Schools in Bangladesh, both public and private, opened their doors to students in September 2021 after enduring the most extended period of closure the world has ever seen, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are some concerns, such as, how teachers will address the loss of learning that affects students around the country. Schools in Bangladesh are now employing new strategies to ensure students can get back on track with their learning after a more than one and a half year-long absence from the classroom.
New Protocol
Bangladesh experienced the world’s longest school shutdown period of 543 days, implemented at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools in Bangladesh, including schools that the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) runs finally reopened back in September 2021. In the week of September 19, 2021, BRAC welcomed 129,000 students back into school, according to the BRAC website.
After welcoming students back to its schools, BRAC pointed out two challenges that schools now face. The first challenge is to safeguard the health and well-being of both students and faculty during the continuing pandemic. BRAC schools began checking the temperatures of students and faculty upon entry every day, “either using temporary measures such as digital thermometers… or thermal scanners,” according to the BRAC website. These schools required students and faculty to wear masks and students received an outdoor break every hour.
BRAC has established handwashing stations across the schools and reduced class sizing by 50% to adhere to social distancing protocols, “with students attending in different sessions and no more than 15-20 students in a class at any one time.”
Extended Absence
The second challenge schools in Bangladesh now face is: understanding the extent to which a loss of learning has impacted students and helping them catch up. To address learning losses, BRAC educators conducted an “initial formative assessment” to identify areas of need and “design a remedial intervention for the next 17-20 school days.” BRAC educators also made accommodations for extra learning days where necessary.
Amid the pandemic, BRAC introduced remote learning for students. While the switch to remote learning proved troublesome for all, the task proved even more difficult for lower-level income households. According to BRAC, only 8.7% of the most impoverished 20% of families in Bangladesh had internet access in their residences.
As a result of the limited access to internet connections and devices, “children have suffered enormous setbacks in their learning journey,” said George Laryea-Adjei, regional director of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in an interview with Al Jazeera. Only 41% of Bangladesh’s 169 million people have access to smartphones, according to the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh.
The Awaited Return
Upon returning to the classroom, students met with celebration. One public school in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, welcomed its students back with flowers and candy. “We are really excited to be back at school,” said 15-year-old Muntasir Ahmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Ahmed also expressed excitement about seeing friends and classmates in person rather than through the screen of a device.
During the first week of BRAC schools reopening, there was a major focus on the physical and mental well-being of its returning students. “The key is not only getting students to return, but to want to stay in school after such a long break,” BRAC said on its website.
Schools in Bangladesh closed in March 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19. At the time of reopening, Dipu Monu, education minister of Bangladesh, visited an educational institution in Dhaka and said that only students who are taking public exams would attend classes day-to-day upon school reopening. She also added that students who are not taking public exams would attend class once or twice a week.
While schools in Bangladesh endured the longest school closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of new safety and learning procedures seems to provide hope for both returning students and their families. Educators have been working diligently since schools shut down to prepare for the return of their students, ready to provide the remedial education necessary to recover learning losses.
– Henry Hyman
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
2 Organizations Combating Human Trafficking
What is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking is a crime that trades and exploits people for profit. According to the United Nations, three important elements define trafficking: the act, the means and the purpose. The act refers to the recruitment or transportation of victims. The means include the violence and deception that traffickers use to traffic victims. Lastly, the purpose is the exploitation of victims.
Different Types of Human Trafficking
There are two main types of human trafficking: sexual and forced labor. Sexual labor is the most common form of human trafficking. Research on sex trafficking shows that, on average, 4.8 million are sexually exploited at any given time. Among these victims, 99% of the sex trafficked are women and girls, according to the U.N. International Labour Office. The same report states that about 25 million were in forced labor in 2017. Of this group, 42% were male, and 19% were children.
Poverty and Human Trafficking
While human trafficking is a global crisis, lower-income countries often have the highest cases of trafficking due to a lack of resources. Lack of employment opportunities is highest in places with extreme poverty. Consequently, traffickers exploit this vulnerability by falsely offering jobs or training. Job seekers in lower-income areas frequently migrate for work. These migrant workers, particularly young people and children, become vulnerable targets. Sociocultural structures in other regions lacking equal rights for females also see more child and forced marriages.
Freekind and STOP THE TRAFFIK
Two organizations are combating human trafficking by using education and technology.
Freekind focuses on rebuilding lives and raising awareness. To meet these objectives, Freekind designed the Prevention Project curriculum in 2012. This award-winning program was produced by human trafficking survivors, educators and advocates, rooted in the belief that “if change is going to happen, it must begin with the young generation.” The curriculum is designed for secondary school students and youth service providers. Through interactive sessions, many students have become aware of the seriousness of human trafficking and have become committed to combating the crime.
STOP THE TRAFFIK uses technology to fight human trafficking. Like Freekind, STT believes in uniting people across the globe through information, inspiration and mobilization to understand human trafficking better. In addition, STT also trains people to report trafficking with the STOP APP, a smartphone app that people can use globally to report suspicious activities of human trafficking securely and anonymously.
STT analyzes the app’s data to provide information on global human trafficking hot spots and trends. According to STT’s Final Impact Report of 2020, data from the STOP APP progressed 11 human trafficking cases to authorities.
Human trafficking is an issue that requires more attention from authorities. In areas with extreme poverty, individuals are at a greater risk of becoming targets of traffickers. Organizations such as Freekind and STT have dedicated themselves to combating human trafficking. Through prevention education and technology, both organizations address the seriousness of human trafficking and aim to bring people together to prevent trafficking from taking place.
– Mimosa Ngai
Photo: Pexels
Women’s Rights in the Philippines
Barriers for Women in the Workplace
Women’s rights in the Philippines, particularly in the workforce, are progressing. According to the 2021 Global Gender Gap report, the Philippines ranks 17th globally in gender equality, having closed 78.4% of its gender gap. A major role player in the Philippines’ gender equality advancements is the Philippine Magna Carta for Women, a comprehensive human rights law enacted in 2009 to abolish discrimination against Filipino women.
Despite this progression, female participation in the workforce is low, standing at just 49%—one of the lowest rates in the East Asia and Pacific region (EAP) compared to the regional average of 59%. According to the World Bank, progression in female workforce participation rates has seen minimal improvement since 1990. Since 2015, this gap has reduced by just 0.3%.
The lack of participation of women in the labor force hinders opportunities for the nation’s overall economic growth. The World Bank says, “An increase of women’s labor supply by a mere 0.5 percentage points per year would increase gross domestic product (GDP) per capita by about 6% by 2040 and almost 10% by 2050.”
Barriers to Workforce Participation
A 2021 World Bank report on women’s economic empowerment explores the barriers to women’s participation in the Philippines’ labor force, including societal norms and beliefs.
The report’s survey on women’s work and childcare reveals that about 75% of Filipino males and 80% of Filipino women believe that men should be the breadwinners and women should bear the responsibility of caretaking and household chores. Further, more than 70% of men and 76% of women believe that a mother’s employment negatively impacts “the emotional and psychosocial development skills of a preschool child.” The World Bank has made policy recommendations to increase women’s participation in the labor force. This includes implementing “alternatives to child-care in the home” programs and promoting flexible work structures, such as remote work and e-commerce platforms.
The Magna Carta of Women
The Magna Carta of Women aims to abolish gender discrimination and protect women’s rights in the Philippines through a comprehensive definition of what constitutes gender discrimination. The law sets out extensive protections for women ranging from protection against violence to representation in male-dominated work sectors.
The Magna Carta of Women protects women from “all forms of violence” and ensures compulsory training on gender sensitivity for government staff who work in sectors “involved in the protection and defense of women against gender-based violence.”
The law calls for more women representation in male-dominated fields, such as the police and military sectors. Women must also have equal rights regarding “marriage and family relations,” among many other rights such as equal opportunities to participate in sports.
Women’s Empowerment in the Workforce
In March 2022, at The Manila Times Online Business Forum called “Empowered Women Powering Changes,” chairperson and CEO of P&A Grant Thornton, Marivic Españo said the Philippines boasts a high percentage of females in leadership roles.
According to Españo, in 2021, about 48% of Filipino women worked in senior leadership roles; however, this rate declined in 2022 to 39%. Despite the decrease, the Philippines still ranks fourth-highest in the world for rates of women in senior leadership roles.
Abigail Tina del Rosario, Maybank Philippines president and CEO, says women in the Philippines fare better than women in other countries in terms of academics, the professional arena, the political sphere and the legislative sphere.
The Philippines has resources in place to protect women’s rights in the workplace, like the Expanded Maternity Leave Law, the Safe Streets and Public Spaces Law and the Telecommuting Law that allows females to work from home.
Looking Ahead
Despite the challenges women in the Philippines face, policies and laws are in place to advance women’s rights in the country to empower women and eliminate gender inequality.
– Jacara Watkins
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Drought in Ethiopia Deters Conflict
The Oromo Liberation Army and Tigray Defense Forces in Ethiopia are actively in conflict with the Ethiopian government and have received labels as terror groups in the country. However, due to the ongoing drought in Ethiopia, the groups have been working to establish a nationwide truce to allow humanitarian groups to provide aid to the affected areas of Ethiopia where people do not have access to food and resources. The drought is the worst the nation has seen in the past 40 years and has contributed to more than 20 million people needing dire assistance this year. The impact of the drought on the already impoverished country has been so drastic that the role of the military structures in Ethiopia is changing with the idea of a potential truce to improve the impoverished conditions during an ongoing conflict.
Ethiopia’s Conflict
Millions of Ethiopians have been displaced due to the conflict between rebel groups, including Oromo Liberation Army, Tigray Defense Forces and the Ethiopian National Defense Force which has been ongoing since November 2020. The war has political roots, such as an election, power struggle and claims of marginalization of certain minorities. Both sides have engaged in war crimes resulting in genocide, sexual violence and widespread looting and destruction of property. In addition to these direct results of war, humanitarian crises and famine have also come to light due to environmental and economic factors.
The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, ordered offensive forces to fight the rebel forces. The government intervention and blockades in Tigray have limited access to 9.4 million people across northern Ethiopia in need of humanitarian aid. Road access for supply trucks with medicine, nutritional supplies and general aid has had its limitations due to such blockages, further exacerbating the famine.
The Impact of the Drought in Ethiopia
In addition to the ongoing Ethiopian conflict, the drought has played a part in increasing humanitarian needs across Ethiopia. The worst Ethiopian drought in decades has led to widespread harvest failures and livestock deaths decreasing food insecurity, increasing famine and increasing acute malnutrition in the country.
Required humanitarian assistance in Ethiopia will be 40% higher in 2022 than in 2016 as a consequence of the El Nino drought. The ongoing Ethiopian conflict in northern Ethiopia is further increasing the severity of the situation, as it is currently affecting more than 8 million people. As the drought in Ethiopia continues to ravage more parts of Ethiopia, this number will likely increase.
The Ceasefire
In March 2022, the Tigray Defense Forces and the Ethiopian government established a humanitarian truce to prevent mass starvation in the northeast region of the country – almost 40% of Tigray’s 6 million people are victims of famine. The purpose of the ceasefire was also to allow emergency humanitarian aid the opportunity to relieve the pressure of the refugee crises, mass displacement and critical environmental issues. U.N. fuel shortages have added to the issue as aid workers had to travel by foot to deliver supplies. However, the added safety of a ceasefire has enabled aid workers to make unrestricted deliveries, presenting a semblance of hope for faster recovery in the region.
Recent Developments
In August 2022, the U.N. called for another ceasefire after the northern region of Tigray saw more bouts of violence during the attempted ceasefire. Peace talks between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front will likely begin soon, but may now be pushed back or indefinitely postponed. Neither side will admit to commencing the attack, but the fighting has nonetheless increased tension between the groups. As a result, political negotiations and unrestricted access to those in need have halted with the return of fighting, as both sides have released opposing statements regarding further steps in the conflict.
– Nethya Samarakkodige
Photo: Flickr
Digital Ethiopia 2025 Hopes to Streamline Ethiopia’s Economy
In 2020, less than 19% of the Ethiopian population had access to the internet. The Ethiopian government widely owns Ethiopia’s internet and telecommunications systems, which has been the source of much criticism. The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce itself noted that the lack of liberalization in the telecommunications and digital sectors limits competition and dampens efficiency, ultimately stalling the development of the nation. Given that it is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, Ethiopia’s comprehensive strategy, Digital Ethiopia 2025, has significant plans to bring the country fully into the modern age.
The Digital Landscape in Ethiopia
On the other hand, barriers to access are not just structural, but also political. The Ethiopian government’s monopoly on Ethio Telecom has made it difficult to manage access for the entire country. Whatsmore, the state has periodically shut down internet access for political reasons, such as in the aftermath of Āmara president Ambachew Mekonnen. The government’s strict control over telecommunications in Ethiopia not only limits the possibilities of nationwide commerce but also disconnects Ethiopia’s economy from the rest of the world.
Digital Ethiopia 2025
The other big push that Digital Ethiopia 2025 is championing is the privatization of the telecommunications sector. The government’s explicit control over media and news, internet traffic, and trade via telecommunication not only pose threats to privacy but also limits competition. The original plans to sell a large stake of government-held Ethio Telecom ended up on hold in May 2020, largely due to economic shifts as a result of COVID-19. However, moving forward with plans will likely be the key to advancing the market capacity of Ethiopia’s telecommunications sector and the economy as a whole.
Looking Ahead
– Hannah Yonas
Photo: Flickr
Binance’s New Hub For Educating Cameroonians on Cryptocurrency
Binance is the world’s leading trader of cryptocurrencies. Binance is seeking to open a new hub that will provide jobs to Cameroonians and educate locals on cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies are internet-based currencies without one controlling authority to maintain them. Many seek them out in Africa because they explore economic possibilities many Africans are not privy to due to lacking credit history. Binance’s new hub has the chance to offer jobs in an economically bountiful field.
Cryptocurrency in Africa
Cryptocurrency has been gaining traction in Africa as a potential way to improve nations’ economic standings, but they are not new to Africa. In Africa, the Central Republic of Africa adopted cryptocurrency as its main currency in April 2022. Other African nations have their forms of cryptocurrency, such as Kenya’s M-Pesa (mobile pesa) or Nigeria’s eNaira, a digital version of its currency. The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, publicly stated his hopes and expectations that adopting the eNaira will boost Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product by $29 billion.
It is not an unrealistic expectation because the African cryptocurrency market earned an additional $109 billion by the end of 2021. Cryptocurrency requires a significant alteration to the current infrastructure, which Africa has struggled to build due to its long history of colonialism and civil wars. The lack of infrastructure has left many without banking services. However, cryptocurrencies do not require a direct line to one regional bank. Cryptocurrencies are an international phenomenon that people can connect to with their smartphones. Internet and communications connectivity have been growing in Africa, and the hard work of developing the tech infrastructure in Africa has paid off. Jobs are emerging in the tech sector every day, and cryptocurrency use in Africa will provide another economic boost. Binance’s new hub will be a leader in the development and creation of tech and connecting urban and rural Cameroonians.
Poverty in Cameroon
Poverty is an overwhelming factor in everyday life for Cameroonians. About 55% of Cameroon’s population lives in poverty. There are many factors, one of which is that the country has a rather undiversified economic portfolio. Cameroon’s income and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rely on the agriculture sector. Agriculture accounts for 15% of the GDP and 62% of the workforce.
The lack of infrastructure that has been a lingering problem for significant portions of Africa is still a concern in Cameroon. Cameroon struggles with infrastructure because they do not have the funding to solve its infrastructure issues. Infrastructure in Cameroon is an expensive endeavor. To make matters worse, the Cameroon government, which many sources cite as weak, does not have the proper funding to fully develop the nation’s infrastructure. Infrastructure costs Cameroon $930 million annually. Unfortunately, Cameroon loses $586 million of its infrastructural costs due to infrastructural inefficiencies.
Despite what the numbers might say on the surface, Cameroon’s economy has strengthened, and the thought of escaping poverty is a little more real. One of the Cameroon sectors that has found footing and increased its annual earnings is the gas and oil industry. The gas and oil industry earned $465,293,665 at the end of April 2022. This sector has become more reliant and has proven valuable to residents as the income generates economic flow and will decrease regional poverty. The strengthening economy and potentially improving infrastructure are what have convinced international Bitcoin/cryptocurrency operator Binance to move operations into Cameroon. Binance’s new hub will provide diversification to Cameroon’s economic needs. It will help modernize them to make the country more attractive to international investors.
Technology and Introducing Cryptocurrency in Cameroon
Binance’s new hub comes after the company looked at Cameroon and saw the unlocked potential of Cameroon’s tech world. The new hub will be in Yaoundé, to be a hub for Cameroon businesses. The tech world of Cameroon is still in its developmental stages. Technology is an up-and-coming sector for Cameroon’s businesses. It is one of the more sought-after fields to lift Cameroon’s GDP and boost the economy. Many of the users and developers of the new tech sector are without proper funding to create the promising economic future economists see if Cameroon’s tech world can boom.
One of the best ways for Cameroon to create the tech sector is by starting with cryptocurrency. Unfortunately, Cameroon does not regulate cryptocurrency yet and remains an illegal currency. The economic benefits of spreading cryptocurrency in Cameroon, though, are numerous. Introducing any legalized cryptocurrency in Cameroon will create connectivity among regions, one of the causes of poverty in Cameroon. Digital money should provide new opportunities for the government to settle its debts too. Cryptocurrency will force new policy initiatives to regulate the cryptocurrency sector of the economy. Cryptocurrency’s introduction into Cameroon will provide further benefits as cryptocurrency’s spread will require jobs for people to act as traders, internet connectivity engineers, brokers and more.
Looking Ahead
Binance’s new hub will educate Cameroonians on cryptocurrency. It will help them develop their economic portfolios with hands-on experienced cryptocurrency brokers. Binance wants Cameroonians to see the benefits and all the available resources cryptocurrency can create. The goal is for Binance’s new hub to become a cultural center that unites Cameroonians and improves how foreign investors look at Cameroon. Overall, the economic benefits of cryptocurrency and Binance’s new hub are countless. With cryptocurrency, Cameroon will see economic growth, decreasing poverty rates, increased foreign investments and the feasibility of finding income with Binance’s new hub.
– Clara Mulvihill
Photo: Flickr
Niger Begins Development of a New Innovation and Technology Center
One of the world’s least developed countries is about to get a substantial technological upgrade. Following an agreement between Niger’s Agency for Information Society (ANSI) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the development of an innovation and technology center has begun in the village of Sadore. That center will have technical educational opportunities as well as advanced technology and equipment.
The Location of the New Center
Sadore is located in the country of Niger. Niger is an African nation that is on the border of numerous other countries. It boasts a population of more than 24 million people and has a river that runs through its capital, Niamey. Niger is also among the hottest countries in the world, earning it the nickname, the “Frying Pan of the World.”
The Human Development Index (HDI) measures how developed a country is. It considers various factors such as income, life expectancy and education. According to this index, Niger ranked as the least developed country in the world. In 2019, Niger received an HDI of .394, lower than any other country.
Aside from its lack of development, Niger faces other problems as well. Niger currently has a poverty rate of 44% and malnutrition plagues much of the country. Making matters worse is the fact that the fertility rate in Niger is the highest in the world and easily surpasses its death rate. This means that the population is constantly growing, which will lead to more people living in poverty.
The Agreement Between ANSI and ICRISAT
ANSI and ICRISAT agreed upon the decision to develop the new center. ANSI primarily focuses on sustainable digital development in Niger. This spreads to various aspects of society such as education, health and agriculture. The agency also prioritizes digital technology and how the advancement of this technology can have a positive impact on the country.
While ANSI is broader in its areas of focus for development, ICRISAT has more of a focus on rural areas and agriculture. ICRISAT is a nonprofit that uses scientific research to improve the lives of people living in rural communities. It helps farmers grow various types of crops so that they can sustain themselves and their families.
A partnership between these two has the potential to be extremely beneficial for Niger. More specifically, a collaboration to further develop food production could help alleviate Niger’s malnutrition problem. Additionally, as the creation of a new innovation center proved, agricultural technology can also take a step forward and help the country along in its development.
The New Center
The creation of a new innovation and technology center comes as a part of the Niger 2.0 Smart Village Project. Niger 2.0 is a program that plans to transform Niger’s rural and lower-income areas into far more digitally advanced communities. This will improve the lives of the people living in these areas as well as create more sustainable infrastructure.
The center will undergo development in various “clusters” that focus on specific aspects of society such as health, education and agriculture. It will also provide many educational opportunities for the public to use such as a coding academy and a university for several technical careers.
Furthermore, the center will also hold a wide variety of technological resources that many of Sadore’s citizens will likely be experiencing for the first time. These include “a national data center…assembly lines…computers, tablets and solar panels.”
How This New Center Will Affect Niger
Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou, director general of ANSI, has expressed his support for the development of a new innovation and technology city in Niger. He believes that it could be the key to solving many of Niger’s largest problems. He specifically spoke about how technology could help improve agriculture. For example, drones could help collect data about certain crops.
Saidou also highlighted the importance of getting Niger’s population more involved in the country’s development. Two-thirds of Niger’s population is under the age of 25; and, their participation in building a new digital infrastructure could be vital for the country’s overall development. The involvement of Niger’s abundant youth could give it the boost it needs.
The center should also improve the state of business in Niger as it will have facilities that support small enterprises and start-ups. Saidou believes that the growth of these businesses could lead to substantial progress in agricultural development that could help improve Niger’s malnutrition situation. With the implementation of the new center and an increase in technological advancements, the world could soon be looking at a brand new Niger.
– Tyshon Johnson
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
The Correlation Between Drugs and Poverty
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 284 million people globally undergo drug abuse between the ages of 15 to 64. The correlation between drugs and poverty takes a variety of different stances.
The Problem
Although drugs do not discriminate against anyone, in particular, they tend to favor the lower-income population the most. People in poverty sometimes use drugs to cope with their living situation. The stress of being in poverty often inspires a feeling of hopelessness that leaves the individual vulnerable to substance abuse.
The act of substance abuse can lead someone who is wealthier into poverty as well. For instance, drug addiction often inspires a lack of motivation. This can be especially harmful in the workforce where the desire to work hard and meet deadlines is crucial. If terminated from a job, it can be very difficult to find a new one. Considering that, most people will waste away the rest of their money in an act of despondency.
The Lack of Resources
Unfortunately, many people living in poverty lack the funds they need to access support for drug addiction. In fact, in Pakistan, 99.7% of the people seeking help for drug addiction, cannot afford it.
One case shows a boy at the young age of 14 who was unable to seek the help he needed to get over his addiction. Due to the steep prices and lack of space, the boy was denied a spot at this rehabilitation center in Pakistan. Many know this South Asian country for its lack of drug support centers. The number of opium users bypasses the number of support groups, leading to an increase in the amount of poverty seen throughout the country. This further indicates the correlation between drugs and poverty.
The Solution
Many countries have already taken action to counteract these effects. For instance, several South Asian countries brought public awareness over drug abuse on World Drug Day. Communities joined together in activities that helped people recognize the importance of acknowledging drug abuse. Organizations from across the globe united as one to address the issues that follow drug addiction and are also working to ensure the services and medicine necessary to assist drug addicts end up in place.
The Karim Khan Afridi Welfare Foundation (KKAWF), established in 2015, focuses to raise awareness about drug abuse in Pakistan. KKAWF served more than 5,000 people with the activities it developed in 2018, including sports events, workshops and campaigns that focused on raising awareness. The Foundation engages politically by urging the authorities to address “the challenges of drug trafficking and the spread of substance abuse.”
Several South Asian countries have attempted to monitor and confiscate drugs more often. However, drugs still continue to be sold illegally due to the large percentage of crime taking place throughout South Asian countries. To counter this problem of illegal drug trafficking, the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) composed the Regional programme to aid the factors contributing to the selling and buying of drugs.
Looking Ahead
Although there is no direct correlation between drugs and poverty, it is evident that the two tie together. By recognizing the link between the two, elected officials can begin to take drastic action in fighting off this devastating loop.
– Madison Stivala
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Schools in Bangladesh Address Learning Losses
Schools in Bangladesh, both public and private, opened their doors to students in September 2021 after enduring the most extended period of closure the world has ever seen, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are some concerns, such as, how teachers will address the loss of learning that affects students around the country. Schools in Bangladesh are now employing new strategies to ensure students can get back on track with their learning after a more than one and a half year-long absence from the classroom.
New Protocol
Bangladesh experienced the world’s longest school shutdown period of 543 days, implemented at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools in Bangladesh, including schools that the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) runs finally reopened back in September 2021. In the week of September 19, 2021, BRAC welcomed 129,000 students back into school, according to the BRAC website.
After welcoming students back to its schools, BRAC pointed out two challenges that schools now face. The first challenge is to safeguard the health and well-being of both students and faculty during the continuing pandemic. BRAC schools began checking the temperatures of students and faculty upon entry every day, “either using temporary measures such as digital thermometers… or thermal scanners,” according to the BRAC website. These schools required students and faculty to wear masks and students received an outdoor break every hour.
BRAC has established handwashing stations across the schools and reduced class sizing by 50% to adhere to social distancing protocols, “with students attending in different sessions and no more than 15-20 students in a class at any one time.”
Extended Absence
The second challenge schools in Bangladesh now face is: understanding the extent to which a loss of learning has impacted students and helping them catch up. To address learning losses, BRAC educators conducted an “initial formative assessment” to identify areas of need and “design a remedial intervention for the next 17-20 school days.” BRAC educators also made accommodations for extra learning days where necessary.
Amid the pandemic, BRAC introduced remote learning for students. While the switch to remote learning proved troublesome for all, the task proved even more difficult for lower-level income households. According to BRAC, only 8.7% of the most impoverished 20% of families in Bangladesh had internet access in their residences.
As a result of the limited access to internet connections and devices, “children have suffered enormous setbacks in their learning journey,” said George Laryea-Adjei, regional director of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in an interview with Al Jazeera. Only 41% of Bangladesh’s 169 million people have access to smartphones, according to the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh.
The Awaited Return
Upon returning to the classroom, students met with celebration. One public school in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, welcomed its students back with flowers and candy. “We are really excited to be back at school,” said 15-year-old Muntasir Ahmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Ahmed also expressed excitement about seeing friends and classmates in person rather than through the screen of a device.
During the first week of BRAC schools reopening, there was a major focus on the physical and mental well-being of its returning students. “The key is not only getting students to return, but to want to stay in school after such a long break,” BRAC said on its website.
Schools in Bangladesh closed in March 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19. At the time of reopening, Dipu Monu, education minister of Bangladesh, visited an educational institution in Dhaka and said that only students who are taking public exams would attend classes day-to-day upon school reopening. She also added that students who are not taking public exams would attend class once or twice a week.
While schools in Bangladesh endured the longest school closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of new safety and learning procedures seems to provide hope for both returning students and their families. Educators have been working diligently since schools shut down to prepare for the return of their students, ready to provide the remedial education necessary to recover learning losses.
– Henry Hyman
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Microfinance in Mexico Helps Women Escape Poverty
Microfinance is a form of banking that provides financial support to those who would not normally have access to conventional types of financial services, due to reasons such as unemployment and poverty. Microfinance also provides access to important financial tools such as insurance, funds and savings. According to a 2016 research article by Subhabrata Bobby Banerjee and others, microfinance “aims to alleviate poverty by providing the poor new opportunities for entrepreneurship. It also aims to promote empowerment (especially among women) while enhancing social capital in poor communities.” Although microfinancing has also led to negative outcomes for communities, when implemented responsibly, microfinance has significant poverty reduction potential. In particular, microfinance in Mexico has the potential to empower women and reduce gender inequality.
Microfinance in Mexico
As it stands, Mexico falls behind in relation to financial inclusion. In Mexico, only 37% of adult citizens have bank accounts and only 32% have engaged in digital payment transactions. Access to a bank account provides individuals with the opportunity to use microfinance services. The World Bank outlines how Mexico’s current microfinance system is lagging behind countries at a similar level of development: “credit to the private nonfinancial sector was just 42% of GDP, far below the 143% average for emerging markets worldwide” in 2019.
Poverty and Gender Inequality in Mexico
According to the World Bank, almost 42% of people in Mexico lived under the national poverty line in 2018, equating to 52.4 million people. In some areas of Mexico, poverty is significantly high — in 2018, Chiapas, home to large numbers of Indigenous people, noted a poverty rate of almost 80%.
Gender equality also plays a role in poverty. Unemployment rates for women in Mexico are greater than those of men and pay for the same work is on average 22% less for women than men, according to a 2018 article by The Conversation.
Microfinance in Mexico can reduce poverty among women by providing the financial support required to decrease the gender inequality gap. Providing more access to microfinance for women and educating women on how to use microfinance most effectively is important. For example, a survey utilizing a hypothetical microcredit situation found that Mexican women would only invest about 6% of the money received through microfinance. To promote long-term growth in Mexico, this investment rate would need to increase considerably. This highlights the importance of providing more financial education.
Mexico’s Urban-Rural Divide
Poverty in Mexico is amplified by the government’s poor provision of infrastructure and education. This has resulted in a large urban-rural inequality gap in education and wealth, especially for women in these rural areas.
There is an 8% difference in access to bank accounts by men and women in Mexico. This exacerbates the gender inequality gap as men have higher rates of access to financial institutions than women do. On top of this, 90% of the credit goes to urban areas despite more than 20% of adult Mexicans residing in rural parts of Mexico. Without aiming for financial inclusion among marginalized groups, these new financial institutions may exacerbate poverty in Mexico.
How Microcredit Can Help
Banco Compartamos is leading the way in expanding microfinance in Mexico. More importantly, Banco Compartamos is making its financial services accessible to all regions and populations, including low-income groups and women. Women account for as much as 88% of the institute’s clients in Mexico. Banco Compartamos empowers women with the financial tools necessary to achieve financial independence and explore female entrepreneurship opportunities. Not only does Banco Compartamos strive for financial inclusion but it also promotes financial literacy through initiatives to empower communities to make better financial decisions.
Banco Compartamos currently has 180 branches in 29 Mexican states. This demonstrates the bank’s goal of being accessible to all in Mexico. The institution noted 2.6 million clients in Mexico by July 2020.
To accelerate the financial inclusion of marginalized populations, such as women and people in rural areas, the Mexican government launched the 2020–2024 National Financial Inclusion Policy (PNIF). One of the goals of this policy is for 77% of Mexican adults to have “at least one financial product” by 2024 and for more than 90% of Mexican municipalities to have “at least one financial access point” by 2024, the World Bank reported.
By expanding access to microfinance in Mexico, marginalized groups, such as women, can access financial resources to help them rise out of poverty. In turn, this will reduce the gender inequality gap and help expand the Mexican economy through the economic contributions of women in the form of entrepreneurship, increased consumption rates and more.
– Reuben Cochrane
Photo: Flickr
Filipino Remittance Brings Billions to the Philippines
Each year, millions of global emigrants from the Philippines send billions of dollars in aid back home. Even in 2020 – a year of notable economic turmoil, Filipinos leveraged low fees and favorable currency exchanges, sending nearly $35 billion in remittances. Currently, the Philippines is ranked fourth in the world by money received from overseas, just behind India, China and Mexico. Filipino remittance is a large boon for many facing poverty in the Philippines. Throughout the pandemic, more than 2 million Filipinos fell into poverty, raising the poverty rate to 18.1%. During this period, severe job loss occurred, along with a sharp decline in tourism and a rapid rise in inflation. Even the number of workers going overseas decreased, placing more pressure on Filipinos already established and working around the globe.
Now, Filipinos continue to look to family living outside of the Philippines for support as the country attempts to recover from the pandemic.
A Brief History of Remittances in the Philippines
Though the roots of Filipino labor migration go back to the 17th century, the Filipino government began supporting the practice in the 1970s. At that time, rising oil prices were creating economic problems in the Philippines. However, the oil-rich Gulf countries needed workers to build infrastructure. The Philippine government established an overseas workers program with these countries to make use of the nation’s excess laborers.
During this period, it was men working in construction that made up the majority of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). However, women soon took the lead. They rose to prominence as the demand for teachers, nurses, domestic workers and entertainers increased.
OFWs commonly send money from their paychecks back home to family, becoming a significant part of the Philippine economy. The World Bank has noted that remittance started at 1.5% of the nation’s GDP in 1977 and has risen since, peaking at 12.8% in 2005. In response to the growth of Filipino remittance, some Philippine businesses, like LBC Express, opened storefronts around the world to help OFWs send money and goods directly back home.
In recent years, the Philippine government has decreased programs encouraging citizens to work outside of the country. The government said it wants the decision to work abroad to be a choice instead of a necessity. Regardless, Filipino remittance remains high.
Filipino Remittance in the Modern Day
Remittance remains a strong part of the Philippine economy — most recently making up 9.6% of the nation’s GDP in 2020. However, the geographic concentration of workers sending money home has shifted to the West. In 2020, Filipinos living in the United States sent the most money back to the Philippines. Remittances from workers in the Gulf countries dropped by as much as 36% from their 2015 peak.
Yen Osborne, a moderator of the Facebook group “Filipino Community in Illinois,” spoke with The Borgen Project about her thoughts on remittance and its role within her online community. “It’s a great benefit to the families attending their financial needs,” Osborne said. According to her, it is normal for Filipinos to send a monthly allowance to their families living in the Philippines using a variety of online services and bank-to-bank transfers.
Osborne also raised concerns about the negative effects of people in the Philippines becoming reliant on remittances. “The bad side is people are getting lazy knowing they have a family member who sends them monthly [money],” Osborne said. At the same time, with exception of the pandemic, the Philippines’ economic growth has risen. According to the World Bank, the Philippines’ average economic growth increased to 6.4% in 2019, while foreign remittance in the country’s GDP grew to 9.3%.
Osborne concluded that remittance is ultimately a positive part of Filipino life. For her, it’s a part of “Filipino culture where we help our families.”
– Ryan Morton
Photo: Flickr