There are approximately 1.5 billion people around the world living with a disability. These individuals face significant barriers to receiving an education, particularly in developing countries. Children with disabilities in Bangladesh, for example, are often misunderstood by their parents, community members and educators, making it difficult for them to attend school. Showing links between poverty and disabilities helps make this issue a priority of the Bangladesh government and other organizations working in the nation.
Poverty and Disabilities
In developing countries, poverty and disabilities often reinforce each other. According to the World Bank, 15 to 20 percent of the poor in developing countries are disabled. Many disabilities are created by conditions caused by poverty, including lack of healthcare access, poor hygiene and sanitation, dangerous living conditions, war and violence, insufficient nutrition and natural disasters. These conditions improve the likelihood of people developing disabilities in the first place, of which 50 percent are preventable.
Being disabled is an additional disadvantage for the impoverished, one that makes it even less likely for an individual or their family to rise out of poverty. When access to education for children with disabilities is low, these children are not able to learn the skills needed to work and earn money for themselves or their families. As a result, they tend to be dependents their entire lives, creating an additional economic burden for those who care for them.
In Bangladesh, husbands and wives in impoverished families often both need to work. With a disabled child, however, mothers are often prevented from working, eliminating that source of income. Additionally, medical care for the child is expensive and generally inaccessible to impoverished families in Bangladesh. While it is not the child’s fault that they are disabled, their disability can be difficult for impoverished families to bear and may make it impossible for them to break the poverty cycle.
Barriers to Education
As of 2010, there were approximately 1.6 million children with disabilities in Bangladesh, and fewer than 5,000 of them were enrolled in education programs designed for the disabled. Special education programs are not present in many Bangladesh schools. As a result, most educators are not trained to effectively work with children with disabilities.
Many schools deny admittance to children with disabilities, and those who do go to school often drop out within a short period of time. In addition to lack of adequate programming, the school buildings themselves are often inaccessible to those with disabilities. They lack elevators, automatic doors, handicapped toilet facilities and more.
Furthermore, the impoverished parents of children with disabilities in Bangladesh are often illiterate and do not have access to information about the rights of their child. They may not know that their child has a constitutional right to an education. Furthermore, even if they do know, they lack the funds needed to fight for their child.
Families and communities sometimes also lack information about what it means to be disabled, particularly if they are poor and illiterate. Children with disabilities are sometimes neglected and ignored and are often kept inside the home to prevent ridicule from the community. Abuse is also common, particularly for girls. Females are at an increased risk of physical and sexual abuse.
Improving Access to Education
The government is working to implement reforms that will increase education access to children with disabilities in Bangladesh. Many of these reforms include ensuring knowledge about the disabled is more widely disseminated. Community awareness programs are needed to teach people about disabilities, reduce stigma and generate more support for improving education for children with disabilities.
Additionally, knowledge of disabilities must be included in the basic training of teachers, and it can be reinforced or introduced to current teachers through in-service training. While it is also beneficial to have some teachers who can specialize in working with children with disabilities, all teachers need to be trained so that disabled children have a better chance of succeeding in any classroom.
Programs for Children with Disabilities
As of 2011, the government opened 13 primary schools specifically for people with disabilities. They are also implementing 64 integrated programs within high schools for the disabled. These efforts are undoubtedly making an impact, but many children with disabilities may not have access to these locations. There is a definite need to significantly expand these programs, creating more schools focused on disabilities around the country and ensuring all schools have programs for children with disabilities.
In the absence of widespread disability programming at public schools, BRAC has been working to expand education for children with disabilities in Bangladesh. More than 30,000 non-formal education centers have been established across the nation over the past two decades, and currently, 43,000 children are using these education centers. BRAC is committed to ensuring that the impoverished children and those in remote areas have access to schools.
Overall, efforts by the government and outside agencies, including BRAC, are an important step forward, but further growth and expansion are needed to ensure that all children with disabilities in the nation are able to access high-quality education. This will reduce the economic burden on their families and, hopefully, allow them to find work once they reach adulthood, helping them and their families escape poverty.
– Sara Olk
Photo: Flickr
The True Cost of the Rise in Fuel Prices in Zimbabwe
A 150 percent rise in fuel prices in Zimbabwe has had dramatic consequences on the lives of the country’s citizens. The rise in Zimbabwe’s cost of living initially started because of confusion behind its currency, but it has leaked into every aspect of living. For example, after the price increase, the price of bread almost doubled within a week. Organizations like USAID and the World Food Program are trying to help alleviete the true cost of the rise in fuel prices in Zimbabwe.
The Currency Crisis and Fuel Prices
After rampant inflation, Zimbabwe got rid of its own currency and adopted others, such as sterling or the South African Rand. Now, however, there is not enough hard currency to back up $10 million in digital funds. This shortage of imports is affecting local stores and supermarkets by making it more difficult to stock their shelves. Thus, the supermarkets that do have stock have been raising their prices. Fuel has also become a big problem.
Zimbabwe now has the highest priced petrol in the world at more than $3 a liter. The second highest prices are in China at around $2 a liter. The government has stated that the significant rise in fuel prices was put in place to prevent fuel shortages and counteract illegal fuel trading. The country mostly imports its fuel, but without hard currency, imported products are difficult to obtain. In addition to this, the government has been accusing people of hoarding fuel and selling it on the black market, which is said to be much cheaper than buying it up front because of the country’s currency crisis.
Food Insecurity
Without fuel, many farmers cannot operate the basic machines that they need to cultivate and harvest crops. Many rural households rely on agriculture as a main source of food, and the prediction of bad harvests by USAID only makes the situation seem worse. In addition, the current drought has left farms without rainfall to water crops, and without fuel, farms cannot power their irrigation systems to counteract poor rainfall.
The Food and Agriculture Organization has stated that “2.4 million people in rural Zimbabwe will be food insecure by March 2019.” This is in part due to the droughts and in part due to the overwhelming increase in fuel prices. With crop failure and the cost of imports being so high, the government is finding it difficult to import basic necessities such as food and medication.
Plans for Aid
Some citizens believe that effective aid should not come from the local government due to previous allegations that the dominant party prioritizes aid to its own supporters. Organizations like USAID and WFP are partnering to provide emergency food assistance to 665,000 hungry people in Zimbabwe. USAID also supports developmental programs in Zimbabwe such as Amalima.
The Amalima program has families come together to learn productive tasks such as raising livestock and cultivating farmland. The program aims to use these learning tasks to be able to improve child nutrition and help the people in rural communities to better prepare for a food crisis.
The country is certainly in a crisis stage when it comes to food security. Due in part to both the rise of fuel prices in Zimbabwe, the economic crisis and poor harvests due to drought. As aid ramps up to keep up with the needs of the region, many can be saved from starvation and malnutrition. Emergency aid and ongoing developmental programs are doing their part to make sure the people of Zimbabwe lead healthy and fruitful lives.
– Olivia Halliburton
Photo: Pixabay
Education for Children with Disabilities in Bangladesh
There are approximately 1.5 billion people around the world living with a disability. These individuals face significant barriers to receiving an education, particularly in developing countries. Children with disabilities in Bangladesh, for example, are often misunderstood by their parents, community members and educators, making it difficult for them to attend school. Showing links between poverty and disabilities helps make this issue a priority of the Bangladesh government and other organizations working in the nation.
Poverty and Disabilities
In developing countries, poverty and disabilities often reinforce each other. According to the World Bank, 15 to 20 percent of the poor in developing countries are disabled. Many disabilities are created by conditions caused by poverty, including lack of healthcare access, poor hygiene and sanitation, dangerous living conditions, war and violence, insufficient nutrition and natural disasters. These conditions improve the likelihood of people developing disabilities in the first place, of which 50 percent are preventable.
Being disabled is an additional disadvantage for the impoverished, one that makes it even less likely for an individual or their family to rise out of poverty. When access to education for children with disabilities is low, these children are not able to learn the skills needed to work and earn money for themselves or their families. As a result, they tend to be dependents their entire lives, creating an additional economic burden for those who care for them.
In Bangladesh, husbands and wives in impoverished families often both need to work. With a disabled child, however, mothers are often prevented from working, eliminating that source of income. Additionally, medical care for the child is expensive and generally inaccessible to impoverished families in Bangladesh. While it is not the child’s fault that they are disabled, their disability can be difficult for impoverished families to bear and may make it impossible for them to break the poverty cycle.
Barriers to Education
As of 2010, there were approximately 1.6 million children with disabilities in Bangladesh, and fewer than 5,000 of them were enrolled in education programs designed for the disabled. Special education programs are not present in many Bangladesh schools. As a result, most educators are not trained to effectively work with children with disabilities.
Many schools deny admittance to children with disabilities, and those who do go to school often drop out within a short period of time. In addition to lack of adequate programming, the school buildings themselves are often inaccessible to those with disabilities. They lack elevators, automatic doors, handicapped toilet facilities and more.
Furthermore, the impoverished parents of children with disabilities in Bangladesh are often illiterate and do not have access to information about the rights of their child. They may not know that their child has a constitutional right to an education. Furthermore, even if they do know, they lack the funds needed to fight for their child.
Families and communities sometimes also lack information about what it means to be disabled, particularly if they are poor and illiterate. Children with disabilities are sometimes neglected and ignored and are often kept inside the home to prevent ridicule from the community. Abuse is also common, particularly for girls. Females are at an increased risk of physical and sexual abuse.
Improving Access to Education
The government is working to implement reforms that will increase education access to children with disabilities in Bangladesh. Many of these reforms include ensuring knowledge about the disabled is more widely disseminated. Community awareness programs are needed to teach people about disabilities, reduce stigma and generate more support for improving education for children with disabilities.
Additionally, knowledge of disabilities must be included in the basic training of teachers, and it can be reinforced or introduced to current teachers through in-service training. While it is also beneficial to have some teachers who can specialize in working with children with disabilities, all teachers need to be trained so that disabled children have a better chance of succeeding in any classroom.
Programs for Children with Disabilities
As of 2011, the government opened 13 primary schools specifically for people with disabilities. They are also implementing 64 integrated programs within high schools for the disabled. These efforts are undoubtedly making an impact, but many children with disabilities may not have access to these locations. There is a definite need to significantly expand these programs, creating more schools focused on disabilities around the country and ensuring all schools have programs for children with disabilities.
In the absence of widespread disability programming at public schools, BRAC has been working to expand education for children with disabilities in Bangladesh. More than 30,000 non-formal education centers have been established across the nation over the past two decades, and currently, 43,000 children are using these education centers. BRAC is committed to ensuring that the impoverished children and those in remote areas have access to schools.
Overall, efforts by the government and outside agencies, including BRAC, are an important step forward, but further growth and expansion are needed to ensure that all children with disabilities in the nation are able to access high-quality education. This will reduce the economic burden on their families and, hopefully, allow them to find work once they reach adulthood, helping them and their families escape poverty.
– Sara Olk
Photo: Flickr
Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Monaco
Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Monaco
Monaco’s paradisal and business-friendly reputation attracts money from all over the world, causing its economy and residents to prosper. As a result, the living conditions in Monaco are unparalleled, and poverty is nonexistent in the state. A mix of political stability, low unemployment, low crime, high-quality health care and government assistance programs maintain Monaco’s high standard of living. As long as these aspects of Monaco endure, the phenomenal living conditions in Monaco should persist.
– Jillian Baxter
Photo: Flickr
Infrastructure Projects in the Republic of Georgia
The Republic of Georgia has been doing fairly well despite a shaky recovery after gaining independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. The Republic of Georgia and the Russian Federation are still important trade partners despite past conflicts. Trade between Russia and Georgia accounted for 14.5 percent of Georgia’s exports in 2017. The government has recognized this and, in 2017, it laid out a 3-year plan outlining infrastructure projects in the Republic of Georgia. Its goal is not only to increase the ease of trade but also increase the standard of living for Georgians.
Infrastructure Projects in the Republic of Georgia
Railroads, roadways, seaports, airports, pipelines and electrical transmission lines are all in need of either an upgrade or an overhaul. Infrastructure projects in the Republic of Georgia are being handled organized by the Georgian government, but they are being financed by companies and countries all around the world. For example, Japan signed $38 million agreement to fund investments for improvements on one of Georgia’s main highways.
Much of this investment is organized and promoted by the Georgian International Investment Agency. The agency was developed and established in 2002 outside of direct government control due to the laws at the time. In 2015, the agency was moved under the direct control of the office of Prime Minister as a result of its growing importance and investments. The job of the agency is to ensure that investors and the nation are treated fairly.
Western Trade Partners
As the government of Georgia is seeking closer ties to the west by looking to join both the European Union and NATO, it has formed an important trading partnership with the United States. USAID has been working with Tetra Tech, an international engineering firm, on infrastructure projects in the Republic of Georgia, specifically in the energy sector.
USAID along with Tetra Tech have been working together with the government of Georgia, and other nations in the Caucasus region, on the Georgia Power and Gas Infrastructure Oversight Project (PGIOP). The project includes the construction of 119 kilometers of gas pipelines and the replacement of substations and power lines that were damaged or dismantled during the 1992 Georgian Civil War.
Improved Infrastructure Benefits Trade
Georgia’s other neighbors, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia, Bulgaria and Ukraine, are all important trade partners that share either a land or sea border with the Republic of Georgia. Improving infrastructure in Georgia will facilitate important trade between the county and its neighbors, helping the economies of all countries involved. The World Bank is working with the government of Georgia to help improve the infrastructure needed for this trade.
The World Banks has been investing millions into the Republic of Georgia not only to help stimulate trade within Georgia’s sphere of influence but also though the Caucasus Transit Corridor. The area is an important corridor between Asia and Europe. Modern infrastructure will help facilitate trade across the Black Sea and through all of the nations that border it. Both natural gas and trade goods will need to move faster as consumption increases.
Georgia is a nation tucked in a region with ever-growing tensions. The wars in Iraq and Syria are not far away. Its neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a constant state of alert. Russia, Turkey and Iran are all beginning to flex their muscles on the world stage more freely. Through improving infrastructure projects in the Republic of Georgia, the country can hope to become too important for any side to lose, allowing it to continue to grow freely and democratically.
– Nicholas Anthony DeMarco
Photo: Unsplash
10 Things to Know About the Crisis in Venezuela
10 Things to Know About the Crisis in Venezuela
The crisis in Venezuela is worsening by the day. There are countless people being forced to leave their homes, jobs and families in hopes of finding a safer place to live. While the country awaits political intervention and foreign aid, there are still ways for people overseas to give help. Many nonprofit organizations, including The Better World Campaign, are doing their part in helping the humanitarian crisis. These groups are always looking for volunteers and donations. Spreading the word about the situation in Venezuela, raising awareness and mobilizing others to donate is also a great way to help, even from afar.
– Charlotte Kriftcher
Photo: Flickr
Bringing Economic Relief to Angola
Angola is beginning to achieve financial stability after failing to recover from their 2014 oil crisis. Angola relies on oil as it generates 80 percent of the government’s revenue. President Joao Lourenco, of the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola party, rose to power in 2017 and has since made efforts to tighten monetary policy, improve the business environment and reduce debt in order to bring economic relief to Angola.
Poverty and the Oil Industry
A 2014 oil price drop created high inflation rates, crippled the banking sector and resulted in foreign investors pulling out of Angola, a country where more than one-third of the population lives in poverty. Oil also accounts for more than 90 percent of exports, which only made matters worse for a country over-reliant on oil. Though corruption has marred the past Angolan presidency, the current president, Joao Lourenco, is seeking a more democratized government to bring economic relief to Angola. He is also pursuing stability in their currency, the kwanza, which has gone down 40 percent in value since last year.
Industry accounts for more than 60 percent of Angola’s GDP. Industry includes petroleum, diamonds, iron, cement, gold, uranium, tobacco products, sugar and textiles. Privatizing petroleum would welcome outside investors that were reluctant to invest in a country that has a government-owned oil industry. Privatization brings Angola one step closer to gaining foreign investors.
Economic Distribution
The elite owns the majority of Angola’s wealth, but now there’s a shift toward distributing the wealth by reducing the power of these political leaders, a power that was held by their positions of ownership in the petroleum industry. Corruption is being dealt with thanks to President Lourenco, which has been an important move in bringing economic relief to Angola.
More than one-third of Angolans are living in poverty. They would benefit from the money being distributed to the poor. A country that is ranked seventh in crude oil exports and is labeled as oil-rich has the capacity to bring all its inhabitants out of poverty. The first step is targeting corruption by the state-owned petroleum company, Sonangol and the political leaders that benefit from the government’s involvement in the oil company. Lourenco’s Macroeconomic Stabilization Program addresses these issues so that the wealth will be more proportionate.
External Aid to Angola
Under Lourenco’s Macroeconomic Stabilization Program, new policies were established for pricing natural gases and an independent regulator was created to manage oil and gas concessions. In December, the China Development Bank granted a $2 billion loan for Sonangol to build a refinery that will reduce reliance on fuel imports.
Angola also received a $3.7 trillion credit from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that same month. The credit from the IMF was approved to support Angola’s efforts in transitioning the oil industry from government-led to being private sector controlled. It will also help return financial stability by reducing government debt. At the moment, Angola’s debt is around $80 billion despite being the third strongest economy in Africa.
Many state-owned Angolan companies are privatizing or are being liquated as part of Lourenco’s initiative to improve the business environment and reduce debt. Two new laws have already been approved that will encourage new companies to enter the Angolan market. The private investment law and the antitrust law both remove barriers to providing outside investment, furthering economic relief to Angola.
Looking To the Future
The World Bank estimates Angola’s GDP will rise to 2.9 percent in 2019. For reference, in 2017, the GDP was negative 2.5 percent. Under President Lourenco, Angola is welcoming the private sector and foreign investment, both of which may result in a better distribution of wealth among the poverty-stricken country. Angola’s economy is improving and with improvement comes the opportunity for investment in not just the oil sector but also in agriculture, tourism and other natural resource mining, bringing economic relief to Angola.
Photo: Flickr
MSF in Yemen: Helping Amid Conflict
Instability continues to plague Yemen, exposing almost 20 million people to food insecurity and more than one million to cholera. The damage is evident in Yemen’s weak healthcare system, which leaves millions of people vulnerable. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, is an organization that provides healthcare for people affected by conflict and poverty. Though warfare complicates operations on the ground, MSF in Yemen is not giving up.
The Challenges of Aid in Yemen
In 2018, an airstrike destroyed a newly built cholera treatment center. Fortunately, there were no patients or workers present at the time, but the vital project had to be put on pause until repairs and reconstruction could begin. Events like this threaten the effectiveness of MSF in Yemen and risk the lives of the 16 million people who lack basic healthcare.
MSF also runs 12 healthcare centers of its own in addition to the 20 hospitals the organization supports. Its operations have treated more than 1.6 million people suffering from injuries, disease and chronic illnesses. MSF’s activities in Yemen take place in a constantly changing and dangerous environment. Since 2015, constant fighting between various militant groups has damaged countless Yemeni health facilities, leaving only half fully functioning. Many hospitals and health facilities in the areas have closed down because of safety concerns or because they cannot pay workers.
MSF in Yemen
The facility that was destroyed was one of many new treatment centers responding to the cholera outbreak. Cholera is a serious issue in Yemen and has killed 2,184 people since April 2017. Because of the violence, almost 16 million Yemenis have suffered from reduced access to clean water and sanitation, which increases their vulnerability to cholera. MSF quickly reacted to the outbreak by opening 37 treatment centers and oral rehydration points. In just six months after the breakout, MSF admitted more than 100,000 cholera patients. While the threat of cholera has decreased since 2017, treatment centers remain a vital safe haven for those afflicted.
MSF responded to another issue caused by the lack of healthcare facilities: pregnancy. In 2017, MSF in Yemen helped 7,900 women deliver their babies. Pregnant mothers are especially vulnerable because they lack access to clinics. Even when there is a health facility nearby, traveling may be too dangerous or time-consuming. Consequently, mothers give birth at home, which exposes them to health risks. Many pregnant women also don’t have access to prenatal care and can have preventable but fatal complications.
Treatment Centers In Yemen
MSF in Yemen dealt with the re-emergence of diphtheria in 2017. The organization acted quickly by opening up a treatment center in Ibb where 70 percent of cases were concentrated. MSF treated around 400 patients that year alone. As successful as that operation was, others remain an issue, like renal failure. Multiple renal failure treatment centers have been forced to close due to the conflict. Many facilities are under-equipped and some 4,000 patients are still left untreated.
Treatment centers are often too far, or treatment itself is too expensive. Patients require three dialysis sessions a week, so many will reduce the number of treatments to lower the cost. Unfortunately, this can be dangerous and ineffective in treating renal failure. MSF responded to the crisis and has helped more than 800 patients by offering 83,000 dialysis treatments and importing 800 tons of supplies.
More than 20 million Yemenis are in need of humanitarian assistance, facing hunger, disease and displacement. MSF continues to provide aid through one of its largest programs in the world. Since 1986, MSF in Yemen has been compensating for the lack of effective healthcare, even amid the conflict.
Photo: Flickr
Remittances in the Arab World
The Arab world has one of the highest proportions of migrant to local workers in the world, with over 32 million migrant workers in the Arab states in 2015 alone. In addition, the region has one of the largest diasporas in the world. This means that many skilled workers are emigrating to wealthier countries and sending money home via remittances. But what do remittances in the Arab World mean for the region and its inhabitants?
Brain Drain vs. Gain
In Lebanon and Jordan, unskilled labor is provided by growing numbers of refugees and foreign workers, totaling over five million in 2015. However, as more foreign workers enter the country, growing numbers of high-skilled Lebanese and Jordanian nationals are emigrating. This often occurs when opportunities are limited, when unemployment is high and economic growth slows. The phenomenon is dubbed ‘brain drain’ as opposed to ‘brain gain’, whereby an increasing stock of human capital boosts economies. A drain occurs while poor countries lose their most high-skilled workers and wealthier countries in turn gain these educated professionals.
Remittances in the Arab World
These expatriates commonly work to improve their own living situations while also helping to support their friends and families. This is where remittances come into play. As defined by the Migration Data Portal, remittances are financial or in-kind transfers made by migrants to friends and relatives in their communities of origin. Remittances often exceed official development aid. They are also frequently more effective in alleviating poverty. In 2014 alone, the Arab states remitted more than $109 billion, largely from the United States followed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
There is no denying that remittances can be a strong driving force for the socioeconomic stability of many Arab countries. But not all the influences are positive. Some experts argue that remittances can actually hurt the development of recipient countries. Their arguments cite potential negative effects of labor mobility and over-reliance on remittances. They emphasize that this can create dependency which undermines recipients’ incentive to find work. All this means an overall slowing of economic growth and a perpetuation of current socioeconomic status.
The Force of the Diaspora
The link between remittances in the Arab world and poverty is clear. Brain drain perpetuates and high amounts of remittance inflow and outflow persist if living conditions remain unchanged. Policymakers are therefore focusing efforts on enticing emigrants to return to their countries of origin. By strengthening ties with migrant networks, and implementing strategies like entrepreneurial start-up incentives and talent plans, the initial negative effects of brain drain could be curbed.
Overall, though brain drain and remittances can seem to hurt development in the short-term, if policies can draw high-skilled workers back, contributions to long-term economic development can erase these negative aspects altogether. Young populations that have emigrated to more developed countries acquire education and valuable experience that is essential to promote entrepreneurship in their home countries. Moreover, their experiences in advanced democracies can bolster their contribution to improved governance in their countries of origin. The Arab world’s greatest untapped potential is its diaspora, and it could be the key to a more prosperous future, if only it can be harnessed.
– Natalie Marie Abdou
Photo: Flickr
Five Resilient Women in Rwanda
Only 25 years since the Rwandan Genocide, many women in Rwanda are still recovering from loss, hardship and trauma. Militants raped between 250,000 to 500,000 women during the genocide and many who survived lost friends, family and community. Determined to raise up their communities after a period of national devastation, here are five resilient women in Rwanda who inspire and create change for the present and the future of Rwanda.
Five Resilient Women in Rwanda
Christelle Kwizera graduated magna cum laude from Oklahoma Christian University, where she researched purifying water via ozone. Now Christelle is the managing director of Water Access Rwanda, whose mission is to provide clean, affordable and reliable water sources to combat water security. Operating since 2014, Water Access Rwanda provided access to clean water to more than 132,000 people, schools, businesses and farms throughout not only Rwanda but also within the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Uganda.
Elise Rida Musomandera lost both of her parents at an early age. This dramatically shaped her life and fed her determination to combat hunger, empower women and youth and support survivors of genocide and individuals with AIDS. In 2014, Elise founded Isano Women and Youth Empowerment. Elise is the CEO of her nonprofit organization and leads the fight against poverty, promotes peace, protects the environment and empowers others through education.
At only 8 years old, Safi Umukundwa became a survivor and orphan of genocide. On account of her resiliency and dedication, she excelled in secondary school. She ultimately received funding for university education and inspired the name of the nonprofit, Safi Life, where she serves as the county director of Rwanda. Safi Life works to promote female advancement in Africa through awarding university scholarships and funding education for women, which additionally combats domestic abuse and poverty. As a result, Safi works to build up and inspire the next generation of strong and resilient women in Rwanda.
Salaama Numukobwa is a mother, activist and inspiration. Since 2011, she served her community through volunteer work. Salaama is now the community facilitator of Mind Leaps in Rwanda. Mind Leaps is a nonprofit organization that works with vulnerable and at-risk youth through dance, increasing cognitive and social-emotional development. Seventy percent of students who completed Mind Leaps’ dance program in Rwanda performed within the top 20 percent of their classes in 2017.
Solange Impanoyimana was only 11 years old when the Rwandan genocide left her to provide for herself. Committed to furthering her education, she achieved her bachelor’s degree and went on to co-found Resonate. Resonate is a nonprofit that provides girls and women leadership workshops to cultivate skills and increase confidence through storytelling, professional development and action leadership programs. In 2017, 36 percent of participants started businesses, 60 percent fill leadership roles and 43 percent have secured employment, promotions or academic opportunities.
Only a quarter-decade after the dark stain of hatred and genocide affected Rwanda, Christelle, Elise, Safi, Salaama and Solange shine their light on the future of their country. These courageous women are the epitome of strength and represent millions of resilient women in Rwanda.
– Keeley Griego
Photo: Flickr
Organizations Building More Schools for Sierra Leone
School Attendance Rates
Since the civil war, Sierra Leone has made great efforts in rebuilding destroyed, abandoned and damaged schools, but most schools are still in need of repairs. Furthermore, many schools lack sufficient learning materials or qualified teachers. However, Sierra Leone has seen an impressive percentage increase in primary school enrollment. Nearly 100 percent of both boys and girls attend primary school. There is only a 2 percent difference between boys and girls completing their education, boys at 69 percent, and girls at 67.
Although primary school attendance rates have continued to increase, school dropout rates for both boys and girls is an alarming concern. When it comes to secondary school, the numbers drop to 57 percent of both boys and girls attend lower secondary school. Unfortunately, that number drops even further to 29 percent for boys and 26 percent for girls when it comes to enrolling in upper secondary school. There is a 53 percent drop out rate of both boys and girls. There is even a bigger disparity in attendance rates and completion rates for both girls and boys in rural areas of Sierra Leone because of the lack of access to schooling.
Since 60 percent of people in Sierra Leone live under the poverty line, it makes it difficult for many households to afford school for their children. It was reported, in the 2015 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis, that 35 percent of households don’t enroll their children in school due to lack of funds and about 28 percent don’t have a functioning school in their village or community. Building more schools for Sierra Leone, especially in rural areas, is important and vital for the future of the people and the country.
Organizations Making a Change
SOS Children’s Villages provides various programs to make sure that children have access to quality education and training to prepare them to become independent adults. Some of the things the programs have created and supported are improving child-centered quality education, creating inclusive learning environments, working with communities and authorities to build schools as well as providing speech therapy and after-school tutoring, mentoring and coaching for the youth. SOS Children’s Villages also runs the schools that it has established and built in order to ensure quality education. About 3,000 students have benefited from the organizations’ schools and programs in Sierra Leone.
In 2005, Schools for Salone began its mission to provide quality education to the people of Sierra Leone. Since 2005, the organization has built 22 primary school buildings and three school libraries. These facilities serve more than 6,500 children across Sierra Leone. Schools for Salone has also provided training opportunities for more than 150 teachers. Its main missions are to build schools, keep boys and girls in school and provide scholarship opportunities for the children of Sierra Leone.
The civil war in Sierra Leone had many repercussions and has affected all of the country’s sectors; however, it is most apparent in its education sector. Organizations such as SOS Children’s Villages and Schools for Salone have decided to help improve the education sector of the country. More schools for Sierra Leone could mean a brighter future for the country’s education sector, but more importantly, a brighter future for the children of Sierra Leone.
– Jocelyn Aguilar
Photo: Flickr