In 2021, COVID-19 is still rampaging across the globe, and despite efforts from the wealthiest nations, it has yet to drop down to non-pandemic status. Africa, a continent with a population of more than one billion, has reported 1.5 million cases and only 46,000 deaths as of November 2020. The smaller fatality numbers across Africa can be attributed to several different factors that are impacting COVID-19 in Africa.
Fast Action
The first case of COVID-19 in Africa was reported on February 14, 2020, in Egypt. Other countries across the continent immediately took action fearing that the virus would severely affect at-risk communities such as the elderly and those who are immune-compromised. Protocols such as frequent hand washing, avoiding physical touch-based greeting, social distancing and face masks were implemented right away.
Countries such as Lesotho acted before a single case was reported, going into a three-week lockdown on March 18, 2020, along with surrounding countries. A few days after lifting the lockdown, Lesotho announced its first confirmed COVID-19 case. However, despite the country having a population of more than two million people, as of October 2020, only 1,700 cases and 40 total deaths were reported in Lesotho.
Public Cooperation
Public support has contributed to the lower case numbers across Africa, impacting COVID-19 in Africa overall. More populated countries such as South Africa reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases at more than one million while Western Sahara reported only 10 cases.
According to polls taken in August 2020, almost 70% of adults completely adhered to washing their hands and wearing face masks in public and roughly 60% adhered to avoiding handshakes and public gatherings. Furthermore, roughly 45% of adults avoided places of worship.
Lockdown restrictions came at a huge cost across the continent as a reported 2.2 million jobs were lost in South Africa during the first half of 2020. Many countries across the continent were forced to reopen their economies despite high cases. According to a PERC report, six in 10 citizens felt it was necessary for the economies to reopen.
Reports suggest that African citizens continue to see COVID-19 as a serious threat, but the economy remains an equally important factor. Citizens generally agreed to continue to adhere to the restrictions in order to keep cases down while allowing the economy to reopen.
A Younger Population
Africa is home to the largest population of young people in the world, with a median age of 19. The young population is a major contributing factor as to why fatalities from the virus have stayed low. This is due to the vast majority of the population not being in the at-risk range. The World Health Organization reports that 91% of COVID-19 cases in sub-Saharan Africa affected people below the age of 60 and more than 80% of those infected were asymptomatic.
The elderly form only 3% of the population across Africa while continents such as Asia, North America and Europe have the largest population of elderly in the world. Many African countries also do not have many retirement homes, which are superspreaders for the disease. The elderly across Africa move from cities where they worked back to rural areas when they retire. These rural areas are less populated and allow for better social distancing practices, making the spread of the virus less rapid.
Transportation also contributes to fewer cases. With no well-developed transportation system to transport those in and out of the city, the virus has not been able to spread as significantly in comparison to places such as the U.K. with major transportation lines that lead to the rapid spread of viruses such as COVID-19.
The Road Ahead
Many have speculated that Africa’s low case numbers could be attributed to African immunity. The above reasons show that Africa has in fact successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic due to fast and early action to curb the spread of the virus, adherence to public health measures and a younger population.
– Claire Olmstead
Photo: Flickr
Online Human Trafficking During COVID-19
The Human Trafficking Crisis
Human trafficking has long posed a threat to the safety and well-being of the world’s most vulnerable populations. The U.N. has stated that between 2017 and 2018, approximately 75,000 trafficking victims were identified in 110 countries. During this period, 70% of victims were female, 77% of whom were then trafficked for sexual exploitation and 14% for forced labor.
There are several factors that make a person more vulnerable to human trafficking. The most pressing factor, however, is financial struggles or poverty.
Online Human Trafficking and COVID-19
Human trafficking is on the rise as millions are made desperate by the economic consequences of COVID-19. People employed in informal sectors have been particularly impacted by layoffs, while earlier this year migrant workers were left stranded far from home when borders closed and travel bans were implemented. According to the World Bank, the COVID-19 pandemic will result in global extreme poverty increasing for the first time in two decades, pushing as many as 150 million people into poverty by 2021.
The impact, however, will be felt the hardest by females. As a result of the pandemic, 47 million more women and girls will be pushed into extreme poverty. Estimates even predict that globally, for every 100 men living in poverty in 2030, there could be as many as 121 women.
Besides COVID-19’s economic consequences, traffickers have also benefited from the fact that people are spending more time online during lockdowns. While traffickers have usually operated with a great deal of impunity, the internet allows for easier access to vulnerable populations as well as the benefits of anonymity and false identities.
Addressing Human Trafficking During COVID-19
Human trafficking is a global problem but despite the scale of the threat and the advantages that perpetrators have during COVID-19, governments can take action to protect vulnerable groups, especially women and girls.
In an appeal to social media and messaging companies, CEDAW recommended that safety controls be set up to reduce the risk of exposing women and girls to trafficking and sexual exploitation. CEDAW has called upon online platforms to use data, artificial intelligence and analytics to identify possible patterns that could lead to trafficking. It also urges platforms to “put in place the appropriate governance structure and procedures which will allow them to be reactive in their response and provide the relevant level of information to the concerned authorities.”
CEDAW also urged governments to resolve the underlying issues that allow human trafficking to flourish. These issues include sex-based discrimination, economic insecurity, conflict and unsafe conditions for migrants and displaced people.
In addition, the United Nations has urged national governments to ensure that services for trafficking victims and survivors stay open during lockdowns and that the rights of migrant and informal workers are protected by labor laws. Finally, investments in programs for women’s economic empowerment are encouraged as a means of mitigating the disproportionate economic impacts on females. With the appropriate measures in place, human trafficking during COVID-19 can be prevented.
– Angie Grigsby
Photo: Flickr
Haya Joint Programme Reduces Violence Against Women in Palestine
Program Background
The Haya Joint Programme is a Palestinian human rights program aimed at ending violence against women through education and intervention. The government of Canada funds the initiative, which works with a variety of United Nations organizations, such as U.N. Women, U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime and the U.N. Population Fund. The Haya Joint Programme also works with Palestinian law enforcement and government agencies to implement efforts at local levels.
The program seeks to change existing attitudes about gender violence through community education. It accomplishes this by teaching educators intervention techniques for those facing domestic violence. Furthermore, the program pushes for essential legislative change to provide further legal protection for women.
Forensic Training for Gender Violence Justice
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reports that an overwhelming number of women have experienced violence by a partner. This emotional and physical hardship has directly affected more than half of all women in the Gaza Strip and 30% of women who have ever married in the West Bank. Only 1% ever reported these events to law enforcement.
In a press release on January 5, 2021, U.N. Women announced its collaboration with the Haya Joint Programme. The announcement indicated a plan to increase forensic science training at the West Bank’s only forensic lab for cases of domestic violence. Training includes instruction of lab equipment, preserving crime scene evidence and forming opinion evidence on behalf of gender violence survivors. In the last year alone, the lab assisted with presenting forensic evidence to the court for 1,690 cases.
Moreover, this training aids in the identification and prosecution of perpetrators in cases of sexual assault and homicide. Police, crime scene and family protection officers also received training for handling and preserving crime scenes through this program.
Training for Teacher Intervention
Another crucial aspect of the Haya Joint Programme is to increase education and awareness surrounding gender and domestic violence. The program conducts training courses for teachers on topics related to intervention and legal rights for women and girls in Palestine.
In the last year, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights held multiple training sessions with the Haya Joint Programme for educators teaching in United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools in the Gaza Strip. The training sessions include lessons on how teachers can recognize gender violence among students and provide counseling and other resource referrals to those who need it. Teachers also learn about women’s legal rights in instances of violence and the courses of legal action to take.
The program has had to adapt to COVID-19 precautions in the last year but conducted its training sessions via Zoom during November and December. These sessions were still widely attended by 129 teachers and females accounted for 103 attendees.
A Global Issue
The Haya Joint Programme notes that these efforts to diminish violence against women are in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Goal 5 is to reach gender equality by working to increase women’s education, increasing the number of women in government positions and reducing domestic violence.
With one in five women experiencing intimate partner violence every year, initiatives like the Haya Joint Programme are essential. Fortunately, the program is attempting to reduce the prevalence of these offenses by supporting women and girls in obtaining justice. The Haya Joint Programme focuses on core problems by working directly on factors like securing legal rights and changing attitudes. As its efforts are paramount to Palestine’s prosperity, the program looks toward a successful future.
– June Noyes
Photo: Flickr
How Moral Leaders Champion Global Change
Moral Leadership
What makes a moral leader? According to Acumen’s founder, there are five central features: commitment, moral imagination, persistence, courage and faith in improvement. Commitment, persistence, courage and faith are familiar virtues that can be applied to purposeful contributions toward global poverty reduction. Moral imagination is a way of thinking that fosters targeted and more effective innovation. It involves having the humility to see the world as it is and the audacity to imagine the world as it can be. All of the above qualities are important to developing effective solutions to problems of poverty and are exhibited by moral leaders.
Moral Leader Aniket Doegar
Aniket Doegar, an Acumen fellow, is an example of a moral leader that Acumen has invested in. He possesses all five traits of a moral leader and his life’s work has shown this. An issue of particular interest to Doegar was the fact that only 40 million of 125 million farmers in India received full benefits from a national government initiative. One reason for this is that many qualifying citizens do not know about the benefits available to them. Doegar realized this and co-founded Haqdarshak, a mobile platform that connects citizens with the welfare benefits they qualify for.
Doegar took bold steps to solve a problem of poverty on a national level that he believed could be solved. He made a commitment to problem-solving at a young age, influenced by moral leaders in his life. His mother taught at schools for low-income families and his aunt taught children with special needs. Doegar’s dedication, persistence and faith surrounding social change turned into results for those in poverty through morally imaginative and courageous efforts.
Haqdarshak
Haqdarshak has screened 300,000 applicants and connected 250,000 to government welfare benefits. Acumen invested in Haqdarshak in September 2020, noting the fundamental values of the enterprise. Haqdarshak has grown from processing 500 applications a month to 36,000 applications a month. Amid the increased need for welfare benefits and Acumen investment, Doegar has set the goal to reach 100 million connected citizens by 2030.
Acumen Academy for Future Leaders
In 2020, Acumen launched Acumen Academy. Acumen Academy encourages moral leadership globally in a variety of ways. It is available to individuals and organizations as an online library of courses and other resources on leadership, innovation and social change toward global inclusion. Acumen Fellows started in 2006, form a cohort of moral leaders who have completed a year-long program at Acumen Academy that promotes empathy, immersion, understanding and action. Fellows commit to social change and together are more accountable, informed and innovative. Doegar is just one example of many Acumen fellows who have sparked change.
Moral Leaders for Global Poverty Reduction
Investments and support for moral leaders around the world are important for the continued reduction of global poverty. Acumen’s manifesto encourages everyone to embrace the qualities of effective, empathetic leaders. Embracing moral leadership and the perspective that all citizens of the world are born equal, helps further necessary global inclusion amid a time of rapid development and increasing need.
– Payton Unger
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About Food Security in Kuwait
Top 5 Facts About Food Security in Kuwait
Kuwait Works with FAO
Although fighting domestic poverty has long been a priority for Kuwait, the growing presence in foreign policy is exciting. Kuwait’s current work with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to combat hunger in Syria is just one example of this transition. In May 2019, Kuwait donated $3 million to the FAO, securing 200 kilograms of enhanced wheat seeds for 20,000 Syrian farmers and their families. Consequently, Kuwait has helped to bolster both agricultural production and food security in Syria. Kuwait’s involvement in eliminating poverty in Syria builds on its partnership with the FAO in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria, where it has achieved similar success in improving food security.
As collaboration develops between nations to eliminate poverty, the ability to achieve other humanitarian goals will significantly increase as well.
– Alex Berman
Photo: Pexels
The Tug-of-War Over Women’s Rights in Malaysia
Gender Inequality in Malaysia
As 61.3% of the population are Muslims, there are groups that hold either traditional or progressive views regarding a woman’s place in society. Despite the various views exhibited toward this issue, women are continually moving forward to gain their rightful equality. Although women are taking up increased positions of leadership within the workforce, gender inequality is still prevalent.
In terms of global figures, according to the UNDP, women, in general, earn $0.23 less for each dollar that men make. In addition, one in three women has endured physical or sexual abuse and close to 750 million women have been involved in child marriages while only 13% of females are agricultural landholders. Furthermore, women only constitute 24% of the national parliamentarians as of November 2018.
Sisters In Islam (SIS)
As a majority of Malaysians are Muslims, there is an NGO that focuses on protecting the rights of Muslim women. Sisters in Islam (SIS) is an NGO that works toward fighting for Muslim women’s rights in Malaysia. In 1988, a group of Muslim women created SIS to tackle the issue of unjust treatment of women under Islamic law. SIS believes that because men had the major control of interpreting the Qur’an in history, they have misinterpreted some aspects in order to justify their cultural actions. As a result, women are placed in a lower position than men. Thus, SIS focuses on researching hermeneutical interpretations of the Qur’an that encourage the equal treatment of women within the Islamic framework.
The main focus of SIS is to reform the laws and policies that oppress women’s rights. It also raises awareness of issues such as child marriages, female genital mutilation and polygamy. Additionally, the NGO advocates for women to gain equal rights to their children as well as freedom of expression and religion. The organization also operates a free helpline called Telenisa, providing Muslim families with free legal advice on basic rights and Shariah law.
Pushback on Progressive Women’s Rights
Although NGOs like SIS promote more progressive views on advocating for women’s rights, there are groups that push back against ideals. SIS has been under scrutiny for its attempts to reinterpret the Qur’an. The established principles of Islam state that only those who have had traditional religious education can have the authority to interpret and discuss this doctrine. Thus, the women at SIS do not have any right to interpret the Qur’an as they are doing in the traditional sense, according to critics.
The Selangor Fatwa Committee and the Selangor Islamic Religious Council issued a fatwa on the SIS in 2014. The fatwa stated that the group was deviant as it promoted liberalism. In addition, the religious pluralism that SIS promoted did not follow Islamic teachings. Moreover, in 2019, a court dismissed an attempt to challenge the fatwa. The civil court decided that the fatwa is linked to Shariah state law and not the federal court. Fortunately, the High Court has temporarily suspended the fatwa in 2020 as the SIS continues to appeal its case.
With groups such as SIS fighting for women’s rights in Malaysia, the country is moving toward achieving gender equality. Furthermore, if more women come into leadership, then a greater possibility of reform exists. Humanitarian organizations and Malaysia’s government needs to address the gender inequality in Malaysia in order to open the country to new economic opportunities, progressive growth and equality. By furthering Malaysia’s approach to gender equality, the global community will take one more step toward global justice and equity.
– Hakyung Kim
Photo: Flickr
Factors Impacting COVID-19 in Africa
Fast Action
The first case of COVID-19 in Africa was reported on February 14, 2020, in Egypt. Other countries across the continent immediately took action fearing that the virus would severely affect at-risk communities such as the elderly and those who are immune-compromised. Protocols such as frequent hand washing, avoiding physical touch-based greeting, social distancing and face masks were implemented right away.
Countries such as Lesotho acted before a single case was reported, going into a three-week lockdown on March 18, 2020, along with surrounding countries. A few days after lifting the lockdown, Lesotho announced its first confirmed COVID-19 case. However, despite the country having a population of more than two million people, as of October 2020, only 1,700 cases and 40 total deaths were reported in Lesotho.
Public Cooperation
Public support has contributed to the lower case numbers across Africa, impacting COVID-19 in Africa overall. More populated countries such as South Africa reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases at more than one million while Western Sahara reported only 10 cases.
According to polls taken in August 2020, almost 70% of adults completely adhered to washing their hands and wearing face masks in public and roughly 60% adhered to avoiding handshakes and public gatherings. Furthermore, roughly 45% of adults avoided places of worship.
Lockdown restrictions came at a huge cost across the continent as a reported 2.2 million jobs were lost in South Africa during the first half of 2020. Many countries across the continent were forced to reopen their economies despite high cases. According to a PERC report, six in 10 citizens felt it was necessary for the economies to reopen.
Reports suggest that African citizens continue to see COVID-19 as a serious threat, but the economy remains an equally important factor. Citizens generally agreed to continue to adhere to the restrictions in order to keep cases down while allowing the economy to reopen.
A Younger Population
Africa is home to the largest population of young people in the world, with a median age of 19. The young population is a major contributing factor as to why fatalities from the virus have stayed low. This is due to the vast majority of the population not being in the at-risk range. The World Health Organization reports that 91% of COVID-19 cases in sub-Saharan Africa affected people below the age of 60 and more than 80% of those infected were asymptomatic.
The elderly form only 3% of the population across Africa while continents such as Asia, North America and Europe have the largest population of elderly in the world. Many African countries also do not have many retirement homes, which are superspreaders for the disease. The elderly across Africa move from cities where they worked back to rural areas when they retire. These rural areas are less populated and allow for better social distancing practices, making the spread of the virus less rapid.
Transportation also contributes to fewer cases. With no well-developed transportation system to transport those in and out of the city, the virus has not been able to spread as significantly in comparison to places such as the U.K. with major transportation lines that lead to the rapid spread of viruses such as COVID-19.
The Road Ahead
Many have speculated that Africa’s low case numbers could be attributed to African immunity. The above reasons show that Africa has in fact successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic due to fast and early action to curb the spread of the virus, adherence to public health measures and a younger population.
– Claire Olmstead
Photo: Flickr
A Seat at the Table of Education: Tutudesk Campaign
Education for Poverty Reduction
An adequate education can be the deciding factor in whether an impoverished child is able to progress out of poverty in adulthood. UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) team conducted an analysis of the influence of education on poverty in 2017. It was found that an estimated 420 million people could be alleviated from poverty with the completion of secondary education, reducing the number of global poor by half and reducing the number of poor people in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia by two-thirds. Since school desks are essential for education, organizations are putting desks at the forefront of their initiatives.
The Tutudesk Campaign
South African human rights activist, Desmond Tutu, founded the Tutdesk campaign in 2012 in partnership with the United Nations Special Envoy for Education. The Tutudesk campaign recognized the dire need for school desks and workstations for students throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The campaign aims to supply portable and sustainable workstations for children in need of desks both in school and at home. Made from a robust, child-friendly blend of polymers, the Tutudesk workstation can last the duration of a learner’s school career. Since its launch, the nonprofit organization has provided more than 1.5 million desks to disadvantaged children. The Tutudesk campaign believes that the Tutudesk provides a viable solution to literacy development and the general infrastructure crisis. The organization’s current goal is to combat the severe desk scarcity throughout sub-Saharan Africa by delivering 20 million desks to children in need by 2025.
The K.I.N.D. Campaign
Lawrence O’Donnell in collaboration with UNICEF launched the K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Desks) campaign in 2010. When visiting Malawi school teachers expressed the dire need for school desks to O’Donnell. O’Donnell collaborated with UNICEF and a local woodworking shop to fund the production of 30 school desks. This small initiative developed into the K.I.N.D. campaign. The organization seeks to provide desks for schools in Malawi as well as secondary school scholarships for Malawian girls. The K.I.N.D. campaign has brought desks to more than 938,000 Malawian children. The K.I.N.D. campaign hopes to enhance education for children in need through its efforts.
Desks, Education and Poverty Reduction
Education is the gateway to economic progression and thus the answer to solving global poverty. School desks play a prominent role in this. Quality education can provide a way out of poverty for poverty-stricken children around the world. By providing desks to the impoverished, the K.I.N.D. campaign and the Tutudesk campaign address both education and poverty simultaneously.
– Imani Smikle
Photo: Flickr
Strategies to Combat Poverty in Romania
Poverty in Romania
At the time these measures passed into law, 40.2% of Romanian people were at risk of poverty and social exclusion. Furthermore, absolute poverty in Romania increased from 23.4% in 2008 to 27.7% in 2012. Low educational attainment, intergenerational transmission of poverty and lack of inter-regional mobility all contribute to the integral causes of poverty in Romania.
However, the Romanian government set a substantial and significant new precedent on how the nation combats poverty by adopting The National Strategy and Strategic Action Plan on Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction for 2015-2020. These measures hope to reduce the many causes of poverty in Romania.
Key Measures:
These measures were an encouraging shift in political focus that revolved around social benefits and a more community-based and integrated approach that generated widespread support. The World Bank supports these measures, commenting that these measures will strongly contribute to narrowing poverty gaps in the country.
Impact of Poverty Reduction Strategy
Since the adoption of these measures, monthly income per person increased by 10% between 2016 and 2017 and by 16% between 2017 and 2018, in part due to the increases in public-sector wages and improved minimum wages and tax cuts. As a result, poverty rates fell from 28.4% in 2014 to 15.8% in 2017.
Currently, the employment rate at 68.8% is approaching the EU 2020 target and is just below the EU average of 72.2%. Additionally, the unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the EU at 4.9%.
Implementation Delays Cause Concern
Although clear steps toward improving Romania’s struggle with poverty have emerged, these measures have received criticism as expectations have determined that many measures could have delayed or minimal results. These concerns were further exacerbated in 2017 when a change in government occurred. The political change delayed implementation and altered the original plan, putting full implementation in jeopardy.
In addition, more legislation is necessary to address the growing condition of the Roma minority group residing in Romania. A whole 78% of Roma are at risk of poverty compared to 35% for non-Roma citizens. Furthermore, 84% of Roma households do not have access to a water source, sewage or electricity. To successfully combat poverty in Romania, the Roma need to be prioritized.
Poverty Reduction Progress
While no single piece of legislation will be the end all be all to combat poverty in Romania, the anti-poverty measures passed in 2015/2016 have shown that a top-down, legislation-focused approach to fighting poverty can lead to progress, poverty reduction and improved social inclusion.
– Andrew Eckas
Photo: Flickr
Germany and the EU’s Aid to Senegal
Incoming Aid to Senegal
In a press release on November 11, 2020, Germany and the European Union (EU) announced the approval of relief funding for Senegal — €112 million in EU funding and €100 million in funding from Germany itself. The EU has a broader history of aid to Senegal, with more than €1 billion worth of aid sent from 2014 to 2020. Germany also has a history of friendship with Senegal as the two entered into a reform partnership in 2019. The amount of aid rendered illustrates the strong commitment of both the EU and Germany to Senegal’s economy. The money will go toward Senegal’s COVID-19 stimulus program and will enable the government to continue relief efforts for its population.
German development minister, Gerd Müller, is strongly in favor of aid to Senegal and described many problems currently ailing Senegal’s economy. Nearly half of the country faces unemployment and the shrinking economy will especially impact small and medium businesses, which make up 90% of all Senegalese jobs. Müller says, “We must not forget that the consequences of COVID-19 are far more dramatic in developing countries.”
Impact of Aid to Senegal
Müller is optimistic that the aid will enable the protection of jobs and the production of medical equipment necessary to fight COVID-19. The Senegalese government also began a program for businesses to receive cash loans for support.
Although Senegal’s economy is robust, it is still dependent on foreign aid to finance these measures. Aside from the aid coming from the EU and Germany, the World Bank approved $100 million worth of aid back in June 2020, demonstrating a need for further funding to prevent larger setbacks in Senegal’s economy.
An Admirable COVID-19 Reponse
The way that Senegal handled the COVID-19 pandemic itself has received praise throughout the world. It ranks second only to New Zealand on Foreign Policy’s Global COVID-19 Response Index, which measures the response of national leaders to the pandemic. The country took broad health safety measures at the beginning of the crisis, which had an unfortunate impact on Senegal’s economy. International aid to Senegal plays a large role in the country’s recovery from the impact of COVID-19.
– Bradley Cisternino
Photo: Flickr
5 Social Issues Dividing Nigeria
5 Social Issues Dividing Nigeria
Global Giving
Global Giving is an organization that connects other nonprofits with potential donors. It works with individual donors, other nonprofits and companies to help them safely donate anywhere in the world. Since 2002, Global Giving has assisted in raising $526 million for causes around the globe. So far, 27,941 projects are in place in 170 different countries.
One project Global Giving is helping with is the Empowering Victims of Boko Haram Violence in Nigeria project. The Center for Sustainable Development and Education In Africa started this project to help victims of Boko Haram. The project aims to build a “skills acquisition center” in North-Eastern Nigeria to give support to rape victims, widows and others the terrorist group affected. In two years, the project raised $28,500.
The CSDEA has another project called Save Street Children in Nigeria. The goal of this project is to help 1.5 million homeless children get off the streets. If the project raises $25,000 then 10,000 children can go to school and receive food and shelter. In the past two years, the cause has collected $1,055. One can make donations at Global Giving’s projects.
– Jessica LaVopa
Photo: Flickr