youth Movement in Congo Demands Social Justice | Pambazuka News. /governance/lucha-youth-movement-congo-demands-social-justice. Accessed 18 Feb. 2019.

“Opinion | We Looked at the State of Democracy around the World, and the Results Are Grim.” Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/democracy-post/wp/2018/01/17/we-looked-at-the-state-of-democracy-around-the-world-and-the-results-are-grim/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2019.

Schlein, Lisa. “Congo-Kinshasa: Breaking Down Community Resistance in Ebola-Affected Congo.” Voice of America (Washington, DC), 18 Feb. 2019. AllAfrica, https://allafrica.com/stories/201902180258.html.

Top of the Class | Poor Economics. http://www.pooreconomics.com/chapters/4-top-class. Accessed 19 Feb. 2019.

—. http://www.pooreconomics.com/chapters/4-top-class. Accessed 19 Feb. 2019.

By Jacob Feist

Part 1a: The Cheetah & The Hippo  

In Steven Radelet’s “Emerging Africa”, he describes a bright, young, creative, student named Patrick Awuah. Awuah is from Ghana, graduated from Swarthmore College, worked at Microsoft, and is determined to make a positive impact on the political landscape in Ghana. Patrick Awuah is also a perfect reflection of a growing community known as the Cheetah Generation.

The Cheetah Generation is a growing community of people working to usher in an era of innovation and accountability. While the generation is not defined by any specific demographic; it is mainly comprised of young, educated, motivated, leaders. Moreover, these leaders have been subtle, but effective in their mission to obtain authority within government, business, and civil society. They have been equally capable in establishing connections and political capital within the international community. Overall, their mission is to promote ideas technology, entrepreneurship, market power, good governance, and accountability.

However, the Cheetah Generation has met resistance, usually stemming from the contrasting group, The Hippo Generation. The Hippo Generation is a label tied to many current political and authoritarian leaders. These leaders typically came into power through leading revolutions, rebellions, and struggles for independence. Yet, many argue, while they were adept at combating colonial leaders, they are ineffective as political leaders. They have created systems that reduce transparency, reward loyalty over ability, and prevent modernization. This generation has also been merciless in their efforts to thwart those attempting to remove them from positions of power. They have threatened members of the Cheetah Generation, exiled outspoken political opponents, and littered political offices with allies and loyalists.

Amidst the conflict between the two groups, the Cheetah Generation has been effective in developing change. They have used their education, political capital, and leadership skills to promote innovation. They have worked to create affordable HIV treatments, bring women into positions of power, and install solar powered water pumps. Additionally, they have shifted the political focus away from colonialism and socialism and towards democracy, technology, business-friendly economy.

Part 1b: African ICT Explosion

The African ICT Explosion describes the rapid expansion and use of information technology in Africa. Today, farmers, fisherman, and businessmen in Africa are using the internet to exchange pricing information, market conditions, legal advice, and financial guidance. The result has been an increase in jobs, a more efficient economy, and an increase in business transparency. Moreover, entrepreneurship and education have increased as people are able to access microfinancing, coursework, and literacy training through their cellphones. On a larger scale, the ICT Explosion has reshaped politics as voter information and campaign transparency have also increased.

However, the African ICT Explosion is far from a perfect system. The primary issue is cost, on average internet access fees reach $366 USD. Additionally, the cost of expansion requires huge capital expenditures for satellites and wiring. Additionally, on a grand scale, the African ICT Explosion is a very limited sample size. Only 5% of Africans have readily available access to the internet. Hence, while the technological progress in Africa is impressive, the sustainability and ability to impact the greater African community are still unknown.

Part 2: Poverty Traps & Tanzania

In the book, Poor Economics, the concept of poverty traps is discussed. This concept outlines the tragic cycle the locks communities, or entire countries, into a cycle of poverty. Poverty traps are an extremely difficult problem that is impossible for the victim to overcome because they lack the money required to create a solution. These traps include rampant disease, difficult geography, or difficult environment. Thus, as the problem gets worse, the finances decline, and the poverty trap is created.

One country working to prevent the cycle from continuing is Tanzania. They have experienced a 6% annual economic increase over the past decade. Additionally, the President, John Pombe Magufuli, has received praise in his efforts to stimulate the economy and prevent government corruption. The country is also supported by a tourism industry for Mt. Kilimanjaro and Serengeti. Thus, poverty rates have declined, GDP has increased, and GNI has increased. The U.N. has also found success in their effort of supporting the Tanzania Productive Social Safety Nets Program. Their aid and guidance have helped the program give health services, food, and money to pregnant woman and children. The result has been increased attendance at school and lower mortality rates in the two groups.

However, the country still faces significant challenges. In spite of their economic development, a rapidly growing population is offsetting many of the results. In 2016, there was still a reported 12 million people living below the poverty line in Tanzania. Moreover, the country is challenged in human capital and infrastructure. Annually, 800,000 people enter the Tanzanian workforce, but there are not enough jobs to achieve anything close to full employment. There is also concern that Tanzania’s success is leading to less international funding and aid. The result has forced the government to start developing alternative methods for financing debt and funding programs.

Sources:

https://data.worldbank.org/country/tanzania

https://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=TZA

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2016/05/20/tanzania-needs-to-invest-more-on-infrastructure-and-human-capital-to-improve-its-competitiveness-and-create-more-productive-jobs

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14095868

https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/tanzania/overview#1

https://allafrica.com/stories/201811290495.html

Click to access Tanzania_poverty_Final.pdf

By: Lana Henderson

Part I: Questions on Emerging Africa     

Explain the meaning of a “Cheetah” and a “Big Man” also called the cheetah generation and the hippo generation? (Ch. 7 and 3 from last week’s reading) Explain how these terms refer to a different way of looking at democracy and civil society?

The cheetah generation is known as the new generation in emerging Africa that is more knowledgeable and involved with their government institutions. This intelligence is mostly tied to wealth and the ability to attend school but also discusses street smart as being a characteristic. This generation cares about looking at things through a new African point of view and not with the western/ colonial ideas that may have been pushed on them in the past. Even many cheetahs are beginning to emerge in African countries that are still facing many problems this presents hope to Africa about its future. Cheetahs are the ones responsible for bringing the new changes to their communities that are enacting these changes. Cheetahs also invest in new companies and businesses coming to their communities and being loyal consumers. Also due to their better availability to internet access they have a demand for honesty and transparency in their democracy in ways they haven’t always had. The big man on the other hand is a time defined by its high rise of dictatorships. During this post-colonial time many Africans were hopeful that new leadership would include democracy that protected their civil liberties. Instead they got leaders who used militaries to establish control and dismissing any entities established that were intended to maintain checks and balances. Essentially the Cheetah generation seems to be the ones that are going to help pull Africa out of the problems caused during the Hippo generation due to corruption in power.

Is Radelet’s positive view in Chapter 6 on the African ICT explosion valid and sustainable? What are challenges?

The ICT explosion has both been able to make a lot of changes to emerging African countries that have led to them being able to become more active in the globalizing world. With technology women are now able to start business and sell their products through the internet, people are able to communicate problems faster. The problem though has seemed to become its hard ability to access and big prices that are a lot higher than similar countries and even developed ones. Though there are a lot of aid organizations being formed that are aimed at alleviating this challenge through bringing access to areas that don’t have it. Phones though have not quite had as many limitation problems and they have helped to bring help to many different job fields in African countries. This is able to help businesses succeed better and know more about their peers to enable a best price market. This has also extended to teaching of language and literacy as well as opened up new sectors for job growth.  

Part II: explore one country as assigned in class

Zaire/Democratic Republic of the Congo

In 1997 the country of Zaire underwent a name change back to the name it had before 1971 of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My country is not listed on the Banjaree and Duflo website. I do believe it is possible to get trapped in poverty through the way institutions are set up it is often hard for people to save up money and instead are living paycheck to paycheck. Especially in areas like these where it is easy to get sick or go an extended amount of time without consistent work it is not surprising that even if an opportunity to save money did present itself it is unlikely how long before a problem arose that required those finances. They discuss a hunger poverty trap that leads to many having to spend any money they have on food to be able to eat is one of the most basic necessities of life so if your choice is between going hungry or having no money you can only go without eating for so long. The DRC though it has improved still has notable problems with access to clean drinking water especially in rural areas where only 31% of the population has reliable access to clean water and 81% in urban areas.  According to the world bank the Democratic Republic of the Congo has had a lot of sporadic data that seems to coincide with not only the changing of leaders but the change in names it encountered. The GDP remained on the lower side trending up and down until a sharp plunge down in 1999 that has been on a continuous increase since 2001, it reached its previous height in 2008 and has exponentially grown since then. Their GNI also follows the same trend line where 1999 was a low year that has increased since. The primary school enrollment was consistently high until 1984 when it dropped continuously hitting a record low in 1999 but around 2007 the number began to climb up now higher in 2015 than it was ever in previous years. While their import rates have remained relatively similar their export rates have increased by $2 billion.

The poverty headcount ratio is the only trendline where there is a decrease that has happened from its initial reading to the most current one, but this is on trend with how the other graphs have moved. When looking at the age structure the DRC has a high dependency population due to 41% of their population being between 0-14 years of age. One thing I found notable is that men’s school life expectancy is 11 years yet 11.3% of the male population is unemployed as compared to women whose school life expectancy is 9 years and only 6.8% of their population is unemployed. These numbers suggest that if the current young population is able to outlive disease and hunger then there will be a good amount of people coming into the workforce in the next few years. One thing that has continually been shown through our readings though is the loss there is between the capabilities of girls and the change women have made to their economies. Due to needing workers at home it is likely that daughters rather than sons will be the ones kept home away from their studies but even seen within the unemployment rates women often to more to contribute to the rise of their societies. Though in 2017 the rate of child marriages declined by a lot creating hope that parents are investing more in their children’s especially daughters’ futures.  The SDG’s partnered with DRC is one that is a Young African Leaders that works to make a strong “cheetah” generation vibe that talks about the youth becoming more involved in the institutions that govern them so they can have strong skills in being a part of their emerging society. Though as of last year they had an ebola outbreak that affected many who were younger than 5 years old according to CNN. Their rates are the second deadliest recorded in history so looking forward how much of this population can survive or be strong enough to join this new discussed workforce.

References

Africa :: Congo, Democratic Republic of the — The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cg.html. Accessed 12 Feb. 2019.

CNN, Rob Picheta. “Nearly 100 Children Dead from Ebola in Congo as Crisis Worsens.” CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/10/health/ebola-save-the-children-report-intl/index.html. Accessed 13 Feb. 2019.

Congo, Dem. Rep. | Data. https://data.worldbank.org/country/congo-dem-rep?view=chart. Accessed 12 Feb. 2019.

“Human Capital Definition and Importance – Economics Help.” Economics  Help, https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/26076/economics/human-capital-definition-and-importance/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2019.

“Year in Review: 2017 in 12 Charts.” World Bank, http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2017/12/15/year-in-review-2017-in-12-charts. Accessed 12 Feb. 2019.

YOUNG AFRICAN LEADERS INITIATIVE – RLC EA – United Nations Partnerships for SDGs Platform. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/partnership/?p=26780. Accessed 13 Feb. 2019.

[Today in History] Zaire Renamed the Democratic Republic of Congo after Mobutu’s Ouster – Face2Face Africa. https://face2faceafrica.com/article/today-in-history-zaire-renamed-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-after-mobutus-ouster. Accessed 13 Feb. 2019.Heading

By: Lana Henderson

1. What are the factors that classify as good news in Africa according to Radelet?
   1. In Africa there is an overwhelming rhetoric that the people live in chaos and suffering at all times. Therefore, whenever we see African countries in the news it is often to address a new issue or recurring problem they have been having keeping the idea that they are a continent in turmoil. The Radelet article discusses emerging countries who are breaking through these barriers and advancing through fundamental changes to their economic and political systems. Radelet classifies 5 fundamental changes that have lead to notable changes in the emerging good news countries of Africa. The first two go hand in hand being, the rise of more democratic and accountable governments and the introduction of more sensible economic policies. The following three are the end of the debt crisis and changing relationships with the international community, the spread of new technologies, and the emergence of a new generation of public and private leaders. The first factor has created a big difference through having democratic leadership, in the past some African countries had to overcome leaders who were corrupt and used force to get their way.  With new leadership there has been a positive change to civil rights and freedoms which has allowed and created stronger political institutions. The second factor of more sensible economic policies has been able to get rid of economic mismanagement and led to a better balance between the private and public sectors. This also helped affect budget and trade deficits. The next big change is influenced by the former being the end of the decades-long debt crisis and changes to Africa’s relationship with the international community. There has been a shift between African countries and countries that would commonly invest in them due to a shift in process to pull themselves out of debt through choosing strategies that were country led rather than stipulations given by the IMF or World Bank that gave a lot of conditions that often left African countries unable to affect change in the ways they really needed from aid. The next factor is no surprise in a an increasingly advanced world technology has also made a profound impact on African countries. The internet is cutting the time it needs to share information and overcome geographical boundaries to receive critical information. This has also opened a new sector of jobs that where not previously available and have an increased influence on the betterment of life in the future of Africa. The last factor is the emergence of a new generation of policymakers, activists and business leaders. These are often people who were born in Africa but had international experiences especially in their education that has given them a global way to analyze the world and their countries place in it.      

Millennium Villages 

  Koraro, Ethiopia

-Why was that particular village chosen? I chose to look into this village because Ethiopia unlike most other African countries was not under colonial rule in the same way it shaped a lot of their neighboring countries due to their powerful government. This made me curious what shift led to it being on the same playing field as many of the countries who are recovering from a colonial shift.

-What is the goal for that village? There is a beekeeping program being tested as a new source of income in this community. About 1,200 colonies have been introduced for honey business.

-What successes or failures have been recorded? There have been five health posts and six primary schools built as a result of new wealth in the area. They have also trained 80 women on how to manage poultry, dairy cows and fattening animals and trading textiles and grains. There has been a decrease of dropouts due to “girl’s club’s” being stablished in schools which encourage female education. 6,000 people have easier access to clean water. New irrigation techniques have diversified crops in this area as well as increased farmers income by 72 percent on average. A very big change will be the projects currently underway to construct roads.

-What do the critics say? One of the biggest themes introduced by critics is the idea of creating aid dependent rather than actual self-sustainable. There is a lack of a system available to chart the progress of the Millennium villages in context to surrounding similar communities. Many critics have also said that because of Sachs close relation to the issues it has clouded his judgement for reality and facts when he presents his arguments for why his way will be a successful way to end poverty. Some have gone as far as to say that due to this project he has lost his credibility as a once extremely credible economist to an aid propogandist.

Ethiopia GDP: 80.56 Billion (2017) , GNP: 198.1 billion PPP dollars, HDI: Index= .463 Rank= 173,

-How are local, national and global issues addressed and involved?  There are other African countries that have asked for guidance implementing some of the MVP protocols.

-And finally, what do you think: Is it a viable project towards ending poverty? I think this is dependent on many other factors including how connected they become with other areas around them. One thing that is a negative factor for them right now is that they are effectively cut off from many other areas but if these policies are making notable change at faster rates than villages around them are able to might there be an influx of a population looking to get in on their notable success.  Though majority of the Millennium Villages site pages have not been updated since 2013 so it’s hard to tell what change has been made since then.

  Potou, Senegal

-Why was that particular village chosen? I chose this village because I have done a service trip to a different area of Senegal in Palamarin Fakou but was curious if both of the regions had seen similar problems to the ones I saw in the villages I visited.

-What is the goal for that village? The goals for this village were to get more stable infrastructure

-What successes or failures have been recorded? Some of the notable successes of this community has been their ability to produce high-value crops, dairy farmers have received beneficial training, there is newly constructed clinics and new jobs for trained nurses, teachers have received training on personal hygiene and sanitation. Some of the most notable changes to me listed were the federation of 125 women’s business to boost entrepreneurship and the ability for clean piped drinking water to reach nearly the whole population.

-What do the critics say? Critics say while the project has been able to gather a lot of celebrity attention that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a program that is effective. Due to the lack of systems integrated at its start to track progress it is very hard to say whether or not this program has been effective. There has been insufficient data collected and any production of statistically significant results. There are also many investors who feel that there is an outpour of talk about the model being a great one to get you on board but once you have donated a lot of money there is silence and constant reasoning behind why the system doesn’t look like the one pitched to investors. It also seems that money that was set to be used in certain places isn’t being used correctly found in a study done on the Ghana villages that tested donations versus the amount that could actually be seen being invested into households.

SENEGAL  GDP: 16.37 billion (2017), GNP: 41.5 billion (2017) per capita: $2,384, WDI, HDI: index= .505, Rank: 164  

-How are local, national and global issues addressed and involved? African countries that have asked for guidance implementing some of the MVP protocols and surrounding villages probably reap the benefits from having access to more clinics, schools and other infrastructure that was previously even further way than the next village over.

– what do you think: Is it a viable project towards ending poverty? According to world factbook there is a youth population that has not turned into successful human capital. There is not a lack of children but instead a lack of education that gets children ready to participate in the work force beyond their parents positions or homemaking. The fore I think this would be lot more successful if instead of focusing on infrastructure they focused more on giving the children versatile education. This is hard though because many of the projects that Sachs instituted have focused on fixing infrastructure and getting clean water. These are obviously necessary goals though with no one having access to clean water would make a notable difference with the amount of time children could be in school versus having to get clean water. Overall, I think these are complex issues and tackling the direct problem doesn’t necessarily mean it will make a difference because of other issues that are limiting society from being able to reach their potential.

Resources

| Human Development Reports. http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/ETH. Accessed 5 Feb. 2019.

—. http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/profiles/SEN. Accessed 5 Feb. 2019.

Africa :: Ethiopia — The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html. Accessed 5 Feb. 2019.

Africa :: Senegal — The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/sg.html. Accessed 5 Feb. 2019.

Hirsch, Afua, and west Africa correspondent. “Jeffrey Sachs Fast-Tracks New Millennium Village Project in Ghana.” The Guardian, 31 Aug. 2012. http://www.theguardian.com, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2012/aug/31/jeffrey-sachs-millennium-village-project-ghana.

Millennium Villages | Koraro, Ethiopia. http://millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/koraro-ethiopia/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2019.

Millennium Villages | Millennium Villages Project. http://millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2019.

Millennium Villages | Potou, Senegal. http://millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/potou-senegal/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2019.

Millennium Villages | USAID Awards $1.1M for Solar Irrigation in Senegal. http://millenniumvillages.org/field-notes/usaid-awards-1-1m-for-solar-irrigation-in-senegal/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2019.

Starobin, Paul. “Does It Take a Village?” Foreign Policy, https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/06/24/does-it-take-a-village/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2019.

Tollefson, Jeff. “Millennium Villages Project Launches Retrospective Analysis.” Nature News, vol. 524, no. 7564, Aug. 2015, p. 144. http://www.nature.com, doi:10.1038/524144a.

By Jacob Feist

Part 1: Steven Radelet analyzed seventeen countries experiencing strong economic growth in Africa. Radelet theorized the factors creating this growth and labeled them as “good news”.

These factors include:

1. The rise of more democratic and accountable governments: The African economic collapse in the 1980s caused citizens of Africa to question the authority of their dictatorial leaders. As these leaders lost financing and influence, shifts in the government occurred. By 2008, 23 countries in Africa were controlled by democratically elected governments. Moreover, these democratic governments have been diligent in adhering to political and civil rights.
2. Implementation of more sensible economic policies: The economic crisis also caused reductions in the government’s ability to utilize debt financing. Additionally, the change from dictatorships to democracy prevented political leaders from abusing budgets and misusing finances. Hence, the combination of progressive economic reform and a lower reliance on borrowing created positive economic change.
3. The end of the debt crisis and mending relationships with the international community: The reduction of borrowing in post-economic crisis Africa forced countries to manage their debt. Today debt levels are significantly lower allowing for more economic flexibility. This reduction in debt also created a reduction in tension towards lending entities.
4. The spread of new technology and business and political accountability: Increased use of cell phones and internet have allowed for faster dissemination of information. This increased access to information has allowed citizens to create political and business transparency.
5.  A new generation of policy makers, activists, and business leaders: The new age of Africa’s young leaders are typically experienced with technology and globalization.

Part 2: This concept of change within Africa can be seen on nearly every scale. Beyond change occurring within countries, localized change is occurring within African villages. The Millennium Village Project (MVP) is a prime display of this local change. This project works to eradicate poverty in selected African villages using a variety of potential solutions. Two villages highlighting their efforts are Pampaida, Nigeria and Koraro, Ethiopia.

Pampaida, Nigeria was selected in order to reduce the mass desertification ravaging the village’s agriculture. The goal of this village was to utilize the 400-600 millimeters of annual rain to develop stronger agriculture programs. Furthermore, this goal plans to capitalize on the village’s large population of farmers and cattle raisers. So far, MVP has assisted in shifting farming to a more commercial approach. This includes helping farmers receive external financing and a local food market. Pampaida now has rice farms near the local river, their output of maize has increased by over 337%, and there has been a 30% increase in drinking water. The result of this has been a sharp reduction in malnutrition and child mortality.

In 2009, the program in Pampaida expanded and brought education and malaria prevention programs to the village. MVP instituted a CEW program, which helps develop education programs, mentors, and teacher training programs. This saw Pampaida’s population go from having just over 400 students to having 1,602 students. MVP was able to finance these school initiatives using donations from the commercial food program and donations from the State Universal Primary Education Board. Additionally, a clinic was installed in Pampaida to thwart the spread of malaria and HIV.

Koraro, Ethiopia was selected due to extreme poverty, lack of water, widespread malaria, high mortality rates, and lack of education. These factors were amplified due to the village’s location in the Koraro cluster, the poorest region in Ethiopia. MVP succeeded in three core efforts in Koraro, irrigation, gender equality, and business development. MVP partnered with Columbia University to create a rainwater harvesting system that brought fresh water to the village. Moreover, they created dairy farm jobs for 80 women. Finally, MVP helped install a beekeeping program with 1200 colonies, which allows the village to sell honey.

While the programs made a positive change, many argue the change should not be attributed to MVP. This is because numerous sources revealed that Sachs, the mastermind behind MVP, doctored numbers, and created unreliable analysis. In any reliable study, there must be control factors to compare MVP success in a village against success in a village without MVP. The initiative has no such method; thus, their information is without basis. This combination of manipulating statistics and unreliable comparisons makes it difficult to fully endorse MVP. This creates a deep personal conflict. I commend the efforts of MVP. The increase in education and positive utility is evident. However, I believe any aid effort must make every effort towards transparency. Every action taken by MVP has an opportunity cost, dollars spent, time used, recourses consumed that could have been used elsewhere. If there is no reliable method to ensure that these assets are creating positive change, then perhaps they should be allocated towards other programs or initiatives.

Sources:

http://millenniumvillages.org/field-notes/launch-of-a-new-base-station-for-mobile-communications-in-pampaida/

http://millenniumvillages.org/field-notes/pampaida-a-model-of-rural-development-in-nigeria/

http://millenniumvillages.org/field-notes/boosting-community-education-workers-in-nigeria/

http://millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/pampaida-nigeria/

http://millenniumvillages.org/the-villages/koraro-ethiopia/

http://water.columbia.edu/research-themes/water-food-energy-nexus/water-capture-system-in-koraro-ethiopia/

Does It Take a Village?

https://www.nature.com/articles/485147a

Today’s international community is tasked with defining and supporting those at risk. Moreover, the community must work towards understanding our impact in helping others. These issues are addressed by Jacqueline Novogratz. In her TED talk, she discusses her definition of poverty. Her definition varies between nations, but it is reflected in the four billion individuals that make less than four dollars a day. Her individual view is someone that makes one to three dollars a day. Moreover, she explains that this poverty is exacerbated but the demand for critical goods. Other speakers, such as Gary Haugen reinforce Novogratz stance and explain that many of these individuals live in nations without support systems to solve their problems. Additionally, in many cases, the local government creates more harm than help. Hence, they both argue that in order to create change, third parties must assist in creating sustainable systems in that country. Novogratz discusses organizations that help bring malaria bed factories and irrigation farms to Africa. Through bringing business to these countries, the individuals in that nation gain financials independence and opportunity for growth.

The primary example of attempting to create international change through funding and government support is the SDGs. The Sustainable Development Goals are an extension of the Millennium Develop Goals. These goals were created by a committee of wealthy nations and the United Nations to combat isolationist mentalities and support foreign aid efforts. The committee came together and committed to funding foreign aid projects that tackle some of the biggest global issues of our generation. The SDGs target poverty, gender inequality, climate change, and educational inequalities. Thus far, the SDGs have shown similar success to those of the MDGs, but not everyone in the international community supports this system. John McArthur labels these inactive groups, as “Players on the Bench”. The most notable “Player on the Bench” is the United States of America. The USA, under George W. Bush, launched its own initiative towards international issues. This agenda focused on many of the same issues, such as money for AIDs relief. This program stemmed from a desire to not feel obligated to abide by all UN policies. Tension between the UN and USA was reduced during the Obama administration, as Obama supported the initiative. However, the support was mainly related to positive diction rather than actual funding. The other major “Player on the Bench” is The World Bank. The World Bank did not help due to tension with the UN. The World Bank felt that the UN held too much international authority on MDGs. The bank was also concerned that the programs would not reach the necessary funding goals. McArthur argues that the bank should have been more active and would have solved many of their own concerns. With their helped, they could have helped prevent some shortcomings in funding and budgets. Moreover, they could have expanded their own international interests within the International Development Association. Overall, both parties’ disinterest harmed the programs and their own reputations.

However, Nancy Birdsall, Dani Rodrik, and Arvind Subramanian believe that wealthy countries injecting capital into poorer nations only causes temporary change, which is short-term and potentially harmful. The authors highlight Nicaragua and Vietnam as countries that have received substantial support without making significant growth. Additionally, foreign aid projects in Africa created financial vacuums in which success is almost entirely dependent on recurring donations. Instead, the authors offer suggestions for helping poorer countries develop success through international trade. Reducing agriculture tariffs would increase the possibility of both exporting and importing agricultural goods. On the other hand, many argue that the reduction of these tariffs would only cause marginal improvements. Therefore, solutions related to stabilizing other nations could create more dramatic improvements. The authors explain that assisting foreign governments, financing research, and assisting in creating a local economy would be more beneficial. Specifically, reducing foreign governments from manipulating the wealth of their country and engaging in corrupt behavior. In terms of development, creating technology markets and products in foreign nations has proven to increase local economies. These technology markets create the potential for billions of dollars created in the local economy.

After conducting research and discussing both sides, I support the evidence that creating sustainability develops through local business has the highest probability of causing lasting change. The SDGs have created incredible impact, but the countries develop reliability on that aid. In the solutions outlined by Novogratz and “How to Help Poor Countries”, we see tangible solutions that develop a local economy. Moreover, through the creation of local economies and relevant business, families can support themselves for multiple generations.