World Bank’s Zoellick to step down, US eyes spot – World Bank President Robert Zoellick announced on Wednesday that he will step down in June, while the US plans to suggest a replacement candidate within the week for a position that has always been held by an American. Zoellick took on the role of President at the World Bank in 2007, and “moved quickly to return the institution’s focus to alleviating poverty” and concentrated on the “brewing food and energy price crisis that was stoking social unrest in the poorest parts of the world.” (Reuters, Lesley Wroughton)
West Africa summit tackles Sahel crisis, piracy – The West African regional meeting began on Thursday with a focus on “deteriorating security in the drought-hit Sahel and an uptick in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.” Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger face threats from the Al-Qaeda’s north African branch, and the Red Cross reports that “at least 30,000 people are displaced in Mali and living in extremely ‘precarious conditions.’” (AFP, Sophie Mongalvy)
How did Rwanda cut poverty so much? – Rwanda recently announced that they cut poverty by 12% over the last six years, a statistic which is “one of the most stunning drops in the world.” This dramatic drop in poverty can be attributed in part to the increase in world coffee prices, which pumped money into the rural economy. In addition, alterations in Rwanda’s domestic policies to support the rural poor, and monitor the economy led to rapid growth. (LA Times)
Fighting Poverty, Protecting Women from HIV – A new study shows that “financially empowering young women in poor countries may help protect them against sexually transmitted diseases, “as “poverty, a lack of education and gender inequality make girls and young women more vulnerable.” The study provided some women with cash payments every month while other women were given money and required to regularly attend school. If the women were already sexually active, they continued to do so, but with more age-appropriate partners and with less frequency, thus lowering the potential for them to be exposed to HIV. (VOA, Joe DeCapua)
Pay-as-you-go solar power lights up rural Africa – The solar energy service, IndiGo, is utilizing the pay-as-you-go business model to bring affordable electricity to many remote communities in Africa. IndiGo solar “enables rural households far removed from their country’s electrical grids to generate their own power via a photovoltaic panel and battery pack.” The solar packs are intended to be more environmentally friendly while also providing practical benefits for villagers used to living without electricity. (CNN, Eoghan Macguire)
