“A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity,” said former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd in a 2008 speech where he apologized to Australia’s Indigenous people for the human rights abuses committed against them by former governments. In particular, the apology was directed at the “Stolen Generations” of Indigenous Australian children forcibly taken from their families between 1910 and 1970. Despite historical discrimination against Indigenous Australians occurring decades back, the effects persist in their marginalization today. Nevertheless, ongoing efforts seek to empower Indigenous communities and address historical injustices.
The Marginalization of Indigenous Australians
A 1999 publication of the Australian Bureau of Statistics still rings true today: “As a group, Indigenous people are disadvantaged… several socioeconomic factors” and “these disadvantages place them at greater risk of ill health and reduced well-being.”
Amnesty International argues that “the loss of customary land, discrimination and marginalization has left Indigenous communities with disproportionately high rates for poverty, imprisonment and overall ill-health.”
As per the National Indigenous Australians Agency, life expectancy at birth was around 71.6 years for Indigenous males and 75.6 years for Indigenous females during 2015–2017. There exists a life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, estimated at 8.6 years for males and 7.8 years for females.
Indigenous Australians also face barriers in the area of education. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2021, the school attendance rate of Indigenous students (1 to 10 years old) stood at 79% compared to 92% for non-indigenous students.
Renee Blackman, who owns a health service called Gidgee Healing for Aboriginal communities in northwest Queensland, told the Guardian in 2019 that poverty among the Indigenous is “magnified in remote locations.” Blackman provides health care services to around 7,000 Indigenous Australians in remote communities in these areas.
In rural areas, the lack of opportunities impacts many lives. Discrimination against Indigenous citizens further compounds these challenges. Blackman, a member of the Gubbi Gubbi tribe in South East Queensland, notes that Australian Indigenous people often struggle to afford healthy foods, maintain housing, access necessary medications or travel to regional centers for essential surgeries. These difficulties significantly affect their overall well-being and that of their children.
“Tackling the social determinants of health is critical to address health inequities, which arise because people with the least social and economic power tend to have the worst health, live in unhealthier environments and have worse access to health care,” The Guardian reports.
Closing the Gap
The government is however taking positive steps to empower Indigenous citizens living in Australia. As 2023 marked the 15th anniversary of the Australian government’s historic apology speech to Australia’s Stolen Generations, the government announced a $492 million plan titled the “Closing the Gap Implementation Plan” to address the food and water insecurity, housing crisis and education limits that the Indigenous community deal with. This funding extends to the rural areas of Australia to support the First Nations peoples there.
The 2023 Voice to Parliament
The Australian government announced a vote allowing for a greater representation of Indigenous leaders. In 2023, the government cast votes to include a ‘Voice to Parliament,’ titled the ‘2023 Australian Indigenous Voice Referendum.’
With a ‘yes’ vote, Indigenous citizens could serve in the Australian Parliament and have equal representation alongside their counterparts. This would provide them with a stronger voice in the governance of Australia, enabling the implementation of strategies to support and preserve Indigenous cultures.
The Guardian reports that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reflected on ‘The Voice’ vote, stating: “Many times when I’ve spoken about this change I’ve asked: ‘If not now, when?’ This is it. October 14 is our time…For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people this has been a marathon. For all of us, it is now a sprint. And across the finish line is a more unified, more reconciled Australia, with greater opportunities for all.”
Yet, on October 14, 2023, the referendum was overturned to a majority of ‘no’ votes. Though financial assistance exists, it does not solve the separation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The vote itself is still a hopeful step forward to have all Australians on equal footing. In the referendum, 74% in the Northern Territory’s remote areas of electorate Lingiari voted yes. The Tiwi Islands off of the Northern Territory voted 84% in favor of the referendum.
Moving Forward
The Aboriginal flag was placed permanently upon the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2022. This is only a recent movement and one that is symbolic of hope for equal representation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Australian media outlets like ABC now partake in an acknowledgment to First Nations persons before their television program showings.
By practicing what it preaches and acknowledging through actions and not just words, Australia looks to strengthen its ties and honor the country as a whole.
– Anastasia Brown
Photo: Flickr
Human trafficking in Micronesia
The U.N. defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit.” Trafficking is a threat not limited to women and children but includes men as well. A U.S. Department of State report identifies trafficking as a significant problem in every continent.
The Significance of Trafficking in Micronesia
The most common type of trafficking taking place is the sexual exploitation of women. The Micronesian government identified 13 victims of trafficking (including seven children) in the current reporting period, compared with four victims in the previous report. Sex traffickers exploit women and girls through commercial sex with members of the crews of fishing vessels. Many are brought into Guam and the U.S. and trafficked into prostitution.
Micronesia’s economy is largely in the primary economic sector, based on fishing and farming, so many traffickers operate by promising women work in the U.S. Other forms of trafficking include slavery, illegal organ harvesting, forced labor and child labor. It is estimated that many cases of trafficking go unreported due to stigma or fear of accountability. This is especially prominent in Micronesia’s rural areas, which have strong community-based towns and villages.
Micronesia’s Efforts to Stop Trafficking
The Department of State evaluates Micronesia as a Tier 2 country in its efforts to end trafficking. Although the nation does not currently meet the minimum standards required, it is making “significant efforts” toward the elimination of trafficking. Law enforcement officials are now given anti-trafficking training and services for victims of trafficking have received $120,000. The Micronesian government reported it had conducted awareness campaigns focused on reducing the stigma around sex workers. Its actions to close known brothels, however, have not reduced the demand for commercial sex, it reports.
This year, U.N. Women led a summit for the prevention of violence against women in the Pacific. It brought together delegates from the Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Fiji, Niue, Palau, the Cook Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu to discuss strategies to combat gender-based exploitation and violence, including sexual exploitation. The conference highlighted the need for integrated, nationwide and targeted approaches to preventing violence and trafficking, especially for women and girls.
Micronesia has held a Tier 2 ranking since 2014, before which it was ranked on the Tier 2 watch list. This places Micronesia in a similar position to Indonesia, Thailand and Laos. While the country is making progress, this is not as rapid as the U.S. report hopes.
Further Steps to Eliminate Human Trafficking
While the Micronesian government has established an anti-human trafficking division, the government has still not implemented the necessary procedures for identifying victims or referral to protection services. The U.S. Department of State’s report recommends that the government prioritize the investigation, prosecution and conviction of traffickers, sentencing offenders to significant time in prison. Additionally, the report advocates a victim-led approach, with legal alternatives for foreign trafficking victims to relegation to other countries where they may face worse hardship. Anti-trafficking awareness campaigns will alert health care professionals, leaders and the general public to those at risk of trafficking.
– Lydia Greene
Photo: Flickr
How Flash Floods Are Affecting Livestock in Somalia
In May 2023, the city of Beledweyne in central Somalia was flooded. The inhabitants of the city have had to flee due to the city’s inhabitable environment. The riverine flooding originating from the heavy rainfall in the Ethiopian highlands made its way through to the Shabelle River in Beledweyne bursting the banks and instantaneously engulfing the city in water.
The flash flooding hit the homes and livestock in Somalia the hardest. After almost a decade of drought, the extreme inverse has left the city submerged, livestock washed away and more than a quarter million people displaced.
After a decade-long struggle with famines and droughts, the floods in Somalia have been a catalyst fuelling the other simultaneous issues that lay beneath the surface. Following what some have described as the worst flooding of the Shabelle River in the last 30 years the damage that has occurred could take multiple rainy seasons to repair. Not only have the flash floods been a tragic inconvenience for the locals it has also been lethal with at least 50 deaths being recorded from the start of the floods to three weeks post.
Based on calculations that the U.N. humanitarian office made, the floods have affected a little more than 460,000 people and killed 22. With the floods increasing in frequency and magnitude by 2019, 68% of the country had experienced flooding.
How Have the Floods Affected the Livestock in Somalia?
The livestock and farmland have been the most fatal hit for the rural communities of Beledweyne since it is their main source of livelihood driving the country’s food insecurity further. The reports of hunger have largely affected the most vulnerable. The country’s ongoing 10-year-long struggle with famine as a reaction to the drought has already been a crisis that has taken decades to reverse. With the country slowly getting back onto its feet the extreme temperamental weather and flash flooding has been a kick in the back of the knee setting it back not too far from where it was.
A spokesperson from Save the Children has spoken on the matter saying “This is tragedy upon tragedy. Children and families in these parts of Somalia have been waiting for rains for nearly three years — and when they finally come, they have washed away what little crops and livestock are remaining.”
With most of the meat and milk coming from the cattle, residents rely almost completely on their animals. The flooding has now put an abrupt stop to the use of livestock for food, as the floods have killed most people’s animals.
The floods have affected not only the crops and livestock in Somalia but also the overall health and well-being of the residents, with the previous drought stripping the soil of its ability to produce and grow healthy and nutritious crops. Without the correct nutrients the diet of young children especially those under the age of 5 is put at risk with many of them suffering from acute malnutrition which can have irreversible consequences for their general health and quality of life. The U.N. has reported that before the flooding 6.5 million inhabitants were facing the end of food insecurity and a staggering 1.8 million children were on the brink of acute malnutrition.
Looking Ahead
Aside from all of the catastrophes, there has been a lot of help deployed to aid with the disaster taking place, with charities like Save the Children who have been working in Somalia since 1951 and have also been providing health care and educational resources providing cash assistance to more than 900 families.
Muslim Hands, which has been working in Somalia since 2011, has also raised funds and assisted in bringing the city back onto steady ground by providing food and water and building emergency shelters to house the residents and bring back some stability. Both charities have made some amazing changes in the country and still do so by actively posting about relief work on their websites and having links where people can donate money and clothing.
– Sumaya Ali
Photo: Flickr
Efforts to Empower Indigenous Australians
The Marginalization of Indigenous Australians
A 1999 publication of the Australian Bureau of Statistics still rings true today: “As a group, Indigenous people are disadvantaged… several socioeconomic factors” and “these disadvantages place them at greater risk of ill health and reduced well-being.”
Amnesty International argues that “the loss of customary land, discrimination and marginalization has left Indigenous communities with disproportionately high rates for poverty, imprisonment and overall ill-health.”
As per the National Indigenous Australians Agency, life expectancy at birth was around 71.6 years for Indigenous males and 75.6 years for Indigenous females during 2015–2017. There exists a life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, estimated at 8.6 years for males and 7.8 years for females.
Indigenous Australians also face barriers in the area of education. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, in 2021, the school attendance rate of Indigenous students (1 to 10 years old) stood at 79% compared to 92% for non-indigenous students.
Renee Blackman, who owns a health service called Gidgee Healing for Aboriginal communities in northwest Queensland, told the Guardian in 2019 that poverty among the Indigenous is “magnified in remote locations.” Blackman provides health care services to around 7,000 Indigenous Australians in remote communities in these areas.
In rural areas, the lack of opportunities impacts many lives. Discrimination against Indigenous citizens further compounds these challenges. Blackman, a member of the Gubbi Gubbi tribe in South East Queensland, notes that Australian Indigenous people often struggle to afford healthy foods, maintain housing, access necessary medications or travel to regional centers for essential surgeries. These difficulties significantly affect their overall well-being and that of their children.
“Tackling the social determinants of health is critical to address health inequities, which arise because people with the least social and economic power tend to have the worst health, live in unhealthier environments and have worse access to health care,” The Guardian reports.
Closing the Gap
The government is however taking positive steps to empower Indigenous citizens living in Australia. As 2023 marked the 15th anniversary of the Australian government’s historic apology speech to Australia’s Stolen Generations, the government announced a $492 million plan titled the “Closing the Gap Implementation Plan” to address the food and water insecurity, housing crisis and education limits that the Indigenous community deal with. This funding extends to the rural areas of Australia to support the First Nations peoples there.
The 2023 Voice to Parliament
The Australian government announced a vote allowing for a greater representation of Indigenous leaders. In 2023, the government cast votes to include a ‘Voice to Parliament,’ titled the ‘2023 Australian Indigenous Voice Referendum.’
With a ‘yes’ vote, Indigenous citizens could serve in the Australian Parliament and have equal representation alongside their counterparts. This would provide them with a stronger voice in the governance of Australia, enabling the implementation of strategies to support and preserve Indigenous cultures.
The Guardian reports that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reflected on ‘The Voice’ vote, stating: “Many times when I’ve spoken about this change I’ve asked: ‘If not now, when?’ This is it. October 14 is our time…For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people this has been a marathon. For all of us, it is now a sprint. And across the finish line is a more unified, more reconciled Australia, with greater opportunities for all.”
Yet, on October 14, 2023, the referendum was overturned to a majority of ‘no’ votes. Though financial assistance exists, it does not solve the separation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The vote itself is still a hopeful step forward to have all Australians on equal footing. In the referendum, 74% in the Northern Territory’s remote areas of electorate Lingiari voted yes. The Tiwi Islands off of the Northern Territory voted 84% in favor of the referendum.
Moving Forward
The Aboriginal flag was placed permanently upon the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2022. This is only a recent movement and one that is symbolic of hope for equal representation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Australian media outlets like ABC now partake in an acknowledgment to First Nations persons before their television program showings.
By practicing what it preaches and acknowledging through actions and not just words, Australia looks to strengthen its ties and honor the country as a whole.
– Anastasia Brown
Photo: Flickr
5 Active NGOs in Afghanistan
Throughout the world, countless nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are battling against abuses such as poverty, changing weather patterns and hunger. In Afghanistan, human rights abuses have been skyrocketing, and homelessness has become the new norm. More than 40% of Afghanistan’s population lives below the poverty line, in desperate need of help. Here are five NGOs Active in Afghanistan that are fighting these pressing issues.
5 NGOs in Afghanistan
Making a Difference in Afghanistan
In a country where the most vulnerable people face countless challenges, recognizing NGOs in that are making a real difference appears to be vital. These organizations work tirelessly to provide aid, assistance and support to those who need it most.
– Jake Marks
Photo: Unsplash
The IoT Revolution in Water Management in Africa
Water, that most vital of resources, is becoming alarmingly scarce across the sweeping landscapes of Africa. According to UNICEF, 418 million individuals are without basic drinking water facilities, 779 million do not have fundamental sanitation amenities — with 208 million still resorting to open defecation — and 839 million are deprived of elementary hygiene services.
Against the backdrop of challenges like prolonged droughts and erratic rainfall patterns due to changing weather patterns, Africa’s water crisis is accentuated. The rising population intensifies the strain on dwindling water sources, while industrial and agricultural pollutants further reduce the supply of clean water. In this context, the deficiencies in Africa’s water management facilities and systems become glaringly magnified. Outdated water supply and drainage systems lead to significant wastage. Coupled with a lack of proper maintenance due to financial constraints, many water facilities experience premature failure. Technologically, Africa lags in water treatment and reuse practices compared to developed nations.
Fortunately, the Internet of Things (IoT), an emerging technology, offers effective solutions to Africa’s water infrastructure challenges. Here is information about the IoT revolution.
Decoding the IoT Revolution
The Internet of Things, at its essence, is about connectivity. It is about everyday objects, from the mundane to the complex, communicating and sharing data. Here is what this means in tangible terms.
Where Theory Meets Practice
In Kenya, the technological landscape is witnessing a transformative collaboration between Safaricom, a leading telecommunications company, and the Kenya Water Institute (KEWI). The duo has embarked on deploying a “Smart Water Management System,” leveraging the power of the IoT. This system, set to be integrated at KEWI’s campuses in Nairobi and Kitui, represents a holistic approach to water management.
The core of this system revolves around smart water meters. These sophisticated devices are capable of collecting real-time utility consumption data online. They offer an eagle-eyed monitoring solution that detects water loss and leakage swiftly. Such real-time detection does not just ensure accurate billing but aids in enhancing revenue collection. In an economic context, this system also has the potential to improve operational efficiency, providing a two-fold advantage: cost-saving for institutions and accurate utility bills for consumers.
Safaricom’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Ndegwa, encapsulates the essence of this initiative, emphasizing the pivotal role of IoT in modern water management. By harnessing IoT, Safaricom aims to redefine the process of water extraction, generation, dissemination and utilization. It is a digital transformation that holds promises of increased efficiency and reduced wastage.
Looking Ahead
The water crisis that Africa faces is undeniably daunting. However, by integrating the power of IoT into water management strategies, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Through the IoT revolution, Africa has a shot at ensuring water security for its teeming millions. In doing so, it does not just quench its physical thirst but also fosters a sustainable future and an enhanced quality of life for its inhabitants.
– Yudi Zhang
Photo: Unsplash
Unity Between Traditional Medicine and Healing in Ghana
Modern biomedical health care in Ghana is primarily administered through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which focuses on ensuring the treatment of the nation’s most prevalent illnesses, like HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. This coverage varies considerably by region, clustering around urban centers and leaving entire swaths of rural Ghana, especially northern regions without any access to health care, forcing people to travel long distances.
Traditional healers step in where modern health care and insurance fail. They never charge in advance, accept small gifts as payment — usually only from those who successfully recover — and serve 80% of rural Ghana at a ratio of one healer for every 200 people.
Rooted in centuries of accumulated indigenous knowledge and passed along from parent to child, African traditional medicine uses a variety of herbs, plants, animal parts and oils by themselves and in mixtures to treat conditions ranging from sickle-cell anemia to hypertension. In 1999, the discipline formally became the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Associations (GHAFTRAM), which provides selected healers with medical IDs and special cards for referring patients to biomedical facilities.
Folded Arms
These two disciplines are separated not only by their differing methodologies but also by a cloud of miscommunication, prejudice and changing economic circumstances. A 2017 survey of local healers, medical staff and patients in Ghana’s northern region identified a glut of medical staff unfamiliar with local healing practices, values and languages. Biomedical professionals sometimes view traditional medicine as “backward,” a prejudice so acute in some facilities that patients found to have used traditional medicine are turned away.
The expanding framework of industrial health care and the globalized need for cash also have a way of discouraging young people from pursuing traditional medicine, especially traditional birth attending, largely because they are not lucrative by modern standards, and are governed by a medicinal philosophy couched in selfless community service that considers charging patients for care immoral. For instance, none of the healers interviewed in the 2017 survey made their living through traditional medicine, all of them practicing part-time and surviving by subsistence farming.
Helping Hands
Despite these problems, there does seem to be a general attitude toward cooperation amongst medical caretakers in Ghana and a sense of the urgent need for integration. Several initiatives are underway to foster this collaboration. Communication and referral between traditional healers and biomedical professionals are supported by the efforts of the Association of Church-Based Development Projects, which distributes mobile phones to traditional healers and birth attendants. GHAFTRAM introduces its healers to the managers of their local hospitals, reaching out to unassociated healers through radio commercials and encouraging them to join and publicly declare their expertise.
An exciting example of this collaboration in action is Enoch Keitu, a young medical herbalist in Ghana who has combined his mother’s training as a traditional birth attendant with his scientific training in herbal medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology to ensure Ghanaians have access to quality-assured herbal remedies. His experiences seeing patients die from preventable, often unreported illnesses first inspired him to create a mobile health clinic that provided free health screenings and referrals, as well as herbal medical care at a subsidized rate.
Then, starting from prototype compounds synthesized in his own kitchen, he gradually built his own production facility for herbal medicines — Kenoch HG Herbal — with a grant from the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (NEIP) and help from his friend and fellow medical herbalist Edmund Amu. The facility, now operating in the cities of Techiman and Accra, provides herbal remedies certified by Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections and to strengthen immunity. It also distributes its products to government health clinics and more than 50 pharmacies throughout the country.
Future Unity
The integration of traditional healing with modern biomedical health care represents a tremendous resource for healing in Ghana. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes it as an important step toward universal health coverage and has taken its own steps to ensure that Africans have access to safe and accessible herbal remedies. A total of 40 African nations have already integrated traditional medicine into their health care and legal systems. Given the ongoing trends, there is hope for a future where all Africans have access to care that is accessible and effective.
– John Merino
Photo: Flickr
Young Farmers in Zimbabwe contribute to poverty reduction
Prosper Bvunzawabaya, a graduate in finance has planted 300 mango trees that belong to a species called “Tommy Atkins”, which he hopes to be able to export after discovering its market potential overseas. Milton Zhakata is resorting to innovation by mixing Boer goats, originally from neighboring South Africa, with native goats. Boer goats’ meat is a money-printing machine. The goats are prolific breeders. These are just a few examples of the progress of young farmers in Zimbabwe.
Overall, youth contributes to 62% of the country’s population today and young farmers in Zimbabwe are increasingly engaged in contributing to the economy in recent years. More than 55% of women are between the ages 20 and 31 and >45% of men in the same age bracket grow fruits and rear livestock in the country.
Agricultural productivity has received recognition as one of the key factors that can help reduce poverty in Zimbabwe, especially in the post-COVID era.
The country has 10.2 million acres of arable land, although it lacks modern equipment and sustainable irrigation practices in several regions. Partnership with U.S. companies (e.g. John Deere) has steered the country in a positive direction towards adopting sustainable farming practices in these areas.
How Government Support and Innovations Help Young Farmers in Zimbabwe
President Emerson Mnangagwa, gaining office in 2017, was quick to adopt policies that would attract the youth to embrace agricultural best practices.
Challenges in Agricultural Practices
Rural, agrarian parts of Zimbabwe are faced with specific challenges that cannot be undermined.
The Path Forward
The World Bank assessment in October 2022 affirms several opportunities to promote Zimbabwe’s agricultural productivity. Access to irrigation methods, climate-smart farming, diversification of high-value crops and sustained partnerships for reliable machinery are some of the critical factors that are expected to propel both the government and the private sectors forward.
Given the challenges faced, innovations and market orientation of small-scale farming carry a promising future for young farmers in Zimbabwe to invest in this sector for economic growth, both at the personal as well as the national level.
– Sudha Krishnaswami
Photo: Flickr
Equity Index in Nepal Transforms Education for the Disadvantaged
The government created the Consolidated Equity Strategy for the School Education Sector in 2014 to strengthen equity in education, primarily through measuring existing disparities and taking action to address them. Nepal’s Equity Index was launched in 2017 to operationalize the equity strategy and target the most disadvantaged school districts.
An Innovative Financing Tool for the Education Sector
The Ministry of Education developed the Equity Index with support from UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), World Bank. It is an innovative tool that enables the Ministry to rank the prevalence of disparities in educational outcomes, access and participation in schools and allocate resources to schools based on data that calls out specific needs. It exists within the Education Management Information System (EMIS) in the Department of Education.
The Equity Index uses data on gender, geography, socio-economic status, ethnicity and caste, and disability to create an “equity score” for each district. The planners and policy-makers rank districts according to their respective index scores. The data and the index are shared at all levels in the education sector to ensure the inclusion of district-specific disparities. This data sharing helps the government allocate resources as part of budget planning activity and considers the outcomes for further planning.
Indicators of Education Outcomes
A few critical components or indicators were needed to measure the efficacy of the Equity Index in Nepal. These include the percentage of children not enrolled in schools, survival rates (children repeating levels and/or dropping out), learning outcomes and levels of education: Basic (Grades 1-8) and Secondary (Grades 9-12).
Nepal’s Equity Index Piloted in 2017
Nepal’s basic education sector encompasses over 30,000 schools and approximately 8 million students between Grades 1 and 10. In 2017, more than 700,000 children of school age were not in primary or secondary school across the country.
Schools are allocated a budget annually based on the number of students enrolled. However, the needs of these schools could be different. For example, a school that needs some sort of food scheme for students may be in a community that cannot afford school supplies. In such cases, the Equity Index could aid in helping decision-makers allocate the extra funds needed to procure school supplies.
Using the Equity Index, the government identified five districts as part of the initial scope for targeted interventions in 2017. The interventions are usually proposed by the district stakeholders (which could include parents and guardians), including communication campaigns and community mobilization for children who are out of school. The Equity Index observed that out of 109,500 children who were out of school in these five districts, approximately 22% enrolled due to these interventions.
Reaching the Disadvantaged Made Feasible
Nepal’s Equity Index resulted in remarkable progress, increasing coverage from 6% (5 out of 75 districts chosen in 2017) to 20% by 2019, enabling the government to allocate additional budget for targeted interventions in these districts.
In 2019, the U.N. verified that there was more than a 50% reduction in out-of-school children in these targeted districts.
Understanding the nature of barriers to access and learning is critical to ensuring inclusion and equity in the education sector. The Equity Index in Nepal enables its government to compare severities in disparities across districts and take the necessary actions to guarantee targeted interventions where they are most needed.
– Sudha Krishnaswami
Photo: Flickr
Organizations Addressing Child Poverty in Saint Lucia
Although the population of St Lucia stands at about 180,000 people as of 2021, UNICEF found that one in three children lives in poverty on the small island in the Caribbean. The poverty rate for children is higher than that of the adult population in St Lucia, despite children representing only 22% of the population. These individuals are at a higher risk of violence because children living in poverty are more prone to experience high rates of crime and inadequate and unsanitary housing.
The Impact of the Pandemic
In its study to evaluate the well-being of young people in Saint Lucia, UNICEF predicted a dramatic increase in the number of children living in severe poverty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with rates climbing from 2% pre-pandemic to 28%. The pandemic disrupted young people’s education, employment and mental health, resulting in an increased burden of long-term economic and social consequences.
The Jermain Defoe Foundation
The Jermain Defoe Foundation is a charity that the famous English footballer Jermain Defoe founded, who saw that poverty was rife among the children living in his family’s home country but often went unnoticed due to the island’s popularity as a paradisiacal holiday destination.
Since its launch in 2013, the foundation has hosted multiple events to help the children living in poverty in St. Lucia. The same year, it hosted a gala dinner, which raised more than £80,000 to go towards a new children’s home. In 2017, the foundation completed the Rainbow Children’s Home in one of the poorer areas on the south of the island and equipped it to help children in need.
The foundation has hosted multiple charity football tournaments with Defoe to get children socializing and involved in the sport while also raising money to help the children in need in St. Lucia.
In 2016 and 2017, the organization rallied the public to contribute to the Christmas Shoebox Appeal and was able to deliver 181 boxes to children living in poverty in 2016. The organization filled these boxes with donated toys, clothing, sweet treats and activity packs, distributing them among Daigen School in St. Lucia. In 2017, the foundation gave 178 Shoeboxes to students, which were needed more than ever following the devastating Hurricane Maria a few months prior.
Food For The Poor
Food For The Poor (FFTP) focused on disaster relief when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, distributing goods to those in need. To help with the strain put on agriculture, health care, livelihoods and education in 2021, the charity shipped 29 tractor loads of aid to the island filled with agricultural tools, medical equipment, clothing, furniture and food.
FFTP also initiated multiple projects to promote sustainable economic solutions. It built 20 greenhouses to assist schools with feeding programs while educating children about the benefits of agriculture, plant life and reforestation.
The organization also formed the St. Lucia’s Home Food Production Project, which created self-sustaining chicken farms and vegetable gardens among the communities to improve nutrition and generate income with fewer operational costs. It also designed the Pastoral Centre Bee Farm Project to provide employment and learning opportunities and revenue from the sale of honey.
Irie Kids Inc.
Irie Kids Inc. is a registered nonprofit that works exclusively in Saint Lucia and is dedicated to improving the lives and opportunities available to impoverished children on the island.
Volunteers solely run its programs, with 100% of donations going straight toward the organization’s efforts. Irie Kids seeks to impact children’s lives through education and resources through activities such as tutoring, one-to-one coaching and group talking therapy in a “Tea Party For Teens.”
The programs have free registration for all children, and Irie Kids Inc. designed them to foster creativity and grant new opportunities and a future-orientated outlook. Programs have included a Pet Care Program, which teaches children about animal care and the basics of veterinary medicine, and included a trip to the local animal shelter. Another impactful event was the First Period Preparedness Program, which Irie Kids Inc. formed to promote a celebration of womanhood and incite open conversations. This process involved a tea party alongside a Q&A with a certified instructor to answer any queries and, most importantly, the distribution of a period kit to each student.
While child poverty in Saint Lucia persists, numerous organizations are working to make a difference. The Jermain Defoe Foundation, Food For the Poor and Irie Kids Inc. are three examples of NGOs that are active in the nation. Their support goes a long way to secure brighter future for the next generation of youth in the island nation.
– Maia Winter
Photo: Flickr
Tackling Hunger by Reducing Food Waste in Pakistan
The issues of poverty, disasters, political changes and economic uncertainty have made it difficult for many Pakistanis to obtain or produce enough nutritious food consistently, especially impacting children’s development and growth. Addressing food insecurity and malnutrition will require strategies that deal with their complex underlying causes. At the same time, significant amounts of food are wasted across the supply chain and at the consumer level. Bridging this gap between surplus production and food scarcity is critical for tackling hunger in the country.
The Issue of Food Loss in Pakistan
Pakistan is facing an unprecedented food crisis marked by severe wheat shortages. According to reports, the shortage has left many citizens struggling with soaring food prices and inadequate nutrition. Experts warn that if food insecurity continues unaddressed, it could lead to anarchy and instability. The most vulnerable populations in Pakistan are bearing the brunt of the crisis as low-income families battle inflation and critical food shortages without substantial government support. Resolving the complex factors driving the food crisis requires urgent and coordinated efforts by policymakers and stakeholders at all levels.
Efforts To Reduce Waste and Redistribute Surpluses
Individuals, charities and policymakers in Pakistan are working to address hunger and food insecurity through initiatives to reduce food waste and divert excesses to the hungry. A prime example is the Robin Hood Army (RHA), a volunteer-based food charity operating in 145 cities globally. In Pakistan alone, RHA has served over 1.37 million meals to the underprivileged over the last five years. They collect surplus and unused food from restaurants, food companies and events that would otherwise go to waste. RHA’s volunteers, called “Robins,” distribute recovered food to underserved communities, including slums, orphanages, shelters, hospitals and those affected by natural disasters.
In addition to tackling hunger, the Robin Hood Army also aims to provide educational opportunities to disadvantaged children through its Robin Hood Academy programs. Through recovering and redirecting excess edible food to the vulnerable, charities like RHA play a crucial role in the fight against hunger and food insecurity in Pakistan.
Government Initiatives on Food Waste
To cut down on food waste, the Punjab Food Authority in Pakistan has implemented the Disposal of Excess Food Regulation 2019. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan initiated the Ehsaas program associated with this regulation. All food-related organizations must donate their extra edible food to charity instead of wasting it. The key goal is to provide excess food to people safely experiencing poverty.
In practice, the Punjab Food Authority coordinates with NGOs to gather surplus food from food businesses and deliver it to vulnerable groups. While other provinces in Pakistan have regulations around food safety and standards, Punjab is the only one so far to establish formal procedures for reducing food wastage. The other provinces could follow Punjab’s lead on this initiative. Implementing similar regulations could assist Pakistan in reaching the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger, which is a critical part of the country’s 2017 National Food Policy.
– Asia Jamil
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