Letters to the Editor

• Pages: 2

Page 2

Adult education is key to poverty reduction

I agree with Shantayanan Devarajan and Ritva Reinikka (September 2003) that effective service delivery arrangements can help countries reach poor people and move toward the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This is particularly true for many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where, even if overall economic resources increase, the effect on the poor will not be visible without service delivery reform.

But from my point of view as a grassroots practitioner in rural Africa, the authors neglect to mention a key factor: adult education and local community capacity building. Adult illiteracy rates are still high in rural areas where most of the poor in Africa live. This leads to poor knowledge about basic issues, such as health, HIV/AIDS, and the environment. Poor education and low income are among the main obstacles that the present generation must overcome to achieve the MDGs that target future generations.

Adult or community education, mass literacy campaigns, and the like are no longer fashionable in the development language of today, which is more market oriented. But if the first MDG on income is met and the basic knowledge gap of the poor is bridged, then we can expect the poor to interact better with service providers and policymakers and thereby contribute to the achievement of the other MDGs relating to children, youth education, health, the environment, and the global partnership for development.

Sadiki Byombuka

Lecturer, Rural Development College Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo

"Institutions, Institutions, Institutions"

I agree with the point made by Allan Meltzer (June 2003) about good institutions being the main factor behind the economic success of Hong Kong. Even now that Hong Kong is taking an economic beating and mainland China is surging ahead, Hong Kong still has the institutional edge (something that, unfortunately, seems to be lost on the leaders in Hong Kong). The crucial factor for developing an economy is "institutions, institutions, and institutions."

Why do bad institutions persist long after their disastrous consequences are apparent? This is the question addressed by Daron Acemoglu in "Root Causes." Mismanaging an economy over a long period will result in powerful...