International Aid is a major driving factor of economic development. But there are issues in developing countries that need to be tackled first, and the biggest one is the health poverty trap. Communicable diseases that are non-existent in some countries create humanitarian crises in others, preventing sustainable growth and development and setting back not only families, but entire communities. The problem is made worse by a rise in corruption and pressure on NGOs in a number of regions - and that means, vital aid is not getting to the places where it's most needed.
This is why the AMANI Intelligent Development Fund was created. We are proud to be an a-political organisation and use data from gold-standard economic research to make sure we and the local charities we work with distribute donations in the most cost-effective way possible. Before partnering with local organisations, we hire professionals to analyse their reports and financial accounts, detecting inefficiencies as early as possible.
The AMANI Fund operates by partnering with local organisations with an ambitious goal of eradicating inefficient aid distribution. Once contact is established, we work together to find local suppliers of disease prevention equipment - such as insecticide-treated bed nets. We then search for the cheapest ways to distribute those to communities that can't afford them. Upon receiving the aid, people will be instructed on how to use it to reduce future risks.
Indonesia is a low-income developing country in South-East Asia, and is the only country not to have met the 40% malaria mortality reduction goal in 2020-21. Rural parts of Indonesia suffer most due to logistical issues related to aid distribution, which has already resulted in 59% of the planned 3,000,000 nets not being delivered. The AMANI fund is currently in the process of creating strategic partnerships with charities in these areas, with the goal of making sure more aid can be taken to where it is most needed.
Ibu Emptat, who lives in a village in Indonesia, is a classic example of how a poor family falls into the health poverty trap. Having borrowed money to treat her husband from an illness and poor eye vision, she fell behind on payments, leading her debts to increase by almost 3 times. When her son was then diagnosed with asthma, she had no money to pay for his treatment. The child soon stopped visiting school, which already sets him back when trying to escape hunger and poverty.
Ibu Emptat has reached out to a number of NGOs in Indonesia, but none of them were quick to deliver financial and medical help. The country ranks 102nd in the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, and the work of many charities is limited by inefficient aid distribution. The family of Ibu Emptat is a powerful example of how, despite billions of dollars being donated to charities every year, lack of timely preventative aid remains an issue.
