Headline August 08, 2018/ '' 'SOCIAL -AFRICA- SECURITY' ''

'' 'SOCIAL -AFRICA- SECURITY' ''

EXTENDING THE NET : Europe and Central Asia lead, -2.3% of GDP,  followed by Sub-Saharan Africa,-

And then Latin America & the Caribbean, East Asia & the Pacific, Middle East & north Africa and lastly the South Asia.

Source : The World Bank.

Wisely, and predictably Proud Pakistan too, and very, very  soon, would working up a Social Security Net. If and when it does, Ethiopia's scheme could be a model for other countries.

TSIDE ZEWIDE HAS lived  in the shadow of  the  national palace  in Addis Ababa for more than 50 years.

Since her husband died four years ago the 73-year old cared for three orphans, the grandchildren of her late sister, alone in a rundown government owned shack.

She has no pension and, until recently, had no income. ''I totally relied on the kindness of my neighbours,'' she sighs.

Last year, Mrs Zewide's fortunes changed. She and some 80 of her neighbours rise at dawn to sweep the streets of the Ethiopian capital for three hours a day.

For this she is paid 1,200 Ethiopian birr [ $44 a month ]. a fifth of which she is required to save. ''It's good for me psychologically,'' she says. ''It keeps me busy, and now at least I can tell people I have a job.''

Her teammates nod in agreement.

They are participant's in Ethiopia's Urban Productive Safety Net Project, which was launched in 2017 and is among the largest social programmes in sub-Saharan Africa {outside South Africa} designed specifically for urban areas.

About 400,000 poor Ethiopians in 11 cities are already enrolled. The government hopes it will eventually help 4.7 million people in almost 1,000  towns.

Beneficiaries are selected by a neighbourhood committee based on how poor and vulnerable they are. In addition to the paid work, they also receive training.

Those who want to start their own business are given grants.

Safety-nets, in one form or another, have proliferated across Africa in these very recent years. Spending on them in sub-Saharan Africa now amounts to about to about 1.5% of GDP.

In Tanzania 10% of the population is covered by its safety net [at a cost of just  0.3% of GDP].

Most schemes in Africa are focused on rural people and many are temporary, often implemented by donors in response to natural disasters or conflict.

Few are designed to help households manage the private misfortunes - such as illness or death of a family member - that can help them into destitution.

They also do a poor job of reducing chronic unemployment that has taken root in many African cities.

Ethiopia's programme is a step-towards building a national social-security system that will, in time, replace a hotch-potch of small ones.

The Honor and Serving of the latest  Global Operational Research on Poverty and Social Security continues.

With respectful dedication to the Leaders, Students, Professors and Teachers of the world.

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SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless