The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that currently, 466 million people live with a hearing disability. This number is predicted to increase substantially in the coming years. WHO forecasts that by 2050, around 900 million people will be diagnosed with a hearing disability. Hearing loss can come as a result of many medical issues, such as overexposure to loud noise, ear infections, ototoxicity from medications and other general infections to the body. However, experts believe that the rise in hearing-impaired disabilities results from aging populations instead of infections. Deaf people in sub-Saharan Africa are no exception to this trend.
WHO reports that sub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions most affected by hearing-impaired disabilities, with four times more cases than high-income countries. In the past, Deaf people in sub-Saharan Africa have lacked equal opportunity to participate in society, particularly in education and employment. Thankfully, multiple countries are taking steps to improve the lives of Deaf people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Uganda
Uganda’s 1995 constitution prohibits discrimination based on disability. Uganda is also one of only a few countries to recognize Sign Language in its constitution. To further support citizens with a disability, the country passed The Persons with Disabilities Act. This law protects those with disabilities and provides a 15% tax reduction for private employers who have 10 or more persons with a disability on their full-time payroll.
Gallaudet University, the leading private university to educate Deaf and hard of hearing students, reports multiple Deaf organizations in Uganda. These include Deaf Link Uganda, an organization that financially supports Deaf entrepreneurs and business owners who struggle with socio-economic equality. Additionally, SignHealth Uganda is an NGO that works to provide equitable and necessary social services for Deaf men, women and children.
Following Uganda’s lead, other countries have begun to adopt anti-discrimination laws to protect Deaf people. For example, shortly after the passing of the Ugandan legislation, Togo drafted government regulations that prevent disability discrimination and promise to provide training, rehabilitation, counseling and employment to all who qualify. Togo now also recognizes Sign Language as the official language of Deaf people and has created a governmental committee that will consider Deaf and hearing-impaired disability aid during policy development.
South Africa
In South Africa, the population of Deaf and hard of hearing citizens reaches around 4 million. Like Uganda, South Africa also has anti-discrimination policies in place to protect those with a disability. South Africa mandates that a Sign Language interpreter be available for major events to ensure that communication accommodations are provided to all. Deaf culture is rather established in this country due to its prioritization of awareness and equity. Established as a National Language Unit in 2001, South African Sign Language (SASL) is the household language chosen by Deaf people in the region.
Naming September the National Month of Deaf People, South Africa has made it a priority that Deaf people be given the same opportunities and advantages as any other person, especially in education. The South African sector of the National Institute for the Deaf offers students the ability to gain workforce experience and interact with people of their culture in a new environment through student internships and practical work. Additionally, the Carel du Toit Center, a school in Cape Town, offers the Children Hear and Talk (CHAT) program, which acts as an early intervention method. The school offers weekly sessions for parents to discuss language exposure in everyday life, as well as sessions for younger children to get a head start on their education. Carel du Toit employs more than 60 professionals to work with students on speech training and communication in a natural setting.
South Africa has also made progress in technological advancements aimed at helping Deaf and hard-of-hearing people. In 2019, South African medical specialist Mashudu Tshifularo completed the first-ever successful middle-ear transplant using a 3-D printer. This breakthrough could prove to be a long-term solution for damage-caused deafness. Tshifularo’s procedure will be safe for people of all ages, including newborns. The minister of South Africa’s Department of Health stated that Tshifularo will “get all the help he needs” moving forward in this positive development for Deaf people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigeria
Nigeria has focused on educational improvements in supporting its Deaf citizens. The Total Communication method, implemented by the Hands and Voices organization in Nigeria, is a Deaf and hard of hearing instructional approach that provides each student with a range of nonverbal communication tools. The Total Communication program works to offer communication options to allow language development for every child’s specific needs. Paralinguistics presented through the Total Communication method include formal sign language as well as finger-spelling, body language, natural gestures and facial expressions that can then be paired with spoken language comprehension if the child or parent so chooses. This program has become the primary mode of instruction for Deaf students in Nigeria.
Like South Africa, Nigeria offers Deaf students real-world learning opportunities and internships in preparation for life after school. Ibadan University in Nigeria was the first to create a Department of Special Education, while Jos University offers high-quality training for educators of the Deaf. Both universities recognize two languages for Deaf people in Nigeria, Hausa and Yoruba, both of which are the established sign languages in their respective regions.
Kenya
Of the 10% of Kenyans who have a disability, 3 million struggle with unemployment. Thankfully, workplace equality for the Deaf people of Kenya has grown substantially in the past decade. Kenya’s Disability Act of 2003 requires 5% of jobs to be given to citizens with a disability. Recognizing the stigma against hiring a Deaf person, the Pallet Cafe in Nairobi exclusively hires Deaf wait staff. Each server wears a shirt with #IamDeaf on the back and works with customers through sign language or other methods of nonverbal communication. The Pallet Cafe allows its Deaf waiters to be comfortably integrated into society by interacting with non-disabled people and helping them find empowerment in their employment.
To promote accessibility for its Deaf citizens, Kenya’s National Council for People with Disabilities has created a four-year education plan for public sector workers to learn and understand sign language. Kenya’s National Association of the Deaf aids Deaf Kenyans through rehabilitation, accessibility, training and employment. Unlike some other countries, however, Kenya has also taken physical action to address the needs of citizens with a disability by leveling pavements and ensuring accessibility to elevators and restrooms. In this way, Kenya supports the lives of Deaf people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Part of further efforts to diminish the stigma around Deaf and hard of hearing people, the documentary “Deaf Role Models in Africa” was created in 2014. The documentary highlights Deaf Kenyans’ accomplishments to prove that children with disabilities have the same intellect and potential as children without a disability. The short film discusses the need for a proper and well-funded education so that Deaf and hard of hearing children can succeed in their adult lives and continue to contribute to their country in new and inspiring ways.
Moving Forward
Progress in opportunities and education for Deaf people in sub-Saharan Africa may have been slow-moving in the past, but these countries are working hard to make sure their citizens with disabilities are represented and supported. These positive developments for Deaf people in Sub-Saharan Africa go beyond just accessibility in the workforce by promoting integration into a stigma-free society.
– Alexa Tironi
Photo: Flickr
Empowering Youth with Jamaica’s First Skatepark
Will Wilson, the co-founder of nonprofit organization Flipping Youth, is building Jamaica’s first skatepark. Wilson and his nonprofit are building Freedom SkatePark in an effort to make action sports an accessible recreational opportunity for Jamaican youth.
What Is Flipping Youth?
After an exposure to international poverty while volunteering abroad, passionate skateboarder Will Wilson came up with the idea for Flipping Youth — a nonprofit organization driven by the mission to “empower young people from challenging environments internationally through action sports, creative arts and entrepreneurship.” This unique idea has propelled Wilson to accomplish great acts of service in impoverished countries, specifically Jamaica. In addition to fostering strong skating communities, Flipping Youth seeks to promote youth entrepreneurship, teach business skills and improve employability.
Flipping Youth in Jamaica
After watching a viral skate video that showcased a talented, Jamaican skater and a budding skateboarding community in 2016 — Wilson decided to bring Flipping Youth to Kingston, Jamaica. The idea was to help grow the skateboarding community even more. Since then, Flipping Youth has developed both local and international relationships to better understand what sort of aid is most needed in Jamaica. Flipping Youth’s main goal at the time was to decide the best way to implement the Freedom SkatePark, in an effort to foster a strong community of Jamaican youth. Also, safety is an important feature of the program for Wilson. He wants to ensure that the skatepark will become neither a place for drugs nor other criminal activities.
Progress Through Partnerships
Though the planning and building process has been slow, the future looks promising for Jamaica’s first skatepark. Thanks to funding from popular skate brands such as Supreme New York and a partnership with a nonprofit called Concrete Jungle Foundation, the Freedom Skate Park is nearly complete. Notably so, Concrete Jungle Foundation helped to complete over half of the project, including the construction of the park, itself.
Kevin Bourke, a member of the Freedom Skatepark team, celebrated overcoming many obstacles throughout the project’s duration, stating “It shows that a project that was rooted in love [can’t] be stopped.”
Improving Communities Through Sports and Activities
Flipping Youth is not the only organization using recreational opportunities to empower youth, globally. In the past, UNESCO has used youth sports programs to encourage social cohesion in areas of conflict. Organizations like Flipping Youth understand the value of recreational opportunities for youth in struggling communities. Recreation is not just for fun; according to Dr. Seiko Sugita of UNESCO Beirut, “Sports [have] proven to be a cost-effective and powerful tool for promoting peace and human values such as respect for others, teamwork, discipline, diversity and empathy.”
Recreation and Youth Empowerment
Working from a similar approach, Will Wilson’s project to create Jamaica’s first skatepark is an example of international development rooted in recreational opportunities and youth empowerment. Flipping Youth and other organizations look to sports and activities as a means of creating strong, vibrant communities and thus — a better future for younger generations and society as a whole.
– Courtney Bergsieker
Photo: Pixabay
Healthcare in Lesotho: 5 Interesting Facts
Lesotho, a small nation in southern Africa, is continually improving its access to healthcare systems. Still, even with greater access to healthcare services in some of the areas that are more difficult to reach, long treks and expensive rides are necessary to receive essential care. Due to the state of remote villages being located far from hospitals, patients are not able to receive help immediately in case of an emergency.
Lesotho is also the only country in the world that has its entire elevation above 1,000 meters, which means the terrain may be harder to navigate and maneuver. The life expectancy for Lesotho averages around 53 years for both males and females and deaths under 5 occur 8.1% of the time. However, despite all these limitations, Lesotho has remained committed to improving the well-being of its citizens. Partnerships with private companies, expansions to the hospital network and increased government funding to aid programs have all been policies implemented to invest in Lesotho’s health infrastructure. These five facts about healthcare in Lesotho are integral to understanding the country’s changing health structures and transition out of poverty.
5 Facts About Healthcare in Lesotho
In the fight against poverty and for a stronger healthcare system, Lesotho has much work to do. There has been progress on the infrastructure front and with public-private partnerships but many services to the rural population still lag behind what is necessary. However, with continued government support and increased foreign aid, the healthcare system will continue to develop and Lesotho can become a country that provides a robust healthcare system for its growing population.
– Pratik Koppikar
Photo: Pikist
COVID-19’s Impact on Maternal Healthcare in Zimbabwe
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the structure and function of healthcare systems all across the globe as a great influx of patients to hospitals has led to a strain on medical personnel and funding. Some of the greatest losses that healthcare systems are taking around the world due to this COVID-19 strain are the reduction or the complete elimination of certain specialties or services for a specific population. In Zimbabwe, a country in Southern Africa with a population of around 14.4 million, pregnant women and new mothers have suffered from a lack of quality maternal healthcare.
Inaccessibility
Pregnant women and new mothers in Zimbabwe face a difficult challenge, not only because the funding of a lot of maternal healthcare units has been depleted, but because of the dangers in commuting to the health centers or hospitals.
The lockdown in Zimbabwe due to the pandemic has been strictly enforced and has inspired an increase in violence on the streets. If a woman cannot find a medication or reach a local pharmacy during its newly limited hours, she may have to travel past checkpoints and on streets that contain a higher amount of police brutality than normal. There are several accounts of women deciding to stay home as it would be a greater risk to travel.
The restricted travel limits medical attention for pregnant women (check-ups and childbirth) and postpartum treatment (both physical and mental). Without the ability to contact people personally or to travel for help, women who have just given birth have a higher risk of postpartum depression and of physical complications as they live their lives in quarantine.
Violence
There has been an uptick in violence in the new pandemic-stricken world, especially for the women of Zimbabwe. Police patrolling the streets are often violent and “have not been sympathetic to pregnant women, insisting the need for a clearance letter from the police sanctioning movement.”
Additionally, pregnant women and new mothers at home are subject to more domestic violence. The restriction of movement makes leaving an abusive situation even more difficult. In combination with the aforementioned inhibition in the disbursement of contraceptives, assault in the home is a cause of an increase in unplanned pregnancies.
Mistreatment
Because of the fear of COVID-19 transmission within hospitals, women in Zimbabwe are asked to come into the hospitals only when they are deep into their labor and nearly giving birth outside of the hospital doors. Pregnant women who have started labor are often not permitted to enter health facilities because they are not close enough to delivery. When they do enter the hospital, mothers are often mistreated — not being permitted to have a companion or to stay long enough after giving birth.
This mistreatment and inaccessibility lead to an increase in complications for mothers and children during birth as they often arrive too late to the hospital for proper delivery or they give birth at home. Due to the mistreatment and lack of accessibility, women may also have unsafe “underground” abortions, which can lead to severe health complications.
Lack of Resources
If mothers can reach a healthcare facility, they often do not receive the treatment they need because of a lack of resources. Health facilities and clinics in Zimbabwe have drained supplies and funding during the pandemic. Physicians can no longer give out contraceptives or educate women on family planning due to a shortage. Family health planning services also had to cut down their educational programs. The lack of education and accessibility has increased the amount of unplanned teenage pregnancies as well as an increase in maternal mortality.
Aid
Though there have been many discouraging events for maternal healthcare in Zimbabwe, there has been a recognition of the events that are unfolding and several organizations are making great progress in fighting for maternal healthcare rights.
The White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) is a nonprofit, international coalition that fights for “reproductive, maternal and newborn health” among other rights relating to women’s freedom. This organization has created powerful campaigns in the wake of COVID-19’s impact on maternal care such as Respectful Maternal Care, which helps to educate others about women’s health and the rights they are entitled to when giving birth. This campaign can help stop the mistreatment of women and keep them safe during treatment and delivery.
Maternal healthcare in Zimbabwe faces many hurdles in becoming is safe and accessible. Childbirth and postpartum care have suffered because of the strict environment in the streets and healthcare facilities that the coronavirus has brought on. With organizations like the WRA, these women can gain access to the quality healthcare they need.
– Jennifer Long
Photo: Flickr
AI and Satellites Improve Poverty Mapping Techniques
How many people live in poverty? The answer a search engine might give overlooks the complexity of the issue. A great deal of poverty data comes from the World Bank, which still relies on household surveys. These household surveys can be very inaccurate, and statistics like these are critical in the fight against poverty. Thankfully, many organizations are working on creating better poverty mapping techniques to help fight global poverty.
The Need for Poverty Mapping Techniques
Governments, private companies and NGOs must know who needs help, what works and how much they need in order to fight poverty. With more accurate data, aid programs can be rolled out more effectively, directly targeting populations who need it the most. Accurate data also determines the effectiveness of aid or other interventions, which helps agencies discover what works. It is important for the missions of many agencies to have accurate data on poverty, but methods for collecting this data are flawed.
One issue with current data collection is the amount of data available. The World Bank is a leader in the fight against global poverty, and it compiles many official statistics on poverty rates. Historically, the main way the World Bank typically measures poverty is through household surveys. However, these surveys do not reach as many people as they should. For lower-income countries, an annual investment of $1 billion would be required to expand these surveys to generate consistent, accurate data.
Not only are these surveys too narrow, but they are also not frequent enough. Surveys typically happen every few years and even every decade in some countries with lower capacities. Between 2002 and 2012, no poverty data was collected from 29 countries.
The Problems with Current Poverty Mapping Techniques
The most common surveying method employed by the World Bank is the household survey. Unfortunately, household surveys have built-in inaccuracies and miss many people, usually some of the poorest. This method tries to measure poverty by sending surveys to households, but these surveys are ill-suited to measure an atypical home environment. Many people trying to avoid poverty live in open households, whose membership is usually in flux. These households operate to reduce poverty collectively in ways that a typical survey cannot easily measure. When data from these households is not interpreted differently from other household data, overall data on poverty can be skewed.
Satellites Mapping Poverty
This dearth of accurate data was the inspiration for a team of Stanford researchers. Marchall Burke, David Lobell and Stefano Ermon have spent the better half of the last decade creating better poverty mapping techniques. The solution they are working on now is satellite mapping.
The team has used artificial intelligence to map poverty using publicly available satellite imagery. The system examines poverty by analyzing the wealth of assets in a given area as seen from space. By indexing images of wealthy areas and poor areas, the program can identify levels of poverty in other areas. It uses a variety of factors like lighting at night, roofing, infrastructure, roads and other easily recognizable traits to do so. Utilizing deep learning, the program is able to correlate factors and create an idea of poverty in an area with fairly high accuracy. The model explains about 70% of asset wealth variation at the village level. This means the model can predict more accurately than other attempts at mapping poverty using higher resolution imagery and mobile phone mapping. The ability to distinguish poverty at a village level also means that the program can identify levels of poverty in places that surveys never go, with much less cost and time required.
Household surveys have become obsolete compared to more modern and effective methods. Better poverty mapping techniques like the Stanford researchers’ will enable organizations to fight poverty with a greater level of accuracy, which will make this decade of poverty-fighting more efficient than the last.
– Brett Muni
Photo: Flickr
3 Organizations Helping Children in Ecuador
Although Ecuador’s poverty rate has been steadily decreasing over the past two decades, children still suffer from malnutrition, lack of education, lack of healthcare and other deprivations. Cyclical poverty not only reduces the opportunities to become successful later in life, but it also makes children vulnerable to other domestic and social abuses like physical punishment and bullying. Fortunately, these three organizations are helping to support children in Ecuador, who often face neglect.
3 Organizations Helping Children in Ecuador
Efforts Must Continue
More than 40% of children in Ecuador live in poverty. Organizations like United to Benefit Ecuadorian Children International, Consortium for Street Children and Children International, however — ensure that future generations will have the tools to improve such statistics. Through breaking free from the cycle of poverty, children in Ecuador can capture a better life for themselves and future generations.
– Margherita Bassi
Photo: Flickr
Positive Developments for Deaf People in Sub-Saharan Africa
WHO reports that sub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions most affected by hearing-impaired disabilities, with four times more cases than high-income countries. In the past, Deaf people in sub-Saharan Africa have lacked equal opportunity to participate in society, particularly in education and employment. Thankfully, multiple countries are taking steps to improve the lives of Deaf people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Uganda
Uganda’s 1995 constitution prohibits discrimination based on disability. Uganda is also one of only a few countries to recognize Sign Language in its constitution. To further support citizens with a disability, the country passed The Persons with Disabilities Act. This law protects those with disabilities and provides a 15% tax reduction for private employers who have 10 or more persons with a disability on their full-time payroll.
Gallaudet University, the leading private university to educate Deaf and hard of hearing students, reports multiple Deaf organizations in Uganda. These include Deaf Link Uganda, an organization that financially supports Deaf entrepreneurs and business owners who struggle with socio-economic equality. Additionally, SignHealth Uganda is an NGO that works to provide equitable and necessary social services for Deaf men, women and children.
Following Uganda’s lead, other countries have begun to adopt anti-discrimination laws to protect Deaf people. For example, shortly after the passing of the Ugandan legislation, Togo drafted government regulations that prevent disability discrimination and promise to provide training, rehabilitation, counseling and employment to all who qualify. Togo now also recognizes Sign Language as the official language of Deaf people and has created a governmental committee that will consider Deaf and hearing-impaired disability aid during policy development.
South Africa
In South Africa, the population of Deaf and hard of hearing citizens reaches around 4 million. Like Uganda, South Africa also has anti-discrimination policies in place to protect those with a disability. South Africa mandates that a Sign Language interpreter be available for major events to ensure that communication accommodations are provided to all. Deaf culture is rather established in this country due to its prioritization of awareness and equity. Established as a National Language Unit in 2001, South African Sign Language (SASL) is the household language chosen by Deaf people in the region.
Naming September the National Month of Deaf People, South Africa has made it a priority that Deaf people be given the same opportunities and advantages as any other person, especially in education. The South African sector of the National Institute for the Deaf offers students the ability to gain workforce experience and interact with people of their culture in a new environment through student internships and practical work. Additionally, the Carel du Toit Center, a school in Cape Town, offers the Children Hear and Talk (CHAT) program, which acts as an early intervention method. The school offers weekly sessions for parents to discuss language exposure in everyday life, as well as sessions for younger children to get a head start on their education. Carel du Toit employs more than 60 professionals to work with students on speech training and communication in a natural setting.
South Africa has also made progress in technological advancements aimed at helping Deaf and hard-of-hearing people. In 2019, South African medical specialist Mashudu Tshifularo completed the first-ever successful middle-ear transplant using a 3-D printer. This breakthrough could prove to be a long-term solution for damage-caused deafness. Tshifularo’s procedure will be safe for people of all ages, including newborns. The minister of South Africa’s Department of Health stated that Tshifularo will “get all the help he needs” moving forward in this positive development for Deaf people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigeria
Nigeria has focused on educational improvements in supporting its Deaf citizens. The Total Communication method, implemented by the Hands and Voices organization in Nigeria, is a Deaf and hard of hearing instructional approach that provides each student with a range of nonverbal communication tools. The Total Communication program works to offer communication options to allow language development for every child’s specific needs. Paralinguistics presented through the Total Communication method include formal sign language as well as finger-spelling, body language, natural gestures and facial expressions that can then be paired with spoken language comprehension if the child or parent so chooses. This program has become the primary mode of instruction for Deaf students in Nigeria.
Like South Africa, Nigeria offers Deaf students real-world learning opportunities and internships in preparation for life after school. Ibadan University in Nigeria was the first to create a Department of Special Education, while Jos University offers high-quality training for educators of the Deaf. Both universities recognize two languages for Deaf people in Nigeria, Hausa and Yoruba, both of which are the established sign languages in their respective regions.
Kenya
Of the 10% of Kenyans who have a disability, 3 million struggle with unemployment. Thankfully, workplace equality for the Deaf people of Kenya has grown substantially in the past decade. Kenya’s Disability Act of 2003 requires 5% of jobs to be given to citizens with a disability. Recognizing the stigma against hiring a Deaf person, the Pallet Cafe in Nairobi exclusively hires Deaf wait staff. Each server wears a shirt with #IamDeaf on the back and works with customers through sign language or other methods of nonverbal communication. The Pallet Cafe allows its Deaf waiters to be comfortably integrated into society by interacting with non-disabled people and helping them find empowerment in their employment.
To promote accessibility for its Deaf citizens, Kenya’s National Council for People with Disabilities has created a four-year education plan for public sector workers to learn and understand sign language. Kenya’s National Association of the Deaf aids Deaf Kenyans through rehabilitation, accessibility, training and employment. Unlike some other countries, however, Kenya has also taken physical action to address the needs of citizens with a disability by leveling pavements and ensuring accessibility to elevators and restrooms. In this way, Kenya supports the lives of Deaf people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Part of further efforts to diminish the stigma around Deaf and hard of hearing people, the documentary “Deaf Role Models in Africa” was created in 2014. The documentary highlights Deaf Kenyans’ accomplishments to prove that children with disabilities have the same intellect and potential as children without a disability. The short film discusses the need for a proper and well-funded education so that Deaf and hard of hearing children can succeed in their adult lives and continue to contribute to their country in new and inspiring ways.
Moving Forward
Progress in opportunities and education for Deaf people in sub-Saharan Africa may have been slow-moving in the past, but these countries are working hard to make sure their citizens with disabilities are represented and supported. These positive developments for Deaf people in Sub-Saharan Africa go beyond just accessibility in the workforce by promoting integration into a stigma-free society.
– Alexa Tironi
Photo: Flickr
Distance Learning in Madagascar During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused school closures in countries around the world, including Madagascar. Schools in Madagascar remain closed, according to the U.S. Embassy. The country already struggles with education access, specifically for children in poverty. In order to alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 on education access, the government is using existing systems to help students utilize distance learning in Madagascar.
Poverty and Education
The World Bank reported that about 1.4 million children dropped out of primary school in Madagascar in 2012. When 55 teachers in Madagascar participated in a survey, 38% said poverty was a reason students did not progress through school. With 75% of the population living in poverty, many people are vulnerable to the impacts of poverty on their access to education.
How Distance Learning Started
Madagascar’s government noticed that children in poverty, specifically those living in remote areas, were often not in school. In order to address this problem, the government began creating distance learning programs in 2005. The programs were directed toward the radio because pre-tests showed that children were “glued to the radio” whether or not they were attending school. With the use of wind-up radios, students in rural areas were able to access distance learning in Madagascar even if they did not have access to electricity. After its completion in 2017, each one was about 15 minutes long. Their target was children between the ages of 5 and 9. Not only do the programs encourage children to re-enter school, but they also teach important life skills. These skills include self-esteem, getting along with others, communication, gender equality, assessing risks, decision making and protecting the environment.
UNICEF also helped develop distance learning programs in Madagascar. The organization created a radio show designed to teach things like math, life skills and literacy. The name of the show is ‘O!O’ and it approaches education through engaging entertainment.
Distance Learning During COVID-19
Since schools have closed as a result of COVID-19, programs for distance learning in Madagascar have been expanded. In addition to the radio, Madagascar’s government is using television and Youtube broadcasts to help students access education. The radio programs are aimed at first and second-grade students. They air on both the radio and a platform called WeTransfer. UNICEF is supporting these programs.
Madagascar’s television programs focus on teaching math in French to students in primary school and they are also available on YouTube. The Japan International Cooperation Agency is helping to provide support for television learning in Madagascar. In order to ramp up the production of educational television programs, The Ministry of National Education and Technical and Vocational Education (MENETP) is stepping in. The ministry is running a recruitment drive in order to increase the number of designers working on the programs.
Additionally, the media is playing a role in ensuring that students have access to education through the edutainment program Kilasy Pour Tous. In partnership with MENETP, the media is helping to make sure that educational television and radio programs air every morning.
While COVID-19 has caused many schools to close, existing infrastructure for distance learning in Madagascar has helped address access to education. Educational radio and television programs are available to students. With support from UNICEF, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the media, these programs air every day and provide students with a pathway to learning at home.
– Melody Kazel
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Youth Entrepreneurship in Serbia
Serbia is a southeastern European country with an upper-middle-income economy. It ranks relatively high on the Human Development Index (63rd), Social Progress Index (53rd) and the Global Peace Index (54th). However, the nation suffers from high unemployment, especially in the youth population: Serbia recorded a youth unemployment rate of 30.3% in 2019. The lack of entry-level jobs consequently drives many young Serbians to flee their home country in search of work elsewhere. However, USAID has invested in an inventive solution to this problem: initiatives to promote youth entrepreneurship in Serbia.
Impact Hub Belgrade—Fostering Youth Entrepreneurship
USAID’s most notable endeavor is Impact Hub Belgrade. Impact Hub is a USAID-funded global network focusing on establishing entrepreneurial communities in cities worldwide. Serbia’s Impact Hub is located in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital city. It specifically focuses on youth entrepreneurship, helping youth-led start-ups to attract potential regional and international investors. In particular, it helps hone and validate young entrepreneurs’ business models, providing them with the materials and skills needed to turn their ideas into reality. Insufficient access to finance is the number-one challenge young entrepreneurs face. Therefore, Impact Hub dedicates itself to eliminating this obstacle and creating boundless opportunities for young Serbians. The program celebrated its fifth anniversary in December 2019.
Impact Hub Belgrade also prioritizes gender equality in its work. While Impact Hub Belgrade has a special focus on youth, it also recognizes the unique barriers that young female entrepreneurs face. On its anniversary in December, Impact Hub launched Women Entrepreneurs (WE) Founders, the first Serbian female investment group dedicated to fostering and supporting gender-diverse entrepreneurial teams and companies. Some of its techniques include ensuring women have an equal role in decision making, building trusting relationships between men and women in the workplace and encouraging women to take leadership positions.
Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement is another USAID-funded entrepreneurial program. The program is a training curriculum with the intention of teaching Serbian high school students the essentials of entrepreneurship. These essentials include writing business plans, identifying product placement and forecasting earnings. It ensures Serbian high school graduates enter the job market with the technical skills necessary to successfully establish a business. And while Junior Achievement programs are present throughout Europe, Serbia’s is among the strongest; in 2018, Belgrade hosted the European Student Company Competition, where 39 student-led companies from across the continent convened to present their businesses to a jury of prominent Serbian entrepreneurs.
Non-Governmental Organizations
Non-governmental organizations also support young entrepreneurs. A notable example is Smart Kolektiv, an independent nonprofit organization with the stated purpose of promoting youth entrepreneurship in Serbia. Smart Kolektiv assists young entrepreneurs in establishing their businesses. Its hope is that Serbia’s youth will use their power to drive positive social change.
Success in Entrepreneurship
Young entrepreneur success stories abound across Serbia. One example of lucrative youth entrepreneurship in Serbia is Nikica Marinkovic’s Box System, an eco-friendly replacement for styrofoam designed to transport organic produce. Thanks to Impact Hub, Marinkovic gained funding from Austrian investors and U.S. markets that allowed him to expand his business.
Encouraging youth entrepreneurship in Serbia is just one way to encourage young Serbians to stay in their home country and fulfill their dreams. However, the popularity of these initiatives and their encouraging results also demonstrate that fostering youth entrepreneurship is a lucrative option for Serbia’s economy. Prosperous, youth-led operations continue to emerge throughout Serbia, from independent coffee shops to cutting-edge technologies.
– Abby Tarwater
Photo: Flickr
Skin Deep: Embracing Color Will Eliminate Skin Bleaching in Africa
A Legacy of Colorism
Skin bleaching in Africa is not a new beauty phenomenon. The practice finds its roots in the transatlantic slave trade and continued during the European colonization of African nations. The caste systems that entitled European slave owners and traders to reduce African blacks to indentured servants perpetuated disparities in political status, wealth and beauty, furthering discrimination based on skin color.
The legacy of racist views which positions white Europeans as superior has remained a structural belief system among the women who choose to use the skin lightening products. They believe that darker skin is associated with unsatisfactory traits such as inferior beauty, education and social class. In other words, darker skin is stereotypically associated with a life of economic disadvantage and struggle. Consumers of these bleaching products, wanting fairer skin, believe they will achieve a higher level of social capital, be viewed as “pure” and more desirable for marriage.
Doctors who have studied the phenomena of skin bleaching in Africa have concluded that while some women bleach their skin for vanity reasons, others are very calculative in their decision. The retailers selling these products sometimes refer to and promote skin lightening creams as “up-marketing” one’s appearance. The pay-off comes in the form of job security, progress, and power. Skin bleaching in Africa is therefore a business-oriented decision. Anecdotally, the appearance of lighter skin means faster and easier access in landing higher paying jobs, particularly in sales and marketing.
Education Is Key: Addressing the Trend as a Public Health Problem
The messaging surrounding these products, whether via word of mouth or straight from the packaging, appear to be working. Data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) determined that 40% of African women regularly use skin lightening or bleaching creams. The trend is not isolated to one specific region either. Nigeria leads the purchasing trend with 77% of women using skin bleaching products (cream and non-cream based), followed by 59% in Togo, 27% in Senegal and 25% in Mali. It’s estimated about one of every three women in South Africa uses the products, even though mercury-based products have been banned in the country since the late 1970s.
The modality for these products used in skin bleaching in Africa varies by age group as well. While the older generation prefers lotions and creams, the younger generation opts for injections and pills such as glutathione capsules. More concerning is pregnant women’s use of glutathione capsules to manipulate the skin tones of unborn children.
Common health issues related to regular use of skin lightening products are mostly topical, but nonetheless dangerous. The most common side effect of topical lotions and creams is skin thinning due to the high-dose steroid, hydroquinone and mercury ingredients. Other effects include burning, scaling, scarring and boils. These applied products can also trigger further skin discoloration, also known as exogenous ochronosis, or blue-black pigmentation of the affected areas. Other, more serious health issues including blood cancers like leukemia and cancers of the liver and kidneys have prompted doctors monitoring the skin bleaching trend to call the phenomenon a public health crisis.
Appreciating Natural Beauty
African nations spread across the continent are moving toward full or partial bans against skin bleaching creams and lotions, citing their dangerous topical and chronic health implications. Most notably, the countries of Rwanda, Ghana and the Ivory Coast have banned these products. More recently, the #BlackLivesMatter protests have prompted top beauty and skin brands such as Unilever and Johnson & Johnson to scrub manipulative marketing and even pull some products promoting fairer skin from their portfolios.
Unfortunately, skin bleaching in Africa is persistent, even in countries where these products are banned. Many experts and medical professionals assert that in order to fully eliminate the skin bleaching industry, the idolatry of fair or white skin needs to be eliminated. In other words, we must create a world where dark-skinned women are welcome in all spheres of society, not discriminated against. Thankfully, a number of nonprofit organizations, including The Beautywell Project and Melanin Foundation, are tackling skin bleaching in Africa and its harmful effects.
– Vicki Colbert
Photo: Flickr
Peace in Palestine: The Effect of Annexation on Education
The current issue between Israel and Palestine is a critical conflict as Palestinians face possible annexation from regions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, affecting 2.1 to 3 million Palestinians. The political strife has been off and on for approximately 100 years as the possibility of annexation becomes a reality. However, the questions of education, healthcare and human rights become prevalent when considering Palestine and its people. Here’s what you need to know about the problem with peace in Palestine.
The Conflict
Palestine and Isreal’s conflict of political power stems from the want for the same land and the power over it. With Isreal already in control of 60% of the West Bank and looking to control upwards of 30% more, Palestinians are worried about their homes and lives as they could force individuals to leave as a result. For many Palestinians, the overall result of the annex is hard to determine, but United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights leader Michelle Bachelet states, “shockwaves of the annexation will last for decades.” As annexation is illegal in terms of international law and is a violation of human rights, the result of backlash is expected.
In 2019, Isreal destroyed hundreds of properties in the West Bank for a lack of approved permits, many of which were owned by Palestinians who had built homes without proper licenses. Although they’ve built homes without authorization, Palestinians may only get construction approved by the Israelis. More often than not, they are denied.
The destruction of these areas can be detrimental to many individuals and any future of peace in Palestine. Palestinian refugees are offered services from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to cater to basic needs such as education, healthcare, shelter and more. The agency defines Palestinian refugees as “persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict.”
Impact on Education
As a result of violence, many are concerned about the safety of children, educational systems and peace in Palestine. Threats of destruction complicate the route to school as students or teachers may be stopped at security checkpoints, and past violence has occurred by Israeli forces. An estimated 19,000 children were involved in the 111 different educational inference cases in the West Bank documented by the UN in 2018.
In 2018, the UNRWA endured a sizeable financial burden as a result of the American government’s decision to decrease the budget for that year. This was the most significant budget cut in history for the agency, resulting in a loss of $300 million for the year. For many, school is supposed to represent a safe and comfortable environment. As a result of the new budget, children and families worried they would not be able to return to school. This led to the UNRWA launching the Dignity is Priceless campaign, a global fundraising campaign advocating for student’s educational and health needs. The campaign’s purpose was to ensure that there would be enough funding and support to reopen the doors. It led the way for other organizations to support education funding.
Campaigns for Aid
Many organizations are standing in support of peace in Palestine, looking to help during this significant humanitarian crisis. UNICEF is working to make an impact in these communities that now lack necessities like drinking water and unsafe access to education. UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action for Children 2020 has accepted $13.7 million in funding, improving access to water for over 30,000 persons and providing water tanks to over 4,100 households. By the end of 2019, they continued to support Palestine’s education system assessing that 6,200 children safely accessed school, and 90,000 students could participate in summer activities.
For many children in Palestine, education is a want, not a given opportunity. The Rights to Education (Right2Edu) campaign strives to bring awareness to the importance of education for Palestinian children and to the hardship’s educational systems face. At the same time, there is a struggle for peace in Palestine. Right2Edu began assisting students and faculty who would be subjected to arrests of the Israeli troops and provides legal assistance to those who may have experienced an educational interference on their way to or from school. The Rights to Education’s primary mission is to pursue the human right of education for all.
The struggle for peace between the two states continues to be an uphill battle. With an emphasis on the future of children in Palestine, 3 campaigns from NGOs show their support through campaigns and field visits to continue to provide supplies and hope for those in Palestine.
– Allison Lloyd
Photo: Flickr