UNICEF says, “the Indian education system is one of the largest in the world with more than 1.5 million schools, 8.5 million teachers and 250 million children.” However, a lack of access to quality education has pronounced India’s literacy gap. According to the World Bank, India’s literacy rate stood at 82% among adult men in 2018 while, among women, it stood at just 66%. A 2013-2014 survey said, at the time, around 20 million children in India did not attend preschool and about half of teenagers did not finish high school. Bridging the digital divide between the rural and urban and shifting to online education in India has the potential to expand education access in the country. In the last few years, India has launched several online platforms to ensure access to education for children of all backgrounds.
Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds
SWAYAM, a Hindi word for self, stands for Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds. The government program aims to improve education equity, access and quality. “The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy,” the SWAYAM website says.
SWAYAM is a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) portal that also comes with a mobile application to boost online education in India. The All India Council For Technical Education, an Indian regulatory body, created SWAYAM in 2016 with the goal of combining education courses in one platform accessible to everyone, anywhere and at any time. SWAYAM covers all courses and subjects from class 9 to the post-graduation level through the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL).
SWAYAM courses are free, but students can only obtain a course completion certificate after writing the final exam, which comes at a fee of about $12. Learning on SWAYAM is easy and convenient. Students can learn from the pre-recorded video lectures with subtitles, perform free self-assessment tasks and download free study materials. So far, more than 20 million students have enrolled in SWAYAM and more than 1.5 million students successfully completed their courses.
DIKSHA Platform
DIKSHA, short for Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing, is a platform for online education in India functioning in almost every state and union territory. The Indian Ministry of Education launched DIKSHA in September 2017 as a National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) initiative to empower and train teachers in imparting education in creative ways. However, in 2020, the app extended its services to students when the pandemic forced the government to shut down schools and colleges across the country.
The DIKSHA app operates in 36 Indian languages and can be accessed anywhere in the country. It issues free e-textbooks, training courses and virtual lab activities, and also renders access to TV-based classroom lessons. DIKSHA also accommodates students with special needs with the provision of audiobooks, sign language videos and special dictionaries.
E-PG Pathshala
E-PG Pathshala is another application fostering online education in India, launched with the objective to provide high-quality online content in 70 subjects. It also provides more than 700 e-books and video lectures for all postgraduate courses through its ebooks portal. Along with this, e-PG Pathshala also hosts online MOOC courses in postgraduate subjects through the portal of SWAYAM.
Operating under the skills and expertise of 3,200 professionals, the app is a virtual library with more than 20,000 e-textbooks and 19,000 videos along with animations, simulations and virtual labs. It also includes quizzes and assignments for creative self-learning. Developed in 2014 under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, the University Grants Commission implements this national portal.
Shortcomings in India’s Digital Education System
Every path has its puddle and the system of online education in India also has its own shortcomings. While online education in India became the only source of learning amid the lockdowns during the pandemic, many teachers complained that the online classes alienated students and prevented teachers and students from forming an emotional bond that could only be created in an in-person classroom.
Additionally, according to the Azim Premji University study on “Myths of Online Education” in 2020, almost 60% of children in India do not have access to online learning because of the lack of smartphones, multiple siblings sharing the same phone and lack of internet.
A survey conducted in August 2021 across 15 states and union territories assessed the impact of the pandemic on education in India, revealing a significant tech divide. The survey discloses that 37% of rural poor children did not engage in education at all and only 8% of rural children attended online classes routinely.
Looking Ahead
The Indian government launched the PM e-Vidya scheme in 2020 with the objective to unify all initiatives related to online education in India, providing access to various online portals all in one place. The scheme aims to benefit 250 million school-going children.
The Indian government has also made sufficient efforts to boost the implementation of the modified BharatNet initiative under which all the government schools and gram panchayats (village councils) in rural areas receive free internet connectivity to decrease the digital divide. The government has allocated more than a trillion rupees, the highest ever allocation, to India’s education sector in the Union Budget 2023-24. It has also planned to set up a national digital library in India to increase access to educational books.
Overall, these government apps look to improve the accessibility and quality of education through online learning.
– Aanchal Mishra
Photo: Pixabay
The UK’s Response to the Turkey-Syria Earthquakes
As of February 19, 2023, the Turkey-Syria earthquakes have led to the deaths of at least 46,400 people in Syria and Turkey. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake, struck Southeastern Turkey near the border of Syria on February 6, 2023, and has devastated the region as many remain missing and the death toll continues to climb. As the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the earthquakes as the “worst natural disaster” to affect its European region in 100 years, humanitarian aid from the U.K. government and U.K. non-governmental organizations is essential in mitigating the effects of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes and saving as many lives as possible.
Response from the UK Government
One day after the earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, 77 members of the U.K. International Search and Rescue team, an Emergency Medical Team, four search dogs and rescue equipment arrived in Gaziantep, Turkey, on behalf of the U.K. government. The search and rescue specialists employed “state-of-the-art” tools, such as seismic listening devices and concrete cutting equipment, to make their way into buildings that the earthquakes destroyed and locate survivors while the emergency medics assessed the situation on the ground.
Volunteers from the White Helmets, a humanitarian organization funded by the U.K. government, also began a search and rescue campaign in Northwestern Syria. The U.K.’s response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake has included an additional £3.8 million ($4.6 million) in funding for rescue operations in light of the disaster, on top of the £2.25 million ($2.7 million) allocated to the White Helmets in the financial year 2022-2023. More than 2,500 volunteers from the group have become involved in the disaster response across 40 affected communities in Syria.
Further Aid Efforts
The U.K. government provided an initial £8 million ($9.7 million) for humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria. The U.K. sent essential emergency relief such as tents and blankets for displaced families struggling amid frigid temperatures and deployed a world-class medical team supported with medical equipment to address urgent medical needs. In a press release, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stated that the U.K.’s priority is to “ensure life-saving assistance is given to those most in need, coordinated with the Turkish government, U.N. and international partners.” The equipment the U.K. deployed will fulfill the needs of up to 15,000 individuals.
As the attention shifted from rescue to recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria, on February 15, 2023, the U.K. government announced the provision of a further £25 million ($30.2 million) to fund additional emergency relief. The package will support the efforts of the U.N. and various aid agencies in Syria as well as recovery efforts that the Turkish government led. The aid will particularly target women and girls who are at an increased risk of gender-based violence in displaced communities. It will also allow U.K. medics to continue to be deployed in the Turkoglu British field hospital where medical personnel are working with Turkish medics to provide critical care in the emergency department and 24/7 operating theatre.
Response from Local Communities Across the UK
The U.K.’s response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake has also included campaigns from local charities and organizations to help provide humanitarian assistance to those affected. In Manchester, the University of Manchester Turkish and Northern Cypriot Society set up a fundraiser for multiple disaster relief charities operating in Turkey and Syria. So far, the groups have mobilized students and university staff across Manchester to raise more than £11,000 ($13,300) and gather essentials such as sanitary pads, sleeping bags and food to send to aid organizations.
In Cardiff, a local mosque has started a fundraising campaign to donate money and goods to people in the affected regions. The manager of the mosque, Dr. Mohamed Gaber, launched the campaign to raise £50,000 ($60,475) for the cause. Talking to the BBC, he says, “Unfortunately, this is one of the few reasons for different nations to come together, and that is a positive part of this catastrophe,” before going on to remark that “this is a pure humanitarian cause, apart from any ideologies or religions.”
Notable fundraising efforts are also visible in North London where a large number of Turkish and Kurdish people live. In a Kurdish community center in Haringey, many Kurds have been gathering to support one another through the tragedy and accumulate donations to assist in relief efforts. A fundraising event took place in Haringey outside a local organic food store where people sold “homemade food and secondhand items” to raise more than £10,500 ($12,700) for victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes. The Turkish Cypriot Community Association also received a sizeable donation of 1,500 sleeping bags from Arsenal Football Club to help those that the earthquakes displaced.
Looking Ahead
Despite the Turkey-Syria earthquakes causing unprecedented losses and damage to the affected areas, both efforts from locals and the government to deliver humanitarian assistance in the U.K. have provided some relief and hope to a devastated region. As the U.K.’s response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake sees communities come together to fundraise and support one another through this tragic disaster, continued efforts to support humanitarian organizations are vital in preventing further losses and helping to rebuild destroyed communities.
– Priya Thakkar
Photo: Flickr
Human Trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic
Risk Factors
Currently, the Kyrgyz Republic is listed in the second tier of the human trafficking watchlist that the U.S. State Department created. This means that despite consistent efforts to eliminate human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic, the country has not yet achieved a satisfactory level of safety. There are several reasons for this, the biggest of which is brought on by regional unrest. As a result of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, many Kyrgyzstani workers who relied on jobs in Russia are no longer able to work in Russia legally. Therefore, Kyrgyzstan migrants have to look for work as undocumented immigrants. This has led to migrants ending up in the online sex trade, an industry that is rapidly growing in the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the government of British Columbia, the Kyrgyz Republic fits the two most significant risk factors for increased human trafficking: political instability and forced migration.
Kyrgyzstani Efforts to Fight Human Trafficking
Human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic has not gone unnoticed by its inhabitants. According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a group ran by 30 youth organizations titled “100 Days against Trafficking in Persons” coordinated awareness efforts with the government in cities throughout the country, including the nation’s capital, Bishkek. Calls to the country’s national trafficking hotline saw an immediate increase, rising by nearly 15%.
The 100 Days against Trafficking in Persons is not the only citizen-run group fighting human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic. The non-governmental organization El Agartuu has been contributing to the fight against trafficking since 2006. The NGO created a database of over 30 other NGOs actively helping the government identify and aid victims of trafficking.
Meanwhile, the Kyrgyzstani government added four new articles to the country’s laws, including additional penalties for trafficking-related offenses. In addition to a stricter approach to trafficking crimes, the government of the Kyrgyz Republic instituted more protection services for victims of trafficking in 2022. The Kyrgyz Republic created a national referral method, or NRM, to help trafficking victims gain access to medical care and social services. An official case is not necessary for victims to access those services, they are widely available to anyone who should need them.
Lastly, the government continues to run the Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad, which helps job seekers look for employment and acquire legal work abroad. The Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad has helped reduce the number of Kyrgyzstani workers who feel the need to migrate illegally or put themselves in dangerous positions to find employment, thus reducing the risk factors for thousands of people looking for work.
Moving Forward
While human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic remains a problem today, there is reason to believe that that can change quickly. The public has come to a consensus on the existence of the problem, a step that is paramount to finding a solution. The Kyrgyzstani government has implemented new laws to prevent trafficking and allocated more resources to help the victims of the crime. With the renewed efforts of the public and government in Kyrgyzstan, it is possible that human trafficking is a less prominent issue in the future.
– Ezra Bernstein
Photo: Flickr
Violence in Haiti Impacts Education
In February 2023, UNICEF reported a ninefold increase in acts of violence against schools in Haiti over the period of 12 months. Schools have been the locus of attacks and violence by armed groups and this has a direct impact on one of the most fundamental human rights of children: education. Education is not only the pillar of a welfare state but is also fundamental for the development of social capital in the country. Violence in Haiti stands as a barrier to the progression of children’s education.
Violence in Numbers
According to reports by UNICEF partners, armed gangs targeted 72 educational institutions in Haiti in the first four months of the scholastic year (October to February) compared to eight during the same time the year prior. In particular, armed groups attacked a minimum of 13 school facilities, set a school on fire, murdered one pupil and kidnapped a minimum of two school staff workers.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that armed factions rule 60% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Gangs targeting schools also steal critical educational supplies, such as desks, blackboards and computers. Along with cafeteria equipment, gangs steal vital supplies of “rice, dough and maize” used to provide school lunches, which are sometimes the only meals Haitian children eat in a day.
Impacts of Escalating Violence in Haiti
Due to the rising violence in metropolitan areas, 30 schools closed their doors in just the first six days of February 2023 and more than 25% of schools have stayed closed since October 2022, a decision that principals took to protect staff and students. Students missed an average of one and a half school days per week in January 2023 due to the risk of violence. By the end of June 2023, according to UNICEF, pupils could miss out on 36 days of education if no one took action to safeguard schools from violence. Despite the risk, the Haitian Ministry of Education has pushed for schools to reopen. As a result, three out of four schools reopened by December 2022, up from fewer than one in 10 reopenings in October.
Taking Action
A UNICEF report for the period July to November 2022 highlights the organization’s efforts to safeguard children’s rights to education. In Haiti, during the summer vacation, UNICEF funded a summer children’s camp in Lycee National de la Saline, providing 803 Haitian children with “a safe space for children to express themselves through plays and other activities.” UNICEF also gave cash transfers to 1,200 impoverished families with school-age children in Port-au-Prince and areas that the most recent earthquake affected. UNICEF is also providing support for the renovation of three educational facilities in Cité Soleil along with the supply of school furniture and learning materials.
UNICEF urges the Haitian government to make sure that schools are secure and to prosecute organizations and people who endanger or hurt children while attending school. The U.N. praises education for not only imparting knowledge and skills but also for transforming lives and propelling growth for individuals, groups and nations, saying that schools “must be places of learning, safety and harmony.”
Overall, the U.N. urges all nations to sign the Safe Schools Declaration, “an inter-governmental political commitment to protect students, teachers, schools and universities, from the worst effects of armed conflict.” This declaration has received support from 111 nations so far and lays out specific actions that governments can take to safeguard educational institutions. In line with this, U.N. head António Guterres said at a virtual event in September 2021, “We urge Member States to go beyond their obligations under international law and implement national policies and laws that safeguard schools and learners.” The loss stemming from education disruptions is significant. By upholding children’s rights to education, the international community safeguards the future.
– Carmen Corrales Alonso
Photo: Flickr
5 Charities Operating in Malawi
Malawi is a small country in Southern Africa with a population of more than 19 million. According to the World Bank, in 2019, about half of the population lived under the national poverty line. Climate shocks, low education completion rates, a struggling agricultural sector and slow infrastructure reform contribute to the high prevalence of poverty in Malawi. Below are five charities operating in Malawi with unique programs to address poverty in the nation.
5 Charities Operating in Malawi
Looking Ahead
Agriculture, energy, education and health care strongly influence a country’s ability to prosper. These five charities operating in Malawi are making significant impacts on disadvantaged Malawians through their work to improve the quality of life in the nation.
– Naomi Kang
Photo: Flickr
Government Apps Encouraging Online Education in India
UNICEF says, “the Indian education system is one of the largest in the world with more than 1.5 million schools, 8.5 million teachers and 250 million children.” However, a lack of access to quality education has pronounced India’s literacy gap. According to the World Bank, India’s literacy rate stood at 82% among adult men in 2018 while, among women, it stood at just 66%. A 2013-2014 survey said, at the time, around 20 million children in India did not attend preschool and about half of teenagers did not finish high school. Bridging the digital divide between the rural and urban and shifting to online education in India has the potential to expand education access in the country. In the last few years, India has launched several online platforms to ensure access to education for children of all backgrounds.
Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds
SWAYAM, a Hindi word for self, stands for Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds. The government program aims to improve education equity, access and quality. “The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy,” the SWAYAM website says.
SWAYAM is a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) portal that also comes with a mobile application to boost online education in India. The All India Council For Technical Education, an Indian regulatory body, created SWAYAM in 2016 with the goal of combining education courses in one platform accessible to everyone, anywhere and at any time. SWAYAM covers all courses and subjects from class 9 to the post-graduation level through the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL).
SWAYAM courses are free, but students can only obtain a course completion certificate after writing the final exam, which comes at a fee of about $12. Learning on SWAYAM is easy and convenient. Students can learn from the pre-recorded video lectures with subtitles, perform free self-assessment tasks and download free study materials. So far, more than 20 million students have enrolled in SWAYAM and more than 1.5 million students successfully completed their courses.
DIKSHA Platform
DIKSHA, short for Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing, is a platform for online education in India functioning in almost every state and union territory. The Indian Ministry of Education launched DIKSHA in September 2017 as a National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) initiative to empower and train teachers in imparting education in creative ways. However, in 2020, the app extended its services to students when the pandemic forced the government to shut down schools and colleges across the country.
The DIKSHA app operates in 36 Indian languages and can be accessed anywhere in the country. It issues free e-textbooks, training courses and virtual lab activities, and also renders access to TV-based classroom lessons. DIKSHA also accommodates students with special needs with the provision of audiobooks, sign language videos and special dictionaries.
E-PG Pathshala
E-PG Pathshala is another application fostering online education in India, launched with the objective to provide high-quality online content in 70 subjects. It also provides more than 700 e-books and video lectures for all postgraduate courses through its ebooks portal. Along with this, e-PG Pathshala also hosts online MOOC courses in postgraduate subjects through the portal of SWAYAM.
Operating under the skills and expertise of 3,200 professionals, the app is a virtual library with more than 20,000 e-textbooks and 19,000 videos along with animations, simulations and virtual labs. It also includes quizzes and assignments for creative self-learning. Developed in 2014 under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, the University Grants Commission implements this national portal.
Shortcomings in India’s Digital Education System
Every path has its puddle and the system of online education in India also has its own shortcomings. While online education in India became the only source of learning amid the lockdowns during the pandemic, many teachers complained that the online classes alienated students and prevented teachers and students from forming an emotional bond that could only be created in an in-person classroom.
Additionally, according to the Azim Premji University study on “Myths of Online Education” in 2020, almost 60% of children in India do not have access to online learning because of the lack of smartphones, multiple siblings sharing the same phone and lack of internet.
A survey conducted in August 2021 across 15 states and union territories assessed the impact of the pandemic on education in India, revealing a significant tech divide. The survey discloses that 37% of rural poor children did not engage in education at all and only 8% of rural children attended online classes routinely.
Looking Ahead
The Indian government launched the PM e-Vidya scheme in 2020 with the objective to unify all initiatives related to online education in India, providing access to various online portals all in one place. The scheme aims to benefit 250 million school-going children.
The Indian government has also made sufficient efforts to boost the implementation of the modified BharatNet initiative under which all the government schools and gram panchayats (village councils) in rural areas receive free internet connectivity to decrease the digital divide. The government has allocated more than a trillion rupees, the highest ever allocation, to India’s education sector in the Union Budget 2023-24. It has also planned to set up a national digital library in India to increase access to educational books.
Overall, these government apps look to improve the accessibility and quality of education through online learning.
– Aanchal Mishra
Photo: Pixabay
Funding for Education in Somaliland
Since its declaration of independence from Somalia in 1991, Somaliland has carved out its own destiny as an autonomous region in East Africa. While no country recognizes Somaliland as a sovereign state, Somaliland has an independent government overseeing more than 3.5 million people living in the northwest of Somalia. East Africa is facing one of the worst droughts on record with crop failure and famine threatening a full-blown humanitarian crisis. The crisis most harshly affects Somali children who endure malnourishment, displacement and lack of access to education. Through funding for education in Somaliland, education access can increase.
Education in Somalia
USAID reports that Somalia has the largest out-of-school population globally — about 3 million out of 5 million school-age children are not attending school, owing in large part to the displacement that the ongoing civil war caused. This educational crisis reached a head between November 2016 to August 2017 when mass displacement prevented up to 50,000 children from attending school.
Somaliland has a disproportionately low attendance rate compared with other regions, such as neighboring Puntland. A staggering 44% of girls and 31% of boys have never attended school in Somaliland compared with 36% and 26% respectively in Puntland, a 2012 article by Peter Moyi highlights.
In recent years, the aid response from the international community has been lackluster. Funding for education in Somaliland was largely reserved for individual benefactors, such as former U.S. hedge-fund manager, Jonathan Starr, who built his own boarding school in Somaliland.
Inevitably, however, institutions like Starr’s Abaarso School of Science and Technology can accept only a select few of the nation’s brightest and offer scholarships to colleges abroad rather than those in East Africa. To increase student enrolment across the board, organizational funding is necessary to build new schools and train and employ staff.
An October 2022 article by the Somali Dispatch says, due to a lack of educational facilities, 400 students in the Saraar region were studying in the city’s market, working with impractical spaces donated by the city’s traders. Evidently, there is a keen awareness of the importance of education in much of Somaliland but a dire lack of facilities.
The Good News
Funding for education in Somaliland from larger organizations provides hope to students. A recent partnership between Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and UNICEF led to the launch of a multi-year program in July 2019 with the aim of increasing quality educational opportunities for young people in Somaliland who face crises like famine and drought. ECW allocated an initial grant of $6.7 million toward a target of $64 million for a three-year education program to provide a comprehensive, forward-thinking response.
The ECW’s overall investments in Somalia have led to the construction or renovation of 7,874 classrooms. Furthermore, 1,306 classrooms have received learning supplies to foster an environment conducive to learning. On top of this, more than 1,900 educators and administrators have received training from ECW. Of almost a quarter of a million children targeted by the scheme, the EWC has reached more than 170,000 as of June 2022.
Student enrollment has increased, not only because of the new infrastructure that ECW’s considerable funding for education in Somaliland introduced but also due to a gradual shift in local attitudes that new educators encouraged. The chairman of the Somaliland school Community Education Committee (ECE), Saeed Hassan, praised the partnership for educating local leaders on the importance of “mobilizing [parents] to enroll their children who missed school” owing to displacement.
Ultimately, the need to garner funding for education in Somaliland is as relevant now as ever. The work that the ECW and UNICEF partnership carried out is only possible with continued financial support. In November 2022, the ECW announced a $5 million First Emergency Response grant to prevent as many as 900,000 students from dropping out due to the impacts of the extreme climatic events in the region.
To ensure the brightest possible future for vulnerable youth in the region, funding for education in Somaliland must continue to grow.
– Max Edmund
Photo: Flickr
How the Ethical Fashion Initiative Reduces Poverty
The Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) is a U.N. initiative established in 2009 to supply “vulnerable artisans with market access and training,” the U.N. website says. The EFI “acts as a bridge, connecting marginalized artisan communities in challenging and remote locations with global lifestyle brands” so that artisans may access the international marketplace. The result is increased employment and income-generating opportunities in Africa and Central Asia. The EFI helps to establish purposeful employment opportunities under fair and safe working conditions so that disadvantaged artisans may rise out of poverty. Overall, the EFI works to promote “sustainable and ethical fashion practices” in the fashion industry.
Bringing Ethics and Sustainability to Fashion
The EFI is helping the fashion industry, often criticized for exploitation and unjust practices, to put ethics at the forefront of its business endeavors. EFI considers fashion ethical when the production of the garment takes into account the well-being of the people creating the garment, the environment and the final consumer.
Simone Cipriani, the chairperson of the U.N. Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, founded the EFI after recognizing the issues of exploitation, poverty and disempowerment that plague the people at the lowest levels of the fashion chains.
Industrie Africa says, “Globally, fashion employs approximately 60 million people, including enormous numbers of low-income workers in developing countries. This means that if mismanaged, it negatively impacts human rights — a tenet of the U.N.’s mandate — at a global scale.”
The Work of the EFI
In an interview with Industrie Africa, Cipriani says, “EFI offers a supply chain that enables designers and people from marginalized conditions — the majority of whom are women— especially from the continent to become permanent suppliers of the fashion industry.”
The EFI manages groups of artisans, with females accounting for 95% of these artisans. The artisans typically come from disadvantaged backgrounds and war-ravaged countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Afghanistan. The artisans are typically “individual entrepreneurs looking for assistance, training or mentorship” who aspire to establish cooperatives and businesses and become social enterprise suppliers. The artisans would not have the opportunity to reach these aspirations without the support of the EFI.
Objectives and Goals
The Ethical Fashion Initiative has several objectives that fall under the overall goal of transforming the fashion industry into an ethical and sustainable sector. For instance, creating new jobs and opportunities for people and encouraging environmentally friendly production practices.
The EFI looks to uphold several U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): zero poverty, no gender inequality, “decent work and economic growth,” greater equality, “responsible consumption and production,” climate responsibility, “peace, justice and strong institutions” and engaging in partnerships.
Luxiders explains, “Through the social enterprise, artisans become suppliers of brands, and in this way, the Ethical Fashion Initiative coordinates the work of the artisans, enabling them to have their own company, profitability and negotiate terms and conditions with brands. The social enterprise then grows, accumulates profits and is able to offer credit, investment and other incentives to the cooperative’s artisans.” The EFI also provides training to artisans.
In this way, the EFI is able to align its activities to the criteria of the International Labour Organization (ILO), for instance, fair labor practices, just wages, a safe and healthy working environment and zero child labor/exploitation.
Latest Activities
The EFI is engaging in partnerships and collaborations to become more visible at a global level. The latest collaboration is the Mother Nature’s Dream AW22/23 collection, made in Burkina Faso with the brand Laurenceairline. The partnership employed 26 local artisans, with women accounting for 41% of workers. The production utilized natural materials and all artisans received contracts and benefits.
Another recent collaboration is the Wales Bonner Spring Summer 23 collection, also made in Burkina Faso. Women accounted for 72% of the artisans working on this project. With the income from the projects, mothers can take care of themselves and their children.
Exploitative and unethical conditions in the fashion industry continue to stand as a human rights issue as the people from the poorest countries are the ones suffering. However, the Ethical Fashion Initiative is contributing to transforming the industry into a sustainable and just sector that supports the most marginalized people.
– Elena Luisetto
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Ending Poverty in the Niger Delta
The Niger Delta sprawls its oily tentacles throughout the southern coast of Nigeria. Spread over 256,000 kilometers, the 10th largest oil reservoir in the world comprises fields of industrial piping. Oil accounts for 89% of Nigerian exports, yet the region has significant poverty. Big oil makes off with the profits of Nigerian labor, fleecing the nation of its natural wealth and leaving behind a trail of economic and environmental devastation. Shell alone has spilled 17.5 million liters of oil into the region since 2011, laying waste to arable farmland and poisoning groundwater. The Market Development in the Niger Delta Program (MADE) and The Foundation For Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) are working to drain the quagmire of poverty in the Niger Delta.
Poverty in the Niger Delta
Nigeria only fully embraced democracy in the last decade, with the first peaceful democratic succession occurring in 2015. Nigeria’s Human Development Index (HDI) rose by 13.1% between 2005 and 2015, yet Nigeria is still the 152nd least-developed nation on earth. The population in extreme poverty in the Niger Delta is the largest on earth. About 76.5% of Nigerians live on less than $3.10 a day as of 2009 and one-quarter of children are working. The crux of the issue is that the success of the Nigerian economy is intrinsically bound to oil prices and is subject to the terms of big oil. Until the Nigerian economy is diversified at the individual level, poverty in the Niger Delta will continue to thrive.
The Foundation For Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta Against Poverty
PIND is a charitable NGO whose programs “identify, catalyze and leverage opportunities, jobs and incomes… promoting peace and equitable economic growth in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region.” The year 2021 was busy for PIND. Programs targeting issues ranging from youth prospects to women’s rights saw excellent progress toward ending poverty in the Niger Delta.
In 2021, PIND educated 12,199 Nigerian farmers with modern agricultural practices and technologies, incentivizing farmers to invest a total of ₦745.19 million ($1.6 million). PIND also collaborated with the Edo GIS department to map, border and secure arable agricultural land for provincial farmers.
The NGO trained 23 fishermen in Awoye with modern fishing techniques. PIND provided practical demonstrations, equipment and supply links for further purchases. PIND also demonstrated modern fish processing techniques. As a result, primary business owners in the Niger Delta purchased 20 ovens, enabling businesses to increase sales.
In association with A4&T power solutions, PIND facilitated 4,130 people from 650 households and 230 businesses in the Ondo region with access to renewable solar electricity.
An initial cohort of 631 youths graduated from the Youth Employment Pathways program in Delta State in 2021. These youths received training in “technical and vocational skills training across four intervention sectors of ICT, building construction, agriculture and services.” About 232 graduates attained apprenticeships, 161 started businesses and 112 secured paid employment.
In 2021, PIND produced 13 conflict reports to influential community leaders “to facilitate targeted interventions to mitigate emerging conflict issues in the (Delta) region.” In combination with the reports, 51 ‘peace actors’ took 48 actions to resolve conflicts in the Niger Delta region.
PIND collaborated with the Centre for Gender and Development Studies of the University of Port Harcourt to launch an advocacy program to end sexual violence and the ritualistic sacrifice of women and girls in the Niger Delta.
The Market Development in the Niger Delta Program Alleviating Poverty
The Market Development in the Niger Delta Program (MADE), by DAI, is another project alleviating poverty in the deprived Niger Delta region. Its mission is to “tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability.” Between 2013 and 2020, MADE achieved the following milestones:
MADE and PIND programs have made significant inroads into poverty in the Niger Delta. Agricultural knowledge-sharing endeavors and modern machinery workshops allow impoverished Nigerians to forge successful businesses and livelihoods. Facilitating investment by independent farmers and large corporations affords impoverished Nigerians the prospect of financial autonomy. MADE and PIND promote human rights, peace, democracy, youth prospects, women’s rights and financial development, addressing the root causes of poverty in the Niger Delta with emphatic efficiency.
– David Smith
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
5 Charities Operating in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone has found itself in a dire situation with a 10-year civil war and a mass outbreak of Ebola. Despite this, some have been implementing large-scale charitable efforts. By prioritizing sanitation, gender equality and safety for children, charities operating in Sierra Leone can help dramatically improve living conditions in Sierra Leone. Here is information about five charities operating in Sierra Leone.
WaterAid
WaterAid is a charity that provides clean water and sanitary spaces to impoverished countries. Sierra Leone suffered from a mass outbreak of Ebola from 2014-2016. Statistics from WaterAid show that less than one in four households had access to wash their hands and one in 14 had access to soap. With poor sanitary spaces, the people of Sierra Leone suffered greatly with more than 14,000 cases of Ebola. A lack of clean water also results in the prevalence of diarrhoeal-related illnesses with more than 700 children under the age of 5 dying from the illness every year. WaterAid aims to provide clean water, toilets and other sanitary products to prevent the devastating impacts of various diseases. Through funding the construction of taps dispensing clean water, WaterAid strives to give the people of Sierra Leone access to clean water.
Sierra Leone War Trust For Children
Sierra Leone’s 10-year civil war forced many young children to fight and see things beyond their years. Established in 1999, the Sierra Leone War Trust For Children aids those children most affected by the civil war and helps them find a safe future. Project funding has prioritized children’s health and education to give young children the best chance at a healthy and fulfilled life. Since its establishment, the charity has raised more than $1 million and has helped more than 5,000 Sierra Leonean children. Current projects involve giving aid to Ebola orphans who have lost parents and donating school supplies to improve the quality of education in the country. By giving children important skills, they have a better chance of finding employment in the future and growing the economy.
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross is a charity that strives to end human suffering around the world. The charity prioritizes education as a key to the nation’s health. For example, Red Cross volunteers visit households to educate families on disease prevention techniques. By giving Sierra Leonean people essential knowledge about the spread of disease, the risk of another outbreak is much lower. As a result of COVID-19, domestic abuse of women in Sierra Leone has been an increasing problem. Through cash grants, the British Red Cross has also emphasized the provision of education, medical attention and job opportunities to women suffering from domestic abuse.
Aberdeen Women’s Center
Charities operating in Sierra Leone are necessary to provide aid for women in society. The Aberdeen Women’s Center, operating in Freetown Sierra Leone, aids women who have suffered from female genital mutilation (FGM). The charity has gained significant popularity since it started in 2010 and the maternity ward now delivers more than 3,000 babies a year. By ensuring safe childbirth for young women, the charity is working to set a precedent by encouraging safety for women post-childbirth. With support from the Aminata Maternal Foundation (AMF), the charity also helps adolescent females post-childbirth learn employable skills and find a career path. Aberdeen Women’s Center is working to create a long line of healthy and economically stable women in a Sierra Leonean society where they are often marginalized.
UNICEF
UNICEF aims to increase safety for children in Sierra Leone by providing greater access to education and health spaces. It realizes the unprecedented circumstances children, especially girls, are facing, which is why the charity is a part of the “Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage.” This initiative has the goal of protecting adolescent mothers.
Due to extreme poverty, school attendance in Sierra Leone is low. UNICEF statistics show that only 44% of students complete lower secondary school, and even fewer complete an upper secondary education – 22%. The high frequency of teenage pregnancies and marriages has contributed significantly to these low numbers. According to UNICEF data from 2015, 30% of females married before the age of 18, and one in 10 teenage girls was pregnant. Moreover, high illiteracy and a lack of economic independence have led to women lacking a political voice in Sierra Leone. To stop this cycle from repeating, UNICEF is working on getting more girls into school by financially aiding The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE). The MBSSE supports a bridge program to help adolescent mothers re-enroll.
The Road Ahead
Overall, these charities in Sierra Leone have made monumental strides. By prioritizing sanitation, education and medication, these charities are greatly helping those in poverty. Although the country has a long way to go to escape widespread poverty, the efforts of these charities will contribute to a more prosperous future for Sierra Leone’s citizens.
– Freddie Trevanion
Photo: Flickr
Health Care Access in Indonesia Expands due to USTDA Support
Health care access in Indonesia is expanding due to U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) support as the USTDA approved on January 26, 2023, a grant to present to Indonesia’s Ministry of Health (MoH). The grant will finance the research and development of a National Imagining Data Repository (NIDR), which will enable “healthcare providers to reach, diagnose and treat underserved communities across Indonesia using a cloud-based centralized warehouse for patient information,” according to the USTDA website. This push for innovative digital health care technology will strengthen Indonesia’s health care system after the COVID-19 pandemic revealed several shortcomings. GE Healthcare, based in Illinois, is partnering with the MoH on the project.
The State of Health Care in Indonesia
As of 2021, more than 40% of Indonesia’s population lives in rural areas. These people stand as a focal point in this health care access expansion. Indonesia has a limited number of doctors typically situated in urban centers. The fact that, as of 2021, Indonesia had only about 6.95 doctors per 10,000 people supports this.
People in Indonesia saw an increase in access to health care in 2014 when the National Health Insurance program began. Indonesia spends just 3.2% of its GDP on health care, which is lower than other comparable countries, but experts project that this will rise.
With this in mind, there is much to do to increase access to health care in Indonesia, especially considering 3.6% of the population (9.8 million people) lives under the international poverty line as of 2021. However, the government is actively focusing on better serving those across the nation through the USTDA’s support.
Diving into the Project
“Indonesia is placing considerable focus on the digitalization of its health care sector, to strengthen its resilience using innovative technology and to support economic growth,” stated Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s director, in a press release.
“USTDA’s pilot will initially focus on sending radiology and cardiology images to a cloud-hosted environment that will provide a centralized location to view all patient medical information for referring physicians from 10 hospitals in the greater Jakarta region,” the press release explains.
After this process is in motion, it will provide a baseline for larger data cumulation and clinical partnering all around Indonesia. The NIDR will be able to expand to “serve as a platform for a variety of other patient types,” including obstetrics and orthopedics.
“Digital Transformation is at the forefront of our policy agenda in Indonesia and we see this as a key step to achieving our ambitions,” said Kunta Wibawa Dasa Nugraha, secretary general of Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, in a press release. Indonesia’s health care system faces barriers in serving the entire country due to how the population is spread out across remote locations and multiple islands.
USTDA’s support of this project will advance the goals of Indonesia MoH’s “Blueprint of Digital Health Transformation Strategy 2024.” It will also further “one of the key pillars of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which aims to strengthen global health security through investments in patient-centered health services,” says the press release. The collaborative efforts will allow increased access to health care for Indonesians in rural, remote areas.
Looking Forward
The health care access expansion in Indonesia due to USTDA support will propel the country’s health care into the digital age while strengthening Indonesia’s health care system overall. It will also increase quality health care access for the most disadvantaged people in remote areas of the country.
– Sean McMullen
Photo: Flickr