Advances in drone technology have had a profound influence on military surveillance and combat. Commercial industries and companies such as Amazon have also invested in drones for fast and easy deliveries. However, perhaps the most innovative use of drones is taking place in the developing world. The development of droneports in Rwanda is leading to drone-facilitated medical deliveries in hard-to-reach regions of the country.
Healthcare in Rwanda
In recent years, Rwanda has exhibited impressive improvement in rural healthcare. Partners in Health (PIH), an organization that seeks to improve medical access in impoverished countries, initiated many of the healthcare advances that have been made in Rwanda. In 2008, PIH resuscitated the healthcare structures of Kayonza and Kirehe, two districts in rural Rwanda. Two hospitals and seven health centers were built, providing nearly 100,000 individuals with access to healthcare.
In the following years, Rwanda’s government took inspiration from PIH’s assistance and continued improving rural healthcare on its own. Today, approximately 90 percent of Rwandans are provided healthcare by the government.
Overcoming Poor Infrastructure
Despite Rwanda’s effective healthcare system, the country’s subpar infrastructure often inhibits medical care. As is the case with many African nations, Rwanda’s population is growing at a tremendous rate. The existing roads are inadequate for gaining access to so many people scattered across the country, especially in remote areas. Using roads, medical supplies such as blood and medicine are not delivered as quickly as necessary.
Drones literally rise above the restrictions of substandard infrastructure.
In September 2015, Rwanda was chosen to be the first African nation to be outfitted with droneports. Drones are capable of quickly delivering up to 22 pounds of supplies for distances up to 60 miles. It is estimated that by installing just three droneports, up to half of Rwanda’s remote countryside will gain access to easy medical deliveries.
A New Trend in Aid Delivery
In 2016, Redline, the company that initially proposed building droneports in Rwanda, began work on the project, which is to be completed in 2020. Renowned British architect, Norman Foster, unveiled his design for the droneports at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2016. The prototype droneport, constructed entirely of earthen bricks that fit together in the shape of a tortoiseshell, was lauded as a work of art as well as a feat of philanthropic engineering.
But Redline is not the only drone company working to bring drones to Rwanda. The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of drones make them an appealing tool for medical and other aid organizations. This year, the drone company, Zipline, has already facilitated 1,400 deliveries of medical supplies in Rwanda. Another company, Mobisol, uses drones to distribute parts for solar energy machines.
If the implementation of medical delivery droneports in Rwanda goes well, more droneports will be built throughout Africa. Drones will take to the skies to provide life-saving supplies and revolutionize the distribution of emergency medicine.
– Mary Efird
Photo: Flickr
Solar Power a Key Piece in the Fight Against Poverty
So, what are the solutions to fight this burden? Investment, innovation, technology and education are all viable options. But more and more multinational companies, associations and even simple citizens are now engaged in the fight against poverty, using a very special tool: solar power. As a source of renewable energy that is good for the environment, solar power can also help people get out of poverty by giving them access to electricity.
Today, most inhabitants of developing countries rely more on kerosene than on electricity for their basic needs such as household lighting. This is not only because the cost of electricity is extremely high, as the poorest people in the world pay 40 times more for the same energy services, but also because, most of the time, the nearest outlets are located miles away from where poverty is striking.
Because of this poor resource distribution, 15 percent of the global population still lives without access to electricity, and it is this inequality that solar power is attempting to balance by giving people easier access to electricity, information and education. For example, in Bangalore in India, families using solar panels can save $100 a year, money they tend to invest in their children’s education.
According to Simon Bransfield-Garth, Azuri’s CEO, a leading company in solar power in emerging markets in Africa, “a child spends an extra [two] hours per day doing homework if he has electricity.” But giving people access to electricity, and thus to information and education, is only one advantage this form of energy has to offer developing countries.
First, using solar power requires only one natural resource: the sun. This free, nonpolluting and unlimited
generator makes solar power one of the most environmentally friendly energies in the world. Furthermore, green energy is reliable and cheaper in the long run than kerosene or generators. It is also safer and easier to preserve in case of natural disasters, as solar panels are detachable and can be put indoors.
Helping in both the fight against poverty and climate change, solar power seems to be the perfect solution for those who still don’t have access to electricity. But there is much more at stake here: every year, more than four million people are killed by indoor air pollution, more than AIDS and malaria combined. Developing clean energy is, now, a matter of life or death.
As concluded Justin Guay, associate director of Sierra Club’s International Climate Program, “Just providing a few hours of solar lighting alone improves the human condition.”
– Léa Gorius
Photo: Flickr
Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine Will Help Millions of Citizens
The suffering is due to the separatist movement in Ukraine’s south and east regions after a reversal in government that has led to protests, violence and over 6,500 lives lost. Millions of citizens have been forced from their homes, creating a food crisis. However, efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Ukraine have been implemented over the past few years. The U.S. government has provided more than $27 million in assistance to meet the health, food, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene and protection needs in the conflict-affected areas of the Ukraine during 2017 alone.
In response to Ukraine’s political transition and its effects, USAID’s Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative program was formed in 2014. The Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI) complements ongoing USAID efforts to create a prosperous and stable Ukraine. UCBI assistance will come in the form of small in-kind grants, such as goods, services and technical support, to a range of partners, including national and local civilian government entities, civil society organizations and community leaders.
By providing quick, short-term assistance to Ukrainian partners who are in support of a peaceful democratic transition, UCBI seeks to reduce social tensions and increase available information on the conflict and its impact. According to ReliefWeb, USAID has implemented 70 activities in Ukraine and provided approximately 100,000 IDPs with economic opportunities and other important resettlement services.
By rebuilding confidence and stability in vulnerable communities in the eastern European nation, the goal of humanitarian aid to Ukraine is to create an integrated, educated and unified nation.
– Kailey Brennan
Photo: Flickr
How Argentina Lowered its Poverty Rate in 2017
From the second half of 2016 to the first half of 2017, Argentina lowered its poverty rate by 1.7 percent. Though that number may seem small, it represents a significant step forward for a country who has over 30 percent of its citizens living in destitution. What steps did the nation take to reverse years of trends? How can other struggling parts of the globe learn from Argentina?
Market-Friendly Policies
One of Argentinian President Mauricio Macri’s goals was to attract foreign financing. From 2003 to 2016, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Argentina averaged at $575 million. But in the second quarter of 2016, the FDI increased to $788 million. This amount represents the highest investment in the country since July 2014.
Steep Currency Devaluation
To combat record inflation, Macri took an unpopular measure. Currency devaluation in 2015 resulted in surging prices and a temporary increase in the country’s poor. Money was now worth less, though this was little comfort to those with little money to start.
All Macri’s program needed was time. Private sector investment and job creation rose in the past year, which led to more consumer spending. Not only has the poverty rate recovered from its drop, but the country now has a solid base of businesses and investments to continue its trends. A healthy economy tends to create lower poverty… though that truism doesn’t always hold.
Not Depending On Businesses Alone
Despite the advances made under Macri’s leadership, his government is riddled with issues. His critics claim that Macri’s attempts to court businesses only led to a widening gap between the rich and the poor. Reducing subsidies for electricity and gas led to a 40 percent rise in inflation in 2016.
But in a non-business sense, Macri’s initiatives represent a step forward. In 2013, former President Cristina Kirchner claimed that Argentina lowered its poverty rate to five percent, and refused to back that claim with evidence. The current state of Argentina challenges that dubious claim. More so than any business, the best move Argentina made for its impoverished was to admit it had a problem. For each positive gain spearheaded by Macri, government humility made them all possible.
Erasmo Mema, a political analyst from FTI Consulting, predicted that Argentina’s 2017 economic successes would make or break Macri’s legacy. As of November 2017, the Macri administration appears secure. But Mema warns Argentina that “…any foreign direct investment will have to be buttressed by the government’s commitment to transparency, [and] a sound economic policy…”
– Nick Edinger
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Empowerment in Laos Needed for Fighting Poverty
Lao People’s Democratic Republic is a country in Asia with a total area of 236,800 square kilometers. Poverty has been steadily decreasing in Laos, with a 25 percent reduction in the poverty rate since the 1990s.
With this reduction in poverty, one would expect for women to be able to enjoy the benefits of development on equal terms with men. Despite laws that are supportive of women and what appear to be objectives in place to promote women’s development, economic opportunities and participation, the reality is far different than it originally seems.
In government meetings, while there may be women present, they are mostly not participating. Instead, they are assigned menial tasks like serving tea and cookies. Even though there are some strong women making bold points occasionally, this is far from the norm in Laos. Additionally, it is more difficult for women to obtain credit. They also have more difficulty becoming managers and are usually in lower paying jobs.
Women living in remote and rural areas of Laos are the most disadvantaged, as they are often not allowed to fully participate in village activity processes. Men are usually considered the head of the household and represent their families at official meetings. Many women in Laos are illiterate and do not speak the national language used for education. This, along with the prevailing social and cultural norms, means that women are not comfortable sharing their opinions, and as a result rarely speak out.
There are many struggles faced by women-headed households due to problems such as child marriage, low secondary school attendance, the burden of agricultural and domestic work and limited access to credit. Therefore, women often have more difficulty providing for their families than men.
The situation is not all negative, however, with several programs in place to help improve women’s empowerment in Laos. The first of these is from Oxfam, supporting the Gender Development Association to involve women in income generation activities and the management of savings groups in one of Laos’ poorest areas.
The Women’s Empowerment Program in Laos has been in place for over two decades. Over the course of the program, The Asia Foundation has worked with local partners in Laos to ensure women’s ability to access their legal rights, increase their presence in leadership roles and provide greater opportunities for future generations of women and girls.
Lastly, there is the Women’s Empowerment Project in Laos, which is managed by GVI, one of the most prominent international volunteering organization in the world. The aim of the project is to contribute to sustainable, long-term women’s empowerment initiatives in Laos, with volunteers contributing to GVI Laos’ objectives such as promoting gender equality, improving equal access to education and empowering local women to achieve increased employment opportunities and self-determination. These steps will assist with women’s empowerment in Laos, breaking the cycle of poverty and inequality.
– Drew Fox
Photo: Flickr
How to Improve Education for Conflict Areas in Africa
A survey conducted by UNICEF polling in the Central African Republic, Uganda, Chad and Nigeria found that 50 percent of respondents reported that schools have been forced to shut down or been damaged due to war conflicts. Additionally, the survey also found that in Nigeria 76 percent reported disruption to education due to conflict. This percentage was even higher in Uganda where 89 percent reported disruption to education.
Damaged schools along with unsafe travel to class, absent teachers and children being forced into war are all factors disrupting students’ education. In the same UNICEF survey, half of the respondents said that education is vital to providing the skills and opportunities that are needed while also promoting peace.
Some ways to improve education for conflict areas in African countries are to involve and correlate U.N. agencies, non-government organizations and local governments to respond to conflicts and promote education. Another way to improve education in areas of conflict is to create programs that are youth led and that promote nonviolence and tolerance. By promoting peace to youths it will encourage students to get an education as well as teach them to promote peace for future generations.
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is a nonprofit dedicated to bettering education around the world. GPE has been developing programs for youths out of school, including programs for education for conflict areas. These programs include developing ways to identify the number of children out of school and understanding the main obstacle to education. GPE also conducts assessments to create strategies and plans to promote education within individual countries’ governments and to create a dialogue with local education groups. The dialogue between local education groups gives support to decisions on promoting education.
The Effective Support in Fragile and Conflict-affected States policy by the GPE along with its Guidelines for Accelerated Support in Emergency and Early Recovery Situations is one example of how GPE is directly helping conflict areas such as the Central African Republic. These two policies coordinate decisions about how to utilize resources in crisis settings. One technique for doing this is to shift those decisions to non-governmental providers so that people get direct service during acute crises.
– Deanna Wetmore
Photo: Flickr
Misconceptions About Gender in Education
In general, the cost of attending public schools in developing nations is the responsibility of students, families and faculty. Books, supplies and teachers’ salaries are usually the responsibility of students’ families. Cost is only one reason for low school attendance.
Of the children not enrolled in schools, 53 percent are girls. In many cases, girls are denied schooling as a result of the misconceptions about gender in education which place less value on educating girls as opposed to educating boys. The belief centers on traditional gender roles which place more value on women in the home.
Some of the top barriers to education around the world include lack of funding, teachers, classrooms and materials as well as the exclusion of girls and children with disabilities. The reasons for these barriers differ across borders but there are explanations that blame the inequality on misconceptions about gender in education in terms of future success, wages and family planning.
The following facts have been determined to debunk common misconceptions about gender in education in developing nations:
Studies have also shown successes in longer school weeks in countries like Colombia. Longer school weeks keep students occupied and prevent exposure to commonly risky situations. Improving access to education for girls has a vast economic impact which increases families’ ability to afford to send more children to school and allows parents to work longer.
This information has spurred initiatives to improve education worldwide specifically for young girls. One initiative is the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) whose top priority is ensuring access to complete and quality education for girls with the aim to increase the percentage of girls completing primary school from 74 percent to 84 percent by 2018.
There are several pieces of legislation that have been introduced that aim to improve education and economic status for women. These include the Protecting Girls’ Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act and the Reach Every Mother and Child Act.
The most recent success for legislative activism is the passing of the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act that promotes universal access to basic education for children across the globe especially girls. These acts are reliant upon constituent action so it is important to contact congressional leaders to support them.
– Rebekah Korn
Photo: Flickr
The Success of Humanitarian Aid to Swaziland
Agriculture
There is a high dependence on agricultural farming, with 77 percent of Swazis relying on it, to bring food and income to their families. As a response to droughts, among other things, there has been a decline in agricultural performance, leading to a reduction in income and a spike in the price of food. The Annual Vulnerability Analysis Assessment of 2017 recorded around 159,000 Swazis experiencing food insecurity.
The World Food Programme (WFP) responded by initiating the Food by Prescription project, providing 11,000 malnourished people with a monthly balanced diet. The project also includes monthly household rations for families. WFP is also addressing long-term nutrition solutions by working with the Swaziland government to monitor food insecurity, integrate nutrition awareness and include underrepresented minorities into the analysis.
Since 2013, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement also contributes to the success of humanitarian aid to Swaziland. The movement implements a number of programs like the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition which aims to improve nutrition on a national level.
The Government of Swaziland has taken the issue into their own hands by creating the Swaziland National Nutrition Council (SNNC) and teaming up with the Food Security and Nutrition Forum, Child Health and Nutrition Forum, Micronutrient Alliance and the Water and Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Forum.
Water
While drought hinders agriculture, it also limits the availability of clean drinking water. UNICEF aided with Swaziland’s implementation of the WASH in Schools (WinS) program, which is a piece of the Child Friendly School framework that aims to achieve quality education throughout Swaziland.
Through hygiene training and through the improvement of hygienic resources, 95 percent of the 757 targeted schools gained access to sanitation facilities by 2010. Although there is more room for improvement, 64 percent of these schools progressed in the overall access to quality water.
Children
Swaziland has a significant number of orphans, due to a high rate of parental deaths and other families’ inability to take in more mouths to feed. A 2010 study recorded around 10-15 percent of Swazi head of households being children, rather than parents. Swaziland has created social service centers called Kagogo centers to aid children in need, in response to the limited number of orphanages.
WFP stepped in, providing 52,000 orphans with monthly meals through other daycare type centers within neighborhoods. The project also implements access to basic education, psychosocial support and health services. Additionally, Swaziland made all primary schools free for students in 2011, which led to orphans gaining access to education, school meals and quality water and sanitation.
Through WASH and nutritional means, one can witness the success of humanitarian aid to Swaziland.
–Brianna White
Photo: Flickr
On the Success of Humanitarian Aid to Mexico
Despite the rampant destitution, there have been several noteworthy efforts that highlight the success of humanitarian aid to Mexico. One example is CHOICE Humanitarian. This organization has worked in Mexico for over twenty years, partnering with countless rural villages in Mexico. They have left an indelible mark on nine Mexican states, teaching vital skills such as cheese making, blacksmithing and livestock micro enterprises, among others. Other useful programs have been implemented as well, such as savings programs for women, healthcare training and constructing classrooms.
One of the goals of CHOICE Humanitarian is to establish self-sustaining projects that allow villages to thrive on their own. This typically takes about three to five years, but Mexico has seen tremendous success in this particular humanitarian endeavor. It is a shining example of humanitarian aid to Mexico.
That being said, there is still much work to be done. Thousands of villages in Mexico are still in dire need of help and have not reached this level of sustainability and economic independence.
The earthquakes that devastated Mexico only a few months ago resulted in an influx of aid from the international community. No amount of aid could fully efface the tragedy of the event, but other nations such as Bolivia donated generously in the aftermath. The Bolivian government sent a cargo plane full of 11 tons of humanitarian aid. The aid consisted of sanitary equipment, non-perishable food and two thousand blankets. In addition, the Bolivian President Evo Morales tweeted his country’s solidarity with Mexico. Bolivia has continued to pledge more aid to Mexico, making the future of humanitarian aid to Mexico more promising.
In a country like Mexico, where poverty is rampant, the amount of aid it receives is vital for its future success. While the country has seen a string of tragedies as of late, mostly in the form of natural disasters, many countries have stepped up to help in its time of need. While humanitarian aid in Mexico is not without its merit, more work certainly needs to be done.
– Mohammad Hasan Javed
Photo: Flickr
Addressing Five Current Development Projects in Iran
Here is a look at five development projects in Iran:
In partnership with national and international partners such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Programme has implemented the Intensified Malaria Control in High Burden Provinces towards Falciparum Elimination project in Iran to eliminate the disease. The project, started in October 2011, includes distributing insect nests to protect against infected mosquito bites, training volunteers to engage in early case findings and collaborating with local women as a symbol of community participation.
Established in 2006, the Stanford Iran 2040 Project allows researchers all around the world to study issues related to the future of the Iranian economy. The core research centers on economy, population, energy, water, agriculture and the financial system. From this research, experts will be better equipped to aid in Iran’s future development by evaluating how these issues affect the country.
The Carbon Sequestration Project aims to capture and control atmospheric carbon in arid and semi-arid regions of Iran and to improve the socioeconomic status of local communities. So far, the project has created 577 permanent jobs, held 400 training programs, established microcredit systems with 63 Village Development Groups, rehabilitated over 30,000 hectares of land and empowered women to play an active role in all of the project’s initiatives.
The Ministry of Roads and Urban Development in Iran has signed 13 contracts worth $12 billion since March 2015 with investors from the Iranian private sector and foreign companies. These investments fund development projects in Iran across air, road, marine and rail transportations. Some of the notable plans include a 230-mile freeway connecting the city of Kerman to the Persian Gulf Port of Bandar Abbas, as well as a high-speed railroad connecting Tehran to Isfahan, a central tourism hub.
Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) develop and submit grant proposals to the Global Fund based on national needs. The Global Fund is a partnership organization designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics. CCMs allow for local ownership and participation in decision-making processes.
These development projects in Iran provide hope for the nation to move toward a more stable and sustainable future.
– Richa Bijlani
Photo: Flickr
Droneports in Rwanda Deliver Life-Saving Medical Supplies
Healthcare in Rwanda
In recent years, Rwanda has exhibited impressive improvement in rural healthcare. Partners in Health (PIH), an organization that seeks to improve medical access in impoverished countries, initiated many of the healthcare advances that have been made in Rwanda. In 2008, PIH resuscitated the healthcare structures of Kayonza and Kirehe, two districts in rural Rwanda. Two hospitals and seven health centers were built, providing nearly 100,000 individuals with access to healthcare.
In the following years, Rwanda’s government took inspiration from PIH’s assistance and continued improving rural healthcare on its own. Today, approximately 90 percent of Rwandans are provided healthcare by the government.
Overcoming Poor Infrastructure
Despite Rwanda’s effective healthcare system, the country’s subpar infrastructure often inhibits medical care. As is the case with many African nations, Rwanda’s population is growing at a tremendous rate. The existing roads are inadequate for gaining access to so many people scattered across the country, especially in remote areas. Using roads, medical supplies such as blood and medicine are not delivered as quickly as necessary.
Drones literally rise above the restrictions of substandard infrastructure.
In September 2015, Rwanda was chosen to be the first African nation to be outfitted with droneports. Drones are capable of quickly delivering up to 22 pounds of supplies for distances up to 60 miles. It is estimated that by installing just three droneports, up to half of Rwanda’s remote countryside will gain access to easy medical deliveries.
A New Trend in Aid Delivery
In 2016, Redline, the company that initially proposed building droneports in Rwanda, began work on the project, which is to be completed in 2020. Renowned British architect, Norman Foster, unveiled his design for the droneports at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2016. The prototype droneport, constructed entirely of earthen bricks that fit together in the shape of a tortoiseshell, was lauded as a work of art as well as a feat of philanthropic engineering.
But Redline is not the only drone company working to bring drones to Rwanda. The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of drones make them an appealing tool for medical and other aid organizations. This year, the drone company, Zipline, has already facilitated 1,400 deliveries of medical supplies in Rwanda. Another company, Mobisol, uses drones to distribute parts for solar energy machines.
If the implementation of medical delivery droneports in Rwanda goes well, more droneports will be built throughout Africa. Drones will take to the skies to provide life-saving supplies and revolutionize the distribution of emergency medicine.
– Mary Efird
Photo: Flickr