A group of friends envisioned an environmentally friendly business. They combined one friend’s knowledge of tree planting with the world’s desire for apparel, which is how Tentree was formed.
For every item purchased from the clothing line, 10 trees are planted. In an article published by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the company measures its success not on profits but by how many trees they have planted.
Tentree’s website includes an interactive map which displays where the trees have been planted all over the world. As of September 2016, the company has planted 9,382,290 trees. The following is a list of countries and its respective number of trees planted:
- Madagascar – 4,936,830
- Senegal – 1,395,500
- Nepal – 1,463,290
- Ethiopia – 724,140
- India – 135,800
- Malawi – 225,000
- Kenya – 149,540
- Canada – 57,780
- Haiti – 278,560
- Cambodia – 10,290
- United States – 5,000
The website includes information on what individual consumers’ trees accomplish for the world and community. Some important contributions made by trees that are highlighted include lifting water out of the soil, providing food for the local population, supplying oxygen to breathe and removing carbon dioxide from the air.
A village in Madagascar, Mahabana, has seen the largest number of trees planted and the greatest improvement from the program. Tentree started a project in the village with 40 people working to plant trees.
In an interview with Now This, Kalen Emsley, one of the co-founders of the company reports that the project has grown to over 450 people working full time, completely supported by Tentree.
The restoration of the ecosystem of mangrove trees has lead to a return in wildlife, a rebounding fishing industry and people have been able to start selling fruit.
According to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Tentree planted 7,000 trees in the Lac La Ronge Provincial Park along with the government in the province after forest fires ravaged parts of Saskatchewan.
The forest fires burned parts of the park in 2015. Tentree announced their plans to help replant trees at the Saskatchewan Fashion Week. They shipped donations of clothing people who were evacuated in the Fort McMurray wildfire this summer and are beginning to make plans for replanting in that area.
Tentree hopes their environmentally friendly business goes beyond helping the environment. They work with local and global nonprofit organizations to ensure prime results like WeForest, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Eden Reforestation, American Forests and Trees for the Future. They hire people from the local communities to grow, tend and plant the trees.
As stated on the Tentree website: “Every consumer that purchases a Tentree branded piece of clothing is showing their dedication to the values our team shares: environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and the hope for a brighter future.” Tentree hopes to make a lasting community, both locally and globally, with their environmentally friendly business of clothing and tree planting.
– Rhonda Marrone
Photo: Flickr
The Appeal and Usefulness of Web-Based Health Programs
Recent advancements in technology have transformed and improved countless aspects of peoples’ lives. Some of the word’s greatest health concerns are obesity and the abuse of alcohol and tobacco. Can web-based health programs make a dent in these problems?
Web-based health programs encourage setting concrete goals and can interact with users throughout the day. They have the added benefit of 24/7 accessibility.
One example is an online tool designed for the Obesity Prevention Tailored for Health II project. The tool locates and displays health food stores, parks and recreational programs near users. It also suggests health-and-eco-friendly transportation options such as biking, walking and using public transit.
Discussed below are two examples of studies examining the usefulness of web-based health programs.
University of Washington
At the University of Washington in Seattle, researchers have been reviewing studies about the effectiveness of mobile and web-based health programs in helping users curb unhealthy behaviors such as overeating and smoking.
The team of researchers found that web-based programs helped users increase their physical activity and lose weight. Eighty-eight percent of the tested programs helped people exercise more. In addition to this, 77% of tested programs designed to help users quit smoking proved effective.
Health Affairs Journal
Health Affairs published a study examining nearly 2,000 overweight adult participants whom researchers divided into groups. In some groups, participants were given access to a social-networking intervention program, and in other groups, they were not. The program featured motivational emails and phone calls, an online discussion forum and a tool for recording food intake. Participants who used the web-based health program experienced slightly greater body mass index (BMI) reduction on average than did participants who didn’t use the program.
Overall, web-based health programs offer a promising alternative to traditional health interventions. They are generally low in cost and widely accessible. Web-based health programs have the potential both to change the way we look at health and improve countless peoples’ quality of life.
– Nathaniel Siegel
Photo: Flickr
Treatment and Prevention: On the Cusp of Ending Malaria by 2020
The end of malaria could possibly be closer than expected. With the recent success of Sri Lanka officially declaring itself as Malaria free after withstanding three years without a single case of infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) Reported a 60 percent decrease in global malaria mortality rates between 2000 and 2015.
According to the Guardian, “Public health officials said 13 countries, including Argentina and Turkey, had reported no cases for at least a year and may well follow the success of Sri Lanka…” Sri Lanka was near ending malaria 50 years ago and it has finally been able to do so becoming a catalyst for other countries.
The local transmission of malaria is slowly but surely being reduced as countries invest more in treatment and prevention strategies. Earlier this year the WHO estimated that “21 countries are in a position to achieve this goal, including six countries in the African Region.”
The Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 is currently in place. Four crucial points make up the plan, which includes reducing the rate of new malaria cases by at least 90 percent, reducing malaria death rates by at least 90 percent and eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries.
This plan was devised before the triumphant victory of Sri Lanka over malaria. Recently the members of the WHO of the African Region have adopted a framework that goes hand-in-hand with the goals outlined by the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030.
Within the document issued by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) titled President’s Malaria Initiative Strategy 2015-2020 the optimism to end malaria within this time period is evident. The document goes on to state “Innovative approaches to deploying existing tools also are being tested, including presumptive insecticide rotation to mitigate the spread and intensification of resistance.”
The U.S. has made it a priority to partake in ending malaria along with the other countries trying to terminate the disease from its country by 2020.
– Mariana Camacho
Photo: Flickr
Zade Dirani Becomes a UNICEF Ambassador
Zade Dirani recently became the Regional UNICEF Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa. The famous Jordanian pianist is continuing on with his steadfast involvement in advocacy and charity work. Dirani joins the ranks of other ambassadors like Egyptian actor, Mahmoud Kabil and Lebanese entertainer, Nancy Ajram.
Previously, as the founder of the Zade Foundation for International Peace and Understanding, Dirani demonstrated a passion for helping others.
Now in his new partnership with UNICEF, he will be working to further the rights of children in the Middle East and North Africa, with a special focus on children caught in conflict or dealing with violence and poverty.
Dirani is an immensely talented pianist. Previously described as a “Piano Prodigy” by People Magazine, he has touched tens of thousands of people in live performances, including Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth.
In the past, through his namesake foundation, Dirani used his musical talent working with young musicians to foster a culture of peace and understanding. Work done through the Zade Foundation attempts to create peace builders and future community leaders.
The piano superstar is already hard at work. Dirani went on his first a field visit as a UNICEF Ambassador to a Za’atari, Jordan refugee camp and to the neighboring town of Mafraq, Jordan.
There, he played for groups of around 300 children and adolescents. Dirani met and spoke to youth from various different backgrounds, bringing joy to many who had fled the violence in Syria.
Dirani spoke about the experience saying, “I wanted to bring my music to children and youth – today and in the months to come – as a way to engage them and become a form of therapy for those who have witnessed things that no child should ever experience.” His talent and commitment to his cause are inspiring and a valuable asset to UNICEF.
– Jordan Little
Photo: Flickr
Japan Gives $21 Million to Relieve Hunger in Africa and Asia
The fight against hunger in Africa and Asia remains a life-threatening issue. However, in an attempt to end this crucial battle for good, the government of Japan has generously donated a total of $21.6 million to the World Food Programme (WFP).
Distributed among 11 countries, the cash contribution will be used strictly to provide both food and nutrition assistance while consciously adapting to each country’s current needs, necessities and issues.
Countries receiving a majority share of the funding include Guinea ($3.8 million) and Uganda ($2.5 million), while Sri Lanka, the lone South Asian country benefiting from the endowment, will obtain $2.2 million.
In Guinea, the money will be specifically focused on assisting an estimated 150,000 school children in areas where food insecurity has significantly worsened as a result of the recent Ebola outbreak, while mothers in Uganda will receive essential education in health and growth monitoring.
Worldwide, malnutrition and undernutrition are two serious problems for children under five. Nearly half of all deaths in this portion of this population can be connected to undernutrition, while estimated one-in-five children under five are directly affected by malnutrition.
Food insecurity issues are immensely consequential and severe as they greatly increase the harshness and rate of contractible common infections, stall recovery and reduce one’s education.
In addition to this contribution, a number of organizations and initiatives such as The Hunger Project and Feed the Future are currently working to end hunger in Uganda.
The WFP was established in the early 1960s and is presently the world’s largest humanitarian agency dedicated to fighting hunger worldwide. The voluntarily funded organization reaches more than 80 million people in 82 different countries on average annually.
In 2015 alone, total contributions to WFP reached $5 billion, and as of Sept. 25, donations for 2016 are at $4.3 billion.
This funding from the government of Japan will surely go far in ending hunger in Africa and Asia. With a multitude of organizations and momentous contributions annually, the fight against food insecurity truly doesn’t stand a chance.
– Jordan J. Phelan
Photo: Flickr
Tentree: Environmentally Friendly Business Through Selling Clothes
A group of friends envisioned an environmentally friendly business. They combined one friend’s knowledge of tree planting with the world’s desire for apparel, which is how Tentree was formed.
For every item purchased from the clothing line, 10 trees are planted. In an article published by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the company measures its success not on profits but by how many trees they have planted.
Tentree’s website includes an interactive map which displays where the trees have been planted all over the world. As of September 2016, the company has planted 9,382,290 trees. The following is a list of countries and its respective number of trees planted:
The website includes information on what individual consumers’ trees accomplish for the world and community. Some important contributions made by trees that are highlighted include lifting water out of the soil, providing food for the local population, supplying oxygen to breathe and removing carbon dioxide from the air.
A village in Madagascar, Mahabana, has seen the largest number of trees planted and the greatest improvement from the program. Tentree started a project in the village with 40 people working to plant trees.
In an interview with Now This, Kalen Emsley, one of the co-founders of the company reports that the project has grown to over 450 people working full time, completely supported by Tentree.
The restoration of the ecosystem of mangrove trees has lead to a return in wildlife, a rebounding fishing industry and people have been able to start selling fruit.
According to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Tentree planted 7,000 trees in the Lac La Ronge Provincial Park along with the government in the province after forest fires ravaged parts of Saskatchewan.
The forest fires burned parts of the park in 2015. Tentree announced their plans to help replant trees at the Saskatchewan Fashion Week. They shipped donations of clothing people who were evacuated in the Fort McMurray wildfire this summer and are beginning to make plans for replanting in that area.
Tentree hopes their environmentally friendly business goes beyond helping the environment. They work with local and global nonprofit organizations to ensure prime results like WeForest, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Eden Reforestation, American Forests and Trees for the Future. They hire people from the local communities to grow, tend and plant the trees.
As stated on the Tentree website: “Every consumer that purchases a Tentree branded piece of clothing is showing their dedication to the values our team shares: environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and the hope for a brighter future.” Tentree hopes to make a lasting community, both locally and globally, with their environmentally friendly business of clothing and tree planting.
– Rhonda Marrone
Photo: Flickr
Inequality and Hunger in Colombia
Colombia is the second largest country in South America, with a population of 47.7 million people. It also boasts the third-largest economy in the region with a poverty level below 30 percent. Despite these promising statistics, hunger in Colombia is an important problem.
The Colombian Platform for Human Rights, Democracy and Development reports that at least 41 percent of Colombian households are affected by food insecurity, and rates of food insecurity in rural areas may be as high as 58.8 percent. In fact, between 15,000 and 40,000 people die every year in Colombia due to the direct or indirect consequences of hunger.
In recent decades, Colombia has restructured its domestic food transactions so as to better compete with the global market. The strategy, implemented in the 1990s, was hailed as “the social management of land.” It focused on ensuring that the country exported “economically relevant” goods, and consolidated regional competition agreements and rural entrepreneurial projects. Food production for domestic consumption is discouraged and policies that benefit large export agribusiness companies are supported instead.
Income and land inequality plague Colombia. The richest 20 percent of the population controls 62.7 percent of the national income, while the poorest 20 percent receives a mere 2.5 percent. National land ownership patterns look the same. A mere 0.06 percent of landholders own 53.5 percent of the rural area. Small farmers also have a hard time getting access to credit benefits which further hurts their opportunities for production.
The World Food Programme and Action Against Hunger humanitarian organizations have been working to address inequality in Colombia. In 2015, the WFP began implementing the Protracted Relief and Recovery operation, which aims to reach 660,000 conflict-affected people within three years, improving access to food in remote areas.
Action Against Hunger works with vulnerable communities displaced by conflict and political instability in Colombia. The organization also focuses on long-term food security and has provided life-sustaining support for tens of thousands of Colombians. Its food security, nutrition and health programs provide services such as emergency food distribution and supplementary nutritional support for children. The organization also responds to recent severe floodings by distributing water shortage tanks and filters around the region.
With help from humanitarian organizations such as these, there is hope for an end to hunger in Colombia.
– Marcelo Guadiana
Top 10 Facts about Prevention of the Zika Virus
The Zika virus has become one of the most discussed global health issue since outbreaks resurfaced on the island of Yap in 2007.
The virus has caused many health problems and prenatal risks. It’s important to be educated on its transmission and origin in order to reduce the probability of outbreaks within households and communities. Here are the 10 most interesting facts about the virus.
– Shanique Wright
Photo: Flickr
The Importance of Montessori Education
Montessori education is a different method of education that focuses on student development rather than learning. In other words, it does not emphasize exams, quizzes or grades. In fact, it aims to create mature and socially adept students. The system was invented by Maria Montessori around 1900 in Italy to educate poor children.
In a study in the U.S., students following the Montessori system performed better than traditional students. The biggest differences were in social skills and behavior. There is also more beliefs of justice and fairness in Montessori Education and emotionally positive feelings.
The Montessori education believes that children learn best when they choose by themselves what to learn. In Montessori classes today, there are children from different age backgrounds who participate in various activities. Teachers are only there to guide the children through the activities.
In Montessori classrooms, children learn the value of independence. This makes them capable of making the right decisions and seeking knowledge by themselves. Also, they learn to support and help each other which builds a sense of responsibility. Tracy Yarke, a teacher who uses Montessori style at Rasmussen College says the style uses the child’s interests to spark learning and develop at their own pace.
By focusing on multiple activities with different paces for every child, Montessori education helps build leadership, coordination and concentration skills. This is a lot of freedom for the students to pick up their own activities but they are all performed with specified parameters. Students are also taught in a family based environment. It gives them the support and the encouragement to seek knowledge by themselves.
A recent report by Dr. Elliott Landon, a superintendent of schools in Long Beach, explained that improving the quality of education in both local and national levels is associated with providing a good pre-school education. The number of Montessori school in the U.S. has increased by 33 percent since 1981.
On a global level, Montessori schools have opened in various locations around the world. There are schools in Egypt, Thailand, Tanzania, Mexico and Argentina. Most of these schools started operating quite recently in the twenty-first century. The schools have gained support among refugee communities in those developing countries. Montessori education in developing countries also aims to give better chances for disadvantaged children who face problems to acquire basic traditional education.
– Noman Ahmed
Photo: Flickr
GE’s Commitment to Developing Electricity in Africa
General Electric, or GE, has been a household brand and extraordinarily successful energy company since the early 20th century in the United States; however, few Americans know about the huge impact that GE has had in Africa.
While GE has operated in Africa for over a century, in 2011 the company began investing heavily in African power. The company currently operates in Angola, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. Among those, South Africa has the most robust power grid, with 80 percent of its rural homes having access to electricity.
For most other parts of Africa, access to electricity is far less abundant. In a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2013 an estimated 635 million or two-thirds of the population in Africa lived without electricity. All but 1 million of these individuals were located in the sub-Saharan region.
The almost universal lack of energy in Africa is a very costly problem. The IEA estimates that it would require over $300 billion in investments to achieve universal access by 2030.
Despite the seemingly dire status of infrastructure for electricity in Africa, GE has committed many significant resources across the continent in the past few years. GE employs 2,600 people in Africa, reports $4 billion in revenues and sponsors a volunteer program in various African countries.
The energy company also plans to expand to countries whose economies are struggling like Ethiopia and Mozambique. Just a quarter of the population of Ethiopia and only a fifth of the population of Mozambique had access to electricity in 2012 according to World Bank data.
A recent GE project will add a 300 megawatt system to Ghana this year, bringing an additional 20 percent of electrical capacity to the country’s entire grid.
Global CEO of GE, Steve Bolze commented on the company’s progress in Africa, saying “Africa for now is a $4 billion business for GE. It’s a big business. It’s going double digit. Our power business is close to 35 percent of that.” Additionally, the company plans to invest $2 billion in Africa in the next two years, and double its African workforce.
– John English
Photo: Flickr
Emmanuel Ngulube and USAID: The Malawi Hunger Fight
Emmanuel Ngulube — a Zambian native — has dedicated his life to the Malawi hunger fight. Before Ngulube decided to take on the battle of food insecurity in Malawi, he worked as a program specialist for the USAID in Zambia. Zambia, like many African countries, has experienced devastating natural disasters.
Ngulube acknowledged how fortunate his family was to survive the Zambian drought of 1980, because his “father worked for the mines and he could afford to buy food imported by the government, but others relied on emergency food assistance.” USAID’s Food for Peace mission has allowed Ngulube to find his niche and find creative ways for Malawi to establish strong food security.
The current conditions of Malawi resonated with Ngulube, because of the country’s past and most recent history with natural disasters. A record-breaking flood ripped through Malawi just last year, that left tens of thousands stranded. This year Malawi underwent a terrible drought and vast crop failure due to a warm oceanic phase called El Niño. The aftermath of El Niño left 6.5 million people in a crisis of food insecurity in Malawi.
Since Malawi is consistently plagued with natural disasters, its government has created an advanced technology that has assisted the country and its citizens with predicting natural disasters. Thanks to sufficient financing from the Global Facility for Disaster reduction and Recovery, Malawi has been able to establish the Malawi Disaster Risk Management project.
The Malawi Disaster Risk Management project has “led to advanced disaster preparedness by the country’s citizens, who are better able to predict catastrophic events and, therefore, more effectively prepare for them.”
Being able to prepare for natural disasters before they hit is crucial to Malawian citizens’ survival because the majority of them rely on rain-fed agriculture to make a living. One natural disaster can be the difference between a bountiful harvest and a catastrophic event.
For example, the Shire River Basin — which floods yearly — affects thousands each year and heavily hinders lower income families from recovering from natural disasters.
Malawi has developed an economic vulnerability and Disaster Risk Assessment that indicated “annual flood damage in the Shire River Basin resulted in an average loss of 0.7 percent of GDP ($9 million) per year. Elsewhere in the country, drought caused an average economic loss of 1 percent annually ($13 million).”
Although stopping natural disasters from affecting the country of Malawi is a tall task, Ngulube has fallen in love with helping the local communities create new ways to sustain themselves and recover from the tragic times of the past. Ngulube’s influence can be seen within many communities, whose battle with food insecurity in Malawi has been greatly reduced. Ngulube’s progress has only reassured him that his efforts are making a real difference.
– Terry J. Halloran
Photo: Flickr