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FLOWERS

As it is, the ultra poor are overwhelmingly concentrated in one region. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than three-quarters of the world's ultra poor. Sub-Saharan Africa is also the only region in the world in which there are more ultra poor than medial or subjacent poor. In contrast, most of Asia's poor live just below the dollar-a-day line; only a small minority of the population is ultra poor.

According to the Global Hunger Index (GHI), the hot spots of hunger are in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In Sub-Saharan Africa, overall progress in the 1990s was slow. The proportion of people who were food-energy deficient decreased, but there was very little improvement in underweight in children and in the under-five mortality rate. The high under-five mortality rate is consistent with the high prevalence of ultra poverty in this region.

SILENT WORDS


SEEDS OF DESPAIR

GARDEN OF TRUTH

PRICELESS JEWELS

Are the children in the West Africa worse off than they where 15 years ago, despite legislations enacted to safeguard children's rights. According to a 6-8 November conference held in Burkina Faso, to assess the progress made by governments to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child. After an assessment of governments in West Africa it was quickly realized that little had been done to improve children's rights in the region.

"We went through the reports countries submit on their progress every year and realised quickly that nothing really has been done - very few things have improved in the region over the last 15 years," said Stefanie Conrad at the NGO Plan International in Dakar, which participated in the Ouagadougou meeting .

While participating governments stated they where committed to making a change for the children of their countries, doubts where also high.

"Political will at the highest level of government is needed as they are the only ones with the power to advance things with regard to budget allocation," she added. "Often they use the excuse that they don't have money but that is not true as other things get done. The problem is prioritisation."

Education was on right that appeared to stand out as one of the greatest failures, with little budgetary commitment or follow through. However education is not the only right governments have failed to provide their children, as healthcare, nutrition, abuse, trafficking, slavery, and gender discrimination are also issues of vital concern in the region. One can only hope that this conference will shake governments into sustainable action, and that the children of West Africa will soon see better days.

MOTHER & CHILD OF THE NILE