Around 160 million children around the world ages 5 to 17 are involved in child labor and more than 79 million of them are working in dangerous conditions that put their lives at major risk. Over the last four years, there has been an increase of 8.4 million children now engrossed in the act of child labor and that number is predicted to rise significantly even just for the year 2022. Despite this issue ascending, there is a multitude of organizations working to end child labor worldwide.
Child Labor and its Impact
Child labor is when someone exploits children into work that is dangerous and hazardous almost 50% of the time. This prevents them from having a normal childhood and leaves them unable to attend school. This issue is present in countries all over the world and sub-Saharan Africa has the most child laborers in the world with over 86.6 million, according to World Vision.
Poverty and poor schools are the two biggest causes of child labor in low-income countries. However, the problem is still prevalent in middle and high-income countries. “About 93.4 million children, 58.4% of child laborers, live in middle-income countries and 1.6 million child laborers live in high-income countries,” World Vision reported on its website.
Slavery, child trafficking, forced recruitment into armed conflict, prostitution and pornography, drug production and debt bondage are the worst forms of child labor, according to World Vision. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that 22,000 children die each year at work due to unsafe environments. The most common form of child labor is agriculture work with more than 70% of laborers working in that field, World Vision reported.
One in three children in child labor is unable to receive an education due to how demanding their work schedule is, which is only going to continue the poverty and child labor cycle. According to UNICEF, there are 9 million additional children globally at risk of ending up in child labor by the end of 2022 as a result of the pandemic.” Luckily there are organizations working to end child labor, so hopefully, that number will not be as extreme.
The Global March Against Child Labour
The Global March Against Child Labour (Global March) is a global organization made-up of trade unions, teacher associations and civic organizations, with the purpose of ending child exploitation and trafficking, while focusing on providing quality education to all children. Global March began in 1998 when thousands of people, including world leaders came together to march against child labor in 103 countries to bring awareness to the problem.
The organization takes part in local, national, regional and global efforts in protecting and promoting the rights of children. Its goal is to change the system that compels children to have to work in the first place. Some of the issues it is addressing in order to improve children’s future: “the elimination of child labor, education for all and poverty alleviation.”
The organization has multiple programs in place as well as events aiding the end of child labor. It also has a current campaign called “Will you dance with us?,” which aims to show world leaders the importance of education and how many children in Africa (87 million) are working instead of going to school.
GoodWeave
GoodWeave, an organization that began in 1994, “is the leading global institution with a mission to stop child labor in global supply chains through a market-based holistic and authentic system.” Since 1994, the organization has rescued over 6,700 children from child labor and provided educational opportunities to over 26,000 children. It reached more than 75,000 workers in supply chains in 2018. In partnership with more than 350 organizations worldwide, GoodWeave aims to heal and educate exploited children and address the root causes of child labor.
There is “The GoodWeave Label,” which is a label on products that means no child labor went into the creation of that product. The purchase of products with this label shows support for programs trying to educate children and ensure adequate work for adults. “GoodWeave makes regular, unannounced inspections of all production facilities that cover tier-one factories and all outsourced production, including homes, to verify compliance with this Standard,” the organization said on its website.
Love146
Rob Morris founded Love146, a global organization, in 2002 with the mission of ending child trafficking and exploitation. The values Love146 operates under are “defiant hope, steady perseverance, deliberate collaboration, relentless advocacy, intentional thoughtfulness and unfiltered joy.” Services provided to positively outcome children include preventative education and supportive programming for financial independence, skills and resources.
There is a current project in the Philippines to provide holistic care to children in Love146’s care. The staff there created innovative ways to provide “education, recreation, health care and other services could be provided to children on-site,” according to its annual report.
Love146 reached more than 3,500 children through survivor care. It also reached more than 16,000 professionals, community members and caregivers to support Love146’s vision. Prevention and community education reached more than 63,000 children, thanks to Love146. “The trafficking and exploitation of children are one of the most severe human rights abuses imaginable,” Morris said on the organization’s website.
There are millions of children forced into labor each year and that number could only go up. By the end of this year, UNICEF predicts that 9 million children could go into child labor. This means they are most likely going to lose access to their education and have a poverty-based future, continuing the cycle between poverty and child labor. Child exploitation is an ongoing issue around the world, but these are just a few of the many organizations working to end child labor permanently around the world.
– Dylan Olive
Photo: Unsplash
3 Organizations Working to End Child Labor
Around 160 million children around the world ages 5 to 17 are involved in child labor and more than 79 million of them are working in dangerous conditions that put their lives at major risk. Over the last four years, there has been an increase of 8.4 million children now engrossed in the act of child labor and that number is predicted to rise significantly even just for the year 2022. Despite this issue ascending, there is a multitude of organizations working to end child labor worldwide.
Child Labor and its Impact
Child labor is when someone exploits children into work that is dangerous and hazardous almost 50% of the time. This prevents them from having a normal childhood and leaves them unable to attend school. This issue is present in countries all over the world and sub-Saharan Africa has the most child laborers in the world with over 86.6 million, according to World Vision.
Poverty and poor schools are the two biggest causes of child labor in low-income countries. However, the problem is still prevalent in middle and high-income countries. “About 93.4 million children, 58.4% of child laborers, live in middle-income countries and 1.6 million child laborers live in high-income countries,” World Vision reported on its website.
Slavery, child trafficking, forced recruitment into armed conflict, prostitution and pornography, drug production and debt bondage are the worst forms of child labor, according to World Vision. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that 22,000 children die each year at work due to unsafe environments. The most common form of child labor is agriculture work with more than 70% of laborers working in that field, World Vision reported.
One in three children in child labor is unable to receive an education due to how demanding their work schedule is, which is only going to continue the poverty and child labor cycle. According to UNICEF, there are 9 million additional children globally at risk of ending up in child labor by the end of 2022 as a result of the pandemic.” Luckily there are organizations working to end child labor, so hopefully, that number will not be as extreme.
The Global March Against Child Labour
The Global March Against Child Labour (Global March) is a global organization made-up of trade unions, teacher associations and civic organizations, with the purpose of ending child exploitation and trafficking, while focusing on providing quality education to all children. Global March began in 1998 when thousands of people, including world leaders came together to march against child labor in 103 countries to bring awareness to the problem.
The organization takes part in local, national, regional and global efforts in protecting and promoting the rights of children. Its goal is to change the system that compels children to have to work in the first place. Some of the issues it is addressing in order to improve children’s future: “the elimination of child labor, education for all and poverty alleviation.”
The organization has multiple programs in place as well as events aiding the end of child labor. It also has a current campaign called “Will you dance with us?,” which aims to show world leaders the importance of education and how many children in Africa (87 million) are working instead of going to school.
GoodWeave
GoodWeave, an organization that began in 1994, “is the leading global institution with a mission to stop child labor in global supply chains through a market-based holistic and authentic system.” Since 1994, the organization has rescued over 6,700 children from child labor and provided educational opportunities to over 26,000 children. It reached more than 75,000 workers in supply chains in 2018. In partnership with more than 350 organizations worldwide, GoodWeave aims to heal and educate exploited children and address the root causes of child labor.
There is “The GoodWeave Label,” which is a label on products that means no child labor went into the creation of that product. The purchase of products with this label shows support for programs trying to educate children and ensure adequate work for adults. “GoodWeave makes regular, unannounced inspections of all production facilities that cover tier-one factories and all outsourced production, including homes, to verify compliance with this Standard,” the organization said on its website.
Love146
Rob Morris founded Love146, a global organization, in 2002 with the mission of ending child trafficking and exploitation. The values Love146 operates under are “defiant hope, steady perseverance, deliberate collaboration, relentless advocacy, intentional thoughtfulness and unfiltered joy.” Services provided to positively outcome children include preventative education and supportive programming for financial independence, skills and resources.
There is a current project in the Philippines to provide holistic care to children in Love146’s care. The staff there created innovative ways to provide “education, recreation, health care and other services could be provided to children on-site,” according to its annual report.
Love146 reached more than 3,500 children through survivor care. It also reached more than 16,000 professionals, community members and caregivers to support Love146’s vision. Prevention and community education reached more than 63,000 children, thanks to Love146. “The trafficking and exploitation of children are one of the most severe human rights abuses imaginable,” Morris said on the organization’s website.
There are millions of children forced into labor each year and that number could only go up. By the end of this year, UNICEF predicts that 9 million children could go into child labor. This means they are most likely going to lose access to their education and have a poverty-based future, continuing the cycle between poverty and child labor. Child exploitation is an ongoing issue around the world, but these are just a few of the many organizations working to end child labor permanently around the world.
– Dylan Olive
Photo: Unsplash
Sunflower Production in Tanzania Reduces Poverty
Tanzania is among the top 10 nations producing the most sunflower oilseed with an output of 350,000 tons per year. Sunflower oilseed has many commercial uses — it can be used as an ingredient in cosmetic products as well as medicines and can serve as a cooking oil. According to a research paper, in 2013, the national sunflower trade produced 32% of Tanzania’s edible cooking oil. This trade also provides 35% of Africa’s and 2.4% of the world’s sunflower production. Small-scale farmers dominate sunflower production in Tanzania — about 24 million residents engaged in the industry in 2016. As such, sunflower production in Tanzania has the potential to improve the welfare and livelihoods of low-income households.
The Sunflower Industry in Tanzania
Because the flower grows well in a dry land where other crops cannot, this plant is grown across the nation. However, there are obstacles that prevent farmers from benefiting from the full potential of sunflower production, resulting in lower quality and productivity of the plant, and thus, low return on investment. These include inadequate farming machinery and restricted access to value-added markets and services.
A 2020 research paper stated that the gross profit margin of sunflower farming in the Iramba district of Tanzania is $18.71 per acre with a Return on Investment of 16% per acre. However, in its poverty analysis, the study found that income from sunflower farming could not meet the international poverty line of $1.90 per day, equating to daily per capita earnings of only $0.07, which falls significantly short. Therefore, although sunflower production in the Iramba district remains a popular trade, 52% of households in the district live in poverty, earning an average of 85,125Tsh per month ($38.5 monthly).
Involving Women and Youth
The Tanzanian government has encouraged the involvement of women and youth in sunflower commercialization through government policy to provide more opportunities in the workforce and alleviate poverty among these groups. However, other factors limit their ability to fully participate in this market, such as a lack of financial capital and restricted access to land.
As Future Agricultures stated that “Land access problems among women and youth in Tanzania are, for instance, largely the result of cultural restrictions on the ownership of ancestral land. Regarding financial capital, women and youth cannot access loans from commercial banks because of their low ownership of assets used by banks as collateral.”
This results in stark contrast of participation and productivity levels across age and gender. Only 22% of young farmers take part in sunflower production in Tanzania as opposed to 78% of older farmers. Although a high percentage of female-led households are participating in sunflower farming, only a fraction of these households include young female farmers. In addition, older female farmers sell significantly fewer quantities of sunflowers as opposed to older male farmers, at 65% and 71% respectively.
Solutions
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has been working in collaboration with Tanzania’s Ministry of Industry and Trade since 2012 to reform the nation’s agro-industry and strengthen the value of local goods, including sunflower oil, in the national and international markets.
UNIDO international experts working together with national consultants have provided enterprises with diagnostic services and aid in upgrading and modernizing the production process. This includes business consults that advise producers to form clusters and jointly invest in marketing actions and storage facilities that will result in higher competitiveness and productivity. In addition, UNIDO is collaborating with various organizations to increase access to modern machinery.
However, to reach and assist women and young farmers in this trade, it is evident that policymakers in Tanzania must support policies that increase resource access among these groups, specifically agricultural land and financial capital.
Looking Ahead
Sunflower production in Tanzania is a popular trade with great potential. However, the country must take additional steps to significantly lower levels of poverty in the nation. Farmers are unable to receive the full benefits of this crop due to outdated machinery and limited access to lucrative markets. Women and young farmers in particular face greater obstacles when joining the trade. However, by working to improve resource access, sunflower productivity and competitiveness can increase and begin to lift many households out of poverty.
– Kimberly Calugaru
Photo: Flickr
Guinea Pig Farming is Helping Andean Women
Guinea pig farming is helping Andean women, children and communities improve their lives, income and confidence to push for change. Women in impoverished or rural Andean communities may struggle or be unable to bring in any income for their families. However, many are starting to utilize guinea pig farming as a form of women’s empowerment and economic growth. With the de-stigmatization of guinea pig meat in the area, increasing demand for guinea pigs in Andean areas is providing a great market for those wishing to find a cost-effective and low-maintenance way to a better life. Multiple women’s rights groups are noticing this opportunity and are helping women recognize their potential and importance.
Sustainability Increases
Women who have started guinea pig farming are noticing large increases in their income, which many have used to better their children’s education and feed their families.
Women are able to have financial independence and fight gender norms without sacrificing time away from their usual household responsibilities. Guinea pig farming is helping Andean women produce additional income in the comfort of their own backyards. The practice also provides additional food security for the family, as guinea pig meat is high in nutritional value.
Organizations Helping Women Lead the Way
Many women in the Andes region find it difficult to find jobs. This is due to their gender and low societal value, especially in poor rural areas. Groups that work towards local investment, poverty reduction and fighting domestic violence have started to use guinea pig farming as a way to inspire women to become independent and see their capabilities.
A U.S. group, World Neighbors, has a program in Peru that has valued the importance of guinea pig farming as a way for women to seek financial independence and take a larger role in reducing poverty. Women under this program have become motivated to break gender norms and solve problems in an environmentally friendly and effective way.
With support from PSSA [Spanish abbreviation for the Strengthening Local Development in the Highlands and High Rainforest Areas Project], the Cerrito de San Bartolo Productive Association has been able to set up a guinea pig farm, IFAD reported. This gave many women the ability to start their own businesses. It is leading to many people becoming successful while remaining in rural areas.
Guinea pig farming is helping Andean women with female empowerment, economic development and even women’s rights. The Central Association of Women of Pucyura is a local organization of women trying to fight against domestic violence and advocate for programs to help protect women, IPS reported. It is using guinea pig farming to help show women their potential. By understanding their worth, Andean women can begin to find the power within themselves to fight for better lives and equality.
Financial independence is only the first step in helping women find success and equality in rural and poor Andean communities. Guinea pig farming is not only producing income for these women. It is also providing their children with a better chance against many aspects of poverty.
Growing Demands and Various Markets
These movements and women are not sporadic or unique success stories. Trends predict that guinea pig farming demand could be able to bring many more women and families out of poverty. Demands are present in more than one country and area. Not all of the business goes towards consumption; guinea pig farmers sell and export multiple different breeds being bred as domesticated pets. The Guardian reported that “A 2019 report by Peru’s ministry of agriculture revealed a growing international demand for cuy [guinea pig] meat, with an 18% growth in sales between 1994 and 2018. Prices have also increased from $5 to $13 per kilo over the same period.”
With multiple exportation opportunities and its significance as a Peruvian delicacy, guinea pig farming can be a viable opportunity for women in the Andes region for a long time to come.
– Karen Krosky
Photo: Unsplash
Handling Inflation in Uganda
Uganda is in a state of having to combat inflation and rising prices for its citizens as global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, continue to interrupt normal streams of trade and supply. As a result, Uganda’s government has already begun implementing actions and constructing a broad policy that seeks to help keep the negative effects of inflation from causing more economic instability in the future.
The Current Impact of Inflation
Uganda is a country that is heavily reliant on crude and other imported material in order to make necessities such as cooking oil and soap. The cost of gasoline went up by 32% by February 2022 and soap went up to 57% at the same time.
As a result of this influx of prices, the Ugandan monetary policy committee increased the interest rate benchmark from 6.5% to 7.5%. This is the first time the committee has increased the interest rate benchmark since 2018. This has come at a time when Ugandan citizens already face higher prices and taxes which will remain at the same rate.
Uganda’s leaders are taking these steps in hopes of counteracting the risks of further global complications. Whether it be recurring waves of COVID-19, the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine or rising prices, Uganda will continue to look to other methods of revitalizing its economy and keeping up the fight against poverty.
During the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020, poverty rates in Uganda went from 27.5% to 32.7%, with the employment rate going down during the second lockdown in 2021. These complications along with the increased oil and consumer prices could result in slow growth, below 6%, through 2023 and 2024 for the Ugandan economy. All of this highlights the need for more structural economic transformation and how inflation in Uganda will be tackled.
Ongoing Strategies
Though there are many obstacles to the ongoing development of Uganda, there is a myriad of programs, partners and policies that are also working towards a brighter future. According to the World Bank, the primary financial investment that is going into fighting poverty and inflation in Uganda is the International Development Association. It is offering a low service rate of 0.75% on disbursed credit with loan repayments stretched over 38 years. Major projects funded by the IDA in Uganda include The Electric Access Scale-Up Project ($568 million) which improves energy accessibility, Investment for Industrial Transformation and Employment ($200 million) and Additional Financing to Uganda COVID-19 Response and Emergency Preparedness Project ($164.3 million).
The aforementioned projects will seek to improve economic recovery for Uganda amid the COVID-19 pandemic by fortifying its public health and response institutions.
With funding continuing throughout the rest of the fiscal year 2022 through the IDA and government awareness of the issues at hand, there is hope that inflation in Uganda can subside eventually and allow citizens to enjoy the growth of the Ugandan economy. Despite complications due to global conflicts of war, supply interruptions, the COVID-19 pandemic and future uncertainty, there is hope for Uganda to become a prosperous economy by 2040, according to the World Bank.
– Albert Vargas
Photo: Flickr
Mobile Preschools in Uzbekistan
On February 18, 2020, the population of Uzbekistan topped 34 million people. Uzbekistan ranks 42nd on the list of countries and dependency based on population. Reports stated that both sexes of children in Uzbekistan were among school children not attending school in 2019. Mobile preschools in Uzbekistan could help solve this issue.
Enrollment Numbers
Physical, linguistic, cognitive and socioemotional development in early childhood from 0 to 6 years old is a pivotal period. What children learn in these years shapes and defines their futures. There are 2,450,000 children in Uzbekistan and only 818,000 receive preschool education. In 2012, the preschool enrollment rate was 23.3% and lowest globally. By 2013, only 5% of households’ children in the country attended preschool.
The Program
Mobile preschools in Uzbekistan accept children from ages 3 to 7 so that they can obtain preschool education no matter their living situation. Children who live in the villages now have the same opportunities as those who reside in the cities. Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on November 7, 2017, to expand the public education system. The program started in 2017 and the enrollment has jumped from 27% to 67%.
Just five years ago, one in four kids in low-income areas had no access to schools and other children had to walk long ways to reach them. Many schools faced a shutdown due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, while others faced privatization. The government concluded that providing school buses to schools could give out access instantly. Uzbekistan created mobile schools for areas where it is inappropriate to develop schools and where preschools are not available.
Every morning in the Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan, school buses head up to the parks of remote areas to bring the school to the children instead of taking children to school. The school buses provide small restrooms and solar panels to keep running every day. Partnered through a grant with Global Partnership Education worth $49.9 million and administrated by the World Bank, the project is improving.
Looking Ahead
Mobile preschools in Uzbekistan have helped low-income areas since 2017 and have no plans of stopping. The preschools have helped many children in rural areas go to school where children otherwise could not access it. Altogether, 65 buses serve 16 kids at a time that can attend three hours of play-based learning. The next day, the buses go to a different area in the community for preschoolers who attend every other day. Other countries can also utilize mobile preschools in order to improve education in remote areas.
– Alexis King
Photo: GetArchive
Belgian Royalty’s Trip to the DRC
On June 7, 2022, the Belgian King, Philippe of Belgium and his wife, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, arrived in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Their stay in the former Belgian Congo lasted six days. The King met and shook hands with the Congolese president, Felix Tshisekedi. Philippe expressed regret for his country’s past actions in the DRC, as he did before in 2020. Although he is the first Belgian official to do this, he has yet to issue a formal apology. Philippe has also returned a traditional initiation mask of the Suku to Tshisekedi, describing the action as an “indefinite loan.” Here is some information about Belgium’s history in the DRC including the Belgian royalty’s recent trip to the DRC.
The Belgian Congo Era
Belgium’s involvement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its region began in 1885 when European leaders of the time met at the Berlin Conference to divide parts of Africa for themselves. King Leopold II received the Congo Basin, which he took as his own private property and named the Congo Free State.
Leopold’s personal rule of Congo lasted 23 years, ending in 1908. During this period, people living in the territory had to provide rubber for Belgium to profit off of. They received threats that the authorities would kidnap the women and children of their village, and if they did not provide the desired rubber, the transaction ended in severed hands and feet. Violent methods like these extended to the extraction of other resources, such as ivory. Leopold also assigned multiple regions of the Congo Free State as concessions to private companies, a huge financial benefit for him.
In 1908, the Congo Free State became the Belgian Congo after outrage surrounding unjust conditions in the area. After World War I, many private American and European corporations developed plantations in the colony. This is where native Congolese people worked under four to seven-year-long contracts. Additionally, forced labor led to the construction of public facilities such as roads, buildings and railroads.
After decades of rebellion and protest, the colony gained independence from Belgium in 1960 and became the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Post-Colonial Era and Poverty
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has consistently suffered from endemic poverty. It ranks 179th of 189 on the United Nations Development Index and in terms of personal income, the DRC is the poorest country in the world. Malnourishment and lack of access to drinking water are prevalent problems.
Belgium’s Foreign Aid
The Kingdom of Belgium’s Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation describes the DRC as its most important partner country. Belgium is active in certain sectors of the DRC, including agriculture, health care, infrastructure and education. The Indicative Cooperation Programme had a €75 million per year budget between the years 2010 and 2013. It focused on the aforementioned sectors of the African nation.
Belgian officials and ministers show continued support for aiding the DRC, ensuring that they set aside yearly funds for the country.
As meetings and activities between Belgian and Congolese leaders continue, a pathway to partnerships and investments between the two nations opens up. The DRC president Tshisekedi said he is focusing on cooperation to attract investment and improve health care and education in his country with the Belgian Royalt’s trip.
King Philippe is one of the multiple European country leaders who have been addressing their country’s harmful colonial past. The Belgian royalty’s trip to the DRC led to a ceremony in the Congolese Parliament. King Philippe also delivered a speech to university students in the southern city of Lubumbashi. He stated, “We are not forgetting the past, we are looking to the future,” DW reported. The Belgian royalty’s trip to the DRC should be a positive step in the right direction to alleviating past wrongs.
– Sophie Buibas
Photo: Flickr
The Benefit of Harvesting Rainwater in India
Harvesting rainwater involves collecting and storing rainwater for future use. The uses of rainwater include drinking, bathing or cleaning. Because about 2.2 billion people around the world still lack clean water, harvesting rainwater is essential in collecting clean water. In India, about 54% of the subcontinent faces an extreme lack of clean water.
India’s Traditional Ways to Harvest Rainwater
India utilized the practice of harvesting rainwater for generations. Rural parts of India especially depend on harvesting rainwater to water crops, clean and do laundry and simply have something to drink.
One traditional rainwater harvesting method is surangas. It is one of the lesser-known methods of harvesting rainwater. It is mostly used in the Kasaragod district in the state of Kerala, which lies in the southeastern part of India on the peninsula.
Suranga is a type of horizontal tunnel in a hill. Waters flow through these tunnels into ponds. Suranga is a lifeline for the people in Kasaragod to meet their needs for drinking water.
Another common form of harvesting rain involves taankaas. Taankaas are underground tanks that serve as a reservoir. Taankaas provide water during times of water scarcity to 10,000 homes in the city of Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarati near the Sabarmati River.
The Dangers of Harvesting Rainwater
Although harvesting rainwater is a simple and inexpensive method of collecting clean water, poorly maintained systems can be detrimental to users. Rainwater can flow over contaminated surfaces and collect parasites, bacteria and other harmful substances. The substances can cause diseases that would otherwise be avoidable.
The best way to avoid disease from rainwater is to use the water collected for cleaning or watering plants. However, since rainwater may be the only clean water source in India, citizens need to use it for drinking and cooking. The population in India can use a filtration system of chemicals to purify the water but sometimes they do not have the means to do so. Boiling the water is an inexpensive and simple way to quickly clean rainwater.
The Cost Effectiveness of Harvesting Rainwater
Despite the dangers of rainwater, it is still a safe and cost-effective method to collect clean water when used efficiently. The water collection depends on the area where people are catching the rainwater and the amount of rainfall in a particular region.
For example, a home in Delhi, India can catch up to 42,000 liters of water. With a terrace of 100 square meters and an average annual rainfall of 600 millimeters in Delhi, the 42,000 liters collected are twice as much as a family of five requires.
The installation of harvesting systems can occur at a low cost. If a family of five in Delhi can collect twice the amount of water it needs, the benefits outweigh the cost of installation and maintenance.
Although India suffers from water scarcity, innovative solutions including harvesting rainwater help relieve the stress of the water supply and provide safe, clean water for drinking, cooking, cleaning and bathing.
– Chris Karenbauer
Photo: Flickr
Shakti Samuha’s Work for Trafficked Victims in Nepal
The organization Shakti Samuha believes that trafficked victims in Nepal are valuable members of society. It asserts that these victims deserve rights like everyone else. Moreover, it believes that victims should lead the fight against trafficking. Founded by 15 girls that the Indian government released in 1996, Shakti Samuha focuses on prevention, security and empowerment for survivors.
Shakti Samuha: Victims as Advocates
Shakti Samuha promotes enhancing advocacy efforts to improve and influence anti-trafficking legislation. Further, it strives to empower victims to seek cases against traffickers. Simultaneously, Shakti Samuha works to reintegrate victims into the economy. The organization runs an income-generation support program. It also provides psychosocial and legal counseling. Finally, Shakti Samuha helps provide survivors with housing. The organization has five shelters and provides education support to 1,514 children. In total, since 2009 Shakti Samuha has repatriated 145 human trafficked women and children from India.
Since 2005, about 18,261 people have actively participated in the awareness-raising, interaction and advocacy activities in Kathamndu valley and five trafficking-prone districts. Shakti Samuha won the 2013 Ramon Magsaysay Award, which is considered Asia’s Nobel prize.
Sunita Danuwar: Leading the Way
In 2018, the United States Department of State awarded its Trafficking In Person (TIP) Award to Sunita Danuwar. Danuwar is the co-founder and executive director of the Shakti Samuha. A survivor of trafficking herself, Danuwar personally travels to poor Nepali villages to raise awareness. From 2009 to 2011 she ran the Alliance Against Trafficking of Women and Children in Nepal, which is a group of non-government organizations working collectively to support trafficked victims in Nepal.
Nepalese Trafficking and Child Labor
“The main forms of trafficking are sexual exploitation, forced labor and removal of organs,” says Binija Dhital Goperma, the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Programme Coordinator in Nepal. She adds that cases of human trafficking occur in the entertainment and hospitality sectors. She also mentions garment industries and agricultural, domestic and brick kiln workplaces. However, striving to combat trafficking, Nepal ratified the U.N. Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons in 2018. The Protocol legally binds countries to criminalize trafficking by introducing national anti-trafficking laws. Unfortunately, due to the COVID pandemic, the government needed to reduce access to resources for trafficking survivors.
A weak economy with high unemployment sets the stage for a high rate of trafficking. In 2019, Nepal had an 11.4 % unemployment rate. It then follows that trafficked Nepalese are a key source of forced labor. Laborers in Nepal may be working back-breaking construction jobs in the desert in scorching heat for 12 hours a day. Factories force some to work grueling hours seven days a week. Domestic workers become “virtual slaves” in private homes.
Trafficking in Asia and the Pacific
Human trafficking is the second-largest criminal activity in the world, raising $32 billion. The International Labor Office (2017) reports that a majority (approximately 62%) of persons trafficked are victimized in Asia and the Pacific. The 2020 International Labor Organization (ILO) data shows that in 2020 Asia and the Pacific child labor included 48.7 million children. Moreover, of those children, 22.2 million worked in hazardous jobs.
Other Ways Human Trafficking Victims are Receiving Help in Nepal
Many coalitions throughout the world are striving to eliminate child labor and trafficking in Nepal, Asia, the Pacific and throughout the world. Organizations including the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations focus on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 to end child labor and all its forms by 2025. They work with nations, including Nepal, to create laws and policies to accomplish this. They also create programs to work directly with trafficked victims.
A Bridge to Global Action on Forced Labor (Bridge Project) is an initiative launched by the International Labor Organization and funded by the U.S. Department of Labor that assists the migrant worker communities of Bajura and Kanchanpur by providing livelihood support. Specifically, the Bridge Project develops programming to help trafficked victims gain the skills necessary to avoid exploitative environments. For example, people in the program learn how to nurse diseased goats back to health and then how to become goat farmers.
Programs like Shakti Samuha and the Bridge Project remain focused on empowering trafficked victims in Nepal to sustain themselves. With that focus, they should eventually prevent poverty from being a mitigating factor in trafficking in the first place.
– Joy Maina
Photo: Flickr
Bethenny Frankel’s Aid to Ukraine
Bethenny Frankel’s aid to Ukraine, “BStrong,” will provide solace to Ukrainian refugees who have been victims of war and severe poverty after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. BStrong also assisted the people of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria made it difficult to support their families and find sufficient food and medicine.
Survival Kits
The former reality star, author and philanthropist Bethenny Frankel is using her nonprofit organization BStrong to aid Ukrainian refugees who the Russian invasion has affected. A disaster relief fund, BStrong is sending 100,000 crisis kits, totaling up to $10 million in aid, to Ukraine. Frankel spoke in detail about the aid and the charity’s preparations. The kits include blankets, sleeping bags, toiletry items, non-perishables, water and generators.
Bethenny Frankel’s aid to Ukraine abundantly grew with relief funds and progressed from being a minuscule company to global, with a stockroom continuously piled with relief funds. Frankel describes the quantity of humanitarian aid as volunteers and coordinators ship the crisis kits to Poland, expressing that “Today, one 40-foot container went. Tomorrow, two 40-foot containers will go out… and it’s good to sort of stagger because it’s a lot more than you can visualize: $10 million in aid is an extraordinary amount.” Each box comprises aid with a value of $250,000. Some of the donations came from companies like Goya, Delta and Away.
Frankel dedicated herself to raising more than $10 million of aid, stating “We will go back, we are raising money, we have $6 million more in aid. This is also about how much we can efficiently transport.” She is hoping to continue to provide aid to the people of Ukraine to alleviate poverty.
More Than $100 Million in Aid for Ukraine
Through Bethenny Frankel’s aid to Ukraine charity, “BStrong,” other celebrities partnered to assist Frankel. Jordan Wiseley from “The Challenge,” Maksim Chmerkovskiy from “Dancing with the Stars” and former reality star Ramona Singer are three examples. In partnership with Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), BStrong surpassed its goal of $10 million reaching more than $100 million in charitable aid. The aid contains sanitation and emergency equipment, overnight bags and money to accommodate Ukrainian refugees with inns and airline tickets.
Speaking about the importance of her team and her purpose of BStrong, Frankel said, “It made me realize that we are unstoppable. My focus is on helping people whose lives have been ravaged by unforeseen circumstances. They are in desperate need of aid and an immediate solution.” She describes BStrong as a “hub where many brand name organizations will come to receive aid for their efforts” and explains how it is the organization’s expertise and strong point.
Four Planes to Aid Hurricane Maria Victims
This is not the first time that Frankel took the lead in providing aid to disaster zones. In 2017, she traveled to Puerto Rico to help individuals and families who were victims of Hurricane Maria. From Miami to Puerto Rico, Frankel chartered four planes loaded with medical equipment, food and pepsin weighing more than 20,000 pounds, plus another 2,000 pounds in nutritious meals from Feeding America and City Harvest. Along with food and medical items, the aid comprised an additional $30,000 in Costco gift cards and $25,000 in gift cards and currency from Yieldstreet. In collaboration with Delivering Good, BStrong utilized thousands of dollars in endowments from donors like Andy Cohen. Elvis Duran contributed $10,000 to BStrong, $20,000 for the four planes and $100,000 to Feeding America to assist with disaster aid.
After Frankel’s arrival, the planes delivered hundreds of ill and injured women, children and cancer patients from nearby hospitals to U.S. hospitals for medical care. When Frankel saw the destruction that Hurricane Maria left, she was in disbelief about the living conditions people were subject to, stating “They are starving. They are thirsty. They cannot communicate. They cannot bathe themselves. They wash their babies and laundry in street water.” After witnessing the inhumane living conditions in Puerto Rico, Frankel, with assistance from the Global Empowerment Mission, immediately set out to acquire more than $1 million in funds and provisions.
BStrong for Ukraine
Bethenny Frankel’s disaster relief, “BStrong,” provides necessities and safety to Ukrainian refugees who have become victims of war. With a background in humanitarian work like helping Hurricane Maria and poverty victims, BStrong will continue to give supplies, and aid and be a haven for the lives of Ukrainian refugees.
– Jacara Watkins
Photo: Flickr
Plant Health to Reduce Poverty and Food Insecurity
On May 12, 2022, the first International Day of Plant Health, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) called on the international community to invest more in plant health to reduce poverty and food insecurity. This includes more usage of pesticides to eliminate diseases that harm 40% of food crops according to FAO. The loss of food crops contributes to food insecurity in countries that have economies that rely on agriculture. Furthermore, the loss of food crops will also impact the income of people who live in rural areas since they mostly rely on agricultural trade to stay above the poverty line.
The Idea of Tackling Plant Health
The idea of tackling plant health internationally may be a new concept for those who live in developed countries, but it is a daily struggle for those who live in developing countries. In fact, the International Day of Plant Health emerged after a U.N. General Assembly resolution advocated for it, which Zambia sponsored. It passed unanimously on March 29, 2022.
On May 12, 2022, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said that investing in plant health is to “transform agri-food systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” U.N. News reported. This highlights a hidden key factor that drives poverty and food insecurity in the developing world, especially in rural countries.
Countries Affected
Some countries, specifically ones that have agriculture-centric economies, rely on plant health to reduce poverty and food insecurity. For example, On May 21, 2015, FAO reported that 75% of citizens in Moldova depend on agriculture to make a living and to eat food. However, throughout early 2015, Moldova experienced a pest outbreak that impacted food production in the country, which “caused significant economic hardship” for Moldovans.
Similarly, in 2017, an armyworm outbreak wiped out 200,000 tonnes of maize in Zambia that affected agriculture in southern Africa. Zambians rely on agricultural trade for income as agriculture employs 50% of them.
Local Efforts
The grave threat that the armyworm outbreak posed prompted a swift response by countries whose economies are at risk because of the outbreak. On January 11, 2017, Zambia responded to the pest that eliminated around 200,000 tonnes of its maize by using its military to eradicate it. On the other hand, on January 17, 2017, Zimbabwe investigated the damage that the armyworms caused, which included wiping out 20% of the country’s maize, after spraying pesticides on the crops.
International Efforts
International organizations and agencies were instrumental in helping these countries eliminate the pests so they can protect plant health to reduce poverty and food insecurity. For example, On May 21, 2015, Moldova’s Ministry of Agriculture cooperated with the FAO on a two-year project that introduced an “Integrated Pest Management” program, according to FAO. This program entailed training farmers and implementing “measures to discourage the development of pest populations.”
Moreover, on April 5, 2022, the FAO convened the 16th session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures, which is the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention that more than 180 countries signed. The goal of that session was to “set new plant health standards” and “preserve food security.”
History has shown that pests have been effective at destroying crops that are key to food security and poverty in the developing world. However, history is also showing that new and sophisticated methods to protect agriculture and food security are being developed every day. International institutions such as the FAO have been adept at helping developing countries such as Moldova stop the spread of pests. The unity of the international community in pursuing plant health shows that although the pest problem is dire, solving it is way easier. This makes global poverty reduction and preservation of food security even easier goals nowadays.
– Abdullah Dowaihy
Photo: Flickr