Archive for 'poverty'
I couldn’t resist posting this picture of the snow that is currently covering the UK, marking a cold start to what promises to be an exciting year. 2013 is the year in which the UK will achieve its commitment to spend 0.7% of the UK’s Gross National Income on development aid. There has been a [...]
Hands up who thought slavery and the slave trade was abolished years ago? Perhaps even centuries ago? In fact, despite being illegal in almost every country on earth, slavery exists nearly everywhere, and in staggering numbers. The International Labour Organisation estimates that nearly 21 million people are forced to live in slavery today. That's around the [...]
Hi, I am Alex, and I have recently joined DFID to work as the regional statistics and results adviser for DFID's programmes in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Regional Asia programmes. I am based in London as part of the Western Asia team. I've worked for various Whitehall departments for a number of years on issues like [...]
As I write under the light of the moon, my first thought is that the moon is not designed as a side light. It is there for those without pen and paper; those who can and cannot write; and even those who don’t have the time to stop and bask in its beauty. Sitting here [...]
My first year in Zimbabwe has flown by and spring is once more in the air as the jacaranda trees lining Harare's streets burst into bloom once more, in a riot of regal purple. The beauty of the garden suburbs is deceptive. Despite the steady economic recovery of the past 24 months, the levels of poverty [...]
Regular readers might get the impression that there is only doom and gloom to emerge from Nigeria. Certainly the current violence in Jos with 100’s dead is deeply saddening. An earlier post after a visit I made to Jos between late 2008 and recent bouts of killing highlighted the underlying tensions of poverty and natural resource [...]
I arrived in Kigali at the end of August, to begin my first experience of working here in Africa. I have looked forward to this for many years. And I know I am especially fortunate to come to Rwanda and Burundi – two of the smallest, but most populous and poor countries in Africa. I had [...]
I spent Saturday afternoon with my family visiting a dance group that has been established in Mafalala bairro of Maputo. The bairro is an area of tightly packed shacks and houses on the road towards Maputo airport. The living conditions are better than those portrayed in 'Slumdog Millionaire' but the levels of poverty are similar. To access [...]
On this Blog Action Day focussing on poverty, I thought it timely to talk about access to the internet, or perhaps more importantly how the millions living in poverty access the internet. It is unfortunate that much of the recent debate surrounding access to the internet for many in the developing world rests on [...]
In Tanzania, as in many African countries, there is evidence of the informal economy wherever you look. As you walk through the streets of Dar Es Salaam, there are small stalls everywhere, selling fruit and veg, plants, mobile phone sim cards and all sorts of other goods. There are men selling second hand shoes out [...]
