The 2018-2022 Vietnamese program, Women-led Output-Based Aid (WOBA), aimed to tackle poor water sanitation, reducing period poverty in Vietnam and cultural taboos surrounding menstruation. First established by the key Vietnamese network East Meets West (EMW), the female-led force wished to tackle gender inequality and attitudes to menstruation in Vietnam’s poorest communities.
With the help of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VMU), an organization with more than 13 million members nationwide, EMW’s program WOBA has expanded to the most marginalized households and women. Their collaboration has continued to make positive changes to period poverty in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s Stigma Towards Menstruation
Medical News Today defines period poverty as the political, cultural and socio-economic “barriers to menstrual products, education and sanitation.” Period poverty in Vietnam may have harmful impacts on women’s lives. This includes their mental health, health and hygiene, work balance and education. Further, lacking access to menstrual products may result in dangerous infections and an increase in possible toxic shock syndrome. The stigma surrounding menstruation often results in women’s exclusion from the community.
WOBA’s Support
WOBA sought to decrease the gender inequalities that have disproportionately disadvantaged women’s access to sanitary water. The program’s primary objectives include increasing access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in marginalized communities and reducing menstrual stigma and exclusion targeted at women. Its fight against period poverty in Vietnam focused on the poorest areas, including Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Ben Tre.
By 2022, WOBA had set several crucial objectives to enhance water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives. These goals encompassed reinforcing governmental efforts in implementing WASH policies, improving accessibility and utilization of WASH facilities in marginalized communities, empowering women and advocating for hygienic practices. A significant focus was also placed on delivering clean water to female-led households.
Noteworthy accomplishments of the program included assisting 52,580 women and girls in managing menstrual hygiene challenges. Additionally, installing hygienic latrines for 18,000 marginalized households and establishing new water connections benefiting 8,000 households facing economic hardship.
Truong Thi Hoa’s Story
Truong Thi Hoa is the “President of the Tan Xuan Commune Women’s Union in Nghe An province.” She fights to tackle harmful taboos and empower women to engage with menstruation hygiene safely in her Vietnamese communities. In a conversation with Water for Women in 2023, she opened up about her experience with menstrual stigma. She recalls feeling “ashamed and afraid to meet others or go to school during her period.”
Truong Thi Hoa wishes to bring dignity to women affected by period poverty in Vietnam. Her training sessions educate women on the appropriate use of sanctuary products. In the same conversation with Water for Women, she believes inviting men into the conversation “is an efficient way to support, understand and share the health care burden with women and girls.”
Truong Thi Hoa feels that an essential step in breaking cultural taboo is for women to invite their husbands to her organized training sessions. For Truong Thi Hoa, men are vital allies who help bring gender equality to Vietnam’s attitudes toward menstrual hygiene.
Long-Term Improvements
Period poverty in Vietnam has dramatically improved with the aid of the WOBA program. During the program, EMW collaborated with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which funded “national consultants on menstrual health and hygiene.” Its educational sessions continue the work of individuals like Truong Thi Hoa, providing informative conversations and practices with women about their “hygiene and sanitation needs” and menstrual health.
Furthermore, EMW’s WASH program has continued to aid schools in Vietnam. Due to challenging weather conditions, families are often deprived of clean water. In response, the initiative “installs water filtration systems and hand washing basins” in rural and mountainous schools where access to clean water may be a daily struggle. Additionally, the program’s educational initiative continues to raise awareness about the importance of personal hygiene in schools. Its conduction of “a behavior change campaign promoting hand washing” continues to reduce period poverty in Vietnam.
UNICEF’s Report on Menstrual Health in East Asia
In 2023, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a regional progress review on Menstrual Health in East Asia. UNICEF commended the positive observance of Menstrual Hygiene Day by Thrive Networks/East Meets West Foundation Vietnam as an ongoing effort to combat period poverty in Vietnam. The report underscored that the foundation’s work “contributed to increasing menstrual health awareness.” As well as helped “gain attention from one of the high-ranking government officials.”
Looking Forward
While many women struggle with period poverty in Vietnam, integral organizations such as EMW and its projects, such as WOBA, have successfully aided the improvements of menstrual hygiene for many women.
– Kasia Flisiuk
Photo: Unsplash
Namami Ganga: Improving Water Sanitation in India
As of 2021, approximately 16% of India’s population live in poverty, often living with limited access to clean water and sanitation and as a consequence are at risk of contracting dangerous diseases. River pollution is a substantial factor in poor sanitation in India and the high levels of waterborne diseases, such as cholera, affect the most poverty-stricken and claim the lives of more than 1 million children in India every year. Due to the levels of poverty and the limited access to safe water, there have been many calls to clean up and regulate the waste that is polluting the Ganges River.
Namami Ganga
In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Namami Ganga campaign during his election campaign, which aims to improve the reduction and proper management of pollution and environmental conservation and restoration of the river. The success of this initiative could help contribute to improving sanitation in India. With approximately 200 million liters of untreated sewage emptying into the river daily in Varanasi alone, it needs proper regulation and cleanup.
The main elements of Namami Ganga include sewage treatment infrastructure, river cleaning, afforestation, industrial waste overseeing, river-front development, bio-diversity and promoting public awareness,
A decade later, the campaign seems to be making good progress. It helped complete a total of 99 sewage management projects and another 48 are underway across several states in India and multiple locations have launched means of floating solid waste collection and disposal along the Ganges.
Namami Ganga has launched projects in collaboration with several wildlife organizations to help restore the local biodiversity and forest large amounts of land, which can combat soil erosion and flooding. The campaign is also working to increase public awareness with workshops, seminars and activities to promote local participation and understanding of the mission, according to its website.
Thanks to the initiative, the Ganges has seen great improvements over the last decade, and there is great optimism for its efforts to continue and help improve sanitation in India.
Sankat Mochan Foundation
Although Namami Ganga has made great strides since 2014, other organizations and initiatives, such as the Sankat Mochan Foundation (SMF) have been raising awareness and doing vital work too.
First established in Varanasi in 1982, the SMF is a non-profit and non-political organization that has been working to combat the Ganges River’s environmental damage. The SMF centers its mission on the eradication of sewage pollution in the Ganges, an objective all the more relevant in Varanasi, a holy city on the Ganges, where many Hindus come to visit and practice the spiritual act of bathing in the Ganges’ sacred waters that have now become highly polluted.
According to its website, some of the SMF’s key objectives include the promotion of education and health care for the region’s poorer communities, the protection and advocacy of Varanasi’s time-honored traditions and customs and the environmental restoration and conservation of the Ganges.
The Future of Sanitation in India
The clean-up of the River Ganges seems key to safety and prosperity on both a health, social and environmental scale and could help bring into fruition what the SMF has been advocating for since the 1980s and contribute to the ongoing mission to improve sanitation in India. Nanami Ganga has the potential to reduce the threat of many diseases and significantly improve the quality of life of those who depend on the river in their daily lives, as well as those who bathe in its waters in reverence to its sanctity as one of the holiest water sources in all of Hinduism.
– Rose Williams
Photo: Unsplash
Equitable Funding: African Visionary Fund
Evidence of Change
Decolonizing Development is gaining traction in the aid sector, highlighted by the African Visionary Fund (AV Fund)’s recent announcement. Launching as a Segal Family Foundation fellowship in 2017, the AV Fund commits $1 million in flexible support to African-led organizations. In addition, this initiative, benefiting Sub-Saharan African communities, boasts pooled funding from several contributors, including King Baudouin Foundation’s United States (U.S.) arm, Segal Family Foundation, Skoll Foundation and the Tawingo Fund, which supports small to medium-sized charitable groups aiding the needy in developing nations.
The Case for Co-Leadership
Co-leadership is essential to the African Visionary Fund’s (AV Fund) operation, underscoring the belief that proximity to the communities served enhances the impact. Integral to its philosophy since inception, the AV Fund advocates for equity-centered philanthropy, embodying these principles within its structure. Launched as an independent entity in 2020, Katie Bunten-Wamaru, with her extensive background in nonprofit management and experience in East Africa, serves as the co-CEO, propelling the Fund’s mission forward. Her leadership exemplifies the Fund’s commitment to shared governance and deep local engagement.
“The African Visionary Fund (AV Fund) emerged amid global discussions on equity and localization, focusing on directing more funding to local leaders during the global pandemic. A year after its inception, Atti Worku joined Katie Bunten-Wamaru as co-CEO. Based in Africa, Worku, with her extensive experience in the nonprofit sector and advocacy for local founders, has significantly contributed to the Fund’s mission. Moreover, before the AV Fund, Worku founded and led Seeds of Africa in Ethiopia for more than a decade, bringing valuable grassroots experience to her role.
Atti Worku, AV Fund co-CEO stated “This role is very personal to me. I see myself in the ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs we engage with at the AV Fund. I hope to learn from them and partner with them to redesign funding systems that give African visionaries an equitable chance of success.”
AV Fund
The African Visionary Fund (AV Fund) emphasizes collaboration with visionary leaders and acts as a strategic ally, creating opportunities for those closest to their communities. It focuses on supporting organizations that are African-founded, -based and -led, working alongside a network of trusted partners. In addition, this approach enables significant impacts across various sectors, including health infrastructure, education, local economies and equitable societies, showcasing the Fund’s success in fostering sustainable and inclusive development.
Looking Forward
The AV Fund is evidence that foreign aid is having a reckoning. As Degan Ali impressed “International fund-raising should be based on amplifying the dynamic work our communities themselves are engaged in.” Furthermore, Bunten-Wamaru stated, “Everything that we do has to be in service of African-led organization.” In addition, Katie explained further, “There will always be a need to balance this tension – having a co-leadership model helps us balance both sides of our work and not lose sight of either goal.”
– Pamela Fenton
Photo: Flickr
Human Trafficking: 5 Companies Fighting It
While not every single person has the capacity to stop slave labor physically, everyone can contribute in many ways, even by simply purchasing useful or pretty products. Here, we list five interesting products and companies that help stop human trafficking.
Purpose Jewelry
Purpose Jewelry is a company that sells handmade jewelry made by survivors of human trafficking. The company rescues the girls from brothels and sends them to live in its trademarked “Sanctuaries,” where it trains them to make jewelry. It also provides them with health care, mental care and education. The girls also earn full salaries for their work. The company invests 100% of its profit back into helping the victims. Currently, the company assists victims from Mumbai, Cebu, Kampala and Tijuana.
Elegantees
Elegantees creates casual but stylish clothes that any woman can wear. Its priority is sustainability, using cotton and deadstock materials. Most importantly, the employees are primarily girls who are survivors or at risk for human trafficking from Nepal or India. “The Nepal-India border is one of the busiest human trafficking gateways in the world,” with a report showcasing that around 50 women are illegally transported from Nepal to India daily.
The company explains very simply that poor girls often get tricked into brothels because they are looking for jobs. If companies quickly provide safe jobs, human trafficking intermediaries are cut out. All workers are adults, earn a livable wage and receive overtime, vacation and any other benefits you would expect from normal working conditions.
Dignity Coconuts
Dignity Coconuts is a company tackling a unique poverty-related problem in the Philippines. Coconuts are the country’s largest crops grown, with both large plantations and small-scale farmers involved in their production. However, this has resulted in a serious issue known as “copra slavery.” Many companies and countries prefer to purchase products from large-scale farmers, which often drives smaller farmers into poverty. This leaves them vulnerable to human trafficking and at the mercy of larger farms.
As a result, they are usually forced to beg for loans that they will never be able to repay. Dignity Coconuts changes this dynamic by enabling customers to purchase coconut oil directly from the farmers in the Philippines. The organization has more than 150 farmers on board, which means 150 farms providing jobs for people, protecting them from poverty and desperation that might lead them to trafficking jobs, including running the slave trade.
The Starfish Project
The Starfish Project is an organization that rescues girls from brothels and provides them with training in making jewelry and crafts. Additionally, the girls can continue their education while working there. They can move up in the company hierarchy from crafting to having full careers in fields such as accounting and photography. It is worth noting that the Starfish Project focuses on rescuing rather than prevention. More than 180 women have been able to escape human trafficking situations and turn their lives around thanks to the Starfish Project’s efforts.
Good Paper
Good Paper is a company that creates handcrafted cards for various occasions. The cards are produced in two locations: one in the Philippines, which supports victims of sex trafficking and the other in Rwanda, which helps victims of genocide.
The Philippines is one of the highest-risk countries for trafficking, with 60,000 to 100,000 children being the victims of sex trafficking. You can make a difference in someone’s life by purchasing a card from Good Paper. Each card is signed by the person whose life you have helped change by supporting this company.
The above products are available for purchase by the average consumer. By buying them, you can help support victims of human trafficking and prevent more people from falling into this terrible crime. Furthermore, improving the economic situation of the victims can help reduce poverty overall.
– Varsha Pai
Photo: Pixabay
Đổi Mới: Vietnam’s Rapidly Evolving Healthcare System
How the Health Care System Has Developed
The Vietnamese Ministry of Health provides services at three levels: the district and commune levels, the provincial level and national institutions under central government control. This hierarchical system is employed to efficiently distribute services, extending them effectively from the grassroots level. As a result of such comprehensive progressions, there are many notable successes of the rapidly developing health care system transforming lives in Vietnam:
How Health Care Developments Help To Overcome Poverty in Vietnam
Health care is one of the most significant factors that affects poverty rates in any country. Given that “poor health is disproportionately concentrated among the poor,” Vietnam can seldom achieve poverty reduction without improved health care. Through its efforts to revolutionize the health care system, Vietnam has expanded high-quality services to those most impacted by poor health nationwide. This initiative not only improves the overall health of the population but also enhances economic opportunities for those severely affected by poverty, increasing their “ability to work” and potential for “educational attainment.”
Vietnam, significantly assisted by its rapidly developing health care system, has “attained its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving its poverty rate 10 years before the deadline set by the U.N.” Poverty reduction has occurred so rapidly that, whereas in 2021, 4.4% of the population lived below the national poverty line, by 2023, this figure has dropped to 2.93%.
Challenges Facing Vietnam’s Health Care
Although the rapidly developing health care system is transforming lives in Vietnam, many areas require further attention, evidencing the need for continued funding and support from both within the country and outside.
Vietnam’s health care system continues to operate through “manual, paper-based reporting systems.” Consequently, data integration and distribution are currently inefficient processes.
Despite a significant increase in the number of health care workers, rising from 15,000 in 1986 to 109,500 by 2021, the distribution of workers is not “relative to population density,” resulting in the neglect of more rural populations by the rapidly developing system.
However, strategies are in place to tackle this issue, including the increased implementation of “telemedicine,” offering consultation and diagnosis online. This, however, requires technological improvements in the rural communities themselves, demanding increased funding and subsequent international support.
Underfunding
The Vietnamese health care system faces challenges in sustainability and further development without an augmentation of funding. “In particular, insufficient resources are allocated to health care infrastructure, equipment and staff training.” Therefore, many patients have no choice but to resort to “out-of-pocket payments,” which can be a “significant financial burden for low-income families.” Increased international aid is necessary to support the health care system, supporting the Vietnamese government in achieving UHC and reducing the need for low-income patients to subsidize their own medical demands.
Conclusion
The rapidly developing health care system transforms lives in Vietnam by providing innovative, highly advanced treatments and financing research into preventative methods. Largely government-funded, Vietnamese health care is now accessible to all demographics and can tackle both basic health needs and more complex issues.
– Chloe Thomas
Photo: Flickr
WOBA: Addressing Period Poverty in Vietnam
With the help of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VMU), an organization with more than 13 million members nationwide, EMW’s program WOBA has expanded to the most marginalized households and women. Their collaboration has continued to make positive changes to period poverty in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s Stigma Towards Menstruation
Medical News Today defines period poverty as the political, cultural and socio-economic “barriers to menstrual products, education and sanitation.” Period poverty in Vietnam may have harmful impacts on women’s lives. This includes their mental health, health and hygiene, work balance and education. Further, lacking access to menstrual products may result in dangerous infections and an increase in possible toxic shock syndrome. The stigma surrounding menstruation often results in women’s exclusion from the community.
WOBA’s Support
WOBA sought to decrease the gender inequalities that have disproportionately disadvantaged women’s access to sanitary water. The program’s primary objectives include increasing access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in marginalized communities and reducing menstrual stigma and exclusion targeted at women. Its fight against period poverty in Vietnam focused on the poorest areas, including Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Ben Tre.
By 2022, WOBA had set several crucial objectives to enhance water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives. These goals encompassed reinforcing governmental efforts in implementing WASH policies, improving accessibility and utilization of WASH facilities in marginalized communities, empowering women and advocating for hygienic practices. A significant focus was also placed on delivering clean water to female-led households.
Noteworthy accomplishments of the program included assisting 52,580 women and girls in managing menstrual hygiene challenges. Additionally, installing hygienic latrines for 18,000 marginalized households and establishing new water connections benefiting 8,000 households facing economic hardship.
Truong Thi Hoa’s Story
Truong Thi Hoa is the “President of the Tan Xuan Commune Women’s Union in Nghe An province.” She fights to tackle harmful taboos and empower women to engage with menstruation hygiene safely in her Vietnamese communities. In a conversation with Water for Women in 2023, she opened up about her experience with menstrual stigma. She recalls feeling “ashamed and afraid to meet others or go to school during her period.”
Truong Thi Hoa wishes to bring dignity to women affected by period poverty in Vietnam. Her training sessions educate women on the appropriate use of sanctuary products. In the same conversation with Water for Women, she believes inviting men into the conversation “is an efficient way to support, understand and share the health care burden with women and girls.”
Truong Thi Hoa feels that an essential step in breaking cultural taboo is for women to invite their husbands to her organized training sessions. For Truong Thi Hoa, men are vital allies who help bring gender equality to Vietnam’s attitudes toward menstrual hygiene.
Long-Term Improvements
Period poverty in Vietnam has dramatically improved with the aid of the WOBA program. During the program, EMW collaborated with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which funded “national consultants on menstrual health and hygiene.” Its educational sessions continue the work of individuals like Truong Thi Hoa, providing informative conversations and practices with women about their “hygiene and sanitation needs” and menstrual health.
Furthermore, EMW’s WASH program has continued to aid schools in Vietnam. Due to challenging weather conditions, families are often deprived of clean water. In response, the initiative “installs water filtration systems and hand washing basins” in rural and mountainous schools where access to clean water may be a daily struggle. Additionally, the program’s educational initiative continues to raise awareness about the importance of personal hygiene in schools. Its conduction of “a behavior change campaign promoting hand washing” continues to reduce period poverty in Vietnam.
UNICEF’s Report on Menstrual Health in East Asia
In 2023, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released a regional progress review on Menstrual Health in East Asia. UNICEF commended the positive observance of Menstrual Hygiene Day by Thrive Networks/East Meets West Foundation Vietnam as an ongoing effort to combat period poverty in Vietnam. The report underscored that the foundation’s work “contributed to increasing menstrual health awareness.” As well as helped “gain attention from one of the high-ranking government officials.”
Looking Forward
While many women struggle with period poverty in Vietnam, integral organizations such as EMW and its projects, such as WOBA, have successfully aided the improvements of menstrual hygiene for many women.
– Kasia Flisiuk
Photo: Unsplash
Bilingual Education and reduced Child Labor in Peru
Child labor in Peru
Conducted in 2015, the National Child Labor Survey found 1,619,200 children engaged in some form of labor in Peru. The largest sector of child labor is in the agricultural industry at 63.8%. However, various other industries also exploit child labor in the country. A hazardous business comes in small-scale mining. Here children are used informally and are at risk of being exposed to harmful gases, mercury poisoning, mining collapse and even landslides and explosive accidents.
Illegal mining also poses a threat to local communities with child trafficking commonplace. In these instances, commercial sexual exploitation and forced child labor can devastate lives in the mining regions of Peru. It is also worth noting that the level of child labor in coastal and urban regions was far lower than that of rural and jungle regions. This disparity shows the added struggle that indigenous Peruvians have in securing their children’s safety and future.
Bilingual Education
The good news can be found in the research paper “Bilingual Education and Child Labor: Lessons from Peru.” Written by Professor Alberto Posso, Head of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics at Griffith University’s Business School. Published by the “Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organization” Posso notes the correlation between indigenousness and increased levels of poverty in the country.
While Peru’s illiteracy rate sits at 6%, indigenous people in the country represent 4% of that figure. To address this challenge, the Peruvian government has promoted bilingual programs that aim to retain indigenous children in schools and support their traditional cultural values while also teaching the national language of Spanish.
The National Department for Intercultural Bilingual Education (DINEBI) has significantly impacted bilingual education by providing teacher training courses to 16,000 individuals. Additionally, initiatives like the Project on Education in Rural Areas (PEAR) promote intercultural dialogue. This dialogue not only enriches understanding of life in Peru’s indigenous communities but also offers innovative approaches to education and early childhood learning, aiming for more inclusive and culturally diverse educational environments.
The Results
Government-supported bilingual education initiatives in Peru have led to a 12%-18% decrease in child labor. According to Professor Posso’s research, similar policies could boost the number of hours indigenous children spend in school by 38%. Above all, bilingual education emerges as a crucial tool not only in Peru but also in national and international efforts to combat child labor and poverty. It underscores the importance of community-specific initiatives in acknowledging the unique ways poverty affects majority groups and marginalized communities.
– Thomas Field
Photo: Unsplash
Project ERTAD: 4 Year Plan To Revitalize Georgia
Over a three-year period, the poverty rate in Georgia has steadily declined from 21.3% to 15.6% in 2022. Moreover, the rate of unemployment has also witnessed a decrease from 20.6% in 2021 to 18.1% in 2022.
Project ERTAD’s Aims
Project ERTAD seeks to build upon this progress through the employment of 160 front-line civil servants tasked with executing the ultra-poor graduation model to assist the families exposed to the worst impacts of poverty in Georgia. By providing the most vulnerable families with support through an approach referred to as the Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) approach, the poorest households will receive increased socio-economic inclusion, transferable technical skills, and access to social and financial markets to enhance their communities. The five regions where this project will be launched include Kakheti, Imereti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Adjara and Samegrelo.
‘‘Our organization’s main priority is strengthening families and in this way helping children. We believe that through our international experience and methodology practiced globally, we will succeed and help families to overcome poverty,” confirmed Ekaterine Gurgenadze, Director of World Vision Georgia.
World Vision’s History
World Vision has a history stretching back more than 70 years. Founded in 1950 in Oregon, the organization originates from the generosity of its founder Bob Pearce who, after giving the last $5 in his pocket to an abandoned Chinese girl in 1947, sought to prioritize the needs of the helpless both nationwide and globally. Initially providing emergency services to the people of East Asia, the charity has since expanded to become the largest Christian non-government organization with operations in nearly 100 countries worldwide.
With a strong emphasis upon the Christian faith, World Vision extends its support globally by providing emergency responses to victims of war and natural disasters. For example, the charity lent its support to the victims of the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria and continues to provide support for those enduring the respective conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.
World Vision Georgia
World Vision’s operations in Georgia primarily address issues pertaining to street poverty and internally displaced individuals including migrants, refugees, stateless individuals and asylum seekers within its borders. The organization estimates that there are 250,000 internally displaced people. This includes 30,000 international migrants. Despite the progress in addressing poverty nationwide, the charity estimates that there are 2,000 children in Georgia living on the streets in major cities such as Tbilisi.
By implementing schemes such as the Child Rights Code, 21,447 children have thus far received support from World Vision. Such commitment extends towards creating Child Protection Units to improve the Child Welfare and Protection System. This includes establishing day care centers and 24/7 shelters to provide these children with food, along with medical and emotional support on a daily basis. Moreover, 19,260 displaced individuals have benefitted from World Vision’s education, empowerment, integration and protection services.
Looking Ahead
Project ERTAD will ultimately build upon the work achieved thus far by World Vision in Georgia. Launched this year and extending towards 2026, the project reflects the Georgian government’s poverty alleviation plan by incorporating the best approaches towards elevating the social service system in Georgia.
– Thomas Perry
Photo: Pixabay
The Robin Hood Foundation: A Beacon of Hope in South Africa
Small Acts Big Change
The Robin Hood Foundation’s journey began with the founder, Cindy Norcott, realizing that the average person can make a meaningful difference in the world. Norcott witnessed the impact of donating her children’s outgrown baby clothes and was motivated to start the Love the Babies project. Within a few months, Norcott and her team of volunteers saw more need and started the Gogo bags project, which lightened the need of grandmothers, or Gogos, who had taken on their orphaned grandchildren.
Whether through donating time, resources, or expertise, the foundation exemplifies how seemingly small gestures can culminate in profound transformations. In addition, by channeling the goodwill and generosity of ordinary citizens, the foundation sparks a ripple effect of positivity that resonates far beyond its initial inception.
Nurturing Tomorrow’s Leaders
Central to the foundation’s efforts is its unwavering commitment to empowering youth. Recognizing that young people hold the key to the country’s future, the Robin Hood Foundation invests in programs designed to nurture people’s potential and provide them with opportunities for growth and development. Moreover, from educational scholarships to skills training initiatives, these efforts aim to break the cycle of poverty and unlock the untapped talents of South Africa’s youth.
Uplifting the Community
The foundation also supports grassroots organizations deeply embedded within their communities. By partnering with local initiatives, the Robin Hood Foundation ensures that its interventions are both helping the less privileged in the community and using the resources, knowledge and expertise of the community to best meet its needs. In an interview, Norcott explained that the goal of the foundation is to mobilize resources from businesses and individuals in the community and put them directly into the hands of the less fortunate in the community.
Addressing the Realistic Issues
One thing that stands out about this organization is the fact that it addresses very specific needs that it has identified in the communities in which it works. Child-headed households are one of the most underserved. On its website, the foundation creates a space where donors can sponsor a child-headed household for $54 per month. Furthermore, the Robin Hood Foundation has created a space where people can donate nonperishable food items, sponsor a truck and driver to transport goods to projects, donate clothes and shoes, donate dog and cat food and even knit or crochet beanies and blankets for those in need.
Food Security
One of the foundation’s flagship initiatives is its food security program, which aims to combat hunger and malnutrition in impoverished communities. Through its food donations and projects, the Robin Hood Foundation works to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry. During the 2022 floods in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region, the foundation could donate and distribute 14 tons of food and 1,3 tons of water to the individuals displaced and otherwise affected by the natural disaster.
Moreover, as an everyday solution, the Robin Hood Foundation has a project called the Sarmie Army. This project takes place weekly and includes multiple volunteers gathering weekly to make sandwiches and distribute them to impoverished schools in the area.
The Robin Hood Foundation embodies the impact of collective action, illustrating how small acts of kindness can lead to significant changes. It shines by providing critical support through educational programs, collaborations with local organizations, initiatives tailored to specific needs and strategies aimed at enhancing food security. Above all, this foundation not only offers essential aid to those in dire situations but also motivates the broader community to engage in efforts to combat poverty and inequality.
– Danielle Schaafsma
Photo: Unsplash
3 Nonprofits Providing Relief to South Sudanese Refugees
Seeking a life free from brutality, more than 4 million people, 65% of whom are children, have fled the country as refugees. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recognizes Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda as the primary host countries for South Sudanese refugees. The rest of this article will examine the nonprofits operating in these countries to deliver aid.
South Sudanese Refugees and Amnesty International
Amnesty International tackled the refugee crisis by documenting hardships and urging the global community to honor its financial pledges. In 2017, it emphasized Uganda’s crucial role in hosting 1 million South Sudanese refugees, underscoring the urgent need for improved support and resources.
In addition, the organization actively engaged in the refugee crisis by dispatching researchers to assess the situation in four refugee camps, highlighting the severe funding shortfall’s impact on necessities like food, water and shelter. It found a desperate demand for food, water and shelter. By May 2017, Amnesty International observed that 82% of the pledged funds to the UNHCR remained unmet, exacerbating the food scarcity and worsening living conditions in the camps.
However, the organization, with the UNHCR, the World Food Program and 57 other aid agencies, pushed for substantial improvements in funding increases. Consequently, UNHCR’s funding receipt improved to 46% by 2023, compared to the previous 18%.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Since 2006, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been active in refugee aid, focusing on emergency response and programs addressing global displacement. It emphasizes support for African refugee camps, partnering with UNHCR to launch the Saving Newborn Lives in Refugee Settings project in countries including South Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia, benefiting South Sudanese refugees.
In addition, the project emphasizes family planning and newborn health, equipping health facilities with essential equipment, supplies and oversight, along with offering training and mentoring. These efforts significantly enhance the capacity of health workers at refugee sites to deliver neonatal care services.
The program has been designed to provide knowledge in infant resuscitation and how to prevent post-partum hemorrhage. Knowledge of newborn care essential to its survival has also been disseminated, to decrease infant mortality rates in the two years after birth.
Furthermore, the Gates Foundation collaborates on initiatives to enhance sanitation at refugee camps. Its Waste-to-Value projects introduce advanced technologies, including container-based toilets that convert waste to energy. The UNHCR highlights these efforts as crucial for improving sanitation at refugee sites.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Since 1989, the IRC has been a major aid provider in southern Sudan, focusing on health care improvement, including training health workers and enhancing nutrition and sanitation services. It has put South Sudan on crisis watch, dedicating efforts to strengthen health care infrastructure and support services.
Moreover, the program’s training encompasses collaboration with health workers on essential and reproductive care, enhancing community leaders and urging government officials to support survivors of sexual violence.
The IRC provided aid to 1.1 million South Sudanese refugees in 2019 through its nutrition services and well restoration, combating disease spread. The IRC’s comprehensive training programs aim to rebuild displaced lives and foster peace. Highlighting the importance of donations, the IRC underscores that continuous financial support is crucial for refugee families to survive, recover and rebuild.
– Kayleigh O’Brien
Photo: Unsplash
Revolutionizing Education in Rural India with Mobile Schools
Moreover, operating from buses outfitted with educational materials, technology and dedicated teaching staff, these schools bridge the gap, make education accessible and contribute to the fight against poverty through education. This article explores the inception, impact and future of mobile schools in India, underlining their significance in societal betterment and the innovative approach of mobile classrooms.
The Significance of Education in Societal Betterment
Education is universally acknowledged as a fundamental pillar for societal development and poverty alleviation. In India, where a significant portion of the population resides in rural areas, the disparity in educational access exacerbates the cycle of poverty.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) emphasizes that education is crucial for sustainable development, as it empowers individuals with the knowledge, skills and values needed to live and work sustainably. Mobile schools in India embody this principle by extending educational opportunities to marginalized communities, thus playing a vital role in societal upliftment.
The Innovative Approach of Mobile Classrooms
Mobile schools in India utilize buses converted into classrooms to reach remote villages. These buses are equipped with learning materials, digital technology and a team of educators, offering a comprehensive curriculum ranging from basic literacy and numeracy to environmental education and digital literacy. The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, for instance, operates with the vision of holistic education and development in rural and tribal India, running numerous mobile schools that serve as a model for nonformal education.
One innovative example is the “School Bus Project” by the NGO Round Table India, which has successfully converted buses into mobile classrooms to provide education to children in slums and remote villages. These mobile schools are not only about academic learning but also focus on extracurricular activities and health education, ensuring a well-rounded development for the children.
New Developments in Mobile School Initiatives
The mobile school initiative in India is continually evolving, integrating new technologies and pedagogical approaches to enhance the learning experience. Some mobile schools incorporate solar power and satellite internet connectivity, exemplifying this evolution and enabling the use of digital learning tools and resources in areas without electricity or internet infrastructure.
Furthermore, partnerships with tech companies lead to the development of customized educational apps and platforms tailored to the needs of rural students, enabling personalized learning experiences.
Challenges and Limitations
Despite their success, mobile schools in India face several challenges. These include the maintenance of vehicles, scalability to more remote areas, and the adaptation of curriculum and teaching methods to the diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of rural students. Additionally, it is crucial to sustain funding and support from governmental and nongovernmental organizations for the long-term impact of these initiatives.
Looking Forward
Mobile schools in India represent a remarkable innovation in education, offering a lifeline to children in rural areas who are otherwise deprived of learning opportunities. By overcoming geographical and socio-economic barriers, these mobile classrooms play a pivotal role in the fight against poverty through education.
Above all, as this initiative continues to grow and evolve, it holds the promise of shaping a brighter future for rural India, where every child has access to quality education. Moreover, the success of mobile schools underscores the importance of innovative solutions in addressing educational disparities and highlights the transformative power of education in societal betterment.
– Hosna Hossain
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