
Refugees and journalists consistently cite dire living conditions in North Korea, one of the most repressive authoritarian nations in the world. Leaking information from the secretive police state, they report firsthand knowledge to outsiders. According to these sources, the North Korean government commits severe human rights abuses against its citizens, and the government can barely feed its own people.
A 2014 U.N. Commission of Inquiry report cited numerous human rights abuses in North Korea, including murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, forced abortions and sexual violence. The government extracts unquestioning obedience through public executions, arbitrary detention, forced labor, tight travel restrictions and religious persecution. Citizens have no basic freedoms such as the right to expression, assembly, political opposition or independent media. A sociopolitical stratification system divides North Koreans into three classes: “loyal,” “wavering” and “hostile.”
The specter of prison is one means of keeping the population in line. North Korea’s draconian three generations rule punishes the entire immediate family if one member is convicted of a serious crime. The next two generations born in the camp are then detained there for life. Existence in the camps is extreme. Clothing and food are so scarce that prisoners survive on rats and anything else they can catch. Inmates are frequently left stunted and deformed from long hours of hard labor. Twelve-hour days, seven days a week is the normal work schedule.
Life outside of the prison camps has its own grave challenges. Living conditions in North Korea are characterized by deprivation. The elite ruling class enjoys basic benefits of modern life such as indoor plumbing, cars, meat, coffee and a few luxury items. The middle class receives sufficient food and occasional new clothes. Most people, however, struggle to survive. Half of the nation’s 24 million people live in extreme poverty. North Korea’s annual GDP per capita is $1,800, making it 197th in the world and only 2 percent of South Korea’s.
One-third of North Korean children are stunted from malnutrition. For most people, meat is an unaffordable luxury. They subsist on fermented cabbage known as kimchi, rice, corn and porridge. Most homes are heated by open fireplaces, and many have no flush toilets. Electricity, for those fortunate enough to have it, is unreliable and sporadic. Power might be available for only a few hours each day. Frequently, cell phones are used as flashlights during outages.
Theoretically, education and healthcare are free in North Korea. However, school children must provide financially for desks, chairs, building materials and heat. Patients must provide their own medications, pay for heat and cook their own meals at home.
Still, living conditions in North Korea are showing some improvement, particularly for the elite who are privileged enough to reside in the capital of Pyongyang. According to the South Korea Central Bank, the North Korean economy grew by almost 4 percent in 2016. Despite spotty service and no internet, there are now 1.5 million mobile phone users. Even in smaller cities outside of Pyongyang, electric bikes from China and Japan can be seen mingling with the country’s ubiquitous bicycles.
In Pyongyang, people are buying smartphones, tablets, hi-fi speakers and HDTVs. With the exception of accessing the internet, North Korean smartphones have similar capacities to those in other nations. In place of the internet, citizens use a state-controlled intranet. There are North Korean versions of Google, Facebook, chat rooms and online dating. Food courts in Pyongyang malls offer American-style fast food restaurants serving milkshakes and French fries. Skating rinks opened in 2013, ushering in a rollerblading craze for those wealthy enough to afford skates.
Despite difficult living conditions in North Korea, its people make the best of their circumstances. In some ways, their lives are not so different from those in democratic countries. North Koreans play video games and beach volleyball. They enjoy picnics complete with food, beer and karaoke. And of course, their teenagers take lots of selfies. Hope remains that the situation can improve so that all of its people can enjoy the living conditions that its wealthiest citizens currently do.
– Anna Parker
Photo: Flickr
Five Important Development Projects in Montenegro
With only about 600,000 people living within its borders, Montenegro is one of the smallest countries on the Balkan Peninsula of Eastern Europe. Its small status, however, has not diminished its government’s desire for growth and development.
In fact, Montenegro’s somewhat vulnerable economy is set on a path to become part of the European Union by 2020. With the deadline fast approaching, Montenegro, along with the World Bank, have committed a whopping $144 million for 2018 (compared to only $3 million in 2017) toward development projects in Montenegro designed to kick start domestic development.
One of the following five development projects in Montenegro could very well be the key to nation’s economic and political future.
Montenegro First Fiscal and Financial Sector Resilience Policy-Based Guarantee
This is a tremendously important economic stimulation project that aims to reestablish trust between investors and Montenegro’s flux-prone economy. The public financial sectors are at the epicenter of this reform, as a staggering $93 million has been allocated to rebuild investor confidence and stabilize public debt levels for Montenegro’s most infringed people.
Specific measures of the reform include a reduction in wage for government officials, increased supervision of nonbanking financial sectors and pharmaceutical market reform, making medication more accessible and affordable. This is the first of a two-stage fiscal program that Emanuel Salinas, the World Bank Country Manager for Montenegro, believes will help the country “overcome today’s challenges and achieve strong sustained and inclusive growth.”
Industrial Waste Management and Cleanup Project
Montenegro, which literally means “black mountain,” is home to stunning cliffs that run for miles along the Adriatic Sea. Sitting on a grassy knoll overlooking this country’s sloping wild rivers and beautiful clear lakes, one would never imagine that there are disposal sites so contaminated that $68.9 million have been set aside in a direct effort to have them remediated and safe for habitation.
This cleanup project aims to reduce public health risks, such as air pollution and soil erosion, as well as vitalize the country’s tourism sector. The contaminated sites are to be leveled and blanketed by more than 30 centimeters of uncontaminated soil and future waste disposal will be in strict accordance with Montenegrin and E.U. legislation.
Revenue Administration Reform Project
Corruption is a pervasive problem for all facets of bureaucracy in the Montenegrin government. High levels of organized crime activities, such as loan sharking, drug smuggling and human trafficking, have found their way into the offices and juries of Montenegro.
This tax reform project, newly commissioned by the World Bank, is looking to bring functionality back to the countries ravaged revenue administration. Approved on July 31, 2017, this program, if successful, will be vitally important to Montenegro’s mission of joining the E.U.
Montenegro Energy Efficiency Additional Financing
These sustainable energy development projects in Montenegro look to pick up where their original 2008 counterpart leaves off. The additional $6.8 million in funding will help continue the very same efficiency programs that were able to provide nine educational facilities and six health care facilities in Montenegro with energy savings that ranged between 30 and 65 percent. For a country that imports an entire third of its energy, the savings have been two-fold. Montenegro is also one of the only Balkan countries that is actively advancing toward a green future.
Montenegro Institutional Development and Agriculture Strengthening Project
Somewhat famous for its grapes, Montenegro boasts an export of $15 million of wine a year. These development projects in Montenegro intend to manage public funds and focus them more on the agricultural sector, where near 70 percent of Montenegro’s rural population resides. This program has helped thousands of farmers acquire new farming machines and storage units. Ultimately, the project intends to implement a more modern agricultural system in the coming years.
Development projects in Montenegro that focus specifically on domestic improvement radically improve the quality of living for the people working and living on the land. Although there is still much more work to be done, the path is clear for Montenegro to become a fully developed nation. The strides being made by Montenegro today should inspire other Balkan countries to do the same.
– Nicolas Lennan
Photo: Flickr
Toward the Development of Sustainable Agriculture in Lebanon
Through the application of these ethical principles in their daily lives, people gradually transform into productive producers rather than simply being passive and dependent consumers. Therefore, permaculture not only unifies local communities through the development of teamwork skills and resilience, but also paves the way to a more sustainable agricultural system and environmentally friendly future.
The rural areas of Lebanon implemented permaculture in 2014, after countryside residents received training and workshops organized by the SOILS: Permaculture Association Lebanon. With a goal of initiating the creation of sustainable agriculture in Lebanon, Rita Khawand, a former Lebanese actress, co-founded the SOILS organization after winning a social entrepreneurship competition led by environmental and sanitation based non-governmental organizations in her hometown. According to Khawand, Lebanon needs such a creative process, as it helps humans in “respecting nature and man.”
Alongside Khawand’s vision, Fadi Kanso, a Lebanese agricultural scientist, joined the SOILS community following the completion of his education in Germany to invest in permaculture with the aim of implementing sustainable agriculture in Lebanon. Kanso highlighted that the main problem in Lebanon is the farmers’ dependence on monoculture, a tendency that seemed to be catastrophic during severe climate shifts where some people witnessed huge financial losses as they relied only on a single crop species.
Kanso also stressed the negative impact of the overwhelming amount of pesticides administered by the farmers in the country, as it led to a reduction in crop fertility by a yearly rate of 15 percent. Moreover, these toxic chemicals also manifest adverse effects through their contribution to the development of health problems, such as minimizing the levels of iron and magnesium in the body which are absorbed from the consumption of certain types of fruits and vegetables.
One of the main advantages of the SOILS organization’s permaculture project in Lebanon is its role in achieving food security for refugees through manuals designed to help vulnerable populations create their own microgardens, and thus have access to the necessary food products. Permaculture can eventually aid the government with the burden of limited resources, which has become a significant concern following the Syrian war crisis and the immigration of millions of Syrian citizens to Lebanon.
Rita Khawand and the SOILS community are striving to transform Lebanon from an underdeveloped non-environmentally friendly community to a developed country with a sustainable agricultural system by uniting entire regions to fight for a better and improved future. From the Bekaa region in the north to the village of Saidoun in the south, the dissemination of permaculture is becoming a national success as local residents indulge themselves in Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) courses and learn how to overcome all financial and environmental challenges.
Despite the numerous fallbacks witnessed during the past few years, the positive impact of permaculture has created a sense of optimism among Lebanese citizens in their ability to succeed in the improvement of their country and their contribution in the development of sustainable agriculture in Lebanon.
– Lea Sacca
Photo: Flickr
Efficiency Over Expansion: Sustainable Agriculture in Cambodia
But since 2012, the growth in agriculture has slowed. In 2013-14, agricultural gross product fell below 2 percent. Much of the past growth came from the expansion of cultivated lands, but this expansion may have reached its limits. In order for Cambodia to continue to grow its economy and support those who rely on agriculture, sustainable agriculture in Cambodia will become increasingly important to the country’s future.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is assisting Cambodia’s agriculture sector through the Feed the Future program. The program has trained over 193,000 farmers in new technologies. This has led to an increase in income among those in the farming industry as well as a 30 percent decrease in the number of underweight children in Cambodia.
USAID is continuing its work in Cambodia and has laid out its goals and expected results for the future. These expectations include continuing to help farmers increase sales and working with the private sector to grow and leverage investments in horticulture.
In September 2016, Kansas State University partnered with the USAID Feed the Future program to launch the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN). The center seeks to increase sustainable agriculture in Cambodia with a combination of private sector innovation, public sector improvement and training in sustainable agriculture techniques. These goals are accomplished in part by innovation labs and technology parks that highlight new technologies and strategies.
Another project funded by the partnership between USAID and CE SAIN is being run by Penn State University and focuses on the northern part of Cambodia. This program will work directly with 250 women in the agricultural industry. It will teach the women new farming techniques as well as how to successfully deal with climate change.
Rick Bates, a horticulture professor at Penn State, said that the program’s goal is “growing more food, on existing land, using fewer resources and in an ecologically friendly manner”. This sums up why sustainable agriculture in Cambodia is such a vital part of the country’s future. When the expansion of cultivated lands is no longer an option, new and innovative technologies can help farmers grow crops more efficiently on the land that is available.
– Aaron Childree
Photo: Flickr
Improving Economy and Environment: Sustainable Agriculture in Kenya
Any country can benefit from sustainable agriculture, but it is even more important that those with a heavy reliance on agriculture make sustainability a priority in their decision-making. Sustainable agriculture in Kenya can improve crop yields, stimulate the economy and help mitigate climate change.
Kenya is implementing a range of programs to increase sustainable agriculture. These are important steps to help the country build a prosperous future for all who live there.
Increasing Sustainable Agriculture in Kenya
One project working to increase sustainable agriculture in Kenya is the World Bank’s Sustainable Agriculture Land Management Project. This project saw tremendous gains in the area of environmental conservation by training farmers in sustainable farming techniques.
By 2015, 25,000 tons of carbon was captured with the use of methods implemented by the World Bank project. As a result, farmers in the area received carbon credits. Maize yields tripled over the course of three years and more than 30,000 farmers in Kenya have been trained.
Ace Africa has also been working to improve sustainable agriculture in Kenya by implementing what the organization calls Community Livelihood Programs. These programs deal with the problem of decreased soil fertility by teaching local farmers how to make organic compost. This compost not only improves soil fertility but also helps crops better fight against disease and increases carbon sequestration.
Incorporating Intercropping
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (known by its Spanish acronym CIMMYT) is another organization devoting itself to increasing sustainable agriculture in Kenya. One of the main techniques taught by CIMMYT is intercropping.
Intercropping improves crop yields by planting multiple different crops among each other in the same field. The organization also focuses on improving seed quality.
Sustainable agriculture in Kenya is making a positive impact on Kenya’s economy and also decreasing the country’s carbon footprint. This serves as a great example for the international community that economic and environmental interests do not always have to be at odds.
When sustainable development is a priority, increasing economic success and decreasing negative impacts on the planet are possible to achieve simultaneously.
– Aaron Childree
Photo: Flickr
What Are the Qualifications for the Senate?
There are informal as well as formal qualifications for the Senate in the United States. The formal qualifications are clearly outlined in Article I of the U.S. Constitution. First, senators must be at least 30 years old. The youngest person to become a senator, John Henry Eaton, was actually only 28 years old when he was elected in 1818, but many believe his age was unknown when he was sworn in and therefore no one realized he was violating the Constitution.
The second qualification states that senators must have U.S. citizenship for at least nine years before being elected. This qualification is slightly more flexible in comparison to the qualification for president, which requires candidates to be natural-born citizens.
This qualification also allows for immigrant representation within the U.S. government. Many have been born in Europe or Canada and then immigrated to the United States and gained citizenship, allowing them to become senators.
The last of the specified qualifications for the Senate read that candidates must be a resident of the state which they represent at the time of the election. Former president and senator Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, yet represented Illinois in the Senate, as this was the state in which he resided at the time.
There are clear advantages to actually growing up and living in the state a potential senator wishes to represent, including making it easier to be elected. However, this qualification allows for politicians to move around more freely and live in a state where they are more likely to be elected than the one in which they grew up. Again, this benefits those born outside the United States, who can choose which state to reside in and represent.
Informal qualifications for the Senate have also emerged over the years. These are more like trends that have shown the type of people that citizens tend to deem qualified and choose to elect. Most senators have college educations, both private and public, and law school attendance is popular among these. Law also ranks as the number one declared profession by senators, followed by public service or politics. However, these qualifications are by no means necessary and many elected senators have not met them.
United States Senators are directly elected by the people they represent. This began when the 17th Amendment was adopted in 1913 to ensure Senate seats were not left open due to disagreements or corruption. The 17th Amendment stated that Senators serve six-year terms without term limits.
The Senate is crucial to the American political system. Its members are respected and work to pass laws that will advance the country. Because of the power they are given, their most important qualification is that the people have chosen them to serve and represent their interests to the best of their ability. When they are elected, they accept this responsibility and must value it above all else.
– Megan Burtis
Photo: Flickr
Organic and Sustainable Agriculture in Armenia Boosting Economy
Despite these challenges, efforts are being made to create sustainable agriculture in Armenia. There are many areas in which sustainable agriculture can have an impact, such as economic growth, the preservation of natural capital, the mitigation of climate change, reversing environmental degradation and alleviating poverty.
With financial assistance from the European Union, EaP Green Partnership for Environment and Growth seeks to develop sustainable and organic agriculture in Eastern Europe, including Armenia. In close proximity to the EU markets, this project will allow low levels of fertilizers and pesticides to be used on crops while also aiding in the labor market by creating more farming jobs.
Why Organic?
Organic, sustainable agriculture in Armenia offers opportunities to revitalize the countryside and restore ecosystem functionality while also developing new local businesses and agro-tourism opportunities, according to UNEP’s comprehensive assessment of the region. Between 2003 and 2013, the EU’s organic market exploded, growing massively throughout the decade. “The subsequently high degree of dependency on organic imports from outside the EU provides excellent opportunities for potential producers and exporters in neighboring East European countries.”
Armenia has a wide range of traditional crop varieties that are ideally adapted to local climate conditions and are resistant to drought, diseases and pests. These crops require lower levels of fertilizers and pesticides, making them excellent candidates to create sustainable agriculture in Armenia. Armenian “ancient” crop varieties, like Armenian honey, herbs and dried fruit, are perfect for international trade thanks to their uniqueness in the market.
Although export bans in Eastern Europe are a threat to organic value chains, Armenia has signed the Russia-led Customs Union with the aid of the EaP Green Partnership for Environment and Growth. This will allow more access to the EU markets, which will lead to significant export opportunities.
By creating more opportunities for organic, sustainable agriculture in Armenia, the nation will be impacted greatly. Although this project will not solve all its problems, it is a step in the right direction, a step towards national security.
– Kailey Brennan
Photo: Flickr
The Water Crisis and the Top 10 Clean Water Solutions
The Water Crisis surpasses its effect on global health by affecting children, education, economics and women. Every 90 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease. Children are often tasked with collecting water for their families, taking time away from education opportunities. School attendance increases with increased access to clean water.
Globally, there is a $260 billion deficit each year due to lack of basic water and sanitation. With the provision of clean water, time and effort previously spent collecting water can refocus on other opportunities. Universal access to basic water and sanitation could result in a $32 billion reduction in healthcare costs.
Women are disproportionately affected by The Water Crisis, as they spend an estimated six hours collecting water every day; this time could be spent on education, family life and work.
The water crisis and its detrimental effects can be resolved with the provision of basic water and sanitation; this resolution can be reached with the top 10 clean water solutions.
Top 10 Clean Water Solutions:
Although these are the top 10 clean water solutions, they are not the only solutions to The Water Crisis. Clean water access improves health, education and work opportunities for families across the world.
– Carolyn Gibson
Photo: Flickr
Credit Access in Rwanda Leads All African Nations
A lack of credit access is a challenge in developing countries, as access to credit is an important tool to help people to manage their lives and plan ahead. Developing financial literacy is essential for people to make proper financial decisions. Limited access to credit also impedes growth and innovation. When Rwandans see their potential with credit access, they can not only improve their living conditions but also boost the untapped economy and market towards economic sustainability.
Credit access in Rwanda is expanding, and entrepreneurs have found it useful in growing their startups. The biggest improvement in access to credit is protecting minority investors with reforms that have grown Rwanda’s economy. Investing in people with ideas and innovation opens doors in the global market, moving Rwanda up the economic ladder and away from poverty and instability.
According to African Markets, Rwanda leads all African nations in ease of credit access. Rwanda has been proposing and establishing reforms in order to promote and simplify access to credit during the past seven years. Credit access in Rwanda is making waves with investors and potential businesses, and the progress will benefit Rwandans and improve their living conditions.
Partly due to improved credit access in Rwanda, the country has become a progressive example for African nations. Post-genocide Rwanda has witnessed substantial progress, prospering in innovation and stability. Starting a business is relatively easy in Rwanda and faces little to no barriers.
The gender gap is decreasing in Rwanda, another benefit of the improvements being made in the country. Credit access in Rwanda is readily available to women, though they still face some obstacles. To address this issue, the Women Guarantee Fund (WGF) ensures women have access to credit in Rwanda. WGF intends to financially support women who plan to establish income-generating businesses. WGF has also assisted Rwandan women in entrepreneurship training. Combined with credit access, women and all Rwandans will see prosperity in their lives and in the country.
Access to credit has played a crucial role in Rwanda’s economic prosperity and sustainability. With innovation and financial potential, Rwanda will continue to rise to the top and support its citizens’ developmental endeavors.
– Jennifer Serrato
Photo: Flickr
Living Conditions in North Korea: A Story of Extremes
Refugees and journalists consistently cite dire living conditions in North Korea, one of the most repressive authoritarian nations in the world. Leaking information from the secretive police state, they report firsthand knowledge to outsiders. According to these sources, the North Korean government commits severe human rights abuses against its citizens, and the government can barely feed its own people.
A 2014 U.N. Commission of Inquiry report cited numerous human rights abuses in North Korea, including murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, forced abortions and sexual violence. The government extracts unquestioning obedience through public executions, arbitrary detention, forced labor, tight travel restrictions and religious persecution. Citizens have no basic freedoms such as the right to expression, assembly, political opposition or independent media. A sociopolitical stratification system divides North Koreans into three classes: “loyal,” “wavering” and “hostile.”
The specter of prison is one means of keeping the population in line. North Korea’s draconian three generations rule punishes the entire immediate family if one member is convicted of a serious crime. The next two generations born in the camp are then detained there for life. Existence in the camps is extreme. Clothing and food are so scarce that prisoners survive on rats and anything else they can catch. Inmates are frequently left stunted and deformed from long hours of hard labor. Twelve-hour days, seven days a week is the normal work schedule.
Life outside of the prison camps has its own grave challenges. Living conditions in North Korea are characterized by deprivation. The elite ruling class enjoys basic benefits of modern life such as indoor plumbing, cars, meat, coffee and a few luxury items. The middle class receives sufficient food and occasional new clothes. Most people, however, struggle to survive. Half of the nation’s 24 million people live in extreme poverty. North Korea’s annual GDP per capita is $1,800, making it 197th in the world and only 2 percent of South Korea’s.
One-third of North Korean children are stunted from malnutrition. For most people, meat is an unaffordable luxury. They subsist on fermented cabbage known as kimchi, rice, corn and porridge. Most homes are heated by open fireplaces, and many have no flush toilets. Electricity, for those fortunate enough to have it, is unreliable and sporadic. Power might be available for only a few hours each day. Frequently, cell phones are used as flashlights during outages.
Theoretically, education and healthcare are free in North Korea. However, school children must provide financially for desks, chairs, building materials and heat. Patients must provide their own medications, pay for heat and cook their own meals at home.
Still, living conditions in North Korea are showing some improvement, particularly for the elite who are privileged enough to reside in the capital of Pyongyang. According to the South Korea Central Bank, the North Korean economy grew by almost 4 percent in 2016. Despite spotty service and no internet, there are now 1.5 million mobile phone users. Even in smaller cities outside of Pyongyang, electric bikes from China and Japan can be seen mingling with the country’s ubiquitous bicycles.
In Pyongyang, people are buying smartphones, tablets, hi-fi speakers and HDTVs. With the exception of accessing the internet, North Korean smartphones have similar capacities to those in other nations. In place of the internet, citizens use a state-controlled intranet. There are North Korean versions of Google, Facebook, chat rooms and online dating. Food courts in Pyongyang malls offer American-style fast food restaurants serving milkshakes and French fries. Skating rinks opened in 2013, ushering in a rollerblading craze for those wealthy enough to afford skates.
Despite difficult living conditions in North Korea, its people make the best of their circumstances. In some ways, their lives are not so different from those in democratic countries. North Koreans play video games and beach volleyball. They enjoy picnics complete with food, beer and karaoke. And of course, their teenagers take lots of selfies. Hope remains that the situation can improve so that all of its people can enjoy the living conditions that its wealthiest citizens currently do.
– Anna Parker
Photo: Flickr
The Success of Humanitarian Aid to Togo
In 2005, consecutive food and nutrition crises combined with political violence left Togo crippled as a society and in dire need of basic essentials for survival. Over the next eight years, 10 million people faced food shortages and 1.4 million children were at risk for malnutrition.
Despite the conditions leaving the country in dire straits, humanitarian aid to Togo has been present both within its borders and beyond. More than 20,000 Togolese fled after the presidential election in 2005 to the nearby country of Benin to take refuge. Apportioned under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel, €1.05 million was given to refugees through the Humanitarian Aid department of the European Union. Meeting refugees’ needs in terms of food aid, temporary shelter, primary health care and access to water, sanitation and essential items was the focus of the commission’s humanitarian aid. This also covered expenses for any refugee who wanted to return home to Togo, in accordance with the policy of voluntary return and international rules.
During the following years, Togo received various assistance from multiple countries. In 2012, €174 million was given to the emergency humanitarian response from the European Commission. In 2016, the United States gave $13.5 million in aid to develop the health, security and education spheres. Through the Humanitarian Assistance Program and the Department of Defense, schools and clinics receive funding and an HIV/AIDS prevention program is in place, as well as several civil engineering projects.
In 2017, AFRICOM was the only construction aid program in Togo. AFRICOM, in partner with the U.S. Army Corps Engineers European District, has $1.8 million in recent construction and renovation projects in progress. Humanitarian aid to Togo has built schools, medical clinics and garbage depots.
Although still recovering from issues in the past, humanitarian aid to Togo is still effective. With time and an increase of aid, true normalcy will exist in Togo, but currently the citizens are grateful for what they have. “Only God can learn the joy I have in my heart. We were waiting a long time for this project,” said village chief Togbui Yegbe Kokou Kini from Gblainvie, Togo. His statement exemplifies the success of humanitarian aid across Togo.
– Tara Jackson
Photo: Flickr