The links between girls’ education and conflict prevention are well documented. By addressing the root causes of instability, education builds resilience against radicalization and economic despair. Girls’ education and conflict prevention are key pathways to bringing peace in the Sahel by tackling socio‑economic and governance drivers of violence.
The Education-Poverty-Conflict Nexus
The Sahel is a large, semi-arid area of West Africa facing overlapping crises of armed conflict, climate change and poverty. In Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, insurgent violence has forced millions to flee, devastated livelihoods and undermined national economies. More than 40% of people in the Central Sahel live in extreme poverty, and many families survive on less than $1.90 per day, which makes the direct and indirect costs of schooling difficult to afford, according to UNDP and World Bank data. Poverty pushes parents to keep girls at home to work, marry early or migrate for survival income rather than continue their education. In Burkina Faso alone, schools are frequently targeted by armed groups; thousands have closed due to chronic insecurity, and more than 1 million children have seen their education disrupted. In this context, girls’ education becomes a crucial strategy for building social cohesion and resilience.
Girls’ education, poverty reduction and stability are deeply connected. According to a 2018 World Bank study, barriers to girls’ education result in a global loss of $15 trillion to $30 trillion in productivity. Educated girls are more likely to delay marriage, earn higher incomes and invest in their children’s health and education. For example, in many low-income countries, women with secondary education earn nearly twice as much as those with no schooling, and their children are significantly less likely to be malnourished, according to World Bank data. These pathways show how expanding access to education helps counter poverty, demographic pressure and social exclusion, three drivers closely tied to instability in the region.
When girls miss out on education, the cost is exceptionally high in fragile regions. Girls out of school face greater risks of child marriage, exploitation by armed groups and entrapment in cycles of poverty that fuel future conflict. This illustrates why scaling up girls’ education across the region is essential for reducing recruitment into armed groups and weakening violent extremist narratives.
The Sahel’s Challenges
The Sahel’s triple burden of conflict, severe climate shocks, such as droughts that destroy crop yields, and poverty threatens girls’ ability to attend school. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 54% of girls in Niger were out of school, and child marriage rates ranked among the highest in the world. In Burkina Faso, more than 6,000 schools have closed recently, affecting 1 million children and leaving many girls without safe learning spaces. These compounding pressures show how fragile the conditions are for sustaining girls’ access to education, especially for the poorest households that struggle to cover school fees, supplies and transportation.
In Niger, disruptions are acute in regions like Tillabéry and Diffa, where insecurity and displacement prevent basic education access. Across the Central Sahel, nearly 7.5 million children are in urgent need of assistance, primarily displaced women and children. This level of need means that education services must also provide food, psychosocial support and protection to ensure that girls from extremely poor families can attend and stay in school.
Evidence-Based Interventions
Initiatives like cash incentives, safe transport and school feeding programs deliver measurable results. The World Bank reports that targeted cash transfers and education grants boost attendance and completion while drastically reducing early marriage and pregnancy among girls. In practice, these programs ease the financial burden on low-income families, making it possible for girls to remain in class instead of marrying early or working to supplement household income.
Other effective measures include providing uniforms, creating safe, girl-friendly schools and supporting girls’ clubs that offer life skills and mentoring. These tools keep girls in school and reduce pressures pushing families toward harmful coping strategies like forced marriage. They also show practical ways to operationalize these strategies through concrete, scalable policy instruments that directly benefit communities living in poverty.
Multilateral Efforts and U.S. Support
Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies, focuses on the Sahel, aiming to maintain education in conflict zones. In Burkina Faso, ECW provided $11.1 million in seed funding to mobilize an additional $48 million, reaching more than 800,000 children, 60% of whom are girls. These investments help restore learning for children in areas where conflict and poverty have closed schools and cut off opportunities.
In Niger, ECW investments increase enrollment for children impacted by conflict and climate shocks by covering fees and expanding secure classrooms. United States foreign assistance, including USAID, complements these efforts by promoting girls’ education as a pillar of regional stability and poverty reduction, supporting teacher training, community-based schools and scholarships that target low-income and displaced girls.
Looking Ahead
Girls’ education in the Sahel is not merely a moral duty but a strategic investment in conflict prevention and poverty reduction. Schools that keep girls learning, protect them from violence and equip them with skills break cycles of poverty and conflict. When girls attend school, communities benefit: earnings rise, maternal and child health improves and foundations of peaceful, more prosperous societies are built. Investing in girls’ education across the Sahel therefore represents a powerful pathway for donors and policymakers to support both human development and lasting stability in one of the world’s most fragile regions.
– Charles Bakar
Charles is based in Montréal, Canada and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Pexels
Palau’s Renewable Energy
Reducing Dependence on Imported Fuel
Palau is a small island chain of 340 islands in the Pacific Ocean, about 1,200 to 1,500 kilometers (745 to 942 miles) east of the Philippines, with a population of about 17,000 people.
The country is upgrading its energy production from imported fossil fuels to solar power and battery backup, among other methods. This shift is expected to free up millions of dollars for programs ranging from electric grid upgrades to socioeconomic stability.
Dependence on foreign oil is not a steady, reliable energy source. In 2024, Palau imported $36 million worth of refined petroleum. Instability in the Middle East could make oil imports more expensive and less reliable for Pacific nations, as most oil that transits the Strait of Hormuz is bound for Asia.
Palauans have recognized these risks and have engaged in discussions with various companies and countries for about 10 years. They are collaborating with different countries and entities to advance Palau’s renewable energy goals.
International Cooperation
The Palau Solar PV+BESS Project, developed by Solar Pacific Pristine Power Inc., a Philippine company, is the largest solar-plus-battery-storage project in the Western Pacific. Solar Pacific is the first utility-scale solar producer on the island, supplying about 20% of Palau’s power needs.
The Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy has pledged 16.4 million Australian dollars to fund a battery storage system, contributing to a 15-megawatt solar farm, one of the largest in the Pacific region. The funding comes from the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP).
Poverty Challenges
About 25% of Palau’s population lives in poverty. Many rural areas lack easily accessible roads to markets or basic medical centers due to their location on small islands. The Southwest Islands of Sonsorol, Pulo Anna, Merir and Tobi Island have a population of 65 people. Many residents must travel long distances to larger cities and bring items back to rural areas.
Despite economic growth for most islands, inflation has diminished economic gains. Fuel costs have increased consumer prices by 200% and food prices by 300% over the last 10 years, especially since 2020. This imbalance has made daily life challenging, as the islands depend heavily on imports for necessities such as food and medicine.
Islands like Kayangel, Angaur and West Babeldaob, which are isolated from the major city of Koror, have the highest poverty rates. Many couples with children often leave for economic opportunities in Koror or other countries, leaving children with grandparents and the community.
The average income in Palau in 2026 is about $21,000 per year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Families are expected to save on electricity bills and fuel usage, making it easier to afford basic needs. These savings will create more local job opportunities in the energy sector.
Benefits for Palau
Locals are building solar arrays, microgrids and battery systems, creating skilled technical jobs. Savings on fuel supplies and tariffs will allow for future innovations in roads, energy infrastructure, schools and medical facilities, strengthening financial stability for families and the nation.
Former President Tommy Remengesau Jr. stated that Palau’s renewable energy goals offer fixed costs with no inflation for 30 years while remaining environmentally friendly, a benefit for Palauans.
Palau will become energy independent from fossil fuels, aiding the population, especially the impoverished, and setting an example for reliable energy solutions in low- and middle-income countries.
– Jonathan Snowiss
Photo: Flickr
USAID Programs in Kazakhstan
While USAID programs in Kazakhstan contributed to development efforts, broader issues relating to socio-economic indicators continue. According to the World Bank, about 0.04% of Kazakhstan’s population lives below the international poverty line of $3 a day. Indicating a relatively low poverty rate. However, the same World Bank report states that in Financial Year 2027, Kazakhstan’s growth rate would moderate from 6.5% last fiscal year to 4.6%. Meanwhile, Kazinform reports that while Kazakhstan spends about $15 billion or 7 trillion Kazakh Tenge on education, about 73.5% of the expenditure goes to salaries and social payments. These indicators highlight areas that continue to shape the country’s various economic indicators.
Key USAID Programs in Kazakhstan
Here are the key areas where USAID focuses its programs:
USAID’s activities in Kazakhstan are part of a broader U.S. – Kazakhstan development cooperation.
The Impact
USAID’s activities in Kazakhstan affect several sectors, including:
Challenges That USAID in Kazakhstan Faces
Here are the challenges the organization has faced while operating in Kazakhstan:
The Future of USAID in Kazakhstan
Foreign policy priorities will influence the future of USAID in Kazakhstan, congressional appropriations and decisions that the presidential administration made. Recent policy changes have altered funding priorities for some international assistance programs.
– Dhruv Bandhu
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
How Film Fights Poverty in Brazil
Economic Inequality and the Power of Film
Despite this drastic reduction in poverty, Brazil continues to struggle with one of the most severe wealth and income gaps globally. For example, the nation’s six richest men hold a combined wealth equal to that of the poorest 50% of the population. While traditional economic strategies like direct financial aid and trade policy are still essential to addressing this inequality, the power of film is also emerging as a critical tool. For decades, filmmakers have used their creative power to document the emotional realities of poverty in Brazil. They have created a cinematic legacy that directly impacts local economies and highlights necessary social change.
City of God (2002)
Fernando Meirelles’ City of God (2002) brought international attention to the challenges facing residents of Rio de Janeiro’s Cidade de Deus favela. During production, the producers recruited and trained many young people from low-income communities through the theater organization Nós do Morro. This gave many participants their first professional experience in the film industry. Several cast members went on to successful domestic acting careers; a chance at professional acting experience opened doors that had previously been inaccessible due to cycles of poverty in Brazil. Roberta Rodrigues began acting with Nós do Morro at age 16, appearing in City of God when she was 19. Within a year of the film’s release, Rodrigues had been cast in the popular TV Globo telenovela Mulheres Apaixonadas, and has starred in numerous TV shows and movies since then.
Additionally, the film sparked international interest in Rio’s favelas, or informal, impoverished urban settlements. Favela tourism can create economic opportunities for local businesses and allow travelers to learn more about Brazilian culture. However, this kind of tourism has been criticized for being voyeuristic, with the potential to reinforce negative stereotypes about Brazilians. After the release of City of God, community-run tour companies, restaurants, craft markets and local guides all experienced increased business from visitors. When managed responsibly, this tourism generated income for residents and supported small businesses.
Favela Rising (2005)
This documentary follows community leader Anderson Sá and the AfroReggae organization in Rio’s Vigário Geral favela. In the wake of the 1993 Vigário Geral police massacre, José Junior, one of the founders, pioneered AfroReggae to transform local youth into community leaders.
AfroReggae uses music, dance, theater and vocational training to steer young people away from gangs and toward education and employment opportunities. While this organization already worked to fight poverty in Brazil, the documentary brought international acclaim, attracting new supporters and expanding its reach to other countries, including Colombia and the U.K.
The documentary was recognized at the Tribeca Film Festival, among many other prestigious institutions, and won more than 30 international awards. Due to the documentary’s success, AfroReggae collaborated with well-known artists and public figures, including musicians and actors who contributed to fundraising efforts and awareness campaigns. By connecting audiences around the world with the realities of life inside Brazil’s favelas, Favela Rising showed how filmmaking can strengthen grassroots organizations working to break cycles of poverty.
Waste Land (2010)
The Oscar-nominated film Waste Land produced direct economic benefits to Brazilian people. The film follows Brazilian artist Vik Muniz and his collaboration with catadores, waste pickers who collect recyclable materials at Jardim Gramacho, which was once the world’s largest landfill.
International recognition attracted donations and increased recognition surrounding the tangible contributions of catadores to Brazil’s recycling economy. However, the project generated more than just international recognition; the filmmakers donated over $250,000 of the proceeds directly to the Association of Recycling Pickers of Jardim Gramacho, building homes, improving infrastructure and creating training programs. The documentary helped reduce stigma surrounding waste pickers and highlighted the importance of dignified employment for some of Brazil’s most vulnerable populations.
Looking Ahead
Brazilian cinema shows how film can serve as more than just entertainment. The creativity and innovation of these filmmakers sparked the creation of jobs, strengthened community organizations and funded under-recognized populations.
Although films alone cannot eradicate poverty in Brazil, they can inspire partnerships, philanthropy and economic opportunities that produce long-lasting benefits. In Brazil, filmmaking demonstrates how powerful storytelling can change the world.
– Julia Sanders
Photo: Needpix
The Last Mile of Care: Community Health Workers in Lesotho
A Health System Under Strain
Lesotho carries one of the heaviest HIV burdens in the world. An estimated 18.5% of adults ages 15 to 49 were living with HIV in 2023, and roughly 236,000 people 15 and older were on antiretroviral therapy that year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tuberculosis compounds the crisis: an estimated 664 cases occurred per 100,000 people in 2023, and half of all Tuberculosis (TB) cases involved HIV coinfection, making continuous, coordinated care essential rather than optional.
That disease burden overlaps heavily with poverty, and the overlap is sharpest outside Lesotho’s towns. An estimated 27.6% of the rural population lived in multidimensional poverty in 2018, compared with 5.6% in urban areas, according to an analysis by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative using Lesotho’s Demographic and Health Survey data. Rural residents make up 63.7% of Lesotho’s population, meaning the country’s poverty is concentrated in precisely the districts where distance from a clinic is greatest. This compounds the barriers households already face in reaching care. It also underscores why community health workers in Lesotho are being asked to close a gap that health facilities alone cannot.
Before Lesotho had a national health reform in 2014, primary care clinics were characterized by insufficient staffing, inadequate space and a lack of supplies, according to a peer-reviewed study published in PLOS Global Public Health. The country’s earlier village health worker program existed outside of the formal health system, staffed by undercompensated volunteers who had little supervision or support.
Rebuilding the Village Health Worker Model
The 2014 reform, carried out by the government of Lesotho with support from the nonprofit Partners In Health, restructured how community health workers in Lesotho are recruited, trained and paid. A 2025 study in BMC Health Services Research found the reform introduced a formal reselection process to replace inactive workers, assigned two health workers to each village instead of one and created specialized roles, with one worker focused on tuberculosis and HIV and another on maternal and child health. New supervisor and coordinator positions were added to oversee reporting, and monthly stipends rose from 300 to 400 South African rand, paid electronically rather than in cash.
By 2017, the reform had trained and deployed 5,359 village health workers using a standardized curriculum, extending coverage across more than 70 primary care clinics in four districts, representing close to 40% of Lesotho’s population, according to the PLOS Global Public Health study.
Measurable Gains in Rural Care
The same study found that facility-based deliveries rose from 2% to 33% of births in reform districts between 2013 and 2017, with the share of health centers adequately equipped for childbirth rising from 3% to 95%. Quarterly antenatal care visits increased from an average of 1,877 to 2,729, the number of children fully immunized by age one nearly tripled, from 191 to 294, and quarterly HIV testing volume more than doubled, from 5,163 to 12,210.
Partners In Health has since expanded a Rural Health Initiative built on the same community health worker model, operating seven clinics in Lesotho’s mountain districts. These serve more than 90,000 people in areas that would otherwise have limited access to physicians. The organization also runs the country’s first treatment program for multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, based at Botšabelo Hospital in Maseru and supported by community-based follow-up. The program reports a cure rate of 77% for a form of the disease that patients often abandon treatment for midway through its long course.
The Work Still Ahead
Community health workers in Lesotho are, by design, a cost-effective way to extend a limited health budget further: workers are drawn from the villages they serve, trained on core protocols and paid a fraction of a clinician’s salary while reaching people a clinic alone would not. The open question is scale. The 2014 reform covered four of Lesotho’s 10 districts, and expanding the same structured, supervised model nationwide will require sustained funding and continued training capacity.
Even so, the shift already underway marks a break from the informal volunteer system that preceded it. Where a village once relied on a single undercompensated worker with little support, many now have two trained, paid health workers connected to a functioning referral system. For a country where the nearest doctor can still be hours away, that change in structure, more than any single new clinic, is what is making rural care measurably more reachable.
– Saakshi Bhat
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Sahel Solution: Girls’ Education and Conflict Prevention
The Education-Poverty-Conflict Nexus
The Sahel is a large, semi-arid area of West Africa facing overlapping crises of armed conflict, climate change and poverty. In Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, insurgent violence has forced millions to flee, devastated livelihoods and undermined national economies. More than 40% of people in the Central Sahel live in extreme poverty, and many families survive on less than $1.90 per day, which makes the direct and indirect costs of schooling difficult to afford, according to UNDP and World Bank data. Poverty pushes parents to keep girls at home to work, marry early or migrate for survival income rather than continue their education. In Burkina Faso alone, schools are frequently targeted by armed groups; thousands have closed due to chronic insecurity, and more than 1 million children have seen their education disrupted. In this context, girls’ education becomes a crucial strategy for building social cohesion and resilience.
Girls’ education, poverty reduction and stability are deeply connected. According to a 2018 World Bank study, barriers to girls’ education result in a global loss of $15 trillion to $30 trillion in productivity. Educated girls are more likely to delay marriage, earn higher incomes and invest in their children’s health and education. For example, in many low-income countries, women with secondary education earn nearly twice as much as those with no schooling, and their children are significantly less likely to be malnourished, according to World Bank data. These pathways show how expanding access to education helps counter poverty, demographic pressure and social exclusion, three drivers closely tied to instability in the region.
When girls miss out on education, the cost is exceptionally high in fragile regions. Girls out of school face greater risks of child marriage, exploitation by armed groups and entrapment in cycles of poverty that fuel future conflict. This illustrates why scaling up girls’ education across the region is essential for reducing recruitment into armed groups and weakening violent extremist narratives.
The Sahel’s Challenges
The Sahel’s triple burden of conflict, severe climate shocks, such as droughts that destroy crop yields, and poverty threatens girls’ ability to attend school. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 54% of girls in Niger were out of school, and child marriage rates ranked among the highest in the world. In Burkina Faso, more than 6,000 schools have closed recently, affecting 1 million children and leaving many girls without safe learning spaces. These compounding pressures show how fragile the conditions are for sustaining girls’ access to education, especially for the poorest households that struggle to cover school fees, supplies and transportation.
In Niger, disruptions are acute in regions like Tillabéry and Diffa, where insecurity and displacement prevent basic education access. Across the Central Sahel, nearly 7.5 million children are in urgent need of assistance, primarily displaced women and children. This level of need means that education services must also provide food, psychosocial support and protection to ensure that girls from extremely poor families can attend and stay in school.
Evidence-Based Interventions
Initiatives like cash incentives, safe transport and school feeding programs deliver measurable results. The World Bank reports that targeted cash transfers and education grants boost attendance and completion while drastically reducing early marriage and pregnancy among girls. In practice, these programs ease the financial burden on low-income families, making it possible for girls to remain in class instead of marrying early or working to supplement household income.
Other effective measures include providing uniforms, creating safe, girl-friendly schools and supporting girls’ clubs that offer life skills and mentoring. These tools keep girls in school and reduce pressures pushing families toward harmful coping strategies like forced marriage. They also show practical ways to operationalize these strategies through concrete, scalable policy instruments that directly benefit communities living in poverty.
Multilateral Efforts and U.S. Support
Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies, focuses on the Sahel, aiming to maintain education in conflict zones. In Burkina Faso, ECW provided $11.1 million in seed funding to mobilize an additional $48 million, reaching more than 800,000 children, 60% of whom are girls. These investments help restore learning for children in areas where conflict and poverty have closed schools and cut off opportunities.
In Niger, ECW investments increase enrollment for children impacted by conflict and climate shocks by covering fees and expanding secure classrooms. United States foreign assistance, including USAID, complements these efforts by promoting girls’ education as a pillar of regional stability and poverty reduction, supporting teacher training, community-based schools and scholarships that target low-income and displaced girls.
Looking Ahead
Girls’ education in the Sahel is not merely a moral duty but a strategic investment in conflict prevention and poverty reduction. Schools that keep girls learning, protect them from violence and equip them with skills break cycles of poverty and conflict. When girls attend school, communities benefit: earnings rise, maternal and child health improves and foundations of peaceful, more prosperous societies are built. Investing in girls’ education across the Sahel therefore represents a powerful pathway for donors and policymakers to support both human development and lasting stability in one of the world’s most fragile regions.
– Charles Bakar
Photo: Pexels
How Thermal Imaging Protects Wildlife After Dark
Learn how thermal cameras detect heat after dark and how Kenyan conservation teams use the technology to strengthen black rhino protection efforts.
Protecting black rhinos is difficult across Kenya’s large reserves. Without tools that improve visibility during nighttime patrols, rangers may struggle to detect threats to the animals.
Standard cameras cannot produce details in the dark. Thermal sensors trace heat instead of visible light. Across Kenya, conservation teams use these systems to watch vulnerable areas and respond to suspicious movement. Understanding thermal imaging for wildlife protection reveals how precise technology supports local expertise in demanding environments.
How Thermal Cameras Read Heat
Every object above absolute zero emits infrared energy. A thermal camera collects this radiation through a specialized lens and directs it onto a detector. The detector measures temperature differences across the scene and translates those values into an electronic image.
Conventional image intensifiers work differently because they amplify available light from the moon or stars. Thermal imaging is one of the types of night vision systems that are useful in complete darkness. It does not depend on visible illumination. Heat contrast lets a person or vehicle stand out against vegetation. Trained operators must interpret each image alongside local conditions.
Kenya’s Rhino Protection Network
Rhino poaching affects more than wildlife populations. Because nature-based tourism supports employment and income across Kenya, losses among iconic species can harm guides, accommodation providers, local businesses and communities near protected areas.
Kenya provides a clear example of thermal imaging in field conservation. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and its partners support camera systems across black rhino areas. Fixed units monitor boundaries, vehicle-mounted cameras extend coverage during patrols, and the sensors reveal heat signatures. Once the staff has the images, they assess the movement and decide how to respond.
Local Training and Implementation
Local decision-making remains central to the deployment and sustainment of these systems in the field. Remote training allowed the staff at Ol Pejeta Conservancy not only to use thermal equipment but also to take part in designing and installing it themselves. In addition, teams learned to operate, troubleshoot and maintain each system, significantly reducing dependence on visiting engineers and external technical support.
This locally led approach was later extended to other protected areas. WWF reports that partners installed a large-scale thermal monitoring system at Solio Game Reserve in 2023, a site that holds around 30 percent of Kenya’s rhino population. Since the installation, Solio has recorded no wildlife poaching incidents within its boundaries.
The Infrastructure Behind Reliable Detection
A camera provides little value when power fails or alerts cannot reach rangers, so conservation teams first build dependable infrastructure before deploying thermal systems. Remote sites require stable electricity, secure mounting and strong communication links that transmit data in real time.
Solar equipment often powers locations beyond the reach of an established grid, and it allows teams to maintain surveillance in isolated terrain. These systems must handle harsh weather and long distances while maintaining consistent performance. When all components work together, rangers receive timely alerts that help them respond quickly and effectively in the field.
Technology Supports Conservation Teams
Protecting rhinos preserves the wildlife experiences that attract visitors and support jobs in nearby communities. Through using thermal cameras for wildlife protection, trained teams will be able to identify more threats after dark. Combined with local expertise and dependable infrastructure, the technology strengthens ranger awareness while supporting conservation and local economic stability.
– Kelly Schoessling
Photo: Unsplash
Rebuilding Lives After Bonded Labor in India
Although the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1976 outlawed bonded labor in India, it remains a significant problem. Poverty and limited access to economic opportunities leave many people vulnerable to bonded labor. Currently, 23.9% of India’s population lives below the poverty line.
According to the International Justice Mission (IJM), traffickers target underserved communities with limited access to education and economic resources, manipulating them into accepting loans to meet urgent financial needs that can lead to bonded labor. Government agencies and nonprofit organizations are working to help survivors recover from exploitative labor conditions and achieve greater financial stability. Through rescue operations, rehabilitation programs and initiatives that address the root causes of exploitation, these efforts can help reduce vulnerability to future bonded labor and support a way out of poverty.
Rescue Efforts
Government agencies and nonprofit organizations help identify and rescue people trapped in bonded labor. IJM, founded in 1997, is a global nonprofit organization that works with governments to combat violence, human trafficking and modern slavery. In Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India, the organization partnered with the government to rescue five people trapped in bonded labor at a brick kiln. With the organization’s help, the laborers submitted a petition to the government, requesting their release. The government issued a Release Certificate, freeing them and canceling their debts.
According to the organization, its efforts have contributed to an 82% reduction in bonded labor in Tamil Nadu. For many survivors, release from bonded labor is only the first step toward rebuilding their lives and overcoming the financial challenges that can increase vulnerability to exploitation.
Helping Survivors Build Independent Futures
Following their rescue, survivors of bonded labor in India may receive support through India’s Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Laborers. The program provides immediate assistance of up to 30,000 rupees, followed by rehabilitation support ranging from 100,000 rupees to 300,000 rupees, depending on the survivor’s circumstances.
Since the program’s inception, 296,795 bonded laborers have been rehabilitated through the scheme. These resources help former bonded laborers address immediate financial needs and work toward long-term stability. Since poverty and debt are some of the leading factors that contribute to bonded labor, rehabilitation assistance can play an important role in reducing survivors’ vulnerability to future exploitation and supporting pathways out of poverty.
The program also provides social and psychological support alongside vocational training and employment services. Together, these services can help survivors rebuild their lives, achieve greater financial stability, and reduce their risk of returning to exploitative labor arrangements.
Reducing Vulnerability to Bonded Labor
Many released bonded laborers face financial hardship and limited employment opportunities, making rehabilitation services necessary to their long-term recovery.
The International Labor Organization proposes to reduce the factors contributing to bonded labor in India through its “Reducing Vulnerability to Bondage in India Through Promotion of Decent Work” project. These factors include a lack of local job opportunities, illiteracy and unfamiliarity with financial institutions. The organization plans to target brick kiln sectors, where migrant workers and their children are particularly vulnerable to bonded labor. The project aims to reduce this vulnerability through worker-rights education, improved access to financial services and greater employment opportunities.
Through worker-rights education, access to financial services and employment opportunities, the initiative aims to reduce workers’ vulnerability to exploitative labor arrangements and support long-term prevention efforts.
Looking Ahead
While bonded labor in India remains a persistent challenge, ongoing rescue and rehabilitation efforts are helping survivors build more stable and independent futures. Through initiatives such as the Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Laborers and other programs that promote decent work opportunities, former bonded laborers can access financial assistance, support services and resources that reduce their vulnerability to future exploitation. As governments, nonprofits and local communities continue to strengthen these efforts, more survivors may be able to achieve long-term economic security, helping break cycles of poverty and build more stable futures.
– Michelle Kurniali
Photo: Flickr
Refugee Access to Higher Education in Canada
From Survival to Stability Through Education
Across Canada, about 20% of refugees of working age enroll in a college or university program within their first year in the country, far below the participation of other immigrant groups. Refugees who access Canadian post-secondary education witness drastic gains in employment and income. A longitudinal study showed that 84% of government-assisted refugees and 89% of privately sponsored refugees who pursued post-secondary studies were employed within eight years of their arrival, compared to 57% and 66% who did not.
These outcomes highlight how access to higher education can significantly improve employment prospects and earnings over time for refugees. These labor outcomes can directly translate into reduced poverty risk for refugee households and better financial support sent to relatives who are living in crisis situations abroad. Globally, remittances from migrants and refugees to low- and middle-income countries have become one of the largest sources of external finance, often exceeding official development assistance in many countries (p. 4). This illustrates how better jobs in Canada can contribute to poverty reduction worldwide. As refugees gradually move from precarious, low-wage jobs into stable higher-wage positions, they obtain the income, networks and confidence to contribute to the development of their country of origin through remittances, business links and advocacy. In this way, Canada’s higher education system functions as an engine of global development policy that works through students rather than through large aid programs, with this pathway serving as a particularly high-impact lever for poverty reduction.
Barriers to Post-Secondary Access
Despite this potential, many refugees face hard barriers on the road to college or university. Research indicates a cluster of obstacles: limited academic English or French, difficulties getting foreign high school or university credentials recognized, and high tuition and living costs. For young adult refugees balancing survival jobs, family responsibilities and trauma-related mental health needs, lengthy language upgrading or prerequisite courses can make higher education feel out of reach and can limit access.
Structural walls compose these personal challenges. Complex application systems, lack of tailored guidance counseling and uncertainty about immigration status or financial aid can delay or derail study plans. Even when refugees qualify for admission, they may be excluded from provincial student aid or charged international-student fees, effectively pricing them out of classrooms that could transform their futures and further constraining their access to higher education. These barriers keep many refugees trapped in low-income work and increase their vulnerability to long-term poverty in Canada and globally, since they have fewer resources to support family members who remain in conflict-affected settings.
Bridging Programs, Scholarships and Mentoring
Those walls are gradually beginning to be torn down with promising initiatives to close this gap (p. 15). Bridge-training programs through post-secondary education help internationally trained newcomers upgrade their qualifications, improve language skills and meet licensing requirements in regulated professions. These programs combine coursework, mentoring and networking with employers, giving refugee learners a clearer pathway into fields like health, engineering and education and opening doors to better-paid, more secure jobs that reduce poverty risk over the long term.
Targeted scholarships and sponsorship schemes are also expanding refugee access to Canadian campuses. The Student Refugee Program, coordinated by World University Service of Canada (WUSC), resettles more than 150 refugee youth to Canada each year and provides them with a full year of financial and social support as they begin university or college studies. Local WUSC committees, which are often led by students, offer day-to-day mentoring, help with housing and language practice, and a built-in community that reduces isolation to improve retention. Early evaluations show that graduates of such programs transition into stable employment and leadership roles at higher rates, multiplying the impact of each sponsored student over a lifetime and demonstrating how targeted initiatives can widen access to higher education. As these graduates move into professional careers, their ability to support relatives in low-income and crisis-affected countries grows, creating a direct link between refugee education in Canada and global poverty reduction.
Why Refugee Education Is Smart Poverty Policy
The facts are overwhelming: refugees who are able to study in Canada are much more likely to find decent work and to avoid poverty in the long term. Compared to other immigrant groups, the employment and earnings premium for refugees with a Canadian post-secondary degree is significantly higher, which means that every additional seat a refugee student occupies in a post-secondary program will yield disproportionately large benefits.
The investment in refugee access to colleges and universities is not just a humanitarian imperative but a high-leverage poverty reduction strategy that transcends Canada’s borders for a country that is dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals. Canada can use its campuses to launch the next generation of refugee nurses, engineers, teachers and advocates through scaling up bridging programs, scholarships and community-based mentoring. This establishes a ripple effect of people who will help families and communities rise out of poverty, both in their new home and in their countries of origin, and it reinforces the notion that refugee access to higher education in Canada is one of the country’s most effective, underutilized poverty reduction tools.
– Charles Bakar
Photo: Pexels
Social Media and Rule of Law in Northern Ireland
The violence that followed has been described as both “race riots” and “race-based pogroms.” Rioters went door to door searching for homes occupied by immigrants, intending to set them on fire. In several cases, they succeeded. According to The Irish Times, the violence forced 27 people from ethnic minority communities to flee their homes.
Fragility and the Rule of Law in Northern Ireland
Belfast is no stranger to demonstrating how fragile the rule of law can be. Many communities in Northern Ireland feel marginalized, powerless and ignored by political leaders. As a result, some people place their trust in violent paramilitary organizations that exploit these grievances and deepen divisions within their communities. Exactly one year earlier, on June 9th, 2025, Northern Ireland witnessed a similar breakdown in the rule of law after authorities charged two Romanian Roma teenagers with the rape of a young girl. Rioters again targeted immigrants, burned homes and clashed with police.
Politicians from across Northern Ireland’s political divide condemned the violence and called for calm. Since then, The Guardian has reported that police have arrested 19 people for their alleged involvement in the riots, including a 16-year-old boy.
While misinformation helped spark the violence, it does not solely explain why people were so quick to participate. Most of the riots unfolded in communities that have experienced long periods of deprivation, political alienation and limited economic opportunities. These conditions make communities more susceptible and reliant on groups and individuals who exploit fear, resentment and social division for their personal gain.
How Poverty Affects Northern Ireland
Paramilitary organizations are most prevalent in Northern Ireland’s most deprived communities. Around 12% of the population lives in absolute or relative poverty. Although this figure has fallen compared with previous years, it remains the highest poverty rate in the U.K. These organizations thrive in areas affected by poverty because they often operate as alternative authorities for people who feel excluded from mainstream politics. Northern Ireland has also historically experienced higher levels of worklessness than the rest of the U.K., with 31% of working-age people not in employment. Raising living standards and expanding economic opportunities would reduce the dependence some communities place on these organizations.
How Is Northern Ireland Tackling Poverty?
In 2025, the Northern Ireland Executive published its Anti-Poverty Strategy. However, charities including Save the Children strongly criticized the strategy for lacking clear priorities, funding, an action plan, measurable milestones and accountability. Around 200,000 people face hunger and hardship, while approximately one in five households across Northern Ireland experience food insecurity. In 2025, the Trussell Trust and its network of food banks distributed 67,851 emergency food parcels. Although this represented the lowest annual total since 2020, it still highlights the significant level of need across the region.
Standing Against Violence
On Saturday, June 13, large counter-protests took place in both Belfast and Derry/Londonderry. More than 20,000 people attended the Belfast demonstration alone. The atmosphere reflected solidarity and unity as people from different communities and backgrounds stood together against the violence. After the riots ended, residents helped board up damaged buildings and clear the streets. Among the crowd gathered outside City Hall, one placard summed up the mood: “Riots don’t speak for Belfast.”
– Michael Willis
Photo: Unsplash
Sign Language Training Fighting Poverty in Indonesia
Regarding hearing disabilities, there are many forms of sign language for each language. Therefore, learning multiple sign languages is important for communication with individuals within the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. This aids sign language education in a way that allows more deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to sign and be understood by hearing people. A 2024 report revealed that 38.8 million people in Indonesia have disabilities, with 2.6 million having hearing impairments. The Indonesian government ratified the Convention on Disability Rights of Persons with Disabilities under Law Number 19 of 2011. Alongside this was the enactment of seven regulations under Law Number 8 of 2016, which highlight the importance of equal rights for persons with disabilities. The government hopes to empower persons with disabilities through national development. Empowering persons with hearing disabilities helps advance the broader effort to reduce poverty through expanded access to sign language education. Indonesia promotes a philosophy of inclusivity through communication and highlights the importance of accessibility in fighting poverty as a result of inequality.
Sign Language Training at UGM
Sign language training was introduced at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in 2023 as part of the university’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The training specifically fits within SDG 4, which “ensures inclusive and quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all,” and SDG 16, which promotes “peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” The training was held for non-teaching staff but included many student participants as well.
In 2024, UGM held a sign language training with a member of the Indonesian Sign Language Center, presenting on the importance of regional diversity within communication. In her presentation, Raihana Mahira Dhaniswari, or Dhanis, explained the different regional sign languages within Indonesia and highlighted the importance of being able to learn and recognize all of them. Dhaniswari pointed out that, for people who can hear, sign language learning is gradual and that difficulties can be aided by people with hearing disabilities who are often eager to provide guidance.
This training has helped open up opportunities to students, such as accommodations for students in admission tests. The 2025 test accommodated eight test-takers with disabilities, three of whom had hearing impairments.
Sign Language Training With UNDP Indonesia
UNDP Indonesia held sign language training for about 30 participants from various teams to support its Sustainable Development Goals addressing poverty, inequality and environmental issues. In partnership with the Pusat Bahasa Isyarat Indonesia, a research and development center for sign language, UNDP conducted multiple training sessions between August and October 2024. The initiative reflects UNDP’s “no one left behind” philosophy, recognizing sign language as an important tool for advancing Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). By improving communication, the training aims to expand inclusion in education, employment, political participation and other aspects of social and economic life.
Sign Language Training With CBM
Christian Blind Mission, or CBM, is a group dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities living in poverty in a way that allows them to actively and meaningfully participate in society. In West Java, a group of deaf individuals, as part of a Self-Help Group supported by a CBM project, is empowering other deaf individuals through sign language training. The training is assisted by local government, disability advocates, youth organizations and community members.
CBM identifies barriers to communication, education and social inclusion for deaf and hard-of-hearing persons. Limited awareness and access to sign language education isolate many people in the hard-of-hearing community. CBM views sign language as a mode of empowerment and dignity for people who are deaf and intends to address this through sign language training for people with hearing impairments. The training also extends to family and community members, broadening the awareness of the general public. CBM found that this group had an impact on the confidence of Self-Help Group members who were able to engage more with others through a better mode of communication. The relationships built between deaf and non-deaf people as a result help break down barriers and foster understanding between groups, benefiting not only the deaf community but the wider public.
What This Means for Fighting Poverty in Indonesia
Disability and poverty are intertwined due to the accessibility factors that inhibit people with disabilities from receiving equal treatment and opportunities in areas such as education and employment. Indonesia’s prioritization of SDGs that promote inclusivity and integration is shown through programs such as those at UGM, UNDP Indonesia and CBM. Many organizations have also amended their policies to better accommodate people with disabilities. By prioritizing a society where people of all hearing abilities can communicate fully, Indonesia is helping people with hearing disabilities and other disabilities more broadly gain equal opportunities in education and employment, supporting a path out of poverty.
– Arden Schultz
Photo: Flickr