SEATTLE, Washington — It’s no surprise that there is a direct correlation between a country’s economy and its poverty rate. Higher economic growth in a country correlates to lower poverty rates. This is because higher economic growth creates enough jobs to help citizens stay above the poverty line. Research done on a variety of developing countries shows that an increase of economic growth of just 10 percent in a country correlates to a 20-30 percent reduction in poverty in that country. This is the goal of the Adventure Project.
The Adventure Project
One way to encourage a country to expand its economy is by fostering the growth of local businesses. The Adventure Project is a non-profit organization that focuses on just that: taking the business approach when it comes to helping communities rise from poverty. By teaching local community members the skills needed to successfully run their own businesses, the Adventure Project is uplifting the economies of the places where it is working, thus helping people escape poverty.
When asked an interview how the Adventure Project operates, CEO and co-founder of the organization Becky Straw said that the company focusses job training for the community. They provide training for “everything from training people to be well mechanics or healthcare workers or helping farmers gain access to irrigation.” The organization works with the community to understand its needs. Listed below are the jobs that the organization provides training for in local communities.
Four Jobs The Adventure Project Teaches
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Stove Entrepreneurs: Toxic smoke from an open cooking fire kills four million people a year. Community members are taught to make and sell charcoal-efficient stoves. Not only does this provide substantial income, but these stoves also save people from inhaling the toxic smoke from an open cooking fire.
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Community Health Workers: Each person trained is able to help more than 800 people in their communities. They focus their attention on pregnant women and children, so as to ensure a brighter future for their communities. Not only are they trained to be health workers but they can also sell more than 60 different products related to health and keep the commission.
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Farmers: By providing farmers with drought-resistant seeds and teaching them irrigation practices, this organization is setting local farmers up for success in the long run. Farmers can then sell their crops and help nourish the communities in which they reside.
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Well Mechanics and Caretakers: Water is necessary to sustain life. By training mechanics to fix wells, this organization is ensuring that people always have access to clean water. Mechanics are paid for their work in preserving the wells in the communities in which they live. For instance, in India and Uganda, 312 well mechanic jobs have been created since 2010. This has had a positive impact on 78,247 individuals who now have continuous access to clean water.
To date, the Adventure Project has made an impact on the lives of more than 1.3 million people in several countries and has created 1,670 jobs in these countries. The work that this project is doing is crucial to help reduce poverty worldwide. Increase the country’s economy and lifting people out of poverty go hand-in-hand.
– CJ Sternfels
Photo: Pixabay