While Albania has made significant economic progress in recent decades, poverty remains a challenge in many rural communities. Across the country, however, innovative development initiatives like eco- tourism are creating new opportunities for economic growth and poverty eradication in Albania.
Although Albania’s economy has steadily expanded over the past two decades, many rural residents still struggle with unemployment, limited infrastructure and unequal access to education and public services. According to Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, people living outside major urban centers often face reduced economic opportunities and limited access to jobs, housing and education. Older people and members of minority groups are particularly vulnerable to poverty and social exclusion.
These challenges have made tourism an increasingly important source of economic opportunity. Albania’s tourism industry now plays a major role in supporting employment, particularly in rural regions where other industries remain underdeveloped. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the tourism sector supported approximately 269,000 jobs in Albania in 2023, accounting for nearly one in five jobs nationwide. As Albania’s tourism industry expands, many leaders see sustainable tourism as a promising strategy for poverty eradication in Albania.
Tourism in Albania
Known for its rugged mountains, protected national parks and Adriatic coastline, Albania is quickly gaining international attention as an emerging Mediterranean destination — offering a quieter alternative to the region’s often crowded seaside hotspots. Albania ranked fourth globally in 2023 for the largest percentage increase in international tourist arrivals, recording growth of 56% since 2019. To protect these ecosystems and the economic opportunities they provide, Albania is looking towards eco-tourism.
The World Bank states that the Albanian government is currently prioritizing “sustainable growth with a special focus on tourism” as part of its broader economic development strategy. In recent years, international organizations and government agencies have invested heavily in sustainable tourism initiatives designed to strengthen local economies while protecting environmental and cultural resources.
Job creation in Albania’s Heritage Communities
In southern Albania, eco-tourism and heritage tourism are helping transform communities that once faced economic decline and population loss. According to the World Bank, “for years communities across Southern Albania experienced sluggish growth and an exodus of residents, especially youths, seeking opportunity elsewhere.” However, investments in sustainable tourism infrastructure and cultural preservation projects have helped towns such as Berat, Gjirokastër, Përmet and Sarandë are now experiencing significant economic growth.
Through initiatives like the Integrated Urban and Tourism Development Project (PIUTD), the World Bank helped restore and improve access to historic sites including Gjirokastër Castle, the Sarandë promenade and the Qafa e Pazarit bazaar. Workers rehabilitated nearly 200,000 square meters of public space through projects that repaired cobblestone streets, expanded hiking trails and improved lighting, sidewalks and visitor centers. These investments helped fuel a tourism boom across southern Albania, where tourist arrivals in Berat nearly quadrupled between 2019 and 2024, while arrivals in Gjirokastër increased sixfold.
Family-Run Guesthouses
Unlike large-scale resort tourism, locally owned businesses heavily drive Albania’s eco-tourism industry. The rapid growth of tourism has created new economic opportunities for local residents. Families have converted historic homes into guesthouses and bed-and-breakfasts, while entrepreneurs have launched cultural tours, hiking excursions and outdoor recreation businesses. Importantly, the World Bank states that this growth remains inclusive: “over half of the thousands of the new jobs created are held by individuals who are often excluded from the labor market, such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities.”
Moreover, tourism growth has expanded Albania’s tourism season beyond the summer months, creating more stable year-round income for local businesses. This has also encouraged some Albanians who previously emigrated to return home and invest in tourism enterprises, contributing to long-term community revitalization and further supporting poverty eradication in Albania.
Balancing Tourism and Conservation
Rapid tourism growth also brings environmental pressures, including risks to natural landscapes and biodiversity loss. In response, the Albanian government established a combined Ministry of Tourism and Environment in 2017 to better align economic development with environmental protection, ensuring that tourism expansion does not come at the expense of natural ecosystems.
Building on this approach, Albania expanded its protected areas in 2022 to cover 21.4% of the country’s territory, up from 17.5%. This expansion included the creation of the Albanian Alps National Park. Encompassing dramatic mountain scenery and valleys, the park is designed to strengthen biodiversity conservation while also supporting sustainable rural development and eco-tourism in surrounding communities.
The Albanian Alps attract thousands of international hikers each year, and encourage local communities to invest in environmentally conscious tourism services. Many guesthouses and agritourism businesses in these regions use locally sourced food, traditional architecture and small-scale accommodations that minimize environmental impact while supporting local agriculture and family-run enterprises.
Looking Ahead
As Albania’s tourism industry continues to grow, eco-tourism is emerging as one of the country’s most promising strategies for poverty eradication in Albania. From family-run guesthouses in the Albanian Alps to heritage restoration projects in historic southern cities, sustainable tourism initiatives are creating jobs, supporting local businesses and strengthening rural economies. While challenges related to poverty and regional inequality remain, Albania’s investment in sustainable tourism demonstrates how community-based development can create new economic opportunities for some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.
– Lucy Alexander
Lucy is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Unsplash
How Vocational Training for Syrian Women Supports Empowerment
Economic Independence
Vocational training centers in Syria give women “income-generating skills” that support long-term economic stability, according to the Aga Khan Development Network. DCA Syria developed its programs in response to the socio-economic instability women face, offering training that equips women with the skills and knowledge needed to generate their own income.
The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Building Life Skills and Resilience (BLRS) program also provides specialized vocational training for Syrian women that strengthens their employability and confidence. Ashwaq, a 21-year-old woman, benefited from BLRS training in 2024. CARE reported that the program’s bakery training equipped her with practical, transferable skills that helped her earn a sustainable income and create stability for her family.
Women’s Roles in the Workforce
In 2017, the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy reported that the Syrian conflict had severely affected women’s lives but also opened new avenues for them in the workforce. The deaths and displacement of husbands, fathers and brothers created a significant labor gap that women are now filling. As a result, women have become the primary earners in almost one in three households.
In response to these changes, the UNDP developed workshops, vocational training and emergency employment opportunities to support women’s participation in the workforce. TIMEP noted the effectiveness of these initiatives, reporting that the UNDP provided career opportunities to 6,103 women heading households in 2016.
Vocational training has significantly reshaped Syrian women’s economic roles. Organizations continue to educate and support Syrian women “economically, professionally, socially and culturally.”
Education Access for Young Women
In 2025 UNICEF enabled 164,883 girls to return to learning and develop transferable competencies through non-formal education. These programs include self-learning, remedial education, early childhood education and life-skills training. UNICEF reported that this approach highlights the growing need to provide women and girls, including internationally displaced persons, returnees and vulnerable host communities, with opportunities to rebuild their confidence and strengthen their learning pathways.
UNICEF has also expanded programs aimed at “strengthening adolescents’ resilience, agency and social cohesion.” These programs teach life skills, employability training and civic engagement. By the end of 2025, these initiatives strengthened wider efforts to stabilize communities and reached 255,488 adolescent girls.
Rebuilding After Displacement
Vocational education gives women and displaced people practical training that supports reintegration into society, strengthens economic stability and contributes to recovery from conflict-related trauma. The Columbia University Journal of International Affairs emphasizes the importance of these programs, noting that two-thirds of Syrians displaced globally are women who are underrepresented in the “global narrative.”
Refugee camps also support women as they return to community life by offering training opportunities. In research on displacement in the Abu Khashab camp, Acted documented Heba, a woman who gained practical skills and new opportunities through participation in training centers. These skills helped her reintegrate into community life and build long-term stability.
Conclusion
Vocational training centers in Syria play a central role in supporting women’s empowerment through expanding access to job opportunities and practical life skills. These programs have emerged in response to the barriers that continue to limit women’s achievements. The experiences of women such as Ashwaq and Heba show how practical training can create pathways to employment and stability, even in a post-conflict society. As humanitarian organizations continue investing in vocational training for Syrian women, these initiatives remain essential to strengthening women’s roles within their communities and the labor market.
– Flora de Leeuw
Photo: Flickr
Migration to Bangladesh – The Rohingya Crisis
Who Are the Rohingya?
The name Rohingya refers to an indigenous Muslim ethnic minority who were living in the Arakan Kingdom, which Burma, now known as Myanmar, invaded in 1784.
Historically, Burma fell under the colonial occupation of the British during which time, the Rohingya people remained in Arakan and maintained their language and community while living alongside the Buddhist Rakhine, who resented their presence in the region.
Disputes between the Muslim Rohingya and the Buddhist Rakhine intensified through the Japanese invasion during World War II and continued on after Myanmar gained its independence in 1948. From then on, the Myanmar government has continuously denied the Rohingya people their right to citizenship and launched systematic persecution against the Rohingya, which lasts to this day.
The situation got drastically worse in 2017 and drove nearly half a million Rohingya out of their home country resulting in a large Rohingya migration to Bangladesh. The Rohingya people remain stateless to this day.
Migration to Bangladesh
As of 2025, more than 1 million Rohingya refugees reside in the world’s largest refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, in Bangladesh where living conditions are precarious. Aside from overcrowding, refugees currently face other humanitarian challenges such as:
UNICEF noted more than 235,000 refugee children between the ages of 5-17 have no access to schools, leaving them vulnerable to child trafficking and labor. Furthermore, Rohingya refugees do not have a legal right to leave the camp or to work on their own terms. On top of this, the Rohingya people are left to navigate their trauma on their own and many children are born in limbo. Currently, the Rohingya crisis is being addressed at the International Court of Justice.
Remaining Hopeful
As court proceedings unravel, many organizations continue to work on the ground to meet the needs of the Rohingya people in refugee camps.
Looking Ahead
With recent cuts in foreign aid in the U.S. and the U.K., humanitarian efforts supporting the Rohingya community proving more challenging, the work does not stop. However, with the help of individual donors around the world, aid workers are able to continue helping refugees. The good news is that the Rohingya people now have their voices being heard at the International Court of Justice, so the world can no longer turn away.
– Marine Baume
Photo: Pexels
Everything To Know About Hunger in Chile
Everything To Know About Hunger in Chile
Food insecurity has typically not affected Chile in the same way as it has other Latin American countries. The statistics on it can be quite misleading. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is a set of goals aimed at halving the number of people suffering from malnutrition. In 2015, it was the first country to do this, but on the flip side, 28.2 % of the country’s population still suffered from malnutrition. Even in just the last 10 years, food security has become a real issue. It affected 17.3% of the population in 2023, whereas it now affects more than three million people.
Why Has This Happened?
Hunger in Chile really comes down to two main issues, agriculture and migration.
Technology is advancing, and in most cases, these are positive steps forward. However, farmers in Chile have struggled to keep up. Statistics from the Chilean government show that indigenous agriculture and family-owned farms make up about 73% of the total agricultural units in the country. This means that they are more likely to use older and less efficient equipment than adopt modern ways of farming, which naturally has resulted in slower production.
Also, according to the Migration Policy Centre, the growing concern of climate unpredictability is causing farmers to leave rural areas for the city. These issues combined are resulting in less and less production of food for both themselves and the broader public.
Migration
The other issue affecting food security is migration. Migration has spiked in recent years in Chile, and this is causing the demographics of the country to change quite significantly. Between 2018 and 2023, there was a 47% increase in the foreign population. The vast majority of migrants are coming from other Latin American countries, mainly Venezuela (38%), amongst others. Migrants are an at–risk group, and food insecurity usually disproportionately affects them. In particular, migrant women often find it harder to afford a place to live, especially with the current high cost of living in Chile. This, paired with their finding it harder to access the necessary support networks, means migrant women are at a higher risk of suffering malnutrition.
Solutions
Unfortunately, the issue of migration continues to cause real concern regarding food security, especially for the migrants themselves. In regard to farming, the Chilean government has been stepping up to help alleviate some of its agricultural issues. In January 2024, it invested $50 million in a project with specific goals set out to tackle its food security concerns.
The first is to modernize Chilean farms and farmers themselves. The government set out to educate farmers through digital means, while also helping to monitor progress on farms through technological advancement.
As part of the investment plan, new technology is now also helping to prevent diseases and pests from harming the land and livestock.
As mentioned previously, the climate is a major concern for farmers, whether it be to continue to grow food or just to simply live in that area and not have to migrate to the city. This is why, as part of this investment, risk management has become a major factor. The government expanded the coverage of the Red Agroclimatologica Nacional (RAN), which is the National Agro – Meteorological Network of Chile.
It is not only the government that is helping to slow down the rate of food insecurity. An NGO called Fundacion Social Amar Das is a Chilean-based nonprofit, started in 2019, that sets out to “support the hope of the hopeless in Chile,” as its website says. GlobalGiving has vetted it and recognizes it, and volunteers who deliver food directly to people who are often homeless run it. Through donations, it is actively improving the lives of many.
Looking Ahead
The goals that the government set out are now slowly changing the path on which Chile was headed concerning food security. Chile is becoming more proactive, rather than reactive, in regard its farming policies. There is still much work that the country needs to do, but as these plans take shape, the Chilean people, especially the migrant population, have hope for a more secure and prosperous future.
– Oisin Downes
Photo: Unsplash
Migration to Chad: The Program Aiding Migrants Returning to Chad
Chad’s Humanitarian Crisis
Armed conflict, the climate crisis and food insecurity have worsened Chad’s humanitarian crisis. In 2022, 44.8% lived in poverty and rises to 50% for those living in rural areas. Migration to Chad from Sudan, the Central African Republic and Cameroon have added 1.8 million refugees to an already struggling nation. This has placed further strain on limited and stretched resources.
The Challenges of Returnees
According to the World Bank, more than 120,000 people fled Chad in 2025. But many migrants choose to return due to risks of trafficking, detention, forced deportation and family separation. A lack of opportunities and additional difficulties in the country of transit or destination has also contributed to the decision for returning migration to Chad. More than 300,000 Chadians have gone back to the eastern part of the country due to the Sudanese conflict.
Returnees often face unique challenges to other forms of migration to Chad. Many accumulate debt to fund their journeys and return to no assets or employment and no way to repay what they owe. This can lead to animosity from those they are indebted to. Some communities shun or shame individuals for their ‘failed’ migration attempt and competition over limited resources can create additional tensions. This can make it particularly difficult for individuals to resume the life they left behind.
The Sahel Integrated Climate Resilience and Migration Programme
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched the Sahel Integrated Climate Resilience and Migration Programme in 2024 to address issues returnees face across the region. The program seeks to improve access to employment opportunities, life skills training, social protection measures such as housing and education, and mental health support.
Many migrants returning to Chad experience acute psychological difficulties, such as anxiety, feelings of failure, isolation and fear. The IFRC seeks to help national societies provide counselling and support before and after migrants return to assist with reintegration.
The programme also aims to strengthen social cohesion. Initiatives such as mothers’ clubs and farmers field schools are intended to encourage positive relationships between local communities. Returnees will also receive job opportunities, vocational training schemes and micro-entrepreneurships to empower those returning to Chad and the communities who receive them.
Cash-based assistance will be a key aspect of the initiative. Allowing individuals and families to decide where funds are best spent creates a sustainable system in which migrants returning to Chad are encouraged to reach financial independence and stability and local economies are stimulated.
Conclusion
Migrants returning to Chad often face major reintegration challenges, including poverty, debt, stigma and limited access to resources, alongside psychological stress and social isolation. These difficulties are intensified by wider pressures such as conflict, food insecurity, and the changing climate. The Sahel Integrated Climate Resilience and Migration Programme supports returnees in their reintegration into Chadian society to help them to re-establish the lives they left behind.
– Louise Nethercott
Photo: Flickr
5 Charities Operating in Myanmar
What Are Some Challenges Facing Myanmar?
Myanmar is a Southeast Asian nation bordering India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand. Its geographic location and ethnic diversity have contributed to long-standing internal conflict.
In February 2021, the military junta staged a coup and assumed absolute control of the country, committing widespread humanitarian violations against the population, including the suppression of free speech, manipulated elections, unlawful detentions, indiscriminate airstrikes on civilians, unregulated resource extraction and restricted access to medical care and supplies.
As foreign aid and attention toward the conflict dwindle, Myanmar sinks deeper into chaos. Protecting the most vulnerable is crucial, and humanitarian action for Myanmar’s children is imperative.
Humanitarian Action for Children in Myanmar
Myanmar’s conflict has created an urgent and time-sensitive need for humanitarian action for children. Violence, displacement and disruptions to educational and health services continue to threaten children across Myanmar. By mid-2025, as the scope of the military takeover expands and intensifies, the conflict has internally displaced more than 3.5 million people, including 30% who are children. Of the 20 million people requiring assistance, 6.4 million are children.
Environmental disasters exacerbate children’s safety concerns. Cyclones, typhoons, monsoon floods and earthquakes destroy vital infrastructure, including homes, schools, hospitals, access to clean water and proper sanitation, especially in underserved areas.
About 55% of Burmese children live in poverty. Malnutrition and lack of immunization for vaccine-preventable diseases limit opportunities. Ongoing violence, attacks, forced military recruitment and marriage threaten children’s well-being. Sanctuaries for children are vanishing due to both natural disasters and human conflict.
Myanmar’s children still have the opportunity for a better future. Five charities operating in Myanmar continue working tirelessly to alleviate suffering and provide vital humanitarian aid to Myanmar’s children, helping them find happiness and a reimagined future.
5 Charities Operating in Myanmar
Looking Ahead
The good news for Myanmar’s children is much louder than the noise of hardships stripping them of a happy childhood and a safe future. Their resilience, combined with the dedication of humanitarian organizations, continues to bring attention to their struggles and needs. These five charities operating in Myanmar have answered the call and affirmed their unwavering support for Myanmar’s children. Providing children with a safe environment where they can grow and thrive remains essential.
– Elora Gunn
Photo: Unsplash
How Eco-Tourism Is Supporting Poverty Eradication in Albania
Although Albania’s economy has steadily expanded over the past two decades, many rural residents still struggle with unemployment, limited infrastructure and unequal access to education and public services. According to Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, people living outside major urban centers often face reduced economic opportunities and limited access to jobs, housing and education. Older people and members of minority groups are particularly vulnerable to poverty and social exclusion.
These challenges have made tourism an increasingly important source of economic opportunity. Albania’s tourism industry now plays a major role in supporting employment, particularly in rural regions where other industries remain underdeveloped. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the tourism sector supported approximately 269,000 jobs in Albania in 2023, accounting for nearly one in five jobs nationwide. As Albania’s tourism industry expands, many leaders see sustainable tourism as a promising strategy for poverty eradication in Albania.
Tourism in Albania
Known for its rugged mountains, protected national parks and Adriatic coastline, Albania is quickly gaining international attention as an emerging Mediterranean destination — offering a quieter alternative to the region’s often crowded seaside hotspots. Albania ranked fourth globally in 2023 for the largest percentage increase in international tourist arrivals, recording growth of 56% since 2019. To protect these ecosystems and the economic opportunities they provide, Albania is looking towards eco-tourism.
The World Bank states that the Albanian government is currently prioritizing “sustainable growth with a special focus on tourism” as part of its broader economic development strategy. In recent years, international organizations and government agencies have invested heavily in sustainable tourism initiatives designed to strengthen local economies while protecting environmental and cultural resources.
Job creation in Albania’s Heritage Communities
In southern Albania, eco-tourism and heritage tourism are helping transform communities that once faced economic decline and population loss. According to the World Bank, “for years communities across Southern Albania experienced sluggish growth and an exodus of residents, especially youths, seeking opportunity elsewhere.” However, investments in sustainable tourism infrastructure and cultural preservation projects have helped towns such as Berat, Gjirokastër, Përmet and Sarandë are now experiencing significant economic growth.
Through initiatives like the Integrated Urban and Tourism Development Project (PIUTD), the World Bank helped restore and improve access to historic sites including Gjirokastër Castle, the Sarandë promenade and the Qafa e Pazarit bazaar. Workers rehabilitated nearly 200,000 square meters of public space through projects that repaired cobblestone streets, expanded hiking trails and improved lighting, sidewalks and visitor centers. These investments helped fuel a tourism boom across southern Albania, where tourist arrivals in Berat nearly quadrupled between 2019 and 2024, while arrivals in Gjirokastër increased sixfold.
Family-Run Guesthouses
Unlike large-scale resort tourism, locally owned businesses heavily drive Albania’s eco-tourism industry. The rapid growth of tourism has created new economic opportunities for local residents. Families have converted historic homes into guesthouses and bed-and-breakfasts, while entrepreneurs have launched cultural tours, hiking excursions and outdoor recreation businesses. Importantly, the World Bank states that this growth remains inclusive: “over half of the thousands of the new jobs created are held by individuals who are often excluded from the labor market, such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities.”
Moreover, tourism growth has expanded Albania’s tourism season beyond the summer months, creating more stable year-round income for local businesses. This has also encouraged some Albanians who previously emigrated to return home and invest in tourism enterprises, contributing to long-term community revitalization and further supporting poverty eradication in Albania.
Balancing Tourism and Conservation
Rapid tourism growth also brings environmental pressures, including risks to natural landscapes and biodiversity loss. In response, the Albanian government established a combined Ministry of Tourism and Environment in 2017 to better align economic development with environmental protection, ensuring that tourism expansion does not come at the expense of natural ecosystems.
Building on this approach, Albania expanded its protected areas in 2022 to cover 21.4% of the country’s territory, up from 17.5%. This expansion included the creation of the Albanian Alps National Park. Encompassing dramatic mountain scenery and valleys, the park is designed to strengthen biodiversity conservation while also supporting sustainable rural development and eco-tourism in surrounding communities.
The Albanian Alps attract thousands of international hikers each year, and encourage local communities to invest in environmentally conscious tourism services. Many guesthouses and agritourism businesses in these regions use locally sourced food, traditional architecture and small-scale accommodations that minimize environmental impact while supporting local agriculture and family-run enterprises.
Looking Ahead
As Albania’s tourism industry continues to grow, eco-tourism is emerging as one of the country’s most promising strategies for poverty eradication in Albania. From family-run guesthouses in the Albanian Alps to heritage restoration projects in historic southern cities, sustainable tourism initiatives are creating jobs, supporting local businesses and strengthening rural economies. While challenges related to poverty and regional inequality remain, Albania’s investment in sustainable tourism demonstrates how community-based development can create new economic opportunities for some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.
– Lucy Alexander
Photo: Unsplash
Bangladesh’s Trillion-Dollar Economy Plan
While this goal may seem distant, economic transformation is rarely immediate. Sustainable growth requires consistent policy implementation, structural reforms and time for these changes to yield stable, measurable results.
What Is the Plan for Achieving This Goal?
Bangladesh’s biggest source of financial support comes from the garment sector. However, the country might face a shock due to its standard approach to this sector. If an economy wants to thrive, it needs diversity to achieve its goals.
The government has prepared a plan and is considering investing more money, creating jobs across various sectors, democratizing the economy and opening new sectors in creative fields and sports. The main reason is to give the country a range of options and help it become part of Bangladesh’s trillion-dollar economy plan. However, looking at the figures for the last financial year, economic growth was 0.48% lower than expected, mainly because it relied heavily on the service and agriculture sectors to generate that profit.
Therefore, the government has developed this diversity plan to achieve this goal. Bangladesh attracted significant foreign investment, with its strongest year recorded in 2019 when direct investment exceeded $1.8 billion. However, political upheaval and internal ambiguity led to a decline in investment levels in subsequent years.
Despite these challenges, 2025 marked a recovery year for Bangladesh, with direct investment rising to $1.77 billion. Although this figure remains below the 2019 peak, it shows that foreign investors are still interested in investing in the country despite the global financial situation.
Bangladesh and the International Monetary Fund
Earlier in April 2026, discussions during a meeting in Washington, D.C. raised concerns about Bangladesh’s financial situation. Although Bangladesh was approved for more than $5 billion in IMF loans between January 2023 and June 2025, the country has received only about $3.64 billion so far, with nearly $2 billion still pending for future disbursement.
The program was not designed to give the country the money for free; it came with conditions, such as increasing government revenue and strengthening oversight of the banking sector. Bangladesh agreed to these terms before signing the deal, as the measures were intended to support stronger long-term financial stability.
If Bangladesh is serious about becoming a trillion-dollar economy by 2034, it must take economic diversification more seriously, as the country still relies heavily on the garment sector and foreign direct investment. The government also needs to reform trade policies, strengthen sustainability measures and address key industry challenges to protect long-term growth.
Final Thoughts
Bangladesh aims to expand investment into higher-value sectors such as banking, insurance, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals to strengthen long-term financial stability and maintain steady investment inflows. Diversifying the economy is considered essential to the country’s goal of becoming a trillion-dollar economy by 2034, as it would create multiple sources of revenue and improve resilience during financial issues.
These are challenges Bangladesh can overcome. Over the past 30 years, the country has shown remarkable economic resilience through a hardworking labor force, a dynamic private sector and strong financial flows.
– Sibel Yasharoglu
Photo: Unsplash
Support Networks for Indigenous Migrants in Mexico City
Education That Makes Staying Possible
One part of that support comes through the Indigenous Education Support Program, which helps Indigenous children and young people continue their studies by providing lodging, food and support that also strengthens cultural identity. The program is especially important for students who do not have the option of continuing school in their own communities. Poverty is not only a question of income. It also shapes whether a child stays in school, eats properly and can imagine a future without being away from everything familiar. Educational support combined with daily stability gives families more room to hold things together. It also gives younger people a better chance of moving forward without losing touch with their cultural identities.
A Place to Regain Stability
A second kind of support comes through shelters such as Casa Tochán, which works with people in migration in Mexico City. Its work includes housing, medical and psychological care, job support and cultural activities, all of which give people a greater sense of stability while they try to build or rebuild their lives. Families living with poverty or displacement often need more than emergency relief. They need somewhere to rest and somewhere that makes ordinary life possible again. That sense of dignity comes through strongly in Gaby Hernández’s words when she says, “this is how we change how people migrate,” by “making others feel valued and helping them resolve the issue of work.” Shelter alone is not enough; people also need the stability that allows them to preserve dignity and cultural identity while rebuilding their lives.
The wider shelter network in Mexico City suggests that these pressures are not isolated. Shelters like CAFEMIN work with women, children and family groups arriving in the city under increasingly difficult conditions. Sister Magda’s description of current arrivals as “forced migration” shaped by violence rather than only economic need helps clarify the conditions many families are now moving through. Many are arriving after being uprooted, and that instability continues long after they reach the city. In that situation, shelter, legal support and day-to-day care are what make any kind of stability possible.
The Effects of Support
These support networks respond to need where it is actually felt. They help make sure a child can remain in school, a parent can find temporary stability and a family can avoid the stress of uncertainty. In a city as demanding as Mexico City, these are not small gestures, they are often what keeps hardship from deepening further. Support Networks for Indigenous Migrants in Mexico City is not only a story about vulnerability, but also about local and sustaining care and support. Programs and organisations may not solve every structural cause of poverty or displacement, but they can create the conditions in which indigenous migrants in Mexico City are able to hold on, rebuild and move forward with greater confidence.
– Elliott J Carter
Photo: Unsplash
AI Tools Outperform Clinicians in Rwanda Study
The tools, including Google’s Gemini-2 and ChatGPT-4o, delivered responses at a cost 500 times lower per answer and still outperformed clinicians when responding in the local language, Kinyarwanda. The research team included academics from Rwanda and the U.K. and noted a lack of previous research around how LLMs perform in low-income countries. The questions tested were randomly selected from thousands supplied by community health workers across four Rwandan districts and evaluated using a rubric of expert-rated metrics.
Study Suggests AI Tools Outperform Clinicians in Rwanda
Community health workers across four Rwandan districts supplied thousands of clinical questions, and researchers randomly selected around 520 for the test. Experts then evaluated the responses using a rubric of rated metrics. The other tools measured — o3-mini, Deepseek R1 and Meditron-70B — each scored significantly higher than local clinicians.
According to the research team, the study aimed to evaluate the ability of LLMs to generate safe, high-quality and cost-effective responses to real questions posed by frontline health care workers in a low-resource setting. The team concluded that LLMs can provide high-quality, on-demand clinical advice to community health workers that outperforms local experts, even in low-resource, non-English language settings.
The researchers designed the study to simulate a situation in which a community health worker seeks telephone advice from a general practitioner or senior nurse and accepts the first response offered. Despite the headline finding, the authors acknowledged the study does not fully reflect the complexity of day-to-day clinical practice, as real-life situations often involve back-and-forth conversations. They suggested future studies examine how AI tools perform in extended clinical conversations.
Gates Foundation Funds AI Roll-Out
The Gates Foundation funded the Rwanda study and has led efforts to deploy and research large language models in Sub-Saharan Africa. In January 2026, the foundation announced a $50 million joint investment with OpenAI to deploy AI tools supporting primary care workers across 1,000 clinics, starting in Rwanda.
In February 2026, the foundation also launched the Evidence for AI in Health initiative with the Wellcome Trust and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, committing $60 million to projects in low- and middle-income countries.
The three-year project will support researchers evaluating LLMs in clinical settings, AI tools that read diagnostic scans and models that predict disease risk or prioritize patients for follow-up based on their medical history. Priority will go to technologies designed for resource-limited settings.
Looking Ahead
The growing interest in these projects reflects the economic challenge of delivering universal health coverage in low-income countries. A recent World Bank analysis suggested that achieving universal health coverage requires about $60 per capita in low-income countries, compared with around $17 per capita in current government and donor funding.
Global aid cuts have increased pressure on health budgets, making the search for affordable approaches to care more urgent. The study highlighted that AI tools can outperform clinicians in Rwanda. Indeed, the investments that followed suggest that AI tools may offer one pathway toward bridging that gap in resource-limited settings.
– Lawrence Dunhill
Photo: Flickr
Innovations in Poverty Eradication in Jordan
Digital Aid That Reaches Families Faster
One of the strongest examples is Jordan’s National Aid Fund Cash Transfer Program. According to the World Bank, the program provided monthly support to 220,000 households in Jordan. In 2021, it reached an estimated 62% of the most impoverished people in the country, making it one of the largest cash transfer programs in the Middle East and North Africa in terms of coverage for low-income individuals.
The innovation lies not only in the money itself, but in the system behind it. The program uses digital payment methods, including basic bank accounts and e-wallets, to make support easier to receive and more efficient to manage. This matters because families experiencing poverty often face barriers to banking, transportation and public services. Digital cash assistance can reduce those barriers while giving families more control over how they meet urgent needs.
Turning Assistance Into Opportunity
Jordan’s anti-poverty innovation also focuses on employment. The World Bank reports that supported operations have helped 48,000 Jordanians secure formal-sector jobs, with women accounting for 52% of those placements. In addition, 30,000 people are receiving on-the-job training and more than 4,000 individuals have received training in the digital sector.
This is important because poverty reduction becomes stronger when families can move from short-term support to long-term income. Job training, formal employment and digital skills help people enter sectors with more stability and growth potential. For young people and women, these programs can create access to opportunities that were previously harder to reach. In this way, Jordan’s approach connects social protection with economic mobility.
Youth-Led Water Innovation
Water scarcity is one of Jordan’s most serious development challenges. It affects agriculture, household costs, food security and job opportunities. The United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) “Scaling Up Water Innovation for Climate Security in Northern Jordan” project addresses this issue by supporting youth-led businesses that develop practical water and agricultural solutions. The project received a $570,000 grant from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) through the SDG-Climate Facility and focuses on climate security, water management and economic opportunity.
The project trained 25 startups in financial modeling, customer development and value proposition design. Seven youth-led small and medium enterprises then developed solutions using artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, hydroponics, vertical farming and improved irrigation. The UNDP reported that some of these innovations reduced water consumption by up to 20% while improving agricultural productivity at the household level.
These efforts show why climate innovation is also a form of poverty innovation. When water becomes easier to conserve and agriculture becomes more productive, families and small businesses can reduce costs, protect income and adapt to environmental stress. In a country where water scarcity affects both rural and urban communities, youth-led innovation offers a practical way to connect environmental resilience with economic survival.
Humanitarian Technology for Refugees
Jordan’s innovation also extends to humanitarian assistance. The World Food Programme’s (WFP) Building Blocks system uses blockchain technology to coordinate cash-based food assistance. WFP reports that Building Blocks serves more than one million refugees in Jordan and Bangladesh and has processed $555 million in cash-based interventions through 25 million transactions.
This technology helps aid organizations reduce duplication, protect data and save money on bank fees. For refugees and vulnerable communities, better coordination can mean more reliable access to assistance. Although blockchain alone cannot end poverty, it can make humanitarian systems faster, more transparent and more efficient in places where resources are limited and needs are high.
Looking Ahead
The most powerful innovations in poverty eradication in Jordan are not isolated projects. They are part of a larger shift that uses technology and entrepreneurship to make poverty reduction efforts more targeted, inclusive and sustainable. Digital aid helps families survive immediate hardship.
Employment programs help people build a stable income. Water innovation helps communities adapt to climate pressure, while humanitarian technology helps assistance reach people more efficiently.
Jordan’s progress shows that poverty eradication is strongest when aid is connected to opportunity. By linking social protection, digital inclusion, youth employment and climate resilience, innovations in poverty eradication in Jordan are helping transform short-term support into long-term opportunities.
– Adriana Carolina Herrera
Photo: Unsplash