Priorities of the People: Hardship in the Marshall Islands€¦ · within the Marshall Islands, as...

Prioritiesof the PeopleHARDSHIP IN THE MARSHALLISLANDS

March 2003

Asian Development Bank

Introduction 1

Is Hardship Really a Problem in the Marshall Islands? 2

What is Hardship? 3

Who is Facing Hardship? 5

What Causes Hardship? 6

What Can be Done? 13

Contents

This publication was prepared by consultants for the Asian Development Bank. Thefindings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in it do not necessarily repre-sent the views of ADB or those of its member governments. ADB does not guar-antee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibilitywhatsoever for any consequences of their use.

Asian Development BankP.O. Box 789, 0980 Manila, PhilippinesWebsite: wwwwwwwwwwwwwww.adb.org.adb.org.adb.org.adb.org.adb.org

Introduction 1

Is Hardship Really a Problem in the Marshall Islands? 2

What is Hardship? 3

Who is Facing Hardship? 5

What Causes Hardship? 6

What Can be Done? 13

Contents

This publication was prepared by consultants for the Asian Development Bank. Thefindings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in it do not necessarily repre-sent the views of ADB or those of its member governments. ADB does not guar-antee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibilitywhatsoever for any consequences of their use.

Asian Development BankP.O. Box 789, 0980 Manila, PhilippinesWebsite: wwwwwwwwwwwwwww.adb.org.adb.org.adb.org.adb.org.adb.org

Introduction

In the Marshall Islands, abject poverty or destitution(jeramwil) does not exist since the poor are not starving andmost have access to land and other natural resources. However,

many people are poor and facing hardship, and the problem seemsto be getting worse. The 1999 Pacific Human Development Re-port ranked the Marshall Islands 8th out of 12 Pacific developingcountries, which represents a downgrading from the country’sposition as 5th in 1994. It is estimated that, in 1999, two thirds ofouter island households fell below the poverty line of $1 a day.

The Marshall Islands is one of the most urbanized countries inthe Pacific with almost 70% of the population living either onMajuro or Ebeye. The high population density on these two islands,combined with economic decline in rural areas, are the cause ofmany of the problems being experienced.

There have been recent improvements, particularly in theareas of infant mortality, immunization, and the incidence ofunderweight children, but the government recognizes that it needsto better understand the nature of hardship in the country anddevelop ways to address it. In 2002, the government led a “Partici-patory Assessment on Hardship” to find out the needs, views, andhopes of communities living throughout the country, especially thedisadvantaged and poor themselves.

Two thirds of

outer-islanders

live on less

than $1 a day

A house madeA house madeA house madeA house madeA house madeof scrapof scrapof scrapof scrapof scrap

mater ia lsmater ia lsmater ia lsmater ia lsmater ia ls

Not having

enough to meet

basic needs

Ten sample communities were selected to represent both ruraland urban areas and differing levels of access to services: four outerisland communities on Ailinglaplap and Arno Atolls, three urbanneighborhoods on Ebeye Island, and three communities on MajuroAtoll. One-on-one interviews, small group discussions, question-naires, and case studies were used during the assessment to gatherinformation from people in these communities, and discussionswere held with government representatives and social, religious,and nongovernment organizations. A national workshop was heldto discuss the assessment findings and formulate strategies andrecommendations. The assessment was funded by the Asian De-velopment Bank.

Is Hardship Really aProblem in the MarshallIslands?

The individuals and families consulted during the assess-ment said that poverty and hardship are experiencedthroughout the Marshall Islands. During the discussions,

some argued that abject poverty does not exist, while others saidthe vast majority of Marshallese are poor when international stan-dard of living levels are considered. Most people favored a middleposition that recognizes the relative disadvantage of certain groupswithin the Marshall Islands, as well as acknowledging thecountry’s relative disadvantage compared to more developed coun-tries. There is also a growing gap between rich and poor due to theconcentration of highly paid public servants on the urban islands ofMajuro and Ebeye; US Compact and federal funding that largelybenefit urban areas, and nuclear compensation and lease pay-ments that benefit communities on certain islands; the continu-ing decline in the price of copra (the economic mainstay of theouter islands); and a lack of low-skilled jobs in both urban and ruralareas.

What is Hardship?

The primary goal of the assessment was to identify thepeople’s perceptions of poverty and hardship by talking tokey community leaders (chiefs, elders, church leaders),

Discussions

were held with

people in 10

communities

Working Mother, 31 Years Old

She lives with her husband in a one-room house in Rita. They have five chil-dren from 7 to 14 years old, but onlytwo live with them. The eldest lives onMajuro and two others were adopted bynon-Marshallese parents in the UnitedStates. Her husband has not worked fora long time. He left school when he mether and she became pregnant. Theirhouse is made of cement bricks with acement floor and tin roof. However,parts of the wall have collapsed andthere are plywood screens hiding agaping hole. They have no watercatchments or electricity.

She started working at the fish fac-tory on Majuro about 2 months ago andearns $100 a fortnight including over-time. Her husband said the economicsituation is really bad because there are

not enough jobs and the rate of pay isnot enough for one family. He said thatlots of children go around looking forfood and sometimes all they have to eatis coconut meat with salt.

She spoke about the stress womenfeel due to problems with their hus-bands and the heavy burden placed onworking mothers. She said she oftensuffers from headaches and grumpinessas a result. She acknowledges that thingsare difficult, but says that they haveenough to get by. She says their eco-nomic situation has always been astruggle and she has not seen anychanges over time. Speaking about thedifference between the levels of hard-ship found on Majuro and the outerislands, she said, “There is no difference.We are all struggling.”

Not having

enough to meet

basic needs

Ten sample communities were selected to represent both ruraland urban areas and differing levels of access to services: four outerisland communities on Ailinglaplap and Arno Atolls, three urbanneighborhoods on Ebeye Island, and three communities on MajuroAtoll. One-on-one interviews, small group discussions, question-naires, and case studies were used during the assessment to gatherinformation from people in these communities, and discussionswere held with government representatives and social, religious,and nongovernment organizations. A national workshop was heldto discuss the assessment findings and formulate strategies andrecommendations. The assessment was funded by the Asian De-velopment Bank.

Is Hardship Really aProblem in the MarshallIslands?

The individuals and families consulted during the assess-ment said that poverty and hardship are experiencedthroughout the Marshall Islands. During the discussions,

some argued that abject poverty does not exist, while others saidthe vast majority of Marshallese are poor when international stan-dard of living levels are considered. Most people favored a middleposition that recognizes the relative disadvantage of certain groupswithin the Marshall Islands, as well as acknowledging thecountry’s relative disadvantage compared to more developed coun-tries. There is also a growing gap between rich and poor due to theconcentration of highly paid public servants on the urban islands ofMajuro and Ebeye; US Compact and federal funding that largelybenefit urban areas, and nuclear compensation and lease pay-ments that benefit communities on certain islands; the continu-ing decline in the price of copra (the economic mainstay of theouter islands); and a lack of low-skilled jobs in both urban and ruralareas.

What is Hardship?

The primary goal of the assessment was to identify thepeople’s perceptions of poverty and hardship by talking tokey community leaders (chiefs, elders, church leaders),

Discussions

were held with

people in 10

communities

Working Mother, 31 Years Old

She lives with her husband in a one-room house in Rita. They have five chil-dren from 7 to 14 years old, but onlytwo live with them. The eldest lives onMajuro and two others were adopted bynon-Marshallese parents in the UnitedStates. Her husband has not worked fora long time. He left school when he mether and she became pregnant. Theirhouse is made of cement bricks with acement floor and tin roof. However,parts of the wall have collapsed andthere are plywood screens hiding agaping hole. They have no watercatchments or electricity.

She started working at the fish fac-tory on Majuro about 2 months ago andearns $100 a fortnight including over-time. Her husband said the economicsituation is really bad because there are

not enough jobs and the rate of pay isnot enough for one family. He said thatlots of children go around looking forfood and sometimes all they have to eatis coconut meat with salt.

She spoke about the stress womenfeel due to problems with their hus-bands and the heavy burden placed onworking mothers. She said she oftensuffers from headaches and grumpinessas a result. She acknowledges that thingsare difficult, but says that they haveenough to get by. She says their eco-nomic situation has always been astruggle and she has not seen anychanges over time. Speaking about thedifference between the levels of hard-ship found on Majuro and the outerislands, she said, “There is no difference.We are all struggling.”

women, youth, and people who were identified as suffering frompoverty and hardship. Most people consulted defined poverty andhardship as ben mour (not having enough money to meet one’sdaily needs or not having enough resources to get by) and jerata (inneed or not having one’s basic needs met).

In an increasingly cash-based economy, many families with-out enough income from the sale of goods such as copra or jobs arefacing hardship. There was general agreement that they face hard-ship if they lack reliable utilities such as power and water, andservices such as health and education.

There was a consensus among the communities consultedthat hardship has worsened over the last 5 years. Although therehave been some improvements, people felt that these improve-ments had probably not reached the more disadvantaged membersof society. So, for example, while more children are going to collegeand university, they are mostly the children of the middle classesand the elite, and not the majority. During one group discussion,people agreed that health indicators had improved, but identifiedthe following negative trends:

· An increase in the number of school dropouts, and increas-ing numbers of children in urban areas who have never beento school;

· More teenage pregnancies (despite the increased availabil-ity of family planning advice),

· An increase in the number of attempted suicides;

Hardship has

worsened over

the last 5 years

· More alcohol abuse; and· Parents face increasing difficulty in dealing with the conflict-

ing financial demands of church, school, and their children’sother needs.

Most thought the situation on Majuro had improved a little,particularly the growth of the retail sector and improved services suchas roads, water, electricity, and sanitation. However, the consensus wasthat on the outer atolls conditions had definitely worsened, primarilybecause of the low price of copra and the resulting reduction in fieldtrips (visits by large ships to the outer islands to buy and sell copra andother goods) and outer island economic activities.

Who is Facing Hardship?

M ost people consulted during the assessment identifiedpeople on the outer islands as experiencing the greatestlevels of poverty and hardship. In outer island communi-

ties, there was a general consensus that “we are all poor here” (male,aged 42).

Female Copra and Handicrafts Producer, 40 Years OldTTTTTeenage pregnancyeenage pregnancyeenage pregnancyeenage pregnancyeenage pregnancywas cited as awas cited as awas cited as awas cited as awas cited as aproblemproblemproblemproblemproblem

People on the

outer islands

are suffering

She is a divorcee with 8 children and 7grandchildren. Four of her children liveon Majuro and two are in the UnitedStates. She lives on Ailinglaplap with hertwo youngest children. They live in avery small, one-room house and havetwo smaller thatch huts and a sittingarea. They have two water catchmentsbut no solar power. Although her formerhusband is a recipient of Section 177, hedoes not support her or their children.

She says that her life is a struggle andshe is exhausted by all the hard work ofproducing copra: “Life is very compli-cated without any helper by my side.”When she has time, she makes handi-crafts. Sometimes her parents help out,but at the moment they are on Majuro.

She would like a job, but there are nojobs on the island. If she had help, shecould concentrate on handicrafts, which

pay more than copra. However, there isno outlet to sell handicrafts on her is-land. So, unlike copra, she cannot ex-change her handicrafts for credit fromthe store to buy food and other basicitems. Secondly, she produces handi-crafts as part of a women’s club, so theprofit is shared amongst members andsome is retained by the club. Yet sherelies on the club to bring in orders andarrange distribution and sales.

In terms of her personal ambitions,she believes a handicraft workshop onthe island could provide her with thesupport she needs to make and sell herown handicrafts. For her children, shewants them to finish school. She saysshe preaches to them all the time to dowell at school and hopes that “seeingme struggle should be enough for themto realize the importance of school.”

women, youth, and people who were identified as suffering frompoverty and hardship. Most people consulted defined poverty andhardship as ben mour (not having enough money to meet one’sdaily needs or not having enough resources to get by) and jerata (inneed or not having one’s basic needs met).

In an increasingly cash-based economy, many families with-out enough income from the sale of goods such as copra or jobs arefacing hardship. There was general agreement that they face hard-ship if they lack reliable utilities such as power and water, andservices such as health and education.

There was a consensus among the communities consultedthat hardship has worsened over the last 5 years. Although therehave been some improvements, people felt that these improve-ments had probably not reached the more disadvantaged membersof society. So, for example, while more children are going to collegeand university, they are mostly the children of the middle classesand the elite, and not the majority. During one group discussion,people agreed that health indicators had improved, but identifiedthe following negative trends:

· An increase in the number of school dropouts, and increas-ing numbers of children in urban areas who have never beento school;

· More teenage pregnancies (despite the increased availabil-ity of family planning advice),

· An increase in the number of attempted suicides;

Hardship has

worsened over

the last 5 years

· More alcohol abuse; and· Parents face increasing difficulty in dealing with the conflict-

ing financial demands of church, school, and their children’sother needs.

Most thought the situation on Majuro had improved a little,particularly the growth of the retail sector and improved services suchas roads, water, electricity, and sanitation. However, the consensus wasthat on the outer atolls conditions had definitely worsened, primarilybecause of the low price of copra and the resulting reduction in fieldtrips (visits by large ships to the outer islands to buy and sell copra andother goods) and outer island economic activities.

Who is Facing Hardship?

M ost people consulted during the assessment identifiedpeople on the outer islands as experiencing the greatestlevels of poverty and hardship. In outer island communi-

ties, there was a general consensus that “we are all poor here” (male,aged 42).

Female Copra and Handicrafts Producer, 40 Years OldTTTTTeenage pregnancyeenage pregnancyeenage pregnancyeenage pregnancyeenage pregnancywas cited as awas cited as awas cited as awas cited as awas cited as aproblemproblemproblemproblemproblem

People on the

outer islands

are suffering

She is a divorcee with 8 children and 7grandchildren. Four of her children liveon Majuro and two are in the UnitedStates. She lives on Ailinglaplap with hertwo youngest children. They live in avery small, one-room house and havetwo smaller thatch huts and a sittingarea. They have two water catchmentsbut no solar power. Although her formerhusband is a recipient of Section 177, hedoes not support her or their children.

She says that her life is a struggle andshe is exhausted by all the hard work ofproducing copra: “Life is very compli-cated without any helper by my side.”When she has time, she makes handi-crafts. Sometimes her parents help out,but at the moment they are on Majuro.

She would like a job, but there are nojobs on the island. If she had help, shecould concentrate on handicrafts, which

pay more than copra. However, there isno outlet to sell handicrafts on her is-land. So, unlike copra, she cannot ex-change her handicrafts for credit fromthe store to buy food and other basicitems. Secondly, she produces handi-crafts as part of a women’s club, so theprofit is shared amongst members andsome is retained by the club. Yet sherelies on the club to bring in orders andarrange distribution and sales.

In terms of her personal ambitions,she believes a handicraft workshop onthe island could provide her with thesupport she needs to make and sell herown handicrafts. For her children, shewants them to finish school. She saysshe preaches to them all the time to dowell at school and hopes that “seeingme struggle should be enough for themto realize the importance of school.”

Although Majuro’s per capita income and household incomesare relatively high compared to that of the outer islands, there arestill a number of poor and disadvantaged people who live onMajuro. Residents without jobs were seen as those most likely to beliving in poverty and hardship. Children whose parents do not workwere seen as most vulnerable. Some go hungry, while others lackschool supplies and clothes. Low salaries were also identified as areason why families could not meet their needs.

Some Ebeye residents nominated Ebeye as having the greatestlevel of poverty and hardship due to the lack of land and overcrowd-ing in households.

What Causes Hardship?

T he major causes of hardship in both urban and rural areasidentified during the community consultations and na-tional workshop were

· Inadequate health and/or education support for children;· Poor basic service provision, especially safe drinking water

and electricity;

· Overcrowding and low quality housing on Majuro andEbeye;

· Lack of regular and frequent field trips;· A range of child- and youth-related problems, including

school dropouts, youth “idleness,” joblessness, alcoholabuse, and teenage pregnancy;

· Limited jobs and ways to earn cash;· Low levels of education and not enough training

opportunities for youth who wish to return to school; and· Increasingly stressed gender relations and women’s

increased workloads.Causes specific to the outer islands were also cited: the lack of

field trips, low price of copra, lack of electricity, and higher costsand lack of supplies compared to Majuro and Ebeye. A price com-parison conducted during the assessment revealed that the cost of17 basic food and household goods on Jeh, Ailinglaplap Atoll was onaverage 47% higher than on Delap, Majuro Atoll (see figure belowfor a sample of the price differences).

The decline in the frequency and regularity of field trips,which is closely related to the decline in the copra industry, andother ship transport to the outer islands has greatly reduced tradeand income opportunities.

The decline in

field trips has

greatly reduced

trade and

incomes

Girl, 7 Years Old

A 7-year-old girl was raped by a friendof her father’s who was about 23 yearsold. Her father was a constructionworker, and one evening he came homewith some of his work mates andstarted drinking. The family lived in avery small house. There were about sixsmall children in the family rangingfrom 1–7 years old and the family oftenfound it hard to make ends meet.

The stepmother got angry with thefather over his drinking and left thehouse. The father got drunk and passedout. His friend took the little girl to hisown house sometime during the night.He raped the girl, who then passed out.When he woke up in the morning, henoticed that she was bleeding from her

vagina. He took her to the emergencydepartment of the hospital, left her atthe entrance, and ran away. The littlegirl wouldn’t talk or answer any ques-tions until later in that evening, whenshe finally gave her name and the nameof the man who had raped her. Thehospital got in touch with the step-mother.

When the father was brought to thehospital and told the story, he brokedown crying in great shame. The manwho raped the little girl was sentencedto jail. When asked how he came to dosuch a thing, he said that he didn’tmean to do it and didn’t think it wouldcause any real damage.

Flour Rice Salt Sugar Mackerel Kerosene

Higher Prices on Ailinglaplap Compared to Majuro

Although Majuro’s per capita income and household incomesare relatively high compared to that of the outer islands, there arestill a number of poor and disadvantaged people who live onMajuro. Residents without jobs were seen as those most likely to beliving in poverty and hardship. Children whose parents do not workwere seen as most vulnerable. Some go hungry, while others lackschool supplies and clothes. Low salaries were also identified as areason why families could not meet their needs.

Some Ebeye residents nominated Ebeye as having the greatestlevel of poverty and hardship due to the lack of land and overcrowd-ing in households.

What Causes Hardship?

T he major causes of hardship in both urban and rural areasidentified during the community consultations and na-tional workshop were

· Inadequate health and/or education support for children;· Poor basic service provision, especially safe drinking water

and electricity;

· Overcrowding and low quality housing on Majuro andEbeye;

· Lack of regular and frequent field trips;· A range of child- and youth-related problems, including

school dropouts, youth “idleness,” joblessness, alcoholabuse, and teenage pregnancy;

· Limited jobs and ways to earn cash;· Low levels of education and not enough training

opportunities for youth who wish to return to school; and· Increasingly stressed gender relations and women’s

increased workloads.Causes specific to the outer islands were also cited: the lack of

field trips, low price of copra, lack of electricity, and higher costsand lack of supplies compared to Majuro and Ebeye. A price com-parison conducted during the assessment revealed that the cost of17 basic food and household goods on Jeh, Ailinglaplap Atoll was onaverage 47% higher than on Delap, Majuro Atoll (see figure belowfor a sample of the price differences).

The decline in the frequency and regularity of field trips,which is closely related to the decline in the copra industry, andother ship transport to the outer islands has greatly reduced tradeand income opportunities.

The decline in

field trips has

greatly reduced

trade and

incomes

Girl, 7 Years Old

A 7-year-old girl was raped by a friendof her father’s who was about 23 yearsold. Her father was a constructionworker, and one evening he came homewith some of his work mates andstarted drinking. The family lived in avery small house. There were about sixsmall children in the family rangingfrom 1–7 years old and the family oftenfound it hard to make ends meet.

The stepmother got angry with thefather over his drinking and left thehouse. The father got drunk and passedout. His friend took the little girl to hisown house sometime during the night.He raped the girl, who then passed out.When he woke up in the morning, henoticed that she was bleeding from her

vagina. He took her to the emergencydepartment of the hospital, left her atthe entrance, and ran away. The littlegirl wouldn’t talk or answer any ques-tions until later in that evening, whenshe finally gave her name and the nameof the man who had raped her. Thehospital got in touch with the step-mother.

When the father was brought to thehospital and told the story, he brokedown crying in great shame. The manwho raped the little girl was sentencedto jail. When asked how he came to dosuch a thing, he said that he didn’tmean to do it and didn’t think it wouldcause any real damage.

Flour Rice Salt Sugar Mackerel Kerosene

Higher Prices on Ailinglaplap Compared to Majuro

A trend observed during the assessment was the increasing evi-dence of unhappy families due to strained relationships (oftenrelated to alcohol abuse), women’s increasing share of income-related activities, and a perceived decline in women’s status in thefamily and the community stemming from cultural change.

Both male and female respondents said women on the outerislands have larger workloads as a result of women’s increasingparticipation in income generating activities, including copra andhandicraft production and fundraising activities, as well as theircontinued involvement in household tasks such as cleaning, foodpreparation, and childcare. In some cases, women were the soleeconomic provider of their family either due to male unemploy-ment or an unwillingness of former partners to support their chil-dren.

On Majuro and Ebeye, women reported feeling stressed bymen’s drinking, cheating, and violence. Domestic violence andsexual abuse are not easily discussed in public. Women who arevictims of such abuse may prefer to keep these matters to them-selves rather than bring shame on the family. In many cases, thisviolence is related to alcohol abuse, cramped living conditions, andthe pressures of unemployment.

Many youth

problems stem

from cultural

change

Three groups were identified as especially affected by hard-ship: children, the youth and women.

Children

Child poverty and child neglect in urban areas was seen as leadingto problems of malnourishment and increasing numbers of schooldropouts. In many large extended families, children do not receivethe individual care they need, and some teenage and young moth-ers do not know how to raise children properly. Cramped, crowdedliving conditions on Majuro and Ebeye also contribute to problemsof child abuse and neglect.

In the outer islands, poverty-related issues affecting childreninclude lack of school supplies, lack of transportation to and fromschool, lack of food (at times), and lack of clothes.

The Marshall Islands has one of the youngest populations in thePacific. About two thirds of the population was below 24 years oldin 1999, and the youth population is growing at one of the highestrates in the region. Individuals and families consulted during theassessment were concerned about the pressures faced by youngpeople regarding school and jobs, and social issues such as youthidleness, alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, school dropouts andloafing, and youth suicide. Youth-to-Youth in Health volunteerssaid many of these problems stem from a loss of culture due to rapidcultural change and influence from American culture. They arguedthat the fast pace of cultural change had resulted in a loss of iden-tity.

Low educational attainment of youth was seen as a pressingproblem in the urban areas of Majuro and Ebeye, but also by parentson the outer islands who wished to see their children complete highschool. Concerns included the rate of school dropouts, students’failure to gain a place at high school, few vocational training oppor-tunities, and limited re-entry schemes for young people who wishto return to school.

There was also a general perception that there were not suffi-cient jobs, particularly for those young people who did not com-plete high school. However, there was some disagreement amongpeople from Ebeye and Majuro as to whether youth unemploymentwas really due to the lack of jobs or to youth idleness.

Women face

increased

workloads and

a decline in

status

A trend observed during the assessment was the increasing evi-dence of unhappy families due to strained relationships (oftenrelated to alcohol abuse), women’s increasing share of income-related activities, and a perceived decline in women’s status in thefamily and the community stemming from cultural change.

Both male and female respondents said women on the outerislands have larger workloads as a result of women’s increasingparticipation in income generating activities, including copra andhandicraft production and fundraising activities, as well as theircontinued involvement in household tasks such as cleaning, foodpreparation, and childcare. In some cases, women were the soleeconomic provider of their family either due to male unemploy-ment or an unwillingness of former partners to support their chil-dren.

On Majuro and Ebeye, women reported feeling stressed bymen’s drinking, cheating, and violence. Domestic violence andsexual abuse are not easily discussed in public. Women who arevictims of such abuse may prefer to keep these matters to them-selves rather than bring shame on the family. In many cases, thisviolence is related to alcohol abuse, cramped living conditions, andthe pressures of unemployment.

Many youth

problems stem

from cultural

change

Three groups were identified as especially affected by hard-ship: children, the youth and women.

Children

Child poverty and child neglect in urban areas was seen as leadingto problems of malnourishment and increasing numbers of schooldropouts. In many large extended families, children do not receivethe individual care they need, and some teenage and young moth-ers do not know how to raise children properly. Cramped, crowdedliving conditions on Majuro and Ebeye also contribute to problemsof child abuse and neglect.

In the outer islands, poverty-related issues affecting childreninclude lack of school supplies, lack of transportation to and fromschool, lack of food (at times), and lack of clothes.

The Marshall Islands has one of the youngest populations in thePacific. About two thirds of the population was below 24 years oldin 1999, and the youth population is growing at one of the highestrates in the region. Individuals and families consulted during theassessment were concerned about the pressures faced by youngpeople regarding school and jobs, and social issues such as youthidleness, alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, school dropouts andloafing, and youth suicide. Youth-to-Youth in Health volunteerssaid many of these problems stem from a loss of culture due to rapidcultural change and influence from American culture. They arguedthat the fast pace of cultural change had resulted in a loss of iden-tity.

Low educational attainment of youth was seen as a pressingproblem in the urban areas of Majuro and Ebeye, but also by parentson the outer islands who wished to see their children complete highschool. Concerns included the rate of school dropouts, students’failure to gain a place at high school, few vocational training oppor-tunities, and limited re-entry schemes for young people who wishto return to school.

There was also a general perception that there were not suffi-cient jobs, particularly for those young people who did not com-plete high school. However, there was some disagreement amongpeople from Ebeye and Majuro as to whether youth unemploymentwas really due to the lack of jobs or to youth idleness.

Women face

increased

workloads and

a decline in

status

Women’s declining influence in the family and communitywas commented on during the assessment. “In the past, your grand-mother would tell boys what to do and they would obey. Now theydon’t listen” (female, aged 46). The loss of respect for women wastied to a general loss of respect for elders and chiefs: “In the past,women enjoyed more influence, but that was in the days when theEroij still commanded respect” (female, over 40 years old).

Poor Service Delivery

The delivery of basic services was fundamental to people’s view ofthe level of poverty and hardship they experience. The peopleconsulted were in agreement that hardship results when there is

· Lack of safe drinking water for those without watercatchments on the outer islands, or piped drinking water inthe urban areas of Ebeye and Majuro;

· Lack of electricity for those without solar power on theouter islands;

· Lack of transportation to and from schools, particularly onthe outer islands. This was seen as a disincentive for manystudents particularly in hot or rainy weather. This wascompounded in schools that had no safe drinking water ortoilet facilities;

On Ailinglaplap,On Ailinglaplap,On Ailinglaplap,On Ailinglaplap,On Ailinglaplap,the healththe healththe healththe healththe health

assistant sitsassistant sitsassistant sitsassistant sitsassistant sitswith his entirewith his entirewith his entirewith his entirewith his entire

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Fisherman, 66 Years Old

He is a fisherman from Bikarej on ArnoAtoll. He recently went to Arno in hiswooden boat with fish that he andother fishermen from Bikarej hadcaught. He took the boat from the fish-ing base to Majuro to sell their catch.(The boat goes three times a week onMondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.)Unfortunately, inefficient administrationat the point of sale on Majuro (operatedby the Marshall Islands Marine Re-sources Authority or MIMRA) meantthat he was unable to get paid for thefish—and this is not the first time, hesaid.

He had no choice but to return toArno for two nights and wait until Fri-day when the boat makes a return tripto Majuro so he could collect their pay-

ment. If all goes well, he will be able tocash the check on Majuro, take the boatback to Arno, and finally return toBikarej to distribute the money.

His story highlights the difficultyfaced by small fisherman due to a lackof transport and facilities. In terms ofhis opportunity costs, the delay in pay-ment cost him at least 3 days work.More generally, the lack of transporta-tion to the outer atolls is an issue interms of the lack of food and otherproducts available in the stores and theirregularity of copra shipments. Whilethere was an interest in the communityto be involved more in agriculture, theylacked the necessary tools and re-sources.

· Overcrowding and low quality housing on Majuro and Ebeye;and,

· Infrequent and irregular field trips to the outer islands.

Ailinglaplap Atoll

In the outer islands of Ailinglaplap Atoll, the residents expressed apressing need for more regular and frequent field trips to sell theircopra and prevent local stores from running out of food, fuel and othersupplies. The lack of electricity was also an issue for those residentswithout solar panels. Fuel for kerosene lamps and refrigeration wasseen as expensive, particularly compared with the cost of solar power.The lack of safe drinking water was a further concern for residentswithout water catchments. Many houses still have a traditionalthatched roof, which is inexpensive but impractical for collecting rainwater.

School was mentioned as an important community priority,reflected in high student enrollment. Critical comments about thelow quality of education included not enough teachers, students beingsent home because of teacher absenteeism, lack of school supplies,and the lack of transport to and from school.

The lack of a health dispensary was a matter of great concern. OnJeh Island, residents said they had been waiting 3 years for the govern-ment to repair the abandoned dispensary. “We badly need a clinic andbetter supplies” (female, aged 34).

Lack of water,

power, and

transport are

causing hard-

Women’s declining influence in the family and communitywas commented on during the assessment. “In the past, your grand-mother would tell boys what to do and they would obey. Now theydon’t listen” (female, aged 46). The loss of respect for women wastied to a general loss of respect for elders and chiefs: “In the past,women enjoyed more influence, but that was in the days when theEroij still commanded respect” (female, over 40 years old).

Poor Service Delivery

The delivery of basic services was fundamental to people’s view ofthe level of poverty and hardship they experience. The peopleconsulted were in agreement that hardship results when there is

· Lack of safe drinking water for those without watercatchments on the outer islands, or piped drinking water inthe urban areas of Ebeye and Majuro;

· Lack of electricity for those without solar power on theouter islands;

· Lack of transportation to and from schools, particularly onthe outer islands. This was seen as a disincentive for manystudents particularly in hot or rainy weather. This wascompounded in schools that had no safe drinking water ortoilet facilities;

On Ailinglaplap,On Ailinglaplap,On Ailinglaplap,On Ailinglaplap,On Ailinglaplap,the healththe healththe healththe healththe health

assistant sitsassistant sitsassistant sitsassistant sitsassistant sitswith his entirewith his entirewith his entirewith his entirewith his entire

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Fisherman, 66 Years Old

He is a fisherman from Bikarej on ArnoAtoll. He recently went to Arno in hiswooden boat with fish that he andother fishermen from Bikarej hadcaught. He took the boat from the fish-ing base to Majuro to sell their catch.(The boat goes three times a week onMondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.)Unfortunately, inefficient administrationat the point of sale on Majuro (operatedby the Marshall Islands Marine Re-sources Authority or MIMRA) meantthat he was unable to get paid for thefish—and this is not the first time, hesaid.

He had no choice but to return toArno for two nights and wait until Fri-day when the boat makes a return tripto Majuro so he could collect their pay-

ment. If all goes well, he will be able tocash the check on Majuro, take the boatback to Arno, and finally return toBikarej to distribute the money.

His story highlights the difficultyfaced by small fisherman due to a lackof transport and facilities. In terms ofhis opportunity costs, the delay in pay-ment cost him at least 3 days work.More generally, the lack of transporta-tion to the outer atolls is an issue interms of the lack of food and otherproducts available in the stores and theirregularity of copra shipments. Whilethere was an interest in the communityto be involved more in agriculture, theylacked the necessary tools and re-sources.

· Overcrowding and low quality housing on Majuro and Ebeye;and,

· Infrequent and irregular field trips to the outer islands.

Ailinglaplap Atoll

In the outer islands of Ailinglaplap Atoll, the residents expressed apressing need for more regular and frequent field trips to sell theircopra and prevent local stores from running out of food, fuel and othersupplies. The lack of electricity was also an issue for those residentswithout solar panels. Fuel for kerosene lamps and refrigeration wasseen as expensive, particularly compared with the cost of solar power.The lack of safe drinking water was a further concern for residentswithout water catchments. Many houses still have a traditionalthatched roof, which is inexpensive but impractical for collecting rainwater.

School was mentioned as an important community priority,reflected in high student enrollment. Critical comments about thelow quality of education included not enough teachers, students beingsent home because of teacher absenteeism, lack of school supplies,and the lack of transport to and from school.

The lack of a health dispensary was a matter of great concern. OnJeh Island, residents said they had been waiting 3 years for the govern-ment to repair the abandoned dispensary. “We badly need a clinic andbetter supplies” (female, aged 34).

Lack of water,

power, and

transport are

causing hard-

Work with

those facing

hardship to

plan and

prioritize

action

The services seen as most pressing on Ebeye were improved educa-tion and training facilities and better housing. For those withoutpiped water, a safe water supply was also an issue. Most com-mented that the electricity supply had improved since AmericanSamoa Power Authority took it over in 2000. However, a few weeksafter the assessment was conducted one of the main generatorswent off-line, causing a loss of power on Ebeye.

Many of the houses on Ebeye were built as typhoon reliefaccommodation, particularly in the Dump Town area. Most nowneed a considerable amount of maintenance work. Landownerswere seen as not caring for property and not allowing householdersto renovate their houses even when the lessees offered to pay for therenovations. Many residents also commented on the lack of landand overcrowding within houses.

Education was viewed as the single most important factor inchildren’s future lives and livelihoods. Parents unanimously en-dorsed the view that children should be encouraged to completehigh school. Some parents were involved as Parent-Teacher Associa-tion members for this reason. There was, however, a level of generalcommunity dissatisfaction with educational and training services.The public elementary school was judged to be “worsening” due to

not enough supplies and not enough teachers. People commentedon the very poor pass rate for students seeking entry into the publichigh school system (only 1 student out of 97 passed this year).

Majuro Atoll

Most informants rated the quality of services as good. The twoexceptions were households that lacked a safe water supply orelectricity. Furthermore, while there were some critical commentsmade about the cost of education and poor quality, most Majuroresidents consulted did not see that there were problems withaccess as in other places. This can be explained by the greater rangeof both public and private elementary and high schools available onMajuro.

As with Ebeye, there was also a concern over the physicalcondition of housing. A number of respondents expressed a desire toimprove their houses or build new houses if there was some form ofpublic fund available to assist them.

What Can Be Done?

A fter listening to the stories of the poor and understand-ing the nature and causes of hardship, what can be doneto address it? Working together with those facing hard-

ship to plan, prioritize, and implement solutions has a good chanceof leading to successful, lasting initiatives.

During the assessment, people suggested the following pro-posed solutions.

People’s Priorities

Most discussion centered on the need for agricultural and fishing-related development on the outer islands, as long as it is supportedby greatly improved and expanded transportation services. Therewas also considerable interest in agricultural extension programs,particularly on islands close to urban areas.

Sales and marketing assistance to support individual handi-craft producers was repeatedly mentioned. In particular, the estab-lishment of handicraft centers with good links to traders on Majuroand elsewhere was seen as a way to promote this form of incomegeneration.

WaterWaterWaterWaterWatercatchments arecatchments arecatchments arecatchments arecatchments areneeded by thoseneeded by thoseneeded by thoseneeded by thoseneeded by thosewithout pipedwithout pipedwithout pipedwithout pipedwithout pipedwaterwaterwaterwaterwater

Work with

those facing

hardship to

plan and

prioritize

action

The services seen as most pressing on Ebeye were improved educa-tion and training facilities and better housing. For those withoutpiped water, a safe water supply was also an issue. Most com-mented that the electricity supply had improved since AmericanSamoa Power Authority took it over in 2000. However, a few weeksafter the assessment was conducted one of the main generatorswent off-line, causing a loss of power on Ebeye.

Many of the houses on Ebeye were built as typhoon reliefaccommodation, particularly in the Dump Town area. Most nowneed a considerable amount of maintenance work. Landownerswere seen as not caring for property and not allowing householdersto renovate their houses even when the lessees offered to pay for therenovations. Many residents also commented on the lack of landand overcrowding within houses.

Education was viewed as the single most important factor inchildren’s future lives and livelihoods. Parents unanimously en-dorsed the view that children should be encouraged to completehigh school. Some parents were involved as Parent-Teacher Associa-tion members for this reason. There was, however, a level of generalcommunity dissatisfaction with educational and training services.The public elementary school was judged to be “worsening” due to

not enough supplies and not enough teachers. People commentedon the very poor pass rate for students seeking entry into the publichigh school system (only 1 student out of 97 passed this year).

Majuro Atoll

Most informants rated the quality of services as good. The twoexceptions were households that lacked a safe water supply orelectricity. Furthermore, while there were some critical commentsmade about the cost of education and poor quality, most Majuroresidents consulted did not see that there were problems withaccess as in other places. This can be explained by the greater rangeof both public and private elementary and high schools available onMajuro.

As with Ebeye, there was also a concern over the physicalcondition of housing. A number of respondents expressed a desire toimprove their houses or build new houses if there was some form ofpublic fund available to assist them.

What Can Be Done?

A fter listening to the stories of the poor and understand-ing the nature and causes of hardship, what can be doneto address it? Working together with those facing hard-

ship to plan, prioritize, and implement solutions has a good chanceof leading to successful, lasting initiatives.

During the assessment, people suggested the following pro-posed solutions.

People’s Priorities

Most discussion centered on the need for agricultural and fishing-related development on the outer islands, as long as it is supportedby greatly improved and expanded transportation services. Therewas also considerable interest in agricultural extension programs,particularly on islands close to urban areas.

Sales and marketing assistance to support individual handi-craft producers was repeatedly mentioned. In particular, the estab-lishment of handicraft centers with good links to traders on Majuroand elsewhere was seen as a way to promote this form of incomegeneration.

WaterWaterWaterWaterWatercatchments arecatchments arecatchments arecatchments arecatchments areneeded by thoseneeded by thoseneeded by thoseneeded by thoseneeded by thosewithout pipedwithout pipedwithout pipedwithout pipedwithout pipedwaterwaterwaterwaterwater

Unemployed Housewife, 25 Years Old

A range of other economic activities were also mentioned,including fish-based and aquaculture products as important av-enues for income generation on the outer islands.

Increased educational and training opportunities were an-other high priority, including more places at high school, vocationalcourses, and re-entry programs such as the General EducationDiploma.

In all discussions of youth and child-related issues, the range ofproposed solutions was similar, and included suggestions along thefollowing lines:

· Increase the number of sporting facilities;· Establish more youth organizations to keep young people

occupied and limit the extent of idleness, drinking, steal-ing, and teenage pregnancy; and

· Focus on education and information dissemination regard-ing how to deal with peer group pressure and how to handlesex-related issues responsibly.

The need to improve services and infrastructure was identi-fied as a major community priority during the assessment. There isa need to ensure the provision of basic services, such as solar powerand water catchments, to all communities. Continued investmentin public education and health services was also seen as a pressingcommunity priority in most communities.

She left school because she got preg-nant. She blames peer pressure and thelack of information about teenagepregnancy at the time. She said thesituation has only become worse withgirls as young as 13 and 14 gettingpregnant. She now has five childrenaged 8, 6, 3, 2, and 7 months. Herhusband works at the Laura Farm Tech-nical Mission.

Five nearby households draw ontheir well for water, because this wateris not safe to drink, they must get drink-ing water from houses further away.They live in a one-room house with asmall outhouse for cooking. She wishesthey had a bigger and better house,with power, a water catchment, and abathroom.

She said that there was no differ-ence between the poverty and hardshipexperienced on Majuro and other partsof the country. In giving her reasons,she pointed to the daily hardships shefaces living with five children in theirsmall, very run-down house withoutwater catchments and electricity.

She said that if she had some sort oftalent or skill then maybe she couldearn some money for the family toimprove their house. For this reason,she has been learning handicrafts fromsome neighbors. Her main priority isher children. She wants a better homefor their sake and also wants them tohave a good education. She stresses the

word “good” because she believes thatthe quality of education and teachingneeds to be improved. She pushes herolder children to go to school regularlyand on time.

She also expressed concern aboutthe number of young men who do nothave jobs and stay at home all day do-ing nothing and drinking alcohol. Shethought there should be programs orjobs to help people make better use oftheir time. The problem, she said, is thatwhen you have nothing to do, you tendto sit at home feeling bored and frus-trated, and then you start picking onyour children and other family mem-bers. This leads to fights and unhappi-ness. It’s hard to be respectful of others,she said, when you know you could bedoing something better with your time,only you can’t.

Youth organizations are also badlyneeded to provide more informationabout teenage pregnancy and activitiesfor young people, so they don’t getcaught up in peer pressure and stealingand drinking. She points to recent im-provements due to the new basketballcourt in Laura and says that they needmore sporting facilities and programsfor youth. She also wants new educa-tional opportunities and training pro-grams for young men and women whodropped out of high school, but nowrealize the importance of education interms of getting a good job.

Improved

education and

training are

high priorities