The first 1,000 days of pregnancy to the infant’s second birthday are the most important for the children’s growth. The effects of malnutrition in children between the first two years of birth are irreversible. Malnourished infants are more prone to dying during infancy, susceptible to chronic health issues and likely to face development issues. Additionally, acute hunger has a serious effect on infants. Poor nutrition is responsible for 45% of the causalities of children under the age of 5. That is 3.1 million children each year.
However, hope exists. A dynamic duo –RUTF (Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food) and CMAM (Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition)– has revolutionized the way healthcare systems function in low-middle-income countries.
Life Before
During the hunger crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, centralized Therapeutic Feeding Centers (TFCs) emerged to nurse malnourished children back to health. The TFCs delivered nourishments through therapeutic milk, which needed clean water and on-site preparations. Additionally, the TFCs had to operate around the clock, making them scarce and distant from local communities as it was difficult to find 24-hours staffing. Mothers would often have to leave home for weeks, endangering their livelihood and possibly the lives of their other children.
TFCs proved ineffective as mothers would withdraw their kids in between treatments to return home in time for work. The children in the centers were also more vulnerable to infections due to unsanitary conditions, resulting in millions of relapses. Consequentially, some died due to the shortened treatments and exposure to deadly diseases.
Also, for countries going through civil unrest, it is dangerous to set up feeding centers out in the open. The centers could fall victim to airstrikes or ground attacks. Thus, the idea of centralized systems appeared increasingly self-defeating.
What is RUTF?
RUTFs are energy-dense, micronutrient-rich pastes used in therapeutic feeding. These soft foods are a homogeneous blend of lipid-rich foods that have a nutrient profile close to the WHO-recommended therapeutic milk formula that some in patient therapeutic feeding services use. Typical ingredients for RUTF include peanuts, oil, sugar, milk powder, vitamin and mineral supplements. RUFTs are a safe and cost-effective therapeutic food. It provides malnourished children with the essential nutrients needed for development in a single serving.
Not only does it provide all of the nutrients necessary for recovery, but even after opening it has a long shelf life and does not spoil quickly. Since RUTFs are not dependent on water, the chance of bacterial growth is very low, making it safe to use at home without refrigeration. Youngsters enjoy RUTF, being healthy and convenient to use without medical supervision. Finally, people should use it in accordance with breastfeeding and other baby and young child feeding best practices.
What is CMAM?
The primary objective of therapeutic food was to spare mothers from traveling long distances and instead enable them to feed their children at home. Therefore, the former system underwent decentralization and became fragmented into community-based programs.
This approach became known as the Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), which transformed the entire healthcare system, along with RUTF. The primary purpose of this scheme was to bring food closer to the communities so that the children who were not suffering from serious complications could receive treatment at home. As a result, the system became safer, less crowded and hassle-free.
Typically, healthcare workers diagnosed malnutrition in children using the weight and height ratio. However, this is very time-consuming, expensive and labor-intensive to do on a community level. The solution to this problem was using a simple plastic strip that measured the mid-upper-arm circumference to inspect for malnutrition. Usage of the plastic MUAC tape made it increasingly easier to carry out the diagnosis quickly.
Helping Malnourished Children
After the initial skepticism upon the efficacy of the treatment, the idea of quick and easily accessible treatments grew popular among mothers. Together, CMAM and RUTF were able to curb the impact of famine. Usually, during a famine, the standard aim is to keep the child mortality rate under 10%. However, it commonly exceeds the goal, recording a 20% to 30% child mortality rate. But with the combination of CMAM and RUTF, the child mortality rate reduced to below 4.5%. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared CMAM as an effective system to fight malnutrition, which spurred a revolution in the healthcare system, saving the lives of millions of children worldwide.
Malnutrition in children can have a lifelong impact on their well-being if not treated properly. Luckily, the invention of RUTF, teamed up with the efficiency of the CMAM, is helping save the lives of millions of children while ensuring they live healthy and prosperous lives.
– Prathamesh Mantri
Photo: Flickr
Examining the Farming Protests in India
Nearly 150 million Indians rely on farming to make a living. The farming protests in India started when the Indian government passed new laws that could negatively affect small farmers, leading farmers to band together in protest.
The New Government Laws
Government involvement in agriculture, which has included a minimum price guarantee for certain crops, emerged to help India overcome the 1960s hunger crisis. A major drought that hit the country between 1966 and 1967 caused the hunger crisis. The Indian government set the food pricing guarantee in place in order to allow India to be able to feed itself with less support from other countries. These laws were in place until 2021.
This support guaranteed a minimum amount of money for certain produce, but roughly 60% of farmers felt that it was not enough anymore. In addition, many designated markets with governmental price protection have become corrupt with private sellers from larger corporations being able to lower food prices below the standard. This has forced smaller farmers to cut their guaranteed prices and take serious revenue losses.
In late 2020, the government passed three new bills known as The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. These bills have the intention to minimize government involvement in agriculture and further open up the market for private investors.
Supporters of the laws claim they will free farmers from government prices and allow them to be more independent. Farmers, however, fear that the loss of government involvement will leave them at the mercy of large corporations they cannot compete with.
The Protests
Protests against the proposed laws began outside of New Delhi on November 26, 2020. Farmers, many from the Sikh religious minority, demanded that the Indian government change the law. Sikhs have predominantly relied on agriculture since the government prices have taken effect. Protestors took action on December 20, 2020, taking down hundreds of telephone wires, protesting the fact that large companies such as Reliance industries and the Adani group were joining the large contract farming business.
On January 26, 2021, India’s Republic Day, farmers organized a 100 km tractor protest. The government tried to prevent the protest from happening, enacting laws to prevent the protest. Some states even stopped the sales of tractor fuel to help mitigate the situation. These efforts did not deter the protestors, who continued to march down the streets.
These protests have been extremely symbolic, demonstrating to the government the need to support the country’s struggling working/lower classes. But the protests soon became violent. Hundreds of farmers, some still on tractors, dismantled police barricades and charged police with traditional weapons. Police tossed tear gas at the crowd and online videos showed police beating protestors with batons. Reports determined that 300 officers experienced injury and one protestor died.
The Importance of the Farming Protests in India
The protestors show no sign of stopping until India’s government meets their demands for more government protection. The farming protests in India aim to promote equality.
– Claire Olmstead
Photo: Flickr
4 Facts About Healthcare in Ghana
Healthcare in Ghana has many levels to it. There are three primary levels: national, regional and district. Within these, there are different types of providers: health posts, health centers/clinics, district hospitals, regional hospitals and tertiary hospitals. On average, Ghana spends 6% of its gross domestic product on healthcare, and the quality of healthcare varies by region. Here are four facts about healthcare in Ghana.
4 Facts About Healthcare in Ghana
These four facts about healthcare in Ghana illuminate the progress that has been made, as well as the work that still needs to be done. While healthcare has improved, the government must take more steps to increase accessibility for all throughout the country. With a continued focus on healthcare, Ghana will hopefully continue to provide more communities with health services.
– Sarah Kirchner
Photo: Flickr
Why Countries Should Be Investing in Brazil
COVID-19 Response
As of January 2021, Brazil has the third-most COVID-19 cases worldwide. The Brazilian economy was not in its best shape at the start of the pandemic because it has not fully recovered from the 2014-2015 recession. This made the economy vulnerable to precarious economic shocks that resulted in increased poverty, unemployment and small business fragility.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left countries like Brazil with possible lasting economic damages. Many emerging and developing countries rely heavily on foreign aid for financial and humanitarian support. Offering foreign aid to Brazil will not only help pave the way for a domestic post-COVID recovery but also alleviate some of the negative impacts of the pandemic through humanitarian benefits.
Diversified Opportunities in Emerging Markets
The Brazilian economy is classified as an emerging market. Emerging markets are economies that are transitioning into a developed economy. Since the launch of the MSCI Emerging Market (EM) Index in 1988, which measures portfolio performances of emerging markets, investing in emerging countries proved to create new and diversified opportunities outside of common markets.
Market Expansion and Economic Growth
Since 2016, Brazil has shown an increase in GDP growth with approximately a 1.3% increase. In 2020, Brazil fell back into recession because of COVID-19. However, Brazil’s economy displayed growth and has played an important role in the growth of the Latin American economy as it makes up 35% of the Latin American GDP. It is approximated that the Brazilian market reaches 900 million consumers in just the Americas.
On how quickly the Brazilian economy rebounded, Bloomberg reports boosted domestic demand and exports with a 9.47% rise in economic activity index from July to September of 2020 in comparison to the previous months.
As Brazil recovers from COVID-19’s economic impact, it leaves opportunity for foreign investors to take advantage of Brazil’s growing market, especially with its low interests. Some of Brazil’s profitable sectors include real estate and agricultural goods like coffee, sugar cane, corn and soybean. Participating in these sectors expands Brazil’s domestic market and hence the world market size.
Geographical Location
Especially for the United States, Brazil’s proximity allows easier trade. For other advantages, Brazil’s geographical properties for the agriculture sector also make its commodities attractive. Approximately 28.7% of land is used for agricultural production which makes up more than 4% of the annual Brazilian GDP. Following China, the United States and Australia, Brazil has the fourth-most amount of agricultural land.
Foreign Investment Returns
Encouraging enterprises to invest in foreign aid can ultimately result in great returns. A common type of foreign aid for these corporations is Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Through FDIs, corporations can potentially gain lasting interests, multinational consumers and flexible production costs. This type of foreign aid also brings developing countries like Brazil innovative technology, investment strategies, jobs and infrastructure from investing corporations of developed nations.
Foreign investment is critical to developing and emerging markets. Investing in Brazil promotes development and sustainability and also benefits foreign investors greatly. Furthermore, foreign investment assists economic recovery following unforeseen economic shocks like that of the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Malala Raharisoa Lin
Photo: Flickr
Addressing Mental Health in Armenia After Conflict
Mental Health Support for Armenia
The Armenian Red Cross Society is providing humanitarian assistance to help people with basic necessities. This includes psychosocial support for returning soldiers and civilians. As of late December 2020, it had provided around 1,000 psychological services to wounded soldiers and their families.
The International Medical Corps, another emergency aid response group, is working with the Armenian Ministry of Health to assess current needs. In October 2020, the organization expressed its plans to provide training in psychological first aid for frontline healthcare workers. The organization will also provide mental health and psychosocial assistance to people who need it.
UNICEF Addresses Child Trauma
The UNICEF Armenia team and a local arts and music school called the Nexus Center for the Arts offer art and music-based support groups. These support groups give children and teenagers a chance to express themselves without having to talk. UNICEF reported testimonials of students who upon arriving were too afraid to open up but after participating in the support groups felt ready to talk about the trauma they had experienced. The groups also give students a chance to hang out, decompress and enjoy music in a comfortable and safe environment.
To help school teachers, UNICEF partnered with several civil society organizations to teach them how to address trauma in the classroom. UNICEF offered virtual lessons on trauma-informed teaching. The lessons gave 150 school psychologists and 900 public school teachers the skills to work in high-pressure situations and strategies to provide better psychological support to their students.
UNICEF Armenia also put together a psychological first aid guide. This guide has clear and concise information on how to respond to children in a mental health crisis. It emphasizes the importance of responding to children in an age-appropriate and individualized way.
The Increased Need for Mental Health Support in Armenia
Mental health in Armenia, especially following the conflict, is an issue that requires prioritization. The conflict and displacements have left 39,000 children out of school. The trauma caused by displacement has affected children in multiple ways. Ensuring the well-being of these children is a top priority for UNICEF and other organizations addressing mental health in Armenia. The hope is that these initiatives will combat the negative impacts of traumatic experiences in conflict-ridden areas like Nagorno-Karabakh.
– Caitlin Harjes
Photo: Flickr
Burkina Faso Compact II to Lift 8 Million Out of Poverty
Despite having one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, the nation of Burkina Faso struggles with significant developmental challenges. One such challenge is a lack of adequate access to affordable electricity across the country, which the Burkina Faso Compact II will combat.
Electricity and the Economy
A lack of access to electricity ties to a lack of economic opportunity. When a country or area receives proper access to electrical grids and services, new businesses can open, existing businesses can operate on a higher level and jobs can emerge.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) Burkina Faso Compact II is a program intended to address the nation’s electricity challenges to promote a healthy economy and lift 8 million people out of poverty.
Burkina Faso Compact II
Burkina Faso is one of the most impoverished nations in the world. In 2017, the Gross National Income per capita was $610. The majority of the impoverished also live in rural areas, with approximately 90% of impoverished households in Burkina Faso in rural parts of the country.
Although the nation has a high rate of poverty, it is home to one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies. In 2019, Burkina Faso’s GDP was growing at a rate of 6%. Experts believe the high concentration of poverty in rural areas is due to low rates of agricultural productivity, social isolation, underemployment and inadequate access to electricity. The recent improvement in the GDP growth rate is a result of the positive performances of the agricultural and mining sectors.
The Millenium Change Corporation’s Burkina Faso Compact II was signed on August 13, 2020. The Burkina Faso Compact II dedicates itself to connecting more of the country to electrical grids. The MCC has dedicated $450 million in grants and funding to the goal of widespread electricity.
MCC’s Compact Projects
In addition to MCC’s contribution, the Burkinabe government agreed to contribute $50 million to the compact projects. The program focuses on three smaller electricity projects: The Strengthening Electricity Sector Effectiveness Project, the Cost-Effective and Reliable Energy Supply Project and the Grid Development and Access Project. These projects will work together in order to help Burkina Faso increase access to electrical grids for all citizens.
Of the $450 million that will go toward improving addressing the issue of electricity, $210.7 million is for the Grid Development and Access Project alone. This project is particularly important to reaching the goal of widespread and accessible electricity nationwide. In the Grid Development and Access Project, the MCC hopes to aid in reducing power outages and increasing access to electrical services.
The Strengthening Electricity Sector Effectiveness Project and The Cost-Effective and Reliable Energy Supply Project received $46.9 million and $99.5 million respectively. The goal of the Strengthening Electricity Sector Effectiveness Project is to strengthen the electricity sector through important reforms, including building up the capacity of national utilities, the Ministry of Energy and regulators. The Cost-Effective Energy Supply Project aims to implement lower energy costs by introducing solar power, battery storage and improving electricity dispatch centers.
Burkina Faso Compact II Long-Term
This compact is the second project MCC has taken on in Burkina Faso. The first Burkina Faso Compact included $480 million to improve infrastructure, agriculture, girls’ education and water management. Since the completion of the project in 2014, Burkinabe government ministries have been maintaining what the project implemented. This shows great promise for the Burkina Faso Compact II.
In the long term, the Burkina Faso Compact II will ultimately improve living conditions and economic stability for more than 8 million people across Burkina Faso, leading to lower rates of poverty. Improving access and affordability of electricity is a positive step toward improving Burkina Faso’s economy.
– Maddi Miller
Photo: Flickr
How WHO is Fighting Congenital Anomalies
Worldwide, congenital anomalies cause approximately 295,000 deaths of children within their first 28 days of life. Every year, about 7.9 million children are born with life-threatening defects and 3.3 million children under the age of five5 die from congenital disabilities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), congenital anomalies are structural or functional aberrations that occur during intrauterine life. The most common congenital disabilities include heart defects, cleft lip (palate), down syndrome and split spine (also known as spina bifida). Although 50% of all congenital disabilities do not have a single definite cause, common causes include genetic mutation, environmental factors and various other risk factors.
Geographic Disparities
Although congenital disabilities are widespread globally, they are particularly prevalent in developing countries. Developing countries account for 94% of worldwide congenital disabilities.
The level of income -both individual and national- in developing countries is a crucial factor that indirectly influences the high incidence of congenital disabilities. Low income affects the incidence of congenital disabilities in developing countries in the following ways:
How WHO is Taking Action
The World Health Organization has taken and implemented various measures to fight congenital anomalies. In the 2010 World Health Assembly, WHO took on a resolution encouraging its member states to fight against congenital anomalies by:
In addition to the resolution, WHO designed a manual that showed illustrations and photographs of selected birth defects. The manual’s primary purpose was to foster further development of the surveillance system, especially in low-income countries.
The Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health
In 2016, WHO went an extra mile and published the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents Health 2016-2030, an updated version of the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health devised five years prior. The Global Strategy’s grand theme was “Survive, Thrive, Transform.”
Results
Over the years, the World Health Organization’s relentless efforts in battling against congenital disabilities have made remarkable progress in alleviating the issue. For instance, the number of newborn deaths has plummeted from 5 million to 2.4 million between 1990 and 2019, thanks to the various innovations and programs put in place. Although the current state of affairs is far from ideal, past accomplishments lay the groundwork and identify clear steps for future progress.
Photo: Flickr
RUTF and CMAM: Reducing Malnutrition in Children
The first 1,000 days of pregnancy to the infant’s second birthday are the most important for the children’s growth. The effects of malnutrition in children between the first two years of birth are irreversible. Malnourished infants are more prone to dying during infancy, susceptible to chronic health issues and likely to face development issues. Additionally, acute hunger has a serious effect on infants. Poor nutrition is responsible for 45% of the causalities of children under the age of 5. That is 3.1 million children each year.
However, hope exists. A dynamic duo –RUTF (Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food) and CMAM (Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition)– has revolutionized the way healthcare systems function in low-middle-income countries.
Life Before
During the hunger crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, centralized Therapeutic Feeding Centers (TFCs) emerged to nurse malnourished children back to health. The TFCs delivered nourishments through therapeutic milk, which needed clean water and on-site preparations. Additionally, the TFCs had to operate around the clock, making them scarce and distant from local communities as it was difficult to find 24-hours staffing. Mothers would often have to leave home for weeks, endangering their livelihood and possibly the lives of their other children.
TFCs proved ineffective as mothers would withdraw their kids in between treatments to return home in time for work. The children in the centers were also more vulnerable to infections due to unsanitary conditions, resulting in millions of relapses. Consequentially, some died due to the shortened treatments and exposure to deadly diseases.
Also, for countries going through civil unrest, it is dangerous to set up feeding centers out in the open. The centers could fall victim to airstrikes or ground attacks. Thus, the idea of centralized systems appeared increasingly self-defeating.
What is RUTF?
RUTFs are energy-dense, micronutrient-rich pastes used in therapeutic feeding. These soft foods are a homogeneous blend of lipid-rich foods that have a nutrient profile close to the WHO-recommended therapeutic milk formula that some in patient therapeutic feeding services use. Typical ingredients for RUTF include peanuts, oil, sugar, milk powder, vitamin and mineral supplements. RUFTs are a safe and cost-effective therapeutic food. It provides malnourished children with the essential nutrients needed for development in a single serving.
Not only does it provide all of the nutrients necessary for recovery, but even after opening it has a long shelf life and does not spoil quickly. Since RUTFs are not dependent on water, the chance of bacterial growth is very low, making it safe to use at home without refrigeration. Youngsters enjoy RUTF, being healthy and convenient to use without medical supervision. Finally, people should use it in accordance with breastfeeding and other baby and young child feeding best practices.
What is CMAM?
The primary objective of therapeutic food was to spare mothers from traveling long distances and instead enable them to feed their children at home. Therefore, the former system underwent decentralization and became fragmented into community-based programs.
This approach became known as the Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), which transformed the entire healthcare system, along with RUTF. The primary purpose of this scheme was to bring food closer to the communities so that the children who were not suffering from serious complications could receive treatment at home. As a result, the system became safer, less crowded and hassle-free.
Typically, healthcare workers diagnosed malnutrition in children using the weight and height ratio. However, this is very time-consuming, expensive and labor-intensive to do on a community level. The solution to this problem was using a simple plastic strip that measured the mid-upper-arm circumference to inspect for malnutrition. Usage of the plastic MUAC tape made it increasingly easier to carry out the diagnosis quickly.
Helping Malnourished Children
After the initial skepticism upon the efficacy of the treatment, the idea of quick and easily accessible treatments grew popular among mothers. Together, CMAM and RUTF were able to curb the impact of famine. Usually, during a famine, the standard aim is to keep the child mortality rate under 10%. However, it commonly exceeds the goal, recording a 20% to 30% child mortality rate. But with the combination of CMAM and RUTF, the child mortality rate reduced to below 4.5%. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared CMAM as an effective system to fight malnutrition, which spurred a revolution in the healthcare system, saving the lives of millions of children worldwide.
Malnutrition in children can have a lifelong impact on their well-being if not treated properly. Luckily, the invention of RUTF, teamed up with the efficiency of the CMAM, is helping save the lives of millions of children while ensuring they live healthy and prosperous lives.
– Prathamesh Mantri
Photo: Flickr
Healthcare: Telemedicine Clinics in Guatemala
Guatemala’s New Telemedicine Clinics
Guatemala’s Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS), in conjunction with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization, launched four new telemedicine clinics in Guatemala in December 2020.
The clinics were designed to improve accessibility to doctors and specialists for citizens living in rural areas, where unstable or lengthy travel can deter patients from getting the care they need. Lack of staff is another barrier telemedicine hopes to overcome. Special attention will be given to issues of child malnutrition and maternal health.
The funding of the program was made possible through financial assistance from the Government of Sweden and the European Union. aimed at increasing healthcare access in rural areas across the world.
Guatemala’s State of Healthcare
Roughly 80% of Guatemala’s doctors are located within metropolitan areas, leaving scarce availability for those living in rural areas. Issues of nutrition and maternal healthcare are special targets for the new program due to the high rates of child malnutrition and maternal mortality in Guatemala.
Guatemala’s child malnutrition rates are some of the highest in all of Central America and disproportionately affect its indigenous communities. Throughout the country, 46.5% of children under 5 are stunted due to malnutrition.
Maternal death rates are high among women in Guatemala but the country has seen a slow and steady decline in maternal mortality over the last two decades. The most recently reported maternal death rate is 95 per 100,000 births.
Guatemala does have a promising antenatal care rate, with 86% of women receiving at least four antenatal care visits during their pregnancies. By increasing the access to doctors through telemedicine clinics, doctors can better diagnose issues arising during pregnancy and prepare for possible birth difficulties that could result in maternal death.
Guatemala’s COVID-19 rates have also impacted the ability of patients to seek healthcare. The threat of the virus makes it difficult for those traveling to seek medical treatment due to the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Trends in Worldwide Telemedicine
The world has seen a rise of telemedicine clinics as the pandemic creates safety concerns regarding in-person visits with doctors. Doctors are now reaching rural communities that previously had little opportunity to access specialized medicine. Telemedicine is an important advancement toward accessible healthcare in rural areas. While the telemedicine clinics in Guatemala are limited in numbers, they set an important example of how technology can be utilized to adapt during a health crisis and reach patients in inaccessible areas.
– June Noyes
Photo: Flickr
Africare: Promoting Sustainable Development in Chad
Chad, a landlocked country in Sub-Saharan Africa, is one of the poorest countries in the world. With a poverty rate of around 40%, Chad’s life expectancy is only 58.3 years. Only two million of the roughly four million people in dire need of assistance are actually receiving any. Additionally, Chad is surrounded by countries undergoing civil wars, putting further pressure on its infrastructure through refugee flows and inhibiting sustainable development in Chad.
Chad was also hit especially hard by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, with 120,000 people living with HIV in 2018. HIV/AIDS in Chad spread quickly due to a lack of healthcare infrastructure. The country has very few healthcare workers. There are only 3.7 doctors for every 100,000 people throughout the entire country. This is even worse in rural areas, given that healthcare workers are concentrated in just 1 region. In this 1 region, 65% of the entire country of Chad’s doctors practice medicine.
Africare Background
Fortunately, some organizations are stepping in order to try and solve this problem through sustainable development. These organizations believe that the best way to ensure that Chad can grow and reduce poverty is to build business infrastructure locally to create long-term growth. One such organization is Africare. Founded as a partnership between Africans and Americans in 1970, this organization has since grown to span much of the continent. Overall, they have donated approximately $2 billion dollars since 1970 towards developing the economies of 38 African countries.
Africare in Chad
The focus of Africare is on sustainable development, attempting to build enough capacity within countries to make sure the country can sustain itself and reduce poverty in the long term. One notable program in Chad is the Initiative for the Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs (IEEWEP). The IEEWP, founded in 2008 seeks to uplift communities by providing education, skills training, and economic assistance to women in order to allow them to start businesses. The ultimate goal is to foster sustainable development in Chad.
Success Stories
The IEEWP has been a big success. The projects to develop human capital have already generated returns. Within the first three years of its existence, 1,600 women were trained by the IEEWP, increasing their incomes by 60%. Africare has also encouraged women to become more involved and take more of a leadership role at a local level. One important way they accomplish this is by making sure that 95% of their field staff are women, thus ensuring that women possess a voice within the communities they serve. Putting women at the forefront of the organization, Africare hopes, can help create sustainable development in Chad.
The IEEWP works by partnering with local communities and entrepreneurs in order to support them. In one program, the IEEWP worked with a group of 18 existing entrepreneurs in order to start a restaurant. In 2006, 18 women, calling themselves “Mbailassem” or “God help us”, partnered to produce cassava together on a farm. Seeing their drive, the IEEWP decided to help Mbailassem start a restaurant in Southern Chad.
After initially assisting in running the restaurant, and helping with some financial objectives, the restaurant eventually became economically sustainable and paid their loans back within a year. The women of Mbailassem also succeeded in starting a new location of their restaurant, further improving both their own economic situation and the economic situation of the communities they are working in. Africare hopes that entrepreneurs like Mbailassem can help build sustainable development in Chad, and ultimately all across Africa.
Moving Forward
Overall, Chad is struggling to see long-term growth across the country. However, progress on a smaller scale in individual communities concerning the growth of businesses shows some promise. Applying this same model in various communities across the country could help foster sustainable development in Chad.
Photo: Flickr
How AJWS Delivers on COVID Aid
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the tenuous position of large swathes of the developing world as upwards of 100 million additional people could be pushed into extreme poverty this year. Consequently, the invaluable impact of humanitarian aid organizations in providing COVID relief has become clear. One such organization is American Jewish World Service (AJWS). AJWS is a leading Jewish aid organization focused on global poverty and human rights.
AJWS is a major contributor in the humanitarian field, investing more than $30 million annually to improve the lives of the world’s most vulnerable citizens. Using a collaborative, transnational approach, AJWS identifies grassroots organizations in 18 countries around the world to become grantees. However, the relationship between AJWS and its partners is far from simply monetary; the organization has staff on the ground in all 18 countries to provide hands-on support and expertise. In an interview with Sam Wolthuis, the associate vice president of programs at AJWS, says, “We get to know [partners] very well before we even talk about funding and supporting the organizations.”
Four domains make up the main focuses of all AJWS partners: Land, Water, and Climate Justice; Civil and Political Rights; Sexual Health and Rights; and Disaster Response. The latter of these domains encompasses COVID aid. Since the onset of the pandemic, it has proven to be hugely significant.
Filling in the Gaps
AJWS and its partners have attempted to compensate for the insufficiency of governmental actions towards coronavirus. A common shortcoming AJWS has identified is rampant misinformation about the virus, an issue the World Health Organization has dubbed an “infodemic.” In response, AJWS’s staff assembled an infection prevention toolkit for partners to disseminate vital information on the ground. Translated into 10 languages, the toolkit has been delivered via loudspeakers, billboards, and community radio programs.
In addition to quashing misinformation, AJWS’s partners have worked to eliminate more tangible threats. The Southern Peasant Federation of Thailand has created community farming projects. These projects aim to reduce food insecurity and provide additional income for ailing Thais. In India, a tidal wave of coronavirus cases crushed the healthcare system. This has left pregnant women seeking care in limbo. For example, the New York Times published an article this past summer about an Indian woman who died during labor after being turned away from eight hospitals. Sama Resource Group for Women and Health, an AJWS partner, has filed a petition in Delhi’s High Court. This petition aims to prevent such horror stories and ensure pregnant women receive care.
While protecting citizens from the universal dangers and disparities of the pandemic, AJWS has also focused on the plight of the marginalized. For example, the organization has worked with Estrellas del Golfo (“Stars of the Gulf”) to establish community kitchens in LGBTQI communities within El Salvador which suffer from discrimination and violence. Wolthuis (Who specifically is this person? She was not formal introduced in the context of this paragraph) expresses pride in this essential form of COVID aid. She says this crisis has disproportionately affected these groups, but they have remained a constant focus for the organization.
Fighting for the Vulnerable
AJWS-focused countries such as Uganda have scapegoated and demonized LGBTQI individuals. Homosexuality is criminalized there, and Ugandan authorities have repeatedly conducted mass arrests of such individuals. The latest crackdown occurred when 19 LGBTQI youths staying inside a shelter in the city of Kampala were arrested. “Negligent act to spread disease” is the charge they all face. The Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), a legal aid organization and AJWS partner, mobilized to secure the prisoners’ release. However, obstructionist authorities and strict lockdown procedures stymied them at every turn. Only after a 52-day legal blitz by the HRAPF were the 19 youths released from prison.
Organizations like the HRAPF have had an especially difficult task during pandemic-induced shutdowns. However, their work has arguably never been more important. Take Kenya, for example, where the Pastoralist Girls Initiative (PGI) has been working to empower young girls in the Tana River and Garissa counties for two decades. In response to rising reports of rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, and child marriage since the pandemic began, PGI has pivoted its focus toward engagement with local enforcement. By communicating with government officials and judges about cases of gender-based violence, the initiative is working to ensure justice is served for survivors.
Wolthuis says that such flexibility is the norm among partner organizations. This is because AJWS defers those on the ground who determine the most pressing issues demanding attention. “Partners dictate what the gaps are, and what the needs are and how they’re going to solve them. And we support them in their vision to do that.” This vision may have blurred at the onset of the pandemic, but AJWS extended a crucial lifeline to its partners through its COVID aid.
Keeping the Vision Alive
The incredible work of AJWS’s partners during the pandemic obscures the enormous difficulties they have had to battle themselves. The movement-building of AJWS partners typically involves a good amount of face-to-face interaction. This interaction had to move online when the pandemic struck, despite barriers to technology access. AJWS prioritized the safety and economic well-being of partners’ staff first in its COVID aid. Then, they worked to help them re-open digitally by helping with Zoom set-ups and moving advocacy efforts online.
Such adjustments proved to be critical in providing COVID aid as the pandemic unfolded. However, AJWS and its partners have also extended their focus to the long-term. Wolthuis points to rising global hunger and disruptions to vaccine campaigns for other illnesses as effects of the pandemic that could sting for years to come. At the very least, the world’s most vulnerable can rest assured that AJWS will continue to support organizations that tirelessly work on their behalf.
– Jack Silvers
Photo: Flickr