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Everything to Know About Hunger in Zimbabwe

About Hunger in Zimbabwe
The Republic of Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Once known as the “Jewel of Africa” for its “vibrant industries, an internationally-acclaimed social security net and abundant natural resources” after its independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has seen a dramatic decline in its economy and development. This has led to increasing rates of food insecurity and concerns about hunger in Zimbabwe. In 2020, Zimbabwe endured one of the most severe food crises in decades due to compounding issues such as “poor agricultural seasons, hyperinflation, failed economic and agricultural policies and the consequences of Cyclone Idai and the COVID-19 pandemic.” As a result, more than six million Zimbabweans required urgent humanitarian assistance.

Causes of Hunger in Zimbabwe

  • Poor Weather Conditions: In March 2019, Cyclone Idai hit Zimbabwe causing cyclone-induced rains, catastrophic floodings and massive landslides. Then, six months later, the country dealt with “extreme drought in the middle of peak farming season.” This crisis came amid recovery “from the major 2014-16 El Niño-induced drought.” Zimbabwe’s economy is significantly agriculture-based with subsistence farmers making up about 75% of the population in 2020 and holding the responsibility to produce most of Zimbabwe’s food sources. Such back-to-back climate-related disasters are detrimental to the production of maize, a water-intensive crop and the principal food crop, and overall harvests. Due to poor rains and erratic weather conditions impacting livelihoods, during the 2019-2020 lean season, about 5.5 million rural Zimbabweans suffered from food insecurity.
  • Hyperinflation: In June 2019, the Zimbabwean government passed a law “banning the use of the U.S. dollar for local transactions and instead implemented the Zimbabwe Dollar (ZWL) as the only acceptable national currency.” A lack of “faith in the new currency” and a general non-acceptance of the ZWL by suppliers left retailers unable to purchase “basic food imports.” These factors have caused the prices of goods to skyrocket. Hyperinflation and the currency shortage mean that many households cannot afford to meet their basic food needs with the cost of maize “more than doubling in June” 2020.
  • Widespread Poverty: This series of economic and climatic shocks has caused poverty to rise sharply. The national poverty rate in Zimbabwe rose “from 32.2 % in 2001 to 38.3 % in 2019, growing at an average annual rate of 10.32%.” Furthermore, the extreme poverty rate jumped from 30% in 2013 to 42% in 2019 with those living below the extreme poverty line doubling “from three million in 2011 to 6.6 million in 2019.” The World Bank says that rural people account for 90% of Zimbabwe’s extreme poor, with children making up 1.6 million of the extremely impoverished.
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic: The onset of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns delivered another economic shock to the country, worsening the unemployment and poverty rates. In July 2020, a survey by the World Bank revealed that “nearly 500,000 households had one member who had lost her or his job” due to the business closures from the lockdowns. By June 2020, 23% of the most impoverished people and 20% of the non-impoverished, all of whom had employment before COVID-19, “had lost their jobs,” compounding the already high unemployment numbers. The pandemic itself pushed 1.3 million Zimbabweans into extreme impoverishment, plummeting the numbers to 7.9 million extremely impoverished Zimbabweans. The loss of jobs and income means more people lack access to staple foods and basic resources.
  • Malnutrition: Nutrient deficiencies are prevalent throughout Zimbabwe with “eight of Zimbabwe’s 59 districts” having an unprecedented acute malnutrition rate of more than 5% in 2020. Moreover, Zimbabwe’s Multi-Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019 reveals that women and children bear the brunt of this crisis as one in four children younger than five faced stunting and the “risk of impaired physical and cognitive growth.” Furthermore, Zimbabwe stands as one of 10 nations whereby more than 80% of children between six to 23 months do not consume the minimum acceptable diet in 2020. As a result of poverty and its consequences, such as hunger, some children drop out of school and face child marriages. In addition, impoverished females are at higher risk of sexual exploitation and domestic violence because they lack economic independence.

Initiatives to Curb Hunger in Zimbabwe

Immediate reform and initiatives are necessary to address concerns about hunger in Zimbabwe on a large scale. One such initiative is Mary’s Meals, a charity organization aimed at providing meals to the world’s impoverished children each school day. Since its founding in 2002, Mary’s Meals has spread across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, South America and Eastern Europe and now provides meals to more than two million children for “every day they attend school.” Mary’s Meals began working in the rural Tsholotsho District of Zimbabwe in 2018 and has since provided more than 73,000 children with nutritious daily meals.

Room for Growth

The Republic of Zimbabwe is on the road to recovering from the hurdles delaying its growth. Fortunately, the World Bank predicts that Zimbabwe could “have an economic rebound in 2022 with a bumper harvest expected to ensure most rural families have enough to eat and leading the economy to 3.9% growth.” With continued commitments to improving hunger in Zimbabwe, the country can propel onward into prosperity.

– Divine Adeniyi
Photo: Flickr

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6 Charities Improving Global Education

Charities Improving Global Education
Often in low-income nations, part of the leading factor of poverty is the lack of a quality and efficient system of global youth education. Here is some information about six charities improving global education in addition to why global education is important.

Why Global Education is So Important

Global education is important for one’s participation in day-to-day life and it can both prepare and empower children and young adults for their futures. From grade school to universities, their future jobs could be working and innovating inside the workforce, government, office space or many other places. Education is one of the largest factors that attribute to global poverty as more than 58 million children were not attending primary school even though they were old enough to attend school. Possible reasons children do not attend a schooling system are school tuition fees, lack of resources, crisis, conflict, gender inequality or child labor.

Studies have shown that when education is available and accessible, people have improved literacy rates and more opportunities to higher-paying jobs once they have completed their educational journey.

Charities around the world are essential for the construction and facilitation of schools in otherwise impoverished nations that have little access to educational resources. Recently, six charities have made strides to improve global education. Here are six charities improving global education.

6 Charities Improving Global Education

  1. Women’s Global Education Project: The Women’s Global Education Project began with the simple notion of how every child should have the opportunity to attend school and obtain a quality education. Since its development in 2004 in the Fatick Region of Senegal, 10,000 students received access to computers and libraries, 2,500 women attended adult literacy classes and reading test scores increased by 40% from 2015 to 2017. Currently, the Women’s Global Education Project has extended beyond schools to ending female genital mutilation, scholarships and another HQ in Kenya. Education for women is so important since there is a higher prevalence of illiterate young women than young men.
  2. ASML Foundation: As an independent Dutch charity, the ASML Foundation has served more than 50 countries and reached 800,000 children since ASML founded it in 2001. The ASML Foundation aims to enable inclusion and participation for young people through education. The Foundation operates from the Netherlands, Europe, Asia and North America by supporting projects that improve global education. The projects include “TechMeUp” from the Netherlands, “Girls Can Do IT!” in China and “Teach for Vietnam” in Vietnam. ASML’s projects and more promote global education for citizens in systems where education was not available.
  3. Theirworld: For 20 years, Theirworld has begun to end the global education crisis and unlock more opportunities and potential for the next generation of children. While reshaping the global mindset for education, teaching and development, Theirworld has engaged more than 11 million supporters, gained billions in funding for education for all and enabled more than four million children to attend schooling in just two decades. Part of Theirworld’s focus is to ensure children have a safe place to learn and that learning centers are free of avoidable emergencies, conflicts and discrimination against students. The students want nothing more than a quality education for the next generation at the forefront of the Foundation.
  4. Global Partnership for Education: The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) is the largest global fund solely for boys and girls to have a strong future ahead of them. Working with 76 low-income countries, partner nations join after developing a though and complete education sector plan and show commitment to funding domestic education to receive grants given to the government for learning purposes. For the next four years, GPE will work with governments to increase a child’s availability to education, regardless of gender, location or family background.
  5. Schools for Children of the World: Schools for Children of the World (SCW) has focused on the renovation and construction of schools in Central America and Africa. With operations in the U.S., Honduras, Canada and Germany, workers and volunteers go to build or renovate schools for children who need them. In partnership with private, non-profit and public sectors at international levels, SCW can create a schoolhouse from the ground up to contribute to global education for all. Serving more than 21,000 students, SCW has continued to implement its services in 10 developing countries.
  6. Muslim Global Relief: While Muslim Global Relief provides meals and water for millions, their outreach also expands to education for orphans in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It provides the necessary materials for children such as textbooks and learning packets, trains teachers for professional support and provides hygienic solutions to school buildings. For more than 20 years, the Muslim Global Relief has been a huge factor in children’s lives going forward with education with a healthy and safe environment.

Concluding Thoughts

While many more charities arise to help contribute to global education, these have shown their dedication and proven it through their statistics provided. With an educated world, children will be able to decide the path they choose.

– Kyle Swingle
Photo: Flickr

Innovative Mobility Initiatives Encourage Inclusivity

Innovative Mobility InitiativesEmerging economies are quickly urbanizing, in turn creating social, economic and health issues. According to Bloomberg, in 2021, about 33% of Latin Americans live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1.90 daily. Due to mass movement from rural towns to large cities throughout the 20th century, urban areas expanded without the infrastructure necessary to accommodate their growing populations. Now, it is often the most impoverished communities relegated to the outskirts of cities with a lack of viable transportation options excluding them from the economic opportunities necessary to combat poverty. Latin American innovative mobility initiatives encourage inclusivity and accommodations for marginalized communities.

Mobility Initiatives in Latin America

  • Me Muevo Segura (I move safely) Campaign. Concerns of violence and harassment restrict the mobility of women in Bogotá, Colombia, especially once daylight fades. In a 2017 study in Bogotá, a staggering 90% of females reported feeling “unsafe on public streets” and 86% reported feeling unsafe on public transportation. The Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI) developed a campaign that maps out the street and cycle network of Bogotá. The campaign also established “interventions in mass public transport” and redesigned public spaces in order to make females feel more safe and secure in public. Innovative mobility initiatives encourage inclusivity within public spaces by enhancing safety, which promotes women’s participation in the social and economic realms of the city. Gender-responsive and inclusive city planning must be a priority when developing innovative mobility initiatives in emerging economies.
  • “Re-ciclo” Project in Fortaleza, Brazil. Informal recyclers in Brazil, called catadores, play a significant environmental role in Brazil. Innovative mobility initiatives encourage inclusivity for the catadores as they stand as some of the most marginalized people in the country. In Brazil, about 281,000 catadores participate in the recycling process and on average make up to $184 per month. TUMI started “Re-ciclo” in the Brazilian city Fortaleza with the goal of improving the livelihoods of the catadores and accelerating recycling rates by implementing “electric and manual cargo bikes as an efficient and sustainable mode of transport.” The catadores also educate communities about waste management and how to separate and dispose of waste properly. Waste pickers also report lower rates of physical fatigue as a result of the new bikes. Some catadores report that the bikes gave them an advantage as there was less waste to manage yet an increase in catadores. With the rise of unemployment in Brazil, standing at 14.7% in April 2021, the bikes offer the advantage to travel further and faster than before.
  • The Longest Cable Car in Latin America. Iztapalapa is one of the most populous peri-urban areas in the Americas, which many once viewed as the most dangerous borough in Mexico City. According to the most recent data from 2015, 33.2% of Iztapalapa residents lived in moderate poverty and 1.72% in extreme poverty. A symbol of state neglect and rampant violence, the area sought ways to combat the stigma. In 2021, Iztapalapa completed the construction of the longest cable car in Latin America with the capacity to connect the isolated area to a vast swath of the city, opening economic and educational opportunities for the community. Innovative mobility initiatives encourage inclusivity for communities like Iztapalapa that are seeking to shed their grim reputations. The neighborhood also boasts the “best-lit street” in Mexico, an effort to curb the prevalence of violence against women.

Looking Ahead

Active mobility is an important city element that requires infrastructure and adequate services to function properly. Underfunded transportation networks have negative implications for marginalized communities. Innovative mobility initiatives encourage inclusivity in Latin America and many countries in the region have stepped up efforts to alleviate transportation poverty for marginalized communities.

– Jennifer Hendricks
Photo: Flickr

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How Epigenetics Predicts the Effects of Poverty

EpigeneticsEpigenetics is a recently developing branch of genetics that rose to prominence in the 21st century. Recent research has shown the biological effects of poverty through epigenetics. Epigenetics goes further than the genes a person inherits from their parents by showing how the individual’s genes react to their environment and other factors. One study that Molecular Psychiatry published concluded that children who grow up in families below the poverty line are “more prone to mental illness and alterations in DNA structure.” Since poverty brings numerous stressors such as poor nutrition and physical or psychological trauma, it can affect a child’s biological development, particularly in the brain. Epigenetics can help shape the future and bring to prominence that poverty can cause acute and chronic conditions.

What is Epigenetics?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defined epigenetics as “the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work.” Epigenetics affects gene expression, specifically the process of protein creation. The environment and a person’s behaviors correlate with epigenetic changes; the connection becomes evident between a person’s genes, behaviors and environment.

There are three different mechanisms in epigenetics that can affect gene expressions, including DNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNA. DNA methylation turns the genes “off” and demethylation turns the genes “on.” More specifically, DNA methylation can directly inhibit the expression of genes. In this process, information from the gene becomes a functioning product such as proteins, which are essential molecules that help bodies function. Histone modification occurs with the adding or removal of chemical groups from histones. More specifically, it can also change if a gene is “on” or “off.” Finally, non-coding RNA is a biological function that helps control gene expression.

The Relationship Between Epigenetics and Poverty?

A 2019 article from Northwestern University explains that poverty can implement itself across genomes — “poverty leaves a mark on nearly 10% of the genes in the genome.” Previous research demonstrated that socioeconomic status is a significant determinant of human health and disease. For example, some factors such as lower educational attainment or lower-income increase the risk for heart disease, diabetes, different forms of cancers and other infectious diseases. Also, lower socioeconomic status is associated with other physiological processes that could “contribute to the development of diseases such as chronic inflammation, insulin resistance and cortisol dysregulation.”

In one recent study led by Dr. Adam R. Wende, researchers learned that end-stage heart failure patients had “cytosine-p-guanine, or CpG, methylation of the DNA in the heart.” This methylation was associated with race as the only variable between African Americans and Caucasians. In addition, researchers discovered through census tracking that African American patients lived in neighborhoods with higher racial diversity and poverty. This difference suggested to the researchers that “the underlying variable may be socioeconomic difference.”

Wende spoke about the impact of the study with UAB News. Wende stated that “we provide preliminary evidence that socioeconomic factors are likely associated with racial differences in cardiac DNA methylation among men with end-stage heart failure.”

Differences Between Children in Poverty and Higher Income Households

In another study published in 2016, scientists found that children who grew up in poverty had more DNA methylation than other children who came from higher household incomes. Researchers thought that this difference might have suppressed the impoverished children’s “production of serotonin transporter protein.” As a result, the kids in the impoverished households had less serotonin in the brain, which can lead to depression and other mental conditions.

Dan Notterman, a molecular biologist at Princeton University, found in his research that telomeres, the caps at the end of chromosomes, “[shorten] in children from impoverished families.” Research shows a link between telomere length, aging and poor general health, meaning that the shorter telomeres are, the worse a person’s health is and the faster the aging process is. In layman’s terms, poverty can cause children and adults alike to be more prone to mental and physical illnesses and hinder physiological processes at a genetic level.

Can Epigenetics Help Reverse Negative Health Outcomes?

Robert Philibert, a behavioral geneticist at the University of Iowa in Iowa City stated that “what this points out here is that if you really want to change neurodevelopment, alter the environment.” Epigenetics shows that the environment affects gene expression, and thus, the body’s biological functions.

Social determinants of health (SDH) are, as the World Health Organization (WHO) defines, “the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.” SDHs can influence health and gene expression through “income and social protection, education, food insecurity, social inclusion and nondiscrimination.” According to the WHO, SDH plays a significant role in 30-55% of health outcomes. Epigenetics shows people must address the systems that allow poverty to thrive in order to ensure people do not experience a disadvantage at the beginning of life.

– Gaby Mendoza
Photo: Flickr

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UNICEF’s Social Protection Programs in Eritrea

Social Protection Programs in Eritrea
Eritrea is an African country with an area size of 45,406 square miles, which is slightly larger than the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Eritrea has a coastline on the Red Sea that shares maritime borders with Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, bordering Eritrea is the East African countries of Sudan in the west and Ethiopia in the south. Ongoing challenges have led to UNICEF’s implementation of social protection programs in Eritrea, which aim to improve nutrition, health, education and more.

About Eritrea and UNICEF’s Work

Eritrea is a former Italian colony that Ethiopia annexed in 1952. It became a sovereign state in 1993 after a referendum. Eritrea has received the designation of Africa’s most secretive and repressive nation as it imposes restrictions on freedom of expression.

Eritrea operates under a unitary system of government with no legislature or independent judiciary. The country has been in conflict in the Tigray region with Ethiopia for more than three decades. The heightened crisis in the region has continued to push Eritreans into exile. In November 2000, more than 96,000 Eritreans including children fleeing the conflict were registered as refugees with an increased call for humanitarian assistance.

UNICEF has stepped up with an emergency relief effort to provide lifesaving services to support Eritreans. In 2020, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Italy and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) donated $6 million to UNICEF Eritrea’s Humanitarian Action for Children Fund. UNICEF in collaboration with the Government of Eritrea expeditiously utilized these resources in the provision of social protection programs in Eritrea for thousands of vulnerable Eritreans.

UNICEF’s Social Protection Programs in Eritrea

  • Nutrition. UNICEF procured life-saving medicines and supplements in 2020 to treat maternal health conditions and childhood nutrition concerns. More than 69,000 children younger than 5 years of age received treatment for malnutrition while about 250,000 children received vitamin A supplements. UNICEF distributed folic acid supplements to 170,000 expectant mothers and managed diarrhea-related conditions in 116,600 children. UNICEF procured 236 units of cold-chain technology to replace outdated equipment in Eritrea’s six regional facilities for effective storage of life-saving vaccines and inoculated more than 150 children against infectious diseases ranging from poliomyelitis to tuberculosis.
  • Health. UNICEF-led hygiene initiatives through the Community Sanitation program engaged 500 Eritreans in the production of sanitary kits and hygiene supplies. Approximately 12,000 hand sanitizers underwent distribution to more than five regional health centers while 20 disability centers and orphanages received 90 handwashing stations. UNICEF conducted mass media campaigns on public health awareness, sending out health information to about 500,000 Eritreans on effective hand washing and hygiene safety techniques. Home health training programs for 100 community health workers emerged, which aimed to meet the needs of children and pregnant women. The training programs led to a 10% decrease in infant mortality rates. The neonatal intensive care unit began in the Barentui region in 2019 as part of the community-based health program to cater to sick children. Health outcomes of more than 100 children have improved as a consequence of specialized health services in Eritrea.
  • Education. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted learning opportunities for children in Eritrea due to lockdown restrictions on public facilities. UNICEF, through the Mine-Risk Education program in schools, established 20 community education centers to provide learning opportunities in Eritrea to support 5,000 overage out-of-school children and provide training programs for 180 teachers. Educational supplies went to 7,220 vulnerable school children at the commencement of learning activities following the reopening of schools. Additionally, about 800 disabled children benefited from community-based rehabilitation services that UNICEF organized. The social services received support from community volunteers and behavioral health providers.
  • Cash Assistance. UNICEF coordinated disaster relief efforts for more than 5,000 Eritrean families. It mobilized resources to engage families in the production of household sanitary supplies at community rehabilitation centers while 494 vulnerable families obtained cash grants that benefited 2,000 children. The disaster response aimed to mitigate some of the socioeconomic effects caused by COVID-19. UNICEF coordinated efforts with the Eritrean government to provide welfare support and behavioral health services for about 500,000 families, including women and children.

Looking Ahead

UNICEF humanitarian interventions in Eritrea have been far-reaching and impactful but vulnerabilities from the Tigray conflict, harsh climatic conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic have created a significant humanitarian need with 1.2 million Eritreans experiencing poverty. Disruptions in supply chain platforms negatively impact food security in the country, thereby increasing child malnutrition concerns. UNICEF is requesting $13.7 million to meet the humanitarian needs of children in Eritrea in 2022. There is an urgent need to respond to the clarion call for humanitarian aid and support the people of Eritrea. The resources will provide and expand life-saving aid to this community and the vulnerable population within it.

– Sylvia Eimieho
Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts About the JAAGO Foundation in Bangladesh

JAAGO Foundation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a South Asian country that encircles the Bay of Bengal. With 20.5% of the population living below the poverty line in 2019, community building is incredibly beneficial to the nation. The JAAGO Foundation in Bangladesh is a youth movement that began in 2007 to provide improved education for future generations while encouraging citizens to get more involved in their communities to break the poverty cycle.

5 Facts About the JAAGO Foundation

  1. Origins: JAAGO Foundation began in a single room in the Rayer Bazar slum. In April 2007, Korvi Rakshand and a group of friends rented a room in the Rayer Bazar slum of Dhaka, Bangladesh, with a vision of improving the lives of the local youth. Now executive director of the JAAGO Foundation, Rakshand had previously worked in London as a marketing Assistant, student coordinator and event manager. However, he strived to do something more meaningful with his life to make a significant change in the world. From the single room, Rakshand and his friends began teaching 17 local children from the area. The very “first supporting project” of the JAAGO Foundation in Bangladesh was a relief supply distribution in response to a flood that ravished the Rayer Bazar in 2007.
  2. Education: Education reform is a top goal of the organization. In 2022, about 98% of Bangladeshi “children of primary school age” are enrolled in schools in Bangladesh. However, many students have difficulty with basic reading skills. In spring 2018, a USAID-funded study in Bangladesh revealed that 44% of students who complete the first grade cannot “read their first word” and 27% of students completing the third grade could not “read with comprehension.” In addition, about “20% of all students drop out before completing fifth grade.” Quality education is essential to improving the economy of Bangladesh because most jobs require foundational skills, which many people lack if they do not receive proper schooling. The JAAGO Foundation in Bangladesh has completed several projects that promote and encourage youth to complete their education to break cycles of poverty. The Future We Want program, running from December 2019 to May 2020, provided direct benefits to “320 youth participants” from four Bangladeshi districts. The project’s goal was to provide students with knowledge of “civic engagement, education and employment” while developing networks to prepare youth for the workforce. Participants connected with young leaders and experts who provided them with tools and knowledge to enhance their understanding of the importance of education and the future labor market. Four seminars taught students about employable skills, employment and entrepreneurship possibilities. The project also reached 500,000 individuals “through mass media and social media.”
  3. COVID-19: The organization works to reduce COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh. The JAAGO Foundation in Bangladesh also aims to educate youth on reducing the spread of COVID-19. With nearly 2 million cases and more than 29,000 deaths in Bangladesh by March 15, 2022, efforts to decrease COVID-19 infections are crucial. JAAGO implemented the Apnar Mask Kothay project that ran from January 28, 2022, to January 31, 2022. For three days, 7,000 youth volunteers in 64 districts of Bangladesh worked to raise awareness of mask usage to combat the spread of COVID-19. Volunteers handed out masks and pamphlets about COVID-19 to citizens while debunking COVID-19 misconceptions in public spaces such as mosques, bus stops and streets. The volunteers reached around 1 million beneficiaries.
  4. Volunteer for Bangladesh: In 2011, the JAAGO Foundation in Bangladesh pioneered a youth wing called Volunteer for Bangladesh with assistance from the U.S. Embassy. What began with just 500 volunteers has now skyrocketed to 40,000 registered volunteers who work in 56 districts of Bangladesh. Volunteer for Bangladesh aims to motivate youth to get involved with volunteerism and leadership that would positively impact their communities. Projects include Water and Sanitation for All, the Great Kindness Challenge and Child Rights UCD.
  5. Anyone Can Get Involved: Opportunities presented by the JAAGO Foundation in Bangladesh are not exclusive to the people of Bangladesh. Those who are interested can donate to the welfare of underprivileged children of JAAGO. One can also sponsor a child for $27 a month and provide them with necessary school supplies and meals or register to become a volunteer.

The JAAGO Foundation in Bangladesh is paving the way for improved education and leadership opportunities for citizens. The organization’s work has seen success so far and will continue to benefit the country for future generations.

– Megan Quinn
Photo: Flickr

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Education Initiatives in Pakistan

Education Initiatives in Pakistan
Pakistan, a country of 220 million people, currently holds the “world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children,” according to UNICEF, equating to about 22.8 million children. Some factors that contribute to this high out-of-school rate are gender inequality, socioeconomic status and location of residency. USAID and UNICEF have implemented several education initiatives in Pakistan in recent years to help address the education crisis.

Pakistan’s Education Overview

According to a  study by Pak Alliance for Maths and Science based on data from the  Pakistan Social and Living Measurements Standards survey 2019-20 (PSLM), 32% of Pakistan’s children from age 5 to 16 years old are not in school. There are many reasons for this, such as gender norms, which assert that females’ sole roles should involve household chores and caregiving. Poverty also plays a role as many impoverished families simply cannot afford to send their children to school. Area of residency also factors in —  children who live in rural areas, such as the province of Balochistan, do not have access to a school within walking distance.

In addition to these factors, Pakistan’s education system faces several barriers that intensify the difficulty of completing a full education,  such as deteriorating school facilities that lack proper sanitation and electricity. In addition, underqualified teaching staff, widespread corruption and thousands of staff who do not show up for work leave children unable to receive a proper education.

USAID Initiatives

USAID has partnered with Pakistan’s government to increase access to education, especially for out-of-school children, and improve the quality of education in Pakistan overall. Given that the quality of teachers significantly impacts students’ education, USAID prioritizes the training of educators. In partnership with Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission, USAID established “two professional teaching degree programs.”

USAID has also provided training to educators “on how to teach reading” to students using appealing and age-appropriate materials in local languages. USAID has also created libraries in thousands of Pakistani classrooms to encourage literacy. Since 2013, USAID has given training to “more than 46,000 teachers and school administrators.” USAID also prioritizes developing education policies that cater to “local needs,” which will ultimately improve community involvement and enrollment in schools.

Since its education partnership with Pakistan in 2013, USAID has constructed “17 faculties of education” for teacher training and “built or repaired more than 1,600 schools” throughout Pakistan. USAID’s assistance has benefited more than 2 million primary school students in Pakistan and “improved oral reading fluency for 26% of grade-two graduate students.” USAID also gave around 19,000 scholarships to outstanding students so they can “attend tertiary education.”

UNICEF Initiatives

Since 2016, UNICEF has committed to reducing the number of out-of-school children in Pakistan. The organization is helping to strengthen Pakistan’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) systems “to improve school readiness,” reduce dropout rates and encourage school completion. Children from impoverished and vulnerable communities will see the most benefits from these efforts.

UNICEF has committed to promoting educational awareness to parents about “early learning, the importance of on-time enrolment and the lack of social protection schemes,” which will help break down barriers to students completing their education. Lastly, UNICEF’s education initiatives in Pakistan promote discussions on the Pakistani government’s “education budgeting and public financing” to highlight areas in need of improvement that can help strengthen Pakistan’s education sector as a whole.

Looking Ahead

These initiatives are essential to improve Pakistan’s poverty rate, which stands at 39.3% as of 2021 because education is a proven path out of poverty. According to the Global Partnership for Education, 420 million people would rise out of poverty through secondary education and “one additional year of school can increase a woman’s earnings by up to 20%.”

The education initiatives in Pakistan have already begun to address the education crisis and will continue to do so in the coming years. These efforts will encourage more enrollments and give way to higher school completion rates despite the socio-economic disparities that many impoverished children face, which will ultimately reveal itself through economic growth in the nation and a broader job market.

– Isabella Elmasry
Photo: Flickr

E-commerce Brings Opportunities to Rural Communities

E-commerce Brings Opportunities to Rural CommunitiesRural commercialization continues to grow in Latin America as communities increasingly turn to e-commerce to conduct business and make purchases. In 2020, retail e-commerce sales rose by 63.3% in Latin America. The COVID-19 pandemic is a driving factor in the growing popularity of e-commerce in the region as digital platforms to purchase and sell negate the need for physical contact. According to a study by Karine Haji, e-commerce brings opportunities to rural communities to improve their quality of life. E-commerce has the potential to engage rural communities and provide the opportunity for those communities to participate in the consumer market unlike ever before.

Rural Opportunities with E-commerce

Consumer market demand is increasing in rural regions and with that comes increased financial inclusion and access to products not typically seen in the region. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, rural markets are expanding at a faster rate than urban markets in many countries. Rural communities typically have a short supply of retail stores, products and e-commerce that offer the opportunity to fill this gap. Not only can rural areas access more consumer goods due to e-commerce but they are also able to avoid the difficulties of traveling to urban centers to purchase goods. E-commerce brings opportunities to rural communities by alleviating the burden of transportation and ultimately saves money. The expansiveness of e-commerce allows rural sellers to make sales on a more broad and dynamic scale rather than limiting their reach to customers in their immediate vicinity.

Social Commerce Provides Inclusivity for Rural Communities

Social commerce is a trend occurring in the e-commerce realm that connects suppliers with local communities. The concept of social commerce is based on the market model and uses existing social platforms. Originating in Colombia and launched in 2018, Elenas is Latin America’s first social commerce marketplace and has increased services to communities all over the region. Many sellers on Elenas are housewives or students and large portions of Elenas sales come from rural communities. Furthermore, the research team behind Elenas has found that the impact of the company directly affects social and economic conditions for women. In 2021, Elenas launched in Mexico and became a popular employment opportunity for unemployed women in the country. E-commerce brings opportunities to rural communities, especially women and students who seek economic opportunities and employment.

E-Commerce Brings Opportunities to Rural Communities in Brazil

Brazil is embracing e-commerce as an inclusive and sustainable economic alternative to traditional consumer markets with the goal of alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life for its people. Brazil is a leader in e-commerce in Latin America and seeks to expand its interests. According to the 2021 eEbit Webshoppers report, Brazil’s e-commerce activity rose by 31% in the first six months of 2021. The Brazilian government supplied pandemic relief funds to citizens through digital wallets, providing access to online stores. Brazil has also taken steps to bridge the digital divide by implementing national broadband plans. Increased internet access offers inclusivity and access to consumer markets typically out of reach to rural communities.

E-commerce Inclusive Opportunities for Rural Communities

As rural communities continue to engage with e-commerce, they begin to emerge in the global supply chain, ultimately generating wealth for the community and by the community. E-commerce brings opportunities to rural communities as well as a sense of ownership and economic engagement, ultimately giving power to marginalized communities. Additionally, it nourishes job creation and industry development. E-commerce also generates the funds that a community needs to improve infrastructure and increase broadband connection. Several countries in Latin America embrace the benefits of e-commerce as a proven inclusive and sustainable economic opportunity for marginalized communities.

– Jennifer Hendricks
Photo: Flickr

Poverty and Soil Quality in Mexico

Soil Quality in Mexico
Mexico is an important producer of various crops like maize. The country is first globally in the production of avocados, lemons and limes. However, 45% to 63% of soil in Mexico has some level of degradation diminishing its capability of supporting agriculture. Because of soil degradation’s effects on production, small-scale farms, which are usually food insecure, are struggling to compete with modern farms with highly developed technology and access to resources. Therefore, the relation between soil quality in Mexico and poverty is evident.

Agriculture and Cattle Raising

According to a 2015 publication, Mexico is in the top 25% of countries with the most unequal distribution of income. Because of this inequality, many rural and impoverished farming areas do not feel the benefits of efforts to improve agricultural productivity. Inferior soil quality in Mexico, especially in farms located in rural areas, “diminish the value of many rural plots.”

According to a study in 2019, “63.5% of Mexico’s cattle are raised in tropical areas,” like forests, yet productivity is still low. Cattle “provide only 17% of the nation’s milk produced and approximately 28% of its meat.” Raising cattle in tropical areas can become an issue when heavy amounts of cattle grazing occur in these low-income forest communities because it may reduce the amount of plant cover, which allows for quicker soil erosion.

Deforestation

According to a 2017 USAID publication, forests cover 34% of Mexico’s land, and between the years 2010 and 2015, the country lost approximately 458,000 hectares of forests due to deforestation. These “forests are home to more than 12 million people,” most of whom live in poverty and rely on local resources to survive. These forest dwellers often acquire these resources through agricultural means, which strongly depends on the quality of the area’s soil. The loss of trees from deforestation in these communities leaves soil with no grounding roots, allowing for the elements to remove necessary topsoil. When this happens, farmers move to new areas with sufficient soil to raise healthy and plentiful crops, only continuing this unsustainable cycle.

Via Orgánica

Via Orgánica is a nonprofit organization based in Mexico promoting regenerative agriculture to allow for sustainability and encourage healthy lifestyles. The nonprofit is a working ranch that hosts camps to teach individuals how to transform degenerated land into a productive area where they can grow healthy crops. The organization teaches skills like bio-intensive gardening and compost-making to improve soil quality.

Co-founder Rosana Alvarez told Traverse Journeys that Via Orgánica has helped locals open restaurants and small shops that provide clean and healthy foods. She also said that since the nonprofit began in 2009, the organization has helped to create 75 jobs for rural and marginalized Mexicans in the area.

Inferior soil quality in Mexico and land degradation have major effects on citizens living in poverty. Forest agriculture often negatively impacts local soil and initiatives often overlook rural areas when addressing soil issues in the country. Deforestation also increases soil erosion and reduces agricultural productivity. However, efforts to enhance soil quality and improve farming productivity among rural Mexican communities provide hope for the future.

– Katelyn Rogers
Photo: Flickr

Sightsavers Treats Visual Disorders Globally

Sightsavers Treats Visual Disorders
According to Sightsavers, roughly 90% of all people suffering from visual impairments or blindness reside in developing nations. Because the organization recognizes the link between poverty and visual impairments, Sightsavers treats visual disorders, takes steps to combat preventable blindness and provides assistance to people with irreversible blindness. The organization, established in 1950, works in developing nations across Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.

Economic Impacts of Visual Impairments

Visual impairments have far-reaching impacts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that “good vision is important for good quality of life and loss of vision leads to disability, morbidity and loss of productivity.”

Disabilities and morbidities that arise from visual impairment take away from the human capital of a nation because the affected person can no longer serve as a productive member of the workforce and contribute to the economy. On a household level, there are economic impacts too. Households incur significant costs to treat advanced visual disorders.

The inability to work means reduced household income, exacerbating conditions of poverty in the home. Also, untreated visual impairments can lead to diseases or conditions that place a strain on the health care system of a developing country, which usually lacks the resources, infrastructure and personnel to take on this added burden.

In a study that the Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science journal published in 2018, researchers determined that a blind or visually impaired person suffers from a significant amount of fatigue in comparison to those without these afflictions. In turn, high levels of fatigue lead to a loss of productivity that materializes as “increased societal costs” and an intensified economic burden. Sightsavers treats visual disorders to prevent avoidable blindness and the consequences that come with a loss of vision.

The Year 2021 in Review

Over the last year, Sightsavers made several accomplishments despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sightsavers and its partner organizations were able to “deliver millions of treatments to combat neglected tropical diseases.” For instance, trachoma is an infectious neglected tropical disease that affects the eyes. Without treatment, trachoma can lead to blindness or visual impairment. With the help of Sightsavers, in April 2021, The Gambia was able to fully eradicate trachoma, one of the leading causes of blindness within the country.

Through the support of Sightsavers’ Equal world advocacy campaign, after years of efforts, in September 2021, Mali put into legislation legal provisions that safeguard the rights of people with disabilities, including those with visual impairments, so that they can obtain access to the same employment opportunities, education possibilities and social benefits as other people.

Sightsavers’ Other Accomplishments

In December 2021, Sightsavers won the Zero Project Award, an honor that “recognizes innovative policies and practices that improve the lives and support the rights of people with disabilities.” The award gives praise to a Sightsavers toolkit that launched in 2018, which provides recommendations on performing “an audit of health care facilities” and gives guidelines “on accessibility standards and examples of best practice.” Since the toolkit’s release, Sightsavers has utilized the specialized toolkit to provide training to more than 200 staff members from organizations that support people with disabilities as well as “governments and the private sector.” Sightsavers has also used the toolkit to “conduct accessibility audits in 50 hospitals across eight countries and complete priority accessibility renovations in 16 health facilities.”

Kareen Atekem, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) researcher from Sightsavers, was a finalist for the 2021 NTD Innovation Prize competition. Her project entails an innovative trap for Chrysops flies that spread a parasitic disease called loiasis, which affects the eyes. Atekem told Sightsavers that “If successful, our innovative trap will also allow us to monitor ‘Chrysops’ populations and eventually, control the spread of these biting flies. This could reduce the risk of loiasis for whole communities and regions.” By preventing loiasis, Sightsavers can safeguard the lives and livelihoods of people within high-risk areas.

The economies of all nations rely on the good health and well-being of citizens so that people can hold positions as productive members of the workforce. Sightsavers’ mission to safeguard vision is necessary for the growth and prosperity of countries. With a 90% rate of visually impaired individuals in developing nations, Sightsavers treats visual disorders to promote both well-being and economic growth.

– Kyle Swingle
Photo: Flickr