India has the second largest population in the world, with 1.35 billion people. About 158.8 million of the population are children below the age of 6. Of these children, 30 million are orphans which makes up a significant portion of the youth population. Among the 30 million children, only 370,000 of them are in childcare institutions. The high number of orphans in India is due to multiple issues prevalent in the country. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) conducted one study in 2016-17 and found that there are 9,589 orphanages (CCI). Of these, 91% are non-governmental which means that only 9% of them receive support from it.
Causes of the High Number of Orphans
With 30 million orphans, there are numerous reasons that there is such a large number of orphans in India. One reason is the grueling process of adoption in India. First of all, many children in India are orphans as a result of parents not being able to pay for them, or the child escaping a dangerous situation. With more than half of the country living in poverty, many parents abandon their children instead of attempting to care for them, according to the International Learning Movement (ILM).
In order for a child to be eligible for adoption in India, the child needs to be in an adoptive home or orphanage. This puts the status of the child as “legally free for adoption.” This system is extremely problematic, however, with only 370,000 of the orphans living in orphanages or adoption centers, more than 29 million orphans are unavailable for adoption.
To make matters worse, those previously mentioned 91% of orphanages that the government does not directly run are not linked to adoption agencies, making them virtually invisible to the greater public, according to DW.
Adoption is a difficult and discouraging process for prospective parents as well. Prospective parents complain about, “a lack of support from services while applying for adoption,” DW stated in an article. Prospective parents experience frequent “delays and uncertainty of referrals” and they have to deal with a “lack of information and transparency from the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).”
On top of the horrible support the government provides while in the adoption process, parents can expect the process to take up to three years. All of these factors combine to play a large role in prospective parents as they are constantly jumping through hoops in order to successfully adopt.
The Danger of Being an Orphan in India
With millions of orphans in India, scavenging on the street, there are countless dangers that can affect them. Trafficking is the most dangerous one as unprotected children are big targets for exploitation. While the orphans who roam the street have protection from the law, there is no physical force protecting them from danger, leaving them helpless, according to DW.
According to the 2022 U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons report, 47% of the trafficked individuals the DoS identified in India were children, and 59% of those children were female. The girls are usually sold as child brides, with 27% of them married before their 18th birthday. As for the boys, they are often forced to fight for extremist groups, according to ILM.
Solutions
With the brutal situation of orphans in India, many charities are working to make the situation better. Homes of Hope is one charity that has been doing extraordinary work in India and its help has positively impacted the country. Homes of Hope is responsible for building seven orphanages with five more on the way in India. It has lifted 3,000 girls from, sex trafficking, the streets, abusive homes and refugee camps. Homes of Hope has been a bright light leading the way through the dark situation of orphans in India.
Another great charity is India Hope. Like Homes of Hope, India Hope also focuses on improving the lives of orphans in India. India Hope currently houses 6,500 orphans in India with the goal of getting that number up to 8,000.
With millions of orphans in India, the situation is unfortunate and heartbreaking. However, with the continued work of good-hearted charities like Homes of Hope and India Hope, the situation could get better over time and hopefully, allow a good life for more and more orphans in India.
– David Keenan
Photo: Flickr
Giving DREAMS in Namibia
At one point, Namibia had the highest HIV prevalence rates globally. In the country, HIV disproportionately impacts young women, with their incidence rates being several times higher than those for men. However, the Namibian government and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) wanted to change the narrative for the country. To help, PEPFAR funded Namibia with $50 million for treatments and resources.
New HIV infections have decreased by 50% since 2004. Namibia now has an estimated 85.4% of viral suppression and 8.3% HIV prevalence, according to a Namibia Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (NAMPHIA) report. Through the partnership, the Namibian government and PEPFAR were able to give people DREAMS in Namibia.
DREAMS Project
DREAMS (the acronym for Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) first launched on World AIDS Day 2014 with private sector partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Girl Effect, Gilead Sciences, Johnson & Johnson and ViiV Healthcare. The DREAMS Project works to address leading factors for increased vulnerability in adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) with HIV. The project has created change in 15 countries including Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. By doing so, it has pushed partner governments to renew their commitments to gender equality and the impact on adolescent health and development.
The U.S. Department of State mentioned on World AIDS Day 2020, data showed new HIV diagnoses among AGYW declined in countries implementing DREAMS, with 96% of which had a decline of more than 25% and almost 62% of which decreased by more than 40%.
Of the 15 countries, DREAMS in Namibia officially launched in October 2017. The U.S. Embassy noted the project is focusing on three regions: Khomas, Oshikoto and Zambezi. While the primary target of DREAMS in Namibia are AGYW ages 9-24, orphans and vulnerable children, the male sexual partners aged 20-49 are a part of the targeted population.
DREAMS and Project Hope
The DREAMS project is also partnering with Project HOPE Namibia. Project HOPE similarly works to mitigate the impact of HIV by safeguarding access to quality health care for vulnerable populations. Through the partnership, more than 100,000 orphans and vulnerable children with household services, loans and startup kits for their caregivers.
In partnership with DREAMS in Namibia, Project HOPE empowered more than 20,000 AGYW across Namibia with education on HIV, job skills and financial literacy. Project HOPE also offers clinical support for survivors.
On February 23, First Lady Jill Biden visited Hope Initiative Southern Africa to listen in on the testimonials of those that DREAMS in Namibia increasingly impacted. Among the testimonials, the common theme was that these young women’s voices grew and obtained more opportunities to kick-start their businesses.
Looking Ahead
Namibia is still fighting against the HIV epidemic. However, DREAMS in Namibia continues to reach the masses of those who are HIV infected by changing one life at a time. The project allows those infected to pursue their dreams.
– Brianna Green
Photo: Flickr
Tackling the Crisis in Haiti
Haiti has been experiencing political, economic and social conflict since someone assassinated the former president, Jovenel Moïse, in July 2021. Haiti’s parliament has become ineffective as it struggles to govern amidst the recent earthquake and the prominence of gang violence in Haiti. The crisis in Haiti does not only involve one issue but rather multiple crises all at once. The three most predominant crises in Haiti are gang violence, the cholera outbreak and the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in August 2022.
Gang Violence
The number of gangs in Haiti has grown over the past five years. With more than 95 gangs occupying large portions of Port-au-Prince Bay, the crisis in Haiti has accelerated into deeper chaos. Organized crime disproportionally affects vulnerable communities, especially children. UNICEF’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean has warned that women and children have become targets of gangs. She stated that “more and more incidents of gang violence have involved children and women in the past few weeks and months,” referring to kidnapping, rapes and killings.
The crisis in Haiti is worsened by gangs developing strong political and economic footing as they make themselves mercenary partners of politicians and administrators. Recently, gangs seized Haiti’s fuel terminal (its main source of energy), thus sending the country into an economic and health crisis. Many schools and hospitals have no power and small businesses have shut down completely. The Inter-American Foundation (IAF) has increased funding for 22 grassroots organizations focused on helping Haitians adapt to the various political, economic and environmental collapses. The fuel crisis has prevented more than three-quarters of hospitals from operating. The IAF has been able to supply the country with community clinics and ambulances to meet the pressing need for medical care in the midst of the cholera outbreak.
In terms of suppressing gang violence, there is disagreement on which strategy is the best. The U.N. has issued $5 million to help those that the violence has affected, as humanitarians try to negotiate with the gangs. Other experts and Haitians suggest that intervention may be a more plausible step as a large portion of money meant for more diplomatic relations has been relatively ineffective.
Health and Environmental Concerns
More than a quarter of all suspected cholera cases are children under 9. Cholera is much more likely to infect children, according to the Health Ministry. Between October and December 2022, there were reports of 13,672 cases of cholera, with 86% being hospitalized. From 2010 to 2019, there were reports of 820,000 cases in Haiti. U.N. agencies and Médicins sans Frontières (MSF), along with local organizations, have distributed medicines and treatments throughout the country. They have also established some clean water centers free of cholera while pushing for the development of vaccines for Haiti. Human Rights Watch believes that there is still a great deal that is necessary to resolve the health crisis in Haiti.
There are also environmental concerns for Haiti. A 7.2 earthquake shook the country in April 2021, leaving 620,000 people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. The earthquake destroyed 70% of schools. UNICEF is continuing to provide water, food and shelter to vulnerable populations.
As violence proceeds, the crisis in Haiti will require more aid and assistance to help rebuild and develop a more resilient political and economic order. Organizations within Haiti and around the world have already begun to provide relief but more must happen to ensure vulnerable peoples are safe.
– Anna Richardson
Photo: Flickr
The Situation of Orphans in India
India has the second largest population in the world, with 1.35 billion people. About 158.8 million of the population are children below the age of 6. Of these children, 30 million are orphans which makes up a significant portion of the youth population. Among the 30 million children, only 370,000 of them are in childcare institutions. The high number of orphans in India is due to multiple issues prevalent in the country. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) conducted one study in 2016-17 and found that there are 9,589 orphanages (CCI). Of these, 91% are non-governmental which means that only 9% of them receive support from it.
Causes of the High Number of Orphans
With 30 million orphans, there are numerous reasons that there is such a large number of orphans in India. One reason is the grueling process of adoption in India. First of all, many children in India are orphans as a result of parents not being able to pay for them, or the child escaping a dangerous situation. With more than half of the country living in poverty, many parents abandon their children instead of attempting to care for them, according to the International Learning Movement (ILM).
In order for a child to be eligible for adoption in India, the child needs to be in an adoptive home or orphanage. This puts the status of the child as “legally free for adoption.” This system is extremely problematic, however, with only 370,000 of the orphans living in orphanages or adoption centers, more than 29 million orphans are unavailable for adoption.
To make matters worse, those previously mentioned 91% of orphanages that the government does not directly run are not linked to adoption agencies, making them virtually invisible to the greater public, according to DW.
Adoption is a difficult and discouraging process for prospective parents as well. Prospective parents complain about, “a lack of support from services while applying for adoption,” DW stated in an article. Prospective parents experience frequent “delays and uncertainty of referrals” and they have to deal with a “lack of information and transparency from the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).”
On top of the horrible support the government provides while in the adoption process, parents can expect the process to take up to three years. All of these factors combine to play a large role in prospective parents as they are constantly jumping through hoops in order to successfully adopt.
The Danger of Being an Orphan in India
With millions of orphans in India, scavenging on the street, there are countless dangers that can affect them. Trafficking is the most dangerous one as unprotected children are big targets for exploitation. While the orphans who roam the street have protection from the law, there is no physical force protecting them from danger, leaving them helpless, according to DW.
According to the 2022 U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons report, 47% of the trafficked individuals the DoS identified in India were children, and 59% of those children were female. The girls are usually sold as child brides, with 27% of them married before their 18th birthday. As for the boys, they are often forced to fight for extremist groups, according to ILM.
Solutions
With the brutal situation of orphans in India, many charities are working to make the situation better. Homes of Hope is one charity that has been doing extraordinary work in India and its help has positively impacted the country. Homes of Hope is responsible for building seven orphanages with five more on the way in India. It has lifted 3,000 girls from, sex trafficking, the streets, abusive homes and refugee camps. Homes of Hope has been a bright light leading the way through the dark situation of orphans in India.
Another great charity is India Hope. Like Homes of Hope, India Hope also focuses on improving the lives of orphans in India. India Hope currently houses 6,500 orphans in India with the goal of getting that number up to 8,000.
With millions of orphans in India, the situation is unfortunate and heartbreaking. However, with the continued work of good-hearted charities like Homes of Hope and India Hope, the situation could get better over time and hopefully, allow a good life for more and more orphans in India.
– David Keenan
Photo: Flickr
The Plight of Zimbabwean Farmers
Zimbabwe has faced several economic issues during the past two decades. The country’s economy has gone through a series of reforms and crises. All this has had a major impact on the poverty situation in the country. Between 2019 and 2020, Zimbabwe’s macroeconomic challenges, a record drought, cyclone Idai and the COVID-19 pandemic affected the country. Today, the economic regressions that the country has faced are having negative impacts on the daily lives of Zimbabwean farmers.
Agricultural Zimbabwe
Agriculture is the pillar of Zimbabwean society. It provides income for around 70% of the population, supplies almost 60% of the raw materials that the industrial sector necessary and contributes 40% of total export earnings. While the agricultural sector of Zimbabwe remains the largest employer of labor in the country, the official wage of farm laborers is around 78,000 Zimbabwean dollars. With the inflation rate at around 180%, many farmers are struggling to stay afloat financially and have resorted to working at multiple jobs simultaneously. Other challenges that farm laborers and smallholder farmers faced are droughts, poor soil fertility, low investment, shortages of farm power, poor physical and institutional infrastructure and recurring food insecurity.
Struggles of Farmers
In addition to the financial crisis, farmers in Zimbabwe also suffer from bad treatment in their workplaces. Many farmers and farm laborers have to live in colonial-era shacks known as “makomboni.” According to Al-Jazeera, many have to contend with living in “renovated pigsties, tobacco barns, and horse stables on farms where they work.” Laborers are often unable to provide basic means for their families and get into debt with money lenders and their employers. The issues that the farmers of Zimbabwe faced are a testament to the economic predicament that the country is facing today.
Loss Of Profit
For cash crops such as cotton, which usually brings much financial success to farmers, rising inflation rates and poor currency means that they no longer get the desired profits of cotton farming. Besides inflation, two of the biggest issues that cotton farmers face are corruption and falling prices. Back in 2017, the price of a single kilogram of cotton was around $1.51. As cotton now is sold solely in Zimbabwean dollars, farmers gain little to no profit for their arduous labor. Nowadays the price of a single kilogram of cotton hovers between $0.53 and $0.68, almost a 66% decrease in less than six years. Corruption is also a huge issue. In 2022, the chair of the Zimbabwe parliament’s portfolio committee on land and agriculture was arrested for a case relating to the stockpiling of cotton farming inputs.
Another crop that is faltering is maize. As a result of changing weather patterns, droughts are becoming more frequent and harsher in Zimbabwe. Thereby, threatening the production of the maize crop which is a staple in the country. A government assessment estimated that Zimbabwe’s maize production fell by almost 43% in the 2021-2022 season due to the lack of rainfall. Many farmers have received orders to sell their stocks to the state in order to replenish low stocks. However, many are holding onto their stocks because the prices on offer are so miserly.
Hope For the Industry
Zimbabwean farmers are struggling to make ends meet. The economic crisis that the state faced is severely affecting the livelihood of farmers and farm laborers. Changing weather patterns are also having a severe impact on the production of import crops such as maize and cotton. However, hope still exists for the industry. Young farmers in Zimbabwe are leading the drive for the new generation. They are diversifying by growing fruits such as mangoes, rearing livestock such as Boer goats and cultivating tobacco. They are practicing sustainable methods that provide hope for farmers in Zimbabwe.
– Saad Haque
Photo: Flickr
Human Trafficking in Tonga
Despite its effort to develop legislation and procedures to combat human trafficking, Tonga has remained in the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Watchlist report for a second consecutive year. In 2019, the State Department reported that the government of Tonga was taking strides toward its human trafficking problem by funding an NGO that aims to assist victims of trafficking. Tonga’s government shifted focus away from human trafficking due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a destructive volcanic eruption and tsunami last year. Since the 2020 TIP report, the country has not shown an increased effort to prosecute traffickers and preventive measures. The 2021 report downgraded Tonga from a Tier 2 country to a Tier 2 watchlist country, where it remained in the 2022 TIP report.
Labor and Sex Trafficking
Tongans, both local and abroad, are vulnerable to labor trafficking. Domestic labor trafficking is rising in many countries globally, Tonga included, as a product of globalization. Low-income Tongan women and children are vulnerable to forced labor within domestic work while a significant portion of Tonga’s domestic labor force is from overseas.
The 2022 TIP report specifically mentions women from the People’s Republic of China that have relocated to Tonga for domestic work. A common technique used to lure women and young people into human trafficking in Tonga is through false job opportunities.
Families may send their children to cities or abroad due to insufficient local opportunities. Hoping to make money for their families, people may apply for jobs that they believe to be legitimate before instead becoming victims of trafficking. Children may then become forced into prostitution or employed by corrupt employers who pay them little, house them in unsafe environments and make it difficult for them to quit.
With a pull of education and work opportunities, Tongans primarily immigrate to New Zealand, Australia and the United States. The 2022 TIP report mentions that it is common for Tongan citizens to work seasonal jobs in neighboring countries of New Zealand and Australia. Some employers abroad exploit the language barrier and high competition for employment by rushing workers to sign employment contracts before they can adequately understand what they are agreeing to.
Limitations With Trafficking Legislation
Tonga’s 2013 Counter Terrorism and Transnational Organised Crime Act showed initiative toward tackling human trafficking but had many limitations. Both the U.N.’s and the U.S.’s definitions of human trafficking emphasize trafficking as exploitation through means of “force, fraud, or coercion;” Tonga’s definition of human trafficking does not. Excluding those three means limits what defines human trafficking, who are its victims and who gets prosecuted. Tonga’s definition also limits trafficking to cross national borders, while the U.N. and U.S. do not.
Recent efforts have shown little persistence. Since convicting the country’s first trafficker in April 2011, Tonga has not prosecuted or convicted any others. In 2015, the government identified four potential trafficking victims but has not reported any since. The State Department credits this to a lack of formal identification procedures as well as a general distrust in the Tongan government on the part of the citizens.
Refocusing on the Issue
With the pandemic, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and the resulting tsunami in January 2022, the government has veered its focus elsewhere. Tackling other issues have pushed human trafficking combative efforts to the sidelines. However, other countries and global organizations are reaching out with help to address human trafficking in Tonga.
In July 2022, the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) teamed up with The Asia Foundation to begin a five-year project aimed at combating human trafficking in Tonga as well as three other Pacific countries. The program is called the Pacific Regional Initiative and Support for More Effective Counter-Trafficking in Persons, or Pacific RISE-CTIP.
The Asia Foundation is a philanthropic, international nonprofit focused on improving lives across Asia. Specifically, the partnership aims at reducing human trafficking in Tonga, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Marshall Islands by reducing vulnerabilities to trafficking, focusing on victim support and establishing legal aid for victims and against perpetrators.
Its approach focuses on getting government actors and private institutions in Pacific Island countries (PICs) involved with the issue. Since the project spans only five years, the aim is to boost existing local institutions that focus on exposing trafficking and helping victims. The hope is that, when the program ends, the systems will have steady ground to continue their initiatives.
Since the arts are significant in Tongan culture, The Asia Foundation uses creativity to communicate its ideas. Several initiatives are currently underway. By teaming up with local painters, photographers, choreographers and poets, The Asia Foundation is using creative outlets to promote the issue and ensure communities and local systems are the sources of change in the PICs.
Looking Ahead
Instead of bulldozing existing Tongan efforts to expose trafficking, the hope is that building community support will increase the likelihood of permanent change. Tonga faces unique vulnerabilities to trafficking, which require unique solutions. Strengthening community leadership and promoting awareness addresses the issue of human trafficking in Tonga in a transformative and culturally significant way specific to the country.
– Maya Steele
Photo: Flickr
Bright Hope’s Mission
Bright Hope is a Christian Organization working to bring hope to those who live on less than $2 a day. The organization hopes to transform communities and encourage self-sustainability by starting churches throughout impoverished communities. For over 50 years, Bright Hope has worked to provide community infrastructure through church planting and creating goals for today, tomorrow and eternity. Bright Hope’s mission is to eradicate poverty both physically and spiritually.
History of Bright Hope
Bright Hope began in 1968 after founder Dr. Kevin Dyer traveled through Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union and saw the state of the poor and persecuted Christians. The organization focused primarily on immediate relief for those suffering and has since extended to include more long-term goals.
Bright Hope’s Mission
Bright Hope’s mission includes goals for today, tomorrow and eternity. Its mission for today focuses on smaller and more urgent tasks, such as providing clean water, care for abandoned children, food programs in schools, medical care and strengthening family bonds. The mission for tomorrow extends to more long-term impacts, including better education for children, job training for adults, more sustainable agricultural practices and animal rearing. Lastly, its eternal goals bring the mission’s Christian background and focus on developing church leadership, ministries and community discipleship support. About 43.7% of funding is focused on the hope for tomorrow’s goals, working to end the cycle of poverty. In contrast, 20.1% goes toward short-term relief for those already in poverty and the remaining 36.2% goes to the mission’s evangelical goals and eternal mission.
The Urgent Needs
Bright Hope’s mission continues to extend throughout Bolivia, Haiti, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. The organization focuses on aid in each of these countries without fostering dependence. Empowering the people in each community encourages individuals to raise themselves out of physical, economic and spiritual poverty. Some of its programs urgently need help, including its mission to help Haitian families provide food for themselves, the project to bring food security to Kenya by supporting Natoot farmers and their long-term goal of ending abuse in Bolivia to prevent future poverty.
The Impact Catalog
Brighthope.org allows monetary donations and prayer donations and offers an impact catalog. Its impact catalog allows those who donate to see a more visual representation of where their money is going. Those who donate can choose between funding loans for Haitian rice farmers, supporting print and copy centers, giving books to children and even donating animals such as chickens and rabbits.
Bright Hope also offers the opportunity to donate “Mama Kits,” bags full of the basic essentials to care for a newborn for struggling parents. The kits directly support expecting mothers and include baby clothing, blankets, soap, oil and carrying bags.
The bags have transformed the lives of many in Uganda. Bright Hope’s blog details the story of one expectant mother, Desire, who gained the confidence and peace she needed to continue her pregnancy through the efforts of the Bright Hope program and its Mama Kits. Uganda hospitals often require women to bring their own medical birthing supplies, which can be challenging to obtain. The Mama Kit works to support mothers in Uganda and other countries to ease the financial burden that pregnancy often causes.
Looking Ahead
Through projects such as Mama Kits, Bright Hope’s mission impacts individual lives throughout the work to provide essential assistance for those in poverty. Bright Hope also works to connect and celebrate the impact that all donors make and promises to provide regular updates on its programs and impact reports to those who choose to support its mission financially.
– Brooklynn Rich
Photo: Flickr
Foreign Aid to Turkey and Syria Amid Natural Disaster
On February 6, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeast Turkey and northern Syria collapsing more than 6,500 buildings and destroying neighborhoods. The earthquake has become the worst disaster in Turkey’s modern history. As a result of this natural disaster, dozens of countries and humanitarian organizations across the globe have mobilized to send assistance and aid to Turkey and Syria in their times of need.
Humanitarian Organizations
Turkey, a country with the largest refugee population in the world, is home to an already vulnerable population in the exact towns where the earthquake struck. With 3.6 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey, many humanitarian groups and aid organizations are already familiar with these areas. Many old and new humanitarian organizations have stationed themselves in and sent aid to Turkey to help rescue and slowly rebuild the nation:
Foreign Aid and Resources
Many countries have sent aid to Turkey and Syria in their time of need. Different countries are providing help in various forms. Some are sending teams and dogs to help rescue people from the rubble, others are sending money and many are sending physical resources.
Germany has offered temporary visas to victims of the disaster whose families are already living in Germany. It also sent search and rescue teams to the countries. The EU has sent search and rescue teams from 19 different countries. China has sent $5.9 million to Turkey along with an additional $200,000 to both Syria and Turkey.
Thousands of individuals went to Turkey and Syria as part of rescue and medical teams from various countries including the United States, Switzerland, the European Union and the Czech Republic. Tons of supplies like medical supplies, tents, food and emergency equipment have gone to the two countries from supporting countries across the globe including Algeria, Australia, Iran and Pakistan. In terms of financial aid, countries like France, China, Malaysia and New Zealand have sent hundreds of millions of dollars.
Moving Forward
While aid to Turkey and Syria is still an immense need due to the destruction caused by the earthquake, the global community has offered support and come to the aid of those affected. From humanitarian organizations like the United Nations to more than 32 countries globally, the response to this disaster has shown that the people of Turkey have the support of those around the world.
– Kellyjohana Ahumada
Photo: Flickr
How Precision Farming Could Feed Millions Globally
Precision farming or the use of advanced technologies to improve agricultural efficiency and output is a growing industry with the potential to completely transform the farming sector worldwide. Through the use of intelligent algorithms, advanced mechanisms and fledgling inventions, precision farming has the possibility of saving time, money and resources for generations to come. In fact, for nearly 78% of impoverished citizens worldwide who rely primarily on agricultural means to sustain their lives, combined governmental investment in precision farming could mark the turning point into an exponential rise in income, quality of life and sustainability for the rest of their lives.
What is Precision Farming?
Precision farming, a subsector of the agricultural industry, is an advanced technique of utilizing novel technologies and mechanics to maximize crop output while minimizing the levels of traditional inputs needed to grow crops. The use of automated irrigation systems, drone-based planting and intelligent path-generation tools are all examples of ways to implement this approach on a large scale. In places where even the smallest savings make a huge difference, methods like these would benefit farmers by saving precious commodities like fuel, fertilizer, herbicide and water. Indeed, a 2021 study found that precision farming across the United States resulted in a 25% increase in wheat yields compared to the 1980 levels. It resulted in millions of dollars saved from a nearly 10% drop in herbicide and pesticide usage nationwide.
Vietnam
In countries like Vietnam, the practice of precision farming has already begun to yield remarkable results. For years, paddy farming has been the cornerstone of rural employment in the country. Yet, it has remained an arduous and costly process that places a heavy demand on precious water resources. However, with the introduction of the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method, many of those hurdles were overcome. Through this technique, water requirements for farming reduced by up to 28%, while methane emissions decreased by almost 50%. Furthermore, in order to help finance and maintain these efforts, the Korea World Bank Partnership Facility funded a plan to make the irrigation process easier to access and understand for the average citizen. As a result of these initiatives, Vietnamese farmers have reduced water usage in their paddy farming operations. This has led to increased prosperity and strengthened their overall economic positions.
Brazil
Brazil stands as yet another testament to the immense potential of precision farming. Since the technology’s debut in 1980, Brazil has experienced unprecedented agronomic growth with a 206% increase in national grain yield and a 394% increase in production. With the introduction of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), advanced pesticide deployment and targeting were employed throughout the country, which proved to be much more effective than the traditional methods. Soil research and analysis also proved instrumental. Through these methods, farmers could more accurately and efficiently find the optimal sites for their crops and maximize output. As a result of these tremendous efforts, Brazil managed to lower its poverty headcount ratio by almost 94%, from 30.6% in 1983 to just 1.9% of the population in 2020.
Next Steps in Revolutionizing Agriculture
Although some nations have taken many commendable steps to incorporate precision farming into their industries, much work remains. Greater funding of government programs and increased public awareness of the benefits of precision farming are two crucial factors that can help drive progress in this area. Continued investment in precision farming and collaboration to overcome existing challenges can help create more sustainable and prosperous farming practices for all.
– Sanjith Sambath
Photo: Flickr
Women’s Rights in Barbados
Women’s rights in Barbados have come a long way since the early 20th century when women’s organizations first began advocating for gender equality in the country. Today, women in Barbados enjoy legal protections against domestic violence and discrimination and have made significant gains in areas such as education and political representation.
One major milestone in the history of women’s rights in Barbados was the granting of suffrage to women in 1950. Since then, women have been able to participate in elections and hold political office, including the position of Prime Minister. Mia Mottley held the position of Prime Minister in Barbados from 2018 to 2022 and was the first woman to hold the title. However, women still face underrepresenting in political and economic leadership positions and gender-based violence remains a persistent issue in the country.
Government’s Efforts
To address these challenges, the Barbadian government has established and signed a number of initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. These include the Beijing Platform for Action, which outlines goals and objectives for achieving gender equality and women’s rights in Barbados. As a result of signing this document, Barbados has made significant positive progress towards freedom and equality for women such as eliminating the direct discrimination and violence against women in public spheres and activities. Barbados is also in compliance with the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, the only binding and legal document against gender-based violence and upholds women’s physical, sexual and psychological integrity.
Barbados strengthened these impacts by passing the Domestic Violence Protections Order Amendment Act 2016, one of the strongest Protection Orders in the region that gives emergency protection orders to police and focuses on best practices to combat gender-based violence.
The Bureau of Gender Affairs is another important institution, responsible for promoting women’s rights in Barbados and ensuring that a gender perspective is integrated into all governmental plans and policies.
Making Progress
In 2022 the World Bank compared 190 countries’ economies across eight different categories. The results show that Barbados scored a perfect score in four areas analyzed: workplace, marriage, assets and pension. Barbados has many laws securing a woman’s position in the workplace and ensuring that there are policies against workplace discrimination and harassment, they even ensure the possibility to file a lawsuit when there is harassment against women in the workplace. When it comes to marriage, women have secured rights regarding divorce and remarrying, making sure that women’s relationships with men uphold women’s rights in Barbados.
While these scores are encouraging, Barbados did not score well in the categories of mobility, pay, parenthood and entrepreneurship. Women in Barbados do not receive adequate paid maternity leave when compared to males and they are also unable to receive the same credit benefits in their businesses as men do. This made Barbados’ overall score 80 out of 100, lower than the average score in Latin America and the Caribbean. There are still many laws that do not protect women in Barbados. For example, approximately 30% of women from ages 20-24 were married before 18, women hold only 20% of seats in parliament and there is an adolescent birth rate of 49.7%.
The Future
Despite challenges, women in Barbados have made significant strides in a number of areas. Women now outnumber men in tertiary education and there is a growing awareness of the importance of gender equality in the country and governmental leaders are working to implement policies that address inequalities. As Barbados looks to the future, it will be important to build on these achievements and continue working towards a more equitable and just society for all. Many are still calling for a National Gender Policy, which the government of Barbados has stated is currently in progress.
– Kellyjohana Ahumada
Photo: Flickr
Raising Awareness of Gender-Based Violence in South Africa
Scattered across the country of South Africa, amongst a landscape of rich and vivid beauty, outside of diverse busy cities, are smaller, poorer cities, known as townships. Townships began as a means of racial segregation during Apartheid; these were places for black people and people of color to live and they remain racially segregated settlements, where people often live in extreme poverty. It is here that the intersections of poverty and gender collide. Gender-based violence is so prevalent that Diepsloot, one of the biggest townships in the country, witnesses murders of women in the streets. This happens within a country where femicide is five times higher than the global average. Within the lush landscape of South Africa, an ugly side lurks.
How Does Poverty in Townships Influence Gender-Based Violence?
Many studies conclude that poverty and gender-based violence are in a close relationship: a lack of economic stability means there are fewer opportunities to escape a dangerous situation and fewer resources to seek help. Similarly, the violence women and girls experience can feed into their poverty: traumas or even physical injuries endured can lead to a lack of work prospects. Yet, because of the history of townships as spaces of racial segregation, the gender-based violence within them is not just a matter of class or gender. It is also a matter of race. Naledi Joyi, writing for the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR), argues that violence in townships against Black women’s bodies is unyielding and multifaceted. Social indicators of class, gender and race intertwine to make it harder for Black women living in poverty to have access to appropriate resources for help.
The Local: Green Door
Authorities need to tackle gender-based violence in South Africa in its poorest communities and they are making progress. According to CSVR, police response and medical assistance to violence against women and girls in townships are inadequate. However, local programs developed within township communities can offer help to women in vulnerable situations.Diepsloot, located on the peripheries of Johannesburg, is one of the densest townships in South Africa and is the home of Green Door, a local shelter for women and children. Originally beginning as a response to the high levels of violence against women and girls in the township, Green Door is a small building that offers victims temporary shelter, support, resources and legal advice. It is the only place of its kind in Diepsloot and a “lifeline” to many.
The National: Women for Change
Women for Change is a national nonprofit grassroots organization that aims to eradicate gender-based violence in South Africa. Since 2016, it has been advocating for women’s rights in the face of a government that fails to acknowledge the severity of the problem. Women for Change aims to eradicate gender-based violence and femicide within a country that reports 146 sexual offenses daily, with an estimated 95% of assaults unreported, according to its website. The organization utilizes its large social media presence to globalize the information and raise awareness in the world of the plight of many South African women and girls. Though Women for Change does not work strictly with women in townships, its dedication to ending the country’s epidemic of gender-based violence by raising voices means that others will hear the voices of all women and girls in South Africa.
Making the Fight Global
The work that is occurring to tackle gender-based violence in South Africa at large and give voice to the women living in townships is imperative. Organizations, such as Green Door and Women for Change, are paving a path toward a better future for all women. These organizations can ensure that these forgotten cities, where women and girls’ needs are often overlooked, do not hold forgotten women. They too have a voice.
– Eloïse Jones
Photo: Flickr