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Move for H2O Raises $150,000 for Clean Water in Haiti

Move for H2O
Move for H2O is a Canadian fundraising initiative in partnership with HOPE International where volunteers can participate in activities to raise money for water-insecure countries. Move For H2O’s 10th annual campaign selected the Haitian region of Fon Batis to support 4,989 people in the area who must walk 3 km uphill to the nearest water source, the Marianne Spring.

Exercise for a Cause

Move for H2O organizes public and virtual athletic events across Canada that individuals or teams can participate in while fundraising. Participants registered for events like Bike in Edmonton, Run in Vancouver and Kickbox in Burnaby, all of which the organizer hosted. Others held their own athletic fundraising events from kayak paddling to dog fetching.

Throughout the weeklong event, volunteers are provided with a fundraising page. This way, friends and family can cheer them on while they work out. Move for H2O encouraged participants to move 6 km to match the distance the people of Fon Batis walk daily for water, according to its website.

Organizers at Move for H2O were excited to provide for the people of Fon Batis through the 2022 fundraiser. Haiti remains one of the world’s most water-deprived countries, with 3.3 million people lacking access to clean water. Additionally, World Bank reported that water access in Haiti has decreased from 62% in 1990 to 52% in 2015, likely due to deforestation and a lack of sanitation infrastructure in rural regions.

HOPE International describes clean water as “the catalyzing step communities take to end the extreme poverty.” The nonprofit designated this year’s fundraising campaign with the purpose of constructing a water system in Haiti. It will bring clean water from the Marianne Spring directly to the people in the 12 neighborhoods of Fon Batis, instead of the other way around.

This development could directly impact the health of people. It could improve living conditions for the women and children who trek over two hours across high and uneven terrain to the Marianne Spring, according to Move for H2O.

Move for H2O’s Fundraising Impact

This year’s fundraiser, which took place from June 10th to June 18th, raised $152,453 for Fon Batis. Move for H2O posted a Twitter update following the fundraiser, stating that the money will go toward digging trenches, installing tanks, laying pipes and assembling taps for the water system.

Six kilometers of piping will send water from the spring into four tanks, according to Move for H2O’s website. The water will flow into community taps in Fon Batis after a treatment plant filters it. The organization foresees “profound transformation” coming to Fon Batis, “because water changes everything,” Move for H2O said on Twitter.

HOPE and Move for H2O’s commitment to providing water to families improved the lives of more than 12,000 people. Over the last 10 years, the fundraiser has raised about $1.07 million which went towards various communities like the El Capotillo District of Dominican Republic and Talaxcoc, Guatemala. Move for H2O is a strong example of how compassionate and committed individuals can create lasting impacts for the communities that need it most.

– Evan Lemole
Photo: Pixabay

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Combating Human Trafficking in Myanmar

Human Trafficking in Myanmar
Human Trafficking In Myanmar and surrounding countries such as Thailand, China and Laos have historically struggled to contain trafficking throughout the region of Southeast Asia. This crisis has escalated since the Tatmadaw (Myanmar’s Army) overthrew the democratically elected members of the National League for Democracy party in early February 2021. As of 2022, the United Nations estimates there are 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers in Myanmar, nearly half of whom are children.

Regional Instability

As the world watched in disbelief as the fabric of democracy fell apart within Myanmar, many overlooked an already serious problem that had plagued the country – human trafficking.

Human trafficking in Myanmar has always been a prevalent issue. However, the recent conflict has created thousands of desperate refugees giving human traffickers an abundant amount of targets. In fact, the United Nations estimates that there are some 440,000 internally displaced people since the coup took place.

According to the 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report by the U.S. Department of State, “The international monitor-verified use of children in labor and support roles by certain military battalions increased in conflict zones.” The report indicates that the coup combined with the COVID-19 pandemic has led to reporting far fewer trafficking cases making it difficult to estimate exact figures.

Globally human trafficking has become a booming business for criminals. Some estimates predict it has become one of the world’s most profitable organized crimes, bringing in more than $150 billion globally a year. According to the Walk Free Foundation’s Global Slavery Index, two-thirds of its victims are in East Asia and the Pacific.

Where Trafficking Victims Go

Human traffickers often deceive victims with the promises of high-paying jobs in surrounding countries in fields such as construction, agriculture and hospitality. Approximately 600,000 immigrants from Myanmar are legally registered to work in Thailand. However, many more are there working illegally in underpaid inhumane working conditions in industries such as fishing, factories, agriculture and sex work. Reports estimate that “out of 1 million illegal immigrants in Thailand, 75% are from Myanmar.”

Myanmar has been a hotbed for human trafficking for years due to political instability, natural disasters and internal ethnic infighting leading to a massive lack of opportunity for its populace. Since the coup took place, the number of individuals at risk of trafficking has skyrocketed. Despite this, there has been a notable decline in the population reporting trafficking cases due to the distrust between the populace and government forces.

Thailand is not the only country for the victims. Traffickers move many young women out of Myanmar and bring them to China where there is a large market for young women for the purposes of birth trafficking. Many of these women are from the Kachin State, a predominantly Muslim and Christian minority located in Myanmar’s northernmost regions bordering China. The practice of smuggling women to another country for the purpose of marriage and childbearing has become more common as experts point out how China’s “one-child policy” preference towards boys created a massive gender ratio gap resulting in millions of unmarried young men.

According to a report from John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that surveyed four northern districts in Myanmar, there are more than 7,400 victims of forced marriage in China. “Victims of forced marriage suffer a range of rights violations and exposure to physical and psychological risks,” said Courtland Robinson, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of International Health at the Bloomberg School. The true number of Myanmarese women trafficked into China is likely far higher due to only four districts (out of 74) examined in the study as well as this study dating back to 2017 and 2018, three years prior to the military coup.

Causes

When examining the root of human trafficking in Myanmar, the two largest causes would be poverty and political instability. The recent conflict has only exacerbated the flood of refugees making it easier for traffickers to take advantage of desperate people. Military control over Myanmar’s government has resulted in the loss of practically all trust between the government and the populace, creating a need for NGOs and other nonprofits to step in and provide aid.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is an NGO that has been operating in Myanmar since 2008 and continues to provide aid such as health care, water and sanitation services, career training and support for community development projects.

The IRC primarily operates in Myanmar’s most at-risk and remote regions such as Rakhine, Chin and Shan states. Some strategies the IRC uses to bring stability to the region include; teaching farmers modern agricultural techniques and technologies, assisting communities in the development of projects such as schools and health care centers and operating women and girls’ centers to support survivors of trafficking violence. The IRC also provides aid to thousands of refugees located in nine camps across the Thai border. The International Rescue Committee’s goal in Myanmar is to eventually stabilize the region through implementing infrastructure assistance.

With no assistance from the government and minimal response from members of the international community, the importance of NGOs and nonprofits operating in Myanmar is huge. As regional instability increases and the armed conflict continues, more people in Myanmar become displaced and are at risk of becoming trafficking victims every day. However, with the support of NGOs and nonprofits that are taking proactive and reactive measures to stabilize Myanmar, human trafficking in Myanmar can reduce.

– Michael McShane
Photo: Flickr

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CWTL Provides Tablets to Children

Tablets to Children
The Can’t Wait to Learn Program (CWTL) which began in 2021 runs in five countries and provides tablets to children in remote areas with high learning poverty. The program aims to provide education to children affected by conflict in Sudan, Jordan, Chad, Uganda and Lebanon. On June 23, 2022, a report announced that learning poverty in low-income and middle-income countries had increased by 13%.

The learning poverty increase is due to lowered household income and extended school closures during the pandemic and conflict in given countries. Learning poverty measurements occur by studying 10-year-olds’ ability to read and comprehend simple written text. In 2015, learning poverty in low-income and middle-income areas was at 57%. As of June 23, learning poverty increased to 70% of children unable to read simple text.

Can’t Wait to Learn

The Ministry of Education (MoE), UNICEF, War Child Holland and Ahfad University partnered to create the first Can’t Wait to Learn Program. They created the program in Sudan in in 2014 with their e-Learning Sudan (eLs) Project. This phase of the Can’t Wait to Learn program focused on math games on tablets.

In Sudan, conflict affects 2.6 million children. As of August 2019, approximately 3 million children were not in school. This amounts to around one-third of children who are old enough to attend school missing crucial learning.

The Can’t Wait to Learn Project relies on local facilitators who can travel to villages and understand how to use the tablets. In Kassala, Sudan Can’t Wait to Learn established learning centers in 23 communities. This was the start of Can’t Wait to Learn’s fight against learning poverty, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Can’t Wait to Learn @ Home

In refugee camps in Uganda and Lebanon, CWTL adapted to have children learn remotely. In June 2021, Uganda’s government enforced a 42-day lockdown, meaning that schools were closed to children and travel was limited. With public transit closed, War Child Holland provided bikes to facilitators to check on families and deliver charged tablets to their homes.

With the pandemic, more than 1.2 million children in Lebanon missed school. War Child Holland has 40 locations in Lebanon, helping Lebanese families that cannot send their children to school. More than 40% of children spend their family finances on essential items such as food. In response, War Child created Can’t Wait to Learn @ Home, where families receive a manual to help their children use their tablets.

Inside and outside of schools in developing countries, CWTL provides tablets with educational games to children. The games are meant to teach children how to read, write and count. In each country, games receive adjustments for specific languages and needs of the children in the area. Out of school children who may have never used a computer before can learn with a tablet without teacher assistance.

Results and Future

Children in the program showed improved skills greater than those in the Government Alternative Learning programme (ALP). Children improved their math skills by two times and reading skills by 2.7 times with the ALP. COVID-19 worsened the learning poverty crisis, showing risk of children missing out on $21 trillion in possible income.

Can’t Wait to Learn and Can’t Wait to Learn @ Home provide the opportunity for children to continue their schooling despite the state of where they live. Through crises, a pandemic and low family income, the program continues to provide tablets and learning opportunities to children around the world.

– Sara Sweitzer
Photo: Flickr

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War in Ukraine Exacerbates Hunger in Lebanon

Hunger in Lebanon
The war in Ukraine has resulted in a grain shortage in Africa and the Middle East and enhanced hunger in Lebanon. In 2021, more than 60% of wheat exports to Lebanon came from the Ukraine and 80% come from Russia and the Ukraine combined. This is due to the explosion in Beirut in August 2020 which destroyed the main grain silos in Lebanon. Bakeries are rationing bread and between February and March, general food prices were up 14%. This number was much higher for products such as white sugar which was up 72% and sunflower oil at 83%. Many people are facing starvation as they are no longer able to afford basic food supplies.

The war in Ukraine only enhanced existing poverty and hunger in Lebanon. The economic crisis in 2019, COVID-19, the Beirut explosion, and now the war in Ukraine results in a population where 80% live below the poverty line. Sami Nader, director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs stated that “there is no clear solution.” Lebanon is hoping to receive $3 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a rescue loan that is contingent upon reforms within the Lebanese government. Nader does not believe this loan will receive approval. Nader stated that “The government has submitted a draft plan for financial reconstruction to the IMF to start financing. But is the government capable of implementing this plan? The answer is no.”

Humanitarian Aid

Furthermore, the Lebanese population is hesitant to trust their government with aid money because of past corruption. Fortunately, the World Food Programme (WFP) implemented a new program in Lebanon that distributes food vouchers as electronic cards that people can use in more than 400 grocery stores. Individuals can also use the cards at ATMs to withdraw money for basic needs. This electronic card system allows beneficiaries to decide their meals, providing them access to fresh produce. In addition, it boosts the local economy by supporting local businesses. The WFP also supports ending hunger in Lebanon in the education system. The WFP provides nutritious snacks to vulnerable Lebanese and refugee children in public schools across Lebanon. The snacks make up 40% of the monthly nutritional needs and they are an incentive for parents to keep their children in school.

Local Progress

On a local level, Matbakh el Kell community kitchen in Beirut has taken action to provide both food and job opportunities for the Lebanese people. Matbakh el Kell emerged in response to the Beirut explosion in 2020 to serve people in great economic crisis. The kitchen works in partnership with Achrafieh 2020, Bonheur Du Ciel, Beit El Baraka, Teta w Jiddo Project, Lebanese Food Bank, Mar Mikhael Church, Karantina Hospital and Beb w Chebbek who distribute the meals to beneficiaries in different communities across Beirut. Some of the beneficiaries include the elderly in Mar Mikhael neighborhood, outpatients at Karantina Hospital and orphans at Burj Hammoud.

During the holy month of Ramadan, hundreds of food packages stood ready to deliver for people who were unable to have meals without this aid. The women in the kitchen were cooking with only local supplies as the war in Ukraine prevented foreign supplies. An example of a food package is coleslaw, a rice dish and fruit.

The Lebanese people have been suffering for three years since the economic crisis in 2019. Hunger levels are rapidly increasing as food becomes unaffordable and scarce. Non-governmental aid has been crucial. The World Food Programme (WFP) designed a mutually beneficial system for Lebanese businesses and electronic card recipients while also assisting the retention rate of education. Matbakh el Kell sends thousands of food packages a day to vulnerable groups in the Beirut community. While the government is unable to support its people, it is the organizations that fight hunger in Lebanon.

– Jordan Oh
Photo: Flickr

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What Boric’s Election Means for Poverty in Chile

Boric’s Election
Following a highly polarized election, Chile elected Gabriel Boric, aged 35, as Chile’s youngest president in December 2021. Running as a fierce advocate for poverty and inequality reduction, Boric has pledged to overhaul the country’s economy and society to become more inclusive and prosperous for all Chileans. Winning 56% of the people’s votes, Boric’s election means he has achieved the mandate needed to push through such transformative policies. Through these policies, Chile can become a model for more inclusive economic development that promises adequate living standards for all in a country nonetheless deeply divided over the direction Boric is proposing to take.

Democracy is Critical to Reducing Poverty in Chile

Boric has led to commitments to protect Chilean democracy and avoid the paths taken by other autocratic regimes in Latin America, such as those of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, in pursuit of socio-economic equality. Boric says that poverty in Chile can only reduce by protecting the institutions that safeguard democratic regimes, such as rule of law, freedom of the press, free and fair elections, constitutional government and support for human rights.

Overhauling Chile’s Economy to Reduce Poverty and Inequality

Between 2019 and 2020, Chile saw a wave of national protests over increased transportation fees that catalyzed into general protests over socio-economic inequality and corruption throughout the country. This allowed the political environment for Boric to thrive to emerge.

After Boric’s election, he pledged to overhaul an economy in one of the most unequal countries in the world to benefit all Chileans and reduce poverty in Chile. Boric has much work to do as 1% of Chileans control 25% of the nation’s wealth. Chile also has a 44.9 Gini index ranking as of 2020, indicating a high level of wealth inequality.

Boric proposed a series of sweeping reforms that include reducing the 45 hour-workweek to 40, expanding pensions and universal health insurance, investing in renewable energy and raising tax rates on corporations historically favored in Chile’s economy to fund investments in infrastructure, education and health care.

Such policies promise to transform Chile’s economy and reorient it to focus on poverty reduction and higher living standards for all Chileans rather than economic growth alone. Boric’s proposals could also address a troubling national problem. About one in five Chileans live in multidimensional poverty as of 2017, a measurement by the World Bank that takes into account “additional deprivations experienced by the poor in addition to the extreme poverty threshold of $1.90.”

These policies could also reduce Chile’s unemployment rate following Boric’s election. Unemployment in Chile as of 2021 stands at 9.1%, indicating that the economy is still struggling with the destabilizing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic where Chilean unemployment peaked at 11.2% in 2020 and stood at 7.3% at the pre-pandemic 2019 level.

Boric’s election offers hope for a better quality of life through investments in infrastructure, education, health care and housing to raise living standards for all Chileans and stimulate the economy at the same time.

Gender Equality: A Critical Component of Reducing Poverty in Chile

Another major strategy of Boric to reduce poverty in Chile is to increase the role of women in the Chilean economy. Boric announced a goal of creating 500,000 new jobs for women over the course of his presidency. Boric intends to prioritize women, who constitute about 50% of Chile’s population, to ensure higher living standards for all Chileans and reduce poverty in Chile in the process. Currently, female labor participation in Chile stands at 41.3% as of 2021. This statistic indicates that there is significant potential for Chilean women to contribute to the economy and reduce poverty if given the equal opportunities Boric pledges to create.

One can also see Boric’s attempts to empower Chilean women in the unprecedented level of representation in his cabinet as 14 out of 24 ministers are women, making Boric’s cabinet the first female majority cabinet in Chile’s history. This unprecedented level of female representation in Chile’s government signals that Boric intends to politically and economically empower Chile’s historically excluded female population. Female economic participation results in dual-income earners, which will help strengthen the economy and build a middle-class society.

Every Citizen Can Play a Role in Reducing Poverty in Chile

Boric’s story itself inspires hope in Chileans that anyone can play a role in reducing poverty in Chile. Boric started out as a student activist from 2011-2013, leading protests for more affordable education opportunities. In 2013, Boric was “elected to congress for Magallanes as an independent.” He then became Chile’s youngest president, inaugurated in 2022.

Boric’s story shows how everyday people can play a role in fighting for equal opportunities and effecting change in Chile and beyond. Given his age, Boric’s election presents the potential for youths to play a part in reducing poverty and achieving a better world for future generations.

Chile is a country that has experienced mass upheaval in recent years due to impoverishment and inequalities that have lingered beneath the surface of its stable economic growth relative to other Latin American countries. Boric offers solutions both for addressing this poverty and demonstrating to a nation hungry for socio-economic security that everyday people have a role to play. Boric’s election serves as an inspiration to the youth of all countries, encouraging them to undertake grassroots activism to address poverty and effect change.

– John Zak
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

New App Combating South African Youth Poverty

South African Youth Poverty
The South African mobile communications company, Vodacom Group Limited, is launching a new app that targets the rising South African youth poverty. As South African smartphone use is on the rise among young adults, the new app directly connects individuals in need of jobs with those hiring to reduce youth poverty quickly. Also, the goal is to, hopefully, over time, decrease the adult South African poverty rates.

South African Youth Poverty

As of 2020, six out of 10 children in South Africa live in “multidimensional poverty.” That figure translates to 62.1% of South African youth who live in poverty. Multidimensional poverty considers factors beyond economic disadvantages and includes other factors, such as food insecurity, poor health and lack of education.

When considering the elements of multidimensional poverty, most experts place their hopes of decreasing poverty or unemployment rates on improving education for South Africans. However, there is more to do when individuals who have what qualifies as a “good education” remain unemployed and incapable of escaping poverty.

South African youth make up 35.7% of the country’s overall population and their unemployment rate soars above the general South African unemployment national average, which is 34.5%. The youngest graduating group, 15-24-year-olds, has had an unsteady unemployment rate, but it reached 63.9% in the first quarter of 2022.

The second-youngest group, those aged 25-34, has an unemployment rate of 42.1%, according to Statistics South Africa. Vodacom hopes to target these numbers at their source and get those graduating jobs as soon as possible before poverty becomes an insurmountable force.

Vodacom’s Impacts on South African Youth Poverty

Get-A-Gig is not Vodacom’s first attempt to decrease poverty in South Africa, especially among the South African youth. The company has expressed its dedication to assisting with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in South Africa. There are several goals, but Vodacom has announced its desire to focus on the SDGs of improving education and helping South Africans find reliable work and income. To improve and expand access to education in South Africa, Vodacom created a school management application that helps students stay on track in their lessons and track academic growth. Furthermore, Vodacom has invested more than R7.9 million in schools to improve resources and empower teachers.

The youth employment program in the hiring and recruiting phases by Vodacom offers a position to recent college graduates, regardless of age, that comes with full benefits and salaries. The youth employment program provides two years of required training before transitioning to a full-time employee role at Vodacom. This program will launch in February 2023. However, in the meantime, Get-A-Gig will help South African youth seeking a job to find one outside of Vodacom.

How Does Get-A-Gig Work?

The new app targets South African youth via phone usage. Smartphones are standard in South Africa, with 41% of South Africans between 18-34 having smartphones. Meanwhile, other age groups fall further behind in smartphone ownership, for example, only 27% of those 35 and older have their own smartphones. Smartphones are a daily household object with the number of young adults utilizing cell phones growing yearly. The daily usage of smartphones in South Africa is also on the rise, especially among younger South Africans. This is the age group Vodacom is trying to reach with Get-A-Gig.

Vodacom launched the app through one of the company’s easily accessible platforms, NXT LVL. The app helps individuals search for jobs and connect them with business owners. The users can then begin a quick application and hiring process to minimize the time someone is out of a job. The app is free and available through the, My Vodacom App and VodaPay, which are also free.

At the announcement of the app’s launch, the Chief Officer of Consumer Business at Vodacom, Jorge Mendes, immediately clarified the app’s intention to target unemployment and poverty in South African youth, “As we innovate and bring new propositions to the market, we are mindful of the challenges that consumers at large face. The revamp of the NXT LVL platform and the launch of Get-A-Gig are some of the initiatives we introduced, aiming to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young South Africans,” IT News Africa reported.

The continuation of targeting poverty and unemployment in South Africa indicates Vodacom’s dedication to assisting South African youth. Get-A-Gig’s usage will mean South African youth can easily find jobs and that there will be fewer barriers keeping South Africans living above the poverty line. South African poverty and unemployment remain an issue. Still, it is the assistance of companies like Vodacom, that make it possible to see a future without these plaguing issues.

– Clara Mulvihill
Photo: Flickr

Nigeria’s 2023 Election Brings Hope for Change

Nigeria’s 2023 Election
Although Nigeria’s 2023 election is a while away, political parties have already nominated their preferred candidates. The two spearheading candidates are Bola Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress, current president Muhammadu Buhari’s party and Atiku Abubakar from the opposing People’s Democratic Party. Additionally, the less popular Labour Party picked Peter Obi as their candidate. Nigeria’s election and future rest in their hands.

Nigeria’s Current Issues

The next Nigerian president is bound to have a wide array of issues to address. One issue to address is the rising poverty and unemployment. As of June 2021, Nigeria ranked as the country with the third-highest number of unemployed people. From the second to the fourth quarter of 2020, the West African nation experienced a 6.2% increase in the unemployment rate. The year ended with 33.3% of Nigeria unemployed.

As of March 2022, up to 40% of Nigerians live below the country’s poverty line. Incumbent Nigerian President Buhari received criticism for failing to find a solution to the issues.

Banditry is another large issue in Nigeria. The conflict has been ongoing since 2010, resulting in more than 12,000 deaths. It is concentrated in the northwestern region of the country. The bandits travel armed on motorcycle or horseback when invading towns and villages, usually before conducting a kidnap. In 2019, four unidentified gunmen kidnapped Musa Umar, the district head of a northern Nigeria town called Daura.  Daura is also the hometown of current president Buhari, who, at the time of the kidnapping, was in London.

Banditry-related deaths in Nigeria have been on the rise in recent years. More than 2,600 civilian deaths occurred in 2021 which is more than a 250% increase from 2020. Whichever candidate wins the 2023 election will have to combat his country’s worsening bandit crisis.

Bola Tinubu

When Tinbu polled 1,271 votes and won the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu promised to “make Nigeria the best home for its citizens.” The former governor of Lagos State also said he would “change the face of the national economy” through accelerated progressive reform. Nigeria’s economy has been struggling since Buhari took power. Living standards have decreased and inflation has increased, with prices shooting three times higher than before.

In April 2022, Tinubu addressed a large gathering of young Nigerians, declaring that a country free of banditry was possible.

Tinubu also plans to lower Nigeria’s dependence on imports by growing manufacturing through a deep seaport installation in the south of the country and furthering oil and gas exploration.

Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Abubakar is currently on his third presidential campaign. Similar to his political opponent, Abubakar pledged to end Nigeria’s violence issue. The former Vice President of Nigeria was once committed to privatizing state-owned oil and revitalizing investment in private infrastructure.

In his campaign, Abubakar has promised to end the lack of security in Nigeria and strengthen the flailing economy, alongside a pledge to restore unity. After Abubakar secured his position as the People’s Democratic Party presidential candidate, he accused Tinubu’s party of being the reason for division in Nigeria and the country’s economic struggle.

Whichever candidate wins Nigeria’s 2023 election will have to combat banditry, inflation, poverty and general insecurity. Nigeria’s 2023 election and future hold uncertainty that only Bola Tinubu or Atiku Abubakar can make clear.

– Sophie Buibas
Photo: Flickr

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Kangaroo Mother Care: A Newborn Care Technique

Newborn Care
In 2020 alone, about 2.4 million newborns died around the globe. But, one simple newborn care technique could help bring this number down. This type of infant care is kangaroo mother care.

About Kangaroo Mother Care

Kangaroo mother care describes a style of newborn care for preterm or low birth weight infants that maximizes skin-to-skin contact between the mother and her baby and emphasizes exclusive breastfeeding — an alternative to incubator care where infants and mothers are separated for most of the day. Mothers practicing kangaroo mother care typically spend more than 15 hours each day holding their infants in a way that allows for skin-to-skin contact.

Kangaroo mother care has many benefits. Research has shown that for infants with low birth weight, this type of care can improve body temperature regulation, decease chances of hypothermia, improve physiological stability, foster healthier sleeping patterns, decrease the chance of infection or illness, and, most notably, lead to a 40% drop in mortality when compared with conventional care using an incubator or infant warmer.

How Kangaroo Mother Care is Changing

A group of Colombian doctors developed kangaroo mother care in the 1970s as a way to care for premature infants in resource-scarce hospitals. Those doctors soon found that the practice led to an unexpected drop in neonatal mortality, a trend that years of subsequent research have confirmed.

Though the practice has been slowly gaining popularity over the past several decades, new research pointed to a simple change to the technique that could make it more effective. A 2021 study that the World Health Organization (WHO) organized found that starting kangaroo mother care immediately after birth, rather than waiting for the infant to first become stable, could make kangaroo mother care even more effective at reducing infant mortality.

The study collected data from participants in five low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa and compared patients who practiced immediate kangaroo mother care to those who waited for the infant to stabilize before initiating kangaroo mother care, the approach that the WHO currently recommends. Beginning kangaroo mother care without waiting for the baby to stabilize led to a 25% reduction in mortality beyond the mortality reduction already associated with traditional kangaroo mother care, the study found. The WHO estimates that implementing this earlier start to kangaroo mother care could save as many as 150,000 babies’ lives every year.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The pandemic has affected how medical professionals approach many aspects of health care, including newborn care. A survey published in March 2021 with 1,120 respondents from 62 mostly low- and middle-income countries demonstrated that neonatal health care providers were less likely to practice kangaroo mother care during the pandemic.

Of the survey respondents, two-thirds said that they would not allow a mother who had tested positive for COVID-19 to engage in kangaroo mother care and more than one in five said they would not permit the practice even if the mother had tested negative. More generally, 85% of providers reported regularly implementing the practice before the pandemic while only 55% of providers said they still implement the practice during the pandemic.

The Benefits Outweigh Risks

Despite the decrease in kangaroo mother care during the pandemic, a separate analysis demonstrated that, for low-birth-weight infants, the benefits of kangaroo mother care far outweighed the risks that COVID-19 posed. Even in a worst-case scenario where the transmission rate between infected mothers and their infants is 100%, the mortality reduction from the practice still outweighed the mortality risk from COVID-19 65-fold. In reality, the COVID-19 transmission rate is much lower than 100%, so the benefits that this model estimates are conservative.

Given the relatively low risk of COVID-19 when compared with the benefits of kangaroo mother care, educating mothers and health care providers globally on this reality could help save countless infants’ lives. Inadequate dissemination of information, however, is not the only barrier to practicing kangaroo mother care during the pandemic.

Fewer women are opting to give birth in hospitals due to fear of catching COVID-19 and resource-strapped hospitals are sending patients home earlier. The latest data from the Africa CDC indicates that only 18.3% of Africans have received full vaccinations to protect against COVID-19. Increased vaccine distribution has the potential not only to protect more Africans from infection but to improve access to infant health care, including kangaroo mother care.

While COVID-19 has become another obstacle on the path to ending infant mortality, new findings promise a straightforward and cost-free approach to improving low birth weight newborns’ outcomes. Simply starting kangaroo mother care a few days earlier could save tens of thousands more babies’ lives every year.

– Anna Inghram
Photo: Flickr

The Coffee Industry in Central America

Coffee Industry in Central America
Coffee production plays a significant role in Central America’s economy and continues to be a major export crop in an industry that impacts more than 1.2 million employed workers across the region. An ongoing coffee crisis caused by falling world prices, shifting climates and natural disasters has left many smallholder farmers struggling to turn a profit on their crops, driving many out of Central America for a better chance in the United States. Texas A&M University’s Norman Borlaug Institute is addressing the threats that the coffee industry in Central America faces through the education and training programs of its Center for Coffee Research and Education (CCRE).

An Ongoing Coffee Crisis

CCRE, established in 2016, is a branch of the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture at Texas A&M University that works to refine global coffee quality and supply through research and capacity building. The Borlaug Institute first got involved in the coffee industry in the 2000s after organizing a project alongside USAID to support women coffee farmers in Rwanda, according to CCRE assistant director Eric Brenner. The Borlaug Institute also assisted in Central America following a 2012 outbreak of a coffee leaf rust disease stemming from the fungus Hemileia vastatrix or “La Roya.”

Resilient Coffee in Central America

Preventing coffee leaf rust formed a fundamental goal of CCRE’s Resilient Coffee in Central America project, which lasted from 2018 to 2020. This USAID-sponsored project emerged to research and promote newer crop management methods and train smallholder farmers with climate-resilient agricultural practices. The project took place in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, reaching an estimated 745,000 hectares of land used for coffee production. The leaf rust outbreak most harshly impacted these three countries, affecting about 50% of coffee crop acreage and resulting in more than $1 billion in damages in 2013 alone.

The Resilient Coffee in Central America project directly benefited more than 22,000 smallholder farmers by establishing 104 demonstration plots on farms across the three countries, each showing the capabilities of rust-resistant coffee hybrids and varieties. The demonstration plots also promote better management and processing practices while advocating market diversity by growing different varieties of coffee plants. According to USAID, the project also “promotes new economic opportunities, particularly for women and youth, including plant nursery management, coffee milling, energy generation, marketing, cupping and retail occupations, such as baristas,” thus reducing the need to migrate due to a lack of employment opportunities.

Rust Outbreak Returns Amid Pandemic

CCRE’s efforts have not gone unnoticed in Central America, but climate-related setbacks are still affecting crop production on coffee farms. In November 2020, Hurricanes Eta and Iota wracked Central America, affecting more than 7.5 million people in the region. The two hurricanes left a wave of intense humidity in their wake, spurring a revival of the leaf rust disease.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, coffee exports in Central America have drastically decreased. For example, the 2019/2020 harvest season, which starts in October and ends in September, had a 17% reduction in exports. The region’s coffee recession has significant links to the lasting effects of the hurricanes, the lockdowns caused by COVID-19 and the cyclical nature of the leaf rust breakouts.

Honduran Coffee Academy

In 2020, Honduras, “the region’s largest producer,” stood as one of the worst-affected coffee exporters of Central America. In the first four months of the 2019/2020 harvest season, coffee exports from Honduras reduced by 40%.

CCRE’s latest project, the Honduran Coffee Academy, serves to improve working conditions with employee training programs and coffee research. Located at the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE) in the capital city Tegucigalpa, the facility offers training and education on topics ranging from coffee genetics, crop management, nursery management, water management and more. Roger Norton, regional director of the Borlaug Institute, believes the project “will contribute to strengthening the livelihoods of coffee farming families and the international competitiveness” of the coffee sector.

The CCRE at the Borlaug Institute continues to support the labor force in the coffee sector by training people on sustainable practices to prevent the disastrous effects of leaf rust diseases. Projects like Resilient Coffee in Central America and the Honduran Coffee Academy help workers in the coffee industry in Central America prepare for the many uncertainties the industry faces.

– Evan Lemole
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

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Health Care in Luxembourg

Health Care in LuxembourgLandlocked and located in Europe, the small country of Luxembourg features beautiful landscapes and diverse intercontinental ties. Amidst these features, health care in Luxembourg has been established so there is a plan for all citizens to access the needed tools to stay healthy.

The National Health Fund

Prior to 2008, Luxembourg retained separate health insurance in various sectors as well as the Union of Health Insurance Funds. However, in 2008, these separate institutions joined to create the National Health Fund.

The National Health Fund coordinates the health care system and social security provides funding. People apply for reimbursements for their medical bills after seeking medical care. In other instances, such as prescriptions or charges from the hospital, third parties provide insurance and coordinate directly with the National Health Fund. The individual pays for the remainder of the bill that insurance does not cover. Citizens additionally have the option of private insurance, often offered through employers.

COVID-19 Health Care Response

An evaluation of health care in Luxembourg must include an assessment of the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis naturally tests the system’s response. Efforts to combat the pandemic included a task force, named Research Luxembourg, that coordinated communication of health information between various research institutions. The Luxembourg Institute of Health also focused on educating the public about ongoing research.

Similarly, Luxembourg remains a member of The Global Fund, which contributes to battling diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. During the pandemic, Luxembourg donated to the fund to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on already existing programs for AIDS, TB and malaria. Particularly important is the donation’s impact on low-income countries in fighting both COVID-19 and the organization’s prior infectious disease focuses.

Caritas Luxembourg works to reach vulnerable members of the community including youth, migrants and those without a home. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of nurses alongside others in the medical network created a program to provide hygiene and health care to Luxembourg’s homeless. These are individuals that might not have access to health care in Luxembourg in the traditional ways.

Current Efforts

Luxembourg fights poverty by making commitments to improve the health of mothers and adolescents. For example, the government offers a birth allowance that mothers apply for after the birth of their child. To receive the allowance, mothers must attend medical examinations for themselves and the child before and after birth.

Furthermore, Luxembourg is a key contributor to the World Health Organization (WHO), ranking seventh in the years 2020-2021. It is a supporter of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme and the Contingency Fund for Emergencies. Finally, Luxembourg provides funding for “Healthier Kosovo” in an endeavor to improve health issues related to air pollution in the environment.

International Health Cooperation

In addition to improvements to health care in Luxembourg, the country prioritizes health in other contexts. The Small Countries Initiative includes Luxembourg. The WHO created this group in 2013 between eight European countries to facilitate communication on reporting health information within their systems and to the public. The members periodically attend meetings to discuss the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Luxembourg also partnered with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the WHO to create a program for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). The program aims to improve the health of those listed in its title with the goal to reduce poverty within the country. The program began the third phase in 2022.

In addition to their partnership with Laos PDR, Luxembourg also partners with Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Mali, Niger and Senegal in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Partnership, according to WHO.

Initiated in 2011, the UHC Partnership connects Luxembourg with a variety of global actors including the WHO, the European Union, Japan and Canada. The organization works to provide assistance in planning systems to facilitate access to health care. It ensures that people receive health care at both an individual and community level. Thus far, the partnership has impacted 115 countries. It also incorporated more than 120 advisors to engage in the dialogue necessary to implement these systems.

For example, in Rwanda, the addition of health posts improved access to health care by decreasing travel time from an average of 95 minutes to 47 minutes to receive services with future goals to further decrease this time.

Luxembourg continues to provide innovative solutions to domestic health care systems as well as improve health abroad. Its solutions contribute to progress in decreasing global poverty through the medium of health.

– Kaylee Messick
Photo: Flickr