Causebox is a subscription box service created by Sevenly through which customers receive handpicked products from socially conscious brands. Causebox also partners with different charities to help raise funds. Some charities or causes behind Causebox include, Tribe-Alive, Trees for the Future and Bloom and Give, just to name a few. While most curated subscription boxes just send products that match your style, Causebox tells you why they chose each brand and how each brand gives back.
Some of the items included in the subscription box include: exclusive artwork that supports global and local artists, homewares that give back to charity, apparel that empowers artisans, accessories that create opportunities for women and jewelry that creates Fair Trade jobs.
7 Socially Conscious Brands Involved With Causebox
Pencils of Promise
Currently, there are 250 million children in the world that are unable to read. Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit organization, is fighting to tackle this issue by working to build schools and create educational opportunities for children living in poverty around the world. Pencils of Promise, also known as PoP, has built more than 300 schools in developing countries while supporting and training teachers. By working with local and national governments to identify which communities need the most help, PoP believes the programs will leave a lasting impact. According to the organization, “If all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills, 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty – a 12 percent cut in world poverty.”
Tribe-Alive
Tribe-Alive is a women’s clothing store that partners with women in Guatemala, Haiti, India, Honduras and Fort Worth, Texas. The company provides at-risk women in vulnerable areas with safe working environments and appropriate living wages. The women in these countries create handmade clothing, handbags and various accessories. By employing these women, Tribe Alive empowers them to climb out of poverty and live a successful life.
Half United
Half United is a fashion company that works to fight world hunger. Hunger and malnutrition lead to more than 50 percent of child deaths around the world. With every purchase from Half United, seven meals are provided to children in need, helping to combat the number of children in hunger. With partners in Haiti, Fiji, Cambodia and the United States, Half United also provides jobs and empowers families. Some of the company’s work includes partnering with Elevating Christian Ministries in Haiti, which provides daily bread to 5,000 students, Toms shoes and other retailers around the world. While the company partners with many different foundations, it is well-known for its flagship recycled bullet necklace that symbolizes the fight against world hunger.
Good Spread Peanut Butter
With every purchase of Good Spread Peanut Butter, a malnourished child receives a serving of therapeutic peanut butter. MANA is a “ready-to-use therapeutic food,” which is essentially a paste made from peanuts, milk powder and vitamin and mineral supplements, that is used to treat severe acute malnutrition, the leading cause of death for 2.6 million children under the age of 5. Though this paste is not yet readily available to every child in need, Good Spread Peanut Butter strives to “put a dent in global malnutrition.”
Krochet Kids Intl
Krochet Kids Intl is a lifestyle brand that empowers women in Uganda, India and Peru to rise above poverty. In 2007, the founders of Krochet Kids Intl traveled to Uganda and trained women to crochet. By teaching women in poverty to crochet and thus providing jobs, Krochet Kids Intl is breaking the cycle of poverty. The brand also works with the nonprofit, Capable, to provide education, mentorship and financial services to its employees.
Trees for the Future
This nonprofit organization helps communities by planting trees in more than 60 countries. The Forest Garden Program is its
solution to ending hunger and poverty for small farmers. By working with farmers living in poverty, Trees for the Future provides training, seeds and nursery supplies to guide farmers towards a sustainable solution to hunger. By following the Forest Garden Program, families increase their income, eat healthier foods, gain security from market risks, pests and harsh
weather. They are also able to acquire feed for livestock and fuel from the wood. Overall, these farmers are not only creating a better life for themselves but for the environment as well.
Bloom and Give
Nearly 1.5 million girls in India are forced to get married before they turn 18. Bloom and Give is a company that employs Indian women to create bags, scarves and homemade textiles. By employing these women, Bloom and Give is supporting girls’ education in India, which is one of the best ways to escape the cycle of “childhood marriage, pre-teen pregnancy
and domestic abuse,” according to the company’s website. Ten percent of every purchase goes to girls’ education programs in India. These programs fight gender inequality, re-integrate dropouts, build essential infrastructure and more.
– Andrea Rodriguez
Photo: Flickr
Meeting Basic Needs: Assessing Water Resources in Ethiopia
Water resources in Ethiopia should be three things: available, accessible and free from contamination. But where does the country stand in terms of achieving these goals?
Availability of Water Resources in Ethiopia
In a 2017 UNICEF survey, 78 percent of Ethiopians reported no problems with availability. Although rural areas of Ethiopia are more likely to drink from springs or wells, these sources are more consistent than their urban counterparts. Almost 75 percent of people living in the cities of Addis Ababa and Tigray have access to piped water, but half of urban respondents reported that water had been unavailable for a full day or more in the past two weeks. Access to piped water definitely has its advantages, but in Ethiopia, is it also the least reliable.
Accessibility of Water Resources in Ethiopia
The advantage of living in an urban area is that water is likely to be available on the premises, while rural areas deal with the burden of time-consuming collection. Nationally, 55 percent of people spend 1 to 30 minutes fetching water, and 26 percent spend more than 30 minutes.
This burden is not divided equally in the average household. Three-quarters of water bearers are female, most likely the daughter of the household head. Nationally, about 35 percent of those fetching water are children between the ages of 7 and 14. This may be a contributor to the fact that less than half of Ethiopian children attend primary school.
Safety of Water Resources in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, water may be contaminated through fecal matter or industrial chemicals. Rural areas are more likely to rely on surface water or dug wells, which have the highest rates of E. coli in the country. There is also a higher risk that the water will become infected after it has been brought into the home. The practice of open defecation, still used by 27 million Ethiopians, contributes to these high numbers. The fact that humans and livestock rely on the same water sources also adds to the risk. The UNICEF report found that only 14 percent of tested water had no detectable E. coli.
Larger sources of water, such as rivers, are more likely to be contaminated with industrial waste. Ethiopia is largely reliant on agriculture, with industry focused around textiles and food industries. As the country continues to industrialize, pollution is expected to increase. Foreign investment in the Ethiopian economy has shown a positive influence on this issue, as these investors prefer nonpolluting activities.
In 2006, only 24 percent of the population had access to drinking water. In 2015, that number was 57 percent. The Ethiopian government and international charities have worked hard to bring about such rapid change. With continued interest, Ethiopia will see the day of 100 percent access to clean and available water.
– Jackie Mead
Photo: Flickr
Top 5 Facts About the Neven Subotic Foundation
Famous Serbian football player, Neven Subotic, has founded the Neven Subotic Foundation that works on projects focused on supplying this basic human right to as many people as possible in Ethiopia. Here are the top five facts about the Neven Subotic Foundation.
Top 5 Facts About the Neven Subotic Foundation
The Neven Subotic Foundation not only works to provide 100 percent WASH to the people in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, but the organization also promotes education. When the Foundation builds wells for communities and schools, they are offering opportunities for children — especially girls — to attend school instead of having to walk miles to unsanitary water sources.
7 Socially Conscious Brands Involved With Causebox
Some of the items included in the subscription box include: exclusive artwork that supports global and local artists, homewares that give back to charity, apparel that empowers artisans, accessories that create opportunities for women and jewelry that creates Fair Trade jobs.
7 Socially Conscious Brands Involved With Causebox
Pencils of Promise
Currently, there are 250 million children in the world that are unable to read. Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit organization, is fighting to tackle this issue by working to build schools and create educational opportunities for children living in poverty around the world. Pencils of Promise, also known as PoP, has built more than 300 schools in developing countries while supporting and training teachers. By working with local and national governments to identify which communities need the most help, PoP believes the programs will leave a lasting impact. According to the organization, “If all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills, 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty – a 12 percent cut in world poverty.”
Tribe-Alive
Tribe-Alive is a women’s clothing store that partners with women in Guatemala, Haiti, India, Honduras and Fort Worth, Texas. The company provides at-risk women in vulnerable areas with safe working environments and appropriate living wages. The women in these countries create handmade clothing, handbags and various accessories. By employing these women, Tribe Alive empowers them to climb out of poverty and live a successful life.
Half United
Half United is a fashion company that works to fight world hunger. Hunger and malnutrition lead to more than 50 percent of child deaths around the world. With every purchase from Half United, seven meals are provided to children in need, helping to combat the number of children in hunger. With partners in Haiti, Fiji, Cambodia and the United States, Half United also provides jobs and empowers families. Some of the company’s work includes partnering with Elevating Christian Ministries in Haiti, which provides daily bread to 5,000 students, Toms shoes and other retailers around the world. While the company partners with many different foundations, it is well-known for its flagship recycled bullet necklace that symbolizes the fight against world hunger.
Good Spread Peanut Butter
With every purchase of Good Spread Peanut Butter, a malnourished child receives a serving of therapeutic peanut butter. MANA is a “ready-to-use therapeutic food,” which is essentially a paste made from peanuts, milk powder and vitamin and mineral supplements, that is used to treat severe acute malnutrition, the leading cause of death for 2.6 million children under the age of 5. Though this paste is not yet readily available to every child in need, Good Spread Peanut Butter strives to “put a dent in global malnutrition.”
Krochet Kids Intl
Krochet Kids Intl is a lifestyle brand that empowers women in Uganda, India and Peru to rise above poverty. In 2007, the founders of Krochet Kids Intl traveled to Uganda and trained women to crochet. By teaching women in poverty to crochet and thus providing jobs, Krochet Kids Intl is breaking the cycle of poverty. The brand also works with the nonprofit, Capable, to provide education, mentorship and financial services to its employees.
Trees for the Future
This nonprofit organization helps communities by planting trees in more than 60 countries. The Forest Garden Program is its
solution to ending hunger and poverty for small farmers. By working with farmers living in poverty, Trees for the Future provides training, seeds and nursery supplies to guide farmers towards a sustainable solution to hunger. By following the Forest Garden Program, families increase their income, eat healthier foods, gain security from market risks, pests and harsh
weather. They are also able to acquire feed for livestock and fuel from the wood. Overall, these farmers are not only creating a better life for themselves but for the environment as well.
Bloom and Give
Nearly 1.5 million girls in India are forced to get married before they turn 18. Bloom and Give is a company that employs Indian women to create bags, scarves and homemade textiles. By employing these women, Bloom and Give is supporting girls’ education in India, which is one of the best ways to escape the cycle of “childhood marriage, pre-teen pregnancy
and domestic abuse,” according to the company’s website. Ten percent of every purchase goes to girls’ education programs in India. These programs fight gender inequality, re-integrate dropouts, build essential infrastructure and more.
– Andrea Rodriguez
Photo: Flickr
Rising Life Expectancy in Africa
Declining Infant Mortality Rate and Antiretrovirals
Several factors can explain the rising life expectancy in Africa. One main element driving this is the fall in the infant mortality rate and rise in child survival. Fewer infants have died shortly after their births and more children to live past their fifth birthdays due to increased health care and more efficient and healthy, delivery processes. Additionally, a wide variety of generic drugs have become more accessible and more affordable for low-income families in Africa.
Another factor, also regarding health and wellness, that has contributed to the rising life expectancy in Africa is the increased accessibility to antiretrovirals for treating HIV. During the 1990s, life expectancy in Africa significantly declined as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Since then, continuous research and funding have been funneled into providing efficient treatments and drugs for HIV/AIDS, ideally at an inexpensive rate. As of 2017, 66 percent of adults and 59 percent of children in Africa who are living with HIV are on antiretroviral treatment and the increase of this treatment directly correlates to the increase in life expectancy.
Rising Incomes
The rising income per capita could also be a factor to explain the rising life expectancy in Africa. According to the World Bank, the GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa in 2000 was less than $600; as of 2017, that number has more than doubled and stands at more than $1,500. Of course, food supply in a given country plays a huge role in the projected life expectancy and with more income, there comes greater food security. As mentioned, higher income can lead to greater health services and increased access to housing and clean water also factors into increased life expectancy.
While the continent of Africa has increased its life expectancy rate since 1925, there are some impending factors that could pose a threat to its successes. Africans between the ages of 50 and 69 are at risk of health problems such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar and obesity. These risk factors could lead to increased deaths related to diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.
Since the start of the 21st century, Africa has seen a significant rise in income, allowing the government to spend more on health care and providing vaccines to people who need them. Overall governance in Africa has appeared to have improved over the past couple of decades, according to William Jackson, a senior emerging markets economist at Capital Economics. He argues that the rising life expectancy in Africa over the past century, but more specifically the past 20 years, is a huge achievement for the continent, despite potential setbacks in years to come.
– Charlotte Kriftcher
Photo: Flickr
Female Democratic Presidential Candidates’ Foreign Policy
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren has been a long time supporter of foreign aid with a platform on trade that focuses primarily on re-investing power in the American Middle Class. Subsequently, she is an advocate for anti-corruption measures and cracking down on multinational corporations that prioritize profits over workers.
Furthermore, she has expressed caution about the U.S.’ trade position with China due to the alleged human rights abuses, contending that China upholds no pretense of democracy regardless of its seemingly capitalist motives. She argues that the domestic agenda should not be considered “as separate from our foreign policy” and that creating strong alliances will help ordinary Americans. Foreign policy must be used to address humanitarian crises and boost democracies worldwide.
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris’ foreign policy approach has been shaped by her career as a federal prosecutor. She has identified ending human trafficking, fighting climate change and reducing terrorism among her key foreign policy stances. She is a supporter of ‘smart diplomacy,’ which includes the cracking down on international criminal organizations.
She favors creating a multilateral approach to address global climate change and, subsequently, opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership on account of it ‘invalidating’ California’s landmark environmental laws. Although she holds a similar stance to Warren on many issues, she has does not support tariffs on China due to the impact on California’s technology industry. She has not joined her colleagues Gillibrand and Warren in condemning cuts to Palestinian; however, she did join them in condemning the funding cuts to refugee programs.
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand is a longtime fighter for both women in developing countries and women in the U.S., which has become a key part of her presidential platform. She co-sponsored the Women, Peace and Security Act of 2013, supporting the integration of gender into U.S. Foreign Policy.
She initially co-sponsored the Anti-Israel Boycott Act but withdrew her support several months later in 2017. Similar to Warren, she has supported using U.S. trade authority to discipline nations over the use of military force and, subsequently, she opposes U.S. collaboration with Saudi Arabia due to its role in the Yemen Humanitarian Crisis.
Gillibrand’s foreign policy statements outside of gender have focused on the protection of U.S. industries against unfair competition. Specifically, she has led the fight for U.S. steel manufacturers and fought back against cheap imports that harm U.S. producers of both primary and secondary products.
Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar has identified a long list of campaign issues on foreign policy centered around advancing American National Security. She is a supporter of foreign aid and the tradition of the U.S. in providing humanitarian assistance, helping to “address refugee crises, preventing radicalization, and promoting stability around the world.”
She has supported sanctions against Iran and North Korea and voted in favor of the Anti-Israel Boycott Bill, which is against the U.N. resolution requesting that states refuse to do business with contractors that engage in business with Israel. She has specifically outlined support for strengthening trade links within North America and with Cuba as part of her foreign policy outlook with the aim of advancing regional interests and investment and strengthening the U.S. position in the global economy. She has favored maintaining a strong military presence more so than several of her female democratic contenders.
Although these candidates, the leading four female Democrats in the race, hold largely similar positions on foreign policy and global trade, there are subtle differences demonstrated by the range of issues they have vocally discussed and highlighted. They are all supporters of foreign aid and all sit largely within the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. However, it is likely that as the race gets further underway, these female democratic presidential candidates’ foreign policy agendas will become more distinct.
Photo: Flickr
Laboratoria: Bridging the Technology Gender Gap in Latin America
How Was Laboratoria Created?
Laboratoria, once known as Ayu in 2014, started as a web agency that built its own in-house tech team. Once the hiring process was over, the company realized that its tech team was 100 percent male. The issue did not lie in their hiring practices but rather in the availability of females with digital skills who the company could bring on board.
As a result, the company decided to spearhead an initiative to train women developers and then hire them once they were qualified. The company targeted women who were unable to attend tertiary school due to economic constraints. As the idea grew, the company saw that there was potential to increase female inclusion across as many emerging and existing tech teams in Latin America, not just their own.
How Does Laboratoria Work?
Laboratoria operates in three stages:
Selection process – Any woman can apply to Laboratoria. However, there is an extensive interview process and Laboratoria to identify those who would benefit the most from the program. Those that are selected must take “exams, pre-work, and real class dynamics” as part of the selection process.
Bootcamp training – Those selected are accepted into a six-month boot camp that beings with a “common core and finishes with two specializations” which are Front-End development and UX design. Developers learn JavaScript, HTML, CSS and “highly demanded tools as React framework” while UX Designers graduate with an “innovative profile that combines coding with UX skills.” They also learn team skills that they will be able to apply to group settings. More importantly, it shows them the importance of supporting each other because creating a family of women in their tech careers will help them succeed.
Talent placement – After the six-month boot camp, students are connected with hiring companies through Laboratoria’s own TalentApp and Talent Fest hackathons. These hackathons give real challenges to the students and they must solve them in 36 hours. The companies then choose who they want to hire based on the results of the challenges. Only the students who get hired by the companies have to pay for the program.
How is Laboratoria Bridging the Gap in Tech in Latin America?
Here are the results Laboratoria has produced through its program.
Laboratoria is one of many programs that is bridging the gap in tech in Latin America by providing young and adult women with the opportunity to access, develop and acquire digital skills. These digital skills will help them build confidence and experience, but more importantly, bring gender diversity into the tech industry.
– Jocelyn Aguilar
Photo: Unsplash
5 Positive Impacts of The Ethical Trading Initiative
5 Positive Impacts of The Ethical Trading Initiative
In the face of increased demand for more products and faster production rates, the Ethical Trading Initiative helps raise awareness of ethical labor codes among managers. Ultimately, this awareness of codes pressures managers to adhere to more ethical practices. When companies take the time to think about the individuals behind every product produced as humans with rights, the ripple effects of change can begin. While there is still a lot of progress that needs to happen to empower impoverished workers globally, the positive impacts of the Ethical Trading Initiative continue to influence a consumer world that prioritizes human rights over profit.
Photo: Flickr
Top 10 Facts About Life Expectancy in Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked nation in Central Asia bordered by China to the south and Russia to the north. It is the third-least sparsely populated country in the world with an average population of 1.9 people per square kilometer. Mongolia has been a representative democracy since the U.S.S.R. collapsed in 1990 when a protest movement forced out the pro-Soviet government. The country’s economy crashed after the withdrawal of Soviet support in the 1990s and then again after the global financial crisis of 2009. It exhibited a strong recovery a few years after each event. These top 10 facts about life expectancy in Mongolia should shed some light on the state of health in this country today.
Top 10 Facts About Life Expectancy in Mongolia
The average life expectancy in Mongolia is 69.9 years, ranking 160 in the world out of 224 countries listed. For comparison, the U.S. ranked 43 in life expectancy. According to figures from the World Bank, life expectancy in Mongolia had increased by 43 percent between 1960 and 2016.
The top causes of premature death in Mongolia are heart disease, stroke and neonatal disorders (diseases affecting newborn children). However, neonatal disorders have decreased significantly in recent years. According to the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the prevalence of neonatal disorders decreased by 13.3 percent in just 10 years from 2007 to 2017. Infant mortality overall has steadily declined since 1978 from 117.9 to 14.8 per 1,000 live births. However, heart disease and stroke have both increased during that same period by 9.3 percent and 11.2 percent, respectively.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. government foreign aid agency, cooperated with the Mongolian government on a variety of programs as part of a $284.9 million compact between 2007 and 2013. One of those programs was the Health Project, which aimed to combat various diseases, including heart disease and stroke. The project trained more than 17,000 medical professionals and provided equipment to more than 550 health facilities, which enabled those facilities to screen almost every Mongolian person over the age of 40 for various diseases.
In Mongolia, there is a steep divide in health care access between urban and rural areas. Part of the reason for Mongolia’s low population density is that many people in rural areas practice a nomadic lifestyle. However, the healthcare system, which has been largely dependent upon foreign aid since dramatic cuts in government spending in the 1990s, has struggled to adapt to servicing such a mobile population. This lack of equal access to healthcare might explain why health indicators, including maternal and infant mortality rates, HIV/AIDS and others are generally worse in rural areas of Mongolia than in cities.
In recent years, the Mongolian government, with the help of the Asian Development Bank, has significantly expanded access to healthcare for rural people. This involved building new health centers, and providing new equipment and training to existing centers and hospitals. Shilchin Degmid, a nomadic livestock herder, told the ADB that, in particular, “[e]mergency services have greatly improved.” In the end, it is estimated that 700,000 people will receive improved healthcare as a result of the initiative.
Poverty affects more than 1 in 4 people. According to the Asian Development Bank, 29.6 percent of people in Mongolia live in poverty. However, extreme poverty has decreased dramatically since its peak of 26.9 percent twenty years ago. Today, 1 in 200 people in Mongolia lives in extreme poverty.
One successful project in fighting poverty is the Alternative Livelihood Project (ALP). ALP has been conducted in a rural area of South Mongolia by the U.N. Development Programme and in collaboration with the local government and organized groups of local residents. The primary purpose of the project was to improve disaster preparedness and economic sustainability in the local economy. Support from the U.N.D.P. and the local government has helped local residents access training and start new businesses. Local residents were also better able to access wider markets for their existing businesses thanks to the U.N.D.P.’s connections elsewhere in the country.
Pollution is a serious problem for the health of urban residents. Air pollution has been shown to significantly impact life expectancy throughout the world. Last year, UNICEF declared air pollution in the country’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, to be a child health crisis. The agency noted that Ulaanbaatar has some of the highest levels of air pollution in the world during wintertime, with pollution rates reaching as high as 133 times the safe levels recommended by the World Health Organization.
One initiative working to fight air pollution is the Ulaanbaatar Clean Air Project. The project is the result of the collaboration between Ulaanbaatar’s city government, the Mongolian national government, the World Bank and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Between 2010 and 2015, the project distributed 175,000 low-emission stoves to impoverished residents of Ulaanbaatar. Most of the residents living in ger or small detached homes in Ulaanbaatar experience disproportionate levels of poverty. As a result, they heat their homes in wintertime using their stove. The new stoves that the project distributed had 98 percent lower emissions than older models of stoves, reducing pollution during winter months. Furthermore, in 2016, the project helped 200 households to insulate their homes.
While the effort to improve life expectancy in Mongolia faces significant challenges, progress is being made. The Mongolian government is collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme on several programs to reduce poverty, including improving economic policy planning and enhancing opportunities for entrepreneurship in rural areas. Furthermore, many organizations have worked with local organizations and governments in Mongolia to improve healthcare in a variety of ways. And while some indicators, such as economic growth, have tended to fluctuate, others, such as infant mortality, have uniformly improved in recent years. Even though challenges remain, these top 10 facts about life expectancy in Mongolia show that the future is bright.
Photo: Flickr
Drug Use in Mexico
Drug Use in Mexico: The Numbers
Based on drug sales alone from Mexico to America, Mexican drug cartels take in about $19 billion to $29 billion annually.
In the time span of five years, nearly 48,000 people have been killed in suspected drug-related violence. In addition, there has been an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 killed due to the War on Drugs. This is since the beginning of Calderon’s presidency.
The War on Drugs and Civilian Defense
Recently, a force called autodefensas (autodefenses) has popped up around the country to help with the defense against drug cartels on their communities.
At the start of President Felipe Calderon election, he sent over 6,000 soldier’s into the state of Michoacán to help fight against the drug cartels that were ravishing Michoacán. As a result, this action began the War on Drugs.
From the start of the War on Drugs, civilians have formed their own ways of defending their country and communities. In fact, the movement of autodefansas doubled within seven years, starting at 250 members and reaching to 600 by 2013.
Next, the cartels are prone to ravish a community by exploiting business owners and forcing payments on the town without legal reasons for doing so. This keeps the cycle of poverty within the country swirling, certainly making it harder for people to break free of drug use or to make profits from their businesses.
The autodefensas groups formed out of a need to protect and supervise their neighborhoods from the corruption of the drug cartel. With men such as Alfredo Castillo, the Security Commissioner for the state of Michoacán, and Estanislao Beltran, they are attempting to break the cycle of the War on Drugs. Additionally, they hope to again be able to use their profits and agriculture to profit the well-being of their state and country.
Drug Use in Mexico
In 2016-2017, a national survey was done on Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco Consumption (ENCODAT) to determine the highest states of drug use in Mexico.
Top Five Highest States of Drug Consumption:
The survey consists of data from the age range of 12 to 65 per state. It concludes with the top three drugs (in no particular order of highest to lowest per state) to be marijuana, cocaine and amphetamines.
Finally, the earliest age of drug use, on average, begins at the age of 17 for men and 18 for women.
How is Mexico Moving Towards Decreasing Drug Use?
ENCODAT is an organization that desires to bring awareness to the people about the effects of drugs. Additionally, the organization wants to advocate for the effects of the body. It also aims to implement life-long strategies that will improve each community.
Forums are set in place to discuss specific detriments to the body and community. ENDOCAT wants to bring about and encourage public spaces that are safe for both children and adults. They also want to change the perception that drug use is merely a criminal act. They aim in drug use being perceived as a health problem that needs treatment and care.
Through ENCODAT and awareness of the War on Drugs, drug use in Mexico can continue to decrease. Mexico is projected to no longer be one of the leading countries of drug use in the world.
– Hannah Vaughn
Photo: Flickr
3 Businesses Alleviating Poverty and Waste in Africa
Rethaka Repurposes Schoolbags
Two young South African women entrepreneurs, Thato Kgatlhanye & Rea Ngwane, designed a school bag that offers a creative solution to numerous problems. Their school bags are each made out of 20 recycled plastic bags. Their idea removes plastic waste from their communities while offering a sustainable, waterproof school bag. Additionally, the bags are reflective, ensuring that kids are visible during their walks to and from school. The cherry on top of this sustainable solution is the solar charged light attached to each bag. This light charges while a child walks outside to school, providing them light to study by at home after dark. With over 10,000 bags sold already, Rethaka created local job opportunities paying fair wages, ultimately helping lift employees out of poverty.
SoleRebels
SoleRebels of Ethiopia boasts that it was the first ever fair trade certified footwear company back in 2005. Creating jobs for over 600 locals paid on average 233 percent more than industry averages, soleRebels truly prioritized creating an ethical job market in Ethiopia since its creation. Recognizing sustainability as a deeply ingrained cultural tradition rather than a contemporary trend, soleRebels made creating footwear with a low environmental impact a priority. The soles of the shoes are made out of recycled car tires. The company uses a variety of other reused and recycled materials like cotton for the rest of the shoe. This locally owned business promotes the importance of local ownership over charity. As wealth gets more evenly distributed, more people can escape poverty through job creation and ethical wages.
EcoPost
All while creating thousands of jobs for locals, EcoPost eliminated over 6 million pounds of plastic to create fence posts. Its fence post design mirrors the look of traditional wood fencing but is much more durable as it is not vulnerable to termites, mold or theft for firewood (a growing problem in Kenya). EcoPost proved to be safer for local communities as it does not leach harsh chemicals into the water supply as treated timber does. This sustainable fencing option also reduces the number of forests cut down to create fencing from virgin wood resources. By recycling and reusing thousands of plastic bags, EcoPost helped reduce the amount of flooding in local communities caused by plastic bags clogging sewer systems. EcoPost is helping to build up communities from the inside out through the intersection of job creation and waste reduction.
As Africa continues to urbanize, the amount of municipal waste is expected to double by 2025. As growing waste negatively impacts those in poverty, it is crucial for new local businesses to take on this low impact business model. By removing waste from the waste stream and creating new jobs, sustainable businesses like the ones discussed here are effective options. With more businesses like these three businesses alleviating poverty and waste in Africa around, the path to escape from poverty becomes more accessible.
– Amy Dickens
Photo: Flickr