Jack Black checked up on a Ugandan teen that he met during last year’s Red Nose Day.
Red Nose Day, a fundraising campaign run by the non-profit organization Comic Relief Inc., was held this year on May 26. The campaign works to free children around the world from poverty.
The Red Nose Day Special is a live two-hour primetime television event that brings celebrities together to use the power of comedy to raise money. This year, the organization partnered with NBC, Walgreens, M&Ms and the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation.
Jack Black, an American actor, comedian, musician and producer, was one of the 2016 participants of Red Nose Day’s inaugural telethon. He took a look back on his experience last year, when he traveled to a Ugandan slum and met an impactful young man.
Black was brought to tears when he visited the slums of Kampala, Uganda, where he met the orphaned teen named Felix. Black spent two days with Felix, learning how the teen made his living selling plastic bottles and slept on the dangerous streets at night.
The experience stuck with Black. The telethon covered an update on Felix, showing viewers how the teen benefitted from the organization’s efforts and giving Black some peace of mind.
When Black visited the slums, he was shocked at how much it emotionally affected him. He found it unfathomable that teenagers were sleeping on the streets and had little to no access to basic necessities.
During Black’s trip, the teen asked if he could go home with Black, saying, “I want to go with you.” While holding back tears, the actor replied, “I don’t think I can take you home. I don’t think it’s allowed.”
After the emotional experience, Black now feels better knowing that Red Nose Day has helped teens like Felix. In the video clip update, Felix describes his life now, saying: “I’m not scared anymore. There is no scary place. I would like to do well at school and complete my bright future. Now I have a dream.”
Felix additionally thanked Black for sharing his story with the world. With the funds raised by Red Nose Day, Felix was placed in a counseling program and then with a foster family. He is also now receiving an education.
This year, Black took a comedic spin on tackling child poverty. He said the best way to donate is simply by buying a little red nose, noting that they are great stocking stuffers.
The little red noses must have been a hit, as Red Nose Day raised $31.5 million this year. This money goes a long way in aiding the global poor. According to the Red Nose Day organization, $4 buys anti-malaria to protect mothers and children against mosquitos, $5 buys antibiotics to prevent pneumonia in children, and $15 can keep a child safe and sheltered for a week.
Globally, Red Nose Day has raised $1 billion in the last 25 years. While half of the money is given domestically, the other half goes to the poorest communities in places like Africa, Latin America and Asia. The funds are directly given to children in need of safety, education and healthcare.
In 2015, $170,000 was given to provide vaccines to children under the age of five living in the poorest communities in Africa. $30,000 was given to children and families in Africa that do not have access to clean water and sanitation.
Some of the 2016 charity partners included the Children’s Health Fund, The Global Fund, OXFAM, Save the Children and Gavi.
– Kimber Kraus
Photo: Flickr
Doctors Without Borders: Equitable Access to HIV Treatment
Nonprofit medical aid conglomerate Doctors Without Borders, or Medecins Sans Frontieres, requests increased access to treatment for Western and Central African countries. Although not the highest-risk demographic, less than one-third of the afflicted receive life-saving medicines.
Eastern and Southern Africa hold half of the world’s HIV-infected population. As a result, intervention, prevention and treatment overwhelmingly pour into this region of the world, leaving others without equitable aid. Dr. Cecilia Ferreyra, HIV adviser for Doctors Without Borders, reports that in the last five years, “the number of people on life-saving HIV treatment worldwide doubled.” Yet, 4.5 million people in Western and Central Africa do not receive treatment.
The plea from the organization came a day before an important U.N. meeting discussing the prevention of AIDS. On June 10, a U.N. press release indicated the member states would implement a bold course of action to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. With a goal like this, areas of concern can now be reached with renewed vigor.
It seems Doctors Without Borders has been effective in lobbying the UN for increased attention to regions with a lower HIV prevalence. In the press release, UNAIDS stated, among its other goals, that it would set “an action agenda for getting to 90-90-90,” referring to the percentage of people who know their HIV-positive status, receive antiretroviral treatment and reach viral suppression. Its goals also promise UNAIDS will be “leaving no one behind” in the quest to completely eliminate AIDS.
The U.S. specifically has committed to introducing a $100 million Key Populations Investment Fund that is intended to bridge the gap between PEPFAR and those who don’t normally receive financial help. It aims to assist people facing discrimination, such as sex workers, gay men, intravenous drug users, transgender people and prisoners. This could help regions like Western and Central Africa in which stigmatization prevents those with HIV from receiving proper treatment.
Despite the region-specific challenges faced by Western and Central Africa—which (besides stigma) includes a shortage of well-trained medical staff, service shortcomings and high fees—the spread of HIV/AIDS is certainly slowing. The goal of ending AIDS by 2030 encompasses the entire globe, not just the areas in dire need.
– Connor Borden
Photo: Flickr
GMOs Can Help Combat World Hunger
GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are plants or animals whose genetic codes have been altered by the insertion of genes from a different plant or animal in order to gain advantageous traits. Plants can be modified, for example, to better resist disease, pests and drought.
GMOs undergo rigorous testing (a period ranging from five to eight years) conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration to make sure the genetically modified food is safe for human consumption. Currently, there is no legislation requiring food packagers to label the genetically modified food that sits on supermarket shelves.
AgriLife Research at Texas A & M investigated the introduction of spinach proteins into citrus trees to help protect them against citrus greening, a disease responsible for millions of dollars in citrus crop losses annually. The spinach protein-infused citrus trees were less susceptible to citrus greening compared to normal citrus trees, allowing a larger crop to be harvested for consumption.
GMOs Tackle World Hunger
With the success of many GMO projects, research is being done to determine how this technology can be used to address the issue of world hunger. Modified crops that can benefit developing countries include C4 Rice, which is being funded by the Gates Foundation. Rice naturally photosynthesizes through the C3 pathway, which is less efficient than the C4 pathway utilized primarily by grass crops such as maize and sugarcane. Converting the cellular structure of rice from C3 to C4 will allow the crop to support more people than is currently possible. While a single hectare of land in Asia produces enough rice to feed 27 people, the International Rice Research Institute has estimated that by 2050, that same hectare will need to produce enough rice to feed 43 people, a problem that genetically modified C4 rice may be able to address.
Since rice provides one-fifth of the calories consumed by people worldwide, more efficient rice crops have the potential to combat world hunger related to population growth. Other projects, such as editing and deleting genetic information in crops using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, are making headway in an effort to produce crops that are less reliant on chemical pesticides and more adaptable to inhospitable growing conditions.
GMOs have the potential to help solve food production issues in the future, making a dent in the fight against global poverty. Yet it is important to recognize the reality of and work to address the downsides, as the introduction of GMO crops (large, industrialized yields) to a country’s economy could change local farming practices (smaller, local yields), may dominate their food markets, can harm the environment through the required pesticides and can result in large-scale monocultures.
– Bayley McComb
Photo: Flickr
Brexit Implications: How Will Africa Fare?
People across all nations are asking about the impact of Brexit on the world, but only a few are asking the very important question of, “What will be Brexit’s impact on Africa?” As powerful countries such as the U.S. and Germany wait anxiously for the final vote count, anticipating possible financial fallout, the third world has much larger concerns, especially Africa.
Brexit Implications on Africa: Humanitarian, Political and Economic
Whether or not there will be a recession in Britain following the country’s exit from the EU is unclear, but what is certain is that if an economic crisis does occur, Africa will be hit hard.
Great Britain has long been a strong trading ally for Africa, and according to The Chicago Tribune, the European Union has preferential trade agreements with every African country except for Libya and South Sudan.
Due to the Brexit, British officials will now have to rewrite many of their trade agreements with African nations, which will take extensive time and manpower. However, this could prove to be fruitful for Africa, as strict regulations such as the Common Agricultural Policy — set in place by the EU will no longer apply to trade legislation.
According to the European Commission, the Common Agricultural Policy is an EU initiative aimed at invigorating “agricultural productivity, so that consumers have a stable supply of healthy food”. Part of this policy grants subsidies to European farmers to promote sustainable agriculture and the growth of healthy food.
BBC reports that African farmers feel as though the subsidies attached to the Common Agricultural Policy “undermine the concept of a level playing field”. The U.K. agrees with their African allies and adamantly fought for policy reformation before their exit. Brexit’s impact on Africa will not only be economic, for it will also influence the political and humanitarian realm.
The U.K. and Aid to Africa
Prior to the U.K.’s decision to leave the European Union, it had incredible authority over the EU’s political and humanitarian initiatives in Africa.
The European Development Fund, according to the Chicago Tribune, is “the European Union’s main vehicle for providing development aid to Africa”. Britain was a leading voice in dictating the mission of the fund, as the third biggest contributor at 14 percent.
Even more impressive was the U.K.’s power over the African Peace Facility and its backing of the African Union Mission in Somalia. Britain made sure that the EU paid for 90 percent of the program, a 22,000-strong multinational force that protects the Somali Federal Government from the extremist militant group al-Shabab.
Before the Brexit, Britain was already beginning to lose their battle over policy in Somalia as the rest of the EU voted to pull some funding, hinting at a divided opinion about African aid.
The future of European policy in Africa is ambiguous, as one of the continent’s most passionate advocates is no longer a member of the EU. While this may seem like troubling news for Africa, the Brexit could turn out to be a blessing for the entire region.
The U.K. will no longer be held back by the EU’s restrictive guidelines as it applies to foreign policy and unless recession strikes Britain’s economy, it is likely that they will stay true to their promise of providing 0.7 percent of their gross national income to African aid.
– Liam Travers
Photo: Public Domain Images
Flipkart: Amazon of the East
The king of e-commerce in India is not Amazon but rather a locally formed competitor: Flipkart. Like Amazon, Flipkart began as an online bookstore in 2007. Today, it has more than 75 million and accounts for almost 50 percent of online purchases. Along with another homegrown company, Snapdeal, Flipkart has created thousands of jobs and access to higher quality goods at lower prices—a win-win situation for struggling communities in India.
The popularity of online shopping can be attributed to the increasing availability of smartphones. Within just six months, the usage of smartphones among total mobile phones grew from one in five to one in every four mobile phones. Thus, analysts believe that internet usage will grow by 27 percent in just five years and contribute to the doubling of income per person from $1,570 to roughly $3,000 a year by 2025.
The growth of the cell phone industry and e-commerce in India indicates a positive spike in the quality of life. In its analysis of poverty levels in 2011, the World Bank reported that about 21 percent of India’s population lived on less than $1.90 a day. In 2015, that figure dropped to 12.4 percent, meaning 97 million people have officially emerged from extreme poverty. Since Flipkart and its competitors expect a bright future, it is believed that these numbers will only improve.
With more people on the internet, Indian firms like Flipkart and Snapdeal plan to increase their sales seven times over by 2020. This growth is good not only for those in the e-commerce market but also for local businesses and low-skilled labor.
According to The Economist, one of the primary areas of job creation is delivery services. Although these services were already widely used, such as transporting groceries from local corner markets or delivering lunch, the explosion of online shopping has made the demand for deliveries even stronger. Delivery men can now make up to $200 a month—well above what is average for low-skilled labor.
Overall employment is predicted to rise by as much as 30 percent in the next three years. Other estimates claim that as many as two million jobs were created in 2015 by Flipkart alone.
Physical stores are also making progress through e-commerce. The Indian division of Amazon, along with other online distributors, has made it much easier for new businesses to reach a wider selection of consumers, thereby expanding their sales and revenues. As it goes, India is in the middle of an economic upward spiral that is both energizing and hopeful.
– Emiliano Perez
Photo: Flickr
Power Africa: An Update on Progress
President Obama launched Power Africa, a program that would combine aid for those living in poverty with environmentally conscious energy options. The goal of the program was to double access to power in sub-Saharan Africa. Since that initial date, Power Africa has made much progress on their goals to add 60 million new electricity connections and do so in a clean way.
We can already see the growth that has occurred through the efforts of the Power Africa initiative. In 2015 the government of Sweden committed $1 billion to the project, which added onto the $8 billion already provided by the African Development Bank and the World Bank Group.
Transactions made by the project are expected to bring 4,100 Megawatts of electricity to areas in need. And during the Ebola crisis in Liberia, Power Africa partnered with the U.S. Government’s Disaster Assistance Response Team, providing generators for Ebola Treatment Units and thus supporting the work that healthcare professionals were doing in the containment and treatment of the disease.
Much of the progress the project has made in in the past several years is rooted in its partnerships with NGO’s, governments and corporations. For example, Google is investing in an exciting new renewable energy project that, when finished, will be the largest wind farm in both Kenya and Africa as a whole. This is an investment that Power Africa helped set in motion.
In addition to the partnerships that Power Africa has forged, they have also created tangible change through their programs such as the Beyond the Grid sub-initiative. This initiative encompasses over 100 projects that enable small-scale improvements such as mini-hydropower projects and rooftop solar systems. These improvements not only provide light and power but also provide jobs and stimulate economic growth.
The Power Africa project is taking on a massive issue that is of the utmost importance for the world’s most vulnerable populations. They have made great progress and are set to continue their good work quietly and behind the scenes, bringing life-changing light and power to those who need it the most.
– Jordan Little
Photo: Bosco Uganda
Designing Africa’s Digital Education at the World Economic Forum
Digital education is a hot button topic in the United States, and last week, an international panel convened in Kigali, Rwanda, to discuss the efficacy of digitalizing African education systems. Held at the World Economic Forum on Africa, the friendly debate included education and governmental officials and digital education technology experts from around the world. Together, the panel discussed the two great hardships of African education—access to education and quality of education—in the context of a digital education revolution.
When some imagine the future of digital education, they see holograms and tablets, but the Digital Education panel put that idea to rest. “An educational overhaul isn’t feasible or realistic,” said Rapeland Rabana, founder of Rekindle Learning. “[We need to] look where we can build on what we already have,” she added.
In this way, struggling African governments will not be overwhelmed by new technological demands. Besides, according to TIME Magazine, only around 20 percent of Africans have access to the internet, and 40 percent don’t even have access to regular electricity. The argument can be seen that a hologram-touting educational reform system would do little in this environment.
One of the most important ideas discussed by the panel was that of privatized messaging platforms, like Messenger, WhatsApp or WeChat, as the digital basis for educational apps. Although attempting to privatize education could pose challenges of its own, Minister of Youth Jean Philbert Nsengimana pointed out that most African governments could not complete an educational transformation on their own. Instead, he said, “[We should] move away from the either-or debate and look at how the system can work together.”
Globally 57 million school-age children, many of whom are young girls, do not have the opportunity to attend school. Although the panel’s focus was digital education in Africa, the members did not forget that education is an issue outside of the continent.
Nsengimana brought this up and made it clear that he sees digital education as a means of inclusion for these educationless students, especially the young girls. Despite the logistical difficulties and the long implementation project, the Digital Education Panel at the World Economic Forum on Africa came to an encouragingly simple conclusion: by using the technologies that are already in place and focusing on accessibility in addition to advanced development, digital education tools will without a doubt be the future of education in Africa.
– Sage Smiley
Photo: Flickr
Red Nose Day: Updates with Jack Black
Jack Black checked up on a Ugandan teen that he met during last year’s Red Nose Day.
Red Nose Day, a fundraising campaign run by the non-profit organization Comic Relief Inc., was held this year on May 26. The campaign works to free children around the world from poverty.
The Red Nose Day Special is a live two-hour primetime television event that brings celebrities together to use the power of comedy to raise money. This year, the organization partnered with NBC, Walgreens, M&Ms and the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation.
Jack Black, an American actor, comedian, musician and producer, was one of the 2016 participants of Red Nose Day’s inaugural telethon. He took a look back on his experience last year, when he traveled to a Ugandan slum and met an impactful young man.
Black was brought to tears when he visited the slums of Kampala, Uganda, where he met the orphaned teen named Felix. Black spent two days with Felix, learning how the teen made his living selling plastic bottles and slept on the dangerous streets at night.
The experience stuck with Black. The telethon covered an update on Felix, showing viewers how the teen benefitted from the organization’s efforts and giving Black some peace of mind.
When Black visited the slums, he was shocked at how much it emotionally affected him. He found it unfathomable that teenagers were sleeping on the streets and had little to no access to basic necessities.
During Black’s trip, the teen asked if he could go home with Black, saying, “I want to go with you.” While holding back tears, the actor replied, “I don’t think I can take you home. I don’t think it’s allowed.”
After the emotional experience, Black now feels better knowing that Red Nose Day has helped teens like Felix. In the video clip update, Felix describes his life now, saying: “I’m not scared anymore. There is no scary place. I would like to do well at school and complete my bright future. Now I have a dream.”
Felix additionally thanked Black for sharing his story with the world. With the funds raised by Red Nose Day, Felix was placed in a counseling program and then with a foster family. He is also now receiving an education.
This year, Black took a comedic spin on tackling child poverty. He said the best way to donate is simply by buying a little red nose, noting that they are great stocking stuffers.
The little red noses must have been a hit, as Red Nose Day raised $31.5 million this year. This money goes a long way in aiding the global poor. According to the Red Nose Day organization, $4 buys anti-malaria to protect mothers and children against mosquitos, $5 buys antibiotics to prevent pneumonia in children, and $15 can keep a child safe and sheltered for a week.
Globally, Red Nose Day has raised $1 billion in the last 25 years. While half of the money is given domestically, the other half goes to the poorest communities in places like Africa, Latin America and Asia. The funds are directly given to children in need of safety, education and healthcare.
In 2015, $170,000 was given to provide vaccines to children under the age of five living in the poorest communities in Africa. $30,000 was given to children and families in Africa that do not have access to clean water and sanitation.
Some of the 2016 charity partners included the Children’s Health Fund, The Global Fund, OXFAM, Save the Children and Gavi.
– Kimber Kraus
Photo: Flickr
What are the Top Diseases in Angola?
Life expectancy in Angola is estimated to be 53 years–almost 20 years lower than the world average. While the prevalence of HIV/AIDS within Angola is relatively low compared to other sub-Saharan African countries, there are a number of diseases in Angola that require continued international aid and attention:
Yellow Fever
The World Health Organization is currently planning to launch emergency vaccination campaigns against yellow fever in Angola in response to a vaccine shortage. The CDC has placed the current outbreak of the disease at level two out of three, which encourages the public to practice enhanced precautions. Those who have not been vaccinated against yellow fever are discouraged from visiting Angola.
Yellow fever is spread through mosquitos and develops three to six days following contact. The CDC reports that only 15 percent of those who are infected present serious symptoms. Yellow fever can also cause mild symptoms such as fever, headaches and nausea. However, severe cases of the illness can be fatal: it is estimated that 347 people have died due to yellow fever in Angola since December.
Malaria
Malaria is another disease spread via mosquitos. It is common in tropical regions throughout the world. Just as in most sub-Saharan African countries, malaria is widespread throughout Angola.
Symptoms of malaria include fever, nausea, vomiting and other flu-like symptoms. Severe or untreated malaria can lead to various health complications such as organ failure and even death.
Malaria causes almost half of under-five deaths in Angola, making it a major problem within the country. UNICEF has distributed 44,000 mosquito nets throughout Angola that have been effective in warding off the disease.
Typhoid Fever and Hepatitis A
Typhoid Fever and Hepatitis A are transmitted through contaminated food or water. In Angola, over nine million people do not have access to safe drinking water, which contributes to the prevalence of typhoid and other water-based illnesses. While these diseases are endemic to the country, those who travel to Angola should get vaccinated prior to entering Angola.
USAID and WaterAid are currently involved in Angola in an effort to increase safe water access. Through community and government level involvement, there is hope for a decrease in the prevalence of water-born diseases.
With continued support from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, USAID, WaterAid and the greater international community, the prevalence of these and other fatal diseases in Angola can be reduced significantly.
– Saroja Koneru
Photo: Flickr
The Homeless World Cup: Opening Doors
He summarizes his goals for the event: “…we hope to educate the public on the homelessness crisis, with the aim of increasing funding, volunteering, optimism and gestures of goodwill- creating impact and big change”.
The Homeless World Cup is comprised of both men’s and women’s amateur teams from around the world. Unlike the FIFA World Cup, the Homeless World Cup is based on Street Soccer, which uses fewer players and shorter time periods.
The organization covers food and accommodation costs for the players, so even after teams are knocked out of the tournament they are still welcome to spectate and enjoy the rest of the event.
For many players, the Homeless World Cup serves as an escape from the struggles of everyday life as well as a chance to travel to another part of the world. Young believes players are empowered by the dedication, responsibility, and teamwork involved in the game. He also believes that playing sports is a great way to improve both physical and mental health.
The event also works to combat the uncomfortable divide that often separate the homeless and non-homeless communities. By making homeless individuals the stars of the event, typically negative stereotypes surrounding homelessness may shift into a more positive light.
Aside from honing their football skills, players gain valuable skills which can be applied to life outside of the game. The Homelessness World Cup has helped past players overcome addiction, boost self-esteem, and improve their resumes.
Homeless World Cup participants typically retire from football after the Cup, as individuals are only permitted to play once. The hope is that players will have jobs and homes lined up after the event and will no longer be considered homeless. The Homeless World Cup is meant to be a celebration for those who have overcome obstacles and hardships and are ready to enter a new chapter in their lives.
In the words of The Huffington Post’s Kim Samuels, “we have a long way to go to conquer homelessness and the isolation that so often accompanies it. But every goal at the Homeless World Cup brings us a little closer to achieving that larger goal of ending homelessness and fostering inclusion”.
The 2016 Homeless World Cup will be held in Glasgow on July 10–16.
– Carrie Robinson
Photo: BBC
Norwegian Refugee Council: Fight Against Crisis in Fallujah
The Islamic State invaded Fallujah in 2014 and has been in control of it since. In an interview with NPR, Karl Schembri, a member of the Norwegian Refugee Council working in Fallujah, stated that it has been “a nightmare” for those in the city.
Schembri noted that individuals were living on “animal feed, on expired dates and drinking the river water, which is undrinkable.” He went on to say that ISIS soldiers shot any civilians attempting to escape from the city.
Although Fallujah has officially been liberated by the Iraqi military, civilians cannot return to their homes. Fighting has left buildings destroyed and, according to the Chicago Tribune, “only a third of the city has been cleared of the militants”. Civilians must travel for miles to reach refugee camps, only to find that they are running out of food, water, toilets, shelter and funds.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been leading the fight against the refugee crisis in Fallujah. The NRC is a humanitarian organization comprised of about 5,000 people focused on providing “food assistance, clean water, shelter, legal aid and education” to refugees across the world.
As more and more refugees flood to the camps the NRC, United Nations and International Organization for Migration have become desperate for additional aid. These organizations can no longer accommodate all the refugees. Often they are forced to disclose that there is no more room in the tent cities.
Iraq’s budget for aid is stretched thin as ISIS has displaced people across the entire country and, according to The Wall Street Journal, “foreign governments have only provided one third of the financial assistance the U.N. has said it needs to cover humanitarian needs in Iraq this year.”
However, the U.N. and other countries recently appealed for $298 million in emergency aid and it has been answered. The U.S. Department of State announced on June 21st that it was donating an additional $20 million to the U.N. for relief in Fallujah. The U.S. challenged other governments to answer the U.N.’s appeal so that the refugee crisis in Fallujah can be properly handled by organizations such as the Norwegian Refugee Council.
– Liam Travers
Photo: Flickr