After the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the international community are trying to prepare for the next outbreak. Epidemiologists label this future pandemic as “Disease X,” likely from one of the 25 known virus families; they estimate that it could be significantly deadlier than previous pandemics. Fighting global poverty has been central to how the international community fights against disease.
Preparing for the next pandemic supports people in low- and middle-income countries in two key ways. First, addressing systemic challenges such as pollution, deforestation and limited access to sustainable health care can reduce the likelihood and impact of future outbreaks. Second, the effects of disease tend to be more severe for populations living in poverty. The international community can help by funding existing health initiatives—particularly in tropical regions of the Americas, Africa and Asia—and by supporting efforts like the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations’ (CEPI) 100 Day Mission, which aims to accelerate vaccine development and save lives.
Challenges in Pandemic Planning
Experts suggest that one of the most difficult parts of improving global public health is preparing for the next pandemic before it happens. The major challenge is getting governments to invest ahead of time, despite not knowing exactly when, where or how the next major disease will strike. Caroline Buckee, professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics (CCDD), noted,
“One of the confirmatory lessons for me—it’s not a new lesson—was that governments and people are reactive. And it’s very hard to get significant investment in preparedness. When it comes to pandemics, or epidemics in general, one of the hardest things about preparedness is that if you’re doing it really well, no outbreak—or only a small outbreak—occurs. Proving that you have averted an epidemic is difficult, so politically, how do you justify the investment required? It’s a really hard problem.”
One of the ways epidemiologists prepare for something that is both unpredictable and inevitable is by ranking the likeliest outbreaks to become a major issue, including “another possible Disease X, a term used to describe a currently unknown pathogen with pandemic potential.”
Tracking Zoonotic Threats
One of the ways health experts accurately prepare is through pathogen rankings like the Priority Zoonotic Disease Lists and the Research and Development Blueprint. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, in partnership with the University of California, Davis, has developed a new analytical tool called SpillOver to help predict the most likely risks.
SpillOver evaluates the likelihood of animal-to-human spillover among viruses, like the zoonotic transfer that occurred with the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. So far, the project has isolated 12 separate zoonotic diseases that are most likely to infect, ranging from Simian foamy virus to Lassa virus. SpillOver 2.0 will incorporate more data in order to more holistically analyze which diseases we need to prepare for.
The Impact on Global Poverty
This massive effort of analyzing and preparing for the next pandemic is critical to fighting global poverty for two major reasons. First, pandemics disproportionately harm the global poor. Analysis from The Lancet found that if a pandemic of similar proportions to the 1918 influenza epidemic were to occur in 2025, there would be 62 million fatalities, 96% of which would be in lower-income countries. By contrast, investing in poverty relief helps combat disease spread through improved health systems, increased health education and more effective sanitation.
Secondly, the fight against poverty and the effort to control pandemics are linked. The wider systemic issues that cause global poverty also increase the risk of a disease outbreak and that same outbreak developing into a full-blown pandemic. The WHO has warned that this next pandemic, labeled Disease X, “could be 20 times more lethal than COVID-19, with very high costs, possibly no vaccines and enormous social and economic impacts.”
The most likely risk is a zoonotic disease from a tropical region, all places suffering from high poverty rates, climate change and deforestation. These three main factors increase the likelihood of a tropical animal-to-human outbreak turning into the next COVID-19. While deforestation increases the possibility of spillover, combating deforestation not only helps prevent outbreak but also can reduce poverty as well.
Rapid Response and Vaccine Development
As daunting as this may be for the global poor, the international community and health experts are learning from the last pandemic. CEPI is leading efforts to ensure that life-saving vaccines can be made available across the developing world in as little as 100 days, compared to the traditional five-year timeline.
Started in 2014 to help combat Ebola, CEPI also played a critical role in reducing the COVID-19 vaccine development timeline to 12 to 18 months. By focusing on increased research, development and mass production, “…CEPI has simultaneously advanced the development of 11 rapid response platforms to deploy against unknown threats, or Disease X.” Being able to predict which diseases may emerge from and affect the developing world is critical to fast-tracking vaccines, which have historically saved an estimated 154 million lives worldwide.
Looking Ahead: A Shared Global Strategy
While preparing for the next pandemic is difficult and full of uncertainties, expert opinions suggest that focusing efforts will be critical to combating global poverty. By identifying the most likely pathogens as potential future “Disease X” threats, the international scientific community has helped concentrate resources that can be used effectively in the developing world. Hence, fighting global poverty and protecting global health appear to be essential parts of the same strategy.
– Joseph Laughon
Joseph is based in Sacramento, CA, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr
Introducing Zero Budget Natural Farming in India
In response to these challenges, a promising solution has emerged in the form of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), an efficient agricultural system that enriches soil naturally using materials such as cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour etc. This approach enhances soil health, strengthens crop resilience against climate extremes and improves access to safe, affordable food. ZBNF holds significant potential to transform rural India by promoting ecological balance, economic resilience and sustainable livelihoods.
The Practices and Principles of ZBNF
Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) was initially practiced by Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer and philosopher, on the island of Shikoku. However, the method gained prominence in the 21st century through the work of Indian agriculturalist Subhash Palekar, who drew inspiration from traditional Indian farming techniques. To reiterate, ZBNF is an ecological and low-cost approach to agriculture that seeks to replace chemical inputs with natural resources, enabling farmers to cultivate without dependence on loans or market-purchased inputs.
Palekar developed four core principles of ZBNF, referred to as the four wheels, each representing a foundational aspect of the practice: Beejamrit, Jeevamrit, Mulching and Waaphasa. Beejamrit is a natural microbial treatment applied to seeds before sowing, made using cow dung liquids comprising of local cow dung, local cow urine, and is designed to stimulate healthy germination. Jeevamrit refers to the enhancement of soil microbes using an inoculum of cow dung, cow urine and jaggery, fostering soil fertility through biological means.
Mulching involves covering the soil with crop residue, such as mulch, to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Waaphasa focuses on the building up of soil humus to increase soil aeration, which improves soil structure and reduces water usage. Under this method, irrigation—defined as applying water to crops artificially—is carried out only at noon and in alternate furrows.
The Impact
Researchers have increasingly observed that Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) holds the potential to substantially improve agricultural productivity when compared to conventional farming methods, which typically rely on synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. Empirical evidence suggests that ZBNF practices increased by up to 22% for crops such as gram, lentil, soybean, black gram and red mash as compared to inorganic farming. This indicates a promising trend toward more sustainable yet productive agricultural systems.
Further supporting these findings, a survey conducted in the state of Karnataka revealed that farmers who adopted ZBNF techniques experienced an impressive 79% increase in crop yields. Even more striking, a separate study carried out in Andhra Pradesh recorded an even higher yield improvement, with increases reaching up to 88% when utilizing ZBNF methods.
Nonetheless, it is important to recognize that agricultural practices are rarely universally effective and outcomes can vary significantly based on regional conditions, crop type and soil characteristics. For instance, a study conducted in the state of Telangana found that maize, in this particular case, yielded better results when grown using conventional farming methods rather than through ZBNF practices. This serves as a reminder that while ZBNF shows great promise, it may not consistently outperform traditional approaches across all contexts and crop systems.
Ongoing Challenges
Despite the promising benefits of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), it remains the subject of valid controversy, most notably, the concern that over a couple of decades or less, the soil may run out of organic matter, resulting in a catastrophic crash in food production across India. In other words, experts worry that ZBNF may mine nutrients from the soil’s organic matter, leading to long-term soil degradation, reduced crop yields and a potential collapse in food production if widely adopted without proper research.
Looking Ahead
This highlights the need for future research to reevaluate the long-term effects of ZBNF so that countries utilizing this practice can flourish both in the short term and the long term. The good news is that with timely, science-based evaluation and careful adaptation, ZBNF has the potential to evolve into a resilient, sustainable model of agriculture that benefits both farmers and the environment.
– LaRaymee Lee
Photo: Flickr
Yemen’s Pervasive Health Care Crisis: Diseases Impacting Yemen
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)
Neglected tropical diseases are diseases that stem from a combination of environmental conditions, poor sanitation infrastructure and poor health care conditions. Malaria, dengue fever, cholera and schistosomiasis are among only some of the most common NTDs. In 2022, an estimated 110,000 cases of malaria were reported in Yemen; there were more than 2.5 million suspected cases of cholera, accounting for the largest case of cholera ever reported. There have been annual reports of thousands of cases of dengue fever. These statistics cover only a fraction of NTD cases that currently taint Yemen’s health care system and are a product of its state of political strife, while simultaneously compounding Yemen’s current humanitarian crisis.
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is one of the current prime causes of disease risk in Yemen. More than 18 million Yemenis currently struggle with food insecurity and at least 80% of its civilians currently live below the poverty line. More than 45% of children in Yemen suffer from malnutrition and the poverty crisis has left millions of Yemenis at risk of neurological, chronic and other long-term diseases like cystic fibrosis, renal failure, congenital heart disease and neuromuscular diseases.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The outbreak of COVID-19 completely exacerbated Yemen’s already severe health care and economic crisis. Due to Yemen’s severed health care system, there were only six COVID-19 testing sites available, a fairly limited amount of available protective equipment and a lack of health care professionals equipped to handle the consequences of the pandemic. The disruption of COVID-19 also caused a 19.6% decline in the influx of remittances, sequentially leading to an average 20% household income reduction. While the COVID-19 crisis has since smoothed over, the economic disruption has continued to pervade civilian life, as the percentage of Yemeni civilians susceptible to acute malnutrition and long-term chronic illnesses has increased since the start of the pandemic.
Looking Forward
While tragedy still persists in Yemen, there have been many initiatives dedicated to halting its humanitarian emergency. The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently providing medical aid to around 12.6 million people in Yemen, with an emphasis on alleviating acute malnutrition, improving maternal health care and improving disease surveillance, amongst many other focuses.
UNICEF has also contributed to efforts in increasing health care services by providing primary medical care as well as vaccines, medical equipment and training. Doctors Without Borders has brought medical professionals to Yemen to support hospitals, health facilities and governorates throughout the country as well. The organization’s doctors have also been focusing on “maternal and child health, specialist and emergency care and responding to malnutrition and outbreaks of preventable diseases such as cholera, diphtheria and measles”. Through the efforts of Doctors Without Borders, medical teams in Yemen have admitted 165,200 people to hospitals, conducted 26,900 surgical interventions, enrolled 11,900 children in feeding programs and treated 12,800 patients for measles.
While many humanitarian organizations and nonprofits have contributed to alleviating diseases currently impacting Yemen, issues persist. Sustained humanitarian aid to countries like Yemen depends on continued advocacy to keep the issue a priority for lawmakers. This support is essential for achieving long-term, measurable change.
– Ava Lachini
Photo: Flickr
Child Soldiers in the Philippines
Non-State Sanctioned Military Groups
Regardless of the year, the NPA has more often than not been responsible for the highest number of violations, reportedly accounting for 40% and 41% of the total in 2022 and 2024, respectively. The majority of the remaining violations were spread somewhat evenly among the other groups, though the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group and the Armed Forces of the Philippines stand out as repeat offenders. As one may notice, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is a state military force, showing the government is not entirely free from blame; however, this group also showed the greatest reduction in violations, dropping from 21 in 2021 to 12 in 2023. In contrast, the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group more than quadrupled its violations, rising from two to nine.
The Acts
Overall, the most common and consistent violations were killing and maiming, recruitment and attacks on schools, which together made up just under 95% of total violations in 2024; 43% in killing and maiming, 38% in recruitment and 12% in attacks on schools. The remaining 7% consisted of sexual misconduct, abductions and denial of humanitarian access. The acts were generally split evenly between areas, with one standout case of a disproportionate number (53%) of violations taking place in Mindanao, the second largest of the Philippine islands and one of the most populated islands in the world.
Looking Ahead
In 2021, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.N. signed a strategic plan in order to improve conditions and lower the number of violations of child rights. There are now more than 3,100 trained child protection actors throughout the country. Furthermore, some regions have even established a regional reporting system so that civilians can alert authorities to violations. These, along with the 2019 issuance of the child protection policy by the Philippine police, have started great advances in Philippine child rights, with the data supporting the fact that the plan is showing results and reducing the number of child soldiers in the Philippines.
– Seth Christopher
Photo: Flickr
Water Purification in Developing Countries: 5 Techniques
Drinking contaminated water can spread disease and may be fatal for entire households. Fortunately, nonprofit aid organizations such as the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Vision and Water.org are implementing various water purification methods in developing countries. Decontamination technology, water infrastructure and sanitation education are vital resources in making safe water accessible to all.
Methods That Make Local Water Safe to Drink
To make clean drinking water accessible, solutions rely on local water sources. Unfortunately, streams, rivers and lakes are often contaminated. Below are several methods used for water purification in developing countries.
Long-Term Solutions
Water infrastructure is essential for making clean water widely accessible. Treatment centers, pipelines and pumping networks help distribute decontaminated water over long distances. In Juba, South Sudan, UNICEF’s 2017 Lologo project established a water treatment plant that draws water from the Nile River, decontaminates it and pumps it throughout Juba and local camps. This is one of many infrastructure projects launched globally to support water purification in developing countries.
UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program ensures schools educate students on hygienic toilet use and clean water maintenance. In Bangladesh’s largest refugee camp, Kutupalong, children ages 10 to 15 participate in World Water Day art competitions, drawing images reflecting the importance of clean water and sanitation. WASH workers hold hygiene awareness sessions for Rohingya refugees of all ages to attend.
Looking Ahead
Water purification is a vital step toward poverty reduction. With continued investment in decontamination methods and infrastructure, access to clean water may soon become a reality for all.
– Helen Cusick
Photo: Flickr
Fighting Poverty by Preparing for the Next Pandemic
Preparing for the next pandemic supports people in low- and middle-income countries in two key ways. First, addressing systemic challenges such as pollution, deforestation and limited access to sustainable health care can reduce the likelihood and impact of future outbreaks. Second, the effects of disease tend to be more severe for populations living in poverty. The international community can help by funding existing health initiatives—particularly in tropical regions of the Americas, Africa and Asia—and by supporting efforts like the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations’ (CEPI) 100 Day Mission, which aims to accelerate vaccine development and save lives.
Challenges in Pandemic Planning
Experts suggest that one of the most difficult parts of improving global public health is preparing for the next pandemic before it happens. The major challenge is getting governments to invest ahead of time, despite not knowing exactly when, where or how the next major disease will strike. Caroline Buckee, professor of epidemiology and associate director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics (CCDD), noted,
“One of the confirmatory lessons for me—it’s not a new lesson—was that governments and people are reactive. And it’s very hard to get significant investment in preparedness. When it comes to pandemics, or epidemics in general, one of the hardest things about preparedness is that if you’re doing it really well, no outbreak—or only a small outbreak—occurs. Proving that you have averted an epidemic is difficult, so politically, how do you justify the investment required? It’s a really hard problem.”
One of the ways epidemiologists prepare for something that is both unpredictable and inevitable is by ranking the likeliest outbreaks to become a major issue, including “another possible Disease X, a term used to describe a currently unknown pathogen with pandemic potential.”
Tracking Zoonotic Threats
One of the ways health experts accurately prepare is through pathogen rankings like the Priority Zoonotic Disease Lists and the Research and Development Blueprint. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, in partnership with the University of California, Davis, has developed a new analytical tool called SpillOver to help predict the most likely risks.
SpillOver evaluates the likelihood of animal-to-human spillover among viruses, like the zoonotic transfer that occurred with the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. So far, the project has isolated 12 separate zoonotic diseases that are most likely to infect, ranging from Simian foamy virus to Lassa virus. SpillOver 2.0 will incorporate more data in order to more holistically analyze which diseases we need to prepare for.
The Impact on Global Poverty
This massive effort of analyzing and preparing for the next pandemic is critical to fighting global poverty for two major reasons. First, pandemics disproportionately harm the global poor. Analysis from The Lancet found that if a pandemic of similar proportions to the 1918 influenza epidemic were to occur in 2025, there would be 62 million fatalities, 96% of which would be in lower-income countries. By contrast, investing in poverty relief helps combat disease spread through improved health systems, increased health education and more effective sanitation.
Secondly, the fight against poverty and the effort to control pandemics are linked. The wider systemic issues that cause global poverty also increase the risk of a disease outbreak and that same outbreak developing into a full-blown pandemic. The WHO has warned that this next pandemic, labeled Disease X, “could be 20 times more lethal than COVID-19, with very high costs, possibly no vaccines and enormous social and economic impacts.”
The most likely risk is a zoonotic disease from a tropical region, all places suffering from high poverty rates, climate change and deforestation. These three main factors increase the likelihood of a tropical animal-to-human outbreak turning into the next COVID-19. While deforestation increases the possibility of spillover, combating deforestation not only helps prevent outbreak but also can reduce poverty as well.
Rapid Response and Vaccine Development
As daunting as this may be for the global poor, the international community and health experts are learning from the last pandemic. CEPI is leading efforts to ensure that life-saving vaccines can be made available across the developing world in as little as 100 days, compared to the traditional five-year timeline.
Started in 2014 to help combat Ebola, CEPI also played a critical role in reducing the COVID-19 vaccine development timeline to 12 to 18 months. By focusing on increased research, development and mass production, “…CEPI has simultaneously advanced the development of 11 rapid response platforms to deploy against unknown threats, or Disease X.” Being able to predict which diseases may emerge from and affect the developing world is critical to fast-tracking vaccines, which have historically saved an estimated 154 million lives worldwide.
Looking Ahead: A Shared Global Strategy
While preparing for the next pandemic is difficult and full of uncertainties, expert opinions suggest that focusing efforts will be critical to combating global poverty. By identifying the most likely pathogens as potential future “Disease X” threats, the international scientific community has helped concentrate resources that can be used effectively in the developing world. Hence, fighting global poverty and protecting global health appear to be essential parts of the same strategy.
– Joseph Laughon
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts About Business with The Visegrad Four
Top 10 Facts About Business with the Visegrad Four
Looking Ahead
The Visegrád Four represents an important forum for teamwork, with a strategic geographical location for business. Through regional cooperation and EU integration, the V4 built competitive economies rooted in industrial strength and foreign investment. While the V4 faces shared challenges in the energy sector and with global market fluctuations, they embrace proactive strategies, such as the V4 Business Conference, to find solutions.
– Alessandra Lewis
Photo: Flickr
Oman’s Poverty Eradication: A Global Model for Ending Poverty
Oman guided its fight to end poverty through a national plan called Vision 2040. It focuses on improving education, creating more jobs outside of oil and helping people in every part of the country. Another plan, called the 10th Five-Year Development Plan, helped turn these goals into real projects. As of 2025, Oman has completed 95% of the programs in the plan and invested more than $28 billion to help improve people’s lives.
Expanding Social Protection
A big part of Oman’s poverty eradication came from a new social protection law. This law, which started in 2024, created a national program to give financial help to more than 1.5 million people. Families now get support for children, seniors, people with disabilities and workers who lose their jobs. The program is paid for by the government and makes sure no one is left behind. Oman also worked closely with international groups like the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Together, they launched a Child Protection Guide to keep children safe and supported across the country.
Investing in Education, Health and Housing
Oman has made big improvements in education and health. The country now ranks among the top 20 in the world for how much it spends on each student and nearly 98% of adults can read and write. Health care is free for all citizens and new hospitals and digital systems are making care even better. Housing is another important part of reducing poverty. Oman has given money to thousands of low-income families to help them build or fix homes. The country is also building Sultan Haitham City, a new city with 20,000 homes, schools, parks and clean energy. It will house 100,000 people once finished.
Looking Ahead
Even with all this spending, Oman has managed to keep its finances under control. It used oil money wisely, paid off debts and still had enough left to support the country’s programs. In fact, its credit rating was upgraded in 2024, suggesting higher levels of trust from global investors. Oman tracks its progress using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. These goals help countries measure how well they’re doing on issues like poverty, education and health care. Oman has met or is close to meeting many of them.
– Cameron Jones
Photo: Flickr
AFCON: Fighting Poverty in Africa
Fighting Poverty in Africa: Short-Term Benefits
“In the short term, the tournament has a positive effect,” explains Roméo Boye, a researcher at the Ivorian Center for Economic and Social Research. Throughout the four-week-long tournament, the host nation experiences a significant boost in hospitality revenue, primarily at hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops, as a result of the increased traffic from tournament attendees. According to Roméo Boye, the tournament has an extremely positive impact on the host nation’s GDP despite only being four weeks long.
These businesses also expand during the tournament, creating short-term professional opportunities that not only provide job seekers with a temporary financial boost but also allow them to gain valuable workplace experience and enhance their resumes. Although these jobs only last the duration of the tournament, they still possess the ability to aid those who are jobless and in poverty. As the market expands, the tournament provides them with opportunities to gain work experience and financial capital.
Infrastructure and Long-Term Growth
Although the short-term economic benefits outnumber the long-term benefits, the tournament provides the host nation with the opportunity to develop its cities while making long-lasting improvements to the infrastructure of the country. For example, transportation was an issue in the Ivory Coast for many years before the country hosted AFCON. Traveling from city to city could be difficult and tedious. However, after the improvements to roads, bridges and airports born during AFCON, movement throughout the country is far more accessible and efficient, according to Julien Adhepeau, professor at the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, in Abidjan.
In the fight against poverty in developing countries, these infrastructural improvements appear to be vital. In the case of the Ivory Coast, transportation upgrades have made employment more accessible, as prospective candidates can move more easily throughout the country, expanding their job opportunities. The Ivory Coast created 24 ‘AFCON cities’ which served as residences for international delegations during the tournament. These cities were a point of growth for new communities and businesses, providing even more job opportunities to Ivorians.
Sporting Infrastructure and Financial Rewards
On the sporting side, in addition to economic stimulation provided by ticket sales and broadcasting revenue, AFCON also allows for the development of state-of-the-art sporting facilities, which create even more job opportunities as workers are needed at these sites. Finally, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) provides a large payout to all teams competing in the tournament. In 2019, all participating nations received at least $600,000, while the winners took home about $4.5 million. In 2017, even the four semifinalists received a substantial payout of $1.5 million each.
Looking Ahead
At first glance, the Africa Cup of Nations is an intense sporting competition with international recognition at stake. However, it also presents opportunities, fighting Poverty in Africa and improving living conditions in developing countries. Through financial and infrastructural developments, AFCON has contributed to increased employment opportunities and improved access to services in some host communities.
– Jack Schuchard
Photo: Flickr
Teaching Abroad: A Form of Equity
Teaching Abroad
Teaching abroad as a form of equity shares similarities with Teach For America. Teach For America recruits recent, excelling graduates to teach in high-need areas. This allows aspiring teachers to grow their careers and students in low-income areas to receive a better education. Organizations like the Peace Corps work in a similar way. Participants for the Peace Corps need to have a bachelor’s degree, but no teaching experience is necessary. The volunteers then go on to teach in high-need areas across the world. Volunteers practice kindness by teaching their knowledge, empowering the students by equipping them with a better education.
History of the Peace Corps
The Peace Corps was established in 1961 by the United States (U.S.) President John F Kennedy through an executive order. The agency’s mission is to create friendship and peace with other countries through helpful engagement. The first countries ever visited were Tanzania and Ghana.
The Power of Education
Education enables social mobility. Obtaining a higher education is a reliable path to higher salaries and upward mobility. Among OECD nations, earning a college degree increases income by 54% compared to a high school diploma. Additionally, higher education has been shown to boost a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Since 1961, the Peace Corps has expanded its impact around the world. In its education sector, volunteers have taught more than 212,000 students in subjects such as English, literacy, math and science. The organization has served in 144 countries and supported local projects through in-person and online efforts. The Peace Corps also offers opportunities in other sectors, including health, economic development and engineering, allowing volunteers to choose how they want to serve.
Ongoing Challenges
Volunteers may experience culture shock, homesickness and language barriers. In addition, living conditions are often less resourced than what they are used to in their home countries. Volunteers are not paid a salary but receive a stipend along with room and board. Many use money saved from their home countries during their service.
According to the information on the Peace Corps website, teaching abroad as a form of equity can also be a way of travel. It can be an immersive and enriching experience to be in another country for an extended period of time. Likewise, teaching abroad can be a great career builder for students in social work, global health, international relations and education.
Looking Ahead
Through the Peace Corps and similar initiatives, teaching abroad continues to be a powerful force for global equity. By connecting volunteers with underserved communities, programs like these promote access to education, encourage cultural exchange and support long-term development goals. As stories like Reda’s show, a single educator can help unlock opportunities that last a lifetime.
– Andrea Roji
Photo: Flickr
Rising for the Greater Good: Poverty in Liberia
Poor physical and mental health, often the result of infections and diseases is one of the most problematic factors for disadvantaged communities. Tuberculosis, measles and malaria, among others, remain public health concerns. However, some initiatives have improved health care access in many regions. The average life expectancy rose 1.2 years over the last decade.
Many organizations are working to reduce poverty in the country through action plans and implemented programs. Among them is Mercy Corps, which supports with educational and health access, donations, charitable missions and emergency responses.
Post-War Recovery and Poverty in Liberia
Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian organization, focuses on alleviating poverty in underdeveloped countries like Liberia. The organization establishes communal stability for all families. Nearly 4,300 colleagues under Mercy Corps work together to grant communities first aid assistance and ally with local government officials to create long-term renovations.
Mercy Corps supported Liberia with many recovery efforts after the nation’s 1989-2003 civil war. The civil war marked a period of political unrest between diverse ethnic groups. This caused significant tension between the land and the people. Liberia experienced 14 years of economic recession. Food scarcity was another result of the aftermath. Produce became scarce, affecting 50% of families.
Mercy Corps faces challenges in providing aid to large populations but continues working to reach as many families as possible. In a discussion with CEO Micromentor Anita Ramachandran, Mercy Corps’ Executive Director Tjada D’Oyen McKenna shared personal and professional details about her path to joining the organization. She spoke with Ramachandran, stating, “…our work is now more necessary than it ever was.” She explained that while some populations will always be affected by natural disasters, the ongoing challenge is to “remind people…that there are more vulnerable [communities] deserving of our support.”
Economic Progress
Mercy Corps is dedicated to guiding communities in finding impactful employment opportunities by linking them with private businesses and agencies. The training for these individuals extends beyond basic skills, focusing instead on establishing a foundation in finance and business management. This emphasizes the vital role of technology and digitalization in Liberia’s economic journey. This approach is modeled to help individuals reach their full potential to become creative leaders in all fields of work. As part of this growing development training, Mercy Corps formed a partnership with a nascent tech entrepreneurship space. This joint collaboration provides innovators a unique role in immersing themselves in a real-world experience. This shapes them to drive future economic stability.
Tackling Poverty, Hunger and Education Gaps in Liberia
Food production in Liberia has been dwindling after the country faced numerous challenges, like the aftermath of the Civil War. Almost 25,000 kids are unable to receive adequate meals in schools due to inaccessibility. About 146 schools encounter this issue, leaving children hungry. Many kids retire from school early because they lack the energy to keep going. As the problem worsened, attendance and enrollment rates fell significantly.
Mercy Corps launched the Liberia Empowerment, Attendance, Reading and Nutrition (LEARN) Program in 2021. The goal of the program is to help children living in vulnerable communities. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education Program, LEARN supplies schools with nutritious meals sourced from local food vendors. LEARN also organizes activities and clubs for children to interact and learn about health outcomes. Some of the clubs the program established include school health and garden clubs. The program’s main objective is to help around 265,830 recipients, with a small portion of that being 85,129 preschoolers in 234 school systems.
Growth and Wellness
Every year, about one-third of Liberian individuals contract malaria, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The death rate primarily affects small children who suffer not only from malaria but also from pneumonia. Based on the Liberia Institute of Statistics and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the maternal mortality rate in Liberia is one of the highest in the world. The rate is 994 per 100,000 childbirths. Mercy Corps is playing an active role in increasing accessibility to sanitation services to stop the contraction of such infections. The organization works alongside regional systems. Health services based in the United States (U.S.) are spending $52 million to open more medical clinics to reach people residing in rural areas of the country.
Building Self-resilience
Poverty remains detrimental to many nations, including Liberia, particularly in regard to food scarcity and education. So, in response, Mercy Corps’ initiatives have implemented support for children and adults. These plans, along with active health services, improved sterilized water and job training, demonstrate a commitment to resolving pressing issues. Addressing these matters, McKenna says, “…We’ve been reminded of our interconnectedness so much…and we believe them…that one of our core principles…is driving toward a more just world.” Liberia hopes to restore its confidence and better its prospects.
– Janae Bayford
Photo: Flickr