In 2022, Zambia removed school fees for all public primary and secondary students through a nationwide Free Education Policy (also referred to as “Education for All”). For children living in poverty, this decision changed everyday life. Families that once struggled to cover fees can now send their children to school without facing impossible financial choices.
Within a few years of the policy’s introduction, more than 2.3 million previously out-of-school learners returned to classrooms. Since the policy began, millions of learners have returned to the classroom and early evidence shows that the reform is creating new pathways out of poverty. Here are five ways in which free education is transforming children’s lives across Zambia.
Education Is Now Accessible to All Children
Before the policy came about, many families could not afford tuition fees, exam charges or contributions to parent-teacher associations. These costs often pushed children out of school or prevented them from enrolling in the first place. However, with Zambia’s Free Education Policy, these financial barriers have been removed.
As of 2025, 80% of Zambians say that someone in their family has benefited from free schooling and it is estimated that roughly eight million learners (from early childhood to secondary school) are covered under the free education system. For children living in low-income households, this reform gives them their first real opportunity to access continuous education, opening many more doors for them later in life.
It Reduces the Risk of Child Labor and Exploitation
When families face extreme poverty, children are sometimes sent to work in agriculture, informal labor or other household enterprises to help bring in income, especially when education costs are high. Fortunately, by making education free, the policy reduces one of the main financial pressures that results in pushing children toward exploitation instead of having a better well-being by being in school. The Zambian government and education sector researchers have linked the increase in school enrollment to declines in drop-outs and reduced pressure toward child labor.
This shift gives vulnerable children a much safer and healthier alternative: attendance in school rather than engaging in exploitative work.
It Expands Future Job Opportunities
Education remains one of the most reliable paths out of poverty. By giving children the opportunity to complete primary and secondary education, Zambia’s free education policy opens doors to future jobs that require literacy, numeracy or more advanced skills. With a growing base of educated youth, more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds may access stable employment and obtain skilled professions.
Analysts describe the policy as a major investment in human capital formation and social mobility. For many children living in poverty, this offers a real chance to change their economic trajectory and contribute positively to their communities and national development.
It Creates New Teaching Jobs and Strengthens Communities
The surge in school enrollment triggered by free schooling has led to one of the largest teacher recruitment drives in Zambia’s history. In 2022 alone, the government recruited 30,496 teachers and staff. This expansion provides employment opportunities, especially in communities where poverty and unemployment are significant.
Teacher recruitment also ensures that growing class sizes can be managed, which supports better learning outcomes and helps to stabilize local economies. For families living in impoverished or rural areas, this presents a new path to stable income through teaching, helping strengthen social stability and building a more educated workforce within those communities.
School Supports Social and Emotional Development
Attending school does more than teach reading, writing and mathematics. It provides a structured environment where children build friendships, develop social skills, learn discipline and gain confidence. These social and psychological benefits are widely acknowledged by sociologists and developmental psychologists as early social interaction and peer learning foster emotional resilience, collaborative skills and a sense of belonging.
For children growing up in poverty, who may otherwise lack stable social structures or supportive environments, free access to schooling gives them a place of security, routine and community. Though quantitative data on social development under the policy is not yet robust, the general principle that schooling supports socialization is well-established. In Zambia, by making education accessible across socioeconomic divides, free education helps ensure that all children, not only those from wealthier families, have access to the social and emotional benefits school can provide.
Final Remarks
Zambia’s Free Education Policy is already reshaping opportunities for children living in poverty. By removing financial barriers, reducing the risks of exploitation, opening future career paths, creating new teaching jobs and supporting healthy social development, the policy is proving to be a powerful investment in human potential. If the government continues to support education with adequate infrastructure, resources and funding, every child in Zambia could have the chance to learn, grow and build a better future.
– Daisy Winstone
Daisy is based in Cardiff, Wales and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr
Misconceptions About Poverty in Jamaica
Hurricane Relief
The government of Jamaica is working tirelessly to provide relief to communities across the island. Hurricane Melissa cost more than a trillion dollars in damages, which has impacted sources of income, such as tourism. The hardest-hit parishes, like St. Elizabeth and Hanover, received the largest aid packages of $10 million each. The remaining constituencies received between $3 million and $5 million due to the minimal damage. The representatives of each constituency had the tasks of allocating these funds to communities in need and pressing issues. The prime minister made it clear that these funds are to aid the immediate aftermath rather than in the long term. Otherwise, the country has received billions in aid from outside organizations and countries it has relationships with like the United States.
The United States and Canada have pledged $22 million and $11 million, respectively, in funds to Jamaica post-hurricane. These funds included search teams, emergency needs like food and water and the establishment of shelters. Even though the hurricane hit the Caribbean, countries like Guyana and the Dominican Republic donated tons of water and various materials like generators and tarpaulins. Large companies like T-Mobile and Walt Disney Company committed to the recovery efforts by donating both to the government and aiding the people directly.
Poverty in Jamaica
One misconception about poverty in Jamaica is that it persists across the island. Recent reports show this is not the case. In fact, in May 2025, the Jamaican government reported a record-low poverty rate, noting that poverty fell from 16.7% in 2021 to less than 9% in 2023. The government has shown a continued commitment toward improving the quality of life for every Jamaican on the island. Jamaica’s government has taken action to address poverty in Jamaica, including social investments, job creation and economic programs, to continue decreasing the country’s poverty level.
Another misconception is that Caribbean countries lack the knowledge or resources to prepare for extreme weather events. However, there has been a lack of research conducted into the country and the materials used to build houses. Houses in Jamaica are largely constructed with cement blocks and steel, which are far more resistant to extreme weather conditions than wood or drywall. Newer homes are also built under updated building codes that require reinforced cement and hurricane shutters.
Final Remarks
Despite the fears ignited by unprecedented events of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaicans continue to rebuild and pour into the island they love. Jamaica is a country that surpasses the outside opinions. Its government continues to take action to improve the quality of life and stand strong in the face of disasters.
– Nickaylia Anderson
Photo: Flickr
The Impact of Water Pollution in Bangladesh
Environmental Vulnerability and Water Pollution
Bangladesh is one of the most polluted countries in the world. Climate change causes extensive damage to Bangladesh’s environment through floods, cyclones and tidal surges. According to Harvard University, the land’s vulnerabilities are caused by the shoreline’s shape and its low-lying topography. As the landscape has been studied, the data reveal that toxins, including groundwater arsenic content between 2000 and 2019, negatively impact public access to clean drinking water.
Government Action on Sanitation and Waterways
Since then, the Bangladesh government has been determined to address the impact of water pollution in Bangladesh, toxic waterways and poor sanitation that cause inadequate public health in the country. Its waterways provide resources for food and hygiene throughout the country; however, chemical and plastic water pollution contaminates wetlands and rivers. After the meeting in New Delhi, it became evident that intervention from the local city government is imperative to repair the outdated water supply system installed by the British in 1963.
Arsenic Contamination and Seasonal Water Access
The impact of water pollution in Bangladesh dates to the 1970s, when water sourced from ground deposits absorbed arsenic. However, residents have effectively obtained clean water through rainwater collection in cisterns. The short period of heavy rainfall does not occur between April and May, making government organizations necessary to facilitate access to a clean water supply during the dry months. For the Bangladesh government, the solution to water contamination requires ending the use of tube wells, building water storage systems and replacing old pipelines that supply potable water to the population.
Urban Water Conservation in Rajshahi
Alternative sanitation systems have been implemented in the city of Rajshahi, west-central Bangladesh, where the city government discovered techniques that increase the productivity of water conservation. By creating systems and maintaining surface water with assistance from an urban infrastructure development project, 20 ponds in Rajshahi filled water reservoirs.
By conserving water resources, residents in the city now have reliable access to clean water, improving public health in the area. These developments have enacted further structural change by incorporating modern technology. “The city government authority has also enacted bylaws that compel businesses to use carbon capture and recycling technology and restrict water emissions.”
Industrial Pollution and Manufacturing Accountability
Based on data concerning toxic water pollution emissions from manufacturers, the BBC found that 80% of the nation’s exports contribute to toxic wastewater discharge into rivers. Customer concerns over the mishandling of chemical waste and employee safety have influenced the impact of water pollution in Bangladesh. Aldi, the textile manufacturer under scrutiny, now educates staff on proper chemical handling and wastewater disposal. Given that Bangladesh’s waterways serve a population of 163 million people, regulations of this significance serve as a blueprint for future manufacturers.
UNICEF and WASH Initiatives
The Bangladesh government is committed to improving public health and has outlined a plan to address outdated plumbing systems that contribute to inadequate sanitation. To implement these changes, the Bangladesh government partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to implement a Sustainable Development Goal Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SDG WASH) model oriented toward public health and safety. UNICEF’s goal is to install WASH facilities to serve children and vulnerable populations in rural communities.
Over the years, UNICEF found that untreated sewage threatened Bangladesh’s access to freshwater resources while intensifying the impact of water pollution in Bangladesh and the spread of disease.
WASH services provide safe water and sanitation materials while making those resources readily available. These facilities improve sanitation by promoting essential hygiene protocols that contribute to public health and reduce disease transmission.
Scaling Rural Sanitation Systems
Plans to scale and oversee water networks in rural communities are in progress. Bangladesh aims to focus on modern toilet installations and updated sanitation facilities. Despite limited grant funding from development partners such as U.N. agencies, UNICEF can help Bangladesh raise service standards through appropriate procedures. Integrating testing before launching systems provides insight into the most effective approach for expanding access to safe drinking water and essential hygiene facilities. Given the strategic nature of these systems, other underdeveloped countries may use Bangladesh as a blueprint for advancing sanitation and public health.
– Lala McCullough
Photo: Flickr
5 Ways Zambia’s Free Education Policy Helps Children in Poverty
Within a few years of the policy’s introduction, more than 2.3 million previously out-of-school learners returned to classrooms. Since the policy began, millions of learners have returned to the classroom and early evidence shows that the reform is creating new pathways out of poverty. Here are five ways in which free education is transforming children’s lives across Zambia.
Education Is Now Accessible to All Children
Before the policy came about, many families could not afford tuition fees, exam charges or contributions to parent-teacher associations. These costs often pushed children out of school or prevented them from enrolling in the first place. However, with Zambia’s Free Education Policy, these financial barriers have been removed.
As of 2025, 80% of Zambians say that someone in their family has benefited from free schooling and it is estimated that roughly eight million learners (from early childhood to secondary school) are covered under the free education system. For children living in low-income households, this reform gives them their first real opportunity to access continuous education, opening many more doors for them later in life.
It Reduces the Risk of Child Labor and Exploitation
When families face extreme poverty, children are sometimes sent to work in agriculture, informal labor or other household enterprises to help bring in income, especially when education costs are high. Fortunately, by making education free, the policy reduces one of the main financial pressures that results in pushing children toward exploitation instead of having a better well-being by being in school. The Zambian government and education sector researchers have linked the increase in school enrollment to declines in drop-outs and reduced pressure toward child labor.
This shift gives vulnerable children a much safer and healthier alternative: attendance in school rather than engaging in exploitative work.
It Expands Future Job Opportunities
Education remains one of the most reliable paths out of poverty. By giving children the opportunity to complete primary and secondary education, Zambia’s free education policy opens doors to future jobs that require literacy, numeracy or more advanced skills. With a growing base of educated youth, more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds may access stable employment and obtain skilled professions.
Analysts describe the policy as a major investment in human capital formation and social mobility. For many children living in poverty, this offers a real chance to change their economic trajectory and contribute positively to their communities and national development.
It Creates New Teaching Jobs and Strengthens Communities
The surge in school enrollment triggered by free schooling has led to one of the largest teacher recruitment drives in Zambia’s history. In 2022 alone, the government recruited 30,496 teachers and staff. This expansion provides employment opportunities, especially in communities where poverty and unemployment are significant.
Teacher recruitment also ensures that growing class sizes can be managed, which supports better learning outcomes and helps to stabilize local economies. For families living in impoverished or rural areas, this presents a new path to stable income through teaching, helping strengthen social stability and building a more educated workforce within those communities.
School Supports Social and Emotional Development
Attending school does more than teach reading, writing and mathematics. It provides a structured environment where children build friendships, develop social skills, learn discipline and gain confidence. These social and psychological benefits are widely acknowledged by sociologists and developmental psychologists as early social interaction and peer learning foster emotional resilience, collaborative skills and a sense of belonging.
For children growing up in poverty, who may otherwise lack stable social structures or supportive environments, free access to schooling gives them a place of security, routine and community. Though quantitative data on social development under the policy is not yet robust, the general principle that schooling supports socialization is well-established. In Zambia, by making education accessible across socioeconomic divides, free education helps ensure that all children, not only those from wealthier families, have access to the social and emotional benefits school can provide.
Final Remarks
Zambia’s Free Education Policy is already reshaping opportunities for children living in poverty. By removing financial barriers, reducing the risks of exploitation, opening future career paths, creating new teaching jobs and supporting healthy social development, the policy is proving to be a powerful investment in human potential. If the government continues to support education with adequate infrastructure, resources and funding, every child in Zambia could have the chance to learn, grow and build a better future.
– Daisy Winstone
Photo: Flickr
China’s Aid in Africa
Chinese Aid in Africa
In 2024, China committed an additional $50 billion to projects on the African continent, according to NPR. China’s investment has focused on critical infrastructure. China has invested heavily in transit infrastructure and energy projects involving nuclear energy. Such investment lays the groundwork for greater industrialization and economic growth, made ever more critical by Africa’s rapid urbanization.
China has been involved in building and renovating government buildings and offices for the African foreign affairs staff—bases for different parts of the security apparatus. Importantly, China has been responsible for fourteen key intergovernmental telecom networks on the African continent. This building surge in Africa has given considerable sway over states seeking partners for future projects.
Debt Trap
Credible accusations state that Chinese aid in Africa is part of a strategy of debt trap diplomacy. Indeed, some of its development and aid projects have put countries at risk of debt. Ethiopia borrowed billions from China, which helped build critical transit infrastructure. Now the Ethiopian debt outstrips GDP, according to LSE. Such behavior is not unique to China. Western aid has been criticized for the same colonial behavior. Aid from the West frequently comes with conditionalities that hinder self-sustaining growth, producing a cycle of dependency. Parallels in exploitative behavior does not absolve China of scrutiny.
The results of China’s aid efforts have been heterogeneous. China has leveraged unfair loans to gain access to critical infrastructure. In other cases, China has been more forgiving than other lenders when providing relief to African countries.
The Future of Aid in Africa
While the United States stands to lose by not participating in development and aid in Africa, its withdrawal has implications far more pressing than the dominant realpolitik. Some have foreseen China filling the void left by the United States, but even with funding surges, there are huge gaps in health and infrastructure development, according to Bloomberg. This funding surge has yet to meet the needs of some of the poorest states in Africa. China’s projects have an uneven record, with some programs being extractive and others facilitating real economic growth.
China’s aid in Africa has adopted a bilateral approach. China’s loans are aimed at building critical infrastructure assets that can generate sustained growth and capacity. The United States’ most successful projects have been multilateral and partnered with a diverse range of actors from intergovernmental organizations, NGO’s, and businesses. The focused scope of Chinese aid in Africa means its effects tend to be localized. China’s assistance makes a difference, but it still lacks the scope and, most critically, the integration of the United States’ previous aid efforts in Africa. By conservative estimates, the closure of USAID has already caused more than half a million deaths globally. Africa and the world as a whole benefit from a diversity of foreign aid sources. When developing states can choose between aid sources, they can leverage more equitable and sustainable aid projects.
– Atticus Flanagan
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Combating Malaria in Rohingya Refugee Camps
Malaria in Rohingya Refugee Camps: 5 Key Facts
Here are five key facts about how collaboration is helping protect vulnerable families from malaria:
Looking Ahead
Together, these efforts show that even in one of the world’s most challenging humanitarian settings, coordinated action can significantly reduce malaria risks. However, continued investment, community involvement and sustained prevention strategies will be essential to protecting Rohingya families.
– Chris Tang
Photo: Flickr
ONE Campaign: Tackling Inequality in Africa
ONE
ONE is a global, strictly nonpartisan organization that uses activism, expert data and analysis and public campaigning to pressure lawmakers to support essential policies for Africa. Bono, lead singer of U2, co-founded ONE and its sister organization RED in 2004. Since then, ONE has secured $1 trillion in investments and taken 25 million actions to create more economic opportunities and improve the lives and health of those living in Africa.
ONE’s recent work focused on the reauthorisation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Development Finance Corporation.
Economic Insecurity
Africa is the second-fastest-growing region in the world in 2025, with the African Development Bank predicting a 4.3% growth rate in the economy. However, there are still 464 million people living in poverty on the continent. Furthermore, there has been a slight decrease in the number of people living in extreme poverty (less than $3 a day) in the last few years in some regions.
For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, 46% of the population faced extreme poverty last year, a slight decrease from 46.4% in 2022. However, these persistently high rates can be partly attributed to widespread economic insecurity. According to the U.N. Trade and Development, the “high debt, trade imbalances and inflation” experienced by some countries in Africa lead to more vulnerable economies and, therefore, higher poverty rates.
Economic insecurity is, of course, an extremely concerning and pressing issue and has been exacerbated by the recent reduction in foreign aid. A spokesperson from ONE states that “U.S. foreign aid cuts have been devastating to the African continent.” They explain that “when donor countries step back, domestic governments pay more to borrow, forcing painful trade-offs in national budgets.”
This ultimately results in reduced workforce capacity, slower economic growth and continued inequality. However, the ONE Campaign is tackling inequality in Africa by supporting “economic development policies that empower partnership, trade, power access and entrepreneurship between Africa and the global economy.” These efforts offer hope for a more economically stable future for the continent.
Health
Health care infrastructure across Africa often fails to meet population needs because of chronic underfunding. High disease rates place even greater strain on these systems, causing the most vulnerable to suffer disproportionately, deepening poverty and slowing economic growth as the workforce weakens. While many diseases remain pressing issues in Africa, the rising rates of HIV/AIDS are among the most alarming.
According to UNAIDS, 5.2 million people in Central and Western Africa and 240,000 people in the Middle East and North Africa were living with HIV in 2024. ONE’s spokesperson says the recent foreign aid cuts have placed additional strain on Africa’s health care systems, particularly amid the resurgence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. According to them, the cuts have led to reduced disease testing and tracing, long delays in accessing medications and support and limited communication to rural and other vulnerable communities.
They also report a rise in babies born with HIV and an increase in HIV-related deaths. However, according to ONE, while Africa urgently needs stronger health care infrastructure, hope lies in the continent’s growing innovation. One major breakthrough, according to ONE’s spokesperson, is a game-changing HIV drug, lenacapavir, which has shown nearly 100% effectiveness in preventing transmission.
They add that with sustained global investment, this drug has the potential to help end the epidemic. To continue tackling inequality in Africa, it is clear that while the continent is not short on health innovations, it urgently needs consistent funding to sustain progress and improve lives.
The Future
Speaking regarding the future, ONE’s spokesperson states, “Africa is an incredibly diverse continent. Every country and every region within each country faces its own unique challenges, which must be addressed through political, cultural and socially relevant lenses,” rather than grouping all countries under a single “challenge set.” ONE is working to move perception away from a generalist view and challenge “prevailing negative stereotypes…that suggest Africa is ‘bad for investment,'” instead highlighting the promise and opportunities that investment in Africa can bring.
By supporting organizations like ONE in addressing inequality, there is hope for stronger public health systems, greater economic opportunities and reduced poverty across the continent.
– Victoria Adrados
Photo: Flickr
The Fight Against The Sex Trade in Cambodia
“Many Asian men, especially those over 50, believe sex with virgins gives them magical powers to stay young and ward off illness,” says Chhiv Kek Pung, president of Cambodia’s leading human rights organization, Licadho. “There is a steady supply of destitute families for the trade to prey on here, and the rule of law is very weak.” Although few people hold this belief, it combines with poverty and limited economic opportunities to make struggling families easy targets for traffickers.
The Scale of the Problem
In 2024 alone, Cambodian authorities reported 197 human trafficking cases, rescuing 523 victims and prosecuting 273 perpetrators. Around 44% of those rescued were children, highlighting the particularly severe risks for minors. Yet these numbers likely underestimate the true scope of the problem, as many incidents remain hidden, unreported, or undocumented. Exploitation often occurs under the radar, with traffickers taking advantage of systemic poverty, migration patterns, and inadequate protections for women and girls.
Poverty and Vulnerability
Poverty drives many women and girls into exploitation and the sex trade in Cambodia. The Hagar study notes that Cambodia’s vulnerability to trafficking happens due to high unemployment and poverty rates, especially among adolescents and youth. Poverty is particularly severe in rural areas, creating unsafe migration pathways and making young people more likely to be deceived by traffickers or pushed into sex work.
Children from extremely poor families are especially at risk, with some having to beg on the streets of Thailand or work in agriculture, construction, domestic servitude, or prostitution. Trauma researchers also note that poverty, hunger, and exhaustion can mimic trauma responses, leaving young survivors stressed and disconnected – conditions traffickers exploit. Combined with stigma, social marginalisation and a cultural expectation for women to endure suffering in silence, poverty becomes not just an economic issue. It acts as a multiplier of vulnerability, trapping girls in cycles of exploitation.
Women Leading the Fight
In Cambodia, women are not just surviving—they are leading the charge against exploitation. Survivors of the sex trade are stepping forward as mentors and advocates, using their experiences to protect others. At the Cambodian Women’s Crisis Centre (CWCC), women who once faced abuse now guide new arrivals through safe shelters, teaching skills, and sharing strategies to avoid traffickers.
Organizations like AFESIP empower women to reclaim their lives. They provide secure housing, counselling, medical care, and legal support, while helping survivors return to school or train in trades like tailoring and hairdressing. Some ambitious women even pursue university degrees in psychology, IT, or accounting, transforming personal trauma into tools for advocacy and change.
According to The Guardian, Mu Sochua, former Minister of Women’s Affairs and opposition leader, stresses that tackling the sex trade in Cambodia requires addressing broader gender inequality, raising awareness of women’s rights, and enforcing a rule of law that punishes buyers rather than sellers of sex.
Government Response
The Cambodian government has laws criminalizing sex and labour trafficking, with penalties ranging from seven to 20 years depending on the victim’s age. In practice, however, enforcement remains inconsistent. Corruption and weak courts let many traffickers escape punishment, while some victims do not receive justice. Amnesty International has criticized the government for failing to adequately investigate abuses in scamming compounds, highlighting concerns about official complicity and weak enforcement. NGOs report that while some traffickers face conviction, many cases do not result in meaningful penalties, and the system struggles to protect survivors effectively.
The Fight Is Not Over
Across Cambodia, women are rewriting the narrative. They are not just victims – they are mentors, leaders, and advocates, fighting back against a system that seeks to silence them. Their courage and determination show that the battle against the sex trade in Cambodia is being pursued not just in courtrooms, but in the lives of every woman who refuses to stay invisible.
– Iona Gethin
Photo: Flickr
Advancing SDG 1 in Lebanon: Building Livelihoods
A Multilayered Crisis for Refugees
Lebanon hosts more than 660,000 registered Syrian refugees and around 450,000 Palestinian refugees, a population whose acute vulnerability is layered upon the host country’s own profound economic collapse, ranked among the world’s worst since the 19th century. A 2025 socio-economic assessment by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) found that 90% of Syrian refugees in Lebanon now live in extreme poverty, while a U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) report found that more than 80% of their Palestinian counterparts to be in similar circumstances of pauperism.
On top of this economic devastation, the war with Israel which began in late 2023 has compounded the plight of the most vulnerable immensely with Israeli hostilities still ongoing despite an official ceasefire. As of late 2024, the warfare has displaced more than 878,000 people within Lebanon, damaged vital infrastructure like water facilities and schools and further constricted the already narrow space for economic activity, particularly in southern border regions.
The Systemic Barriers to Livelihoods
For refugees and the undocumented internally displaced, legal and systemic barriers obstruct the path to a secure livelihood in Lebanon. Restrictive work permit policies and the collapse of formal labor markets has pushed refugees into informal, precarious and often exploitative work. This reality traps families in a cycle of aid dependency, just as that aid is being withdrawn, while impeding any viable path toward real economic recovery. The humanitarian sector itself faces internal challenges in fostering sustainable solutions. Research from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) highlights that despite commitments to “localization”—the effort to empower national and community-based organizations—funding and decision-making authority often remain centralized within large international agencies. This disconnect has hindered the development of responsive, culturally attuned livelihood programs that are integrated into local economic ecosystems.
A Model for Empowerment: The IRC’s Social Recovery Project
A concrete example of an approach designed to overcome these barriers is the Support for Social Recovery Needs of Vulnerable Groups Phase II (SRP2) project, a $5.6 million initiative that the World Bank funded and the IRC implemented. Through a strategy designed to pivot away from the conventional myopic, top-down, stop-gap unilateral relief funding that perpetuates cycles of dependency, the project finances a network of Lebanese NGOs to deliver integrated capacity-building interventions. This includes critical support services such as case management for gender-based violence survivors and mental health counselling, which address the profound psychosocial distress that can prevent individuals from seeking or maintaining employment.
The project explicitly links recovery services to long-term economic empowerment through a design that integrates vocational training, digital skills development and job placement support directly into its recovery framework. Increased access to and improved quality of services for its target groups—including GBV survivors, individuals with mental health challenges and persons with disabilities—measure its success. For instance, a survivor of violence receiving psychosocial support can also access market-relevant skills training, breaking the isolation of trauma and building practical avenues to income. By channeling World Bank funds through the IRC to local NGO partners, the model actively builds in-country organizational resilience. This “graduation” approach to partnership seeks to foster stronger, self-reliant local institutions, directly addressing the localization gap identified in sectoral research.
The Imperative for Strategic Investment
Broader humanitarian planning reflects the strategic shift towards livelihoods. The International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) 2025 Crisis Response Plan for Lebanon allocates $12.6 million specifically for “livelihoods and economic recovery” operating on the rationale that investing in people’s economic agency is a cornerstone of stability. IRC research has found that NGOs run nearly 70% of primary healthcare centers in Lebanon, corroborating the sector’s pivotal role where state capacity is still limited. Supporting these local actors to deliver economic programs is not only a natural extension of their work, but also a prudent use of already established and experienced local networks.
The Path Forward for SDG 1 in Lebanon
Achieving SDG 1 in Lebanon demands a layered, forward-looking strategy to confront the livelihood crisis for refugees and the internally displaced. Immediate humanitarian support remains critical to prevent a catastrophic deterioration in living standards, making the current funding shortfall an urgent priority. Concurrently, donors and implementers must strategically and significantly scale up investments in sustainable refugee livelihoods and rebuilding efforts. This means funding integrated programs that pair protection services with skills training, advocating for policies that expand legal work rights, and, most importantly, following through on localization commitments by providing flexible, direct funding to native organizations with the community knowledge to run effective programs. A durable cessation of Israeli military aggression in the south remains a fundamental prerequisite for stability and economic recovery.
Programs like SRP2 demonstrate that by intentionally linking recovery to economic opportunity and by strengthening local partners, international aid can transition from sustaining dependence to fostering self-reliance. For SDG 1 to move from aspiration to reality in Lebanon, enabling the displaced to resettle and empowering refugees to build their own sustainable livelihoods is an indispensable approach.
– Georgio Moussa
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
UHC in Cote D’Ivoire: An Investment in the Future
Understanding Universal Health Coverage
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a system that ensures all people have convenient and timely access to the health care services they require at sufficient quality, without financial hardship. UHC can be an important policy measure to create health equity and influence the relationship between health and poverty. Based on data from countries with strong social safety nets and health care systems closest to UHC, the effects of health on poverty are lessened.
Why UHC Matters in Cote d’Ivoire
In West African countries such as Cote d’Ivoire, UHC programs can be vital investments in human capital, especially with a young and fast-growing population. Improving health outcomes can support skills development and productivity, as healthier individuals are able to learn and work more effectively. Increased investment in health care also creates jobs within the sector, which can fuel national economic growth.
Seeing the need for a UHC program, the government of Cote d’Ivoire launched a pilot phase in April 2017 focused on students. After its successful completion, the government introduced its national UHC program, known as Couverture Maladie Universelle (CMU), in 2019. It is funded in part by the National Health Insurance Fund and through contributions from individual workers. To support the rollout, there were efforts to restore and equip hospitals beginning in June 2019.
Ongoing Challenges
Five years after its inception, reports suggested that only around 40% of the population, or about 13 million people, had enrolled in the CMU. One challenge cited was difficulty accessing benefits, such as vouchers provided by hospitals that were not accepted at most pharmacies, requiring patients to pay out of pocket. Additionally, some citizens reported mistrust due to limited information and stories of negative experiences. Covered medications often run out quickly, and substitutes are not yet covered by the CMU. There have also been cases where people pay large premiums for larger families to receive coverage.
Government Efforts to Improve UHC
However, the government has recognized these gaps and is working to address them. In September 2022, enrollment in the CMU became mandatory for all citizens, tied to public services such as passport applications and civil service exam registration.
In February 2024, public-private partnerships were launched with the International Finance Corporation to cover imaging centers and laboratories under the CMU. Mobile enrollment centers are also being rolled out in rural neighborhoods and busy markets to simplify registration and issue health insurance cards on-site. This expansion began in June 2024.
Most recently, in mid-2025, the government announced CMU+, which offers additional cost reductions, including four months of completely free care at rural health centers for enrolled individuals.
Looking Ahead
Overall, Cote d’Ivoire has demonstrated a commitment to improving health outcomes for citizens, especially those with limited income, by working to make an affordable health care plan accessible to all. Although challenges remain, the government continues to expand access to both enrollment and services to strengthen the program’s success.
– Nikhil Kumar
Photo: Flickr
Schools Advance Tsunami Readiness in the Asia-Pacific
The Regional Tsunami Project
Responding to a widespread need, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Japan created a joint initiative to help countries across the Asia-Pacific enhance their tsunami preparation. The Regional Tsunami Project works with governments, schools and communities to develop locally adapted plans of action to address tsunami risk. More than 800 schools across 24 Asia-Pacific countries are involved, integrating tsunami education and evacuation drills into their curricula.
Evacuation drills give community members the knowledge and tools they need to take quick action in the face of danger. It is especially important for schools to participate in regular drills, as children remain highly vulnerable to disasters. The project’s guidebook, Regional Guide for Schools to Prepare for Tsunamis, provides actionable steps for administrators and educators to enhance planning and implement safety curricula. Widely adopted practices include educating students on how to identify tsunami hazards, using the phrase “Feel. See. Hear. Run.” as a guiding technique. During evacuation drills, students learn where their nearest safe zones are and practice moving from classrooms to these areas.
The Use of Digital Tools
Technology is changing the way communities advance tsunami readiness in the Asia-Pacific. In fact, within school administration and disaster planning, digital tools have become essential. One tool developed by the Regional Tsunami Project is STEP-A (Strengthening Tsunami and Earthquake Preparedness Assessment), an online platform used in Indonesian schools.
STEP-A helps schools determine their tsunami preparedness through self-assessment, engaging students, educators and administrators. Once preparedness levels are identified, the application provides recommended steps for improvement. School readiness information across Indonesia is then integrated into InaRISK, the national disaster-monitoring tool, which provides real-time information on community hazards.
Schools are also adopting other innovative digital tools. In Samoa, students use virtual reality headsets that simulate what their surroundings may look like during a tsunami. This technology helps younger students, many of whom have never experienced a natural disaster, visualize evacuation routes and understand flood scenarios. Research shows that immersive exercises improve knowledge retention and help students feel more confident in their ability to respond quickly during an emergency.
A Safer Future for the Asia-Pacific
The Regional Tsunami Project has laid a strong foundation for natural disaster resilience and tsunami readiness in the Asia-Pacific, especially in schools where preparation is essential to keeping younger generations safe. Digital tools will continue to play an important role, strengthening cooperation and enhancing preparedness among communities. Tsunamis will remain a serious threat in the region; however, by building the capacity to respond effectively, the Asia-Pacific can move toward a safer and more resilient future.
– Quinlan Bohannon
Photo: Flickr