In Romania, a former communist country in Southeastern Europe, the institutionalization of people with disabilities and orphans during Nicolae Ceaușescu’s regime has had lasting consequences on the country — especially on the societal perception of people with disabilities. However, disability rights have advanced in recent years. While mental institutions are falling out of use in Romania, the government has not replaced them with other social structures to provide opportunities for people with disabilities, leaving this group without many options. As a result, disability and poverty in Romania are closely related, with 37.6% of Romanians with disabilities at risk of poverty in 2020. Thanks to NGO work and government initiatives, this percentage is significantly lower than it was a decade ago when it stood at 44.1%.
A History of Neglect
At the end of Ceaușescu’s rule in 1989, an estimated 100,000 children were in orphanages, a result of his pro-natalist policies, which banned abortion and contraception to stimulate population growth. During this time, many families abandoned their children because of poverty or disability and Romania still grapples with the grave repercussions of Ceaușsescu’s policies today.
According to World Without Orphans, more than 50,000 Romanian children are still in the social care system. Oftentimes, children who arrived healthy to the institutions later developed disabilities due to poor conditions within the orphanages and institutions. The vast majority of Romanian adults with disabilities live independently or under private care today. However, around 17,500 are still in public residential institutions. The deinstitutionalization process in Romania is slow and ongoing and the country is struggling to replace institutions with community-based initiatives to pull Romanians with disabilities out of poverty.
Employing People With Disabilities
People with disabilities who grew up in the Ceaușescu-era orphanages are now adults and can benefit from Romania’s membership in the European Union. The EU insisted that Romania reforms its orphanage system аs a condition to enter the Union. However, stigmas around disability remain and limit the progress Romania makes. Disability and poverty in Romania are serious problems, with some estimates placing the employment rate of the disabled as low as 17.97%, according to European Semester. In 2018, the European Semester found that around 45.5% of people with disabilities had a job, but organizations may be using different metrics to define disability and employment.
Many people with disabilities are capable of working. However, employers deny them jobs or only offer the lowest-paying jobs, leading many people with disabilities into poverty. According to Eurostat, 40.9% of Romanians with disabilities report facing “difficulty making ends meet” in comparison to 28.6% of the general population.
Disability and poverty in Romania also have close links because of accessibility issues in the country. Another challenge for Romanians with disabilities is a lack of accommodations in education and the workplace as well as poor, outdated infrastructure that limits their transportation in public spaces. According to the European Semester, there is little support for children with disabilities in the education system because teachers do not have disability training and schools do not have accessibility technologies. This contributes to high percentages of young people with disabilities dropping out of school early, which is a factor that increases poverty.
Romanian Laws
While Romanian laws protect people with disabilities against discriminating behaviors within the workplace, the implementation of these laws in practice is uncommon. While laws guarantee employment and accommodation in the workplace for people with disabilities, employers are often unwilling to hire people with impediments because of prejudice and a lack of understanding of how to better support people with disabilities. Some challenges that people with disabilities face within the workplace are a lack of flexible working hours, poor infrastructure and discrimination by coworkers.
In the last decade, the Romanian government has launched many national projects to tackle disability and poverty in Romania. The Romanian National Employment Agency is launching 13 projects worth €650 million with the support of European Union funding to stimulate the employment of people with disabilities, European Semester reports. Many of these projects, such as Employ, Don’t Assist, which hopes to employ people with Down syndrome, started in the last year, therefore, data on their success is not yet available.
Ophori Cosmetics
One project that has garnered much attention is a startup company, Ophori Cosmetics. Based in Brasov, Romania, Ophori Cosmetics is a producer of handmade and sustainable cosmetics. However, the company’s focus on environmental impact is not the only reason for the media attention it gains. The company is investing in the community by creating jobs for the most vulnerable and the entire production staff of Ophori Cosmetics consists of people with disabilities.
According to Bogdan Dimciu, an administrator at Ophori Cosmetics, the enterprise began as a workshop where people with disabilities created products for donation to the community, acquiring skills in the process to aid in their future success in the job market. The founders of Ophori then made a decision to turn the project into a company. All of the employees in Ophori’s production team earn fair wages and continue to receive training from volunteers and therapists to develop their skills.
Looking Ahead
Ophori Cosmetics’ success shows that the perception of people with disabilities in Romania is slowly changing. Small steps such as this can ensure that more people with disabilities secure employment, allowing them to contribute to the economy as productive members of society. While many people with disabilities rely on social benefits to survive, they often do not receive enough to lift them out of poverty. According to European Semester, the monthly allowance of 265 Romanian lei is not enough to make a significant impact on the quality of life of Romanians with disabilities, especially because this marginalized group can often only access the lowest-paying jobs.
Despite Romanian laws ensuring the rights of people with liabilities to employment, many employers are skeptical of hiring people with disabilities and do not know what support to offer. Disability and poverty in Romania are closely related due to a history of neglect and continuing stigmas around disability, but both private and public sectors are making progress.
– Emma Tkacz
Photo: Flickr
A Closer Look at Mental Health in the Philippines
A Brief History of the Philippines’ Mental Health Policy
In 2001, the Philippines implemented its “first mental health policy.” Followed by a revision in 2016, the Philippines arrived at a nationwide enactment of the newest installment of the Mental Health Act in 2018.
The Mental Health Act designates mental health services as a fundamental right for all Filipino citizens. The Act asserts that “mental health services shall be free from coercion and accountable to the service users” and legislates “the full range of human rights” for people enduring mental illnesses. This includes the right to “participate fully in society and at work, free from stigmatization and discrimination.” The Mental Health Act stands as a significant milestone in psychiatry for the archipelago nation. However, COVID-19 has brought an onslaught of new challenges in terms of mental health in the Philippines.
COVID-19 and the Effects on Mental Health
During the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on mental health. For some, stress, fear and adversity lead to an increased risk of mental health issues. In addition, quarantines and lockdown restrictions can increase feelings of isolation and loneliness, contributing to poor mental well-being. Due to various barriers, older members of society, in particular, may find it challenging to stay connected during the pandemic.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about the mental health of the generation of children growing up in this period. Worldwide, the pandemic has brought to the forefront the need to improve mental health access.
Within the Philippines, a 2020 survey by the Department of Health indicates that around 3.6 million Filipinos found themselves battling mental disorders during the pandemic. Since then, the Filipino government and private organizations have implemented various programs to help citizens navigate their mental health.
Mental Health Programs During COVID-19
The Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA) is a “private, non-stock and nonprofit organization” that aims to “raise awareness, provide services and conduct research” on mental health in the Philippines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the group has continually offered mental health services through its project, the Philippine Mental Health Association Online Psychosocial Support (Ensuring Wellbeing Amidst COVID-19). The project offers free online counseling sessions to Filipino people suffering from mental health issues during the pandemic.
Also offering telemental health services, the Ateneo Bulatao Center for Psychological Services provides psychological first aid (PFA), psychotherapy and counseling. On November 26, 2021, the Center announced on a Facebook post that it would offer free brief counseling services for Filipino adults ages 18 and older. During these sessions, individuals “can speak with responders who will listen” and “provide a safe psychological space.” These sessions aim to help strengthen coping mechanisms and instill better emotional control skills.
During the same month, WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched Project BRAVE (Building COVID-safe Responses and Voices for Equity) in the Philippines, “a two-year joint [program].” Project BRAVE aims “to assist vulnerable women, children and adolescents with mental health and psychosocial services and protection from gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Crisis Hotline
For those who require immediate mental health services, in line with the Mental Health Act’s mandate to create an around-the-clock mental health hotline as a suicide prevention strategy, the DOH in the Philippines set up the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) CRISIS HOTLINE in May 2019. This proved to be a crucial mental health resource during COVID-19. The NCMH CRISIS HOTLINE notes a rise in monthly calls to the hotline regarding depression “from 80 calls pre-lockdown to nearly 400.” By the first six months of 2021, the hotline noted “3,329 suicide-related calls” in comparison to 1,282 of these calls in 2020. With an average of 32 to 37 daily callers from March to October 2020, the hotline’s services stand as an imperative mental health resource in the nation.
Looking to the Future
While the pandemic rages on, the Government of the Philippines and various organizations are providing an assortment of resources freely available to the public to improve their mental health. With such commitments, Filipino people can access the mental health resources they require.
– Gaby Mendoza
Photo: Flickr
The Struggle of Child Soldiers in Colombia
Child involvement in armed conflict is a harsh reality, although the media often considers it a niche phenomenon with respect to many other international matters. According to estimates, the number of children soldiers around the world today amounts to more than 300,000, but this is only a statistical number. Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America are areas where there is the greatest use of minors in war contexts. The prevalence of child soldiers in Colombia is an issue that requires significant attention.
Child soldiers are often in areas that have very unstable governments and prevalent rebel organizations. Additionally, these areas often implement military investments aimed at maintaining stability at the expense of economic development plans, subsequently leading to other countries cutting them out of international trades. Meanwhile, these governments are frequently unable to deliver even the most essential services resulting in inadequate or absent health care systems, very high levels of unemployment and the lack of education systems. Colombia is no different with a prevalence of unrest and child soldiers.
The Beginning of Child Warfare in Colombia
The Republic of Colombia stands out in this context not only for having the world’s highest crime levels but also for the increasing rate of children involved in military actions. Guerrilla and paramilitary groups in addition to government armed forces, forcibly recruit children of every age, many as young as 8 years old. Statistics estimate there are up to 14,000 child soldiers now fighting in opposition groups in Colombia; although, it is a practice that has been going on for more than 60 years.
The preferred targets for recruitment are inevitably young people from the poorest neighborhoods of large cities or the more desperate rural areas as they do not have access to basic education and vocational training, and are therefore without many prospects. Furthermore, the recruitment takes place with false promises, but more often through coercion, under the threat of violence to these children and their families. Unfortunately, joining those corps does not represent an escape to the threats for those children that, with little to no training, must act as front liner shields, conduct executions, participate in suicide missions or make and transport explosives. In this context, the gender difference is a thin line and the differences in roles between males and females become smaller and smaller as the age of recruitment falls.
According to estimates, female child soldiers make up 40% of the total of child soldiers globally and it seems that militias reserve the hardest tasks for them. Not only do female child soldiers across the world carry out the tasks reserved for boys but many also end up as porters, spies, medical aides and even child brides and sex slaves.
Cause of Child Soldiers
To understand the causes of child soldiers in Colombia, it is necessary to frame the country’s political background. Colombia’s troubled political past dates to 1948 when the murder of liberal leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán caused a war between liberals and conservatives. More than a decade of growing instability led to the establishment of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN). Those paramilitary groups later converged in the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) and continued the fights for 20 more years, wreaking havoc and death in the country and kidnapping political leaders. It is among these paramilitary groups that the practice of child exploitation for various purposes began. In conclusion, on June 23, 2016, FARC and the government signed a ceasefire showing commitment to building a better future for Colombia.
Five years later, however, political stability still seems far away, and with it, the tragedy of boys and girls used and abused. In November 2019, the Colombian government enforced a national action plan along with other accountability measures like Case No. 07 of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace aimed to prevent recruitment and sexual violence against children in the country. Despite these measures, according to the latest Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, paramilitary groups like FARC continue to forcibly recruit younger boys into their militias without punishment.
Combating the Problem
Luckily, especially in the last decades and thanks to the mobilization of the Colombian government, many nonprofit organizations directly support the cause against child soldiers in Colombia and multiple other poor countries. The way they are doing this is by not only granting populations access to essential services but also by building playgrounds and schools and promoting access to work. One organization that is helping children is Misiones Salesians, which began in Madrid in the 1970s and has reached 130 countries today. It provides international aid to promote the economic and social progress of various countries, thus contributing to eradicating the root causes at the base of child exploitation. Furthermore, Missioni Don Bosco Onlus, which began in Turin in 1991 and is a continuation of the pioneering work of the Italian humanitarian, has created 4,469 schools and professional training centers to help approximately 1,140,000 boys around the world.
To bring an end to children in warfare, the Colombian government must continue to define ever more stringent policies and accountability measures aimed to discourage the recruitment of child soldiers. In addition, on an international level, it is necessary for governments to collectively establish and impose sanctions against those who refuse to ratify the relevant international agreements and commit such crimes. In a time when governments around the world seem to be coming to terms with the reality of facts on several matters, it remains crucial not to forget the capital importance of foreign aid plans from developed countries in support of those causes that may not have a direct or immediate return on their economy or society, but that represents a considerable opportunity for collective progress.
– Francesco Gozzo
Photo: Flickr
The Challenges of Women in Sierra Leone
Genital Mutilation
Active membership in “secret societies” has detrimental impacts on girls and women in Sierra Leone. These inconspicuous societies stand as significant “cultural institutions” steeped in ancient rituals that Sierra Leoneans believe “protect communities against evil and guide adolescent girls to womanhood.” Sierra Leone holds “one of the highest rates of [female genital mutilation]” globally with 90% of girls and women aged 15 to 49 enduring the violating procedure. Female community members often perform genital mutilation procedures “without anesthetic,” using knives, razors and even shards of glass. Female genital mutilation, in addition to risks of extensive hemorrhaging, can result in a multitude of medical problems ranging “from infections and cysts to infertility and complications in childbirth.”
Gender-Based Violence
Almost 50% of Sierra Leonean females endure “sexual or physical violence during their lifetime.” Throughout the Sierra Leone Civil War, “widespread and systematic sexual violence against women and girls” was a common occurrence. This extreme brutality, often at the hands of rebel groups and Civil Defense Forces, affected girls and women of all ages. In terms of violence within domestic relationships, several factors play a role.
The first is that Sierra Leonean society sees certain types of violence in a relationship as warranted and acceptable. In addition, women who report cases of domestic violence face harsh judgment and shame from the community, which is why many choose to remain silent. The legal system also does not see cases of violence involving married women as a priority, but rather, a personal matter that requires a resolution within the confines of a home. In general, many citizens do not have faith in the legal system. The lack of competency within the fragmented legal system continues to generate leniency for perpetrators, contributing to the prevalence of abuse toward women.
Marginalization in the Workforce
Women in Sierra Leone have long generated significant advances in the economy and frequently serve a key part in ensuring their households’ survival. In rural Sierra Leone, women perform more than 60% of the agricultural work necessary for food production in the nation. Males, however, continue to have stronger opportunities for management and influence of the industry, ultimately demoting females to inferior jobs, according to USAID.
Barriers to Education
Girls are less likely to remain in school in comparison to boys due to factors such as child marriage, early pregnancy and gender roles that dictate a female must take on household responsibilities. Additionally, it is extremely rare for a female to continue her education after marriage or pregnancy — “less than 2%” of married females between the ages of 15 and 19 attend school. Due to these cultural norms, women in Sierra Leone are chronically undereducated, a factor that has far-reaching impacts.
Lack of Political Representation
Women in Sierra Leone confront significant challenges when joining the political arena. They face difficulty when navigating disproportionately male-
The Good News
The Lady Ellen Women’s Aid Foundation (LEWAF-SL) is an autonomous, international non-governmental organization developed in 2008 but formally “established in 2014.” This group was formed in remembrance of Ellen Pauline Kise, a philanthropic humanitarian who died of cancer in 2008. LEWAF’s objective is to eradicate gender-based violence in Sierra Leone, dissolve inequality and ensure that societies treat women as valuable contributors deserving of dignity and respect. To accomplish this, the organization supports women through a four-pronged response: prevention, protection, response and advocacy. LEWAF seeks to help women in Sierra Leone achieve equality and become empowered.
Despite the discrimination they endure, women in Sierra Leone can look to a brighter future as organizations empower them with the resources and skills to rise up against women’s rights violations and lift themselves out of poverty.
– Tiffany Lewallyn
Photo: Unsplash
Food Systems in Ecuador
In 2020, 930,000 tons of food went to waste in Ecuador, according to The Global FoodBanking Network. Much of this waste is due to the inefficiency of food systems in Ecuador. However, there are programs making efforts to decrease this waste and much of these efforts have proven to be very successful. Much of the produce in Ecuador comes from small-scale farms that families run.
According to the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, families or smallholder farms occupy 75% of the world’s agricultural land and many of these individuals live in poverty. Without an abundance of employees and a lack of training on commercialization for these small producers, it is difficult for farmers to make a profit suitable for the size of their families. The Joint Programme took notice of this issue and is working to increase access to nutritious foods in the province of Imbabura.
The Joint Programme
The Joint Programme began in September 2020 and helped increase the production of vital foods such as quinoa and lupine. It educated farmers on sustainability and good production practices to get the most benefit from their crops. The initiative also supports the National Plan For Good Living 2013-2017, as reported by the Sustainable Development Goals Fund. The Joint Programme strives to reduce poverty and undernutrition in the cities of Ecuador.
According to the Sustainable Development Goals Fund, this effort helped 716 families to grow agro-diverse plots and increased their access to markets and fairs to sell their produce. The efforts also helped 118 producers of chocho, a high-protein legume, and gave assistance to 112 quinoa farmers to diversify their crops. Out of the 483 families in the program, 60.1% diversified their diets to include more fruits, vegetables and legumes.
The Future of Food Program
After the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, more concerns arose about the ability of food systems in Ecuador to adequately provide for citizens. Only supermarkets were able to sell produce, whereas, before the pandemic hit, producers could sell their food at fairs and marketplaces. This was a necessary option for many farmers due to the small number of collection centers in Ecuador, making it difficult to sell products to supermarkets. It was also more difficult for people to access produce at markets due to stay-at-home orders.
The Future of Food program started in 2019, according to the Diplomatic Courier. The program members deliver baskets of produce from small-scale farmers directly to families in need after the baskets pass a sanitation check. This ensures no produce from farmers goes to waste and provides a source of food to families so that they can stay home during the pandemic. The program has reached more than 9,300 families in Ecuador and has inspired the first farmer-owned online marketplace.
Programs that address the shortcomings of food systems in Ecuador are helping the nation inch closer to food security and sustainability. Implementing these programs in more cities may be helpful to small-scale producers in making a liveable wage and will increase families’ access to healthy foods.
– Katelyn Rogers
Photo: Flickr
The Link Between Food Insecurity and Disability
Food insecurity disproportionately affects people with disabilities because they are often at higher risk of unemployment and lower-paying salaries. Additionally, people with disabilities are more likely to encounter obstacles with transportation and accessibility at work. Economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic make food insecurity an even more widespread issue for people with disabilities, especially in developing countries. Around the world, there is a strong link between disability and food insecurity. Fortunately, solutions exist to help reduce poverty and alleviate food insecurity among people with disabilities.
Social and Economic Disparities
People with disabilities face an array of challenges that make them more susceptible to poverty and food insecurity. For example, stigmatization and discrimination increase the likelihood of people with disabilities facing hunger and malnutrition. This marginalized group is also at increased risk of enduring poor living conditions and limited access to health care.
From a young age, people with disabilities are less likely to have access to education. This makes it more difficult to secure job opportunities and afford basic essentials as an adult. Social services and assistive technologies for disabilities also tend to be scarce in developing countries. A variety of socioeconomic factors, intensified by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, drive the link between food insecurity and disability.
Disability Assistance
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), there are several ways to combat food insecurity among people with disabilities. One way is to provide federal and local disability assistance. Disability assistance programs help people with disabilities obtain the economic means to meet and sustain their basic needs. Disability assistance is designed to compensate for lower earnings and higher living expenses that people with disabilities often face, especially in low-income areas.
However, many disability assistance programs do not provide enough assistance to fully combat poverty or food insecurity. Proper funding and resources are necessary for disability assistance programs to succeed in addressing the link between food insecurity and disability.
Food Assistance
In contrast to disability assistance programs, USDA also advocates food assistance programs that are designed to provide food sources to people with disabilities. However, food assistance programs are only short-term solutions to food insecurity. These types of programs rarely protect people with disabilities from long-term poverty and food insecurity. People with disabilities often have difficulties making their way to food distributors, managing food resources and preparing food on their own. Food assistance programs typically do not address any of these issues. Therefore, in order to fully address the connection between food insecurity and disability, people with disabilities need equal access to long-term economic opportunities. Food assistance programs can help combat food insecurity, but cannot single-handedly address the problem.
Possible Solutions
In the long run, a combination of public and private disability and food assistance programs may be necessary to combat food insecurity among people with disabilities. Additionally, reforming education systems and workplaces to make them more accessible could allow many people with disabilities to pull themselves and their families out of poverty and food insecurity. Removing social and economic barriers is essential in the fight against food insecurity, especially for people with disabilities.
– Cleo Hudson
Photo: Unsplash
The Different Types of Displaced Persons
Mainstream news mentions the term “refugees” a lot. At many points, such as during the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexican border and when the Taliban took control of the government in Afghanistan, the word appeared often in the media. However, there are many different types of displaced persons, with each type having its own definition. Additionally, many displaced people are living in poverty.
The Correlation Between Displaced Persons and Poverty
A correlation exists between displaced persons and poverty as those who leave their homes or their native countries are unable to support themselves while trying to find a new place to make a life for themselves. According to a U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimate, in 2020, 82.4 million people experienced displacement throughout the world due to reasons including persecution, conflict and violence. About 48 million internally displaced people, 26.4 million refugees and 4.1 million asylum seekers made up that number.
On the topic of education, child refugees are more likely to be out of school than children living in ordinary circumstances. Out of the 7.1 million school-age refugees around the world, only 3.4 million of these children attended either primary or secondary education. In terms of gender inequality among refugees, for every 10 refugee boys in primary school, there were fewer than eight refugee girls. In secondary school, the number diverges more with fewer than seven refugee girls in school for every 10 refugee boys. Currently, there are 3.7 million school-age refugee children not in school.
Types of Refugees
Refugees International
Refugees International is a nonprofit that focuses on aiding and protecting displaced persons. It began in 1979 to provide support for people who experienced violence in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. However, since then, the organization has expanded across the world. The group operates by traveling around the world to see and speak to refugees firsthand in order to best provide the policy and solutions necessary to solve the problems leading to these crises.
The world’s displaced persons deserve to receive protection just like citizens of any country and that protection should not only be from their country of origin or their temporary place of retreat. Fortunately, organizations like Refugees International are providing aid to displaced people across the globe, bringing hope for a better tomorrow.
– Julian Smith
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
The Work of Audrey Hepburn’s Granddaughter
Decades after the late actress Audrey Hepburn’s passing, her granddaughter, Emma Ferrer, took on her grandmother’s legacy, becoming involved in international advocacy projects. Ferrer is a national ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees USA and a spokesperson for UNICEF. Here is some information about Audrey Hepburn’s granddaughter as well as some background on Hepburn’s work with UNICEF.
Audrey Hepburn’s Work with UNICEF
Late actress Audrey Hepburn’s humanitarian efforts made a significant difference in the lives of countless children. Hepburn was a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. UNICEF operates in more than 190 nations and regions to ensure that every child’s rights are protected. Her commitment to the organization began after a journey to Ethiopia in the late 1980s where she sought to assist individuals in areas impacted by a severe drought that brought famine to the nation. She subsequently communicated with journalists about the work occurring in Ethiopia, and as a result of her international fame, media interest and attention grew dramatically.
In the years thereafter, Hepburn made multiple philanthropic trips, aiding in areas such as Turkey, Venezuela, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and Sudan. Hepburn was a staunch advocate of UNICEF. She conducted new studies, organized ceremonies and enabled the organization to gain widespread media coverage. In 1992, she received the “Presidential Medal of Freedom,” the highest civilian honor. Despite her cancer diagnosis, Hepburn continued to work for UNICEF, traveling globally on the organization’s behalf. Hepburn died in 1993 after focusing the latter years of her life on humanitarian efforts. However, her granddaughter continues her legacy.
Emma Ferrer’s Work
Though Hepburn’s granddaughter Emma Ferrer never met Hepburn, Ferrer learned much about her grandmother through her grandmother’s legacy, which ultimately influenced her desire to follow Hepburn’s lead. Ferrer was inspired that such a high-profile celebrity would ally herself with humanitarian causes. Ferrer feels a sense of connection to her grandmother through Ferrer’s own work with UNICEF. Additionally, Ferrer is a fervent advocate of UNICEF’s work and the good that these efforts can achieve in the form of significant decreases in child fatalities, illnesses and malnutrition.
Ferrer’s passion for humanitarian endeavors began when she saw photos of lifeless children washing up on an international shore as a result of war. These heart-rending images prompted her to create artwork based on the images. In her free time, Ferrer writes on the well-being of youth in nations rife with conflict and violence. Her writing comes from extensive research and comprehension. She incorporates her understanding of the realities of disadvantaged people into her artwork.
Ferrer donated artwork proceeds to the UNHCR after her first exhibition as an art curator in 2018. She has collaborated extensively with nonprofit groups and her philanthropic activities and artwork serve to continue Hepburn’s legacy.
Ferrer reflects her grandmother’s values and fights valiantly to continue Hepburn’s legacy, notably campaigning to preserve children’s rights across the world. “I think it’s so important to have a history and a legacy that you want to carry on in your family, whether you’re famous or not,” Ferrer tells UNICEF.
– Tiffany Lewallyn
Photo: Flickr
The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Uganda
Countries across the world face the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting a regression in many key areas of development, such as health, education, food security and the economy. While some countries are successfully rebounding, others, particularly lower-income countries, are still struggling to contain COVID-19 within their borders and regain economic footing. The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Uganda is particularly significant as the pandemic has led to a suffering economy, and consequently, higher unemployment and hunger rates.
The Economic Impact of COVID-19 in Uganda
According to the World Bank, Uganda’s gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 1.1% in 2020. Furthermore, the Ugandan Finance Ministry reports that during the first six months of 2021, the poverty rate in Uganda stood at 28%, increasing from the pre-pandemic poverty level of 18%. The Finance Ministry also notes that about 75% of Ugandans “lost at least some income” due to the onset of COVID-19. Furthermore, the unemployment rate rose “to 2.44% in 2020 from 1.80% in 2019.” The unemployment rate was set to increase further to 2.5% by the close of 2021.
Uganda’s GDP stood at 3.3% during 2021, however, experts predict that the GDP could rise to 4.6% in 2022 and 6.4% in 2023 as “domestic demand” increases and the COVID-19 vaccine rollout intensifies. In order to keep the economy of Uganda growing and recovering for years to come, the World Bank recommends stimulus packages to “sustainably increase productivity and build resilience to enhance livelihoods, the economy and general well-being.”
The Impact of COVID-19 on Child Labor in Uganda
In May 2021, Human Rights Watch released a report on the impact of COVID-19 on “child labor in Ghana, Nepal and Uganda” called “I Must Work to Eat.” Due to pandemic-induced increases in poverty as well as country-wide school shutdowns, HRW notes a spike in child labor in many countries. School closures affect not only the education of children but also cut off access to free school meals, which are sometimes the only source of food for impoverished children.
Just 28 children out of “81 children interviewed” have reported receiving household government assistance during COVID-19, specifically, food assistance. With no other means of securing their families’ basic needs, these children were thrust into child labor to earn an income to ensure the survival of their families. The children report facing exploitative and dangerous working conditions for long hours and little or no pay.
Aid from the Danish Government
During the pandemic, vaccine inequities became apparent with disproportionate impacts on developing nations. Recognizing that widespread vaccination is essential to the recovery of a nation, in December 2021, the Danish government sent Uganda 742,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. This donation will contribute to vaccinating all Ugandans 18 and older, equating to 22 million people or 50% of the population. Widespread vaccination will not only take the strain off Uganda’s health care system but will also allow the education sector and the economy to fully reopen.
With ongoing support from the international community, citizens can successfully recover from the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Uganda. Diplomatic efforts from countries such as Denmark bring hope to impoverished Ugandans for a brighter tomorrow.
– Sierrah Martin
Photo: Flickr
The Introduction of 3D-Printed Housing in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s Housing Shortage
In 2005, Zimbabwe’s government cleared slum areas nationwide, leaving 700,000 people homeless. This effort to combat slum living launched the country into a housing crisis that would persist for decades. With a government housing waitlist of 1.25 million households in 2015, Zimbabwe’s history of housing shortages continues to worsen as more of the population falls below the poverty line.
In Zimbabwe, corrupt officials sell housing permits to housing cooperatives at extremely low rates. The cooperatives then construct the houses and sell them to homeless Zimbabweans for outrageously inflated prices. Buyers pay off homes for a minimum of 14 years before even receiving the title deed of ownership. These corrupt officials partnering with housing cooperatives often swindle homeless civilians out of desperation for basic shelter. As the 23rd most corrupt country in the world, without a third party to intervene in this crisis, officials may continue to exploit impoverished Zimbabwean populations.
Lafarge Cement’s 3D Housing Project
Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe is a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, a Swiss construction material manufacturer. The company hopes to change the future of affordable housing in Zimbabwe. By using 3D printing technology, Lafarge Cement’s initial project plans to print the first 10 3D houses in Zimbabwe “under the affordable housing project” in 2022. A joint venture between LafargeHolcim and the CDC Group in the United Kingdom, 14Trees, created the concrete 3D printing technology for the project.
With this new building technology, constructing homes and schools in Zimbabwe will take a fraction of the time in comparison to traditional construction efforts. While traditional construction methods require a minimum of four days to complete a house, Lafarge can print these 3D houses in as little as 12 hours, with a school taking a little longer at 18 hours. The technology can also reduce construction costs by 10-20%.
This housing solution is particularly exciting as it offers a much more affordable option in comparison to homes in the existing housing market. Starting at around $30,000 for a home “in a medium-density area”and skyrocketing up to $80,000, for many low-income families, conventional homeownership is out of reach. However, 3D-printed housing in Zimbabwe offers lower-income communities an affordable housing option starting at $10,000.
The Future is 3D Printing
Following the successful printing of houses and schools in Malawi, the introduction of 3D-printed housing in Zimbabwe has the potential to transform the property landscape in the nation. Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe has no plans of halting the manufacturing of affordable 3D housing in Zimbabwe and across Africa until housing shortages remain an issue of the past.
In April 2021, the company launched a new dry mortars factory in Zimbabwe worth $2.8 million, which is expected to increase manufacturing capabilities significantly. This type of investment in Zimbabwean society suggests Lafarge’s legacy will continue to grow, aiding low-income communities with affordable 3D-printed housing in Zimbabwe and bringing a much-needed housing solution to Zimbabwe’s housing markets.
– Hannah Eliason
Photo: Flickr
Disability and Poverty in Romania
A History of Neglect
At the end of Ceaușescu’s rule in 1989, an estimated 100,000 children were in orphanages, a result of his pro-natalist policies, which banned abortion and contraception to stimulate population growth. During this time, many families abandoned their children because of poverty or disability and Romania still grapples with the grave repercussions of Ceaușsescu’s policies today.
According to World Without Orphans, more than 50,000 Romanian children are still in the social care system. Oftentimes, children who arrived healthy to the institutions later developed disabilities due to poor conditions within the orphanages and institutions. The vast majority of Romanian adults with disabilities live independently or under private care today. However, around 17,500 are still in public residential institutions. The deinstitutionalization process in Romania is slow and ongoing and the country is struggling to replace institutions with community-based initiatives to pull Romanians with disabilities out of poverty.
Employing People With Disabilities
People with disabilities who grew up in the Ceaușescu-era orphanages are now adults and can benefit from Romania’s membership in the European Union. The EU insisted that Romania reforms its orphanage system аs a condition to enter the Union. However, stigmas around disability remain and limit the progress Romania makes. Disability and poverty in Romania are serious problems, with some estimates placing the employment rate of the disabled as low as 17.97%, according to European Semester. In 2018, the European Semester found that around 45.5% of people with disabilities had a job, but organizations may be using different metrics to define disability and employment.
Many people with disabilities are capable of working. However, employers deny them jobs or only offer the lowest-paying jobs, leading many people with disabilities into poverty. According to Eurostat, 40.9% of Romanians with disabilities report facing “difficulty making ends meet” in comparison to 28.6% of the general population.
Disability and poverty in Romania also have close links because of accessibility issues in the country. Another challenge for Romanians with disabilities is a lack of accommodations in education and the workplace as well as poor, outdated infrastructure that limits their transportation in public spaces. According to the European Semester, there is little support for children with disabilities in the education system because teachers do not have disability training and schools do not have accessibility technologies. This contributes to high percentages of young people with disabilities dropping out of school early, which is a factor that increases poverty.
Romanian Laws
While Romanian laws protect people with disabilities against discriminating behaviors within the workplace, the implementation of these laws in practice is uncommon. While laws guarantee employment and accommodation in the workplace for people with disabilities, employers are often unwilling to hire people with impediments because of prejudice and a lack of understanding of how to better support people with disabilities. Some challenges that people with disabilities face within the workplace are a lack of flexible working hours, poor infrastructure and discrimination by coworkers.
In the last decade, the Romanian government has launched many national projects to tackle disability and poverty in Romania. The Romanian National Employment Agency is launching 13 projects worth €650 million with the support of European Union funding to stimulate the employment of people with disabilities, European Semester reports. Many of these projects, such as Employ, Don’t Assist, which hopes to employ people with Down syndrome, started in the last year, therefore, data on their success is not yet available.
Ophori Cosmetics
One project that has garnered much attention is a startup company, Ophori Cosmetics. Based in Brasov, Romania, Ophori Cosmetics is a producer of handmade and sustainable cosmetics. However, the company’s focus on environmental impact is not the only reason for the media attention it gains. The company is investing in the community by creating jobs for the most vulnerable and the entire production staff of Ophori Cosmetics consists of people with disabilities.
According to Bogdan Dimciu, an administrator at Ophori Cosmetics, the enterprise began as a workshop where people with disabilities created products for donation to the community, acquiring skills in the process to aid in their future success in the job market. The founders of Ophori then made a decision to turn the project into a company. All of the employees in Ophori’s production team earn fair wages and continue to receive training from volunteers and therapists to develop their skills.
Looking Ahead
Ophori Cosmetics’ success shows that the perception of people with disabilities in Romania is slowly changing. Small steps such as this can ensure that more people with disabilities secure employment, allowing them to contribute to the economy as productive members of society. While many people with disabilities rely on social benefits to survive, they often do not receive enough to lift them out of poverty. According to European Semester, the monthly allowance of 265 Romanian lei is not enough to make a significant impact on the quality of life of Romanians with disabilities, especially because this marginalized group can often only access the lowest-paying jobs.
Despite Romanian laws ensuring the rights of people with liabilities to employment, many employers are skeptical of hiring people with disabilities and do not know what support to offer. Disability and poverty in Romania are closely related due to a history of neglect and continuing stigmas around disability, but both private and public sectors are making progress.
– Emma Tkacz
Photo: Flickr