Banowan-e-Afghan is a pop-up restaurant in Afghanistan that opened in 2023. A couple of women comfortably lounge across the wooden tables; some reading books, listening to music, or, conversing with others. Suddenly, a tantalizing aroma disseminates across the atmosphere. A cordial woman wearing a hijab and white apron walks over and places a symphony of flavors in front of the seated women. These women enjoy the delight while finally finding a special community of safety, security and opportunity.
Amidst a bustling street in Northwestern Kabul, a small intimate sanctuary is present. From mantoos (lamb-filled dumplings) to bolani (vegetable-stuffed flatbread) this welcoming Afghani abode serves a wide range of traditional and Western foods. However, this restaurant is not your ordinary dine-in. Instead, it is the result of the first step taken by a courageous woman toward a greater national vision.
Gender Inequality in Afghanistan
Gender inequality has been a persistent and perennial issue in Afghanistan. In 2021, despite prior positive efforts against this concern, all progress was nullified due to the Taliban’s inception. The Taliban has issued 80 edicts, including 54 contradicting women’s rights and freedom. Additionally, women were banned from visiting parks, gyms, public bathing houses and constrained girls’ education beyond the sixth grade.
To prevent further Taliban abuse, these Afghani women were forced into surveillance, assault, arbitrary detention, torture and exile. As a result of these restrictions and more, it has been a norm for women to not leave their homes. Women harassment is ubiquitous and even a simple errand or stroll down the street can put a woman in danger. On top of that, in rural Afghanistan, society forbids women from stepping out of the house without a mahram (a male relative by blood).
Societal restrictions also limit women’s job opportunities, prohibiting them from working in NGOs or government jobs. The women’s only chance of employment is in the private sector, but many women are hesitant to do this because of the risk it puts them in. Nonetheless, Samira Muhammadi believes in utilizing this opportunity to provide hope for a more women-friendly future.
By Women, For Women
Muhammadi, the owner of this unique pop-up restaurant in Afghanistan, launched it with a mission to provide women with a safer, more trustworthy and serene haven. In a typical Afghani restaurant, there is a separate family section for only women accompanied by male relatives. Despite this, male threats still endanger women.
Therefore, this rare pop-up restaurant addresses this widespread caveat. For starters, the restaurant is exclusively by women, for women. In other words, all the employees and customers are only women. This allows both the employees and the customers to feel more secure and surrounded by people going through similar circumstances. Instead, these women reclaim their true authentic selves, freely choose their attire and recultivate their public life which has been unethically stripped from them. With this substantial solution, powerful relationships are developed over mouth-watering meals in an elevated state of joy and laughter.
Empowerment Through Employment
In addition, this pop-up restaurant directly supports women facing poverty in Afghanistan. It provides unprivileged women with job and work opportunities in a field that adheres to their talents. The workforce of this restaurant consists solely of women taking refuge at a local women’s shelter, the Afghan Women Skills Development Center (AWSDC). Furthermore, many women living on the streets and in substandard living conditions have approached Muhammadi to work at her restaurant. Most of these women tend to be widows or the sole breadwinner in their families, making them desperate for money as they are the primary source of income. Ultimately, this restaurant provides impoverished women a ticket out of financial deprivation and can provide food and shelter for their families.
Today, the restaurant has hired more than 17 employees including 10 chefs and 7 waitresses. Most of the employees are around the age of 20, the youngest being 13 and the oldest being 40 years. However, all of these employees have gone through rough hardships and dreadful turmoil such as family violence, domestic abuse, parental drug addiction and more. Working at this restaurant allows them a second chance to positively invigorate their lives.
Future Plans
As this pop-up restaurant flourishes and evolves, Muhammadi plans to provide more job opportunities to unfortunate women, as well as more adequate salaries. She also wants to expand the size of the restaurant, to host mini-exhibitions for women to display handicrafts like clothes or jewelry for customers to purchase.
Inspired by her own experience and odyssey, Muhumadi wants to continue to enhance women’s lives in Afghanistan. “I thought these vulnerable women should have a source of income,“ Muhammadi says.
– Sai Sidharth Kanyaboena
Photo: Unsplash
Poverty Alleviation Coalition Took on 500,000 Households
Build up to the Coalition
Through the 2010s, an increase in refugees and depleting support structures lead to the 76% statistic of refugees living in developing countries. This pressing cause culminated in a unanimous United Nations Global Assembly support for the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. The declaration expressed support and the need for the protection of refugees while addressing the necessity of support for the countries housing them, as encompassed in the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework.
This framework was based on four objectives:
As a result, the Global Compact on Refugees was formed on December 17, 2018, by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It outlined how international collaboration was the only route to an equitable and sustainable solution to refugee situations.
The Formation
The Poverty Alleviation Coalition was formed in July 2019 by the UNHCR and the World Bank Partnership for Economic Inclusion as a vector to support the Global Compact on Refugees. Along with several implementation partner organizations, such as BRAC, research partner Innovations for Poverty Action and many donors, the coalition uses the best of each member to combine technical, physical, political and financial support in their plan.
Regarding the specifics of the Poverty Alleviation Coalition’s goal, the group circled back to the Graduation Approach method in the hopes of graduating 500,000 refugee households out of poverty from 2020 to 2025. The organizations outlined 35 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America and calculated the need for $1,400 per household, totaling $700 million over five years.
Progress by 2024
As the COVID-19 pandemic rose through the Poverty Alleviation Coalition’s launch, particularly affecting participant’s ability to find jobs, a significant step in the Graduation Approach. Yet, the Coalition triumphed. Different projects have been launched, such as with the organization World Vision Rwanda, which was able to attain grants to aid 5,000 households on their graduation from poverty.
As of July 2023, the Coalition has aided about 111,000 refugee households by securing $250 million. Even with about two years left to go, the Poverty Alleviation Coalition has demonstrated that by pooling together the assets of various organizations, ending global poverty is readily within humanity’s reach.
– Aria Desai
Photo: Unsplash
Microfinance and Health Care Accessibility in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Link: Microfinance and Health Care
Microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Sub-Saharan Africa are not just about small business loans anymore; they have expanded their services to include health care financing. MFIs offer small loans, savings and other financial services to individuals and communities who lack access to traditional banking.
This shift is a response to the acute need for accessible health care services, especially in rural and impoverished urban areas. These services enable people to invest in health-related expenses, such as medical treatments, health insurance and preventive care, thereby improving overall health care accessibility. Furthermore, by offering loans, savings products and health insurance, MFIs are enabling low-income individuals and families to afford medical treatments and preventive care that were previously out of reach.
The impact of microfinance on health care accessibility is profound. In countries like Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda, microfinance initiatives have been linked to improved health outcomes, including increased rates of immunization, better maternal health services and reduced incidence of common diseases like malaria and tuberculosis.
Case Studies of Microfinance in Action
Limitations and Future Perspectives
Microfinance holds promise for enhancing health care accessibility in Sub-Saharan Africa, but it faces challenges such as high interest rates that may burden borrowers and a narrow focus on financial products at the expense of comprehensive health care solutions. Additionally, MFIs often encounter funding and scalability issues that curb their reach and effectiveness.
Furthermore, a more integrated approach combining microfinance with health care services could significantly benefit Sub-Saharan Africa. This strategy would involve health education, preventive care and collaborations with health care providers to boost MFIs’ impact. The success of integrating health care and financial services into the region’s future hinges on cross-sector collaboration. Governments have a vital role in fostering regulatory environments conducive to this integration, while international agencies and NGOs can offer essential technical support and funding for pilot projects. Crucially, the engagement of local communities is paramount to ensure the initiatives align with their health and financial needs.
To maximize the potential of microfinance in transforming health care accessibility, further research and investment are essential. This will help scale up successful models and address the health and economic challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa more effectively.
Looking Ahead
Microfinance initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa play a crucial role in bridging the gap between underserved communities and health care services. Despite facing challenges, the potential of microfinance to facilitate better health care outcomes is immense. With continued innovation and support, microfinance can significantly contribute to the health and well-being of Sub-Saharan African communities.
– Hosna Hossain
Photo: Unsplash
Technology Reduces Poverty: Jeremiah’s Magic School Bus
How Technology Reduces Poverty
Many studies have tackled the correlation between poverty and access to technology and the results indicate that access to the internet and poverty rates are directly associated. Technology reduces poverty, at least when that technology provides access to the Internet. That association goes as far as the life expectancy of a given household. The Rockefeller Foundation concluded that even a small bump in Africa’s access to the Internet evolved into a considerable improvement in the country’s economy.
Knowledge Is Power
However, the Internet is not the only barrier to economic improvement in poorer areas. The knowledge to use that access to further one’s goals is essential. The World Bank found that the number of people using the Internet provided to them decreased in 2021. More than half of Africa now has Internet access, yet less than a quarter of the population uses it.
This is where intervention occurs and this is where people like Jeremiah Cooper step in to help. Cooper is the founder of the New Breed Tech Hub. He used his technology to reduce poverty and improve life. He eventually built a computer lab, believing that digital education would help his community help themselves.
“Knowing how to use basic computer applications such as Microsoft Office Suite, the internet browser and other basic digital literacy skills and tools has greatly empowered me over the years, ranging from applying for mini-grants to a fully funded Mandela Washington fellowship.”
Bringing It to the People
However, Cooper discovered a problem with his initial operation. “I still found out that there were lots more women and youths who desired to attend our computer classes, but our location was a little bit too far for them and it would cost them a lot more money in transportation to attend our classes at our computer lab.”
A taxi ride in Liberia can cost as much as $2 per mile. At best, the average household below the extreme poverty line survives on $1.9 daily. A taxi ride costs their entire daily living wage. It is just not equitable.
Never one to give up or let his hope diminish, Cooper found a solution. He built a mobile computer lab to bring technology to the people. “It would be costly to operate multiple computer labs at different locations. It was then that I started to think of converting a yellow school bus into a mobile computer lab.” Cooper has helped more than a thousand people since beginning this venture, but he is unsatisfied. He wants to help more. He is focused on expansion, working on the belief that technology reduces poverty and access is the largest barrier towards long-term economic growth and, in turn, freedom for his home and his people.
– Antonio Muhs
Photo: Flickr
Recent Initiatives Empowering Women in Mali
Gender-based violence and female genital mutilation persist as major issues for women in Mali, further undermining women’s health and well-being. Legal avenues for justice are often inaccessible to women due to social pressures and a lack of awareness of their rights. Moreover, Mali’s political landscape has become very unstable in recent years, leading to a humanitarian crisis and the displacement of more than 470,000 people in the country.
Initiatives
Amidst the challenges that women in Mali face, initiatives led by organizations like the United Nations (U.N.) Women offer the nation hope for progress. Furthermore, this initiative collaborates with the government, civil society and local communities to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment through various programs. U.N. Women addresses critical areas affecting women’s health and rights and works to alleviate them.
Norms, policies and standards are targeted for reform by U.N. Women. Governance initiatives focus on increasing the participation of women in politics and advocating for gender-responsive planning and budgeting. Economic empowerment programs prioritize entrepreneurship to empower women to secure livelihoods and combat poverty.
Days for Girls Enterprise
Another important initiative empowering women in Mali is called the Days for Girls Enterprise, launched by the Ouelessebougou Alliance. This initiative is making significant strides by addressing a critical aspect of women’s health: menstrual hygiene management. In November 2017, the Alliance launched the first-ever enterprise in Mali, aiming to provide sustainable solutions for the lack of feminine hygiene products and education in the country.
Furthermore, by providing sustainable feminine hygiene solutions and comprehensive health education, Days for Girls Enterprise is actively contributing to the empowerment of women in Mali. Women are not only gaining economic opportunities for work but are also using their education to serve as change agents within their communities. This initiative is driving positive social change and fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.
MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience
The MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience (MIHR) initiative is actively empowering women in Mali by focusing on family planning, reproductive health services and the health of mothers, newborns and children. By enhancing health and community systems and encouraging evidence-based decision-making, MOMENTUM is creating a significant impact, not just in Mali but worldwide.
Within the first one to three years in Mali, the initiative has achieved measurable results, with 250 health care providers participating in MIHR-supported training and 66 health facilities enhancing their health information systems. This initiative has not only increased awareness of women’s health in Mali but also sparked crucial conversations on the topic.
Looking Forward
As Mali grapples with the many challenges affecting women’s health, initiatives like U.N. Women, Days for Girls Enterprise and MIHR demonstrate a commitment to advancing gender equality and empowering women in Mali. By targeting critical areas such as governance, economic empowerment and reproductive health, these initiatives are laying the foundation for transformative change. As the progress sparked by these initiatives continues to grow, it promotes a brighter future for women in Mali, one where women are given opportunities for success, safety and prosperity.
– Katherine Barrows
Photo: Pixabay
Human Trafficking in the Bahamas
Who Is Trafficked
The groups most vulnerable to human trafficking appear to be those displaced within the region, women, children of migrants and irregular migrants themselves. About 2.4 million people are victims of this dehumanizing and shameful crime at any given moment, with women making up 55–60% of all victims identified worldwide. When combined, women and girls make up around 75% of the trafficked population. Among all victims found worldwide, minors make up about 27%. The traffickers are mostly male adults who live in the nation where they conduct their business.
The U.S. Department of State identified eight primary categories of trafficking in its 2013 United States Annual Trafficking in Persons Report. This includes trafficking connected to sex trafficking, forced labor, bonded labor, child sex trafficking, involuntary domestic servitude, unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers.
Government Efforts
The government satisfies the requirements necessary to eliminate human trafficking in the Bahamas. This included the restitution of a victim who was returned from abroad as well as the conviction and sentencing of a trafficker. Along with continuing to support victims who were repatriated from abroad, the government also created legislation enabling victims to testify remotely, even from abroad. In addition, the government raised awareness, established new hotlines for reporting cases of human trafficking, trained new labor inspectors and high-ranking officials and solicited input from underrepresented groups on anti-human trafficking policies.
IOM Support
On August 9–10, 2023, in New Providence, the International Organization for Migration organized a two-day workshop on “identification and protection of victims of trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations.” This was in collaboration with the Bahamas Immigration Department. More than 20 cops took part in the training, which covered important ideas and an overview of practical tools, including trauma-informed interviewing methods for better identifying and defending vulnerable migrants and victims of human trafficking.
The session aims to equip them with the skills necessary to recognize victims and know what to do afterward. Creating action plans for frontline officials to include the training material in their regular work was another task covered at the event. Even though this training focused on immigration officers stationed on the island of New Providence, the Government of The Bahamas asked IOM to follow up with further training for officers in Bimini and Grand Bahama, among other places.
Multiple agencies provide assistance involving human trafficking in the Bahamas and other nations to victims. These include the police, military, prison system, immigration and customs forces, Ministry of Health Providers, Faith-Based Organizations, Ministry of Social Services and nongovernmental organizations such as the Red Cross and the Crisis Center.
Conclusion
Human trafficking in the Bahamas is an issue that needs urgent attention and action from the government and civil society in the country. With solid legislation, improved law enforcement, increased public awareness and cooperation with international organizations, significant progress can be made in eliminating human trafficking and protecting the most vulnerable people in our society.
– AuiCha Conley
Photo: Flickr
The Rise of Digital Adherence Technologies for Tuberculosis
To treat tuberculosis, patients are required to undergo months of antibiotic therapy. Directly observed therapy (DOT), is a widely employed strategy that relies on confirming patient adherence to treatment protocol, where health care workers observe patients taking anti-TB medication. However, DOT requires significant time and resources for health care providers and patients. Digital Adherence Technologies (DATs), on the other hand, are digital tools (internet, phones, computers, or detectors) that allow patients to take their medication at their convenience while adherence is relayed to healthcare providers without direct observation. As a modern strategy to combat TB, DATs can help affected individuals and families from a wide range of income levels by reducing implementation costs over time.
Types of Digital Adherence Technologies
Several types of DATs can be implemented to improve TB treatment outcomes:
DATs have varying costs, levels of accessibility and ease of implementation. Poverty, resource limitations and insufficient infrastructure can pose challenges to implementing these technologies. Medication sleeves require phone access and communication infrastructure to support phone calls or text messages. Smart pillboxes require adherence platform access but are user-friendly and work with various pill types. VATs require phone access, mobile data or Wi-Fi and an in-country server to store video files yet are considered suitable for use with different drug types. These requirements help determine the logistics of implementing a DAT for a specific country.
Implementing Digital Adherence Technologies
The Stop TB Partnership and the ASCENT Project are two organizations among many that continually research and implement digital adherence technologies for tuberculosis treatment. The Stop TB Partnership funded the implementation of medication sleeves and video-observed treatment in Nigeria, where tuberculosis rates are high, from October 2021 to August 2022. According to a December 2023 report, more than 7,600 patients received digital adherence technologies through this project. Patients achieved success with a medication sleeve called 99DOTS, but limited access to smartphones and network difficulties hindered the success of video observed treatment. The project highlighted the importance of digital adherence technologies with low technology requirements, especially in remote locations.
In 2021, the ASCENT project, organized and funded by Unitaid, began implementing smart pill boxes and medication sleeves in Ethiopia, a low-income country with a high tuberculosis burden. The project provided more than 4,000 people with DATs. In November 2023, the ASCENT team reported broad acceptance of the technologies among patients with tuberculosis, high national support, and concerns regarding costs. The project also revealed ways leaders could improve and increase the use of digital adherence technologies in Ethiopia in the future.
Conclusion
Digital adherence technologies offer several strategies to support tuberculosis patients through months of medications. Implementing these tools in areas of poverty presents challenges to overcome, including limited resources and frail infrastructure. To this end, organizations will continue to implement, research, and improve the use of DATs for tuberculosis treatment around the world.
– Kelly Carroll
Photo: Flickr
Solar Solutions in the Democratic Republic of Congo
However, mini-grids and other off-grid alternatives provide a cost-effective solution that can bring the socio-economic benefits of electrification to those communities without access. Mini-grids are small-scale electricity generation and distribution systems that operate independently from the national grid and serve a localized group of customers. Alternatively, many households find solutions in the form of solar home systems (SHS) which provide affordable, clean and reliable electricity where grid or mini-grid connections are not feasible. Fortunately, three companies are already making headway in the fight to improve livelihoods through off-grid solar solutions to increase the accessibility of renewable energy in the DRC.
Nuru
Nuru, which means “light” in Swahili, is a company that aims to improve connectivity in the DRC. In 2017, Nuru successfully launched Congo’s first solar-powered mini-grid. It also has a 1.3MW solar hybrid site in Goma, which is currently “the largest off-grid mini-grid in sub-Saharan Africa.” In addition to these, Nuru has constructed two other solar hybrid sites in Beni and the Oriental Province, namely Tadu and Faradje. These mini-grids offer whole communities access to electricity that would otherwise have taken years, perhaps even decades, to gain access to the national electricity grid. As building mini-grids continues, it is not always as timely as necessary since they require larger investment funds which means there is a need for solutions on a reduced scope that utilize renewable energy in the DRC.
Altech
On a smaller scale, Altech has been providing bespoke SHS solutions to businesses, households and individuals since 2013. Two Congolese refugees turned entrepreneurs created Altech with a mission to promote green, inclusive and prosperous growth by providing affordable, reliable and eco-friendly energy solutions, including solar lamps, SHS and energy-efficient cookstoves. These products offer households and businesses access to resources fundamental to carrying out daily activities and transactions. Providing solar energy solutions for households and businesses is crucial to incorporating more Congolese people into electrical grids, but many in poorer, remote regions in the DRC also face the challenge of getting approved for loans or credit which they need to finance solar home systems.
Mwinda Technologies
Seeing the need for credit and energy solutions, a group of renewable energy enthusiasts based in Houston, Texas founded Mwinda Technologies in 2018. The company strongly believes that access to energy and financial inclusion is crucial for the economic development of the DRC. That is why it focuses on providing individuals with financial solutions for their solar energy products and services. Through these payments underbanked individuals can build credit that can eventually lead to greater economic opportunities as investors and lenders will be able to assess their credit history.
The Way Forward
Renewable energy in the DRC, particularly solar, offers a crucial opportunity for growth. The importance of providing off-grid solutions cannot be overstated, as a recent study found that nearly 60% of off-grid solar customers undertook more economic activity within just three months of purchasing an SHS. This manifests itself through access to new jobs, using their SHS for business power needs or being able to work beyond daylight hours.
– Spencer Springob
Photo: Flickr
Amantani: Fighting for Education in Peru
Background
Founded in 2008, Amantani operates in the high-altitude regions of the Peruvian Andes, where indigenous communities often face numerous challenges, including economic hardships, limited access to education and a lack of resources. The organization currently operates in Ccorca, a Quechua district close to Cusco. While Ccorca embraces a strong culture tied to indigenous roots and collaboration amongst each other, the marginalized indigenous communities still suffer from alcoholism, discrimination and violence.
Amantani’s goal is to provide children and young adults in Ccorca access to higher education and employment opportunities, encouraging social growth and indigenous pride among rural communities across Peru. The organization works in tandem with the Children of Peru Foundation, receiving funding from the foundation to build better educational opportunities for underprivileged children.
Access to Education
Amantani firmly believes that education is a powerful tool for breaking the cycle of poverty and empowering indigenous youth. Rural communities across Peru lack access to steady education, with both teachers and students facing obstacles to getting to school due to the country’s lack of sufficient infrastructure. Language barriers between teachers from urban regions and students who only speak Quechua contribute to the growing disadvantages many children in Ccorca face when learning basic elementary school lessons.
Amantani collaborates with local communities to establish and support educational programs tailored to meet the specific needs of indigenous children. The organization, working with funding from the Children of Peru Foundation, has built boarding houses for more than 350 children who faced physical barriers to school. Additionally, scholarship programs have been initiated for more than 100 young people. Furthermore, 35 are participating in monitoring programs from the boarding houses.
Fighting for Higher Education
While primary education is crucial, Amantani goes a step further by actively advocating for higher education opportunities for indigenous youth, particularly young women. Many girls, some of whom endure four-hour walks to get to school, face risks of domestic violence and sexual abuse in their attempts to pursue an education. With girls often negated to the traditional role of a wife or mother, Amantani emphasized that access to tertiary education could be transformative for them, opening doors to better employment opportunities.
The organization has set up several initiatives to fund fellowships and university costs. Ethical Trade is an initiative where more than 40 female artisans and crafters create Andean hats and bracelets to sell for a profit in Peru and the U.K. Ethical Trade not only supports local community economics but also utilizes the revenue to fund university studies, promoting financial literacy among young women.
The Transition Project
Amantani implemented the Transitions Project to support the shift of young people from secondary schooling to university. When the organization was first established, only 35 children were enrolled in secondary school. By 2017, Amantani’s support helped enroll 221 students in secondary school, with 75 students preparing to graduate and pursue higher education or formal employment.
The Pathways Program portion of the Transition Project encourages capacity building, offering academic and psychosocial support through educational workshops and specialized mentoring. The program specializes in offering computer literacy, numeracy and literacy classes to prepare students for university entrance exams and equip them with essential digital communication skills.
The Scholarships Program portion of the Transition Project encourages reaching opportunities, providing scholarships at technical colleges and universities along with support from a professional team of teachers and psychologists. The program’s Youth Hub is facilitated by a student council to lead workshops for young people. In addition, the program has created an extensive network of employer partners to connect graduating students with full-time work opportunities.
Amantani’s dedication to defending the rights of indigenous children and young people in the Peruvian Andes is commendable. By fostering a commitment to education, the organization is not only breaking the chains of poverty but also uplifting the rich cultural heritage of Ccorca’s indigenous communities. Through their efforts, Amantani is planting the seeds of empowerment, cultivating a future where indigenous youth can thrive and contribute to the development of their communities and beyond.
– Megha Gupta
Photo: Flickr
Health Care in Micronesia
Access to Health Care in Micronesia
Health Aid Strategies
In response to these challenges, the World Health Organization (WHO) has actively engaged in planning and programming medical and public health care within the FSM. The WHO Country Cooperation Strategy, spanning from 2018 to 2022, has played a pivotal role in collaborating with the FSM to prioritize the education and retention of a stable health care workforce and achieve national health goals.
The WHO Country Cooperation Strategy has made significant progress in addressing challenges to Micronesian health care. Early disease detection and prevention efforts, including the intensification of medical screenings, have reduced communicable diseases. The establishment of a robust risk communication system has enhanced the FSM’s preparedness for natural disasters. The Dispensary Strengthening Program, part of the WHO-FSM government partnership, has proven successful in improving health care infrastructure. Outreach activities in remote villages have provided essential health services, detected illnesses and connected patient data to hospital information systems.
While the precise quantifiable impact of the WHO Country Cooperation Strategy in Micronesia remains elusive, there is a discernible trend of improved health conditions across the Western Pacific Region. Death caused by tuberculosis in the Western Pacific Region has dropped by 42% between 2000-2021, while the number of people infected by this disease were reduced to at least 17%. In 2022, 75% of the Micronesian population was reported to have received Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination against tuberculosis. There has also been a significant decline in reported cases of other vaccine-preventable diseases and a rise of immunization coverage among Micronesians. Between 2019-2022, the number of reported leprosy cases in the FSM had dropped from 144 to 92 people per year.
Looking Ahead: A Secure Health Workforce
In 2023, the WHO organized a workshop for health management in the Western Pacific region to help the FSM address the issue of the excessive outmigration of qualified health professionals. The workshop proposed several solutions, two of which were intended to produce tangible results: the standardization of salaries across the different states and the improvement of training of its health workforce.
Health care in Micronesia still has opportunities for growth and improvement. Through their commitment to address prevailing issues and make long-lasting change, the WHO and other aid-focused organizations are currently working to provide Micronesians with a positive outlook for their future.
– Naomi Ronner
Photo: Flickr
Gender Inequality: A Pop-Up Restaurant in Afghanistan
Banowan-e-Afghan is a pop-up restaurant in Afghanistan that opened in 2023. A couple of women comfortably lounge across the wooden tables; some reading books, listening to music, or, conversing with others. Suddenly, a tantalizing aroma disseminates across the atmosphere. A cordial woman wearing a hijab and white apron walks over and places a symphony of flavors in front of the seated women. These women enjoy the delight while finally finding a special community of safety, security and opportunity.
Amidst a bustling street in Northwestern Kabul, a small intimate sanctuary is present. From mantoos (lamb-filled dumplings) to bolani (vegetable-stuffed flatbread) this welcoming Afghani abode serves a wide range of traditional and Western foods. However, this restaurant is not your ordinary dine-in. Instead, it is the result of the first step taken by a courageous woman toward a greater national vision.
Gender Inequality in Afghanistan
Gender inequality has been a persistent and perennial issue in Afghanistan. In 2021, despite prior positive efforts against this concern, all progress was nullified due to the Taliban’s inception. The Taliban has issued 80 edicts, including 54 contradicting women’s rights and freedom. Additionally, women were banned from visiting parks, gyms, public bathing houses and constrained girls’ education beyond the sixth grade.
To prevent further Taliban abuse, these Afghani women were forced into surveillance, assault, arbitrary detention, torture and exile. As a result of these restrictions and more, it has been a norm for women to not leave their homes. Women harassment is ubiquitous and even a simple errand or stroll down the street can put a woman in danger. On top of that, in rural Afghanistan, society forbids women from stepping out of the house without a mahram (a male relative by blood).
Societal restrictions also limit women’s job opportunities, prohibiting them from working in NGOs or government jobs. The women’s only chance of employment is in the private sector, but many women are hesitant to do this because of the risk it puts them in. Nonetheless, Samira Muhammadi believes in utilizing this opportunity to provide hope for a more women-friendly future.
By Women, For Women
Muhammadi, the owner of this unique pop-up restaurant in Afghanistan, launched it with a mission to provide women with a safer, more trustworthy and serene haven. In a typical Afghani restaurant, there is a separate family section for only women accompanied by male relatives. Despite this, male threats still endanger women.
Therefore, this rare pop-up restaurant addresses this widespread caveat. For starters, the restaurant is exclusively by women, for women. In other words, all the employees and customers are only women. This allows both the employees and the customers to feel more secure and surrounded by people going through similar circumstances. Instead, these women reclaim their true authentic selves, freely choose their attire and recultivate their public life which has been unethically stripped from them. With this substantial solution, powerful relationships are developed over mouth-watering meals in an elevated state of joy and laughter.
Empowerment Through Employment
In addition, this pop-up restaurant directly supports women facing poverty in Afghanistan. It provides unprivileged women with job and work opportunities in a field that adheres to their talents. The workforce of this restaurant consists solely of women taking refuge at a local women’s shelter, the Afghan Women Skills Development Center (AWSDC). Furthermore, many women living on the streets and in substandard living conditions have approached Muhammadi to work at her restaurant. Most of these women tend to be widows or the sole breadwinner in their families, making them desperate for money as they are the primary source of income. Ultimately, this restaurant provides impoverished women a ticket out of financial deprivation and can provide food and shelter for their families.
Today, the restaurant has hired more than 17 employees including 10 chefs and 7 waitresses. Most of the employees are around the age of 20, the youngest being 13 and the oldest being 40 years. However, all of these employees have gone through rough hardships and dreadful turmoil such as family violence, domestic abuse, parental drug addiction and more. Working at this restaurant allows them a second chance to positively invigorate their lives.
Future Plans
As this pop-up restaurant flourishes and evolves, Muhammadi plans to provide more job opportunities to unfortunate women, as well as more adequate salaries. She also wants to expand the size of the restaurant, to host mini-exhibitions for women to display handicrafts like clothes or jewelry for customers to purchase.
Inspired by her own experience and odyssey, Muhumadi wants to continue to enhance women’s lives in Afghanistan. “I thought these vulnerable women should have a source of income,“ Muhammadi says.
– Sai Sidharth Kanyaboena
Photo: Unsplash