The South Carolina Promise Zone is found in the low country, and it encompasses six counties including Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper. The region is inhabited by 90,000 residents who are impoverished, and it is indicated that out of the total population 28.21% are highly marginalized.  The median income of the region which was reported in 2012 was found to be 25% less than the actual Household income for the United States. The rate of unemployment is high, and the level of educational attainment in the region is shallow. The housing system is scarce and is of low quality which can be affordable by the impoverished residents of the area.   The paper describes the present issues in SC Promise Zone and the relevant solutions that can be used to salvage such critical situations within the area.

Promise Zone leadership and Goals

The leadership comprises of the South Carolina Regional Development Alliance (SCA) which is expected to guide the SC Promise Zone into forming a partnership with some other organizations located in the region and the entire state. SCA has worked diligently in the past 20 years to ensure that effective collaboration is attained among the partners to salvage the community and improve on the quality of life for the residents. The leadership is determined to ensure that the Zone designation can catalyze partners’ efforts to create jobs, improve educational outcomes, increase economic activity, improve public safety and expand on the available housing stock.

Present issues

There is an issue of internet access within the SC promise Zone where it is reported that half of the zone cannot have access to internet services. The dead zone was observed in the counties like Barnwell where the challenge of spotty cellphone coverage is encountered. According to the research carried out in the region, two in five of the residents cannot afford to purchase broadband internet due to the lack of the infrastructure. The available services in the area are also not affordable since they are too much expensive for ordinary residents to afford.  The majority of the homes do not have a broadband connection, and hence ten of thousands of people cannot have the modern society infrastructure.

Promise Zone is also considered as a food desert since there is limited availability of affordable fresh foods. The available fresh foods in the region are too much expensive such that the people can not afford them. Large retailers are not willing to invest in the area to provide quality foods since the population is sparse and cannot provide an adequate market.  The people in the region also consists of low-income earners which poses a risk for the large retailers like Publix to invest in the SC Promise Zone. The area has been identified to consist of a population of residents who have unhealthy lifestyles which are associated with the issue of residents resorting in gas stations for meals. The farmers in the region should have become significant contributors in providing a solution to the food issues, but they prefer to sell in corporative where they can get enough money to continue running their programs. The reason why large retailers cannot bring their store in the region is due to the problem of poor network connections and social capital.

The problem associated with the lack of groceries and stable income is malnutrition due to the poor eating habits. The residents cannot afford to purchase groceries from the available stores since they are expensive and instead they choose to eat at the food stores. The foods stations are, and people only afford low-quality foods which ultimately deteriorates their health. When people cannot afford a balanced diet, there is a problem of lacking sufficient nutrients in the body especially among the children.

Solution

To solve the issue of internet connection, education standards, and low-quality housing, leadership is determined to create more emergency rooms, affordable housing, and more teachers. There is also an increasing need for better infrastructure which will increase the opportunities of attracting investors who in turn become the big employers for the residents. The students will be provided with an alternative means of education of learning after school and assist residents in finding new jobs. The economy of broadband expansion will be initiated with several miles of fiber intended to connect more customers.

Food hubs will be the solution towards the low-quality foods acquired by residents since it will allow residents to afford healthy foods within the locals through investing in their available resources. There are already operational food hubs which are struggling to survive in the Promise Zone, and this is showing that there is a chance of better Food hub performance in the area. The food hubs have a significant aim of meeting the needs of the community members and in reforming the entire food system. The food hub is also working to ensure that students, schools, and restaurants can buy foods at fair prices.

In conclusion, the Promising Zone of South Carolina is comprised of a larger population of people living in poverty. The economic standard of the region is low with a low internet connection, low-quality education and lack of healthy foods. Some of the causes of the issues that were identified encompass low social capital, lack of infrastructure and low income for the residents. The leadership that was formed with the assistance of the Obama administration is working to create food hubs, increase broad banding and improve on the quality of education as they also strive to search jobs for the residents.

 
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