Video: Human trafficking in the Netherlands

From Al Jazeera, the story of a human trafficking survivor from the Netherlands.

A new method to measure poverty

Methods to measure poverty usually just take into account what people spend or earn. But Nicky Pouw has developed a different method to measure poverty.

Pouw a researcher based in the Netherlands, uses what people own instead of what their earn to measure poverty. They hope this measurement can help predict food shortages accurately.

Here is how a story in Phys Org explains the new methodology:

Development planners and policymakers in developing countries need accurate information about the poverty of the population. The risk of food shortages or other poverty-related problems is an ever present threat. This is certainly the case in rural Uganda where there is a lot of poverty among smallholder farmers. However, the usual method of assessing poverty in terms of expenditure often fails to work here, as the farmers frequently produce for their own consumption.

Therefore in order to make statements about the economic status of the population in these regions, Pouw developed a method for measuring possessions instead of expenditure. She itemised the different categories of possessions in the rural areas of Kabarole, Mpigi and Kapchorwa. In this system each category has its own hierarchy. For example, in the case of sustainable household goods, the priority of most households is the acquisition of basic goods such as chairs, a table, a bed, blankets and a mattress. The more luxury goods such as a fridge, TV or car are only acquired once the basic needs have been met. Pouw applied a similar highlighting to the other categories, namely clothing, housing quality, food consumption, land ownership, agricultural equipment and livestock.

Some differences were observed in terms of what people consider to be valuable. For example, female farmers were found to attach more value to certain agricultural equipment than male farmers and some Ugandan cultures consider it inappropriate for a woman to own a bike. In addition, the most important basic requirements were equally spread over the three regions, with firstly the welfare characteristic sustainable possessions, followed by agricultural equipment and thirdly clothing.

The research did a lot to clarify the type of poverty that prevailed in the regions concerned. Whereas in Kapchorwa district the farmers mainly suffered from a shortage in housing, land and sustainable possessions, people in Kabarole had relatively little clothing and in Mpigi there was a relative deprivation in food consumption. This type of information can be of immediate importance for development planners and policymakers at the district level. It reveals the most pressing problems in a given area at a certain moment in time. For example, the information about food consumption can be used as an early warning system for food uncertainty. As soon as households only have maize and beans to eat, this can be a sign of imminent food shortages.

Dutch development aid doesn’t reach the very poorest

from Radio Netherlands

by Pieternel Gruppen

Dutch policy towards Africa in recent years has not given sufficient attention to helping the very poorest. That's one of the conclusions of an official review of Dutch aid to Africa. Yet the battle against poverty is a central element of Dutch policy. One of the reasons for this apparent paradox is the policy of giving money to governments instead of specific aid projects.

The Netherlands gave almost six billion euros to Africa between 1998 and 2006. But that money didn't always go to help those in the most desperate need, concludes the Inspectorate (IOB) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For example, in this period about one billion euros - a sixth of the budget for Africa - was cancelled from the debts of such countries as Congo and Nigeria.

Dutch business
Frans Bieckmann, Editor-in-Chief of The Broker, a magazine about development cooperation, finds this a nasty business.

"It's a very complicated story, but what it comes down to is that a billion euros have been used for the financing of exports from Dutch business. And the big question is whether the poorest have received any benefits. I doubt that very much, especially if it's countries like Nigeria and Congo."

In some African countries, debts exist because the importers couldn't pay the bills for Dutch products. The debts should really be paid by the Minister of Finance and not through development cooperation, deems the Inspectorate.

Budget support
A further question is how far the poor have profited from the radical changes that have been made to Dutch aid for Africa in recent years. For example, the Netherlands has introduced a system of general budget support. Governments that fulfil certain conditions can get a sack of money that can be spent according to their own wishes. The idea is to give them more say in the aid.

In principle, budget support is a great instrument for the fight against poverty, thinks Paul Hoebink, a development specialist at the University of Nijmegen. But if it's given to the wrong countries, the poor don't get sufficient benefits:

"If you give this sort of support, you have to be sure the country is well governed. There are examples of countries where this clearly isn't the case. For example, Uganda received budget support while the country was carrying out raids into Congo. Human rights were also abused. Those sorts of things should be reason enough to give those countries less."

Without vision
Unsteady, without vision. That's how Hoebink describes the Africa policy of recent years. But what does he think needs to change in the future?

"We must develop a policy on poverty. We don't have an official definition of poverty. We don't know how to reach the poorest. We think that can only be done by pouring money into healthcare and primary education. But, yes, that's too limited."

from Dutch News

People on low incomes have increasing problems in making ends meet but the number of households living in poverty in the Netherlands is falling, according to the new Poverty Monitor published by the government’s social policy advisor SCP.

Around half of the low income households (net income of €870 for a single person) say they have great difficulties in coping, which is almost double the figure five years ago, the report said.

However, the percentage of households on low incomes is expected to fall to just under 8% next year, down from 10% now, the report said.

More than one in 10 of these poor households cannot afford to keep their homes warm or provide a hot meal every other day.

According to the research, 3.4 million children (9%) live in poverty in the Netherlands. Many of their families cannot afford holidays, internet connections or membership to sports clubs.

Although many poor households are made up of people on welfare benefits, there are also 175,000 working people with low incomes. Of these six out of 10 are self-employed.