Overview
- Lesson Title: Trying to Eradicate Urban Poverty-This is a report about the twenty-first summit of the United Nations Human Settlement Program.
- Language: Hausa
- Topic: Economics/Politics
- ILR Level: 1+/2
- ACTFL Proficiency: Advanced-Mid, Advanced-Low, Intermediate-High; This ACTFL rating is an approximation based on the ILR level
- Modality: Reading
- Learning Objective: Maintenance & Improvement
- Subject Area: Language
- Material Type: LO
- Publication Year: 2008
- ObjectID: HAUS_12969
Transcript
| Original | Translation |
|---|---|
|
An dauki matakai don yinkokarin yakida talaucin birane A ran 16 ga wata, a babbar hukumar gidajen kwana da ke birnin Nairobi, hedkwatar kasar Kenya, an kira taro na 21 na majalisar hukumar gidajen kwana ta M.D.D. A gun taron, wakilan da suka zo daga kasashe mambobi 58 na majalisar da na wasu kungiyoyin kasashen duniya da na shiyya-shiyya za su tattauna matsalolin raya birane har zuwa dogon lokaci, da yaki da talauci da kyautata ingancin zaman rayuwar jama'a. To, jama'a, masu sauraro, yanzu za mu karanta muku wani bayanin da wakilansu suna ruwaito mana daga wajen taron. An shafe kwanaki 5 ana yin wannan taro, babban batun wannan taro shi ne "A raya birane har zuwa dogon lokaci, kuma a mai da muhimmanci wajen daukar matakai domin yaki da talauci wajen kudi da yin safiyo". Madam Anna Tibaijuka, mataimakiyar babban sakataren M.D.D. kuma direktar zartaswa ta hukumar gidajen kwana ta yi jawabi a gun bikin bude taro inda ta ce, "An kira taro na 21 na majalisar hukumar gidajen kwana ne a daidai muhimmin lokacin tarihi. Daga shekarar 2007, 'yan adam za su zama mutanen birane, sabo da daga yanzu yawancin mutane za su yi zaman rayuwarsu cikin birane, amma ba kauyuka ba, irin wannan yunkurin sauyawar mutane ba ya juyuwa baya." Daidai kamar yadda madam Tibaijuka ta fada cewa, dalilin da ya sa karuwar yawan gidajen talakawa ya zo daga fannoni da yawa, ciki har da shigowar yawan manoma 'yan kwadago cikin birane, karuwar yawan marasa aikin yi, kuma karancin kudin da gwamnatin da sassan kasuwanci suka ware domin gina gidajen talakawa. Domin daidaita wadannan matsalolin da aka ambata a baya, wasu kasashe sun riga sun dauki matakai masu yakini. A gun bikin bude taron, Mr. Mwai Kibaki, shugaban kasar Kenya ya yi bayani ga wakilai masu halartar taro kan shirin da kasar Kenya ta dauka wajen kyautata unguwannin talakawa. Ya ce, "Bisa taimakon hukumar gidajen kwana da sauran abokan gama gwiwa, gwamnatin Kenya ta riga ta dauki matakai da yawa don yin gaba da kalubale da aka yi mata sabo da wadannan matsaloli, ta yadda za a tabbatar da yunkurin raya birane har zuwa dogon lokaci kuma bisa hanyar gaskiya. Domin cim ma wannan manufa, gwamnatin Kenya za ta mai da hankali wajen tsai da mamufofi da dokoki, da kara kwarewarta domin gudanar da harkoki, da yin muhimman gine-gine da yawa. Gwamnatin Kenya kuma za ta sa lura sosai kan matsalar unguwannin da aka gina ba tare da samun yarda daga gwamnati ba, kuma ta riga ta tsai da "shirin kyautata unguwannin talakawa na kasar Kenya" da shirin ba da taimako wajen kudi, an kimanta cewa, cikin shekara 13 masu zuwa za a ware dala biliyan 20 domin gudanar da wannan shiri". |
Some steps have been taken to fight against poverty in cities The 21st summit of the United Nations Human Settlement Program has been slated for the 16th of this month in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Delegates, including representatives from the Program 58 member states and from various global and regional organizations, will discuss urban development problems, combating poverty, and improving people's living conditions at the meeting. And now, listeners, we will read you an account of the summit, as reported by representatives. The theme of the five-day summit is “sustainable urbanization, local action for urban poverty reduction with an emphasis on finance and planning.” Ms. Anna Tibaijuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Human Settlements Program, addressed the opening session, stating, “The 21st summit of the Governing Council of the Human Settlements Program has been called at a critical time in history. As of the year 2007, humans will be an urban race, because from now on the majority of people will live in cities rather than rural areas, and this cannot be reversed.” Ms. Tibaijuka noted that there are many factors contributing to the increasing number of slums, including the migration of laborers into cities, the increasing unemployment rate, and insufficient funding from the government and private sector to build affordable housing. Some countries have already taken deliberate steps to solve these problems. During the opening ceremony, Kenya’s President, Mr. Mwai Kibaki, described to delegates a plan to improve slum settlements already designed by Kenya. He said, “With the help of the Human Settlements Program and other partners, the government of Kenya has already taken many steps to address the issues involved in these problems, so as to ensure sustainable, appropriate, and well-implemented urbanization. In order to achieve this goal, the government of Kenya will formulate policies and legislation which will ensure capacity-building and develop important infrastructure. The government of Kenya will pay special attention to the problem of settlements built without government approval, and has already set up the ‘Kenya Slum Upgrading Strategy,’ backed by a financial support plan. It is estimated that 20 billion dollars will be set aside over the next 13 years to run this program.” |
Glossary
| Hausa term | English meaning |
|---|---|
| shiyya-shiyya | Describing groups or parts of something |
| tattauna matsalolin | "Chewing the problems" refers to dealing with problems or solving problems. |
| 'yan kwadago cikin birane | "The work force living in the cities" sometimes refers to those who travel to the cities for seasonal jobs. |
| sauran abokan gama gwiwa | “The other friends with whom we join our knees" refers to partners or members of a group. |
| mai da hankali | "Pay attention," "focus" |
| gine-gine | Referring to a continuous process of building, constructing, or creating |
| yan Adam | "Children of Adam" refers to Man, a person, or mankind. |
| Juyuwa baya | "Turning backwards" refers to something being reversed. |
Notes
Trying To Eradicate Urban Poverty
1. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–HABITAT) is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It was established in 1978 and has its headquarters at the UN office in Nairobi, Kenya. It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. UN-HABITAT runs two major worldwide campaigns – the Global Campaign on Urban Governance, and the Global Campaign for Secure Tenure. Through these campaigns and by other means, the agency focuses on a range of issues and special projects which it helps implement.
These include a joint UN-HABITAT/World Bank slum upgrading initiative called the Cities Alliance, which promotes effective housing development policies and strategies, helps develop and campaign for housing rights, promotes sustainable cities and urban environmental planning and management, post-conflict land-management and reconstruction in countries devastated by war or natural disasters. Others take on water and sanitation and solid waste management for towns and cities, training and capacity building for local leaders, and ensuring that women’s rights and gender issues are brought into urban development and management policies to help fight crime through UN-HABITAT’s Safer Cities Programme. Additionally, other programs research and monitor urban economic development, employment, poverty reduction, municipal and housing finance systems, and urban investment. They also help strengthen rural-urban linkages, infrastructure development and public service delivery.
The main documents outlining the mandate of the organization are the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, the Habitat Agenda, the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, and Resolution 56/206. It has three regional offices, Nairobi, Rio de Janeiro, and Fukuoka.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Human_Settlements_Programme
http://orgs.takingitglobal.org/3836
2. There is a usually a major difference between life in African cities and villages or small towns, with most of the countries' population living in the villages/small towns.
It is estimated that the highest number of the world’s poor live mostly in rural areas, especially in Africa. Most of such people are farmers, herders, fishers, artisans, migrant workers (referred to in the text as “Yan kwadigo”) and those whose daily activities/struggles rarely capture the world’s attention. Women are believed to be vulnerable to diseases and other poverty related issues in rural areas, because they do not have equal access to social and economic assets. For example, subsistence farming is the primary and often the only source of livelihood for about 70 % of women.
www.amdd.hs.columbia.edu/docs/ProgramBrochure.pdf
www.fsdinternational.org/intlopps/country/Kenya1
XML
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<instr type="eng">Read each question and type your response in the box provided. Click CHECK at the bottom of the screen to view the model response.</instr>
<instr type="target" />
<bgnotes>
<bg>
<category>Vocabulary</category>
<note>1. _Sauyawar_ is regionally used to describe a changing process. Some regions use _sakewa_ or _canzawa_ to mean the same thing.
2. _Mamufofi_ refers to "the intentions, reasons, or aims of an act." This is spelt as MANUFOFI.</note>
</bg>
<bg>
<category>Background Information</category>
<note>1. Over the past thirty years, Kenya has experienced poverty, despite its ranking as East Africa’s best-developed economy, with relatively advanced agricultural and industrial sectors and substantial foreign exchange earnings from agricultural exports and tourism.
It is also estimated that more than half of its over 3 million citizens are poor, with 7 million extremely poor, found in the arid zones of Kenya (in the North).
While the poorest of the poor are found in the sparsely populated arid zones of the country, more than 80 per cent of rural poor people live in higher-potential areas surrounding Lake Victoria and in the Mount Kenya region. The country’s population has tripled in thirty years, increasing the poverty level, depleting natural resources, widening the income gap and rising poverty levels that erode development in terms of education, health, food security, employment and incomes.
Like most African countries, Kenya’s rural people are made up of small farmers, herders, farm laborers, unskilled and semi-skilled workers, households headed by women, people with disabilities and AIDS orphans.
http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/english/regions/africa/ken/index.htm</note>
</bg>
</bgnotes>
<problemset>
<problem>
<stim>What was the purpose of the meeting described in the report?</stim>
<fdbk>The purpose was to discuss different problems but the main topic at the 12th meeting was fighting poverty and improving people's standard of living in urban areas.</fdbk>
<hint>How does the text describe the theme of the five-day summit? Please refer to the Notes for information about poverty in urban and rural areas of Africa.</hint>
</problem>
<problem>
<stim>Why did Ms. Anna Tibaijuka call the time of the summit "a critical time in history"?</stim>
<fdbk>She stated that as of 2007 most rural settlers will become urban settlers. From now on, the majority of people will live in cities rather than rural areas, and this cannot be reversed.</fdbk>
<hint>How has the human population changed by the year 2007?</hint>
</problem>
<problem>
<stim>Who were the participants of the meeting?</stim>
<fdbk>Representatives of the 58 members of M.D.D. and some international organizations.</fdbk>
<hint>Please reread the introductory part of the text.</hint>
</problem>
<problem>
<stim>What factors are contributing to the increasing number of slums?</stim>
<hint>Note the final part of Ms. Tibaijuka's speech.</hint>
<fdbk>Slums are increasing due to different factors including the migration of laborers, the high unemployment rate, and the lack of funding from governments and the private sector to build affordable housing.</fdbk>
</problem>
<problem>
<stim>How is the problem of urban poverty going to be solved?</stim>
<fdbk>Different countries have already taken steps to solve the problem of urban poverty. For example, the Kenyan Government has taken steps to make sure the laws and plans are enforced and that new houses built are concrete and solid.</fdbk>
<hint>Pay attention to the speech of Kenya's President, Mr. Mwai Kibaki and to the "Kenya Slum Upgrade Strategy." Please refer to the Learn More notes for information about poverty in Kenya.</hint>
</problem>
</problemset>
</activity>