Cricket is one of the world’s most popular sports, with billions across the globe idolizing its stars. As well as their dazzling on-field performances, the charitable contributions of some of the game’s biggest figures have been notable. Here are three examples of cricket players ending poverty.
Sachin Tendulkar
Known as “The God of Cricket,” Tendulkar became arguably the game’s greatest-ever figure due, in part, to his record-breaking international career from 1989 to 2013. However, it is not only Sachin’s cricketing skills that engender awe and admiration. He has been involved in a wide range of charitable causes, especially focusing on supporting those in his native India. The nation has made immense progress in reducing poverty, with 415 million Indians leaving poverty from 2005 to 2020. Nonetheless, in 2019, 137 million Indians were still living in poverty, accounting for a headcount higher than any other country in the world.
In 2013, Tendulkar became UNICEF’s first Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia and has since worked passionately with the organization to improve the health and well-being of children on the subcontinent. In 2016, he led UNICEF’s Swachh Bharat campaign to improve sanitation in India. Sachin championed its objectives to end open defecation and to ensure every Indian had access to a toilet. Also, in 2018, he visited Bhutan to support UNICEF’s hand-washing initiative, meeting with school children and the interim Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Wangchuk.
As well as his work with UNICEF, Tendulkar has also made many personal donations to charitable causes. He donated generously to India’s fight against COVID-19. In total, he contributed 15 million rupees, approximately $185,000. Mission Oxygen, a social enterprise established at the peak of India’s second wave of COVID-19 in April 2021, received a total of 10 million rupees from this donation. The social enterprise provided 5,224 medical-grade oxygen contributors to more than 370 medical institutions in India, helped set up 37 oxygen generation plants and donated 55,000 oximeters that facilitated the monitoring of the COVID-19 status of 6 million people.
His personal foundation, The Sachin Tendulkar Foundation, funds organizations that improve the access Indian children have to education, health care and sport. One such organization is Apnalaya, a nonprofit that provides basic services to the urban poor of Sachin’s hometown of Mumbai, which has a large slum population. Via Apnalaya, The Sachin Tendulkar Foundation sponsors the education of 200 less-privileged children in Mumbai every year, helping them to break free from the limitations of deprivation and poverty.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli, India’s cricketing icon of the modern era, holds immense influence in the fight against poverty. With more than 245 million followers on Instagram, he stands as a leading figure among cricket players dedicated to this cause. Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Tendulkar, Kohli exhibits a steadfast commitment to uplifting fellow Indians living in the most challenging circumstances.
In 2013, Kohli established the Virat Kohli Foundation (VKF), an organization dedicated to assisting those enduring extreme poverty. Through a partnership with the Raah Foundation, VKF focuses on delivering health care services to malnourished tribal children across India. Notably, tribal communities constitute the country’s most deprived group, with an estimated 5 million tribal children suffering from chronic undernourishment, as UNICEF highlighted.
In 2020, VKF launched Project Nutrition for Transformation, an initiative aimed at combating malnutrition among tribal children. This project successfully provided a year-long nutritional food supply to 5,000 malnourished tribal children across 103 health centers in the Maharashtra region. As a result, there was an increase in the number of tribal children attending regional health centers, empowering them to improve their overall well-being and livelihood prospects.
In a philanthropic endeavor, Kohli organized a charity dinner in 2016 to raise funds for The Smile Foundation. Since its establishment in 2002, the Smile Foundation has been actively working to uplift underprivileged children in India by implementing educational, health care and female empowerment programs. Notably, their livelihood programs equip young underprivileged Indians with vital employment skills, providing them with opportunities to uplift themselves and their families from poverty. These programs also prioritize female empowerment, as 71% of the 75,000 children trained are girls. Furthermore, Kohli made personal donations to support suffering Indians.
In 2020, he and his wife Anushka Sharm together donated an undisclosed amount to the PM Cares Fund and the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to assist the victims of COVID-19.
Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes, England’s current captain, has also contributed to a range of charitable causes, both at home and around the world. During England’s most recent tour of Pakistan in 2022, he pledged his entire wage package of £45,000. This was to help the people suffering from the impacts of the country’s devastating floods. According to reports, more than 20.6 million people in Pakistan still require humanitarian assistance. In his announcement, Stokes said that “The game has given me a lot in my life and I feel it’s only right to give something back that goes far beyond cricket.”
Stokes is a supporter of the British Asian Trust, a charity that aims to eliminate poverty, injustice and inequality in South Asia. King Charles III and a group of British Asian business leaders formed the trust in 2007. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the trust launched an emergency appeal and provided life-saving aid to more than 135,000 Indians, including essential items such as vegetables, flour, pulses and essential oils.
Stokes has contributed to the Trust’s efforts to eradicate child labor in Jaipur, India, where the organization collaborates with local authorities to enhance educational opportunities. In Britain, he has been involved in supporting the victims of COVID-19. In 2020, Stokes was part of the England Cricket Team that together donated £500,000 of their wages to the fight against COVID-19. Later in the year, he ran a half-marathon to fundraise for the National Health Service (NHS) and the charity Chance to Shine, which provides underprivileged communities in the U.K. access to cricket.
What is Next?
These three cricket players ending poverty are some of the greatest the game has ever seen. Yet, even more impressive than their sporting prowess are the examples they are setting for other privileged people by participating in humanitarian work. Such actions by these cricket players and others could encourage more participation in the fight against poverty, and in effect, create a poverty-free world.
– Henry Jones
Photo: Flickr
The Effect of The Russian War in Ukraine on Poverty
According to a report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Russian war in Ukraine has prompted a surge in food and energy costs, pushing approximately 71 million people into poverty worldwide. The global food crisis is among the farthest-reaching consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine, contributing to widespread starvation and poverty across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The outbreak of war in Ukraine has also caused a worldwide energy crisis. According to the World Economic Forum, global household energy costs have nearly doubled due to the rise in fuel prices.
It took within three months of the Russian invasion for 71 million people to fall into poverty, surpassing the economic impact felt during the peak of the pandemic. As of April 2023, the Russian war in Ukraine has catapulted millions into poverty worldwide, driving the global extreme poverty rate to 9.2%.
The Cause
Before the war, Russia was the world’s largest exporter of natural gas and crude oil, and Russia and Ukraine together accounted for a substantial portion of global wheat, corn and sunflower exports. Many know Ukraine as the “breadbasket of Europe” as it is among the world’s top three grain exporting countries.
Blocked ports have jeopardized low-income countries that rely on Russian and Ukrainian exports. Some of the affected countries include Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Haiti and Armenia.
Households in low-income countries allocate a significant proportion of their income (approximately 42%, according to AP News) to food expenses. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that in Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, food costs can account for up to 70% of household spending. The skyrocketing prices of wheat, sugar and cooking oil due to sanctions imposed on Russia by Western countries have caused an additional financial strain on these families.
The Russian military has destroyed Ukrainian grain storage facilities, and many Ukrainian farmers have joined the army or left their land. Russian attacks on the energy grid have shut down nitrogen fertilizer plants. Transportation costs have soared, and shipping costs have doubled. Also, due to banking limitations and insurance expenses, Russia has stopped selling fertilizers, and this continues to affect farmers around the world.
Historically, Russia has been a major exporter of natural gas to Europe, but the international sanctions targeting the Russian energy sector have led to supply limitations which have boosted prices. Moscow has limited its exports, further driving up costs elsewhere. Vulnerable households tend to rely more on purchasing energy-intensive goods and services. The rise in energy prices has made households more vulnerable to energy poverty, which is especially dangerous in winter.
The Effect
While the rise in the cost of groceries and gas can be frustrating in wealthy nations such as the U.S. and the U.K., the impact of rising food and energy prices and disrupted supplies can be life-threatening in developing nations. The rate of price increase varies across regions, ranging from 60% in the U.S. to 1900% in Sudan, with the Middle East and North Africa taking the most hit. As both Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of wheat, the war poses a serious threat to countries that heavily rely on grain from both countries for their staple foods. Some of the affected countries include Lebanon, Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Other countries, including Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka and the Kyrgyz Republic, do not have adequate resources to deal with the hunger crisis due to their debt burdens.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the price of fossil fuels sharply increased. According to the World Economic Forum, between February and September 2022, the cost of coal rose by 176%, crude oil and petroleum products increased by 51% and natural gas prices rose by 94%. This has increased global household expenditure by between 2.7% and 4.8%. Countries like Rwanda have been significantly affected, with household energy costs increasing up to three times the global average.
Russia’s military operations in Ukraine have had a major impact, causing Ukraine’s exports to go down from their average before the war of 5 million to 7 million metric tons of grains and oilseeds per month to an average of 3.5 million metric tons from March to November. Russia has blocked 7 of 13 ports that Ukraine uses, severely limiting shipping potential.
A Possible Solution
UNDP suggests that targeted cash transfers are more equitable than blanket energy subsidies, which may only provide short-term relief and reward the wealthier population. Cash transfers primarily assist the poorest 40% of the population whereas energy subsidies mainly benefit affluent individuals, with more than 50% of the benefits favoring the wealthiest 20% of the population. Additionally, a two-year debt moratorium could assist all developing countries, regardless of their GDP per capita.
What’s Next?
The Russian war in Ukraine has catapulted millions into poverty worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for global cooperation to alleviate the horrors of war. The measures proposed by the UNDP have the potential to bring stability and improve the living conditions of millions affected by the war-induced food and energy crisis.
– Skye Connors
Photo: Flickr
Understanding the Underlying Factors of Indigenous Poverty in Canada
Intergenerational Trauma within Indigenous Communities
Indigenous communities in Canada have long been victims of colonial policies that suppress their cultural identity and assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Western culture through the residential school system. The accumulation of profound intergenerational distress and trauma has persisted and compounded over time, transmitting across successive generations within kinship groups and becoming entrenched within Indigenous families across Canada. Intergenerational trauma faced by the Indigenous population in Canada has resulted in the manifestation of various symptoms, including anxiety, depression and substance abuse. Addressing these challenges has proven to be a challenging task for mental health professionals in Canada. At the community level, there is a need to recognize the impact of colonization, allocate resources to community-based initiatives in Indigenous reserves and continue promoting reconciliation with Indigenous communities.
The Remoteness of Indigenous Communities
The responsibility over Indigenous reserves lies with the federal government of Canada. Indigenous reserves are mostly in isolated northern Canadian provinces and territories. Due to their distance, these communities have difficulties acquiring basic resources, including food, shelter and education, which are more expensive than in southern communities. In some communities, employment opportunities are few.
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) works to enhance First Nations, Inuit and Métis services. The mission of the ISC is to facilitate the self-sufficiency of Indigenous communities in delivering essential services and addressing socio-economic circumstances within their respective communities. At present, the federal government endeavors to formulate measures aimed at promoting the provision of clean water on reserves. It also established helplines for mental health services and implements non-insured health benefits.
Systemic Discrimination and Institutional Racism
Institutional racism and prejudice increase Indigenous poverty in Canada. Justice, health care and job discrimination restrict resources and opportunities. The 2017 to 2018 Annual Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator revealed a concerning surge in Indigenous imprisonment. The proportion of Indigenous federal prisoners rose from 20% in 2008 to 2009 to 28% in 2017 to 2018. Despite experiencing higher victimization rates, Indigenous individuals are not inherently more prone to committing crimes compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. The 2019 GSS reported that Indigenous people faced 33% higher discrimination than non-Indigenous and non-visible minority individuals.
The government initiative Budget 2021 allocated $126.7 million over 3 years to combat anti-Indigenous racism in Canada’s health systems. Among the initiatives is the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations First Nations Health Ombudsperson Office. Advocates from this agency work with patients and families to address systemic concerns with federal and provincial health institutions. They also assist in identifying solutions to address conflicts and concerns, ultimately leading to improvements in the overall system.
Educational Barriers
Indigenous peoples suffer lifelong educational hurdles. Colonialism, marginalization, poor education in reserves and limited finance create these impediments. Indigenous peoples struggle with regard to education due to little educational financing, especially in rural locations with few schools and programs. Nearly half of Indigenous reserve residents in Ontario lack a high school diploma. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada currently conducts youth employment, job experience and skills development programs. These initiatives finance First Nations and Inuit post-secondary students. These programs try to overcome educational inequities and improve employability for Indigenous students, yet weak educational systems in Indigenous communities perpetuate economic instability and poverty.
The Long-Term Consequences of Residential Schools
From the 17th century through the late 1990s, Canada ran Indigenous residential schools. These Christian-run institutions aimed to eradicate Indigenous culture and incorporate children into Euro-Western civilization. Survivors and their descendants continue to suffer from emotional trauma and loss of language, culture and mental well-being after the closure of residential schools. The Canadian government has often apologized to Indigenous people for residential school abuse and Pope Benedict apologized to the Assembly of First Nations’ National Chief in 2009 for Indigenous people’s suffering in residential schools. Additionally, many Indigenous people suffer from substance abuse to deal with mental health issues caused by the residential school system. The 2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement created the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program to assist Indigenous communities in coping with emotional trauma. Former students of residential schools may seek cultural and emotional assistance through the program’s crisis hotlines fostering a positive outlet.
Looking Ahead
Indigenous poverty in Canada persists due to a variety of circumstances, including residential institutions, educational challenges, isolation on Indigenous reservations, racial conflicts and the long-term repercussions of intergenerational trauma. Nonetheless, there are positive indicators (due to ongoing effort) of improvement in these communities in terms of reconciliation, empowerment and inclusion.
– Valentina Ornelas
Photo: Flickr
Poverty and Playtime: How Games Can Lift Children Out of Poverty
The Jamaican Study
A study conducted in Jamaica by child health specialists Sally Grantham-McGregor and Susan Walker may hold the answer. The study revealed a bold link between poverty and playtime, specifically that playing with toys at an early age had the potential to lift a child out of poverty later in life. The Jamaican study looked at children between 9 months and 24 months of age who were classified as living in extreme poverty and, weekly for two years, provided them and their families with a ‘mental and social stimulus’ program. The program involved the use of handmade toys and simple picture books. Parents were encouraged to sing and read with their children. The children receiving toys and regular playtime were compared to a control group over the course of 20 years.
The results were staggering. Those who had participated in regular playtime earned 25% more in adulthood than children in the control group. Children who had playtime had higher IQ and cognitive flexibility, better mental health and fewer risk behaviors later in life. The study’s methodology showed that playtime does not need to be expensive to be effective. Its simplicity means similar methods are now being duplicated across Bangladesh, India and Colombia, tailored to fit a specific country’s needs. There is hope the results will be just as promising as the results from the Jamaican Study.
Further Studies Regarding Children and Playtime
Further studies have suggested that children living in poverty are more likely to suffer from developmental delays. Most important to note is that the act of play substantially mitigated these delays. These results prove that there is a significant and long-term benefit to play. The results suggest that it is important that children, especially in developing countries where poverty acts as a barrier to play, have the space and tools they need to enjoy playing.
Global Play Schemes for Kids
There are a number of play schemes in place across many disadvantaged parts of the world. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), for example, has been operating the Child Friendly Spaces scheme since 1999. These spaces typically run in areas plagued by conflict or extreme weather events. These spaces are so invaluable, they have come to be known as sanctuaries – places where children can run, sing and play together safely and freely. Child Friendly Spaces mean that the gap between poverty and playtime is shortened rather than widened, ensuring that children are fulfilled and enriched in spite of their circumstances.
Other initiatives to bring toys to children living in poverty include:
Going Forward
It is evident how much positivity toys can bring to a child, both emotionally and developmentally. Ultimately, it is vital for the well-being of children living in developing countries that opportunities for playtime are plentiful, and that poverty and playtime can coexist rather than exist separately.
On the bright side, global initiatives and organizations like UNICEF, Play Well Africa, Samaritan’s Purse and Worldwide Orphans are working tirelessly to bridge the gap between poverty and playtime, ensuring that children in disadvantaged circumstances can experience the joy and benefits of play.
– Chloe Jenkins
Photo: Flickr
New low-cost batteries set to light up African hopes and homes
The University of Strathclyde in the United Kingdom (U.K.) has developed and tested a new low-cost battery that promises to reduce the production prices of current batteries by almost 70%. These new cheaper, low-carbon power batteries could make it easier to supply more homes in sub-Saharan Africa with electricity, as well as businesses and hospitals, currently in need of power.
Working alongside Scotland-based StorTera, the researchers found that the new battery could support infrastructures such as telecommunication towers and replace the current expensive fossil-fuel-powered batteries which are keeping them active. The two groups came together on this project following the supply of a grant from the U.K.’s Faraday Institution, which is part of the institution’s Transforming Energy Access (TEA) initiative.
The testing of the low-cost battery took place in the U.K. during the nationwide heatwave in 2022, in which temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, making the researchers confident that the batteries could withstand the hot temperatures in Africa.
No Change in Recent Years
Currently, more than 578 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are without electricity. An International Energy Agency (IEA) report estimated that there will be more than 600 million people without electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.
Despite the increase in population, the IEA report showed that nearly 400 million people will gain electricity access in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa if they meet investments of $6 billion by 2030. According to the agency’s findings, the largest part of the continent which will see a lack of improvement in their access to electricity will be central Africa
Lack of electricity in sub-Saharan Africa has affected the countries’ national health care systems massively in recent years, as nearly 60% of the health care facilities do not have access to reliable electricity in order to power their refrigerators.
With no electricity, hospitals are unable to keep bags of blood, insulin and other medicines in their facilities, as safe refrigeration storage systems need electrical power. Similarly, there are no working MRI machines, x-ray scanners and heart rate monitors in most healthcare facilities in sub-Saharan Africa. These issues highlight the importance of the newly developed low-cost batteries.
Maternal and New Born Deaths
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the lack of electricity has a large effect on maternal women and children, as they both need constant care in health care facilities that have stable electrical power supply. More than 4.5 million women and babies die every year during pregnancy, childbirth or within the first month after birth. All of these are linked largely to the lack of power keeping health care facilities’ lighting and operating tables at a minimum.
Director of the Technical Division at the U.N.’s Population Fund (UNFPA) Dr. Julitta Onabanjo said “The death of any woman or young girl during pregnancy or childbirth is a serious violation of their human rights.”
WHO also revealed that there has not been much success in reducing these numbers since 2015, as last in 2022, there were nearly 290,000 maternal deaths, 1.9 million stillbirths and more than 2.3 million child deaths within the first month of being born.
Director of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health at WHO Dr. Anshu Banerjee, commented on the lack of progress saying “If we wish to see different results, we must do things differently. More and smarter investments in primary healthcare are needed now so that every woman and baby have the best chance of health and survival.”
Powering Up
Investments and initiatives such as Power Africa and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), are currently at the forefront of the battle to supply the whole of Africa with electricity. Power Africa established more than 18 million new power connections to homes in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. It also plans to add an additional 60 million power connections by 2030.
Similarly, in 2022, SEforALL in partnership with Power Africa and USAID guaranteed a two-year $1 million grant which supports African governments in providing electricity to the continent’s health care sector alone. This effort is also an attempt to provide more hospitals with power.
With the invention of new low-cost batteries, grants like these could have a better use to supply more buildings with electricity from the same amount of money, as the supply costs per building reduce substantially.
Power Africa’s coordinator Mark Carrato, commented on the initiative saying, “This grant supports stronger and more resilient health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa by accelerating the development and deployment of clean energy and sustainable investment in health facilities.”
Looking Ahead
Innovations like the low-cost battery developed by the University of Strathclyde in the U.K. offer a glimmer of hope for improving access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. By significantly reducing production prices, these batteries could pave the way for supplying more homes, businesses and hospitals with reliable power. Investments and initiatives like Power Africa and SEforALL are already working toward expanding electricity access, and with the introduction of affordable energy storage solutions, their impact can be amplified, leading to improved healthcare outcomes and a brighter future for the region.
– Sam Kalantzis
Photo: Flickr
Addressing Homelessness in Hawaii
The tropical island of Hawaii is a popular tourist destination yet the island nation struggles with the issue of homelessness. Thousands of Hawaii’s locals live in tents, cars or cramped spaces with their children and families. According to the Point in Time Count sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, an estimated 5,973 individuals endured homelessness in Hawaii in 2022. Several local organizations are committed to helping families secure shelter and meet their other basic needs.
Uncovering Homelessness in Hawaii
According to the organization Homeless Hawaii, poverty, mental illness, addiction, trauma, unstable employment and family violence contribute to homelessness in Hawaii. Native Hawaiians are particularly susceptible to many of these issues. Hawaii has a high cost of living, and the average income does not support this. As of 2022, the average minimum wage in Hawaii stood at $12 an hour. However, the average sales price of a home statewide is above $800,000 as of 2023. A single adult would need to make at least $22 an hour to afford to live in Hawaii. Families with three children and both parents working would require a living wage of almost $40. Hawaii has limited land and high costs for transportation, food, child care and medical care, which exacerbates the homelessness crisis.
4 Local Charities Addressing Homelessness in Hawaii
Looking Ahead
Homelessness is a human rights issue. By overlooking the issue of homelessness, the world fails to uphold the internationally recognized human right of adequate housing. Fortunately, the commitments of several local organizations in Hawaii ensure that the people of Hawaii are able to secure their most basic needs.
– Ellie Bruce
Photo: Flickr
Victory Farms: Developing Sustainable Aquaculture in Lake Victoria
Troubled Waters of Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria has always been home to a very diverse ecosystem of freshwater species, many of them exclusively found there. Only 21.8% of the fish species in Lake Victoria exist elsewhere in the world. However, this ecosystem is highly fragile and endangered due to a number of reasons.
To begin with, several invasive foreign species damaged the local ecosystem. The Nile Perch was introduced to Lake Victoria in the 1950s with the intention to boost fish production, but it rapidly disrupted the entire food chain of the lake and drove local cichlid fish species to near extinction.
Water hyacinth is another invasive species that has a highly negative impact on both the ecosystem and the livelihoods of locals in Lake Victoria. Locals believe that European colonists brought it as a decorative plant due to the beauty of its flowers. However, it is also capable of rapidly growing and covering a wide portion of water bodies in a short period of time. Not only is this disruptive for boat traffic, but the plant also depletes the oxygen from the water and prevents sunlight from reaching into the lake.
Pollution is another major threat to Lake Victoria’s ecosystem. Untreated sewage, industrial waste and unsustainable land development all contribute to the degradation of water quality, which also worsens other problems such as the aforementioned water hyacinth growth.
Victory Farms
Victory Farms is a Kenya-based aquaculture startup that aims to develop sustainable fish farms in Lake Victoria. Its mission statement, according to its website, is to “tackle the challenges of rapidly declining wild fish catch in Lake Victoria, rising populations and undernourishment… while also working toward becoming the most sustainable fish farm on the planet.”
The startup produces tilapia, a popular fish in the aquaculture industry. Due to its omnivorous diet, rapid growth and resilience, it can thrive in a wide range of environments and suits well for fish farms. Victory Farms exclusively uses native tilapia species from government-certified hatcheries.
It also maintains a cold chain distribution network for their fish with a total of 84 stores across Kenya as of 2023, providing reliable access of tilapia to Kenyans. Kenyan President William Ruto also recognized Victory Farms as “the fastest growing aquaculture business” in sub-Saharan Africa.
Looking Ahead
Lake Victoria’s importance to the livelihoods of East Africans makes it crucial that efforts toward sustainable aquaculture continue. The ecosystem of the lake should be preserved for the fishing industry to continue thriving and the approach of Victory Farms is a step in the right direction.
– Junoh Seo
Photo: Flickr
3 Cricket Players Ending Poverty
Cricket is one of the world’s most popular sports, with billions across the globe idolizing its stars. As well as their dazzling on-field performances, the charitable contributions of some of the game’s biggest figures have been notable. Here are three examples of cricket players ending poverty.
Sachin Tendulkar
Known as “The God of Cricket,” Tendulkar became arguably the game’s greatest-ever figure due, in part, to his record-breaking international career from 1989 to 2013. However, it is not only Sachin’s cricketing skills that engender awe and admiration. He has been involved in a wide range of charitable causes, especially focusing on supporting those in his native India. The nation has made immense progress in reducing poverty, with 415 million Indians leaving poverty from 2005 to 2020. Nonetheless, in 2019, 137 million Indians were still living in poverty, accounting for a headcount higher than any other country in the world.
In 2013, Tendulkar became UNICEF’s first Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia and has since worked passionately with the organization to improve the health and well-being of children on the subcontinent. In 2016, he led UNICEF’s Swachh Bharat campaign to improve sanitation in India. Sachin championed its objectives to end open defecation and to ensure every Indian had access to a toilet. Also, in 2018, he visited Bhutan to support UNICEF’s hand-washing initiative, meeting with school children and the interim Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Wangchuk.
As well as his work with UNICEF, Tendulkar has also made many personal donations to charitable causes. He donated generously to India’s fight against COVID-19. In total, he contributed 15 million rupees, approximately $185,000. Mission Oxygen, a social enterprise established at the peak of India’s second wave of COVID-19 in April 2021, received a total of 10 million rupees from this donation. The social enterprise provided 5,224 medical-grade oxygen contributors to more than 370 medical institutions in India, helped set up 37 oxygen generation plants and donated 55,000 oximeters that facilitated the monitoring of the COVID-19 status of 6 million people.
His personal foundation, The Sachin Tendulkar Foundation, funds organizations that improve the access Indian children have to education, health care and sport. One such organization is Apnalaya, a nonprofit that provides basic services to the urban poor of Sachin’s hometown of Mumbai, which has a large slum population. Via Apnalaya, The Sachin Tendulkar Foundation sponsors the education of 200 less-privileged children in Mumbai every year, helping them to break free from the limitations of deprivation and poverty.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli, India’s cricketing icon of the modern era, holds immense influence in the fight against poverty. With more than 245 million followers on Instagram, he stands as a leading figure among cricket players dedicated to this cause. Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Tendulkar, Kohli exhibits a steadfast commitment to uplifting fellow Indians living in the most challenging circumstances.
In 2013, Kohli established the Virat Kohli Foundation (VKF), an organization dedicated to assisting those enduring extreme poverty. Through a partnership with the Raah Foundation, VKF focuses on delivering health care services to malnourished tribal children across India. Notably, tribal communities constitute the country’s most deprived group, with an estimated 5 million tribal children suffering from chronic undernourishment, as UNICEF highlighted.
In 2020, VKF launched Project Nutrition for Transformation, an initiative aimed at combating malnutrition among tribal children. This project successfully provided a year-long nutritional food supply to 5,000 malnourished tribal children across 103 health centers in the Maharashtra region. As a result, there was an increase in the number of tribal children attending regional health centers, empowering them to improve their overall well-being and livelihood prospects.
In a philanthropic endeavor, Kohli organized a charity dinner in 2016 to raise funds for The Smile Foundation. Since its establishment in 2002, the Smile Foundation has been actively working to uplift underprivileged children in India by implementing educational, health care and female empowerment programs. Notably, their livelihood programs equip young underprivileged Indians with vital employment skills, providing them with opportunities to uplift themselves and their families from poverty. These programs also prioritize female empowerment, as 71% of the 75,000 children trained are girls. Furthermore, Kohli made personal donations to support suffering Indians.
In 2020, he and his wife Anushka Sharm together donated an undisclosed amount to the PM Cares Fund and the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to assist the victims of COVID-19.
Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes, England’s current captain, has also contributed to a range of charitable causes, both at home and around the world. During England’s most recent tour of Pakistan in 2022, he pledged his entire wage package of £45,000. This was to help the people suffering from the impacts of the country’s devastating floods. According to reports, more than 20.6 million people in Pakistan still require humanitarian assistance. In his announcement, Stokes said that “The game has given me a lot in my life and I feel it’s only right to give something back that goes far beyond cricket.”
Stokes is a supporter of the British Asian Trust, a charity that aims to eliminate poverty, injustice and inequality in South Asia. King Charles III and a group of British Asian business leaders formed the trust in 2007. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the trust launched an emergency appeal and provided life-saving aid to more than 135,000 Indians, including essential items such as vegetables, flour, pulses and essential oils.
Stokes has contributed to the Trust’s efforts to eradicate child labor in Jaipur, India, where the organization collaborates with local authorities to enhance educational opportunities. In Britain, he has been involved in supporting the victims of COVID-19. In 2020, Stokes was part of the England Cricket Team that together donated £500,000 of their wages to the fight against COVID-19. Later in the year, he ran a half-marathon to fundraise for the National Health Service (NHS) and the charity Chance to Shine, which provides underprivileged communities in the U.K. access to cricket.
What is Next?
These three cricket players ending poverty are some of the greatest the game has ever seen. Yet, even more impressive than their sporting prowess are the examples they are setting for other privileged people by participating in humanitarian work. Such actions by these cricket players and others could encourage more participation in the fight against poverty, and in effect, create a poverty-free world.
– Henry Jones
Photo: Flickr
Disasters Emergency Committee’s Relief Efforts to Help Ukraine
Consequences of the War
The war in Ukraine has led to the destruction of infrastructure, the dissolution of essential services, the separation of families and severe injuries and deaths. Because of these incitements, more than 7 million people have fled Ukraine, according to the British Red Cross Society.
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as of March 12, 2023, Ukraine has noted a total of 21,965 casualties, with 8,231 people killed and 13,734 people injured. Additionally, the country will require $411 billion to rebuild the country, according to the World Bank in March 2023.
A Collaborative Effort
The DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has raised more than £400 million worth of funding to assist in Ukraine, Poland Moldova, Romania and Hungary, including £25 million matched by the British government, “making it the biggest charity donor to the Ukraine humanitarian response in the world,” the DEC website says.
In the initial three months of the response, the majority of the finances went toward helping people within Ukraine itself. In the first six months of the response, almost 50% of the funding went toward cash assistance for more than 338,000 people to meet their basic needs of survival.
Additionally, 17% of funding went toward securing warm meals and food packages for people. Furthermore, 15% went toward health services for 71,000 people and mental health care for 37,000 people. The DEC’s work also includes safeguarding Ukrainians residing in bomb shelters and providing medical and mental health services.
The DEC’s local partners are helping across the borders of these countries, like Action Against Hunger, the British Red Cross and World Vision. The organization released a short video entitled “Never Alone,” created by a majority Ukrainian team and directed via remote camera. The video highlights the devastation and ruin brought about by Russia’s attack on Ukraine. “We cast Ukrainian people still living there – so that we could capture their resilience, their strength and their Ukrainian stoicism for all to see,” film director Rick Dodds said. The individuals in the short film are actors but they represent true stories of the victims of war assisted by DEC charities.
Helping Ukraine
According to Ukraine’s economy ministry projections, the country’s GDP will only grow by about 1% in 2023, illustrating the significant economic consequences of the war. The most tangible way to support the DEC in its relief efforts to help Ukraine is to donate. Individuals in the U.K. can do so physically by visiting any of the 11,500 Post Office branches in the U.K. There is also the option of donation via phone call or via the online website. Through the Disasters Emergency Committee and its relief efforts in Ukraine, Ukrainians in Ukraine and in neighboring countries can look to the possibility of a brighter future.
– Robin Kalellis
Photo: Flickr
Poverty and Culture Loss Among the Indigenous Peoples of Russia
Indigenous Peoples Face Headwinds
In general, living standards for the country’s small nationalities are lower than for ethnic Russians. As they often preserve traditional ways of life and occupy remote, isolated areas, some basic services, such as education, are lacking or of a lesser quality. Furthermore, Indigenous populations suffer from higher unemployment rates and lower incomes, with the former being almost two times higher than among the general population and the latter being two to three times lower. Unfortunately, the country’s Indigenous peoples also lack access to safe drinking water, food, medical care and other vital necessities, leading to higher disease and infection rates and shorter lifespans. For instance, Indigenous men and women in Russia have respective life expectancies of 50 years and 60 years, which are significantly lower than the life expectancies (64 years for men and 70 years for women) of the general Russian population.
While Russian legislation formally guarantees Indigenous populations’ rights to language protection, education and water and land use, Indigenous rights are rarely protected or enforced. Indigenous land is regularly exploited for industrial and other purposes, depriving Indigenous peoples of the land and natural resources that they rely upon for physical, financial and cultural sustenance.
Factors Contributing To Indigenous Poverty and Culture Loss in Russia
Racism has been a driving force behind poverty and culture loss among the Indigenous peoples of Russia. The country’s non-Russian populations often face harsh racial profiling, mistreatment by law enforcement, employment discrimination and hate crimes. The war in Ukraine has exacerbated the situation, with the proportion of Indigenous soldiers mobilized in the war reportedly far outweighing that of ethnic Russians.
In light of growing economic and societal challenges, Indigenous people are increasingly abandoning their languages and cultural heritage in hopes of assimilating with the majority population and increasing their chances of survival. Consequently, many of the country’s Indigenous peoples and languages are going extinct, along with their unique histories, knowledge and lifestyles. As of 2014, 148 Indigenous languages and at least 16 of the 41 legally recognized Indigenous groups in Russia were “considered to be endangered.”
Local Government and Native Councils May Hold the Key to a Better Future
There has, however, been progress toward rectifying the situation in recent decades. In 1996, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug established a regional council of Indigenous peoples, and the local legislature designated three of its 21 seats for Indigenous representatives. Additionally, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON), an umbrella organization founded in 1990, is working “to protect human rights and defend the interests of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East of the Russian Federation.” Representing 40 Indigenous peoples, RAIPON is a member of the Arctic Council and collaborates with several U.N. partners to organize, advocate and raise funding for projects supporting Indigenous interests in Russia. Furthermore, the Arctic Council utilizes a “language revitalization” initiative aimed at studying, recording, digitizing and sustaining Indigenous languages that are at risk of extinction.
Looking Ahead
Despite the threats of poverty and cultural loss, Indigenous civil society groups and international efforts are making a difference in the struggle to maintain Indigenous populations in Russia. Nonetheless, future success in combating poverty and culture loss among the Indigenous peoples of Russia looks to hinge upon increased funding and support for Indigenous education, language, land and rights protections and cultural preservation work. Such levels of support could help ensure that the Indigenous peoples of Russia, and their values and heritage, continue to thrive.
– Paul Phelan
Photo: Flickr
A Closer Look at Foreign Aid and Development
A recent survey shows that 66% of Britons support foreign aid spending, but there is significant division regarding the specifics of aid, DEVEX notes. The British government is currently facing criticism as reports emerged that the government, in 2022, diverted £3.7 billion ($4.6 billion) from the foreign aid budget to domestic refugee programs. The act negatively impacted nearly all international humanitarian programs, according to Bond, a U.K. network of development organizations. Nonetheless, a British government representative highlights that Britain remains one of the largest foreign aid donors globally. A closer look at foreign aid and development illustrates the importance of aid to the world’s poorest.
Foreign Aid
Foreign aid remains elusive for many British citizens due to its complex network of donors and recipients. In essence, foreign aid involves the “transfer of capital, goods or services from one country or international organization to another for the benefit of the recipient country or population.” Its goal is to provide vital resources such as access to clean water, education, infrastructure and security.
Development
One should not mistake foreign aid as a mere wealth transfer or redistribution. Rather, it is an investment. A donor country in partnership with various private actors, provides financial resources or commodities: capital, credit, military and training, in return for preferential access to primary goods or capital returns on investments made in infrastructure or industry. Aid can be strategically deployed to ensure regional security, as investments in Libya, Somalia and Afghanistan exemplify.
As directed by the Marshall Plan of 1947, the U.S. sent complex aid packages made up of loans and goods to Europe to forestall the spread of communism and create a vast and dependable market for U.S. goods. This meant returns for both private and state investors and the recipient country.
Modern investments also have played a role in stabilizing regions. China, for example, has built 100 seaports in Africa to facilitate free trade and preferential access to goods. China built the Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria. Costing the Chinese government $1 billion, it is one of the largest ports in West Africa.
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun says the project will create at least 200,000 jobs and will bring prosperity and security to the region. Of course, China, or the China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) specifically, owns 75% of the port and receives a fee on all goods entering and exiting. China has also provided humanitarian aid for disaster relief and refugee support globally.
Humanitarian Aid
Through foreign aid, countries and organizations are able to establish humanitarian assistance projects to help the most vulnerable people meet their basic needs. However, foreign aid primarily consists of comprehensive packages that include both development and humanitarian aid. Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a crucial aspect of this aid, designed to promote development and combat poverty. U.K.-funded ODA programs have achieved significant humanitarian milestones.
U.K.-funded ODA programs have, for example:
Looking Ahead
During the U.K.-Africa Investment Summit in January 2020, the U.K. committed to investing an additional £1.6 billion in foreign aid and development projects to create jobs and foster growth. However, the U.K. falls short of the U.N. target of allocating 0.7% of GDP to ODA, currently spending 0.5%. The government suggests that financial constraints have affected meeting this target and it aims to return to it in the future. Global circumstances, such as the current focus on Ukraine, may redirect foreign aid budgets, raising concerns about neglecting other areas in equal need.
The direction of Great Britain’s foreign aid and development strategy appears uncertain amidst the influence of COVID-19 and Brexit. These events have compelled the U.K. government to reevaluate its global stance, leading to budget reductions and altered spending priorities. However, as economic conditions improve, there is optimism that the U.K. will establish well-defined and impactful foreign aid strategies and objectives.
– James Durbin
Photo: Flickr