« Kabul hosts first agricultural fair | Main | Independent study shows strong gains in Afghan health »

April 25, 2007

Oportunidades in Afghanistan?

Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented how various problems -- security, poverty, and negative attitudes about education -- have undermined progress in ensuring education for Afghanistan's children.  School infrastructure has received a lot of attention but enrollment rates have plateaued -- especially among girls.

This story in today's NY Times suggested that Mexico has managed to simultaneously raise enrollment rates, reduce poverty, and improve health. The program provides cash payments to women on a contingent basis: "If the women and their children have kept all their medical appointments, and if their children have stayed in school, the money is theirs to use as they wish":

The program pays cash stipends mostly to mothers — about 97 percent of recipients are women — on the assumption that they will be more likely to spend the money on their children. To qualify, people must be in extreme poverty, roughly defined by officials here as living on less than the equivalent of $2 a day.

The article notes that "Since this program got its start in rural Mexico in 1997, it has been heralded by the World Bank and others as a powerful model for fighting chronic poverty." In a decade, Mexico's poverty rate has dropped by 17 percentage points. Over thirty countries have adopted versions of the program. Should Afghanistan become one of them?

Posted by Carl Robichaud on April 25, 2007 at 06:32 PM in Economics, Education, Reconstruction, Women |

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341d843653ef00e5506d2b628833

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Oportunidades in Afghanistan?:

Comments

lynn

Mobile PCs Dell Inspiron 1300 AC Adapter use a stylus Toshiba PA3467U-1ACA AC Adapter for input on a touch Dell Inspiron 6000 Series keyboard screen using an on-screen Dell Latitude D620 battery keyboard. The Mobile PC Samsung AD-4214L LCD AC Adapter may have capabilities Toshiba PA-1650-01 AC Adapter of handwriting recognition, allowing Dell Inspiron B130 AC Adapter the user to input Toshiba SADP-65KB AC Adapter text using the stylus Dell XPS M140 Series keyboard on the screen and usually offers selection, and drag and drop facility traditionally provided by the mouse using the stylus.Today, you can walk into Laptop parts many brick-and-mortar Laptop Acer AC Adapter electronics and computers retailers Gateway Laptop keyboard and expect to find laptop bargains. Toshiba Laptop keyboard They are just about everywhere. Dell Laptop AC Adapter Prices for bargain laptops have become so low that walking out of a store with one for yourself and Liteon Laptop AC Adapter and one for a friend is even an option. Laptop LCD AC Adapter To save the most money Acer Aspire 1200 AC Adapter when buying a bargain laptop Liteon PA-1131-08 AC Adapter or notebook Gateway PA-1650-01 AC Adapter
Liteon PA-1650-01 AC Adapter
Toshiba Laptop AC Adapter
Toshiba PA3467U-1ACA AC Adapter
Original Gateway PA-1650-01 AC Adapter
Toshiba PA3469U-1ACA AC Adapter
Acer PA-1650-02 AC Adaptercomputer, though, Delta PA-1650-02 AC Adapter going through a major online retailer Liteon PA-1131-08 AC Adapter is the best way to save the most money. Dell Laptop battery that is very important.

Posted by: lynn | April 30, 2009 at 10:19 PM

slam Dunk

NIKE Dunk contest, slam Dunk, Nike SB Dunk 09,Special Sale Offering, wide selection of NIKE DUNK,100% Quality and Package, Free shipping worldwide, 1 week delivery.

Posted by: slam Dunk | May 17, 2009 at 11:40 PM

links of london

Links of London
Links of London Jewelry
Links of London Charm
Links of London Necklace
Links of London Bracelets
Links of London Earrings
Links of London Rings
Designer from UK
Diamond
GoldSilver
Links Jewelry
Links Necklace
Links Charm
Links Earrings
Links Rings

Posted by: links of london | May 20, 2009 at 02:14 AM

« | »

The comments to this entry are closed.