Serbia’s recent headlines have reflected deep political and social tensions. Since the deadly railway station collapse in Novi Sad on Nov. 1, 2024, which killed 16 people, mass protests have spread across the country. Demonstrators have accused President Aleksandar Vučić’s government of entrenched corruption and authoritarianism while demanding greater transparency and democratic reform.
At the same time, Serbia continues negotiations with the European Union (EU) and benefits from major EU-funded development programs targeting poverty reduction, infrastructure and social cohesion.
This political context places Serbia at an important turning point: while public distrust toward institutions grows, EU-backed social programs continue to reshape living conditions for some of the country’s most vulnerable communities.
Poverty and Ethnic Discrimination in Serbia
Serbia remains the largest economy and the most populous state in the Western Balkans, with approximately 6.6 million inhabitants in 2026. Over the past decade, Serbia has experienced notable economic growth and increasing foreign investment. However, this growth has not benefited all parts of society equally.
Around 20% of the Serbian population remains at risk of poverty, particularly in the southern and western regions of the country. Economic inequality, unemployment, weak infrastructure and limited access to public services continue to affect vulnerable populations disproportionately.
Among the communities facing the greatest structural discrimination are the Roma people. Roma communities in Serbia frequently encounter barriers in employment, education, health care and housing. Many Roma families continue to live in informal settlements with poor infrastructure, limited sanitation and insecure housing conditions, which further reinforces cycles of poverty and exclusion.
The EU SHAI Program: Housing as Social Inclusion
In response to these challenges, the EU launched the Social Housing and Active Inclusion Program (EU SHAI), one of Serbia’s largest social inclusion initiatives. Between 2019 and 2025, the EU invested €27 million into the program, while the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) implemented it alongside Serbian national and local authorities.
Rather than focusing solely on housing construction, EU SHAI combined accommodation with employment support, education, health care access and social services.
The program targeted Roma communities, women escaping domestic violence, people with disabilities, young people leaving state care systems and families living in extreme poverty. It adapted its approach to local needs by constructing new apartments, purchasing rural homes, renovating existing properties and upgrading infrastructure in informal settlements. Projects took place across 19 Serbian municipalities, including Čačak, Loznica, Šabac, Raška and Svilajnac.
The program produced measurable results:
- 127 families moved into newly built housing units
- 14 new family homes were constructed
- 56 village houses were purchased
- 92 homes were renovated
- More than 350 vulnerable families received permanent housing support
Overall, the program supported more than 1,200 people.
Some municipalities achieved especially visible results. Svilajnac and Raška emerged as examples of how long-term coordination between local governments, international organizations and social services can create sustainable improvements for vulnerable communities. In this sense, EU SHAI functioned not only as a humanitarian program but also as a governance and development initiative.
Housing Programs in Serbia for Roma Communities
Serbia has also developed targeted housing initiatives specifically for Roma communities. Through the Let’s Build a Home Together project, the Serbian government, with EU financial support, has provided housing solutions for up to 170 Roma families previously living in unsafe, informal settlements.
Families can choose between apartments, village houses or the reconstruction of existing homes. Authorities designed the program with direct participation from Roma beneficiaries in order to protect housing rights and adapt solutions to each family’s needs. The initiative also places strong emphasis on women’s equal housing rights and property security.
Social Housing for Refugees and Displaced People
Following the conflicts that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Serbia participated in the Regional Housing Program (RHP), a joint initiative involving Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. The program aimed to support refugees and internally displaced persons affected by the Yugoslav wars.
Alongside the RHP, Serbia developed the Social Housing in Supportive Environment (SHSE) program, which has operated since 2002 with support from international donors, the Serbian government, the EU and organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The SHSE program provides long-term housing and social protection for vulnerable groups, particularly refugees and internally displaced persons. Since 2002, the program has built 430 apartments across 22 Serbian municipalities, housing approximately 1,100 vulnerable residents. Unlike traditional institutional shelters, SHSE promotes decentralized and community-based housing solutions that integrate beneficiaries into local communities while supporting their access to health care, employment and social services.
Programs Fostering Active Inclusion
What distinguishes the housing programs in Serbia from traditional housing policies is their emphasis on active inclusion. Programs such as EU SHAI recognize that stable housing alone cannot sustainably reduce poverty if families remain excluded from employment, education and health care systems. As a result, these programs combine housing assistance with social and economic support measures tailored to the specific needs of each family.
The initiatives also actively involve the communities they support in the decision-making process, allowing beneficiaries to participate in shaping their own housing solutions and future living conditions rather than remaining passive recipients of aid.
This integrated approach proved especially important for Roma communities, who often face overlapping forms of exclusion. By combining stable housing with education and employment opportunities, these programs aim to break intergenerational cycles of poverty rather than simply manage their consequences.
Serbia, the EU and the Politics of Social Development
The housing programs in Serbia highlight the complex relationship between Serbia and the European Union. While political tensions surrounding democracy, corruption and media freedom continue to complicate Serbia’s accession process, EU-funded social programs remain deeply embedded in the country’s development strategy.
For many vulnerable families, these projects produce tangible improvements in everyday life regardless of broader geopolitical debates. They provide stable housing, access to employment, educational opportunities and greater social protection in communities that have often remained excluded for decades.
Looking Ahead
At a time when poverty, displacement and housing insecurity continue to affect millions across Europe, Serbia’s social housing programs demonstrate how targeted international cooperation can generate measurable social impact even amid ongoing political tensions. By combining housing with active inclusion policies, the housing programs in Serbia offer a model for poverty reduction that focuses not only on shelter but also on long-term social integration.
– Inès Maudire
Inès Maudire is based in Paris, France and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr
Housing Programs in Serbia: A Step Towards Social Inclusion
At the same time, Serbia continues negotiations with the European Union (EU) and benefits from major EU-funded development programs targeting poverty reduction, infrastructure and social cohesion.
This political context places Serbia at an important turning point: while public distrust toward institutions grows, EU-backed social programs continue to reshape living conditions for some of the country’s most vulnerable communities.
Poverty and Ethnic Discrimination in Serbia
Serbia remains the largest economy and the most populous state in the Western Balkans, with approximately 6.6 million inhabitants in 2026. Over the past decade, Serbia has experienced notable economic growth and increasing foreign investment. However, this growth has not benefited all parts of society equally.
Around 20% of the Serbian population remains at risk of poverty, particularly in the southern and western regions of the country. Economic inequality, unemployment, weak infrastructure and limited access to public services continue to affect vulnerable populations disproportionately.
Among the communities facing the greatest structural discrimination are the Roma people. Roma communities in Serbia frequently encounter barriers in employment, education, health care and housing. Many Roma families continue to live in informal settlements with poor infrastructure, limited sanitation and insecure housing conditions, which further reinforces cycles of poverty and exclusion.
The EU SHAI Program: Housing as Social Inclusion
In response to these challenges, the EU launched the Social Housing and Active Inclusion Program (EU SHAI), one of Serbia’s largest social inclusion initiatives. Between 2019 and 2025, the EU invested €27 million into the program, while the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) implemented it alongside Serbian national and local authorities.
Rather than focusing solely on housing construction, EU SHAI combined accommodation with employment support, education, health care access and social services.
The program targeted Roma communities, women escaping domestic violence, people with disabilities, young people leaving state care systems and families living in extreme poverty. It adapted its approach to local needs by constructing new apartments, purchasing rural homes, renovating existing properties and upgrading infrastructure in informal settlements. Projects took place across 19 Serbian municipalities, including Čačak, Loznica, Šabac, Raška and Svilajnac.
The program produced measurable results:
Overall, the program supported more than 1,200 people.
Some municipalities achieved especially visible results. Svilajnac and Raška emerged as examples of how long-term coordination between local governments, international organizations and social services can create sustainable improvements for vulnerable communities. In this sense, EU SHAI functioned not only as a humanitarian program but also as a governance and development initiative.
Housing Programs in Serbia for Roma Communities
Serbia has also developed targeted housing initiatives specifically for Roma communities. Through the Let’s Build a Home Together project, the Serbian government, with EU financial support, has provided housing solutions for up to 170 Roma families previously living in unsafe, informal settlements.
Families can choose between apartments, village houses or the reconstruction of existing homes. Authorities designed the program with direct participation from Roma beneficiaries in order to protect housing rights and adapt solutions to each family’s needs. The initiative also places strong emphasis on women’s equal housing rights and property security.
Social Housing for Refugees and Displaced People
Following the conflicts that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Serbia participated in the Regional Housing Program (RHP), a joint initiative involving Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. The program aimed to support refugees and internally displaced persons affected by the Yugoslav wars.
Alongside the RHP, Serbia developed the Social Housing in Supportive Environment (SHSE) program, which has operated since 2002 with support from international donors, the Serbian government, the EU and organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The SHSE program provides long-term housing and social protection for vulnerable groups, particularly refugees and internally displaced persons. Since 2002, the program has built 430 apartments across 22 Serbian municipalities, housing approximately 1,100 vulnerable residents. Unlike traditional institutional shelters, SHSE promotes decentralized and community-based housing solutions that integrate beneficiaries into local communities while supporting their access to health care, employment and social services.
Programs Fostering Active Inclusion
What distinguishes the housing programs in Serbia from traditional housing policies is their emphasis on active inclusion. Programs such as EU SHAI recognize that stable housing alone cannot sustainably reduce poverty if families remain excluded from employment, education and health care systems. As a result, these programs combine housing assistance with social and economic support measures tailored to the specific needs of each family.
The initiatives also actively involve the communities they support in the decision-making process, allowing beneficiaries to participate in shaping their own housing solutions and future living conditions rather than remaining passive recipients of aid.
This integrated approach proved especially important for Roma communities, who often face overlapping forms of exclusion. By combining stable housing with education and employment opportunities, these programs aim to break intergenerational cycles of poverty rather than simply manage their consequences.
Serbia, the EU and the Politics of Social Development
The housing programs in Serbia highlight the complex relationship between Serbia and the European Union. While political tensions surrounding democracy, corruption and media freedom continue to complicate Serbia’s accession process, EU-funded social programs remain deeply embedded in the country’s development strategy.
For many vulnerable families, these projects produce tangible improvements in everyday life regardless of broader geopolitical debates. They provide stable housing, access to employment, educational opportunities and greater social protection in communities that have often remained excluded for decades.
Looking Ahead
At a time when poverty, displacement and housing insecurity continue to affect millions across Europe, Serbia’s social housing programs demonstrate how targeted international cooperation can generate measurable social impact even amid ongoing political tensions. By combining housing with active inclusion policies, the housing programs in Serbia offer a model for poverty reduction that focuses not only on shelter but also on long-term social integration.
– Inès Maudire
Photo: Flickr
Updates on SDG 1 in Singapore
Poverty in Singapore
Singapore does not publish an official poverty line, making the full scale of hardship difficult to measure, but tracking updates on SDG 1 in Singapore requires understanding who poverty actually affects. A 2024 UN Food and Agriculture Organization report estimated that 7.7% of Singapore’s population experienced moderate to severe food insecurity as of 2022, a rate that has tripled since 2014. The Singapore Hunger Report found that 10% of households experienced food insecurity in the past year, with 79% citing financial constraints. Poverty concentrates among elderly residents in public rental flats, low-wage workers, and households with dependents, who face compounding health challenges and a disproportionately higher inflation burden than wealthier households.
Singapore’s Multi-Pronged Approach to Poverty Reduction
The Singapore government has adopted a strategy combining direct financial support with grassroots food security initiatives, recognizing the persistence of relative poverty among seniors, low-wage workers and households with dependents.
The Ministry of Finance announced in December 2025 that approximately 3 million adult Singaporeans received Assurance Package cash payments ranging from $100 SGD to $600 SGD. Eligibility depends on assessable income and property ownership. Citizens earning up to $39,000 with no more than one property received the maximum payout.
In February 2026, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled additional cost-of-living measures under Budget 2026. All Singaporean households will receive a one-time cost-of-living special payment of $500 SGD in CDC vouchers in January 2027 to help with daily living costs such as groceries and gas. Additionally, a one-time cost-of-living special payment ranging from $200 SGD to $400 SGD will go to adult citizens earning up to $100,000 SGD who own no more than one property. Yet, Wong emphasized that 95% of the budget goes to long-term structural plans, with only 5% for one-time assistance, prioritizing sustainable wage growth as the truly durable solution to poverty.
Effective 2027, the local qualifying salary for companies employing foreign workers will also rise to $1,800 SGD from $1,600 SGD to prevent wage suppression by supporting decent work, a framework the United Nations links directly to poverty reduction under SDG 1.
Community Gardens Address Food Security
A more obscure but rapidly growing solution to poverty reduction involves edible gardens that feed vulnerable populations while building social connection, known as the Healthy Harvest Initiative. Launched in October 2025 through a partnership between Prudential Singapore and the SG Eco Fund under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, the initiative aims to collect 6,000 kilograms of food waste for composting and distribute 3,000 kilograms of fresh vegetables to the community. Two wheelchair-accessible edible gardens totaling 235 square meters in Telok Blangah and West Coast Park make it easier for seniors and persons with disabilities to volunteer and grow fresh produce. For low-income residents who receive the harvested produce, the gardens provide reliable access to nutritious food. For the volunteers, the gardens offer purpose and social contact, addressing the social isolation that often accompanies poverty in older adults.
Six months later, Naval Base Primary School launched a refreshed Wellness Garden with solar-powered hydroponics as part of Go Green SG 2026. Harvested produce flows to community fridges through a network of volunteers, while simultaneously providing hands-on educational experience to Singaporean children.
Small Initiatives Gain Traction for Future Impact
Three smaller-scale programs have received little national attention but are now building momentum. First, the Singapore Food Agency replaced its widely publicized 30 by 30 goal in November 2025 with more targeted production targets. Local farms now aim to meet 20% of fiber needs by 2035 and supply approximately one-third of protein needs by the same year. While this shift received criticism from some environmental groups, it allows local farmers to focus on crops that directly benefit low-income households.
Second, Singapore’s Platform Workers Act, which came into force in January 2025, created a distinct legal category for gig economy workers — including delivery riders and private-hire drivers — who are neither traditional employees nor self-employed. The Act mandates gradual increases in CPF contributions for platform workers over five years, improving their housing and retirement security. The government has also introduced the Platform Workers CPF Transition Support scheme to offset increased contribution costs for lower-income workers during the transition period.
Third, community fridge networks have formalized under the SG Cares framework. Fourteen community fridges now operate across Singapore, restocked regularly by volunteers and local businesses. Unlike government food rations, community fridges allow residents to choose what they need without paperwork or stigma, serving vulnerable groups across the island.
These three initiatives reflect the broader updates on SDG 1 in Singapore, focusing on poverty reduction at the neighborhood level, where poverty often hides behind the PAP’s robust subsidized housing (HDB) program, and treat it not as a failure of individual effort but as a gap in systems necessitating a humane design for repair.
– Estelle Anais Aubry
Photo: Unsplash
Indian Cricketers’ Charity: From Slums to Solutions
Cricket, Poverty and a Billion Watching
India’s poverty rate stands at 21.9%, with nearly 195 million people still undernourished — the largest such population in the world. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Cricket is the country’s most consumed cultural product, its players the most recognized faces on the planet. That collision — extraordinary influence meeting extraordinary need — is creating something unexpected: a generation of sporting icons using fame as a development tool.
Research consistently shows that each additional year of schooling can increase an individual’s earnings by up to 10%. These Indian cricketers’ charity seem to understand that better than most policy documents do.
5 Players 5 Different Bets on the Future
Virat Kohli’s foundation, established in 2013, partnered with the Raah Foundation on Project Nutrition for Transformation — a year-long nutritional food supply to 5,000 malnourished tribal children across 103 health centers in Maharashtra. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates 4.7 million tribal children in India suffer from chronic nutrition deprivation, with 80% concentrated in just eight states. UNICEF Kohli’s project targeted the most deprived group within that already-deprived population.
Gautam Gambhir took a different approach. In Delhi’s West Patel Nagar, he launched Community Kitchen No. 1 under his foundation with a single declared mission: no one should sleep hungry. The kitchen grew into four Jan Rasoi canteens serving approximately 4,000 meals a day at Re 1 per plate — a token amount charged, Gambhir said, so people could eat with dignity rather than charity.
Suresh Raina and his wife Priyanka launched the Gracia Raina Foundation to address a quieter crisis — the reproductive and mental health of underprivileged women and girls. The foundation runs adolescent health workshops in government schools and a RightAGE program targeting girls in underserved communities, tackling the generational poverty cycle at a point most interventions miss entirely.
Then there is Yuvraj Singh — perhaps the most personal story of all. After surviving a rare form of cancer following the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj launched the YouWeCan Foundation. To date it has screened more than 140,000 people in early detection camps, counseled 24,000 men on tobacco cessation and sponsored the complete school education of 150 cancer survivor children from below-poverty-line families. At a London fundraiser in July 2025 — attended by Tendulkar, Kohli, Brian Lara and the entire Indian national squad — Yuvraj put it plainly: “I know what it feels like to wake up unsure of your tomorrow.”
Personal Generosity vs. Structural Change
Indian cricketers’ charity is not a one-off charity event. They are sustained, targeted investments in specific communities — nutrition, education, health care, dignity — by people who grew up understanding what their absence means. Furthermore, they are making poverty visible to a billion-person audience that idolizes them. They are modeling a version of success that includes obligation. And in communities where government services have consistently failed to arrive, they are arriving instead.
– Parthivee Mukherji
Photo: Unsplash
Eliminating HIV in the Bahamas
Meeting the WHO Elimination Criteria
To meet the elimination criteria for HIV, a country must show that pregnant women receive proper treatment and that very few babies are born with HIV. The Bahamas has proved that:
The Bahamas now joins a group of 12 countries and territories in the Americas certified by the WHO and will continue to maintain its efforts through surveillance and inclusive care for future mothers and their families.
Early Action and Universal Antenatal Care
Beginning in the 1990s, the Bahamas took early action in preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) by including screening and testing for HIV as part of routine antenatal care.
Working alongside its health care model, the Bahamas provides universal antenatal care for everyone regardless of economic or social background, supported by a strong laboratory network and testing protocol where women are screened at their antenatal appointments during each trimester.
This extensive data collection allows health care professionals to ensure that treatment remains accessible and free to mothers and to monitor how effective the treatment is in continuing to reduce HIV rates.
Integrated Health Programs and PAHO Partnership
Building on the launch of the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) initiative, through which countries integrated HIV and maternal health services into their health care systems, the Bahamas continued to expand access to its residents in 2010.
Integrated into the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program, the Bahamas coordinates with the National Infectious Disease Programme and oversees the prevention and treatment of HIV. This monitoring ensures continued care and treatment for HIV-positive mothers and exposed infants by providing antiretroviral medicines and other family planning services free of charge.
Looking Ahead
Through sustained surveillance and a commitment to universal health care access, the Bahamas has reduced the risk of HIV transmission and other communicable diseases that pose a risk to health in the Caribbean. Furthermore, its achievement demonstrates that the elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission is possible and offers a model for other countries working toward the same goal.
– Kianna Phosouvanh-Sythong
Photo: Unsplash
Sprinting Legends Are Helping to Alleviate Poverty in Jamaica
However, strict reliance on industries like tourism and agriculture, accounting for more than one-third of all Jamaican jobs according to the World Bank, leaves the economy vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns. This became evident in 2025, when Hurricane Melissa left a lasting impression on the economy, disrupting agriculture and challenging poverty reduction efforts in Jamaica. Reports from the UNDP noted damages amounting to 30% of Jamaica’s GDP, resulting in many vulnerable populations being forced to once again walk the poverty line.
With these economic challenges in mind, Jamaica’s track legends are stepping up to build stronger socioeconomic foundations for their homeland. Beyond boosting national tourism, the grassroots foundations founded by these sprinters are actively investing in the long-term economic resilience of the nation’s most vulnerable communities.
Usain Bolt Foundation
Established by world-record holder Bolt in 2009, this foundation aims to create sustainable opportunities for Jamaican youth through education and cultural development. The organization focuses heavily on enhancing early childhood and primary education by equipping underfunded schools with essential digital technology. Through targeted financial injections, the foundation regularly funds rural schools to sponsor athletic programs and supply critical sporting equipment. Most notably, in 2025, a donation totaling J$6.1 million (about $10,100) was divided among six rural high schools to support the ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships.
The foundation’s proactive approach became vital following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa. Partnering with global organizations such as Puma and World Vision, the Usain Bolt Foundation quickly mobilized to distribute food kits, school bags and hygiene supplies to families in the hardest-hit rural communities. Furthermore, the foundation provided direct rehabilitation grants to damaged schools, accelerating the return to normal classroom learning. By securing access to quality education and physical recreation, Bolt’s foundation helps generations of young Jamaicans overcome economic hardships. In the long term, higher levels of education foster a highly skilled, diverse workforce, reducing poverty and ultimately equipping the economy in Jamaica to better withstand future natural disasters.
The Pocket Rocket Foundation
Founded by Olympic icon Fraser-Pryce in 2013, the Pocket Rocket Foundation focuses its investments on secondary education and financial support for promising young athletes. Established with the belief that financial barriers should never compromise a child’s future, the foundation provides full academic scholarships so talented student-athletes do not have to choose between their education, their sport and basic survival. By securing these vital athletic and academic pathways, the organization empowers young people to become the next generation of Jamaican sports leaders. This structural support opens up crucial opportunities for international university scholarships and commercial sponsorships, paving a sustainable way out of generational poverty in Jamaica.
YB Afraid Foundation
Blake’s YB Afraid Foundation, established in 2011, provides targeted support to children’s homes, directly addressing the needs of some of the most vulnerable individuals in Jamaica. The foundation aims to uplift children who have suffered from abuse and homelessness, funding facilities that provide safety as well as a place for children to learn and play. To date, the foundation has completely adopted three children’s homes in Jamaica: the Mount Olivet Boys’ Home (Manchester), the Pringle Home (St. Mary) and the Jamaica Baptist Union Garland Hall Memorial Children’s Home (Anchovy). This active initiative directly provides comprehensive care, clothing and educational tool funding for more than 50 children. With strategic plans already underway to expand this protective umbrella to seven homes nationwide, the foundation offers a much brighter, secure future to vulnerable children who might otherwise face severe socioeconomic hardships.
The VCB Foundation
The Campbell-Brown Foundation, founded in 2011, uses a multi-tiered approach focusing on educational empowerment, structured life-coaching and community health. Through its signature Educational Empowerment Scholarship program, the foundation fully funds underrepresented young women from their entry into high school through to graduation. Additionally, the foundation partners directly with the Jamaica Ministry of Health and Wellness to host an Annual Back to School Health and Wellness Fair. This recurring initiative provides hundreds of families in deeply underserved communities with free medical screenings, essential health education and vital wellness packages, ensuring a healthy foundation for academic success.
By mobilizing their global athletic success, these four track legends are creating a blueprint for overcoming the structural barriers to poverty in Jamaica. Through targeted education, community empowerment and youth support in sport, their respective foundations are helping to build a more economically stable and secure society. Ultimately, the true greatness of the nation is not just measured by how fast its people can run, but by how many individuals they carry across the finish line with them.
– Jessica Daly
Photo: Flickr
HIV/AIDS in Mali: ARCAD Santé PLUS Makes Care Accessible
A Crisis of Access and Awareness
Approximately 62% of Malians living with HIV/AIDS know their status. Among those who test positive in Mali, 56% are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), with 48% on ART achieving viral load suppression. It helps people living with HIV/AIDS stay healthy, live longer and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others.
On February 28th, the U.S. decided to suspend funding to FHI360, a global nonprofit organization that is based in North Carolina. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Country Office and the Executive Secretary of the High National Council for the Fight against AIDS organized this meeting and made this decision. To this, the Malian government went on to distribute 120 million CFA francs ($212,000) to associations to help them continue their activities and reduce the drawbacks of the suspension.
ARCAD Santé PLUS: A Community-Focused Response
ARCAD Santé PLUS is an NGO founded in 1994 in Bamako. Led by Dr. Aliou Sylla, ARCAD Santé PLUS (formerly ARCAD-SIDA) focuses on community resilience and access to health, providing technical support, community research and advocacy. This is particularly for people living with HIV/AIDS and vulnerable populations.
The services they offer include prevention and care initiatives, including capacity building for community leaders on sexual health and rights. ARCAD Santé PLUS seeks to bring communities together to identify and address their health needs, contributing to a world free of HIV/AIDS.
The organization runs CESAC, otherwise known as the Centre for Listening, Care, Activities and Advice. It originated in 1996 which was Mali’s first dedicated HIV clinic. It receives support from the Global Fund which ARCAD Santé PLUS leads. HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care and programs specifically for children, adolescent girls and women are some of the health services they provide.
More specifically, ARCAD Santé PLUS’ clinics provide prevention kits and PrEP, testing for HIV/AIDS, treatment of opportunistic infections, initiation and monitoring of ARVs, community-based ARV distribution, self-support groups, harm reduction, research and advocacy.
A Major Step Forward in 2024
In March 2024, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (The Global Fund), the government of Mali, ARCAD Santé PLUS and Plan International Mali signed three new €102 worth of grants. These grants support the fight against AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) and strengthening health systems over the 2024-2026 period.
About 96,600 people will receive HIV/AIDS and TB treatment through grants by 2026 to prevent significant numbers of new HIV/AIDS infections, including mother-to-child transmission.
The grants will also be used to improve testing coverage and success rates, focused on decentralized care for drug-resistant TB between 2023 to 2025. This will scale up prevention activities for hard-to-reach populations and strengthen the capacity of community-focused organizations.
Progress Is Possible
Naturally, the path to ending HIV/AIDS in Mali is not without obstacles. Funding disruptions, conflict and persistent stigma continue to challenge the national response. However, organizations like ARCAD Santé PLUS reflect that community-focused, patient-centered care can make a meaningful difference despite these difficult circumstances. ARCAD Santé PLUS is proof that continued investment in local solutions can fight against HIV/AIDS in Mali.
– Joy Kohol
Photo: Unsplash
Lady Health Workers Treat Postpartum Depression in Pakistan
The Weight of Poverty for Pakistani Women
Poverty shapes everyday life for a large share of Pakistan’s population. The World Bank estimates that about 22.5% of Pakistanis lived below the national poverty line in fiscal year 2025, down from 25.3% the year before, with the September 2025 Pakistan Poverty, Equity and Resilience Assessment warning that earlier gains have been eroded by COVID-19, inflation, the 2022 floods and macroeconomic stress. Roughly 61% of the population lives in rural areas where formal mental health services are almost entirely absent. Poverty affects women differently than men.
In many low-income households, women carry the majority of unpaid caregiving and domestic work, have less independent income and less decision-making power over health spending and are more likely to be excluded from formal employment. Pakistan’s female labor force participation rate stood at around 24% in 2024, one of the lowest in South Asia. For a new mother struggling with untreated depression, the consequences ripple outward: lost wages, weaker bonds with a newborn, poorer infant nutrition and a tighter intergenerational cycle of disadvantage.
Postpartum Depression in Pakistan
Depression during and after pregnancy is one of the most common complications of childbirth and its effects reach beyond the mother. Research has linked maternal depression to pre-term birth, child under-nutrition and stunting, creating consequences that pass from one generation to the next. For families already living in poverty, the burden compounds. A mother struggling silently may find it harder to care for her infant, maintain household income or seek health services.
The stigma around mental illness deepens the problem. In a country where mental health care is concentrated in cities and where talking about depression often carries shame, rural and low-income women are the least likely to receive support and the most likely to be told their symptoms are simply part of motherhood.
Therapy Without Therapists
The response is the Thinking Healthy Program, a structured psychological intervention based on cognitive behavioral therapy and designed specifically for delivery by nonspecialists. It was developed in Pakistan by Professor Atif Rahman and colleagues and tested in a landmark cluster randomized controlled trial published in The Lancet in 2008. That trial, conducted with community health workers in rural Rawalpindi, roughly halved the risk of perinatal depression among mothers and improved infant health outcomes. The results drew international attention.
In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the Thinking Healthy manual and recommended the approach for treating perinatal depression in low-resource settings worldwide. The model has since been adapted across South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The program works because it does not depend on scarce specialists. Community health workers are trained to help mothers recognize negative thinking patterns, build supportive routines and strengthen family support, during the same home visits they already make for maternal and child health.
Building on the Lady Health Worker Network
In Pakistan, that delivery network already exists. The Lady Health Worker Program, launched in 1994, employs more than 100,000 women who provide primary health care to communities across the country, with a focus on maternal and child health in rural areas. Each worker is recruited from the community she serves, which helps build the trust that mental health support requires. A 2025 study in the Journal of Global Health confirmed that contact with Lady Health Workers during pregnancy and after birth is associated with stronger uptake of maternal and child health services. That existing relationship makes the workforce a natural vehicle for the Thinking Healthy Program.
Researchers have also tested versions delivered by trained peer volunteers from the community rather than government health workers. Indeed, a 2025 trial published in Nature Medicine, conducted in rural Rawalpindi, found that technology-assisted peer-delivered Thinking Healthy was as effective as the standard WHO version in sustaining remission of perinatal depression, offering a way to extend care where health workers are stretched thin. The work is led by the Human Development Research Foundation, an Islamabad-based research organization. Challenges remain. A 2024 analysis found that Lady Health Worker coverage in Sindh province reached only 43% of the population, with wide district-level gaps. Expanding mental health care depends on first strengthening and sustaining the network that delivers it.
Looking Ahead
Postpartum depression in Pakistan remains widespread and under-treated and no single program will resolve it. Yet the Thinking Healthy Program shows that effective care does not require a psychiatrist in every village. By training community health workers and peers to deliver evidence-based therapy, Pakistan has built a model that is both affordable and proven. With sustained investment in the Lady Health Worker network, treatment for postpartum depression can become a route out of a hidden cycle of poverty for the rural and low-income mothers who need it most.
– Amna Al Harrazi
Photo: Flickr
Gender Pay Gap for Roma Women in North Macedonia
Due to a combination of rationed socio-economic rights and a discriminatory job market, Roma women are hence bound to a “vicious cycle of poverty.” In fact, the World Bank (2024) reports that 87% of the total Roma population in North Macedonia live in material deprivation, with women suffering the most severe impacts. Compounded by a staggering 81% NEET rate (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) among young Roma women aged 18-24, the depth of the pay disparity compared to both men and non-Roma women is a significant challenge that demands targeted intervention.
While the overall landscape of pay parity does not entertain a ‘quick fix’, dedicated programs and organizations are beginning to turn the tide. By focusing on formalizing labor and providing specialized entrepreneurship tools, the following three initiatives are creating a new blueprint to reduce the gender pay gap for Roma women in North Macedonia.
1. The Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI)
The Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI) acts as a cornerstone for economic mobility by bridging the gap between “informal potential and formal enterprise” for marginalized groups. The initiative successfully lays the foundations for Roma people to build sustainable career portfolios through three primary objectives:
By taking a bottom-up approach, REDI has established a supportive framework through which Roma people and women are able to build their own opportunities. Within the first 6 months alone, REDI was able to map 140 Roma entrepreneurs and 273 unemployed Roma individuals.
2. ROMANSE
The ROMANSE (Social Entrepreneurship for Young Roma Women) project is a specialized initiative that the European Union funded. Established in April 2024 and set to run through March 2027, the project is a collaborative effort between the Roma Resource Centre and the Women’s Rights Initiative of Shuto Orizari in North Macedonia, alongside international partners from Greece and Belgium. The program aims to tackle the ‘double discrimination’ of gender and ethnicity by promoting social entrepreneurship to subsequently enable the integration of Roma women into society and the economic sphere. In order to fulfil this objective, ROMANSE utilizes several key strategies:
To date, the project has already initiated focus groups and digital training modules to ensure that young Roma women have the resources to secure equal-pay positions in the modern labor market. By focusing on sustainable business models rather than just temporary aid, the program is ensuring a long-term reduction in the wage gap for North Macedonia’s most vulnerable group.
3. The World Bank: Investing in the ‘Care Economy’
The Government of North Macedonia, with support from the World Bank, has restructured how care is valued in North Macedonia through its Social Services Improvement Project (SSIP). This initiative tackles the gender wage gap at its roots by formalizing historically unpaid domestic and caring roles into professional, stable career paths. The SSIP established a contracting model that combines “public resources with private expertise” that offers home-based care for the elderly and people with disabilities. Since 2021, the project has achieved significant measurable results for marginalized groups:
Looking Ahead
Although there is still a long way to go to close the gender pay gap for Roma women, the efforts made by these programs demonstrate a clear path forward. By dismantling the barriers to formal employment, these programs are ensuring the integration of Roma women into economic society as well as laying the crucial foundation for future financial independence.
The transition into the formal workforce offers far-reaching social benefits that extend beyond a paycheck. Stable, registered employment provides Roma women with increased security through personal pension contributions and the freedom that comes with financial autonomy. By utilizing a bottom-up approach, these development schemes do more than offer immediate relief; they actively dismantle the cycle of generational poverty. As education and employment rates rise among Roma women, the positive effects directly manifest in the next generation. Supported by a mother earning a steady, fair wage, young girls are no longer forced to enter the labor market prematurely or marry early as a means of survival. Instead, reducing the gender pay gap for Roma women safeguards their futures, paving the way for a generation of empowered young women, ultimately strengthening the economic fabric of the entire country.
– Jessica Daly
Photo: Unsplash
How Motorcycle Ambulances in Uganda Are Saving Lives
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Uganda’s maternal mortality ratio was estimated at 284 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. Many maternal deaths occur because women are unable to reach health facilities quickly during complications. By providing emergency transportation in remote areas, motorcycle ambulances help address one of the most common barriers to care and improve access to skilled medical assistance when it is needed most.
A Lifeline for Rural Communities
Unlike traditional ambulances, motorcycle ambulances can travel on narrow dirt roads and rough terrain that larger vehicles often cannot access. These vehicles typically consist of a motorcycle attached to a covered trailer designed to transport patients safely to health facilities. The need for better transportation is especially important in rural Uganda, where distance and transportation costs often prevent families from seeking timely medical care. In some communities, people previously relied on walking, bicycles or private motorcycles to reach clinics, even during emergencies. Motorcycle ambulances in Uganda thus provide a faster alternative.
Helping Mothers Reach Care
One of the greatest benefits of motorcycle ambulances is improved access to maternal health services. Research conducted among women in eastern Uganda found that nearly half of the surveyed mothers had used motorcycle ambulances to reach health facilities for delivery and emergency care. Health workers report that these ambulances help women arrive at clinics faster, reducing delays that can lead to serious pregnancy and childbirth complications. Increased access to health facilities also encourages more women to give birth under the supervision of trained medical professionals rather than at home. This improves outcomes for both mothers and newborns and helps reduce preventable deaths.
A Cost-Effective Solution
Motorcycle ambulances are significantly less expensive to purchase and maintain than conventional ambulances. Their affordability allows local governments, health organizations and community programs to operate them in areas with limited resources.
According to Africannews, motorcycle ambulances have become an important tool for connecting isolated villages to health centers. Their ability to navigate difficult roads means patients can receive treatment sooner, even during the rainy season when travel becomes more challenging. The success of motorcycle ambulances in Uganda demonstrates how low-cost innovations can address major barriers to health care access.
Expanding Access to Health Care
The success of motorcycle ambulance programs has attracted support from international organizations focused on maternal and child health. Similar programs supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have demonstrated how innovative transportation solutions can strengthen rural health systems and increase access to life-saving services.
Motorcycle ambulances also help transport sick children and emergency patients who require urgent care. By reducing travel times, they increase the likelihood that patients receive treatment before their conditions become life-threatening.
Looking Ahead
Motorcycle ambulances in Uganda show how a simple innovation can create meaningful change. By overcoming transportation barriers, these vehicles help patients receive treatment sooner and improve access to essential health services. As motorcycle ambulances in Uganda continue to expand, they are proving that practical and affordable solutions can save lives. For many families living far from hospitals, they are more than a means of transportation—they are a pathway to healthier futures and stronger communities.
– Masa Qasim
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Supporting Poor Families in Brazil: The Criança Feliz Program
UNICEF reports that about 32 million children are in vulnerable situations. These include lack of education, child labor, living in poor conditions or lack of water and food. IBGE also reported that Brazil’s poverty rate fell to 23.1% in 2024, while extreme poverty fell to 3.5%. These improvements show progress, but the number of people still affected by poverty remains high.
The Criança Feliz Program
The Criança Feliz Program, also known as Primeira Infância no SUAS/Criança Feliz, is one response to early childhood poverty in Brazil. The program uses home visits to support families registered in Cadastro Único, Brazil’s registry for low-income families. During these visits, trained workers guide families on child development, family care and access to public services. The program focuses on pregnant women, young children and children with disabilities in vulnerable families. Its goal is not only to provide information, but also to strengthen family and community bonds. By working directly inside the home, Criança Feliz helps caregivers understand how everyday actions, such as talking, playing, reading and responsive care, can support a child’s development.
Connecting Families to Services
Criança Feliz connects families to Brazil’s broader social protection system. Instead of treating childhood poverty as a single problem, the program links families to services related to social assistance, health care, education, culture, human rights and child protection. This is significant because poor families in Brazil often face multiple challenges simultaneously.
In 2025, Brazil’s Ministry of Development and Social Assistance announced that Criança Feliz would be part of the country’s social protection network through the Social Assistance Reference Centers (CRAS) and the Family Protection and Comprehensive Care Service (PAIF). CRAS centers serve as local entry points to programs and social assistance, while PAIF works directly with families to prevent and respond to vulnerable situations. This change makes the program more accessible for public services.
Impact of the Program
Criança Feliz has reached families on a large scale. According to Brazil’s Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, the program surpassed 57 million home visits in 2021 and brought child care information to families in more than 3,028 municipalities. Another government update reported that the program had accompanied 1.5 million families, including 1.4 million children and 374,000 pregnant women.
The program’s impact should be explained carefully. A randomized study of Criança Feliz in 30 Brazilian municipalities did not find clear improvements in child development outcomes under routine conditions. However, researchers also found implementation problems, including low coverage, management challenges and differences in visit quality. This means the program’s reach is large, but its long-term success depends on stronger implementation and consistent visit quality.
Organizations and Partners Supporting the Program
Although Criança Feliz is a federal program, several organizations and partners have helped strengthen its model. The Bernard van Leer Foundation reported that the program’s home visitors use technical material based on the Care for Child Development method developed by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). These materials help guide visits around child development and family care.
The program has also involved support from groups such as UNICEF, UNESCO, UNDP, PAHO, WHO and the Bernard van Leer Foundation. These partners have supported technical material, training methods, monitoring and evaluation. Their role shows how partnerships can help public programs improve services for poor families in Brazil.
Why Support in Early Childhood Makes a Difference
Early childhood support matters because poverty can affect children’s development before they enter school. The World Bank states that millions of young children do not reach their full potential because of poor nutrition, limited early stimulation and learning and exposure to poverty and stress. These early disadvantages can affect health, education and future income. For that reason, programs like Criança Feliz focus on the first years of life. Home visits can help caregivers support children’s growth while also connecting families to services they may not know how to access. When early childhood programs work well, they can help reduce the long-term effects of poverty by supporting children before disadvantages become harder to reverse.
Conclusion
Criança Feliz shows how Brazil is trying to support children by supporting families first. The program does not solve poverty alone and research shows that implementation quality still matters. However, its large reach, home-visiting model and connection to Brazil’s social protection system make it an important effort for helping poor families in Brazil. By focusing on early childhood, family support and access to services, Criança Feliz offers a practical way to address poverty before it shapes a child’s future.
– Mateo Alcocer
Photo: Wikimedia Commons