A large number of children in Nadjote, a small village located 18 km from the city of Dapaong, suffer from serious malnutrition. In order to combat this suffering, the Togolese government has established a safety net program aiming to financially help the most vulnerable households.
Specifically, the government set up a cash transfer program to provide financial assistance to households with malnutrition-suffering children in Togo.
This program is intended to provide a brighter future for children from the most disadvantaged families. Moreover, this program encourages households to obtain birth certificates for their children, offer them with education and health care.
Abna Kolani is one of the beneficiaries. She gave birth to seven children, but three of them died of malnutrition. As a beneficiary, during the past 12 months, she has received monthly financial assistance of 5,000 CFAF—around $9—for the children’s feeding and education.
According to the World Bank article, Abna noted that “With the money I receive each month to provide my youngest child with better nutrition, I can provide healthier food for all my children. I see a big change in their physical condition— their health and hygiene conditions are much better than before.”
“When they are sick, I can take them to the health center to receive care. In addition, the program has allowed me to send my eldest child to school and now all four have birth certificates.” Abna continued.
The project was launched by the Togolese government in 2013 and supported by the World Bank and the Japanese government.
Cooperating with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the program is aimed for parents with children between the ages of 0 and 24 months in the Kara and Savanes regions where malnutrition rates are extremely high.
Nanifei Lardja is another mother living in Nadjote mentioned in the World Bank article. Naniferi has five children, and she says, “I buy corn for 2,000 francs, soap for 1,000 francs, and small fish for 1,000 francs. I have my small plot for the vegetables I need and put aside the remaining 1,000 francs for other possible expenses.”
The program gives her not only material support but also confidence for a better future with her children.
“We are very pleased to note that the support activities organized, in particular the educational talks on the rights of children, nutrition, health and basic family practices have produced largely positive effects,” said Joachim Boko, a Social Protection Specialist at the World Bank.
According to Pounpouni Koumaï Tchadarou, the Regional Director for Social Action in the Savanes region and Program Coordinator, this program offers much more than mere financial assistance. Besides the 5,000 francs supplement, this program also provides a range of services, such as reminders of regular prenatal care and children’s register.
“We do everything to ensure that school-age children attend school. We also do home visits to heighten the awareness of the beneficiaries regarding the role played by good hygiene in improving the health of their children,” said Tchadarou.
“One day, you will come back here and see that the children you have helped have become teachers, nurses, and doctors,” said Yom Kouloukitibe, one of the 14,016 recipients to date of this financial assistance.
– Shengyu Wang
Sources: World Bank 1, UNICEF, World Bank 2
Photo: Flickr
Deaf Children in Poverty: A Right to an Education
Obtaining an education in a poverty stricken country is hard for most children living in those conditions. It’s almost impossible when that child is deaf and has no access to sign language assisted learning. Millions of children are struggling to learn or not attending school at all because of this fact.
Educational; Disadvantage
In countries like Nepal, Kenya, China and Northern Uganda, parents, teachers and the wider community often see deaf children as mentally impaired or just altogether incapable of learning. So while these children may be lucky enough to obtain cochlear implants or hearing aids, they are forced to miss out on important learning milestones.
Kenyan Natha Yare recalls being denied her right to an education growing up because she was deaf. Natha talks about how her quality of education was compromised even though she was able to attend a school for the deaf, which was a 15 hour trip by bus.
The teachers there did not know Kenyan Sign Language. They simply wrote on the board, expecting the children to copy down what they saw, which they did. The children were then allowed to play, never actually gaining an understanding of what had been copied.
USAID Provides Resources to Deaf Children
USAID is dedicated to changing the way deaf children in poverty are treated in many countries worldwide. Many poverty stricken countries simply do not have the funds or even the resources to provide sign language teachers or aids.
USAID has helped to promote the implementation of sign language projects in several countries including Ecuador, Georgia and Morocco.
It is important for deaf children to learn sign language in order to allow them the opportunity to be able to express themselves, communicate and learn. In order to ensure this, teachers who are qualified to teach national sign language, and at all educational levels, must be hired.
Deaf children who never learn sign language are highly likely to develop into adults who have a hard time communicating with family, friends and the larger community. This will make it very hard for them to achieve true independence and to lead fulfilling, successful lives.
Education is Always the Key
Every child deserves to have access to a proper education and “the right to education in sign language for deaf people is safeguarded by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.”
By safeguarding this right, especially for those children living in extreme poverty, we give each deaf child the opportunity to reach their full potential and break the cycle of poverty.
– Drusilla Gibbs
Sources: USAID, HRW
Photo: Pixabay
Could You Live on a Dollar a Day?
Could you live on a single dollar or less a day? That is what four college students set out to test for two months in rural Guatemala in 2010.
Two Months On a Dollar a Day
As part of their venture, they filmed their time in Guatemala and then released a documentary entitled “Living On One Dollar” that depicts their struggle living in poverty. The project was pioneered by Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci and co-produced by Ryan Christoffersen and Sean Leonard.
The film won Best Documentary at the Sonoma International Film Festival and received endorsements from Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, and the Director of the Hunger Games, Gary Ross.
In the documentary, the four allotted $1 a day per person and combined their entire budget into a single pool. Then they divided the total into smaller amounts ranging from zero to nine that would then be randomly selected as the amount of money they would receive each day.
This meant that some days they could earn $6 to spend on food, investing or saving, but it also meant some days they would be left with nothing. Throughout the movie, the four experienced intense hunger and parasites, but also found a connection with their Guatemalan neighbors.
A Film That Inspires
The project has been inspirational to others. Live Below the Line is an annual fundraiser where people spend only $1.50 on food and drink for a day. In 2015, it raised close to $480,000 for poverty alleviation programs in Peña Blanca and the surrounding villages.
In total, this year Live Below the Line has raised nearly $3 million for anti-poverty projects across the world, according to the group’s website.
Living On One, a non-profit directly linked to the film, accepts donations to help raise awareness about extreme poverty through distribution of the documentary.
In addition, the organization created a new video series and curriculum resources about issues of global poverty and to build an online platform to allow people to participate in the fight against extreme poverty through partner organizations.
A Lifetime On a Dollar a Day
Still the question remains, what does it mean for people to live consistently on a dollar a day? While $1 in America buys much less than the same amount in Guatemala, due to relative buying power and costs of living, a dollar a day is not nearly enough in Guatemala to acquire an adequate standard of living.
For example, even though the first six years of public schooling in Guatemala are free and mandatory, many families cannot afford the cost of supplies and transportation required for children to attend school.
Even if they could, many families need their children to stay home to work to provide an income. As a result, only three in ten children actually make it through the sixth grade.
– Brittney Dimond
Sources: IMDB, Global Education Fund, Global Envision, Living On One, Huffington Post
Photo: DORIGAMIFLOWER
Kio Kits: A Modern Education Solution
On a continent where electricity, let alone an internet connection or data coverage, is never a given, bringing technology to the classroom has proven to be a challenge in rural and poor urban regions of Africa.
A BRCK Initiative
But, the African software developers, engineers and technologists of the Kenyan company BRCK have recently rolled out an educational pilot program of tablets, specifically designed to combat connectivity problems.
The program, BRCK Education, comes from the creators of the original BRCK. A router and modem system boasting a built-in global SIM card, internal storage, surge protection, more than 8 hours of battery life, adaptable charging for solar panels, car battery and computer or wall outlet, BRCK grants access to the Cloud from anywhere.
BRCK Education’s pilot Kio Kit, which holds 40 tough Kio tablets, a set of headphones for each student, an original BRCK and wireless charging docks for the Kio, is designed to be a “holistic education technology solution that turns every classroom into a digital classroom,” according to BRCK.
Inside the Kio
The Kio Kits, which look like rugged, plastic suitcases, are not solely made for transporting and recharging the water and drop resistant Kio. The case houses an offline “micro-Cloud” server.
When the case is turned on, the micro-Cloud is activated, giving children and teachers access to the preloaded interactive content saved on the server, without the expense of having to connect to the internet.
Kio, meaning “window” in Swahili, kits are designed to give African school children the same quality education that their technologically more connected peers already enjoy.
The preloaded content is updated remotely, currently by four Kenyan education content companies and the international curriculum giant Pearson. This ensures that all children using the Kio are receiving the most up-to-date information.
But Pearson isn’t the only big-name backing the Kio Kits. Intel, Mozilla, and the African companies JP, e-limu and eKitabu are all getting in on helping the Kio Kits become a success.
Hope For Expansion
The pilot program is currently being run in schools in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The African Wildlife Fund has also purchased Kio Kits to distribute to schools in Ethiopia, Congo and others.
If the pilot program goes well, BRCK is already designed to be used throughout the globe, making it a viable option for other developing nations.
The BRCK Education team hopes to positively change the lives of children who have little or no access to technology through the Kio Kits, in Africa and beyond.
The BRCK team is confident that their system will succeed in changing education for the better. As they claim on their website, “If it works in Africa it will work anywhere.”
– Claire Colby
Sources: BRCK 1, BRCK 2, Forbes, htxt.Africa
Photo: Potentash
Novak Djokovic Partners with World Bank in Serbia
Men’s world no.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic and The World Bank have teamed up to provide education and early childhood development to children from poor families. The announcement was made on Aug. 26, 2015, a week before the U.S. Open, at a press conference in New York.
In 2010, only 44 percent of children in Serbia attended preschool, with 29 percent recorded for children form rural areas, 22 percent for poor children and 8 percent for Roma children. Currently, less than 10 percent of children attending preschool are from the poorest households.
The initiative, called Early Wins for Lifelong Returns, will consist of advocating the importance of early childhood education globally, and improve access for disadvantaged children to merit early childhood development.
The alliance between Djokovic and The World Bank is currently engaged in discussions with the Serbian government to begin a $50 million project as the first step of the initiative. There are also plans to build new preschools and refurbish old schools into preschools, and provide financial opportunities for poor families.
The Early Wins for Lifelong Returns initiative will create programs that address physical, socio-emotional, language and cognitive aspects of development in children.
Research has shown that children exposed to poverty at a young age are likely to experience challenges in academia later in life. Investing in early development programs is important in breaking the cycle of poverty in Serbia.
At the press conference in New York, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim stated: “All children deserve an equal chance in life, yet millions fail to reach their full potential due to poverty, poor nutrition, and few opportunities for early learning and stimulation.”
Djokovic added: “Serbia’s education system faces many problems, including insufficient capacity, uneven distribution of facilities, financial constraints on poor parents, inadequate understanding on the importance of preschool education, as well as a lack of diversity of programs and services providers. We hope to change that for the better.”
– Marie Helene Ngom
Sources: Novak Djokovic Foundation, UNICEF
Photo: Novak Djokovic Foundation
Impact of #LightTheWay on Sustainable Development Goals
On Sept. 24, at sundown, thousands of candles, flashlights and lanterns were raised to the sky in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Sustainable Development Goals
These 17 goals, which would be announced by world leaders in New York the following day, range from ending poverty to protecting marine life and providing quality education.
Each country would decide whether or not to commit to the fifteen-year agenda to “end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all.”
The Sustainable Development Goals were designed to build upon their predecessors, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs, implemented from 2000 to 2015, targeted the eradication of poverty, disease and hunger.
Now nations hope that the SDGs will finish the deal by directly addressing issues that promote poverty, such as unsanitary water and social inequality.
“This agreement marks an important milestone in putting our world on an inclusive and sustainable course,” says Helen Clark, the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.
The biggest challenge now is ensuring that these goals remain on track and leaders exercise vigilance in carrying them out. This is where #LightTheWay steps in.
#LightTheWay For a Better Planet
#LightTheWay was founded by action/2015, one of the largest civil society campaigns. The idea was to “call on leaders to light the way to a better future for people and planet.”
#LightTheWay, described by Our Voices as “a tidal wave of humanity,” ensured that the Sustainable Development Goals will not be quickly forgotten. It tells leaders “we’ll be watching every step of the way to ensure they are met.”
Over 100,000 people in cities across the globe organized vigils in both public and private settings to send a message to world leaders that their citizens support the Sustainable Development Goals.
Organizations such as Our Voice and action/2015 encouraged participants to post pictures and videos of the vigils on social media with the caption “#Lighttheway.”
Some world leaders see the enthusiasm and determination as a promise of a better future and fully support their citizens’ efforts in #LightTheWay.
A Global Effort
After more than 150 people gathered on the Millennium Bridge in Dublin, Ireland’s President, Michael D. Higgins, said, “It is my hope that by 2030, we will look back on the 25 September 2015 as a decisive moment in global history.”
Even prominent figures such as Stephen Hawking and Malala Yousafzai participated in #LightTheWay to show their desire for a safer and more stable world.
Said UN Youth Delegate Eoin O’Liathain, “These new goals are lighting the way forward, everyone must work to make them a reality.”
– Sarah Prellwitz
Sources: Action 2015/span>, Our Voices, UNDP, UN , Development Education Programme
Photo: Action 2015
How the Growing Youth Population Can End Extreme Poverty
It is common knowledge that the world’s population is growing. Less so, but still well known is the fact that the majority of this growth takes place in developing countries. This fact can either increase or reduce global poverty, depending upon what actions are made in response.
Looking at the Stats
In a recent article on USAID’s blog entitled, “How to End Extreme Poverty in 3 Easy Steps,” they stated that, “The bulge in young populations seen in places like Africa offers an opportunity to bolster the economic growth of the continent and, in turn, lift more people out of poverty.”
When looking at youth statistics though, it is hard to find much that is positive. The UN’s statistics on youth in 2011 showed that unemployment rates for young people are significantly higher than adults in every region of the world.
Then, in 2012 stated, “Nearly 75 million youth are unemployed around the world, an increase of more than 4 million since 2007. By 2016, the youth unemployment rate is projected to remain at the same high level.” And remain at the same high levels it has.
That leaves around 75 million individuals that could be fighting poverty as an untapped resource.
If change is to happen, the youth need to be reached in order to reduce poverty.
According to the Global Partnership for Education organization, “If all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills, 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty.”
How can youth reduce poverty by this much though? And why is education so vital to success?
6 Ways Education Combats Poverty
These are only six of the many ways that education combats and reduces poverty. By focusing on youth education programs, global poverty would be dramatically changed.
Obstacles Despite Aid
Many governments, programs and organizations such as USAID and the Global Partnership for Education are currently making improvements in this area, but much more remains to be changed.
USAID alone has trained almost 4,000 teachers and enrolled 336,000 more children in school over the last five years.
Even with this kind of success though, there are many barriers that keep the youth from educational opportunities.
These issues range from gender inequality, political unrest/war, lack of resources, disabilities, climate change and more.
The youth of the world are the hope for a better future. By investing in them, hope for poverty reduction increases. Effective, quality education is the key that brings it all together.
The USAID article on ending extreme poverty stated, “To be free of poverty is to have access to the basics in life — enough nutritious meals a day, good health and well-being, training to build skills and knowledge, and freedom and independence in a peaceful environment.”
With the youth being targeted as a resource, reducing, and possibly even ending, extreme global poverty is a goal that is within reach.
– Katherine Martin
Sources: Medium, UNESCO 1, Global Partnership, UNESCO 2
Photo: Pixabay
Trees for the Future: Fighting Global Poverty
Dave and Grace Deppner founded the organization in 1989 after an eye-opening experience in the Philippines. It was there that they discovered they could restore communities while saving degraded land.
Roughly 80% of the developing world has health and nutritional needs met by non-wood forest products and there are approximately 100,000 acres of forest lost each day in the world. The Deppners were determined to help reverse to statistics.
One country Trees for the Future works in is Senegal. Senegal’s increased deforestation has led to the loss of more than half of the forests. They have helped farmers plant more than half a million trees and develop forest gardens.
Trees for the Future has also partnered with the Peace Corps and the Senegalese Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry throughout their time there.
Brazil is another country where Trees for the Future’s impact can be seen. The organization has helped rebuild communities through the development of education programs on effective agroforestry. The main purposes of reforesting in Brazil are to bring back the nutrition in soil as well as to provide a source of food for the livestock.
One tree in particular, has proved invaluable to the Brazilian communities that the organization works with. The moringa oleifera tree produces edible pods, leaves and flowers. These are high in calcium and Vitamin A. The powder that comes from ground seeds has also helped improve the quality of water due to its purifying qualities.
The trees planted in these countries are unifying communities as well as creating sustainable agriculture. Trees for the Future has planted more than 50 million trees in various parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Their influence has reached 58 different countries and 12,000 villages.
– Iona Brannon
Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization, Trees for the Future, Trees for the Future: Senegal, Trees for the Future: Brazil,
Photo: Google Images
How Fortified Ingredients Can Stop Hidden Hunger
With one in three affected by malnutrition globally, hidden hunger is a prevalent but treatable epidemic. Africa is currently home to the highest levels of hidden hunger.
The UN stated in a report that, “of the 34 countries that account for 90% of the global burden of malnutrition, 22 are in Africa,” with 56 million children suffering stunted growth as a result.
But the good news is that an affordable solution appears to be on the horizon.
Marie Konaté, founder of Protein Kissèe-La (PKL), has created a key vitamin and mineral fortified cereal for children. Sourced locally from Côte d’Ivoire, the children’s cereal is targeted at the group most susceptible to hidden hunger: children under the age of 5.
As 46% of the African staple-based diet is composed of cereals, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Marie’s cereal is an affordable and delicious way to fight micro-malnutrition.
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has teamed up with PKL to provide the powdered supplements that are added to the cereal, thus keeping the costs even lower to consumers.
The fortification of food staples has already been implemented in a variety of products, from Nestlé’s bouillon cubes with added iron and iodine in Western and Central Africa to cooking oil with iron and vitamin A in Senegal.
Yet, one of the simplest ingredients used globally could be one of the most effective in fighting hidden hunger: iodized salt.
Commonly used in developed nations, iodized salt looks, smells and tastes the same as non-iodized, costing only 5 to 10 cents per person per year, reports Aljazeera America.
Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDDs), including goiter, hypothyroidism, reproductive problems in adults and mental and structural defects in infants, can all be combated through the simple consumption of iodized salt.
GAIN estimates that the number of children dying under the age of 5 could be halved if they received better nutrition.
Given that a whole host of staple ingredients, including salt, grain and oil are able to be fortified without compromising the taste and appearance of the product, it’s only a matter of funding to drastically reduce the numbers of micronutrient deficient people globally.
At the 2015 Future Fortified summit in Tanzania, GAIN, the African Union, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Food Program and USAID hashed out a viable global plan to put an end to hidden hunger.
They estimated that for every dollar spent on ending malnutrition, $138 would be saved on healthcare and previously lost productivity.
Since then, the African Union has requested $150 million in donations to fund food fortification and progress analytics in 25 nations.
Going forward, as more countries commit to mandating fortification, hidden hunger is closer than ever to being a problem of the past.
– Claire Colby
Sources: Aljazeera America, Associated Press, EurActive, Food and Agriculture Organization, GAIN, Global Post, New York Times, UN, UNICEF
Photo: LinkedIn
Poverty and Mental Health: How are They Connected?
Most people have encountered something like it: When you spend a long period under high stress, you wind up with a cold because your immune system is down. And vice versa: when you’re sick for a long period, you start to feel down in the dumps.
They’re both examples of the interplay between mental and physical health, something that scientists are learning more and more about. In terms of global poverty, there are many possibilities that could arise from an increased focus on the mental health of those living in the third world. Poverty becomes a third factor in this cyclical relationship.
Those who have mental disorders are more likely to be sick, and also to be impoverished (because they can’t find jobs due to feelings of inadequacy, discrimination or inability to function.) When a person is impoverished, they are less able to afford health care and are also more vulnerable to mental disorders such as depression. And the convoluted cycle continues.
In fact, way back in 1963, in a study by Langner and Michael, it was conceded that generally there is a cause and effect relationship between poverty and mental health.
The link between all three is almost inextricable. The World Health Organization (WHO) offers a few statistics that make this point all too clear.
Furthermore, according to WHO, 31 percent of countries don’t have a specific budget dedicated to health. Seventy-six to 85 percent of people with serious mental health conditions do not receive treatment in developing countries.
But this isn’t a depressing indicator that the doom of the world is coming quickly and imminently. On the contrary, understanding the nature of the cycle means that aid can enter into it at any point to keep it from perpetuating itself.
Aid for physical health and economic disparity are most commonly offered to those in the developing world. Perhaps, by taking a look at poverty from a new angle – through the lens of mental health – huge strides could be made towards improving all three areas on a global scale.
WHO’s website states, “Mental health issues cannot be considered in isolation from other areas of development, such as education, employment, emergency responses and human rights capacity building.”
Knowing that that is not what is being done gives humanitarians the perfect opportunity to reconsider what to prioritize in the fight against global poverty and chronic diseases, whether physical or mental.
– Emily Dieckman
Sources: Journals of The Royal College of Psychiatrists, Europa, WHO 1, WHO 2
Photo: Google Images
Social Safety Nets Save Malnourished Children in Togo
A large number of children in Nadjote, a small village located 18 km from the city of Dapaong, suffer from serious malnutrition. In order to combat this suffering, the Togolese government has established a safety net program aiming to financially help the most vulnerable households.
Specifically, the government set up a cash transfer program to provide financial assistance to households with malnutrition-suffering children in Togo.
This program is intended to provide a brighter future for children from the most disadvantaged families. Moreover, this program encourages households to obtain birth certificates for their children, offer them with education and health care.
Abna Kolani is one of the beneficiaries. She gave birth to seven children, but three of them died of malnutrition. As a beneficiary, during the past 12 months, she has received monthly financial assistance of 5,000 CFAF—around $9—for the children’s feeding and education.
According to the World Bank article, Abna noted that “With the money I receive each month to provide my youngest child with better nutrition, I can provide healthier food for all my children. I see a big change in their physical condition— their health and hygiene conditions are much better than before.”
“When they are sick, I can take them to the health center to receive care. In addition, the program has allowed me to send my eldest child to school and now all four have birth certificates.” Abna continued.
The project was launched by the Togolese government in 2013 and supported by the World Bank and the Japanese government.
Cooperating with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the program is aimed for parents with children between the ages of 0 and 24 months in the Kara and Savanes regions where malnutrition rates are extremely high.
Nanifei Lardja is another mother living in Nadjote mentioned in the World Bank article. Naniferi has five children, and she says, “I buy corn for 2,000 francs, soap for 1,000 francs, and small fish for 1,000 francs. I have my small plot for the vegetables I need and put aside the remaining 1,000 francs for other possible expenses.”
The program gives her not only material support but also confidence for a better future with her children.
“We are very pleased to note that the support activities organized, in particular the educational talks on the rights of children, nutrition, health and basic family practices have produced largely positive effects,” said Joachim Boko, a Social Protection Specialist at the World Bank.
According to Pounpouni Koumaï Tchadarou, the Regional Director for Social Action in the Savanes region and Program Coordinator, this program offers much more than mere financial assistance. Besides the 5,000 francs supplement, this program also provides a range of services, such as reminders of regular prenatal care and children’s register.
“We do everything to ensure that school-age children attend school. We also do home visits to heighten the awareness of the beneficiaries regarding the role played by good hygiene in improving the health of their children,” said Tchadarou.
“One day, you will come back here and see that the children you have helped have become teachers, nurses, and doctors,” said Yom Kouloukitibe, one of the 14,016 recipients to date of this financial assistance.
– Shengyu Wang
Sources: World Bank 1, UNICEF, World Bank 2
Photo: Flickr