A €1 billion theme park planned near Bucharest could create thousands of jobs and expand Romania’s tourism industry as the country continues to face high levels of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Here is more information about the Dracula Land project.
Dracula Land Project
Dragoș Dobrescu, founder of Dracula Land, describes the project as more than a real estate development, calling it a “project of national vision” and a potential landmark for Romania.
Dracula Land is a proposed entertainment and tourism complex planned near Bucharest. According to the project’s developers, construction is will begin in September 2026, with an opening targeted for 2027.
The planned development would cover a 160-hectare site and include a theme park spanning more than 780,000 square meters, with six themed areas and more than 40 attractions. The wider project also plans to include hotels, an aqua park, a luxury outlet, a 22,500-seat arena and a technology hub.
The project is undergoing development as a private investment exceeding €1 billion, according to project representatives.
Romania’s Progress Against Poverty and Social Exclusion
Romania has made progress in reducing the share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in recent years, but significant challenges remain.
In 2025, 27.4% of Romania’s population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 20.9% across the European Union. Romania recorded the third-highest rate in the EU, behind Bulgaria and Greece.
The rate has declined from 32.0% in 2023 to 27.9% in 2024 and 27.4% in 2025. The indicator measures people affected by at least one of three conditions: monetary poverty, severe material and social deprivation or living in a household with very low work intensity.
Potential Employment and Tourism Activity
The proposed development could generate economic activity through tourism, hospitality, retail and entertainment.
According to Dracula Land’s developers, the project should create more than 5,000 direct and indirect jobs across tourism, technology and services. These estimates depend on the project being completed and operating as planned.
The wider development plans to include hotels, restaurants, retail, entertainment and event facilities, which could generate demand for workers across several sectors.
The developers also project around three million visitors annually during the first phase and an economic impact of approximately €5 billion over the following decade. These figures represent projected outcomes rather than established results.
Tourism could therefore become a channel through which the development contributes to Romania’s wider economy if the project achieves its visitor and investment projections.
Technology and Economic Opportunities
Technology is another major component of the proposed development.
According to project plans, Dracula Land’s business and technology hub is expected to provide space for more than 1,000 workstations for startups working in areas including gaming, artificial intelligence and digital industries. The project also proposes a digital version of the destination built using Unreal Engine 5.
These plans could broaden the types of employment associated with the development beyond traditional tourism roles such as hospitality and entertainment. However, the scale of these opportunities will depend on the project’s eventual implementation and operation.
Looking Ahead
Dracula Land remains a proposed private development, and its projected economic benefits have not yet been established. Construction is currently planned for September 2026, with an opening targeted for 2027, but these dates remain subject to the development process.
If completed and operated at the levels that its developers project, the project could generate employment and tourism activity across several sectors. However, there is currently no evidence that these projected jobs would directly benefit people experiencing poverty or reduce Romania’s rate of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
The development therefore represents a potential source of employment, tourism and investment, while its wider economic and social impact will depend on whether the project reaches its projected scale.
– Hana Abdulati
Hana is based in London, UK and focuses on Business and New Markets, Good News, Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr
Ghana’s Anti-Witchcraft Bill: A Second Chance to Become Law
Six years ago, Akua Denteh, a 90-year-old woman from the town of Kafaba, was killed after being accused of witchcraft. A crowd beat her to death on July 23, 2020, after she was accused of using witchcraft to prevent rain from falling in the area. Footage of the attack spread across the country within hours. The killing drew public condemnation and renewed calls for Parliament to act.
Pattern of Accusations
The accusation that led to Denteh’s death did not materialize on its own. A priestess blamed her for a run of misfortune in Kafaba, including a poor rainy season. Researchers describe a consistent pattern: droughts, crop failures and unexplained illness create pressure to assign blame. That blame tends to fall hardest on vulnerable women who are older, poor, widowed, living with a disability or otherwise without someone to defend their claim to land and property. Once people make an accusation, it compounds that existing vulnerability, stripping a woman of her home and income on top of what she has already lost.
Exile as an Alternative
For the women who survive, exile is often the alternative to death. Across northern Ghana, hundreds of people accused of witchcraft live in settlements commonly known as witch camps, after being banished from their communities or fleeing because they feared further violence. More than 97% of residents of such camps report an extremely low quality of life.
Political Spotlight
Denteh’s death pushed an old, deeply rooted practice into the political spotlight, and Parliament responded. Three years later, in July 2023, members of Parliament passed the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, commonly known as the Anti-Witchcraft Accusations Bill, which would make it a criminal offense to accuse, name or label another person as a witch. It would also outlaw witch-finding, the rituals through which priests, priestesses and other self-styled witch-finders identify supposed witches, and it proposed a route toward protection, justice and compensation for victims.
Presidential Assent
However, Parliament’s passage did not make it law. President Nana Akufo-Addo did not give the bill his assent. According to reports, his objection centered on a constitutional and procedural question: the bill had originated as a private member’s bill, and his administration argued that the government should have introduced legislation carrying financial implications for the state rather than individual MPs.
Continued Efforts
For the women in the camps, the distinction between Parliament passing a bill and Ghana having a law was not abstract. Without presidential assent, the proposed criminalization of witchcraft accusations did not take effect, while women already displaced by accusations remained in exile. The fight has now returned to Parliament. In July 2026, five MPs from the same group that sponsored the original bill reintroduced it, again as a private member’s bill. Government ministers have separately signaled interest in taking up the legislation, and Amnesty International Ghana has appealed to President John Mahama to certify it as urgent. Whether that support translates into the government formally sponsoring the bill, or into presidential assent this time, is still an open question. The procedural issue raised over the 2023 bill — its status as a private member’s bill with financial implications — has not yet been definitively resolved.
Building Pressure
Outside Parliament, pressure has been building too. Amnesty International Ghana, ActionAid Ghana, Songtaba, Oxfam and the Sanneh Institute have formed part of a coalition pushing for the bill’s passage. Campaigners have traveled to the camps, gathered testimony from women living there and taken their demands back to Accra. Their petition has attracted almost 19,000 signatures.
Future Challenges
This is no longer simply a story about whether MPs agree that witchcraft accusations are wrong; they have already voted on that once. It is a story about what it will take to convert that agreement into an assented law, and about what happens next if that finally happens. The first bill did not fail because Parliament rejected the women it was meant to protect; it stalled over a procedural dispute about how the bill was introduced. Whether that obstacle has genuinely been cleared this time, or will resurface, remains to be seen.
Even if Parliament passes the bill again and it receives assent, a harder question will still be waiting: what happens to the women already living in the camps? A law can make a new accusation a crime. Reintegrating women who have already been displaced, rebuilding a lost home, restoring lost land, repairing a relationship with a family that still believes an accusation, persuading a village that a woman it once feared is safe to welcome home is a separate, longer undertaking that legislation alone does not resolve. That is the implementation gap between passing a law and closing the camps.
And it is where Akua Denteh’s story, six years after her death, leads next: not back to the village square where she was killed, but into the corridors of Parliament, where Ghana’s lawmakers have another chance to decide what happens after her death.
– Alana Breslin
Photo: Flickr
Updates on SDG 16 in Lebanon
Since the escalation of hostilities on March 2, 2026, more than 1 million people have been displaced across Lebanon. As of March 27, more than 133,000 people are sheltering in more than 600 collective sites nationwide, according to UNDP. Here are some updates on SDG 16 in Lebanon.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 16 is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals that the United Nations developed to fulfill its 2030 Agenda. As Lebanon grapples with social, political and economic constraints, updates on SDG 16 arrive as the UN focuses collaboration efforts on developing and reforming the government’s public administration and civil service.
UN partners and teams have assisted in expanding institutional capacities for social stability, economic growth and conflict prevention. However, the efficiency of these programs has noticeably differed before and during conflict escalations in the South.
UN Programmatic Interventions
The UN has instituted 10 programmatic interventions responding to the threats to SDG 16 in Lebanon. Of these, Lebanon implemented two. In 2025, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and the United Nations Development Programme supported a study that the Lebanese Office of the Minister of State for Administration Reform on “Reform Models and Practical Recommendations for Lebanon” conducted. Ending in June 2026, the study examined Lebanon’s fragmented governance context, including the formal and informal sectarian networks entrenched within the country’s political system. Its primary focuses included post-crises state building, digital transformation, performance management, transparency reforms and whole-of-government modernization.
UNDP’s Security and Justice project supports security and justice services for crisis-affected populations in Lebanon. The current project page lists it as ongoing through June 2027 and focuses on social stability, human rights and access to justice. UNDP reports that more than 260,000 people from 75 villages can benefit from police services aligned with community-policing standards. It also reports that four legal-aid helpdesks provided free legal services to more than 19,000 beneficiaries, 62% of whom are women, and that an inclusive justice forum was established to help stakeholders address challenges facing justice institutions.
Concerning the promotion of inclusivity and social justice, UNDP’s “Dealing With the Past: Memory for the Future” Phase II is an active reconciliation initiative running from 2022 to 2027. It aims to advocate for accountability on “dealing with the past,” coordinating the operation of regional, local, and national actors to understand and accept histories associated with the Lebanese context. Its objective is to prevent relapse into violence through education. As a result, 225 history teachers and 51 former fighters and youth have received training in mediation through education, bringing perspectives across sects to the public’s attention. The initiative succeeded in adding 50 documented stories to historical mappings of the Lebanese Civil War, an event largely shaping current Lebanese politics, and delivered six educational materials from this multifaceted approach.
Daybreak Over Mount Lebanon: Looking Forward
Despite ongoing conflict, the documented programs have expanded access to legal aid, strengthened local security services and supported reconciliation and education initiatives across Lebanon. However, continued conflict and displacement have disrupted several programs, creating challenges for the implementation and long-term sustainability of these efforts.
– Ghassan-Elias Zaitoun
Photo: Flickr
Helping Survivors of the Colombian Earthquake
On August 10th, 2026, a large 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the country of Colombia, causing the destruction of more than 10,500 homes on the western parts. The earthquake killed at least 281 people and injured thousands more with many others stuck under the rubble. First responders and authorities have worked tirelessly to search for and rescue any struggling survivors trapped under the rubble, their efforts focusing on the missing people especially because of the situation’s time sensitivity. Despite the dire situation due to the Colombian earthquake, NGOs and humanitarian organizations are actively helping vulnerable communities.
Situation Overview
The 7.4 Colombian earthquake struck shortly after 7:30 pm (GMT-5), shaking the whole country, including its neighbor Ecuador. During this, apartment blocks were toppled and both schools and homes were damaged as people rushed out into the streets to escape the collapsing debris. From recent reports, 281 people were killed (many of them in Cali, Colombia’s third most populated city), more than 3,900 injured – though both numbers are rising as more information is revealed – and about 379 people are estimated to be missing according to the data.
The earthquake has also worsened the people’s quality of life: food insecurity is higher with 31% of the population in Chocó and 29% in Valle del Cauca going hungry as a combination of the disaster and displacement. To compare, the country had 37% of households were suffering from food insecurity before the earthquake hit, making the pre-existing issues worse. Their access to medication and medical help has also been affected due to more than 84 hospitals being damaged in the wake of the earthquake, leaving medical staff scrambling to provide care for many of the injured victims. Shelter has been another point of concern due to the mass distraction of hundreds of houses.
NGOs Working in Colombia
There are several NGOs and other humanitarian organizations that are working in Colombia to aid vulnerable people. These include:
Food for the Poor
Food for the Poor is a nonprofit organization that aims to bring urgent relief to vulnerable families experiencing poverty. Since its founding in 1982, its services include providing food, clean water, health care and shelter for people in poverty. It provided 943 million meals to Colombians between 2019 and 2023 and distributed $3.2 million worth of aid during that same time frame.
The World Food Program (WFP)
Speaking of providing meals, WFP is one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations that focuses on helping and providing food for people during emergencies, such as conflict, disasters and impacts from particularly bad weather. WFP has been working in Colombia as recently as from January 2026 to June 2026, providing food for at least 260,000 across the country and gave cash-based transfers to vulnerable communities experiencing conflict and climate shock. This included 75,000 children and reached 1.2 million schools. After the earthquake, it has focused its services on helping the survivors of the earthquake.
Looking Ahead
The Colombian earthquake has destroyed buildings, killed 281 people, and injured many others. However, numerous NGOs are ready to assist, and there are many ways to support the victims.
– Michalitsa Kontogianni
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
How Dracula Land Romania Could Boost Tourism and Employment
A €1 billion theme park planned near Bucharest could create thousands of jobs and expand Romania’s tourism industry as the country continues to face high levels of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Here is more information about the Dracula Land project.
Dracula Land Project
Dragoș Dobrescu, founder of Dracula Land, describes the project as more than a real estate development, calling it a “project of national vision” and a potential landmark for Romania.
Dracula Land is a proposed entertainment and tourism complex planned near Bucharest. According to the project’s developers, construction is will begin in September 2026, with an opening targeted for 2027.
The planned development would cover a 160-hectare site and include a theme park spanning more than 780,000 square meters, with six themed areas and more than 40 attractions. The wider project also plans to include hotels, an aqua park, a luxury outlet, a 22,500-seat arena and a technology hub.
The project is undergoing development as a private investment exceeding €1 billion, according to project representatives.
Romania’s Progress Against Poverty and Social Exclusion
Romania has made progress in reducing the share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in recent years, but significant challenges remain.
In 2025, 27.4% of Romania’s population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 20.9% across the European Union. Romania recorded the third-highest rate in the EU, behind Bulgaria and Greece.
The rate has declined from 32.0% in 2023 to 27.9% in 2024 and 27.4% in 2025. The indicator measures people affected by at least one of three conditions: monetary poverty, severe material and social deprivation or living in a household with very low work intensity.
Potential Employment and Tourism Activity
The proposed development could generate economic activity through tourism, hospitality, retail and entertainment.
According to Dracula Land’s developers, the project should create more than 5,000 direct and indirect jobs across tourism, technology and services. These estimates depend on the project being completed and operating as planned.
The wider development plans to include hotels, restaurants, retail, entertainment and event facilities, which could generate demand for workers across several sectors.
The developers also project around three million visitors annually during the first phase and an economic impact of approximately €5 billion over the following decade. These figures represent projected outcomes rather than established results.
Tourism could therefore become a channel through which the development contributes to Romania’s wider economy if the project achieves its visitor and investment projections.
Technology and Economic Opportunities
Technology is another major component of the proposed development.
According to project plans, Dracula Land’s business and technology hub is expected to provide space for more than 1,000 workstations for startups working in areas including gaming, artificial intelligence and digital industries. The project also proposes a digital version of the destination built using Unreal Engine 5.
These plans could broaden the types of employment associated with the development beyond traditional tourism roles such as hospitality and entertainment. However, the scale of these opportunities will depend on the project’s eventual implementation and operation.
Looking Ahead
Dracula Land remains a proposed private development, and its projected economic benefits have not yet been established. Construction is currently planned for September 2026, with an opening targeted for 2027, but these dates remain subject to the development process.
If completed and operated at the levels that its developers project, the project could generate employment and tourism activity across several sectors. However, there is currently no evidence that these projected jobs would directly benefit people experiencing poverty or reduce Romania’s rate of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
The development therefore represents a potential source of employment, tourism and investment, while its wider economic and social impact will depend on whether the project reaches its projected scale.
– Hana Abdulati
Photo: Flickr
STHREE RIDE Program Creates Women’s Employment in India
In Telangana, India, a new program is creating a path into the workforce for women through an industry where they have traditionally been underrepresented. The Telangana Police Women Safety Wing launched STHREE RIDE in June 2026 to connect women with employment as bike riders, auto-rickshaw drivers and cab drivers. The initiative is part of a broader push to expand women’s employment in India, a country that continues to face a significant gender gap in workforce participation.
The Link Between Work and Poverty
For people living with limited financial resources, access to reliable employment can be an important factor in maintaining economic stability. The type of employment matters as well. The World Bank reports that 78.2% of employed women in India were in vulnerable employment in 2025, compared with 69% of employed men. Vulnerable employment often involves fewer formal work arrangements and social protections. This leaves workers more exposed to economic shocks and poverty.
Women also participate in India’s workforce at a much lower rate than men. World Bank data based on International Labour Organization estimates shows that India’s female labor-force participation rate was 32.4% in 2025, compared with 77.6% for men. The gap reflects the broader challenge facing women’s employment in India and is part of the wider effort to expand women’s economic opportunities in the country.
The barriers behind this gap are not limited to one issue. The World Bank identifies access to skills, finance, housing and transportation among the factors that can affect women’s ability to participate fully in India’s economy. Addressing these barriers can help create conditions in which more women are able to enter and remain in the workforce.
STHREE RIDE Opens a Door
STHREE RIDE is one initiative addressing women’s employment in India by connecting women directly to jobs in the transportation sector. During its inaugural phase, 55 women were onboarded and connected with mobility service providers through both gig-worker and full-time employment models. The Telangana Police Women Safety Wing designed the program specifically to create livelihood opportunities for women in transportation, a field that has traditionally had fewer women participants.
The first group represents several types of transportation work, including bike riding, auto-rickshaw driving and cab driving. The initiative combines employment connections with livelihood support, giving participants a way to apply their skills directly to paid work rather than stopping at training alone.
That model is particularly relevant to poverty because training by itself does not guarantee an income. Connecting skills development with employment can create a more direct route from learning a skill to using it as a source of livelihood. For women who face barriers to entering the workforce, that connection can be an important part of improving access to economic opportunity.
Why Transportation Matters
Transportation is also connected to women’s ability to participate in the economy. The World Bank identifies safe and affordable transport as one of the structural factors that can influence women’s access to work in India. STHREE RIDE approaches transportation from another angle by creating jobs within the sector itself.
The program also places women in roles that can increase their visibility in public spaces and challenge traditional expectations surrounding transportation work. The Women Safety Wing describes STHREE RIDE as both a livelihood initiative and an effort to increase women’s participation in public spaces and the workforce.
From a Small Start to a Larger Model
STHREE RIDE is still in its early stages, so its long-term effect on poverty cannot yet be measured. There is not enough evidence to determine whether participants will experience lasting increases in income or whether the program will produce measurable reductions in poverty. At this point, its impact can be evaluated through the opportunities it has created rather than outcomes that have not yet been established.
The Women Safety Wing plans to expand the program based on the results of its initial phase. Its longer-term plans include reaching women in urban, semi-urban and rural areas and exploring opportunities with logistics and cargo service providers. If expanded, the program could bring its employment model to women facing different economic and geographic barriers.
Measuring the program’s future results will be important. Employment numbers alone will not show whether STHREE RIDE is helping women build more secure livelihoods. Changes in participants’ income, job stability and ability to remain in the workforce would provide a clearer picture of the initiative’s economic impact.
A Path Toward Economic Opportunity
Poverty reduction requires more than addressing immediate financial needs. Expanding access to education, skills and employment can help people participate more fully in the economy. In India, where women continue to participate in the workforce at a substantially lower rate than men, increasing access to employment is one part of addressing the economic barriers that contribute to vulnerability.
STHREE RIDE began with 55 women, but its broader significance lies in the model it is testing. By connecting women with training and transportation jobs, the initiative is creating an opportunity for women to enter a sector that has traditionally had limited female participation. As more women take the wheel, STHREE RIDE offers an early, hopeful signal for the future of women’s employment in India.
– Anvitha Nakka
Photo: Unsplash
Understanding the Fight Against FGM in Colombia
Female genital mutilation (FGM) refers to procedures intended to cut, remove or alter female external genitalia, often associated with cultural practices and most common in parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The practice has affected approximately 230 million women and girls globally and is an issue intertwined with global poverty: cross-national research that UNICEF has done demonstrates that FGM disproportionately affects women from the poorest quintiles. Of the 94 nations that have document cases, only 59 have acted to address FGM through targeted legislation.
Colombia’s Legislative Action
This year Colombia joined this number, becoming the first Latin American nation to legislate on FGM through the passage of Bill 440, “Niñas Sin Ablación” (Girls without FGM) into law. The bill represents a victory achieved through years of efforts from Colombia’s indigenous Embera Chami community to fight stigma around discussing FGM in Colombia and uplift Embera women.
The Embera people are one of the largest indigenous groups in Colombia, making up a population of more than 250,000. Many of the documented cases of FGM in Colombia occurred in some communities of the regional subgroup Embera Chami. Authorities reported 240 cases between 2020 and 2026; according to the UN and the National Institute of Health, 87% of those affected were indigenous girls, and 88% were under the age of five. Colombia is the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to approve a comprehensive law to eradicate female genital mutilation.
Many Chami people live in isolated communities in mountainous territories or regions such as Risaralda. They have historically faced poverty and exclusion, experiencing threats from traffickers, criminal groups and armed conflict. About 80% of mass displacement cases between 2022 and 2024 occurred in indigenous or Afro-Colombian territories such as those inhabited by the Embera, leaving their communities even more vulnerable. Health services and education on sexual and reproductive health are also less accessible, leaving low-income Chami women in these regions at risk of infection and health issues related to FGM.
Community Efforts and Challenges
FGM in Colombia is widely underreported, and silence characterizes the issue even within practicing communities. The Colombian National Indigenous Organization’s (ONIC) estimates from 2012, an organization dedicated to representing Indigenous Colombian people’s political interests, suggest that two out of three Embera women may have been victims of FGM. In 2007, the deaths of two girls from FGM-related infections in Risaralda finally brought attention to the issue and sparked action from the Embera community.
Following this case, the Embera Wera project originated. This symbolized deep reflection on FGM in Colombia by indigenous communities in partnership with groups including the Indigenous Regional Council of Risaralda (CRIR), the UNFPA, the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF), the broader project of “Integral strategy for the prevention and awareness of all forms of gender-based violence” (MDG-F), and local political leaders. Through this collaboration and inter-agency roundtable discussions, the project opened the discussion of the previously taboo topic.
The Results of the Project
The project empowered women to break the stigma around the topic and have their voices heard in previously male-dominated spaces such as CRIR. Solani Zapata knew nothing of the practice of FGM in her Embera community until she gave birth and had to fight to protect her daughter from it. Zapata went on to become an adviser for women’s issues as part of CRIR and visited communities to educate on the issue and promote conversation and reflection. A group of 11 women appointed to the body hosted the Departmental Summit of Embera Women, inviting more than 500 indigenous representatives to join the dialogue. The UNFPA also worked with hospitals to focus on education and early detection of FGM cases and promoted their reporting.
The Embera tribe acted in response: in 2012, leaders signed an agreement to ban the practice within communities, with a commitment to eradicate FGM in Colombia by 2030.
Legislation and Future Outlook
Time has passed since these community-led efforts broke the silence on FGM. However, the practice continued, with ambiguity around numbers and underreporting still suspected. In 2023, records showed an estimated 90 cases. The landmark Bill 440 goes further to address the issue. Supported by Plan International, the bill passed unanimously despite a politically divided congress, a testament to the bill’s significance. This granted the government 12 months to develop a national policy to eradicate FGM in Colombia.
The Embera women’s work to open the conversation has shaped the non-punitive approach of the legislation: The bill does not serve to criminalize or punish, but rather uphold and build on the communities’ work that has raised awareness over the years. It focuses on prevention and care, as well as working interculturally and closely with the Embera to reaffirm commitment to moving away from the practice.
Looking Forward
In the case of Colombia, it is difficult to measure progress on an issue that has for so long been clouded by ambiguous data. However, the work of the Embera people has brought about real legislative change based on cultural understanding and the continued uplifting of community voices. This collaborative effort brings hope and marks a step in the right direction for the eradication of FGM in Colombia.
– Hannah Rix
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
How Diego González Rivas is Fighting Poverty With a Mobile Surgery Unit
Diego González Rivas is a doctor from Galicia, Spain, who has become globally recognized for his skills as a thoracic surgeon. With 15 years of experience, his surgical feats have garnered him attention. González Rivas is the first doctor in the world to successfully perform uniportal anatomical resections using VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery). He addresses lung cancer, tumors and other life-threatening health complications. Equally impressive as his work is his dedication to sharing his knowledge, resources and skills through education and a mobile surgery unit.
Diego González Rivas Foundation
The Diego González Rivas Foundation is the catalyst for taking González Rivas’ skills to the next level. Alongside international collaboration and the support of six partners, the foundation attributes much of its success to the work of director Carla Salgado Fernández. Fernández has supported the financial growth of the foundation, raising money to continue their work in hospitals and their research in the latest science. A key component in González Rivas’ philosophy and the success of the mobile surgery unit is to keep incisions as small as possible. Thus, patients experience faster recovery times and a decreased risk of infection.
Taking Skill and Success Global
González Rivas expanded his efforts by making it possible to bring “advanced surgery to remote regions” where people live without access to adequate healthcare. The mobile unit aims to deliver advanced thoracic surgery to areas where hospitals may lack the equipment and resources necessary for complex procedures. By providing free surgical care in underserved settings, the foundation aims to reduce barriers to specialist treatment.
The mobile surgery unit has demonstrated how innovation in surgery can bypass geographic and socioeconomic barriers and how the collaboration of surgeons and new technologies can improve quality of life.
Research and Surgical Innovation
Separate from the mobile surgery program, the foundation lists artificial vision, augmented and virtual reality, nanotechnology and robotic surgery among its research and development areas. These projects explore technologies that may improve surgical precision, training and treatment. The foundation’s mobile unit is equipped to perform minimally invasive Uniportal VATS procedures in underserved settings.
Success in Ghana
In Ghana, González Rivas’s team and the mobile surgery unit have witnessed great success. In a region where thoracic surgery is “practically non-existent,” González Rivas and his team provided the “only hope for many people.” They were able to save lives, many of whom faced no alternatives. The team treated patients with conditions including aspergilloma and pneumothorax, demonstrating that complex minimally invasive thoracic procedures can be delivered through the mobile unit.
The mobile surgery unit has expanded access to specialist thoracic care for patients treated during its missions in Ghana and has also supported collaboration with local medical teams.
– Stella Corbin
Photo: Flickr
10 Ways Smart Cities in India Transform Urban Lives
The country with the largest population in the world, India faces overcrowding and pressure on infrastructure and services in urban areas. However, the government launched the Smart Cities Mission in 2015, which has set up Integrated Control and Command Centers (ICCCs) in more than 100 cities, spearheading a data-driven approach to urban problems. This initiative has aided the urban population by remodeling urban spaces and increasing access to basic services. Here are 10 ways in which smart cities in India transform urban lives.
1. Traffic Management
By integrating data from disparate systems like traffic camera footage and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, ICCCs manage traffic congestion in real time. In Agra, a densely populated city in India, the incorporation of Adaptive Traffic Control Systems (ATCS) and Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) into its ICCC optimized green light timings, decreasing waiting time on the road.
The data collected through ICCCs has increased the efficiency and reach of public transportation networks. Bus services in both Aurangabad and Surat have grown to cover over 40 routes. Improvements in traffic management and public transport enable urban citizens to commute safely, efficiently and affordably, reducing the stress and hassle of daily travels.
2. Upgrading the Water Supply Network
The World Bank Group estimates that water stress affects around 600 million people in India. However, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems have expanded access to clean water in Smart Cities. These systems, within the cities’ ICCCs, monitor water levels and detect leakages in real time, facilitating effective water distribution. Ahmedabad has produced an additional water supply of more than 50 million liters per day, serving 150,000 more people as of 2023. Through smart technologies, India maximizes the use of its available resources to meet the demands of a large urban population.
3. Self-cleaning Toilets
The number of people practicing open defecation has dropped from 500 million in 2014 to 75 million in 2023, demonstrating an improvement in public hygiene over the years. The installation of self-cleaning toilets equipped with automated flushing and cleaning systems in numerous smart cities in India, including Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Prayagraj, has sanitized public spaces and toilet facilities. Additionally, the construction of smart toilets both generates revenue for local entrepreneurs and increases their involvement in community infrastructure.
4. Converting Waste to Energy
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, from 2021 to 2022, close to half of urban India’s solid waste generated per day was untreated. However, waste-to-energy initiatives have simultaneously tackled solid waste management and boosted energy output. This shrinks the size of landfills, lowering the risk of contaminating the surrounding environment, and adapts to rising demands for electricity in urban areas. Jabalpur’s innovative Waste-to-Energy plant generates electricity by burning solid waste, powering more than 18,000 homes and saving 4.4 hectares of land.
5. Providing Housing
Urban areas in India suffered from a housing shortage of an estimated 1.5 to 2 crore units in 2025. Smart cities in India have been assisting the urban poor through the provision of affordable housing, along with basic amenities. This allowed Surat to build higher quality homes accompanied by sewage treatment and biowaste converter facilities, decreasing the area of slums by 14% from 2002 to 2022.
6. Incubation Centers
Incubation centers support startups involved in emerging technologies like AI and blockchain. Technical and financial assistance, including data sharing and the provision of modern workspaces, equip startups with the tools they need to thrive. These startups have then created more than 1,500 direct and indirect jobs, helping Smart Cities in India keep up with and prosper from new technological developments.
7. Smart Cards
Eighteen Smart Cities have improved their financial services through the implementation of smart cards. This allows citizens to make financial transactions, such as paying their property taxes or bus fares, conveniently and securely.
8. WiFi Hotspots
There has been a rapid increase in Internet access in India, from 15% in 2015 to 70% in 2025. WiFi hotspots in public locations, such as bus stations, hospitals and slum areas, have secured equitable access to the Internet, benefiting low-income households that may not be able to afford mobile data. This enhances digital connectivity and literacy in low-income neighborhoods, narrowing social disparities.
9. Registering Grievances
ICCCs organize service complaints on a digital dashboard, facilitating swift responses. Bengaluru has synthesized its Stakeholder Grievance management system with its ICCC, setting up 24-hour call centers and an online platform and app with chat bot function. These services register and process grievances in real time, alleviating stress.
10. Disaster Management
The installation of flood sensors in Smart Cities like Pune measures water levels, warning authorities of possible flooding and giving them more time to enact preparatory measures. This lessens the impact of flooding events, protecting lives and infrastructure. The 50 flood sensors in Pune facilitated the evacuation of more than 1,000 residents as heavy rain in July 2026 caused the Mutha River to overflow.
Utilizing technology in various ways, Smart Cities in India have adapted to expanding urban populations, striving to provide sufficient housing, clean water and electricity and cultivating safe and hygienic environments.
– Katy Wong
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Congolese Fashion and its Potential For Economic Growth
Since October 2023, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs has collaborated with 300 professionals to help foster the growth of creative industries in 33 African countries. This is part of their Création Africa program, which focuses on connecting young African entrepreneurs with funding opportunities to help their creative businesses grow. The Colloque Scientifique International Conference in September 2026 is their latest venture and will spotlight the Congolese fashion movement, La Sape.
Création Africa
Expanding from 16 to 33 eligible countries in 2024, Création Africa has connected 300 African and French professionals to open doors for creatives. By fostering the growth of the art sector, Création Africa hopes to stimulate economic and cultural flourishing across Africa.
The program operates in three key stages:
Roundabout is one organization that has benefited from Création Africa’s work. Following the 2025 Création Africa Forum where their project “Heritage in Motion” was spotlighted, the zero-waste collective engaged with over 500 guests and six cross-continental collaborators. Roundabout was one of 27 creative organizations from Lesotho, South Africa and Malawi showcased at the two-day event, where high-profile guests, including President Emmanuel Macron, were spotted.
The 2026 Colloque Scientific International Conference in the DRC hopes to follow on from this success, bringing together experts in sociology, history, economics, technology and art to see the work of Congolese organizations. This will coincide with the opening of Kinshasa’s permanent exhibition on Congolese fashion and La Sape.
What is La Sape?
La Sape stands for the “Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes” (Society of Ambiance Makers and Elegant People) and is a fashion subculture in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Clad in colorful and boldly styled suits, the Sapuers and Sapueses are taxi drivers, laborers and shopkeepers. They are the everymen and women who turn the streets into catwalks worthy of the finest fashion houses.
Emerging in the mid-20th century, La Sape originated from Congolese sailors, workers and traders who returned from sea with European suits. Traditionally for the colonial elite, the suits were paired with personal pieces and reinterpreted to assert a distinct Congolese Creole identity.
This identity extends into a code of honor, politeness and pacifism where clothing is shared and the whole community is lifted up through innovation.
The Kobo Hub highlights this innovation potential as founder Sidonie Latere is providing technical training to Sapeur designers so they can streamline their supply chains. For the textile brand Kilubukila, this enables them to supply their Kasai velvet to Monoprix in France and export designs across Europe and the U.S.
Latere is working alongside Création Africa and the Kinshasa exhibition and has highlighted how this will honor La Sape’s role in shaping the two nations’ history and future. She shows how investment into the Congolese fashion industry can create an upward spiral of economic growth alongside individual empowerment.
The World Cup
The DRC’s national team drew further attention to La Sape at the 2026 World Cup when they landed in Houston impeccably dressed in leopard-print suits. The designer, Alvin Junior Mak, drew heavily from La Sape’s visuals and described how he wanted to promote the artistic identity of the DRC.
Prior to the World Cup, Mak’s personal Instagram had only 8,000 followers and his brand, Jmakxparis, fewer than 4,000. However, following the World Cup and coverage from magazines such as Vogue and Forbes, the accounts grew to more than 40,000 and 12,000 followers respectively. One post featuring the national team, the Leopards, exceeded 79,000 likes.
The widespread attention also saw an influx of pre-orders from across the world, with Jmakxparis predicted to exceed €100,000 in revenue.
For Mak, this success extends beyond a viral moment and is a step toward solidifying a legacy that can create jobs and opportunities for others in the Congo.
Looking Ahead
The World Cup highlights how Congolese fashion innovation fosters international connection and can create opportunities for both economic growth and cultural understanding. Where many have historically recognized Europe for its fashion prowess, the DRC and Ivory Coast teams drew attention to Africa’s artistry, both past and present. Through programs like Création Africa, this talent can continue to be under a spotlight and opens the door for further investment.
– Elizabeth Holden
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
How Women’s Land Rights in Côte d’Ivoire Strengthen Economic Security
Land ownership can provide an important source of income and economic security for women in rural Côte d’Ivoire, where agriculture supports many livelihoods. However, women have historically faced barriers to owning land independently, despite having equal legal rights to own and inherit property. Recent land registration programs are beginning to address this gap. Between 2018 and 2024, the Land Policy Improvement and Implementation Project (PAMOFOR) helped deliver more than 51,000 land certificates, with 21% of those certificates going to female landowners. Strengthening women’s land rights in Côte d’Ivoire can therefore provide greater economic security while addressing inequalities that contribute to rural poverty.
Women Still Face a Large Land Ownership Gap
Despite having legal rights to own land, women in Côte d’Ivoire remain less likely than men to own agricultural land. OECD data from its 2022 Côte d’Ivoire SIGI study show that around 5% of women own agricultural land compared with 25% of men. This gap is particularly important because agriculture provides livelihoods for many women in rural communities, yet women continue to face difficulties accessing land and other economic resources. This can restrict women’s control over an important source of income. Improving women’s land rights in Côte d’Ivoire can help narrow this gap and give women greater control over land and the economic opportunities that come with it.
Customary Practices Can Limit Women’s Land Rights
Although Ivorian law gives women rights to own and inherit land, customary practices can make exercising those rights more difficult. OECD research shows that customary inheritance practices continue to create barriers to women’s land ownership, despite reforms intended to strengthen equal property rights. Inheritance is particularly important because it is a major way people acquire land in Côte d’Ivoire. OECD data show that 50% of female landowners obtained their land through inheritance, compared with 42% of male landowners. As inheritance is an important route to land ownership, discriminatory inheritance practices can have a significant effect on whether women gain control over land. Strengthening awareness of legal rights and recognizing women’s ownership can therefore help close the gap between rights provided by law and women’s experiences in practice.
Land Registration Is Strengthening Land Security
Côte d’Ivoire has begun expanding formal land registration to give rural landholders greater security. The PAMOFOR project, which ran from 2018 to 2024, helped the government deliver more than 51,000 land certificates, with 21% going to female landowners. The World Bank also found that the project reduced women’s risk of losing their land within five years by 55 percentage points. Building on this work, the government launched the Rural Land Tenure Management Strengthening Program (PRESFOR), which is expanding land registration across 16 of Côte d’Ivoire’s 31 regions. By increasing formal recognition of women’s ownership, these programs can give women greater security over land that supports their livelihoods.
Secure Land Rights Can Support Women’s Economic Security
Secure land rights can help women protect an important economic asset, particularly in rural communities where agriculture supports many livelihoods. FAO identifies secure land tenure as important for agricultural development and investment, while women in Côte d’Ivoire continue to face barriers to accessing land. Greater recognition of women’s ownership can therefore support poverty reduction by reducing the risk of losing land on which their livelihoods depend.
Women Have Been Underrepresented in Land Governance
Women’s land rights in Côte d’Ivoire are also affected by who participates in local decisions about land. Historical World Bank data from 2014 found that nearly 40% of Village Land Tenure Committees had no female members, while a further 55% had only one or two women among an average of 13 committee members. These committees play an important role in identifying customary land rights within villages, meaning limited female representation can reduce women’s influence over decisions that affect land ownership. PAMOFOR sought to address this by encouraging women to participate in village land committees and by providing gender-sensitive information about the registration process. Increasing women’s involvement in local land governance can help ensure that their legal rights are considered when communities identify and register customary land.
Legal Rights Do Not Always Translate Into Ownership
Although Côte d’Ivoire has strengthened legal protections for women’s property rights, access to land remains unequal in practice. While women received 21% of the land certificates delivered through the PAMOFOR project, this figure refers specifically to certificates issued under that program. More broadly, the African Development Bank reported in 2026 that women held only around 12% of registered land certificates in Côte d’Ivoire. The bank also highlighted the importance of improving women’s awareness of their rights and access to legal institutions, particularly in rural communities. Although the figures measure different things, both show that women still face inequalities in registered land ownership.
Looking Ahead
Côte d’Ivoire has made progress in formally recognizing rural land rights, but ensuring that women benefit fully from these reforms will require continued attention. PRESFOR is expected to expand land administration across the country and includes measures intended to strengthen women’s land rights. By 2029, the program aims to register 270,000 women with customary ownership rights and another 75,000 women with land-use rights. Continued efforts to involve women in registration, improve awareness of their legal rights and increase their participation in local land governance could help address barriers that still limit women’s ownership. As Côte d’Ivoire expands its rural land reforms, ensuring women can obtain and retain secure rights to land could strengthen their economic independence and make rural development more inclusive.
– Aniya Akram
Photo: Flickr