On February 6, 2023, a devastating earthquake struck parts of Turkey and Syria that left more than 47,000 dead and more than 80,000 injured, with numbers still expected to keep rising. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake greatly impacted the town of Gaziantep in south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria. An aftershock followed that caused almost as much damage as the first and the Middle East region felt it throughout. With a fault line of around 62 miles, the earthquake is one of the deadliest of the last 20 years, thus causing serious damage to buildings and maximum casualties with the Turkey-Syria earthquake occurring early in the morning, when people were still asleep.
The Impact of the Turkey-Syria Earthquake
In Turkey, reports have indicated that more than 41,000 died as of early February, with more than 5,800 in Syria. Rescue teams continued searching through the ruins of the nearly 7,000 buildings that have collapsed for survivors more than a week after the earthquake took place in Turkey. Almost no buildings in the cities remained intact, due to the large scale of the impact, with as many as 5.3 million people in Syria losing their homes and experiencing displacement. About 3,000 people managed to find temporary accommodation, with 380,000 seeking shelter in schools and education facilities. The region had not faced a major earthquake in more than 200 years and was vastly unprepared for the disaster.
The biggest worry, however, is for northwestern Syria, where 12 years of conflict has already left 4 million people displaced and heavily reliant on aid and humanitarian assistance. The earthquake caused damage to the Hatay airport in Syria, as well as Bab al-Hawa, the road used to transport aid at the border, which the Turkish government controls. This, among other damaged roads and infrastructure in Southern Turkey, has caused significant delays for shipments and has stalled aid reaching impacted parts of Syria. These delays have already cost thousands of lives, with aid unable to reach survivors pulled out of the rubble, and a lack of resources for those displaced and without basic necessities.
Syrians Displaced and Land Restrictions for Aid
As a country divided due to the 2011 civil war, providing aid for the 5 million already displaced Syrians who live in the opposition-held northern areas has been a complicated matter for the international community. The United States and European nations have refused to send aid to Bashar Assad’s government in Damascus due to sanctions, despite the earthquake. While the majority of Syria is under government control as the conflicting opposition groups hold the north, with Turkey and rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham holding the northwest and the northeast held by U.S.-backed Kurdish-led groups. Naturally, this area of Syria has become heavily reliant on aid.
However, it is very difficult for aid to reach this corner of land due to restrictions that the Syrian government imposed, which also keeps aid from international organizations from reaching there. NGOs outside Syria have been helping these areas, including Idlib, for years, however, since the United Nations coined the term ‘Syria fatigue,’ the level of donations has decreased and the focus of people’s attention has shifted elsewhere, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Caesar Act, a set of U.S. sanctions that originated due to the belief that war profiteers and Syrian officials would keep aid, aimed to discourage human rights abuses in areas of Syria, although some have claimed that it does not target humanitarian assistance. The Syrian government, however, challenged this claim, saying Syrians had to dig “through the rubble by hand, because tools for removing rubble are prohibited for them, and they’re using the simplest, old tools … because they are punished by the Americans, who are blocking them from the needed supplies and equipment.”
Solutions for the Destruction of the Turkey-Syria Earthquake
Aid for Syria by the international community following the earthquake in Turkey has been minimal, with the Syrian humanitarian response for the year already being “severely underfunded,” according to The International Rescue Committee. The organization requested that the global community promptly boost funding in order to provide the necessary assistance to those impacted by this crisis within a crisis.
According to the American Red Cross, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent in Turkey and Syria are furnishing hot meals and beverages, transporting necessary blood and plasma to affected areas, and rendering psychosocial assistance to survivors. The Turkish Red Crescent has put into action 77 catering vehicles, five mobile kitchens and nearly 2,000 tents. Additionally, it has dispatched mobile kitchens, more than 1,000 tents and almost 20,000 blankets. Turkey’s Islamic Relief aid organization initiated a $20 million fundraising campaign, cautioning that their inventory of mattresses, blankets and other bedding items was at risk of depleting in a matter of hours.
In a press conference last week, Syrian Arab Red Crescent head Khaled Hboubati urged the U.S. and EU to lift the sanctions in place following the disaster of the Turkey-Syria earthquake as Aid convoys and rescuers from many countries including ally Russia and United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq and Algeria, have touched down into government-held Syria airports. Hboubati claims his group is prepared to provide relief to all areas, including the northern regions that the government in Damascus does not control.
Looking Ahead
Currently, considering the circumstances, Syrians rely heavily on donations and aid from local charities and NGOs. One such charity, Basmeh & Zeitooneh, has been tirelessly working on the ground to provide food, blankets, mattresses and shelter for the people who have lost everything, with further efforts to help actors deal with the debris and rubble littering the areas. While they have successfully managed to help hundreds of people in this dire situation, more work is necessary as the death toll continues to rise.
– Noura Matalqa
Photo: Flickr
The Devastating Impact of the Turkey-Syria Earthquake
On February 6, 2023, a devastating earthquake struck parts of Turkey and Syria that left more than 47,000 dead and more than 80,000 injured, with numbers still expected to keep rising. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake greatly impacted the town of Gaziantep in south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria. An aftershock followed that caused almost as much damage as the first and the Middle East region felt it throughout. With a fault line of around 62 miles, the earthquake is one of the deadliest of the last 20 years, thus causing serious damage to buildings and maximum casualties with the Turkey-Syria earthquake occurring early in the morning, when people were still asleep.
The Impact of the Turkey-Syria Earthquake
In Turkey, reports have indicated that more than 41,000 died as of early February, with more than 5,800 in Syria. Rescue teams continued searching through the ruins of the nearly 7,000 buildings that have collapsed for survivors more than a week after the earthquake took place in Turkey. Almost no buildings in the cities remained intact, due to the large scale of the impact, with as many as 5.3 million people in Syria losing their homes and experiencing displacement. About 3,000 people managed to find temporary accommodation, with 380,000 seeking shelter in schools and education facilities. The region had not faced a major earthquake in more than 200 years and was vastly unprepared for the disaster.
The biggest worry, however, is for northwestern Syria, where 12 years of conflict has already left 4 million people displaced and heavily reliant on aid and humanitarian assistance. The earthquake caused damage to the Hatay airport in Syria, as well as Bab al-Hawa, the road used to transport aid at the border, which the Turkish government controls. This, among other damaged roads and infrastructure in Southern Turkey, has caused significant delays for shipments and has stalled aid reaching impacted parts of Syria. These delays have already cost thousands of lives, with aid unable to reach survivors pulled out of the rubble, and a lack of resources for those displaced and without basic necessities.
Syrians Displaced and Land Restrictions for Aid
As a country divided due to the 2011 civil war, providing aid for the 5 million already displaced Syrians who live in the opposition-held northern areas has been a complicated matter for the international community. The United States and European nations have refused to send aid to Bashar Assad’s government in Damascus due to sanctions, despite the earthquake. While the majority of Syria is under government control as the conflicting opposition groups hold the north, with Turkey and rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham holding the northwest and the northeast held by U.S.-backed Kurdish-led groups. Naturally, this area of Syria has become heavily reliant on aid.
However, it is very difficult for aid to reach this corner of land due to restrictions that the Syrian government imposed, which also keeps aid from international organizations from reaching there. NGOs outside Syria have been helping these areas, including Idlib, for years, however, since the United Nations coined the term ‘Syria fatigue,’ the level of donations has decreased and the focus of people’s attention has shifted elsewhere, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Caesar Act, a set of U.S. sanctions that originated due to the belief that war profiteers and Syrian officials would keep aid, aimed to discourage human rights abuses in areas of Syria, although some have claimed that it does not target humanitarian assistance. The Syrian government, however, challenged this claim, saying Syrians had to dig “through the rubble by hand, because tools for removing rubble are prohibited for them, and they’re using the simplest, old tools … because they are punished by the Americans, who are blocking them from the needed supplies and equipment.”
Solutions for the Destruction of the Turkey-Syria Earthquake
Aid for Syria by the international community following the earthquake in Turkey has been minimal, with the Syrian humanitarian response for the year already being “severely underfunded,” according to The International Rescue Committee. The organization requested that the global community promptly boost funding in order to provide the necessary assistance to those impacted by this crisis within a crisis.
According to the American Red Cross, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent in Turkey and Syria are furnishing hot meals and beverages, transporting necessary blood and plasma to affected areas, and rendering psychosocial assistance to survivors. The Turkish Red Crescent has put into action 77 catering vehicles, five mobile kitchens and nearly 2,000 tents. Additionally, it has dispatched mobile kitchens, more than 1,000 tents and almost 20,000 blankets. Turkey’s Islamic Relief aid organization initiated a $20 million fundraising campaign, cautioning that their inventory of mattresses, blankets and other bedding items was at risk of depleting in a matter of hours.
In a press conference last week, Syrian Arab Red Crescent head Khaled Hboubati urged the U.S. and EU to lift the sanctions in place following the disaster of the Turkey-Syria earthquake as Aid convoys and rescuers from many countries including ally Russia and United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq and Algeria, have touched down into government-held Syria airports. Hboubati claims his group is prepared to provide relief to all areas, including the northern regions that the government in Damascus does not control.
Looking Ahead
Currently, considering the circumstances, Syrians rely heavily on donations and aid from local charities and NGOs. One such charity, Basmeh & Zeitooneh, has been tirelessly working on the ground to provide food, blankets, mattresses and shelter for the people who have lost everything, with further efforts to help actors deal with the debris and rubble littering the areas. While they have successfully managed to help hundreds of people in this dire situation, more work is necessary as the death toll continues to rise.
– Noura Matalqa
Photo: Flickr
Waterborne Diseases Impacting Pakistan
The country of Pakistan is currently the fifth most populous nation in the world, with almost 225 million inhabitants. Due to the number of people living in the country, Pakistan is at a greater risk of experiencing devastation from the effects of changing weather patterns. Events such as the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the floods of 2010 and 2022 have had disastrous effects on the nation’s health policies. The country is also experiencing economic and food crises. This further exasperates the effects of diseases impacting Pakistan. Currently, many organizations, such as the British Red Cross, are categorizing waterborne diseases as a health emergency in Pakistan. These include cholera, typhoid, dysentery and hepatitis A, which are largely spread due to unsafe water and poor sanitation conditions.
The 2022 Floods of Pakistan
The recent floods in the summer of 2022 were disastrous for Pakistan. The floods have severely affected Pakistan’s agriculture, which makes up a big chunk of their exports and food supply, thereby threatening to cause a major public health disaster. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 8 million people are currently in need of health assistance as they are at grave risk from the many diseases impacting Pakistan. WHO also estimates that almost 10% of health facilities experienced damage, hindering the public health system’s ability to target the health crises. This is a grave issue as before the floods, Pakistan was already suffering from health crises. It had the second-highest amount of Hepatitis C cases. More than 35% of children under five are stunted.
In the areas that the floods affected the most, such as Sindh and Baluchistan, there has been a spike in disease outbreaks. In certain areas, the cases of malaria doubled. There was also a rise in outbreaks of dengue and acute water diarrhea. Another issue of concern is the cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), which already had a calamitous number before the floods in both Sindh and Baluchistan. Cases of SAM are on the rise to alarming numbers.
Immunization Disrupted
Another major issue that the floods caused is the effect it has had on the public health system’s ability to effectively tackle some of these disease outbreaks. The floods have disrupted many immunization programs, such as the nationwide polio vaccination program. Pakistan is currently one of the only two remaining polio-endemic countries in the world. Furthermore, the flood has also had major ramifications for the programme on immunization (EPI) surveillance efforts and the treatment of chronic diseases, such as tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV).
Organizations Working Toward a Better Future
Although the health crises in the country are a concern, global organizations are helping to lead the fight against many of these waterborne diseases. The Pakistan Red Cross has mobile health facilities in many of the affected areas as they attempt to treat flood victims. Furthermore, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are also working alongside the WHO to increase the surveillance of some of the major diseases impacting Pakistan, such as acute diarrhea and cholera.
– Saad Haque
Photo: Flickr
Supporting Orphanages in Afghanistan
Even though the number of orphaned/abandoned children in Pakistan is rising, in February 2022, just nine of 68 public orphanages in Afghanistan were operational in addition to 36 privately-run orphanages. Due to the economic crisis in Afghanistan, orphanages have faced funding challenges, rendering them unable to meet the basic needs of children. For this reason, orphanages had to resort to sending thousands of children to live with relatives. Even children with relatives may have nowhere to go because their relatives are incapable of providing for them. Financial difficulties across the board have led to fewer adoptions and a decrease in foster family applications. With funding and support, orphanages in Afghanistan can continue to care for the country’s most vulnerable children.
Hayat Orphanage
Hayat Orphanage, located in the middle of Laghman Province, came about in March 2013. Giving orphans shelter, food, clothing, medication and quality education services, Hayat Orphanage is devoted not only to protecting children from abuse but equipping them with adequate skills and knowledge to enable them to achieve self-sufficiency and independence.
The children from Hayat Orphanage attend local private schools to receive quality education and receive after-school tutoring in mathematics, English and computer technology. The students also participate in extra-curricular activities.
Moreover, Hayat Orphanage is involved with various community projects. This includes meeting local leaders to “raise awareness for female education,” addressing obstacles that are preventing girls’ education, recruiting volunteers from the U.K. to teach children English, preventing child marriage, fighting discrimination against several minorities, supporting female health care and combating domestic violence, among other causes.
Hayat Orphanage’s Sabar Afghan Online School provides free classes on YouTube for boys and girls from grades 1-12. For girls who cannot attend school due to the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, the Sabar Afghan Online School is a lifeline. According to its website, the school “employ[s] women teachers to show [its] support for gender equality and to facilitate a more equitable Afghani society in the long term.”
As of now, Hayat Orphanage assists more than 100 orphans, but its mission is to support 2,000 orphans across Afghanistan.
Afghan Child Education and Care Organization
Fully registered since 2008, Afghan Child Education and Care Organization (AFCECO) is a nonprofit organization based in Kabul. Andeisha Farid, the founding director, gained inspiration to help Afghan children after facing the consequences of war and displacement as a child. She created a place of refugee for children in Pakistan in 2004. With AFCECO, Andeisha endeavors to provide a nurturing environment for children.
CharityHelp International, a U.S. organization that “funds programs through a child sponsorship program,” works with AFCECO. This partnership “allows individuals from around the world to form bonds with the child of their choice and participate in sustaining the orphanage by paying some or all of the cost of providing that child with her or his needs.”
AFCECO runs 11 orphanages, nine in Afghanistan and two in Pakistan for refugees, which overall tend to about 700 children. The orphanages consist of rented houses. Anywhere from 30 to 80 children live in each one, depending on the size of the house. Along with regular meals, the children are given a range of responsibilities, including household chores.
In addition, AFCECO carries out a variety of services for the children including a Leadership Academy for older girls, a New Learning Center and health clinics. AFCECO also sends ill children to the U.S. for specific treatment and brings children to Europe and the U.S. for temporary scholarship programs.
The Impact of the Taliban Takeover
In 2021, AFCECO faced setbacks when the Taliban seized control of Kabul and attempted to dismantle the organization. The Mehan home, a refuge for many AFCECO children, had to shut down. AFCECO continued operating but in a not-so-visible manner. It set up six safe houses in Afghanistan with up to 10 children and “house parents from the same region” so each safe house “appears to be an ordinary home for an extended family” and does not raise suspicion from neighbors or the Taliban.
As of now, approximately 80 children live in the safe houses. When the Taliban shut down schools, these homes led education classes in secret, often taught by house parents and female teachers whom the Taliban prohibited from working. Currently, children in grades 1 to 9 attend hidden private schools, including girls older than 12 who cannot attend school due to the Taliban’s ban.
Kankor prep classes are available to older children to prepare them for university entrance exams and a scholarship program is available to AFCECO graduates to help with higher education tuition and living expenses. AFCECO, with its multiple orphanages in Afghanistan, seeks not only to assist each child in living a prosperous life but to motivate them to positively impact their country.
Looking Ahead
Afghanistan has about 2 million orphans, with thousands more living on the streets, unable to meet their basic needs. By protecting children and giving them the tools to become self-reliant, these orphanages in Afghanistan provide hope to children in a country ravaged by war and poverty. With continued funding and support, the Hayat Orphanage and AFCECO can continue their critical work.
– Megan Roush
Photo: Flickr
The Kashf Foundation’s Microcredit Program in Pakistan
Microcredit, or micro-financing, is a financial system that provides small loans to individuals who lack access to traditional banking services. The concept of microcredit began in 1983 in Bangladesh when Muhammad Yunus created the Grameen Bank. The Grameen Bank offered loans to poverty-stricken individuals trying to start small businesses. Bigger banks often exclude this subset of the population from financial assistance because institutions consider them high-risk in terms of defaulting on repayments. Thus, the poor often resort to taking loans from informal lenders and remaining within the bounds of the informal sectors of the economy. Since the invention of the Grameen Bank, the microcredit model steadily gained popularity around the world, especially in underdeveloped nations. Microcredit in Pakistan has proven to be an effective tool in promoting economic development among impoverished populations. The Kashf Foundation’s microcredit program in Pakistan aims to increase financial inclusivity while empowering the impoverished.
The Kashf Foundation
The Kashf Foundation, a nonprofit micro-finance institution based in Lahore, Pakistan, has been a leader in the microcredit movement in Pakistan. The Kashf Foundation, since its founding in 1996, has made it a priority to provide financial services to individuals, especially women, who are excluded from the formal banking sector due to high fees, strict documentation requirements, proof of creditworthiness and a lack of suitable financial products for the lower-income.
Through its microcredit program, the foundation provides small loans to individuals who need financial support to start or expand a business. One of the main benefits of the microcredit model, made evident through the Kashf Foundation’s microcredit program in Pakistan, is that borrowers receive all the profits of their businesses. This prevents the loss of revenue that workers often experience when the middleman takes a chunk of the profits from his laborers. Ultimately, over time, the poor become financially self-sufficient and are able to contribute to the local economy.
Empowering Women in Pakistan
“Women-centric and pro-poor access to financial services can promote economic growth, reduce income inequality, improve access to health and nutrition and empower women,” the Kashf Foundation’s Focus Notes Series says. According to the World Bank, in 2021, women made up just 20% of the workforce in Pakistan.
Gender-discriminating social norms contribute to this low participation rate along with safety concerns while traveling, low education levels and the burden of household responsibilities. According to Arab News in March 2022, about 82% of women in Pakistan are unbanked, meaning they do not have access to bank accounts or formal banking services.
The Kashf Foundation’s microcredit program in Pakistan makes it a priority to have a mostly female board and to serve as many women as possible. In 2022, women-led businesses accounted for 75% of Kashf Foundation’s microcredit program recipients. Additionally, in 2022, females accounted for 70% of the Kashf Foundation’s board. The Kashf Foundation’s microcredit program has helped more than 1.2 million women over the past 20 years.
Dissolving Limiting Social Norms
The Kashf Foundation is also the first microcredit institution in Pakistan to produce multiple critically acclaimed and popular television series that emphasize the “positive spillover effect of women’s economic empowerment” and raise awareness of social issues impacting women through broadcasts based on real-life stories.
By using the media to dissolve misconceptions and break social norms, the Foundation aims to reduce gender inequality and empower women in Pakistan. Over the years, the Kashf Foundation has also effectively used the art of theater by holding short performances on critical social issues impacting girls and women in the communities it serves to raise awareness and inspire change.
The Kashf Foundation’s pioneering microcredit program and social advocacy programs have had a significant impact in Lahore and beyond. The Foundation’s commitment to improving the lives of those it serves, especially women and girls, will continue to be a trailblazing force in its efforts to promote financial inclusion, gender equality and economic prosperity in Pakistan.
– Aemal Nafis
Photo: Flickr
Facts About Human Trafficking in Suriname
Located on the northeastern coast of South America, Suriname is the least populated country on the continent. The Globalized Crime Index lists Suriname as both a “waypoint and destination market” for human trafficking. The U.S. Department of State’s 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report gave Suriname a Tier 2 grade for its current standard of trafficking elimination efforts. This means that it does not meet the minimum expectations for the eradication of human trafficking. While many have acknowledges its attempts, further anti-trafficking action is necessary.
4 Facts About Human Trafficking in Suriname
The Future of Human Trafficking in Suriname
Ultimately, the issue of human trafficking in Suriname is difficult to precisely quantify, owing to the lack of data and the inherent corruption. There also surrounds the underground world of people trafficking and its clandestine practices. Many migrants do not have any documentation which makes it easier for traffickers to move people around like possessions. However, following Suriname’s uncontested election in 2020, its new president, Chan Santokhi promised to reform the judicial system. The enormity of this task amid such entrenched government corruption is evident.
Yet, Santokhi has pledged to tackle the issue head-on. He aims to strengthen the country’s judiciary by “granting it its own budget, improving prosecution services and appointing special prosecutors to focus on high-level corruption cases,” according to the Organised Crime Index. Within 6 months of taking office, Santokhi appointed 12 High Court judges and 15 prosecutors to the Attorney General’s office. As of November 2022, Santokhi announced his intentions to create an Anti-Corruption Commission with the purpose of monitoring the assets of more than 4,000 of Suriname’s top political officials. These pragmatic efforts demonstrate his genuine desire to make real changes in Suriname and create a brighter future for its inhabitants.
– Max Edmund
Photo: Flickr
5 Charities Operating in Pakistan
Giving charity is important to many people living in Pakistan. In fact, a study from 2021 reported that 84% of people gave charity during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in one way or another. It was also reported that 79% of those unemployed also gave charity at some point. With the country currently struggling with financial debt and food crises, the value of charity has risen in importance. Below are five charities operating in Pakistan.
5 Charities Operating in Pakistan
Looking Ahead
In Pakistan, estimates have indicated that 30% of people continue to live in poverty. The recent floods alleviated several issues in the country, including the loss of large amounts of agricultural land and livestock. However, there are many charities operating in Pakistan that work tirelessly and efficiently to provide aid to those who most need it.
– Saad Haque
Photo: Flickr
Ban of Toxic Skin-Lightening Cosmetics Gets Global Push
The fact that mercury is a common ingredient in skin-lightening cosmetics poses serious human health concerns. Furthermore, many cultures continue to use toxic cosmetics to lighten skin by suppressing melanin production. Luckily, global humanitarian organizations are now collaborating with several countries to ban toxic skin-lightening cosmetics.
The Harm of Toxic Skin-Lightening Cosmetics
Women and men both use skin-lightening cosmetics to lighten their skin, fade blemishes and freckles and treat acne. However, people who use these products do not realize the damage they can cause because they contain mercury. Toxic skin-lightening cosmetics can cause skin rashes, scarring and digestive, neurological and immune system damage.
Not only are those who use mercury-laden products at risk, but the toxic skin-lightening cosmetics harm children through breastfeeding and other family members when users wash off the products. The washed-off products contaminate the family’s food chain. Moreover, these washed-off products can travel far without breaking down, contaminating both soil and water.
Global Demand for Skin Lightening
The skin-lightening cosmetics industry is slated to grow to $11.8 billion by 2026. High demand stems from a growing South Asian middle class and changing demographics in the Caribbean and Africa. Although the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bans cosmetics with mercury, it recently found mercury in numerous products that did not indicate its presence on their labels.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury
As more becomes known about the harm of toxic skin-lightening cosmetics, countries and global organizations are mounting campaigns to reduce or eliminate their use. Gabon, Jamaica and Sri Lanka are collaborating as part of a $14 million comprehensive strategy to prohibit mercury from skin-lightening cosmetics and promote the beauty of all skin tones. Their Minamata Convention on Mercury strives to severely limit mercury in cosmetics. This group set a limit of 1 mg/kg of mercury in cosmetics; however, tests have proved it is difficult to get compliance. In 2018, tests showed that 10% of 300 tested cosmetics in 22 countries exceeded the limit and worse yet, some exceeded the limit by 100 times.
Still, the Mimamata collaboration continues to work towards its goal. The Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP-5) will have its fifth summit in Geneva, Switzerland during the fall of 2023.
World Health Organization and the Biodiversity Research Institute Leadership
The World Health Organization and the Biodiversity Research Institute are now collaborating with the governments of Gabon, Jamaica and Sri Lanka. They are leading the effort for the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)-led campaign “Eliminating Mercury Skin-Lightening Products.” This project hopes to eliminate skin-lightening cosmetics that include mercury by:
Moving Forward
The collaboration between Gabon, Jamaica and Sri Lanka and global partners in the “Eliminating Mercury Skin-Lightening Products” campaign is significant and the fifth Minamata Convention should synergize global efforts to raise awareness of the harmful effects of skin-lightening cosmetics.
– Lauryn Defreitas
Photo: Flickr
The Power of CARE’s VSLA Program in Yemen
The Pilot Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) program in Yemen is a microfinance initiative that aims to provide access to financial services to low-income households in rural areas of the country. The program is a joint effort between the Yemeni government and international organizations. Its ultimate goal is to empower communities and promote economic growth.
Approximately 1.1 billion women around the world are excluded from their respective countries’ formal financial systems. This reality becomes exacerbated during humanitarian crises. When a country experiences a crisis, its formal institutions stop operating optimally. This is exactly what has occurred in Yemen, as it continues to be the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Almost 23.4 million people in Yemen are in need of assistance, and approximately 13 million of those people are children. The crisis has completely crippled Yemen’s political and financial institutions, and this vacuum is slowly filling with humanitarian agencies.
CARE International and VSLA
CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere) is a major international humanitarian organization that delivers emergency relief and administers developmental projects around the world. Its aim is to fight global poverty and hunger. In 2021, CARE formulated and enacted a pilot program that ran from November 2020 to October 2021 and established 12 VSLAs in Taiz, Yemen, a city that has been a central and critical location during the civil war in Yemen.
A VSLA works by establishing a group of 15 to 30 members who meet regularly to provide the group with a safe and secure place to save money and access loans from the money collected from the members of the group. VSLAs also set up insurance funds to allow members to access money in times of emergency and crisis. An external party, such as CARE, provides training to these members to agree on a purpose for the VSLA, devise and settle rules for savings and loans and run regular meetings, amongst other responsibilities.
Benefits of VSLAs
One of the key benefits of VSLAs is that they are highly decentralized and community-driven. They do not rely on external funding or financial assistance. This allows them to be more sustainable in the long run. And, because the groups are self-governing, they are able to adapt and acclimate to the distinctive needs and circumstances of their respective communities. The main purpose of a VSLA is to serve people with low income who live in remote and poverty-stricken areas and have little to no credit. Ultimately, over time, a VSLA should increase access and control over assets and resources for group members.
VSLA Distribution in Taiz
Although CARE initially planned to institute only 12 VSLAs in Taiz, it ended up with 16 formal VSLAs with 300 women by the end of 2021 because demand was high. Before the establishment of VSLAs in Taiz, 97% of people did not have any savings to fall back on in times of emergency, and almost 40% of households had to depend on negative coping strategies such as selling homes, skipping medication, or forcing kids to drop out of school. Afterward, the percentage of people in VSLAs with savings increased from 3% to 100%.
Furthermore, almost 50% of VSLA members were able to start small businesses, and the percentage of people using negative coping strategies dropped to 28%. Additionally, people in the community replicated these model VSLAs to create their own VSLAs, which resulted in total participation of 600 people in fully functioning VSLAs by the end of the program in Taiz. Additionally, over the course of the program, 88% of VSLA members distributed money from their respective VSLA social fund to assist people in need who were not part of VSLAs, creating a social security network in the city.
Challenges with the VSLA Program
Despite this success, the VSLA program in Yemen still faces a number of challenges. The biggest one right now is the ongoing civil conflict which makes it difficult and dangerous for external agencies to reach certain areas and guarantee the safety of program members. Additionally, because VSLAs are highly decentralized, it is difficult to replicate them in larger communities. As a result, the program could have a hard time reaching a larger number of people.
Looking Ahead
Thus far, the VSLA pilot program in Yemen is showing promising results in the communities it has impacted thus far. It has the potential to trigger economic growth and empower women in rural and impoverished communities. With continued support from the Yemeni government and CARE, VSLAs in Yemen could have the potential to create long-lasting economic transformation for low-income households in Yemen and beyond.
– Aemal Nafis
Photo: Flickr
What to Know about India’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme
India aimed to address hunger among students through its mid-day meal scheme, officially implemented in 1995 to feed 120 million children studying in government-funded schools, making it the “world’s largest school food program.” India’s mid-day meal scheme, now known as Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojna (PM Poshan), is a central government scheme with the objective to reduce hunger and malnutrition among children. The PM Poshan scheme already covers more than 1.2 million schools and provides one daily hot meal to pre-primary children and students from classes one to eight.
History and Objectives
The central government under the prime ministership of P.V. Narasimha Rao launched India’s mid-day meal scheme on August 15, 1995, as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (now PM Poshan). The scheme aimed to feed impoverished children enrolled in government schools. One of the main objectives of the scheme was to reduce child malnutrition in India, which, at that time, accounted for 40% of the globe’s malnourished children. The mid-day meal scheme also aimed to encourage children from poor backgrounds and disadvantaged sections to attend school.
However, the history of the mid-day meal scheme goes back to the 1920s when the Chennai Corporation Council passed a resolution approving a proposal for providing ‘tiffin,’ or a light meal, to children of a local school. The ‘tiffin’ scheme has been a success — the school noticed a rise in attendance rates.
The PM Poshan meal scheme, which received approval on September 29, 2021, will run until 2026. This new version of the mid-day meal scheme also benefits about 120 million children.
Program Challenges
The mid-day meal scheme has faced some challenges. for instance, due to caste discrimination in some rural areas, upper-caste parents and students would refuse to eat meals prepared by a lower-caste cook. Low quality and minimal quantities of food also stood as an issue, among several other challenges.
Poor hygienic practices during food preparation and food contamination have led to the deaths of several students across several schools. Most recently, in January 2023, several children at a school in West Bengal had to go to the hospital after consuming a mid-day meal that allegedly contained the body of a snake.
Regardless of these challenges, with a commitment on the part of the government to sufficiently monitor the program and put in place protocols and standards to address the issues, the continuing program has the potential to bring benefits to India’s most disadvantaged children.
Revised Guidelines
The government of India released extensive guidelines on the mid-day meal scheme in December 2022 to address the issues the program has run into. In particular, the government sets out guidelines regarding the quality and safety aspects of the scheme. For instance, the government directs that meals be nutritious and well-balanced and has increased the production cost of meals to ensure meals of higher quality and quantity.
The protocols include specific rules regarding storage, handling and preparation of food to reduce the risk of contamination. The teachers must also taste the food before serving it to learners and must keep a log book in this regard.
Furthermore, “hot cooked meals provided to children shall be evaluated and certified by the Government Food Research Laboratory or any laboratory accredited or recognized by law, so as to ensure that the meal meets with the nutritional standards and quality specified,” the guidelines direct. Specific hygiene and cleanliness regulations apply to kitchen personnel and kitchen premises. Furthermore, schools must take pest control measures to ensure kitchens are pest-free.
Positive Outcomes
According to a December 2021 press release by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, India’s food and nutrition programs have led to a reduction in malnourishment among children under 5 from 38.4% to 32.1% by 2021.
The program hires women from the community to fulfill the roles of the kitchen staff as of way of empowering women and reducing local unemployment rates. The scheme promotes community engagement with the mothers of the students watching and overseeing the feeding of their children. Mothers can also give their suggestions to improve the meal program. The program terms this “Mothers Watch.” This has also helped to reduce caste bias as it gives employment opportunities to Dalit (lowest class) women, making them crucial contributors to the program.
Looking Forward
The mid-day meal scheme provides a daily dose of nutrition to school children. The former vice-president of India, Venkaiah Naidu, also suggested adding milk to the lunch menu to add more nutritional value to the meal. Moreover, the government of India plans to allocate more than Rs 110 billion to PM Poshan for the financial years 2023-24.
India’s mid-day meal scheme, now PM Poshan, tremendously supports health, nutrition and education among underprivileged children by fighting classroom hunger.
– Aanchal Mishra
Photo: Pixabay
Affordable Maternal Care in India
In India, the infant mortality rate in 2020 stood at 27 deaths per 1,000 live births. Although this number is still striking, India has noted a steady decline in infant mortality rates over the years. In 2000, India’s infant mortality rate stood at 53 deaths per 1,000 live births, meaning the rate has halved over the past 20 years. This positive trend may be explained on a macro-level by increased standards of living in the country. On a micro-level, local initiatives are helping to provide affordable maternal care in India for women from lower-income backgrounds.
Maternal Care in India
Although the International Monetary Fund considers India to be “the fastest-growing major economy in the world,” this economic growth does not necessarily translate into increased standards of living for all as many people still live in poverty and struggle to support themselves financially.
Maternal care in India is unequal, with private hospitals offering higher quality care than public hospitals. However, the cost of delivery in private hospitals is hefty. An article published in 2012 by Knowledge at Wharton staff placed the average cost of delivery in a private hospital in Hyderabad city at around $500.
While this cost is not representative of all private hospitals in India, the average cost of private hospital deliveries is out of reach for most lower-income women, considering that Indian female casual workers earned an average monthly income of approximately $69 in 2020. As a result, many Indian women rely on public hospitals, which often lack resources, trained professionals and equipment to provide adequate maternal care.
LifeSpring Hospitals: A Social Enterprise
The LifeSpring chain of hospitals was founded in 2008 by Anant Kumar as a joint venture between HLL Lifecare Limited (an Indian government enterprise) and Acumen Fund (a U.S. social venture capital firm). Their goal is to offer lower-income women low-cost but high-quality maternity care.
LifeSpring hospitals charge considerably lower rates than private hospitals, with a normal delivery costing $80 and a C-section costing $180, according to the 2012 article by Knowledge at Wharton. By focusing on para-skilling, specialization, flexible staffing and high-asset use, the enterprise is able to offer affordable services that are not out of reach for lower-income individuals.
According to the LifeSpring Hospitals website, the hospital chain currently has 10 hospitals running out of Hyderabad. The hospitals provide affordable maternal care in India “at approximately 30-50% lower than the market prices.” Additionally, the services the hospitals provide are “backed up by experience gained from 70,000+ deliveries over a period of 13 years,” the website says.
Helping India’s Impoverished
“LifeSpring seeks to lessen the burden of rising health costs on the nation’s low-income communities thereby increasing their disposable income,” the HLL Lifecare Limited website says. Furthermore, “the mandate of the company is to operate small-sized (20 bed) maternity hospitals in the proximity of urban slums, catering to pregnant women whose husbands work in the informal sector and who have no health coverage,” HLL Lifecare highlights. On top of maternal care, the hospitals offer pediatric care, laboratory testing, pharmacy services and community health care education, among other services.
By 2012, the hospitals delivered an average of 6,000 babies per year and performed better than other hospitals of similar sizes, delivering three to four times more babies on average per month. LifeSpring has goals to open up at least 100 more hospitals offering high-quality, affordable maternal care to disadvantaged women. This low-cost service is changing the lives of thousands of women every year by ensuring accessible and high-quality maternal care, thereby reducing maternal mortality rates in India.
– Alexandra Piat
Photo: Flickr