UN Millennium Development Goals - Research Paper Example

? UN Millennium Development Goals in Kenya Goal One: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger This is the first of the 8 millennium development goals. The goal had three targets. Target 1A was to halve the number of persons whose income is below a dollar a day between the year 1990 and the year 2015. Some of the indicators for this target are the proportion of people below one dollar per day, the poverty gap ratio, and the share of poorest quintile in nationwide consumption, (UN, 2007). While the world is still on tract to meet this poverty reduction target, the global economic crisis has slowed down the progress. Before the crisis, poverty depth had diminished in almost every region. Target 1B was to achieve productive and full employment, as well as decent work for every one, including young people and women. The main indicators for this target were the employment-to-population ratio, growth rate of GDP per person employed, proportion of employed people living under one dollar a day, and the proportion of workers who own-account and contribute to family who are in employment. This target has also been hit by the economic crisis which has led to a decline in employment due to deterioration of the labor market. With loss of jobs, several workers were forced into vulnerable employment; hence many of them have found themselves and their families living in extreme poverty. Target 1C is to halve the number of persons who suffer from hunger between the year 1990 and the year 2015, (UN, 2007). Some of the indicators include the incidence of underweight kids who are under-5 years of age, and the number of people below minimum point of dietary energy consumption. Again, the global economic crisis may have contributed to a spike in hunger in 2009, with 1 in every 4 children in developing nations still underweight. Indications also point to a high prevalence of underweight children among the poor. So how is Kenya progressing toward achieving this goal? Kenya: Country Profile Kenya is a country in East Africa and is bordered by Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. The country covers an area of 582, 646 square kilometers, and had a population of 41.6 million people as of 2011. According to data from World Bank (2011), as of 2011, Kenya had a GDP of $33.62 billion. This translates to a GDP per capita of about $17000. The GDP growth was also put at 4.5%, with the inflation rate peaking at 12%. Among some of the world development indicators, there was a 113% gross primary school enrollment as of 2009, with the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line standing at 45.9%. The country’s life expectancy is put at 57 years. Kenya is home to a host of ethnic communities, which are estimated to be about 42 in number. World Bank (2011) put the GNI per capita for the country to be $820. Kenya offers the 8-4-4 education system, with primary education being free, and secondary education being subsidized. The two main languages that are spoken are Kiswahili and English. The country is known for its game reserves and beaches, and is a favorite tourist destination. Though the country had enjoyed a significant economic growth since the year 2003, the growth was slowed down by the Post Election Violence that occurred after the 2007 general elections. However, Kenya remains a trade and financial hub in East Africa. Country Map Fig 1. The Map of Kenya (source: The CIA World Factbook) Progress to Goal The world as a whole has made tremendous gains toward the achievement of this goal. From the United Nations Summit (2010), the number of people living under the international poverty line of $1.25 a day reduced from 1.8 billion to 1.4 billion between 1990 and 2015. In developing regions, the number of people living in extreme poverty dropped from 46% to 27%, and this is on track to meet the global target. Despite the setbacks caused by the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009, the progress in many developing countries has been sustained, and if the positive trends continue, only about 920 million people would be living under the international poverty line by 2015. According to data obtained from the World Bank (2011), 45 out of 84 nations are on track to meet the goal, 27 percent fewer people will be living in poverty in 2015 than in 1990, 25 out 55 nations have halved child malnutrition, and 1.6 billion people gained access to clean drinking water from 1990 to 2006. Kenya has made progress towards achieving a number of the MDGs, particularly goal number 1. By the year 2007, the country had achieved a notable headway in the fight against poverty. Between the year 1997 and the years 2000 and 2002, the number of the people living below the poverty line increased from 52.3% to 56%. This was not a good trend towards the achievement of the goal. However, according to UNDP (2011), Kenya managed to significantly reduce the number of people living under the poverty line from 56% to 45.9% in the year 2006. Poverty incidence decreased in all provinces except the Coast and North Eastern Provinces. However, this progress was hampered with the post election violence that occurred in 2007 and 2008. This is expected to have increased the poverty incidence during 2008/2009. However, with the country returning back to stability, the poverty levels are expected to decrease with the rise in GDP growth to 4.5% and a drop in inflation to about 3.5%, (UN 2011). Strengths and Weaknesses of Kenya in Achieving the Goal Kenya has a number of strengths that have enabled it to make a positive progress towards achieving this goal. First, Kenya is a trade, finance, technological and ICT hub in East Africa. This has enabled the country to attract foreign investors, with many multinationals setting up base in the capital Nairobi. This has led employment opportunities among the youth, one of the goal’s targets. According to United Nations (2007), Kenya has also initiated development projects in key sectors such as infrastructure, energy, ICT, and water. These are core sectors that are expected to see the country’s GDP rise hence alleviating poverty. This is in line with the country’s Vision 2030, whereby Kenya wants to transform to a middle income economy. However, there are some weaknesses that might affect this progress. The major weakness is political instability. The country is divided along ethnic lines, and this has caused ethnic tensions among communities during events such as national elections. A case in point is the Post Election Violence in 2007/2008, which resulted in an increase in poverty incidence. The other weakness lies in the high corruption levels that are allegedly reported in the country. 3 Strategies to Meet the Goal The country has initiated several mechanisms that will guide it towards the achievement of this goal. One such strategy has been the unveiling of the Vision 2030 program. This is a program that aims to put the country to a middle level income status by the year 2030, (UNDP, 2011). Though the vision is 2030, the foundations are being laid. This has seen infrastructural projects being initiated even to the rural areas with access roads being built. These infrastructural improvements have helped people in rural areas to be able to have access to markets and this has significantly reduced poverty levels. The other strategy is championed by the US Government and it is known as Feed the Future (FTF 2011-2015) strategy. This is a strategy that seeks to partner the private sector, the government of Kenya and the US government in increasing food security and nutrition in the country, (U.S. Government Document, 2011). The strategy will identify the highest number of poor households and with severely malnourished children. The third strategy involves the creation of employment opportunities, especially for the youth. Such initiatives include the Kazi Kwa Vijana as well as the Youth Development Fund, which have greatly improved the living standards of the youth in Kenya through a source of income. Action In order to achieve this goal, there is a need for an all-inclusive participation from the national governments, the private sector, the NGOs, and donors. One organization that has been at the forefront in eradicating hunger is the Red Cross, which provides aid to many starving people. In an initiative dubbed “Kenyans for Kenya”, the private sector partnered with the government and the public to raise money that was to be used to finance long term solutions to hunger in Kenya. These included irrigation projects and the provision of farming inputs. Therefore, with an all-inclusive participation, it is possible to eradicate poverty and hunger. References CIA. (2012) Kenya. The CIA World Factbook, 2012. Retrieved. 03 November 2012. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke.html The World Bank. (2011) Kenya: Country at a Glance. Retrieved. 03 November 2012. http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/kenya U.S. Government. (2011) Kenya FY 2011-2015 Multi-Year Strategy. U.S. Government Document, June 2011, PP. 1-46. United Nations Development Programme. (2011) The State of MDGs in Kenya. UNDP in Kenya, 2011. Retrieved. 03 November 2012. http://www.ke.undp.org/index.php/the-s United Nations. (2007) The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007. United Nations, 2007. Retrieved. 03 November 2012. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/mdg2007.pdf United Nations. (2010) Millennium Development Goals: We Can End Poverty by 2015. United Nations Summit Report, 20-22 September 2010, New York. Read More