“Together, we can make a difference.”
It sounds cliché, but in the world of humanitarianism, partnerships have been shown, again and again, to be key in fighting global poverty and injustices.
Of course, it occurs on an organizational level all the time. In the humanitarian community, organizations intersect in countless ways. At the end of almost any humanitarian website, there is a tab at the bottom called “Partnerships,” “Partners,” or “Work with Us.”
When one organization has the expertise to improve education opportunities, another has the educators on the ground, another has the finances, and another has the technology to create school supplies that are more affordable or efficient; a partnership can be massively beneficial.
Pooling resources to unite for a common goal means that more help can be brought to where it is needed most.
Historically, partnerships have occurred between countries in order to achieve common political, economic and sometimes humanitarian, goals.
Often, these arise out of necessity: wartime, natural disasters, disease epidemics, and so on. But when partnerships arise out of foresight, crises can be handled more efficiently and existing programs and policies can be improved.
An example is the countries united in a commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, which have been implemented over the last fifteen years to a largely successful degree.
In the partnership between GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Save the Children, there are five key elements: programming, research and development, joint-advocacy, employee engagement and cause-related marketing.
The Partnerships page of CARE, an organization whose mission is simply “to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world,” is divided into sections: foundations and trusts, corporate partners, humanitarian partners, institutional donors, and research and technical partners.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a part of the UN Secretariat. Its mission is to bring together humanitarian groups to make sure that responses to emergencies are coordinated and coherent.
It works with governments, regional organizations, and groups at the national and international levels in order to make sure that the people who need help are getting as much as they can as quickly as possible.
These are all examples of the many ways that partnerships can be utilized. There are so many different aspects to any heartfelt mission, so organizations can connect in ways that the average person might never have considered. When opportunities are considered critically, the possibilities are endless.
It can all start to feel a little bit like alphabet soup sometimes: The IRRI works with HRDC, SKEPs, and a company called PRIME. UNAIDS cosponsors include UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, and UNODC.
But here is what lies at the core of it all: organizations are coming together, communities are coming together, and individuals are coming together to make a difference and to do what is right. With technology increasing the rate of globalization, partnerships are easier than ever to form, and this should be taken advantage of.
It can serve as a lesson to anyone about the importance of coming together.
For any individual who looks at everything that is wrong with the world and says, “But what can I do?” because their resources and the scope of their influence are limited, he can ask, “What do I need in order to make a difference?”
From there, he can reach out to other individuals and groups who have different resources to offer, who have a different sphere of influence, who can help the person to make the kind of impact that will really be worthwhile.
“Partnership” is a word that can mean so many things. It offers forth a range of possibilities that are almost infinite. Humanitarian groups are one of the most important examples of how much more can be achieved through communication and the formation of connections.
– Emily Dieckman
Sources: Care, OCHA 1, IRRI, OCHA 2
Photo: Pixabay1, Pixabay2
Overcoming Extreme Poverty by Addressing Income Inequality
While world leaders have agreed to end global poverty by 2030, more than 200 million people worldwide will be trapped unnecessarily by income inequality unless governments find solutions.
Oxfam, an international organization that works to find solutions for poverty have reported that income inequality will continue to increase with the addition of the newly approved Sustainable Development Goals.
Research conducted by the Overseas Development Institute found that 79 percent of people in developing countries live in a nation where the incomes of the bottom 40 percent grew slower than the average during the period of the Millennial Development Goals.
The slow growth of income is due to the richest one percent’s fast earning potential. If trends continue, the richest one percent will own more wealth than the rest of the world’s population combined.
“Wealth does not automatically trickle down to those who need it most. It’s up to politicians to ensure everyone gets a fair share of the benefits of growth,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International.
While the past 15 years have seen the fastest reduction of poverty in human history, world leaders must act.
Some solutions to income inequality include:
Through government actions and the eradication of income inequality, the Sustainable Development Goals have a better shot of completion by 2030.
– Alexandra Korman
Sources: InfoZine, OxFam, Voice of America
Photo: Wikemedia
Can We Help Children Reach Their Fifth Birthday?
While this number demonstrates a significant achievement towards global progress for the United Nations, this 53% decrease has not met the Millennium Development Goal of a two-thirds reduction set to occur between 1990-2015.
With 16,000 children under 5 still dying each day, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Geeta Rao Gupta believes the challenges to saving these children must be met full-force.
“But the far too large number of children still dying from preventable causes before their fifth birthday – and indeed within their first month of life – should impel us to redouble our efforts to do what we know needs to be done. We cannot continue to fail them,” said Gupta in a World Health Organization (WHO) article.
Recognizing when children are most vulnerable is a necessary means of counteracting the cycle. This time of vulnerability has been determined to occur within the period at or around birth, with 45% of under-5 deaths happening within the neonatal period, which is the first 28 days of life.
Issues such as prematurity, pneumonia, complications during labor and delivery, diarrhea, sepsis and malaria are all leading causes of death for children under 5 years old, and it is here where improvements can begin.
In fact, nearly half of all under-5 deaths are associated with undernutrition. However, with the appropriate interventions, most of these occurrences are preventable.
For example, just by focusing on sub-Saharan regions which experience the highest levels of under-5 mortality rates in the world (with 1 in 12 children dying before their fifth birthday), these numbers can be vastly reduced.
Dr. Flavia Bustreo, Assistant Director-General at WHO, ensures we possess the knowledge to reduce newborn mortality.
“We know how to prevent unnecessary newborn mortality. Quality care around the time of childbirth including simple affordable steps like ensuring early skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding and extra care for small and sick babies can save thousands of lives every year,” she said.
Although many countries have already made incredible progress in reducing their number of child mortality rates, further progress must be made in the hopes of making sure all mothers and their children are ensured proper care by 2030.
Fortunately, it is through initiatives like the Global Financing Facility, in Support of Every Woman Every Child, which focus on “smarter, scaled and sustainable financing” that the UN is able to support and enable countries with the resources they need to “deliver essential health services and accelerate reductions in child mortality.”
With these programs in place, there is great potential for many more fifth birthdays to come.
– Nikki Schaffer
Sources: Child Mortality World Health Organization
Photo: Flickr
10 Top Philanthropists in Asia
The United Nations, the World Health Organization and other aid groups estimate that almost one-third of people in Asia live on less than $1.51 per day. Here are some of the most successful philanthropists in Asia who are fighting to end poverty and hunger by 2030.
10 Significant Philanthropists in Asia
– Joe Kitaj
Sources: Forbes 1, Forbes 2, Forbes 3
Photo: Flickr
Microsoft: Internet Access in Africa Using TV White Space
The Wi-Fi networks we use at home or in cafés have a limited signal reach of about 100 square feet.
To manage the problem of Internet connection, IT companies and Microsoft Corp. are utilizing TV white space. The technology is a spectrum of broadcast frequencies, typically used to transmit TV channels from one location to another, harnessed for wireless networks.
Through the 4Afrika initiative, Microsoft collaborates with local universities and IT companies including those in Namibia, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania, to bring the internet to unconnected parts of Africa. Microsoft launched the initiative in February 2013, with the latest project this year in Botswana.
TV white space makes broadband internet access in Africa affordable for most users in isolated parts of Namibia that could not otherwise access using typical café Wi-Fi. The distance of the frequency waves from the TV towers is much farther than a basic modem signal radius.
Namibia is an example of a large-scale white space project that covers a 38.5 by 94-mile area. The regions of Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati and 28 schools in Northern Namibia are now connected to a broadband network.
One of the purposes of connecting secluded areas is to ensure that schools can communicate with other schools, businesses and nations.
Namibia is not an exceptional country grappling with access to the internet. Many African schools and hospitals outside of urban areas require the internet to provide learners and patients with the best education and health care.
In Ghana, tablets and other electronics are used to connect students to a broader academic and business community. Orlando Ayala is chairman of emerging markets at Microsoft.
He says that “We have to be an active participant in ensuring that by empowering this young human resource, that translates into innovation and creation of jobs. Hopefully, Tech Start-ups come from not only Africa but beyond Africa.”
Broadband Internet connection in Limpopo, South Africa also links secondary schools to a larger education community. Mountain View secondary school teacher Simon Matlebjame says that “We will be able to interact with other countries. Learners will be marketable and employable.”
The Internet gap between some parts of Africa and other communities is often referred to as the “digital divide,” or Africa’s economic and technological relationship to the rest of the world.
Another one of 4Afrika initiative incentives is to enhance Africa’s global economic value.
Microsoft looks at Africa as an investment in the future of technology. The company’s message is that the “Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative is built on the dual beliefs that technology can accelerate growth for Africa, and Africa can also accelerate technology for the world.”
By focusing on world-class skills, innovation and access, the company aims to provide the tools for success in the global market. Beyond economic opportunity, the initiative brings quality health care to African countries.
Project Kgolagano connects hospitals and clinics to allow easy transmission of medical records and patient access to specialized medicine through telemedicine. In partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, Botswana government and other IT companies, Microsoft helps join specialized health care and hospitals.
Director of the Botswana Innovation Hub Marketing, ICT and Registration, Dr. Geoffrey Seleka says that “there is currently a lack of specialized care in remote hospitals and clinics in Botswana.” The specialized care using photo and video transmissions between hospitals will make quality health care realistic.
A 2012 U.N. Human Rights Council resolution declared that Internet access is a basic human right.
Hospitals all over Botswana and Africa are, or are in the process of being, connected. By the efforts of local educators, IT companies and the 4Afrika Initiative, hospitals will have easier access to crucial medical records and students will have easier time learning.
The overarching goal is that people in Africa will share medical, educational and technological innovations with the rest of the world.
– Michael Hopek
Sources: Penn Medicine, Microsoft, UW Electrical Engineering, 4Afrika Microsoft 1, 4Afrika Microsoft 2, 4Afrika Microsoft 3, 4Afrika Microsoft 4
Photo: The Guardian
Former Vietnamese Refugees Reach Out to Fleeing Syrians
As Syria’s civil war worsens, thousands of Syrians are compelled to abandon their lives and relocate to other countries. Their journeys often include the daunting task of crossing oceans in small vessels that are barely sea-worthy. However, safety does not always await them on the other side.
The mass exodus from Syria has caused no small amount of strife among political leaders as they discuss how to accommodate so many refugees.
Working citizens eye the situation warily, anticipating the incoming Syrians as a threat to their livelihoods. Settling in can be very difficult for refugees when their new community is unwelcoming. Such situations can result in refugees living in squalor and becoming a burden to their new country.
The U.S. agreed to take in 10,000 Syrians in the upcoming year, but the Vietnamese American population has decided that more can be done to ensure the newcomers receive a hospitable welcome. After all, only a few short decades separate the Vietnamese from their own experience as refugees.
When the Vietnam War ended in 1975, roughly 125,000 Vietnamese refugees entered the U.S. by boat, much like the Syrians. If they were lucky, they found housing and a source of income. The unlucky spent years in refugee camps or searched the country for separated loved ones.
Now, as they see their own history playing out before their eyes, Vietnamese Americans strive to generate compassion for the fleeing Syrians.
In California, home to the largest population of former Vietnamese refugees, individuals have organized a 4-mile walk-a-thon to raise money for refugee accommodation. A Twitter campaign has also been established to allow U.S. citizens to voice their support for the Syrian refugees.
Other ways that U.S. citizens can assist in the accommodation and acculturalization of refugees are by volunteering at local resettlement agencies, donating funds and household items, becoming an English tutor and spreading the word about refugee aid.
“I want to see what we can do to help the Syrians because that is us,” says Tom Q. Nguyen, who lost his mother and sister when his family fled Vietnam in the 80’s.
Nguyen and fellow campaigners hope that their efforts will inspire others to take part as well. Perhaps the actions of these former Vietnamese refugees mark a new outlook on refugee accommodation.
According to the UNHCR’s 2015 report, nearly 60 million forcibly displaced persons exist in the world today. Half of these are victims of the turmoil in Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia, and all are in need of a new home.
– Sarah Prellwitz
Sources: Migration Policy 1, Migration Policy 2, NY Daily News, Rescue
Photo: Google Image
Genetic Counseling for Developing Countries
Genetic disorders are diseases that are caused by a mutation in the genetic structure of the cell. These mutations can arise from a modification of the nucleic chromatin material, as well as an alteration of one of the coding bases in the DNA structure.
Genetic mutations arise from many different causes and manifest in various ways as well. The genetic mutations can arise at two different levels: at a nucleotide level, or at a chromosomal level. A nucleotide is a building block of DNA- the hereditary, genetic material of any living cell.
Each nucleotide triplet can code for an amino acid, which is, in turn, a building block of proteins. Any insertion or deletion of a nucleotide can lead to a wrong protein structure.
At the chromosomal level, portions of the chromosome- which contains huge portions of the DNA strands- can be altered. Both of these mutations can lead to an alteration of protein structure, which is the physiological and anatomical basis for life.
Genetic mutations can lead to many devastating consequences for those affected by it. Cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, and neurodegenerative diseases like muscular dystrophy are some of the more familiar genetic diseases with terrible implications for the patient.
Genetic diseases are not generally preventable after an individual’s phenotype has been determined. Treatment of certain genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, requires constant medication and therapy. The treatment is also expensive and experimental in most cases and inaccessible in many developing countries.
Genetic counseling is becoming widely popular in the Western, resource-rich countries as a preventative measure for genetic disorders. Genetic counseling involves advising at-risk patients–or those with familial histories of a disease–of the chances of transmitting or developing a disease.
Many genetic disorders have now been classified on the basis of their mode of transmittance, and parents can be advised of how probable it is for their children to develop the disease. If the probability of affected children is high, they can also be advised of alternative options, as well as the severity of disease if a child is affected.
Unfortunately, genetic testing and genetic counseling are facilities that are unavailable in many places where they are needed. For instance, sickle-cell anemia is a disorder where the red blood cells in the body are of a distorted structure. If untreated or undiagnosed, the disease can have fatal complications for the patient.
Genetic research has indicated the high rate of prevalence of the disease in mid-African populations. Similarly, the risk of genetic diseases is high in many Arab countries, due to inter-family marriage practices.
Despite the high genetic frequency of the sickle cell anemia trait in central Africa, little to no counseling resources are available. For example in Nigeria- where the trait occurs in 20-30 percent of the population- there is not one genetic counseling clinic available.
Studies have reported equally low genetic education in many Arab countries. The lack of knowledge and informative resources for genetic disorders inhibit the prevention of such diseases, which in turn can be a considerable strain on resources as well.
In light of these statistics, there is an exigent need for the establishment of genetic counseling clinics. The stance of many scientists is to spur the research in Western countries to ultimately come up with highly efficient and cost-effective solutions.
However, the high instance of genetic disease and genetic susceptibility to diseases is an issue that needs to be addressed in the present.
The prevention of serious diseases in the developing world can only be partially successful if genetic counseling and testing are omitted. Healthy nations are, after all, capable of realizing their potential to the fullest and providing a better life for their citizens.
– Atifah Safi
Sources: Afro, AJOL, BMJ, Genome, NIH, State
Photo: Google Images, Pixabay
The Power of Partnerships
“Together, we can make a difference.”
It sounds cliché, but in the world of humanitarianism, partnerships have been shown, again and again, to be key in fighting global poverty and injustices.
Of course, it occurs on an organizational level all the time. In the humanitarian community, organizations intersect in countless ways. At the end of almost any humanitarian website, there is a tab at the bottom called “Partnerships,” “Partners,” or “Work with Us.”
When one organization has the expertise to improve education opportunities, another has the educators on the ground, another has the finances, and another has the technology to create school supplies that are more affordable or efficient; a partnership can be massively beneficial.
Pooling resources to unite for a common goal means that more help can be brought to where it is needed most.
Historically, partnerships have occurred between countries in order to achieve common political, economic and sometimes humanitarian, goals.
Often, these arise out of necessity: wartime, natural disasters, disease epidemics, and so on. But when partnerships arise out of foresight, crises can be handled more efficiently and existing programs and policies can be improved.
An example is the countries united in a commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, which have been implemented over the last fifteen years to a largely successful degree.
In the partnership between GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Save the Children, there are five key elements: programming, research and development, joint-advocacy, employee engagement and cause-related marketing.
The Partnerships page of CARE, an organization whose mission is simply “to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world,” is divided into sections: foundations and trusts, corporate partners, humanitarian partners, institutional donors, and research and technical partners.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a part of the UN Secretariat. Its mission is to bring together humanitarian groups to make sure that responses to emergencies are coordinated and coherent.
These are all examples of the many ways that partnerships can be utilized. There are so many different aspects to any heartfelt mission, so organizations can connect in ways that the average person might never have considered. When opportunities are considered critically, the possibilities are endless.
It can all start to feel a little bit like alphabet soup sometimes: The IRRI works with HRDC, SKEPs, and a company called PRIME. UNAIDS cosponsors include UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, and UNODC.
But here is what lies at the core of it all: organizations are coming together, communities are coming together, and individuals are coming together to make a difference and to do what is right. With technology increasing the rate of globalization, partnerships are easier than ever to form, and this should be taken advantage of.
It can serve as a lesson to anyone about the importance of coming together.
For any individual who looks at everything that is wrong with the world and says, “But what can I do?” because their resources and the scope of their influence are limited, he can ask, “What do I need in order to make a difference?”
From there, he can reach out to other individuals and groups who have different resources to offer, who have a different sphere of influence, who can help the person to make the kind of impact that will really be worthwhile.
“Partnership” is a word that can mean so many things. It offers forth a range of possibilities that are almost infinite. Humanitarian groups are one of the most important examples of how much more can be achieved through communication and the formation of connections.
– Emily Dieckman
Sources: Care, OCHA 1, IRRI, OCHA 2
Photo: Pixabay1, Pixabay2
How the Richest Man in China Became its Top Philanthropist
China’s rich men have been passionate about philanthropy. In the latest Hurun Report, China’s FORBES list, Ma Yun (Jack Ma), the richest man in China, is also the country’s most generous person.
Ma Yun is the founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a family of highly successful internet-based businesses. In 2014, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with an estimated net worth of $29.7 billion, he was listed as the richest man in China and the 18th richest person in the world.
In 2014, Ma Yun donated 14.5 billion RMB to the improvement of the environment, medicine and health care, as well as education and culture. Thus, it’s the first time in China that the richest guy is also the most generous one.
Recently, donation for philanthropies has been popular among China’s wealthy businessmen. Cai Chongxin, the second largest shareholder in Alibaba Group donated 6.2 billion RMB to philanthropies and thus become the top philanthropist in the region of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
The new record of the donated funding has been reached recently. The donation made by the first 100 philanthropists on the Hurun Report of Philanthropy has increased 264 percent compared with that in the last year.
Except Ma Yun, the rest of the philanthropists on the list have donated 8.6 percent more than last year on average. The level of being nominated for the list has increased 1 million RMB than last year. On the list, there are 71 newly nominated philanthropists.
Most philanthropists donated to the educational area, which occupied 27 percent in all the philanthropic donations. The second popular area that people donated was social charity. At the same time, disaster relief and poverty alleviation are also the main donated areas.
In 2014, Ma Yun and Cai Chongxin established two charitable trust funds based on their share holdings in Alibaba Group. After the Initial Public Offering, these two charitable trust funds are worth over $2 billion.
According to Ma, these two trust funds will be dedicated to pollution control and medical industry in China.
“I want to live in a world with bluer sky, cleaner water and better health care. I concern a lot about the environment, medical care and education in China, but only concerning can’t help. I’m passionate about contributing into and solving those problems.” Said Ma, a founder of charitable trust funds.
The establishment of two charitable trust funds made Ma Yun and Cai Chongxin known among worldwide famous philanthropists. In the press conference, Ma Yun received congratulations from many celebrated philanthropists, such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Michael Bloomberg.
“Their donations set the new standard for the philanthropy in China, and other businessmen and business leaders are very likely to follow them.” Said Bloomberg.
– Shengyu Wang
Sources: Sina, Hurun Report, Financial Times China
Photo: Wikimedia
Moringa: The Miracle Tree
Moringa oleifera, the moringa tree, has been aptly nicknamed the miracle tree for its nutritional value and medical qualities. The moringa tree is native to South Asia and is known for how quickly it grows.
Many parts of the tree are edible, making it a valuable source of food in impoverished, rural areas especially in times of drought because the tree is very hardy.
Nearly every part of the moringa tree can be used. Although the wood from the tree is not very high quality, the fruit, leaves and pods are all edible.
The moringa tree leaves have a very high level of protein, calcium, iron, vitamin C as well as vitamin A. One cup of moringa leaves offers two grams of protein and more than 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, vitamin B6, iron, and riboflavin. One cup of moringa pods offers 157 percent of the daily allowance for vitamin C.
The leaves have twice as much calcium and protein as whole milk when compared ounce for ounce. Considering approximately 670,000 children die from a vitamin A deficiency every year, the moringa’s nutrients are very valuable.
Moringa oil is extracted from the seed of the tree. This oil’s special quality is that it does not quickly go rancid. In impoverished areas where refrigeration is not an option, the oil can be a very good alternative to other vegetable oils.
One of the significant attributes of the moringa tree in light of global poverty is the purification quality of the seeds. There is a coagulant found in the crushed seed that can be used to reduce turbidity and alkalinity in water. There is also an antiseptic property withing the seed that helps purify it.
The nutrition within the tree makes the moringa a valuable asset in the alleviation of global hunger. The success of the moringa tree is evident as organizations have incorporated it into their programs for hunger alleviation. The Peace Corps in specific implements the use of the tree into the programs.
– Iona Brannon
Sources: Epoch Times, Fox News, International Journal of Development and Sustainability, Kuli Kuli, SABC
Photo: Flickr
In India Silkworms are an Economic Boon to the Poor
Silk has always been a highly coveted material. While silk production is said to have begun in China several thousand years ago, the vibrant and expensive material also has a long history in India. Today, silk production may represent a pathway out of poverty for India’s rural poor.
In the eastern state of Bihar, India, women like Munia Murmu are expanding their economic opportunities by farming silkworms and producing silk. Like much of rural India, Murmu lived in extreme poverty until she started raising the worms.
She belongs to a tribal community, generically referred to as an Adivasi, who suffer some of the worst scores on most development indicators such as income, life expectancy and health in India.
Fortunately, silkworm rearing and silk production, also known as sericulture, allow these rural, tribal communities to lift themselves out of poverty.
A local NGO called Pradan (short for Professional Assistance for Development Action) provides livelihoods and training to these communities, teaching them advanced techniques to efficiently rear and sell silkworms and silk.
This is especially attractive for rice farmers in the state of Bihar and nearby Jharkhand, who do not have irrigated crops and must depend on unreliable monsoon rains. Sericulture provides a much-needed buffer against the uncertainty of growing traditional crops but probably doesn’t represent a stable year-round source of income itself.
Demand for silk is enormous in India alone, which is the world’s largest consumer of silk as well as the second largest producer after China. Silk products are also highly valued in western markets like the U.S. and Europe, making sericulture a very lucrative option for farmers like Murmu who are subject to seasonal uncertainty.
During silkworm breeding season, lasting three months per year, Murmu earns about $770, an amount that clearly goes a long way in improving her quality of life. A global annual demand of 1500 tons of raw silk also eliminates any worries about overproduction. As long as rural villagers are willing to raise silkworms, they will be able to find a market for their products.
Though silkworm production isn’t a new phenomenon in eastern India, Murmu and her tribal community have managed to increase yields from the techniques introduced to them from Pradan. For example, the NGO showed her community how to inspect eggs for disease using microscopes, as well as how to plant trees that host worms and moths.
Pradan has also provided instruction in the rearing of higher-value varieties of silkworms, such as Tasar, which is particularly productive in the large forests of Bihar. These developments have allowed villagers to maximize their profits by using only the most productive worms.
Thankful for the extra income they provide, Murmu simply says, “Silkworms have changed our lives,” pointing out her newly-built house, water pump and indoor plumbing. With proper training, rural farmers in other parts of India could also supplement their income and potentially grow out of extreme poverty.
Like what the ancient philosopher Maimonides said about teaching a man to fish, teaching the rural poor how to raise silkworms can help them support themselves and their communities in a generational, inexpensive and sustainable manner.
– Derek Marion
Sources: Global Post, Academia, Pradan
Photo: Google Images