On June 1, 2022, the White House unveiled its Action Plan on Global Water Security, spearheaded by Vice President Kamala Harris. The White House aims to help achieve water security domestically and abroad, citing the connection between water and U.S. national security interests. In particular, five countries that need the water action plan will benefit from gaining access to clean water and reducing deaths.
Three Pillars
The White House said it views water security as “sustainable access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as water to sustain ecosystems and for agriculture, energy and other economic activities.”
The water action plan focuses on three pillars to implement its goals:
- Increasing the U.S. role in attaining universal water security and ensuring sustainability without increasing carbon emissions.
- Encouraging sustainable practices for managing and building water resources and ecosystems to build economies and cooperation.
- Utilizing cooperation among organizations like the G-20 Summit and the U.N. to achieve water security.
While the plan did not specify nations, five countries that need the water action plan especially are Angola, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
Angola
Angola is a southern African country with a population of roughly 35 million. Only about half of Angolans have access to basic sanitation and clean water. In 2020, the U.N. reported that access to both had stagnated, hampering the efforts to achieve SDG 6 by 2030.
Malaria deaths account for over 11,000 deaths in 2020. In addition, Angola has one of the highest child mortality rates, with 71.5 of every 1,000 live births dying before age 5.
Water treatment is just one way to curb malaria and child mortality in the country. Investments from the water action plan could fund water treatment and basic sanitation services, especially in rural areas.
Somalia
Like Angola, Somalia is on the U.N.’s list of least developed countries (LDC). Clean water and sanitation services are not easily accessible in the eastern African country, as only 32% of the population used a sanitation service in 2020. In a country of roughly 15 million people, this amounts to more than 10 million people without that access.
Somalia is also amid a severe drought. The U.N. estimates that Somalia is heading toward the fourth year in a row without a successful rain season. This has devastated Somalia, with over 100,000 people relocating to find access to water.
The White House highlighted the link between global water security and national security. Somalia is a prime example: In 2014, at the height of its civil war, the terrorist group al-Shabaab used “water terrorism” to further the conflict between the citizens and the Somali government. By cutting off such a crucial resource, tensions flared, and anger toward the government grew, furthering the war.
Somalia could benefit from the water action plan’s funding to expand water access and treatment, which could have a resounding impact.
Ethiopia
Somalia’s neighbor to the west shares its water insecure status, as well as being one of 46 LDCs, according to the U.N. Ethiopia has been the focus of foreign aid for decades, stemming from the Ethiopian Civil War in the 1970s.
Ethiopia met its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for clean drinking water, the precursor to SDG 6. Since 1990, it has slashed the percentage of people without access to clean drinking water in half, with 57% of people having access to clean drinking water. This success comes from the government-run water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program.
Still, Ethiopia struggles with sanitation and waterborne illnesses, contributing to child mortality rates. According to UNICEF, the lack of treatment and sanitation of water contributes to 60% to 80% of communicable diseases in Ethiopia. In terms of child mortality, this level of water insecurity leads to 70,000 deaths of children under 5 years of age each year.
Uganda
Uganda is also on the U.N.’s LDC list. Uganda has stagnated on SDG 6, with only 55.9% of the population having access to drinking water.
Sanitation is one of the critical issues surrounding Uganda’s water crisis. In Uganda, 8.8 million people practice open defecation, contaminating the natural water supply. According to the nonprofit Water.org, 28 million Ugandans lack access to safe sanitation services, which plays a vital role in SDG 6.
The White House’s water action plan could help enrich existing aid programs through the U.S. Agency for International Development, giving 750,000 Ugandans access to clean water and providing resources to become open-defecation free.
Papua New Guinea
Though not on the LDC list, the Sustainable Development Report finds that Papua New Guinea still needs essential water services. Only 45.3% of Papua New Guinea’s citizens have access to clean drinking water, and only 19.2% have access to sanitation services. The U.N. reports that only 30% of the population can access soap and water at home for a hand washing facility.
According to UNICEF, 30% of the population use surface water daily. This likely correlates with illness and poverty among those who contract waterborne diseases.
Solutions
The White House Action Plan on Global Water Security could help these five countries in desperate need of aid to create stability and health through water and sanitation services. The World Bank estimates that global WASH programs and infrastructure would cost $35 billion to maintain each year, according to a White House report.
While more funding is called for, USAID committed to $1.2 billion in aid for three years to strengthen global water security. The water action plan is a step in the right direction and provides a starting point for these five countries and others to achieve water security.
– Emma Rushworth
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Past and Present: Positive Effects of US Foreign Aid
The Marshall Plan
In 1948, western Europe sought postwar aid for rebuilding their nations. The U.S. issued the Marshall Plan, created by U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The plan provided $13.3 billion in foreign aid over four years. With this aid, western Europe began successfully rebuilding itself.
Due to this aid, the countries of western Europe are now some of the U.S.’ strongest allies and trading partners. These partners include but are not limited to France, England and Germany. By helping countries in need and investing money into international aid, these countries invest back in the U.S. This has positively impacted the U.S. economy and its global reputation. Those countries now see the U.S. as an ally, not an isolationist state.
The Green Revolution
The U.S. helped to reduce food insecurity and poverty globally by championing the Green Revolution, a 1940s revolution of agricultural techniques started by Norman Borlaug in Mexico. Due to the successes in Mexico’s agricultural sector, countries worldwide began using these Green Revolution techniques in the next two decades. Initially, Borlaug developed resilient and high-yielding varieties of wheat to increase agricultural yields. Later, Borlaug developed high-yielding varieties of rice.
To expand Green Revolution techniques to the rest of the world, the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and other government agencies decided to fund further research. In 1963, through this financial support, Mexico established a research center called The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.
Nations across the globe reaped the benefits of Borlaug’s and the research institution’s efforts. The U.S. Agency for International Development stood as a driving force in expanding the Green Revolution globally, “producing history’s most dramatic increase in food production through the development of high-yielding cereal varieties.” USAID was key in launching the Green Revolution, a term former USAID Administrator William Gaud coined in 1968.
During the middle of the 1960s, Asia noted high rates of famine and malnutrition, especially in countries like India. Higher yielding wheat and rice varieties led to poverty reduction and economic growth. In Asia, real per capita incomes increased by nearly 50% between 1970 and 1995, and poverty reduced from “nearly three out of every five Asians in 1975 to less than one in three by 1995.” In India, the rural poverty rate was as much as 65% before the mid-1960s, but by 1993, it had reduced to about 33%.
Possibilities for the Future of Ukraine
The U.S. can invest more in international aid and foreign affairs. Although the U.S. is the world’s wealthiest country, foreign aid was less than 1% of its budget in 2019. Ukraine and other countries impacted by the Russia-Ukraine war received a $40 billion aid package from the U.S. in May 2022. Yet, the U.S. allocated nearly half for military aid and just $16 billion for humanitarian and government assistance.
Looking to the Past
Past and present examples show the positive effects of U.S. foreign aid. The Marshall Plan shows how the U.S. gained long-term allies, and the Green Revolution highlights how U.S. foreign aid decreased world poverty. The Russia-Ukraine war is a current conflict in which the U.S. can allocate more foreign aid with the assurance of past proven success.
– Thomas Bogucki
Photo: Pexels
Quadloop Tackles Energy Poverty
Inequitable E-Waste in Central Africa
Over 95% of Nigeria’s 250,000 tons of e-waste contain dangerous compounds such as mercury, lead and cadmium. Improper disposal of hazardous materials has been shown to pollute and contaminate the environment, air, water and food sources, endangering e-waste workers and residents close to landfills. In extreme cases, toxic heavy metals have threatened child development and led to neurological damage. The European Union and U.N. also report on the inequity of e-waste: Developed countries offload their waste into Africa.
In Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania receive the most e-waste from developed countries. Due to inequitable policy and waste management systems, these countries cannot handle the surplus of waste from other countries. The following e-waste pollution leads to environmental contamination and subsequently endangers human health. The ongoing energy crisis is another concern: The Energy Progress Report of 2022 estimates that “92 million Nigerians lack access to electricity from the national grid.” With an energy grid that has already broken down five times in 2022 so far, policymakers and companies see renewable energy as a prime solution.
What Quadloop Does
Quadloop tackles energy poverty by collecting e-waste and reusing it to create renewable energy products. The company strives to reduce the buildup of e-waste in central Africa by using a circular economy model to turn e-waste into electricity for Nigerians lacking access.
An early prototype released in 2018, the Bliss Solar Lamp, provided low-income and vulnerable communities with clean energy using circuit LED batteries and replacing fire-hazardous kerosene lamps. Since then, the company has responded to feedback and researched further to create a more efficient and sustainable lamp design.
Quadloop later created IDunnu, a solar wall lantern from 70% recycled waste. The portable lantern’s components include a remote control, an automatic daylight sensor, a USB charging port and a rechargeable 10,400 mAh lithium-ion battery.
Projected Growth
Igweilo used his technological and entrepreneurial experience to start Quadloop, with the initial goal of solving rising e-waste and poor energy distribution in Nigeria. The company seeks educational programs, such as training at Lagos business schools, to increase awareness and encourage jobs in renewable energy.
Quadloop has seen significant recognition for creating reliable and renewable energy. In 2020, the Nigeria Climate Innovation Center granted Quadloop $10,000 for future development. In 2021, Igweilo won a Meaningful Business 100 award recognizing entrepreneurs making progress toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Now, Quadloop’s goal is to become the foremost indigenous company working toward eliminating the issue of e-waste in Africa. The company aims to expand to neighboring countries like Tanzania and Ghana to help with their similar energy issues.
– Nethya Samarakkodige
Photo: Flickr
Social Entrepreneurship Empowers Disability Justice
Social Entrepreneurship Track
Social entrepreneurship is quickly gaining popularity in the world of innovation. It is an initiative that pursues an innovative idea to address the root causes of communal issues such as poverty, water scarcity, disability justice and much more.
MIT recognizes the potential of social entrepreneurship. Hala Fadel, the Founder and Chair of MITEF Pan-Arab, commented that “the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem has reached an inflection point as 450-plus alumni are leading their way through the domains of renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and environmental infrastructure.”
Money goes into social businesses to create social impact, not to maximize dividends on investment. Without pressure from opportunistic stockholders to optimize profit, these peace-driven projects can expand impact and be self-sustaining and ethical.
A fundamental principle of social entrepreneurship is a pledge to higher than standard working conditions and wages. These initiatives provide proper employment for locals who are working to confront their communities’ problems. The emergence of this new wave of entrepreneurship is productive for social health, innovation and middle-class development. Social entrepreneurs may become major drivers of poverty reduction action in the future.
Social Business Highlight: Entaleq
Entaleq, one of the program’s successful alumni, is a mobile phone application aiming to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in Egypt. The Helm Foundation developed the app, and the nonprofit works to fight poverty and domestic violence.
The Helm Foundation’s mobile app positively influences people’s lives in North Africa. Entaleq allows users to comment and review locations that have disability access. The Helm Foundation also helps build and advocate for accessibility infrastructure in Egypt. As the 2020 winner of MITEF’s social entrepreneurship track, Entaleq hopes to reach the global market shortly.
Disability Justice and Poverty Reduction
Disability justice is essential for global poverty alleviation. According to a report from the International Labor Organization (ILO), people with disabilities are typically among the world’s poorest demographics, especially in low-income countries. According to a U.N. report, people with disabilities are likely 7% to 10% of any nation’s population.
Furthermore, there is an undeniable connection between disability, conflict and poverty. War continues to wound the bodies and minds of people around the world. People from conflict-heavy areas are more likely to have limited support and decreased job opportunities. A focus on disability justice is vital for recently post-conflict countries as they navigate reconstruction and poverty reduction.
Disability justice is often limited to caregiving. However, conceptions of disability justice may expand to more inclusive design and improvements to daily living which the Entaleq app does in Egypt.
How MIT’s Annual Pan-Arab Competition Helps Entrepreneurs
MIT’s annual Pan-Arab Competition is sure to bring together some of the brightest young entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa. Participants will gain valuable training and exposure to a global network of innovators. Successful startups receive equity-free funding to advance projects. MITEF’s ideas, startup and social entrepreneurship tracks offer several routes for budding innovators.
Entaleq won funding in the 2020 social entrepreneurship track. The platform allows people to review disability accessibility at locations around Egypt. There are deep intersections between disability and poverty, and this technology enhances app users’ mobility and agency. Innovative social initiatives such as Entaleq prioritizing community care are making transformative impacts, showing how social entrepreneurship empowers disability justice.
MITEF’s Pan-Arab competition may be used as a model for sprouting innovation. Government funding in social entrepreneurial education will reap benefits, from local communities to the macro global economy. The MITEF Pan-Arab Competition’s proven success is designing a new identity for the world of technology and innovation.
– Samson Heyer
Photo: Flickr
Poland Welcomes Ukrainian Refugees
Who are the Refugees?
The majority of the 6.5 million Ukrainians who have fled the country are women and children. This is because, under Ukraine’s martial law, men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving the country. Fathers, husbands and sons have had to stay behind, resulting in many families being separated.
Not all refugees fleeing from Ukraine are Ukrainian. Students from African countries, Afghan refugees and Belarusian asylum seekers make up a sizeable portion of those who cross into Poland in the flight from violence, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC). When the EU announced temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees, the IRC also urged that the same auspices be extended to non-Ukrainian residents and asylum seekers.
What Do the Refugees Need?
Refugees arriving in Poland are fleeing areas heavily inflicted by fighting with some having spent weeks living in bomb shelters and basements. Scared for their own lives as well as the lives of any loved ones left behind, refugees enter Poland in a state of acute distress and anxiety. On top of their concern for family members still in Ukraine, refugees must also deal with the stress of mapping out their future course of action with far fewer economic resources and social ties than they had in their home country.
Refugees’ main needs are health and medical services. At the beginning of the crisis, those making the journey across the border endured freezing temperatures and went days without enough food and water. “People are arriving across the border exhausted, hungry and cold,” said IRC Ukraine emergency response team lead Heather Macey to Rescue.
The government of Poland has installed numerous reception centers throughout the country in response. There, refugees can receive any medical attention they may need and recuperate for a few nights before finding shelter elsewhere in the country. The IRC has played a critical role in providing these centers with blankets and sleeping bags as well as necessary medical equipment.
Poland’s Open Door Policy
Poland has been quick to establish systems of legal stay, access to employment, education, health care and other social welfare for newly arriving refugees. Polish authorities have registered more than 1.1 million people with the Government of Poland and granted them with a state ID number that gives them access to these services, U.N. reports.
While the Polish government has accomplished much on its own, other international organizations like the IRC and the UNHCR have played a critical role in supporting government-led efforts, specifically in providing cash assistance and delivering emergency supplies. “[More than] 100,000 refugees have already received financial support from UNHCR to cover their basic needs, such as paying rent or buying food and medicine,” said Olga Sarrado, spokeswoman for UNHCR.
With the help of its partners, Poland has shown an impressive crisis response. It is important to remember however that the Russian-Ukraine war is ongoing, and the country is to expect even larger flows of refugees further into the year meaning that more support will be needed going forward.
– Lauren Kim
Photo: Flickr
International Partnerships Reduce Indo-Pacific Piracy
Past Collaborations
In 2008, after piracy surged, Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) — an anti-piracy operation — was formed to coordinate missions among China, America, Japan and India. This alliance aimed to prevent piracy and poverty in pirate-prevalent nations. Then, in September 2009, the U.S. and China ramped up their collaboration. In total, the Chinese Navy, with U.S. assistance, “rescued … 43 ships in 32 missions.”
The Gulf of Aden, however, is perhaps the greatest cooperative victory. Much of the world’s oil and food exports are transported through the gulf, making the Gulf of Aden a crucial economic pipeline. In 2010, a U.N. Contact Group approved the U.S. and China’s plans for mitigating piracy in the Gulf, supported by India.
Anti-piracy initiatives with this level of cooperation are much more effective than a single nation’s efforts. No country can handle the vast ocean alone. As a naval expert said, “ To catch a pirate, cooperation is key.” Cooperating to end piracy may also save the world up to $12 billion a year and help decrease global poverty, according to a non-profit’s 2010 report.
Recent Initiatives
China partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard to clamp down on piracy and prevent primarily low-income countries in the Indo-Pacific from experiencing pirate-inflicted economic damage. Meanwhile, Japan joined U.S. and U.K. naval vessels in 2021 anti-piracy drills, providing another guard against pirates.
More broadly, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, an alliance consisting of the U.S., Australia, India and Japan, recently planned several joint defense operations for mitigating Indo-Pacific piracy. In 2021, the alliance set a precedent where all four countries participated for the second consecutive year in over a decade.
American Funding
Piracy often begins in poverty and goes on to cause poverty, creating a loop. Put simply: poverty motivates potential pirates to steal. Rather than more minor acts of thievery, this often spirals into massive maritime violations. In the past decade, Congress considered funding vulnerable countries as a method of piracy prevention. Thus, in the past year, the U.S. provided $253 million for financial development in Somalia.
Furthermore, Congress passed the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative, which would gradually dispense $425 million toward piracy prevention. By economically supporting the Indo-Pacific region, overall poverty decreases and residents are less likely to resort to piracy. Piracy and its adverse effects can diminish by continuing to facilitate anti-poverty programs in the Indo-Pacific and other vulnerable regions. Major world powers have shown that cooperation works. Their international partnerships reduce Indo-Pacific piracy and help ease global poverty.
– Ashwin Telang
Photo: Flickr
MAB Improves Visual Health in Malaysia
The Gurney Training Center for the Blind
The Gurney Training Center for the Blind is MAB’s vocational training school for those with visual impairment. This center provides both vocational training and rehabilitation services. The center’s vocational courses allow people with visual impairment to receive proper training in a field. Some of the vocational training courses include skills such as woodworking, massage therapy, telephony, industrial work and computer programming. The center also offers rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, counseling, casework, mobility training, communication and social skills, and recreational activities.
Taman Harapan Agricultural Training Center
The Taman Harapan Agricultural Training Center teaches skills for various farming and breeding methods. Other related courses offered include ones such as horticulture and craft making. Like Gurney’s, the center also provides rehabilitation services such as techniques for daily living.
Information Technology
MAB also provides training in how to use assistive devices and software. Additional services include the repair and replacement of this adaptive equipment. The organization also advocates for those with visual impairment by prompting employers and policymakers to provide Information and Communication Technologies facilities (computer labs, laptops, tablets, etc.) in the workplace.
Job Placement
MAB provides a job placement program to help its clients find stable work and improve the economic mobility of Malaysian people with visual impairment. MAB provides work placement by offering different resources, such as placing trained individuals into appropriate employment opportunities, helping with loans for assistive equipment needed for jobs, and working with the Department of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Human Resources to address employment matters.
Assistance to Blind Children Centers (ABC)
ABC Centers are several early intervention programs that provide essential services to children with visual impairment. These children are provided with physical training, basic living skills, preschool activities, recreational activities and counseling services. This center also aids parents by providing services such as education and counseling on visual impairment.
Public Transportation
Safety while riding public transportation is a recurring issue for people with visual impairment. In a broad collaboration with several government ministries, Nongovernmental Organizations and MAB, the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation in Malaysia installed directional tactile tiles on the Putrajaya MRT Line. These tiles give tactile feedback to commuters along the most efficient path from the entry point to the rail platform. The tiles also help indicate where an elevator or escalator is.
MAB improves visual health in Malaysia by promoting such inclusive designs and providing various services. With more efforts like MAB’s, people with visual impairment in Malaysia can integrate into a more inclusive society with improved opportunities for economic mobility.
– Max Cole
Photo: Flickr
5 Charities Operating in Kosovo
5 Charities Making a Difference in Kosovo
Looking Ahead
From sponsoring youth sports and opening centers for reproductive health to unearthing landmines, these charitable institutions are truly improving Kosovan society. These philanthropic organizations are helping Kosovo achieve a brighter future with less poverty and fewer societal divisions.
– Michael Cardamone
Photo: Flickr
Humanitarian Aid to Somalia Amid Worst Drought
The Current State of Somalia
Somalia is currently in a state of climate emergency after experiencing “a fourth failed rainy season,” which plunged the nation into drought. This has caused conditions of mass famine, disease and displacement. After a recent trip to Somalia, Jan Egeland, Norwegian Refugee Council’s secretary general, describes the situation on the ground. Farmers had “lost all their livestock and crops,” children face severe malnourishment and parents beg for food and water to meet their daily needs.
Drought is not a new phenomenon in Somalia and has detrimentally impacted the social and economic stability of the country in the past decade. Since the beginning of 2021, the drought has forcefully displaced more than 800,000 people. With the most recent drought fostering a significant hunger crisis, the number of people experiencing crisis levels of hunger could increase “from less than five million to more than seven million in the coming months.” While drought in Somalia primarily fuels mass displacement and famine, it also generates “violent conflicts over water and grazing land, rising costs of basic goods and the destruction of crops and livestock herds.”
The intertwining of factors affecting food security in Somalia evidently worsens the situation. These factors include the COVID-19 pandemic, locust plagues and “continued recovery from previous droughts.” The Russian war in Ukraine also contributes to the state of food insecurity in Somalia as roughly “90% of Somalia’s wheat imports came from Russia and Ukraine.” The invasion has led to the blockage of grain supplies and a surge in food prices.
The US Response
To respond to this critical situation, the U.S. announced that it would provide $476 million worth of humanitarian aid to Somalia. Taking this most recent humanitarian funding into consideration, this would mean that the U.S. has provided close to $707 million in humanitarian assistance for people in Somalia in 2022 alone. This recent humanitarian aid sum is expected to allow USAID to accomplish several objectives to help millions across Somalia. These include providing:
The Implications
While financial aid is extremely helpful in dealing with the impact of drought, there remain significant funding shortfalls. As opposed to the $1.3 billion donated by international donors in 2017, so far, in 2022, the figure only stands at $500 million. USAID has expressed a pressing need for more international donors to help address the impacts of several climate-related catastrophes and food insecurity in Somalia.
The U.S. provision of $476 million in humanitarian aid to Somalia gives the country’s citizens hope for a better tomorrow. It remains critical for Somalia’s global partners to contribute to the widespread efforts to alleviate the impacts of the looming famine fueled by the recent drought.
– Claudia Efemini
Photo: Flickr
NGOs in Nigeria Fight Against Period Poverty on World Menstrual Hygiene Day
What is Period Poverty?
According to the American Medical Women’s Association, period poverty can be defined as “inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and education, including but not limited to sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management.” The United Nations Population Fund also describes the “increased economic vulnerability” that women face when trying to afford menstrual hygiene products. In low-income countries, insufficient access to menstrual products or proper sanitation facilities can lead to young girls missing school or even abandoning education altogether, affecting their economic opportunities. More than 500 million people worldwide have inadequate provisions to manage their menstrual hygiene.
Period Poverty in Nigeria
In Nigeria, more than 25% of women do not have adequate privacy for menstrual hygiene management and access to menstrual products varies largely by region. For example, 37% of women in Kaduna State obtained menstrual products as compared to 88% in Lagos. In 2022, a pack of sanitary pads can cost $2.25, even though around 40% of Nigerians live below the international poverty line of $1.90 per person per day as of 2018.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated period poverty due to shortages in menstrual products and an increase in prices, which only worsened further with the Russia-Ukraine war.
For most of 2020 and 2021, the pandemic also prevented nongovernmental and humanitarian organizations from continuing their menstruation education initiatives in rural areas, but multiple campaigns were held in 2022 to celebrate World Menstrual Hygiene Day. Here are five NGOs that commemorated the day by campaigning for an end to period poverty:
Global Citizen x BeyGOOD Fellows
As part of the “We Can. Period.” project, international advocacy organization Global Citizen and Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD fellowship program hosted workshops on menstrual health for schools in Lagos, promoting awareness about period poverty. In partnership with UNFPA, the organization provided students with 100 free reusable sanitary pads as well as 60 yards of fabric to create their own reusable pads.
PadUp Africa
The nonprofit was founded in 2017 with the aim of destigmatizing periods across Africa, through sensitization campaigns on menstrual hygiene management. PadUp Africa held a ‘Walk for Pad’ rally in Abuja, their second time hosting the event. Attendees walked to show their support for federal policies to address Nigeria’s period poverty and provide free menstrual products in schools.
Aniedi Etim Foundation
The foundation, in partnership with the company Oriental Energy Resources, hosted workshops on sanitary pad usage and menstrual health as part of the Girl Child Menstrual Health Education Outreach initiative. The workshops were held in a secondary school at Akwa Ibom State, where the Aniedi Etim Foundation and Oriental Energy pledged to provide students attending the event with a one-year supply of free sanitary pads.
Plan International
The international humanitarian organization, which works to support children’s rights and equality for girls, arranged a hybrid event in Bauchi State, in partnership with the Kimberly-Clark company. The event featured panel discussions with students, government officials, development partners and journalists around the theme of “Menstruation Matters: My Period, My Pride.” The purpose of the event was also to call on the Nigerian government to provide free menstrual products for adolescent girls in order to reduce period poverty.
Tabitha Cumi Foundation
The Nigerian NGO aims to empower women in marginalized communities across the country. It hosted a training session at the Abuja School of the Deaf to empower young girls with disabilities to manage their menstrual health. The event also drew attention to the necessity of inclusive menstrual health programs that are adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. Its World Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Day commemoration was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Centre for Women Development. Company Procter & Gamble also sponsored the distribution of free menstrual hygiene kits and sanitary pads at the event.
A Look Ahead
While these events were hosted on World Menstrual Hygiene Day, the organizations, among many others, work year-round to advocate for better policies and facilities to end period poverty in Nigeria.
– Ramona Mukherji
Photo: Flickr
5 Countries that Need the Water Action Plan
Three Pillars
The White House said it views water security as “sustainable access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as water to sustain ecosystems and for agriculture, energy and other economic activities.”
The water action plan focuses on three pillars to implement its goals:
While the plan did not specify nations, five countries that need the water action plan especially are Angola, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
Angola
Angola is a southern African country with a population of roughly 35 million. Only about half of Angolans have access to basic sanitation and clean water. In 2020, the U.N. reported that access to both had stagnated, hampering the efforts to achieve SDG 6 by 2030.
Malaria deaths account for over 11,000 deaths in 2020. In addition, Angola has one of the highest child mortality rates, with 71.5 of every 1,000 live births dying before age 5.
Water treatment is just one way to curb malaria and child mortality in the country. Investments from the water action plan could fund water treatment and basic sanitation services, especially in rural areas.
Somalia
Like Angola, Somalia is on the U.N.’s list of least developed countries (LDC). Clean water and sanitation services are not easily accessible in the eastern African country, as only 32% of the population used a sanitation service in 2020. In a country of roughly 15 million people, this amounts to more than 10 million people without that access.
Somalia is also amid a severe drought. The U.N. estimates that Somalia is heading toward the fourth year in a row without a successful rain season. This has devastated Somalia, with over 100,000 people relocating to find access to water.
The White House highlighted the link between global water security and national security. Somalia is a prime example: In 2014, at the height of its civil war, the terrorist group al-Shabaab used “water terrorism” to further the conflict between the citizens and the Somali government. By cutting off such a crucial resource, tensions flared, and anger toward the government grew, furthering the war.
Somalia could benefit from the water action plan’s funding to expand water access and treatment, which could have a resounding impact.
Ethiopia
Somalia’s neighbor to the west shares its water insecure status, as well as being one of 46 LDCs, according to the U.N. Ethiopia has been the focus of foreign aid for decades, stemming from the Ethiopian Civil War in the 1970s.
Ethiopia met its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for clean drinking water, the precursor to SDG 6. Since 1990, it has slashed the percentage of people without access to clean drinking water in half, with 57% of people having access to clean drinking water. This success comes from the government-run water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program.
Still, Ethiopia struggles with sanitation and waterborne illnesses, contributing to child mortality rates. According to UNICEF, the lack of treatment and sanitation of water contributes to 60% to 80% of communicable diseases in Ethiopia. In terms of child mortality, this level of water insecurity leads to 70,000 deaths of children under 5 years of age each year.
Uganda
Uganda is also on the U.N.’s LDC list. Uganda has stagnated on SDG 6, with only 55.9% of the population having access to drinking water.
Sanitation is one of the critical issues surrounding Uganda’s water crisis. In Uganda, 8.8 million people practice open defecation, contaminating the natural water supply. According to the nonprofit Water.org, 28 million Ugandans lack access to safe sanitation services, which plays a vital role in SDG 6.
The White House’s water action plan could help enrich existing aid programs through the U.S. Agency for International Development, giving 750,000 Ugandans access to clean water and providing resources to become open-defecation free.
Papua New Guinea
Though not on the LDC list, the Sustainable Development Report finds that Papua New Guinea still needs essential water services. Only 45.3% of Papua New Guinea’s citizens have access to clean drinking water, and only 19.2% have access to sanitation services. The U.N. reports that only 30% of the population can access soap and water at home for a hand washing facility.
According to UNICEF, 30% of the population use surface water daily. This likely correlates with illness and poverty among those who contract waterborne diseases.
Solutions
The White House Action Plan on Global Water Security could help these five countries in desperate need of aid to create stability and health through water and sanitation services. The World Bank estimates that global WASH programs and infrastructure would cost $35 billion to maintain each year, according to a White House report.
While more funding is called for, USAID committed to $1.2 billion in aid for three years to strengthen global water security. The water action plan is a step in the right direction and provides a starting point for these five countries and others to achieve water security.
– Emma Rushworth
Photo: Wikimedia Commons