Changing the world starts by impacting one life at a time. One person’s desire to change the world, no matter how small or how insignificant it may seem, can make a world of a difference in the lives of others.
The following four small international organizations — HEED Uganda, Asha India, Ryan’s Well Foundation and Maiti Nepal — all started from humble beginnings and a single vision, which turned into much more.
HEED Uganda
HEED was founded in 2005 when two Washington-based mothers traveled to Uganda and began to provide for 17 orphaned, vulnerable and needy children from a remote village in the Mubende District of Uganda. They did not know how these sponsorships would work or what was in store for them but they knew the kids needed help. After seeing the sheer number of children in these villages that needed help, HEED’s mission grew to have full-time sponsors for 21 children.
The mission continued to grow in 2007 when they started a village school in the Mubende District. Here they hired teachers and supplied school necessities, certain meals and health treatments to give the hundreds of village kids a chance to grow up to be well-rounded adults. In 2009, HEED made further headway when it purchased farmland to provide food and income for the school, then installed a borehole for clean water for the school in 2011.
Schooling is provided to the orphaned and most vulnerable children in the village, regardless of their ability to pay fees.
Asha India
In 1988, Dr. Kiran Martin heard of the cholera outbreak in India’s south Delhi slum and felt compelled to use her medical skills to help Delhi’s poor. Martin went to the slum and borrowed a table in the shade to use as her office and began saving lives.
After seeing the lack of medicine, Martin requested assistance from the Indian government and acquired aides to assist her in expanding her medical help within Delhi’s slums.
Over 25 years later, Asha has helped save more than 500,000 lives within 60 of Delhi’s slums. The organization has expanded to the U.S. and many other countries in which Asha continues to save lives.
Ryan’s Well Foundation
In 1998, a six-year-old named Ryan learned that people were dying in other parts of the world because they did not have access to clean water. Ryan could not believe that people lived in those conditions and begged his parents to help him assist the people living without clean water.
Ryan started by doing extra chores and speaking at service clubs and school classes to raise money to build a well. Finally, Ryan raised the $2,000 needed to build a well at the Angolo Primary School in Uganda.
A few years later, in 2001, Ryan’s Well Foundation was formally created. Over the past 15 years, the foundation has built over 1,000 wells, with no end in sight.
Maiti Nepal
In 1993, school teacher Anuradha Koirala decided to right the world’s wrongs and do something about sex trafficking in Nepal. She started by setting up a home to provide safety and shelter for young children and women who got forced into Nepal’s sex trade.
She wanted to establish a place where people could go when they did not have anywhere safe to be. Her dream of just one safe house has turned into an organization called Maiti Nepal that has established three prevention homes, 11 transit homes, two hospices and a school. Currently, over 1,000 children are receiving service from Maiti Nepal daily, 1,200 sex traffickers have been convicted and 357 rape cases prosecuted, all made possible by one woman’s determination.
The founders of these four small international organizations give impeccable examples of ordinary people who started something small which turned into something extraordinary. Any positive difference, despite its perceived insignificance, can change the lives of people in need.
– Bella Chaffey
Photo: Flickr
Scholarships Provide Education for Syrian Refugees
Jusoor is an organization dedicated to addressing the educational needs of those affected by the civil war in Syria. To date, the organization offers over 390 scholarships and has funded 74 students. The majority of scholarships they offer are university partnerships, such as with the University of Cambridge, Oxford, and the London School of Economics.
The organization itself is comprised of Syrian expatriates who believe in the importance of offering opportunities for the youth in their native country. They hope this initiative will help support the country’s development and help it overcome its unique challenges.
According to their website, the volunteers at Jusoor “hope for a nation that embraces democracy, respects human rights and rule of law and encourages free speech and the exchange of ideas.”
Education for refugees is important not just in Syria, but around the world. According to the U.N. Refugee agency, education is a basic human right, defined in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 1951 Refugee Convention.
However, of the 10 million refugees under the age of 18, less than half have access to the education they need. Often, education can provide a safe and stable environment where none else is offered, fostering healthy relationships and teaching life-saving information.
Most recently, Jusoor partnered with universities in Canada for their 100 Syrian Women program, which focuses particularly on offering scholarships to Syrian women. This gives them the opportunity to study abroad when they would not have otherwise had it. So far, out of 900 applicants, 26 women have received scholarships, and the organization hopes to go much further than that.
In an interview with The Star, Leen Al Zaibak, co-director and co-founder of Jusoor, said “we feel if we invest in women, it is a huge investment in the community. The 100 women who benefit from this opportunity are going to affect the lives of 10,000 other Syrians.”
In addition to their scholarship programs, Jusoor runs three primary and middle schools for Syrian children in Lebanon to provide further education for Syrian refugees.
– Sabrina Santos
Photo: Student World Online
Education in India: Coursera Provides Online Courses
Currently, only 12% of students in India are able to secure spots in Indian universities. This leaves out a large pool of talented students who could benefit from a university-level education. Coursera, the online Californian company, currently has 17 million registered students and is looking to expand in India.
Coursera provides free online courses from 140 to non-degree-seeking students from such widely-known universities as Stanford, Yale or Columbia. These “Moocs” (or massive open online courses) allow students to study at home. Coursera looks to benefit from the Indian population by providing online education to those who are unable to attend a regular university. They have already partnered with many of the Indian universities, such as Udacity.
Coursera does not provide exams or degrees, but it does give certificates after a course has been completed. While Coursera provides their online courses without payment, the certificates that require completion exams can cost between $30 and $100. This allows students in low economic standing to continue their education and find additional job opportunities based on their skills.
There are currently 1.3 million Indian students using Coursera, making India the largest concentration of online students outside of China or the U.S. Employers are also using Coursera to provide further education for their employees, such as online stock brokerage firm Zerodha.
CEO Nithin Kamath of Zerodha intends to further the education and credibility of Zerodha’s employees in any way possible. He says, “When we come across courses that we think is something our employees need to know, we encourage them to take it up.”
Courses related to data science and information technology are the most popular for Indian students using Coursera. Consequently, this indicates that there is a growing demand for skilled workers in India’s software industry. Coursera seeks to increase its own impact on education in India by providing general courses in Hindi or other local languages.
Catering to the concerns of many students, Coursera is also focusing on providing learning opportunities that are more job-relevant. Similar Indian programs, such as Edureka or Simplilearn, have already begun to do so. The emergence of online education in India provides opportunities for students who would otherwise have none.
– Amanda Panella
Photo: Flickr
World Humanitarian Summit Commits to Shared Responsibility
The world’s first-ever World Humanitarian Summit took place May 23–24, 2016 in Istanbul. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for the summit in 2012 after recognizing the need to reaffirm global responsibility of our shared humanity.
Since the original announcement, the need for the summit has become increasingly urgent. 125 million people around the world are currently in need of humanitarian assistance, according to Ban Ki-moon’s report for the World Humanitarian Summit last year.
The World Humanitarian Summit included over 9,000 people–a mix of world leaders, non-governmental organizations, people affected by crises and partners in the private sector and civil society.
Packed with roundtable discussions and events, the aim of The World Humanitarian Summit is to change the way the world responds to global issues by committing to a unified goal to end suffering.
The Agenda for Humanity outlines the five core responsibilities that the summit centered on:
In his WHS Report, Ki-Moon deliberately references The Declaration of St. James’s Palace in London in 1941, the first act toward the formation of the United Nations. At St. James’s Palace in London, governments came together to pledge a unified commitment to work toward peace. Ban acknowledges that 75 years later, it is time to renew that commitment to humanity.
– Erica Rawles
Photo: Flickr
8 Things You Should Know About Education in Niger
8 Things You Should Know About Education in Niger
Other organizations such as UNESCO, PLAN International, Aid for Africa and Remember Niger Coalition also provide funding for improved education and help build schools.
Nigerian education needs substantial help. Unfortunately, many of the issues stem from financial instability as well as an enduring belief that women should stay at home, marry and care for children.
Though the problem with education in Niger is complex, mentoring and guidance services by influential organizations can be part of the solution. Through these programs, Nigerian men and women can learn the value of education and benefit the country as a whole.
– Weston Northrop
Photo: Flickr
Global Poverty Bills You Should Know About
The Borgen Project advocates for global poverty bills to be passed in the House and the Senate of Congress. The Borgen Project is currently fighting for three bills that could have a massive impact on global poverty.
First, the Electrify Africa Act, introduced in 2015, seeks to provide sub-Saharan African countries access to affordable and reliable power through a plan spanning several years.
The bill has two main goals: create a group comprised of several organizations–including the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), U.S. Agency for International Development, the Trade and Development Agency and the Millennium Challenge Corporation–which will help coordinate the U.S. government regarding creating reliable sustainable energy on the African continent, and effectively utilize the United States’ influence as a world power to build international support for African energy programs.
Next, the Reach Every Mother and Child Act, also introduced in 2015, seeks to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths around the world.
According to WHO, around 830 women around the world die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, such as severe bleeding, infections, eclampsia/pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy) and unsafe abortions. That adds up to over 300,000 women dying every year, of which 99 percent of those deaths occur in developing countries.
The Reach Every Mother and Child Act would allow the United States to create an interagency group dedicated to ending maternal and child deaths in developing countries, including overseeing maternal and child health and nutrition funding.
Finally, The Borgen Project supports the Food for Peace Reform Act of 2015, which would overhaul the current U.S. programs for providing emergency food aid around the world, involving:
· improving product packaging and storage
· adjusting products to cost-effectively meet nutrient needs of target populations
· adopting new, or improving existing, specifications for micronutrient fortified food aid products to meet a population’s nutrient needs
· evaluating performance and cost-effectiveness of food products and programs for vulnerable groups, such as pregnant mothers and young children
Visit borgenproject.org/legislation for more information on global poverty bills and how you can help end global poverty by contacting your government representatives in the House and Senate.
– Bayley McComb
Photo: ABC News
Postal Initiative: Helping Rural Africans Receive Remittances
Many post offices in sub-Saharan Africa lack computers, Internet access and other modern technologies necessary to provide financial services. The World Bank has reported that postal employees also often have little to no experience in handling transfers.
In an effort to improve access to remittance payments, the International Federation of Agricultural Development (IFAD) is implementing the African Postal Financial Services Initiative. According to IFAD, the initiative which is being implemented in 10 African countries will provide post offices with the technology, business model and expertise necessary to process remittance payments and offer other services in an efficient and safe manner.
Africa is among the world’s leaders in receiving money from remittances—of the $431.6 billion transferred to and within developing countries from abroad in 2015, Africa received $65 billion. Remittances also make up at least five percent of GDP in 14 African states, including Liberia and Mali.
However, high transaction fees have reduced the value of remittances for many Africans. According to the World Bank, sub-Saharan Africa is the most expensive region in the world to send remittances with an average cost of 9.5 percent in 2015. In Western Africa, the cost of collecting remittances can exceed 10 percent.
The high fees are set by money-transfer operators and are in part a result of a lack of competition in the remittance market. Two of the largest money transmitters, Western Union and MoneyGram, have relied on exclusivity agreements that prevent competitors from partnering with banks and other remittance payout agents.
The overall cost of collecting remittances is higher for rural Africans who must sacrifice time at work and risk their safety to travel long distances to and from financial service providers.
The IFAD and World Bank believe that remittance services would become more efficient and less costly once more postal offices in remote sub-Saharan areas are able to process money transfers.
Unlike commercial banks, which are mainly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa’s largest cities, 80 percent of post offices operate in sparsely-populated areas where they are more accessible for rural Africans. Post offices also enjoy high levels of trust by people who would rather avoid banks, the World Bank has reported.
Postal systems that process remittances transfers and offer financial services are common and have been beneficial in other developing countries around the world. In India, the India Post has nearly 139,000 post offices in rural areas that offer savings accounts and act as an agent for partner institutions. Brazil’s postal operator, Correios, also has a financial operations branch that process remittances and provides basic banking services.
– Sam Turken
Photo: DAWN
UNICEF’s School in a Box: A Foreign Aid Success
During times of emergency, priorities turn to basic essentials like food, water and shelter. While these are clearly the most important, UNICEF argues that a fourth thing needs to be added as a necessity: education. UNICEF’s school in a box provides an incredible solution.
Education is one of the best ways to preserve normalcy, social resources and safety that is invaluable to primary school-aged kids. They are not alone in this belief; a study by Duke University Professor E. Frankenburg explains that people with access to education are better equipped to handle crises.
School in a Box: Education in Crisis Response
How can schools be efficiently supplied after emergency?
UNICEF came up with an answer that is a fast and affordable foreign aid success. Within three days of a tsunami or other crisis, they can deliver a ‘School in a Box’ with three months worth of supplies for one teacher and 40 students. They are perfect for places recently hit with a natural disaster or a sudden influx of students.
It is all inclusive so that a classroom can be set up anywhere. In addition to the classic materials like paper, books and pens, the kit contains toys, a radio, educational posters and can of paint that can turn any flat surface into a blackboard.
Translations are available in most languages and UNICEF has tried to make it as non-culturally specific as possible. Boxes can be supplemented with locally produced materials and lesson plans.
This program was created in the mid-1990s, along with UNESCO’s similar Teacher Emergency Package. Originally, it was used in Rwanda but has spread to at least 12 countries including Pakistan, Haiti, Japan and even the United States. It has been a foreign aid success: in 2014 alone, 106,201 kits were distributed.
These kits can be sponsored for a mere $209.11 on UNICEF’s website. While this program is not a permanent replacement for locally supported schools, School in a Box provides a quick and effective way to give kids education during an emergency.
– Jeanette I. Burke
Photo: The Epoch Times
Five Facts About Living on Two Dollars a Day
The phrase “living on two dollars a day” gets tossed around with great frequency as researchers, advocacy networks and politicians alike attempt to understand the magnitude and scope of global poverty. However, establishing a global poverty line isn’t so easy, and the information tends to get muddled as data is constantly updated and poverty measurements vary from place to place.
So what does living on two dollars a day really mean? Below are five key facts about what living on two dollars a day looks like and what it means for global poverty:
Measuring the number of people living in extreme poverty across the globe is no simple task. While living on two dollars a day estimates brings us closer to grasping the impact of extreme poverty on the world, it is still possible that the scope of global poverty is not fully understood. No matter how it is measured, global poverty continues to be a significant issue for developed and developing countries alike. Continued support and development assistance will be key to ensuring that one day soon the world is free from extreme poverty.
– Sara Christensen
Photo: The New York Times
Four Small International Organizations Changing Lives
Changing the world starts by impacting one life at a time. One person’s desire to change the world, no matter how small or how insignificant it may seem, can make a world of a difference in the lives of others.
The following four small international organizations — HEED Uganda, Asha India, Ryan’s Well Foundation and Maiti Nepal — all started from humble beginnings and a single vision, which turned into much more.
HEED Uganda
HEED was founded in 2005 when two Washington-based mothers traveled to Uganda and began to provide for 17 orphaned, vulnerable and needy children from a remote village in the Mubende District of Uganda. They did not know how these sponsorships would work or what was in store for them but they knew the kids needed help. After seeing the sheer number of children in these villages that needed help, HEED’s mission grew to have full-time sponsors for 21 children.
The mission continued to grow in 2007 when they started a village school in the Mubende District. Here they hired teachers and supplied school necessities, certain meals and health treatments to give the hundreds of village kids a chance to grow up to be well-rounded adults. In 2009, HEED made further headway when it purchased farmland to provide food and income for the school, then installed a borehole for clean water for the school in 2011.
Schooling is provided to the orphaned and most vulnerable children in the village, regardless of their ability to pay fees.
Asha India
In 1988, Dr. Kiran Martin heard of the cholera outbreak in India’s south Delhi slum and felt compelled to use her medical skills to help Delhi’s poor. Martin went to the slum and borrowed a table in the shade to use as her office and began saving lives.
After seeing the lack of medicine, Martin requested assistance from the Indian government and acquired aides to assist her in expanding her medical help within Delhi’s slums.
Over 25 years later, Asha has helped save more than 500,000 lives within 60 of Delhi’s slums. The organization has expanded to the U.S. and many other countries in which Asha continues to save lives.
Ryan’s Well Foundation
In 1998, a six-year-old named Ryan learned that people were dying in other parts of the world because they did not have access to clean water. Ryan could not believe that people lived in those conditions and begged his parents to help him assist the people living without clean water.
Ryan started by doing extra chores and speaking at service clubs and school classes to raise money to build a well. Finally, Ryan raised the $2,000 needed to build a well at the Angolo Primary School in Uganda.
A few years later, in 2001, Ryan’s Well Foundation was formally created. Over the past 15 years, the foundation has built over 1,000 wells, with no end in sight.
Maiti Nepal
In 1993, school teacher Anuradha Koirala decided to right the world’s wrongs and do something about sex trafficking in Nepal. She started by setting up a home to provide safety and shelter for young children and women who got forced into Nepal’s sex trade.
She wanted to establish a place where people could go when they did not have anywhere safe to be. Her dream of just one safe house has turned into an organization called Maiti Nepal that has established three prevention homes, 11 transit homes, two hospices and a school. Currently, over 1,000 children are receiving service from Maiti Nepal daily, 1,200 sex traffickers have been convicted and 357 rape cases prosecuted, all made possible by one woman’s determination.
The founders of these four small international organizations give impeccable examples of ordinary people who started something small which turned into something extraordinary. Any positive difference, despite its perceived insignificance, can change the lives of people in need.
– Bella Chaffey
Photo: Flickr
How Can Companies Improve Global Education?
Many CEOs don’t realize that helping improve global education is an investment in the future — not in an abstract future, but in their future. The more educated a country’s population is, the higher its gross domestic product (GDP) usually becomes.
With increased capital, more people can buy more products: someone living on less than a dollar a day will likely not buy Colgate toothpaste or Axe body wash, for example, because that money is reserved for food.
So how can companies help improve global education?
Justin W. van Fleet, director of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity, lists five strategies businesses can use when helping improve global education. Two important approaches are discussed below.
Prioritize Global Education
Companies can’t make a difference if they don’t prioritize doing so. Recognizing that alleviating global poverty — whether through health concerns or through education concerns — is investing in businesses’ futures, companies like Coca Cola have already made global poverty concerns a priority.
Coca Cola decided to invest in Tanzania in 1952, and the company has reaped benefits ever since. Coca Cola now has a presence in a previously untapped community.
“Whatever has to do with improvement of the Tanzania community it also touches improvement of, and welfare of, our company,” said a Coca-Cola Kwanza manager.
Education is integral to a healthy community, so businesses that prioritize developing countries’ education prioritize their own futures.
Collaborate with Governments
Governments are the largest sources of funding for education in developing countries. If businesses partner with government programs, then businesses may receive money for improving global education. In addition, not all funding efforts have to be out of pocket for companies.
Businesses and governments can work together in other ways, too. In 2006, for example, the Hess oil company invested $20 million in an Equatorial Guinea national educational initiative. Equatorial Guinea’s government matched that investment.
According to Brookings, “It is estimated that the program has reached roughly half of the students enrolled in primary school in Equatorial Guinea.”
Hopefully, more companies will adopt these strategies and others to improve global education in the future.
– Tyler New
Photo: Flickr