Author: Lin Sabones

SEATTLE — The World Bank administers the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). ESMAP reports findings for assisting national or regional energy strategies. Their studies help nations budget resources for project identification and strategic planning, especially in early stages. ESMAP compounded a list of countries with promising potential for renewable resource development. It studied the North Africa region, a select number of countries in Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. Egypt Egypt’s advantageous exposure to sunlight and recent discovery of fossil fuel reserves make it a promising candidate. Its strong economy supports green energy developments such as exporting fossil…

CHICAGO — The most common form of foreign aid is Official Development Assistance, or ODA, and DAC member countries provide the most aid. The OECD Development Assistance Committee, or DAC, includes 34 members: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. While U.S. aid is greatest, its proportion is greatly skewed in comparison to other DAC countries. With its multi-trillion dollar budget, the U.S. gave…

COMOROS — The Comoro islands, or Comoros, are located in the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar. These semi-autonomous islands are home to nearly 734,900 people—a population that is among the poorest in Africa. Yes there is malnutrition in Comoro. Ever since the country declared independence from France in 1975, political leaders have attempted more than 20 coups. These often-violent government seizures took place in less than 30 years. It was not until 2001 that Comoros finally regained stability. The 2001 constitution declared greater autonomy to the Grand Comore, Anjouan and Moheli islands. Even so, the country’s abusive past has made…

LUANDA, Angola – Luanda, Angola is the most expensive city in the world, yet is stricken with one of the highest poverty rates. Luanda achieved the title from its huge oil boom and consequent price surges, thanks to the foreign workers entering the city for oil opportunities. Mercer’s Cost of Living Survey ranked Luanda the number one city in the world with the highest living costs for nonnatives in 2013 and 2014. The survey analyzes 211 cities across five continents, identifying the relative prices of over 200 products in each location; this includes household goods, entertainment, housing, transportation, food and…

CHICAGO, Illinois— Apps are the forefront for change. Not only do they make lives simpler, they also allow people to contact others that are thousands of miles away. Social media is an obvious player in this technological revolution, however, it would not have been as accessible without the creation of mobile apps. Apps direct today’s communication networks and these 11 apps are making huge strides in the fight against global poverty. Apps that donate money: 1. Charity Miles turns steps into dollars. After opening the app, select a charity, and then choose an activity: outdoor walk/run, indoor walk/run, or outdoor…