Daramola Toluwalope Oluwaseun, founder of the Menitos Charity Foundation, leads an organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged children complete basic education and pursue vocational opportunities. She notes that school dropout rates are shaped by multiple factors, including poverty, drug abuse, child neglect or abuse, limited access to opportunities and deeply rooted limiting beliefs.
Menitos introduced a feeding program in 2019, and by 2022, more than 7,000 underprivileged pupils had benefited. The organization’s outreach model is intentionally community-rooted. Most beneficiaries are identified through schools or during grassroots engagement events, and are then invited to a center where they receive empowerment materials. This approach ensures support reaches children in environments where need is most visible.
Toluwalope explained that the program equips children with essential educational tools while motivating them to pursue their academic goals. Furthermore, the school lunch intervention further boosts attendance by providing nutritious meals to children who come to school. According to Toluwalope, the foundation aims not only to tackle hunger-related barriers but also to create a supportive environment that nurtures students’ well-being.
Causes of School Dropout Rates in Nigeria
Toluwalope described school dropout rates in Nigeria as rarely a single event but rather a gradual erosion driven by a “poverty of hope.” Economic pressure often pushes children into petty trade or manual labor to support their families. Missing a few classes leads to falling behind, and many withdraw permanently. A lack of guiding figures creates a “ceiling effect,” where education is seen as a luxury rather than a pathway out of poverty.
Poverty acts as the baseline stressor. It manifests as chronic hunger, which directly affects cognitive function and classroom behavior, making it harder for children to learn and stay engaged. Menitos views drug abuse as both a cause and a symptom of school disengagement. Children in neglectful environments are more likely to be exposed to substance use by older peers or guardians, often turning to drugs as a coping mechanism for trauma, instability or boredom.
Educational neglect often appears as what Toluwalope calls “educational abandonment.” Parents overwhelmed by economic hardship may become less involved in their child’s schooling or fail to provide basic supplies. This leaves the child emotionally disconnected from the school system.
The WACANDA Program
To address rising school dropout rates in Nigeria, Toluwalope created the War Against Child Abuse and Drug Abuse (WACANDA) sensitization program. The initiative travels across schools and communities to raise awareness about drug demand reduction, child rights and reporting channels, and provides psychosocial support through volunteer psychologists and counselors.
The program is built on “hyper-local engagement.” Instead of formal lectures, Menitos uses community town halls, street theatre and peer-to-peer workshops to de-stigmatize difficult conversations. This approach brings the issue to the doorstep of communities and transforms passive bystanders into active protectors of children’s rights.
Psychosocial Support Services for At-Risk Children
Menitos’s volunteer psychologists and counselors provide trauma-informed support through three key services:
- Individual counseling, addressing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and low self-esteem.
- Group therapy creates safe spaces for children to process shared community trauma.
- Crisis intervention, offering immediate emotional stabilization for families in acute distress.
The Back2School Initiative
Menitos has reached more than 2,000 children through its Back2School projects. Launched nearly a decade ago, the annual program provides essential school supplies — including textbooks, bags and uniforms — to reduce dropout rates. In its early years, the program supported more than 200 beneficiaries annually.
The initiative identifies at-risk children through community mapping. Volunteers collaborate with teachers to flag students with high absenteeism or those lacking uniforms and books. Once identified, children receive a Success Kit, which includes supplies, uniforms and a mentor. Parents also sign a Commitment Pact to ensure consistent school attendance. Sustainable funding turns one-off donations into multi-year partnerships, allowing Menitos to support a child from primary school through graduation.
Community Engagement Models
Menitos operates through a multi-stakeholder model. Schools serve as an early-warning system, parents participate in Caregiver Circles where they receive tools to support their children’s education, and Menitos partners with health care nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to address medical needs that may hinder school attendance.
One of the most notable shifts resulting from Menitos’s work is an increase in community reporting. Residents now flag cases of abuse or neglect that previously went unaddressed. This has led to renewed interest in schooling, higher attendance rates and a decline in the normalization of drug use among teenagers.
In one case, a young boy’s father refused to buy him school supplies. After the school contacted Menitos, the team convinced the father to support his son’s return to education, assuring him that supplies and ICT fees would be covered. With the right resources, parents and caregivers become more willing to keep their children in school, reducing both dropout rates and vulnerability to drug abuse.
Challenges and the Path to Broader Access
Toluwalope identifies entrenched silence as one of the biggest challenges. In many underserved communities, drug abuse and domestic issues are viewed as private matters. Breaking through this code of silence requires patience and long-term trust-building rooted in nonjudgmental engagement.
There is also a growing need for vocational integration. For older teenagers who have missed years of schooling, traditional primary education may no longer be suitable. Bridging formal education with technical skills can create pathways to employment and long-term stability.
To maximize impact, Menitos requires mobile counseling units to reach remote areas, digital tracking tools to monitor long-term progress and temporary shelters for children in unsafe environments. Indeed, with adequate resources, Menitos can expand its reach across Nigeria and continue supporting vulnerable children through education, psychosocial care and community engagement.
– Gabriela E Silva
Gabriela is based in A Coruña, Spain and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr
The Rise of Digital Literacy in Pakistan
Background
Rural areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are areas with more structural barriers. Around 70% of girls drop out before 10th grade. Families prioritize sons’ education due to poverty. Society considers men the breadwinners, and families consider investment in women’s education as a waste of money. Shortage of female teachers in rural and remote areas further contributes to the low enrollment rate. Women’s enrollment rate in universities and degree-awarding institutions, technical and vocational training is also less than that of men.
For adult women, barriers are more strangling. Structural challenges restrict adult women from reentering “brick and mortar” school. Poverty, domestic responsibility, and cultural mobility restrictions make it impossible for women to physically attend school. However, the rise of digital literacy is serving as a solution to these long-standing challenges. Women use smartphones beyond their communication purpose; smartphones are becoming a means of adult education. Digital Literacy is essential for economic empowerment, bridging the gender gap in education.
Digital Literacy Initiatives
The government funds the digital literacy initiatives, such as Digiskills.pk, TCF, and HEC programs, specifically designed for adults to provide basic training on the basics of computer, AI, freelancing, E-commerce and foreign languages (English, Chinese, German) accessible for free. All these programs contributed to adult women’s education and awareness and also helped them become financially independent. The success of these programs inspired more detailed programs. The educational crisis and gender gap became the reason for starting gender-specific initiatives. One of the major shifts is the “E-Learn, She Earn” 2026 model.
The 2026 Paradigm: “E-Learn, She Earn”
“E-Learn, She Earn” 2026 model is the cornerstone for digital literacy efforts in Pakistan. The model does not require women to physically attend a vocational center, which makes it easy to access. Women can easily access learning materials and lessons via video modules on platforms like YouTube or dedicated LMS apps. Women can access lessons at any time, which makes it easy to manage learning between household chores. Laptops are not easily available in rural areas, and the curriculum is optimized for smartphones and low-bandwidth areas. Lessons and the offered training are not just theoretical learning, but it focuses on digital skills, including Social Media Marketing, Virtual Assistance and Data Entry to make women financially empowered and combat poverty.
Digital literacy in Pakistan has overcome triple barriers. The first barrier is mobility, where traditional solutions require travel, which safety concerns and cultural norms often discourage. Digital literacy crushes this barrier with access everywhere without the need to travel. Time is the second barrier, which also ends with access 24/7, which allows women to learn at their own convenience. Poverty is a major factor that restricts women’s education. Tuition fees and transportation costs are no longer a problem due to the rise of digital literacy in Pakistan. Even digital literacy is contributing to rapid monetization by making women learn skills and earn.
The Future is Decentralized
Emergence of digital literacy is the primary driver of adult education in Pakistan. It indicates a new beginning where the supremacy of one-size-fits-all school models comes to an end. The success of digital literacy initiatives shows how digital solutions can address educational challenges. “E-Learn, She Earn” further solidifies the foundation of digital literacy in Pakistan by removing the mobility, time and financial obstacles.
– Noor Ul Ain Ameer
Photo: Flickr
Reducing School Dropout Rates In Nigeria
Menitos introduced a feeding program in 2019, and by 2022, more than 7,000 underprivileged pupils had benefited. The organization’s outreach model is intentionally community-rooted. Most beneficiaries are identified through schools or during grassroots engagement events, and are then invited to a center where they receive empowerment materials. This approach ensures support reaches children in environments where need is most visible.
Toluwalope explained that the program equips children with essential educational tools while motivating them to pursue their academic goals. Furthermore, the school lunch intervention further boosts attendance by providing nutritious meals to children who come to school. According to Toluwalope, the foundation aims not only to tackle hunger-related barriers but also to create a supportive environment that nurtures students’ well-being.
Causes of School Dropout Rates in Nigeria
Toluwalope described school dropout rates in Nigeria as rarely a single event but rather a gradual erosion driven by a “poverty of hope.” Economic pressure often pushes children into petty trade or manual labor to support their families. Missing a few classes leads to falling behind, and many withdraw permanently. A lack of guiding figures creates a “ceiling effect,” where education is seen as a luxury rather than a pathway out of poverty.
Poverty acts as the baseline stressor. It manifests as chronic hunger, which directly affects cognitive function and classroom behavior, making it harder for children to learn and stay engaged. Menitos views drug abuse as both a cause and a symptom of school disengagement. Children in neglectful environments are more likely to be exposed to substance use by older peers or guardians, often turning to drugs as a coping mechanism for trauma, instability or boredom.
Educational neglect often appears as what Toluwalope calls “educational abandonment.” Parents overwhelmed by economic hardship may become less involved in their child’s schooling or fail to provide basic supplies. This leaves the child emotionally disconnected from the school system.
The WACANDA Program
To address rising school dropout rates in Nigeria, Toluwalope created the War Against Child Abuse and Drug Abuse (WACANDA) sensitization program. The initiative travels across schools and communities to raise awareness about drug demand reduction, child rights and reporting channels, and provides psychosocial support through volunteer psychologists and counselors.
The program is built on “hyper-local engagement.” Instead of formal lectures, Menitos uses community town halls, street theatre and peer-to-peer workshops to de-stigmatize difficult conversations. This approach brings the issue to the doorstep of communities and transforms passive bystanders into active protectors of children’s rights.
Psychosocial Support Services for At-Risk Children
Menitos’s volunteer psychologists and counselors provide trauma-informed support through three key services:
The Back2School Initiative
Menitos has reached more than 2,000 children through its Back2School projects. Launched nearly a decade ago, the annual program provides essential school supplies — including textbooks, bags and uniforms — to reduce dropout rates. In its early years, the program supported more than 200 beneficiaries annually.
The initiative identifies at-risk children through community mapping. Volunteers collaborate with teachers to flag students with high absenteeism or those lacking uniforms and books. Once identified, children receive a Success Kit, which includes supplies, uniforms and a mentor. Parents also sign a Commitment Pact to ensure consistent school attendance. Sustainable funding turns one-off donations into multi-year partnerships, allowing Menitos to support a child from primary school through graduation.
Community Engagement Models
Menitos operates through a multi-stakeholder model. Schools serve as an early-warning system, parents participate in Caregiver Circles where they receive tools to support their children’s education, and Menitos partners with health care nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to address medical needs that may hinder school attendance.
One of the most notable shifts resulting from Menitos’s work is an increase in community reporting. Residents now flag cases of abuse or neglect that previously went unaddressed. This has led to renewed interest in schooling, higher attendance rates and a decline in the normalization of drug use among teenagers.
In one case, a young boy’s father refused to buy him school supplies. After the school contacted Menitos, the team convinced the father to support his son’s return to education, assuring him that supplies and ICT fees would be covered. With the right resources, parents and caregivers become more willing to keep their children in school, reducing both dropout rates and vulnerability to drug abuse.
Challenges and the Path to Broader Access
Toluwalope identifies entrenched silence as one of the biggest challenges. In many underserved communities, drug abuse and domestic issues are viewed as private matters. Breaking through this code of silence requires patience and long-term trust-building rooted in nonjudgmental engagement.
There is also a growing need for vocational integration. For older teenagers who have missed years of schooling, traditional primary education may no longer be suitable. Bridging formal education with technical skills can create pathways to employment and long-term stability.
To maximize impact, Menitos requires mobile counseling units to reach remote areas, digital tracking tools to monitor long-term progress and temporary shelters for children in unsafe environments. Indeed, with adequate resources, Menitos can expand its reach across Nigeria and continue supporting vulnerable children through education, psychosocial care and community engagement.
– Gabriela E Silva
Photo: Flickr
Telemedicine: Health Care access for Afghan Women
The impact on Afghan women has cut the deepest. Now lacking almost all fundamental rights, health care has taken a backseat. Not a single woman received screening for any cancer form and less than 10% received screening for sexually transmitted infections. Even where diagnosis is possible, treatment for these demographics remains virtually inaccessible.
Barriers to Health Care Access for Afghan Women
These obstacles to health care access for Afghan women are not accidental but structural. The Taliban’s governance has systematically dismantled the conditions in which women can safely seek and receive medical attention. At the center of this is the Mahram Policy, which requires female health workers to be accompanied by a male guardian at all times outside the home.
On December 21, 2022, women were banned from working with NGOs nationwide, except in health care. Yet the requirement for them to be chaperoned now hinders their ability to provide and receive adequate health care. Even when women reach a facility, barriers persist; whether they would like to or not, male doctors can scarcely provide the necessary care except in life-threatening conditions.
Additionally, medicines are in short supply and the financial burden of travel pushes families to impossible decisions, leading women to disregard their health and rely on traditional cures.
The Organizations Still Showing Up
Despite the deteriorating environment, the international humanitarian response has been remarkable. In 2024 alone, nearly one million patients, 65% of whom were women and children, received primary care across 47 implemented health facilities. Alongside these infrastructural changes, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has upgraded equipment, improved staff competency and educated hospitals on mass-casualty incidents.
Through expanding services into urban areas, organizations like the ICRC are pivotal in improving access to health care and alleviating difficult living conditions in Afghanistan. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has equally refused to retreat. Operating across eight provinces, MSF has seen the number of patients it treats double in the last three years.
The organization prioritizes the most acute needs: emergency trauma care, maternal health and malnutrition. In 2024 alone, the organization admitted more than 400,000 emergency patients and assisted in more than 45,000 births. Despite attacks from the Taliban, the remaining feeding center and trauma facility in Kunduz have become vital for Afghanistan’s health care infrastructure.
What makes these organizations so significant is not just the scale of their operations but the conditions under which they persist. They hold together the health care system in a place of such turmoil, despite uncertain funding, restrictions on female staff and the collapse of broader public health systems.
Telemedicine: A Bridge No Wall Can Close
Among the most promising developments for Afghanistan’s health care system is the expansion of telemedicine. When physical access is blocked by Taliban restrictions, a mobile phone may still get through. Telemedicine is being pursued by many organizations and charities, with evidence of its impact.
The Central Asia Health Systems Strengthening project connected seven tertiary care facilities with 14 secondary care facilities across the region. The project enabled more than 6,000 teleconsultations and delivered 52 e-learning sessions to more than 2,000 health staff. A tele-ICU service running from 2020 to 2023 provided the same number of teleconsultations to nearly 1,600 patients.
This began as a response to COVID-19 before expanding into neonatal, pediatric and surgical critical care. Researchers found that increased consultation frequency was associated with reduced patient mortality, demonstrating clinical applicability.
Arian Teleheal
Dr. Waheed Arian grew up in Afghanistan during the Soviet conflict, sheltering in cellars from rockets and bombs. Later, his family fled to Pakistan, where he contracted malaria and tuberculosis in a refugee camp. He arrived in the U.K. at 15 with $100 in his pocket, went on to study medicine at Cambridge and is now the founder of Arian Teleheal.
Founded in 2015, Arian Teleheal began by connecting Afghan hospitals to a global network of volunteer specialists via smartphones and tablets. As expensive medical systems are inaccessible to medics in these low-resource settings, this enables medical personnel and patients to receive appropriate care by being routed to a network of more than 150 international volunteers. The results have been unparalleled, with a three-year study finding that Arian Teleheal’s volunteers have helped care for thousands of patients.
The organization has also since partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide emergency, mental health and psychosocial support to people in need across the globe.
Final Remarks
Initiatives such as these show great promise for those in need in Afghanistan, who face a health care system rocked by political repression, stripping the right to provide medical care freely. As humanitarian organizations struggle to fill the gap, telemedicine is emerging as a quiet revolution. Where Taliban restrictions try to block the door, a smartphone may still get through.
– Juliette Dall’Aglio
Photo: Flickr
Pakistan and Mozambique Hit Hardest by UK Cuts to Foreign Aid
UK Shifts Focus to Defense and Investment Partnerships
Bilateral aid arrangements will face the largest reductions, Cooper said, with Pakistan and Mozambique hit hardest by U.K. foreign aid cuts. The two countries will see their direct grant funding reduced significantly, while Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan will also face cuts. At the same time, she said the government plans to expand “partnerships for investment” to help raise private funds or bring in expertise to help countries raise funds themselves.
In response to concerns about combating infectious diseases such as polio, Cooper said organizations such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a multilateral vaccine program partly funded by the U.K., would need to take on more of this work. She added in a statement in March, “National security is the first duty of government and this country faces the most serious security situation for a generation. For too long under previous governments, our defense investment was cut back, so last year this government took the necessary decision to deliver the biggest increase in defense spending since the Cold War.”
“Allocating a reduced [aid] budget inevitably leads to hard choices and unavoidable trade-offs, so we are focusing aid on the people and places that need it most and we will still be a major player. We expect to be the fifth-biggest funder in the world. We will still use international leadership, such as our 2027 G20 Summit presidency, to shape the global agenda for development,” she added.
The cuts, alongside reductions by the U.S. and other wealthy nations, could threaten multiple aid programs and leave developing countries increasingly reliant on other sources of funding.
Remittances Fill Some of the Aid Gaps in Pakistan
In Pakistan, the share of aid funding generated by remittances from more than eight million Pakistanis living abroad has risen significantly, now reaching around $30 billion. Naseer Memon, an Islamabad-based social sector expert, said last year this funding helped charities and NGOs absorb some of the earlier aid reductions and sustain much of their work.
He added, “Pakistan’s decades-old development sector, particularly the big NGOs, is deeply rooted and increasingly pursuing a multi-sectoral, multi-donor approach to avoid dependence on one or a few donors.” However, that resilience will be tested further over the next year as U.K. cuts take effect.
Mozambique Relies on UN Agencies
Mozambique has far less capacity to raise donations from its diaspora, so it will rely more heavily on multilateral organizations, including the U.N. The country suffered devastating floods in January that displaced hundreds of thousands of people, particularly in Gaza Province.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has provided emergency assistance, including health care, water and sanitation, accommodation centers and coordination support. However, tens of millions of dollars are still needed to restore livelihoods.
– Lawrence Dunhill
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
NanumVitamin and Undernourishment in South Korea
Poverty in South Korea
As of the latest reports from 2021, South Korea has a very low rate of extreme poverty, measured as living on less than $3 a day, at 0.1% of the general population. However, considering the relative poverty rate, the picture is slightly different. The relative poverty rate is 15.1%, which means 15.1% of households in South Korea receive 50% or less than the average household income across South Korea. Although this rate has been decreasing gradually since 2011, there is clear room for improvement.
Ageing Population
South Korea’s picture of poverty becomes even more interesting when looking at demographics within the relative poverty rate. The relative poverty rate jumps from 15.1% of the general population to 39.3% for those over 66 and retired; this is the highest rate for any country in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which promotes free market and trade policies, according to the 2023 SDG report.
In large, this is because the population of South Korea also happens to be ageing faster than any other OECD country. These statistics also reveal the uneven distribution of social protection and welfare systems in South Korea across the course of one’s life. While working-age households receive income stabilization, transitioning into retirement is a shift away from security and into economic precarity.
Children, Poverty, and Undernourishment in South Korea
Looking at the age category for children (under 18 years of age), the relative poverty rate is 9.9%, according to the 2023 SDG report. While this statistic appears much better than that for the over-66 age group, when looking closer at factors of multidimensional poverty, the situation remains concerning, especially when looking at eliminating poverty by 2030 in accordance with the U.N. SDG.
A 2018 survey revealed that 19% of children did not have access to fruits daily, 16% of children did not have access to meat, fish, or vegetables at least once a day, and 12% of children in South Korea did not have three meals a day. In 2020, 18.9% of the population was considered to be undernourished, meaning that their energy intake was less than 75% of the required amount, as well as deficiencies in key vitamins and mineral intake, such as calcium, iron, and vitamin A.
These revelations reveal that looking at income is not enough to ensure that households have access to balanced nutrition, which can, of course, exacerbate health problems, leading to further social and financial stress for the household.
NanumVitamin and Naviyam
In 2023, Hayeon Kim decided to tackle these issues of poverty and undernourishment in South Korea and founded NanumVitamin, a warm meal sharing platform that helps to ensure that children in South Korea have access to balanced meals for free or low cost. The platform itself functions as a social support network. It helps to connect children from low-income households who are concerned about skipping meals with local stores where they can use digital vouchers to access warm, nutritious meals for free or at a heavily discounted price.
NanumVitamin works in conjunction with local governments, businesses and companies such as Woowa Brothers, a large domestic food-delivery service, to provide these services. Similarly, other consumers of the app can help to cover meals for children on the app. Businesses that work to provide these free or low-cost meals also benefit from their work by being marketed as a ‘good small business owner’ by Naviyam. They also continue their social impact through organising campaigns that deliver lunch boxes to ensure sufficient nourishment for those children in poverty.
Named as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for social impact, Hayeon Kim and her technology-focused business have helped more than 30,000 people access warm meals with dignity across 60,000 local stores, cafes and businesses, helping also to improve both the physical and mental health of the beneficiaries.
Looking Ahead
NanumVitamin and Naviyam’s meal-sharing platform, which helps to tackle poverty and undernourishment in South Korea, offers an interesting system and strategy using technology and apps that hold great potential to help tackle several other Sustainable Development Goals across the globe.
– Stephanie Gable
Photo: Flickr
How The Hunger Project Is Empowering Women in Rural India
Empowering Women in Rural India
The patriarchal social structures embedded in Indian culture push women to focus on domestic responsibilities. As a result, many women feel pressure to prioritize child-rearing and marriage over education and employment. This is especially apparent in rural areas and marginalized communities.
The inequalities that women face extend beyond their homes and are reflected in both public and private sectors. Representation in ministerial positions is critical to advancing gender-sensitive policymaking. As of 2025, women hold about 10% of seats in parliament or legislative assemblies.
Their limited representation in policymaking makes it difficult to pass legislation that supports their interests. The following statistics highlight key issues:
Although the gap between women and men across education, safety and economic participation is slowly closing, a significant disparity remains that stems from structures historically dominated by men.
The Hunger Project India
To address these disparities, The Hunger Project India works to encourage women to take on decision-making roles through community-based programs and leadership training. The organization focuses on building and strengthening women’s leadership skills in local governance, particularly gram panchayats, or village councils, and expanding access for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities to education, health, nutrition and economic opportunities.
The organization recognizes that meaningful change starts at the community level. The Hunger Project is empowering women in public office to drive development through a social justice and gender lens and to create an enabling environment for adolescent girls to build their confidence, life skills and understanding of the structural barriers that affect their lives.
The program encourages girls to use their voices to claim their rights, negotiate for change and make informed decisions about their lives. By empowering women to take on leadership positions, the program helps create role models for young girls in their communities. Women holding these government positions also advocate against child marriage and encourage young girls to strive for independence.
Through intergenerational dialogue, women who have experienced the barriers created by restrictive practices can inform and educate younger women.
Program Successes
Many women have been successful through these programs. Shakuntala Devi is an elected woman representative from Malipokhar Bhinda, Bihar. She endured child marriage and spent much of her life providing for six children. In her leadership role, she now works to combat child marriage by promoting education. She aims to “educate all the girls in her village,” as she believes “we can truly stop child marriage if we educate and empower adolescent girls.”
In addition to supporting elected women representatives, The Hunger Project works directly with adolescent girls to build their voice and agency through life skills and girls’ leadership workshops.
The organization also spoke with The Borgen Project about the broader narrative around gender equity. A representative noted that women and girls are often seen as means to an end, with development frameworks placing a disproportionate burden on them to drive change for entire communities. To create sustainable change, responsibility must shift from the individual level to address the broader structural issues that shape the system. This requires engagement at multiple levels, including panchayat institutions, families and the larger community.
Looking Ahead
India’s path toward gender equality will depend on two major factors: investment in women’s education and a willingness to address the social barriers that limit women’s opportunities. The initiatives led by The Hunger Project India demonstrate the action needed to change the narrative surrounding women’s rights in India. Through consistent efforts and a community-level approach, the organization is gradually contributing to shifts in cultural norms that are empowering women in rural India.
– Sachin Kapoor
Photo: Flickr
How Broadband Internet Reduces Rural Poverty in the Philippines
Expanding broadband internet infrastructure is central to the Philippines’ poverty reduction strategy, with major projects targeting schools, health facilities and small businesses in often underserved, rural provinces and regions.
The Rural Connectivity Gap
Although the Philippines is largely online, large pockets of the rural provinces remain digitally isolated. In fact, roughly 28% of Filipino households had access to fixed broadband in 2023. For context, its neighbor Vietnam in the same year was at 79%, Thailand at 55% and Malaysia at 54%, according to the World Bank.
The divide also widens by income. Between 2019 and 2022, internet penetration in the wealthiest quintile climbed from 43% to 60%, while in the underserved quintile it rose from 2% to 5%. The effects of this are felt across the daily lives of citizens.
Some of the population that relies heavily on the internet, such as students, small online businesses and enterprises, struggle to access key communication tools and even digital public services. Roughly 18 to 19 million Filipinos remain offline, largely due to affordability and missing infrastructure.
A $287 Million Push for Rural Broadband
In 2024, the World Bank approved $287 million for the Philippines Digital Infrastructure Project. This crucial funding thrusts forward the development of the country’s national fiber-optic backbone and middle-mile network. It is designed to connect rural schools, health facilities and other public institutions in regions such as Mindanao. One of the many aims is to incentivize operators to build last-mile links to households.
The project is expected to expand broadband internet in the Philippines to more than 20 million people by 2028.
The Konektadong Pinoy Act: Opening the Market
The Konektadong Pinoy Act, signed on August 24, 2025, streamlines the licensing process for new internet providers, supports the introduction of infrastructure sharing and establishes cybersecurity standards. Before this, providers faced roadblocks, including the need to secure congressional approval to operate. This became a barrier that made it almost impossible for remote communities to build their own networks, according to the Internet Society.
Benjz Sevilla of the Internet Society Philippines Chapter noted that providers serving geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas can now register as Data Transmission Industry Participants. The law was passed with support from the government, industry, academia and civil society after years of multi-stakeholder advocacy.
National Fiber Reaches the Provinces
The Department of Information and Communications Technology is building the National Fiber Backbone, a government-owned network that stretches from northern Luzon to southern Mindanao. By mid-2026, the third phase of the backbone will be completed, providing high-capacity bandwidth to local government units and lowering entry costs for smaller third-party providers. Telecommunications towers nationwide nearly doubled, from 17,850 in 2020 to more than 35,000 in 2023, expanding coverage in previously unreachable areas.
Broadband Internet in the Philippines Is Already Changing Lives
By 2026, the World Bank projects that the share of Filipino households with fixed broadband will rise to 35%. It also predicted that the cost of a fixed broadband basket will fall from 11.3% to 8.5% of gross national income per capita. With sustained investment, smarter policy and growing rural demand, broadband internet in the Philippines is becoming a powerful engine for inclusive growth and poverty reduction.
– Jamie Noone
Photo: Flickr
Rural Poverty in Kazakhstan and Efforts to Bridge the Gap
Background
According to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics, the poverty rate in urban areas is 3.9%, while in rural areas it reaches 7.2%, nearly twice as high. This gap is pronounced more in highly industrialized regions. In Ulytau, the country’s main coal and metal-producing region, poverty in urban areas is 2.2% compared to 12.1% in rural areas. Several western and central regions with a dominating extractive industry show similar trends. This suggests that economic growth driven by major industries did not benefit rural areas of the country equally. While industrial centers attract investments, nearby rural populations continue to experience limited access to jobs and higher incomes.
Low Productivity of the Agricultural Sector
Rural poverty in Kazakhstan is often linked to the low productivity of the agricultural sector. Agriculture generates only 4% of the country’s GDP, yet it employs 15% of the working-age population, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Additionally, agriculture remains one of the lowest-paid sectors in Kazakhstan. The Bureau of National Statistics reported that the average monthly salary in agriculture, fishing and forestry reached 263,517 tenge in 2024, which is significantly below the national average of 405,416 tenge.
The contrast becomes even more striking when compared to the extractive industries. Mining and quarrying workers earned an average of 866,486 tenge per month, more than three times higher than agricultural workers. These differences demonstrate that Kazakhstan’s natural resource-driven economic growth has benefited industrial sectors far more than rural agricultural communities, contributing to economic inequality and strengthening rural poverty.
Poor Infrastructure
Poor infrastructure remains one of the main problems in rural communities in Kazakhstan, particularly in the education sector. According to government data, 57% of three-shift schools and 76% of schools under state of emergency are located in rural areas. Many rural schools continue to experience a shortage of essential equipment, qualified teachers and reliable internet access, which limits educational opportunities for rural students. The World Bank data confirms this, according to which students from cities perform much better than their peers from villages. Such disparities in education and infrastructure create serious long-term obstacles for rural populations in overcoming poverty in Kazakhstan and gaining essential qualifications for high-income jobs.
Government Initiatives
The government of Kazakhstan has introduced several initiatives to reduce inequality between urban and rural communities. As part of the Rural Development Concept, authorities plan to build around 180 new rural schools by 2027 and continue modernizing existing educational institutions. Since 2022, the “Development of the Potential of Reference Schools in Rural Areas” program has upgraded thousands of classrooms with modern equipment and educational technologies.
The government has also implemented measures to attract qualified teachers to villages by offering salary bonuses, relocation assistance and housing loans through the “With a Diploma to Rural Areas” program.
International organizations have also supported long-term rural development efforts in Kazakhstan through infrastructure and agricultural modernization projects. The World Bank supported the Second Irrigation and Drainage Improvement Project with a $102.9 million loan to modernize irrigation systems in southern Kazakhstan. The program helped improve water access for approximately 40,000 farming households and modernized irrigation infrastructure across more than 100,000 hectares of land, improving agricultural productivity and water efficiency.
The World Bank has also invested in large-scale transportation projects designed to reduce regional inequality and improve connectivity in remote areas. Since 2009, the South-West and East-West Road Projects have connected approximately 5.5 million people in regions including Kyzylorda Region, Zhambyl Region and Turkistan Region. According to the organization, these projects improved access to essential services, created 50,000 new jobs in construction and more than 1,200 permanent roles in road maintenance for residents.
– Dias Assan
Photo: Flickr
How Satellites are De Risking Poverty in Guatemala
How Aid Is Helping Farmers
In the past, smallholder farmers would rely on traditional insurance to cover crop failures, which typically failed in most cases. Indemnity-based insurance requires manual adjusters to travel to remote mountain slopes to verify damage — a slow, expensive process that results in payouts arriving months after seeds have already withered. A technological shift is changing this for millions of Guatemalans. By leveraging Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites and parametric insurance, international aid organizations such as USAID and the World Food Programme (WFP) are helping farmers build a social safety net that triggers financial aid the moment a drought begins, breaking the multigenerational cycle of poverty in Guatemala. WFP covered insurance premiums for 5,484 farming households between 2025 and 2026, providing 24,720 people with a monetary safety net to weather drought and excess rainfall.
How New Technology Is Improving the Situation
Monitoring Central American agriculture has historically been difficult for optical satellites, which take pictures like a camera and cannot see through the thick tropical cloud cover that masks the region during the critical growing season. The launch of a SAR satellite by NASA in 2025 dramatically changed this. Unlike optical sensors, SAR is an active sensor that emits its own microwave pulses, which refract from the earth’s surface. These waves penetrate through clouds, smoke and tree branches. By analyzing the backscatter — the way these waves return to the satellite — scientists can measure the moisture content in the soil.
An image of the Earth is taken twice every 12 days, with sensors resolving individual plots as narrow as 10 meters. This allows stakeholders to monitor week-to-week changes in small-scale holdings as well as broader agricultural shifts. When soil moisture levels drop below a scientifically determined threshold, the system recognizes a trigger event. Because the insurance is based on a measurable parameter rather than a physical inspection, the payout is automatic.
USAID and Poverty in Guatemala
USAID has been a central architect in scaling Insurtech solutions. Initiatives such as the Feed the Future program and partnerships with the Microinsurance Catastrophe Risk Organization have shifted the goal from reactive aid to anticipatory action. As of April 2026, the United Nations (U.N.) The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) released more than $10 million to preempt drought affecting Guatemala’s dry corridor. The funding does not wait for a famine to be declared. Instead, it provides cash to keep the parametric insurance pools solvent, guaranteeing that as soon as SAR data confirms a moisture deficit, farmers receive mobile payments directly to their phones.
The speed of these payments is critical for poverty alleviation in Guatemala. A farmer receiving a payout at the onset of a drought does not have to sell livestock or take out high-interest loans to buy food. The capital can be used to purchase drought-resistant seeds for a second planting or invest in small-scale irrigation.
Insights From the Field
To understand the mechanics behind SAR technology, Geospatial World interviewed Matt Wood, Vice President of Go to Market and Business at Capella Space, about the shift from traditional imaging to SAR technology.
Wood explained that, unlike traditional satellites that rely on reflected sunlight, SAR satellites emit their own energy source, which reflects off the earth and is received back by the satellite. Traditional optical satellites, he said, are limited by the same cloud cover that humans see from the ground.
On accessibility, Wood noted that SAR technology was historically the domain of defense and intelligence agencies and required very large antennas and rockets. Advances in miniaturization have changed this, allowing multiple smaller satellites to launch on a single rocket and making SAR data increasingly available for humanitarian and commercial use.
Wood cautioned that SAR data cannot be used in isolation. It needs to be combined with optical satellites, ground-based sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and other data sources to be effective. He described SAR satellites as filling a key gap in global information on a regular basis.
Looking Ahead
The combination of SAR technology and parametric insurance represents a meaningful shift in how international aid organizations support farmers in Guatemala’s dry corridor. By delivering automated, data-driven payouts at the onset of drought, these tools help smallholder farmers avoid poverty and food insecurity that have persisted for generations in Guatemala. As weather patterns continue to change across Central America, scaling these solutions will be essential to long-term poverty reduction in the region.
– Haydn Goodboy
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Improving Access to Education in Bangladesh
These challenges affect all students, but they disproportionately impact girls, limiting their long-term economic opportunities.
Access to Education in Bangladesh
Surovi, a nonprofit school in Dhaka, makes education accessible for children who are often excluded from the system, including those living on the streets or growing up without stable family support. Founded in 1979, the organization focuses on reaching vulnerable groups who would otherwise remain out of school.
For many girls, Surovi serves as a critical entry point into education. They face higher risks of early dropout, child marriage and long-term economic dependency, making access to Surovi school especially important. However, access alone is not enough.
The quality of education remains uneven, as limited resources and a shortage of trained teachers continue to affect how students learn and progress.
The Role of Education in Shaping Opportunities
Education plays a key role in shaping both individual futures and broader economic development, particularly in regions like South Asia, where poverty remains a persistent challenge. According to the World Bank, although Bangladesh has reduced poverty over time, many people still face economic vulnerability, especially in marginalized communities. In this context, education in Bangladesh becomes essential for creating long-term opportunities, particularly for women.
Beyond basic skills, education builds awareness, confidence and independence. More educated societies tend to be more open to new ideas and better equipped to respond to social and economic challenges. For women, this impact is even more significant. Education helps delay early marriage, improves access to employment and allows women to participate more actively in the workforce.
Research by UNESCO shows that expanding access to education can significantly reduce poverty, with studies suggesting that poverty could be cut by more than half if all adults completed secondary education. As Malala Yousafzai emphasizes, education is a powerful tool for change. In this sense, it not only provides knowledge but also creates more capable and economically active individuals who can shape their own futures.
Education and Economic Pathways in Bangladesh
Pathshala South Asian Media Institute creates an atmosphere that makes education an alternative pathway into competitive job markets, particularly within creative industries. For one female student, studying photography became a turning point after a disrupted education journey. She explained that gaining skills and confidence helped her begin building a career, even in a field where income is not immediate and requires personal investment.
A teacher at Pathshala highlighted that these experiences reflect broader structural challenges. Barriers to education remain closely linked to poverty, geographic inequality and unequal access to quality institutions, especially outside major cities. Entering the job market is also highly competitive, with networks and connections often playing a crucial role alongside skills.
However, this dynamic is gradually shifting. More students are using digital platforms, portfolios and professional networks to access opportunities in media, freelancing and small-scale entrepreneurship. According to the teacher, when education is combined with practical skills, it enables students to move from unstable, low-income work to more sustainable livelihoods. While this transition takes time and is not equal for everyone, it shows how education can support long-term economic mobility.
From Education to Economic Empowerment
The experiences of students and educators in Bangladesh show that education is not just about learning but about creating pathways out of poverty, especially for women. As more women gain access to education, they are better positioned to move beyond low-income, unstable work into more secure and independent sources of income. In a situation where economic vulnerability and social expectations continue to shape women’s opportunities, education plays a critical role in shifting this reality.
Women who gain skills, confidence and professional networks are more likely to enter the workforce, start their own ventures or build sustainable careers over time. While challenges such as unequal access, limited resources and a competitive job market remain, they do not erase the progress being made. Instead, they highlight the need for more inclusive and practical education systems.
Closing Remarks
Ultimately, breaking barriers in Bangladesh is not only about increasing access to education but ensuring that education leads to real economic outcomes. When women in Bangladesh can turn education into income and independence, the impact extends beyond individuals and directly reduces poverty across communities and generations.
Globally, education remains one of the strongest tools to fight poverty. According to UNESCO, around 171 million people could escape extreme poverty if all students left school with basic reading skills. Expanding access to quality education, especially for women, can accelerate this progress and create more equal economic opportunities across generations.
– Elif Oktar
Photo: Pexels