UNiTE Campaign to End Violence Against Women

End Violence Against WomenOn December 17, 1999, the United Nations General Assembly officially acknowledged November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Since then, efforts to fight violence against women have risen at local, regional and global levels. Roughly a decade after the U.N. officially marked November 15 as the global day to fight violence against women, then-U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon launched the “UNiTE to End Violence Against Women” campaign. The main goal of this campaign is to eliminate all forms of violence — physical, emotional and sexual — against women.

Key Achievements and Milestones

Since its launch, the UNiTE campaign has sparked a revolutionary change across the globe in the following ways:

  • The campaign led to the creation of a new post of “Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict,” whose first occupant, Margöt Wallstrom, played a crucial role in fighting the culture of impunity by bringing to court perpetrators like Bernard Munyagishari, who was later convicted of various crimes against humanity, such as rape, which were perpetrated during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
  • The deployment of Gender Advisers to peacekeeping and political missions includes:
    • UNAMID in Sudan, which addressed the impact of conflict on Sudanese women and girls.
    • MINUSTAH in Haiti, which has worked to restore order and stability, promote the country’s political process and protect human rights.
    • MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose major goals were monitoring, collecting and reporting information related to human rights violations, which played a crucial role in the international criminal justice’s fight against impunity and supported the court’s prosecution of Germain Katanga and Bosco Ntaganda, both of whom were convicted of war crimes of rape and sexual slavery.
    • The campaign also devitalized impunity for sexual violence as an act of war: the most prominent example is the 2016 conviction of Congolese Jean-Pierre Bemba of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including rape.
    • The rise of other campaigns against the violation of women’s rights, such as the Stop Rape Now campaign and the Spotlight Initiative, which deploys substantial investments to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls across regions of Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific.

Current State of Affairs: Violence Against Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Over the years, efforts to fight violence against women have generated remarkable results, but in 2020, reports show that the rate of violence against women has skyrocketed at a shocking rate due to the stay-at-home measures that most governments implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

In the report “Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19,” the U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres says, “Accompanying the crisis has been a spike in domestic violence reporting, at exactly the time that services, including rule of law, health and shelters, are being diverted to address the pandemic.”

Another early 2020 U.N. report reveals that in the last 12 months, a total of 243 women and girls aged 15-49 have experienced sexual and/or physical violence by an intimate partner.

UNiTE Campaign: “Fund, Prevent, Respond, Collect!”

In response to the intensifying rates of violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, UNiTE has increased its efforts and is kickstarting this year’s campaign in partnership with the theme, “Orange the World: Fund, Prevent, Respond, Collect!”

The main goal of this theme is to fund essential services that include gender-based violence (GBV) prevention in COVID-19 fiscal stimulus packages, the implementation of a zero-tolerance policy for GBV, putting in place measures to strengthen services that support GBV victims and collecting the necessary data to ensure the effectiveness of GBV services and programs.

The Battle Continues

Over the years, transformative action, such as the creation of the Spotlight Initiative, the conviction of major war criminals, a majority of whom had violated women’s rights, and the deployment of Gender Advisers across areas in dire need, has taken place.

There is no doubt that there is still much work to do to diminish the high rates of violence plaguing the world, but the past success that the UNiTE campaign has achieved is not only worth celebrating but is also a guarantee of an even higher leap in the coming years.

– Divine Mbabazi
Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts About Child Poverty in Lebanon

Child Poverty in Lebanon
Conflict has impacted Lebanon over the past few decades, including civil war, revolution and occupation. As a result, many children in Lebanon grow up and live in harsh conditions. Here are five things to know about child poverty in Lebanon.

5 Facts About Child Poverty in Lebanon

  1. Poverty by the Numbers: There is severe inequality in Lebanon as 5-10% of the population receives more than half of the total national income. Around 25-30% of Lebanese people live in poverty. Refugees and other populations face an even higher rate of poverty. For all of these groups, families with children are more likely to live in poverty. Current estimates say 1.4 million children in Lebanon are living in poverty. This affects their ability to receive an education, adequate nutrition and water and future standard of living and employment.
  2. Education: An estimated 10% of children in Lebanon do not attend school. The schools that do exist are low quality in both education and the physical state of the buildings. The poor education in Lebanon causes less young people to acquire jobs in technical or competitive fields. Armed and violent conflicts in Lebanon have also damaged school buildings. Furthermore, children’s access to education is hindered by the 1925 Nationality Law, in which only children with Lebanese fathers receive citizenship. If a child’s only parent is their mother or the father is not Lebanese, public schools will not admit them until all other Lebanese children are enrolled.
  3. Child Labor: Lebanon has lower rates of child labor than many of the surrounding countries, but still 7% of children work. Many of these children work to support their families, though their salaries are often low. Boys often work in factories or agriculture which have inhumane and very harsh working conditions. Lebanon has signed on to the ILO’s Convention on Child Labor, but this has not decreased child labor.
  4. Refugee Children: Lebanon has a very high number of refugees living inside its borders because of its geographical location. These refugees come from Iraq, Syrian, Palestine and more. The majority of refugees live in extreme poverty. Refugee children often work in poor conditions to make money. Many also suffer from mental health problems due to their trauma. In refugee camps, children face many dangers, including domestic violence, drug use and minimal health care and basic hygiene. Lebanon has not ratified the U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and does little to protect these people living inside the country. The country also lacks the resources to address children’s mental health problems, but NGOs are working to provide more medical help inside the refugee camps.
  5. Reducing Child Poverty: The Government of Lebanon launched the National Poverty Targeting Program in 2011. The World Bank provided technical and financial assistance to this program to provide a safety net for families living in extreme poverty. Families are chosen based on level of food security, labor force status and other variables. This program currently helps 43,000 households, although more than 150,000 families are in extreme poverty and more than 350,000 qualify are in poverty. The families benefiting from the program receive a “Hayat Card,” which gives them access to free health care and educational services, and the poorest receive a debit card for food.

Children in Lebanon are still heavily affected by poverty, whether it is through health care, education or labor. Refugee children and girls are particularly vulnerable as they lack basic rights under law. Although strides have been made in recent years to eradicate poverty, the government and other organizations must prioritize addressing child poverty in Lebanon.

– Claire Brady
Photo: Flickr

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9 Successful Distance Learning Programs in Developing Nations

Distance Learning Programs
As a result of the pandemic, world leaders are rethinking how education is delivered to an estimated 2.2 billion children. The speed of internet connections, online infrastructure and security all pose unique obstacles in expanding distance learning programs. Here are nine successful distance learning programs in developing nations that can serve as a model for other countries.

9 Successful Distance Learning Programs in Developing Nations

  1. Bangladeshi Television (BTV) broadcasts lessons daily to students grades 6 to 10. It is currently expanding to other mediums such as radio, cell phones and online lessons like BTV’s YouTube Channel in order to educate children consistently. UNICEF cites alternatives to physical classrooms as helping local students further their education. “The longer children stay away from school, the less likely they are to ever return,” says Tomoo Hozumi, UNICEF Country Representative in Bangladesh.
  2. The Colombian Ministry of Education implemented new online programming and educational resources in March 2020. Programs are also broadcast through radio and public television programs to maximize accessibility. For families without internet access, At-Home Learning Kits provide the necessary educational materials.
  3. Cote D’ Ivoire launched My School at Home (Mon école à la Maison) for elementary school through high school students. Educational resources are available for all grade levels and for technical and vocational courses. My School at Home obtained a $70,000 grant in March 2020 through UNICEF’s Global Partnership for Education to launch television and radio distance learning courses.
  4. Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development is helping distance learning programs in developing nations around the world. The organization was originally developed to bring access to broadband to underserved areas worldwide by 2030. In response to COVID-19, the commission is participating in high-level advocacy to bring “resilient connectivity, affordable access and safe use of online services” to developing countries.
  5. Moodle is an open-source learning platform that has been in operation for over a decade. Collaborating with more than 80 partners, Moodle provides an intuitive, multi-lingual learning environment to more than 213 million users in 120 languages. Moodle’s modular design and ease of use allow for applications in all types of education, but it’s the belief that technological access empowers the world that sets this pioneering company apart.
  6. Founded in 2004, Pratham InfoTec Foundation (PIF) aims to expand access to technological advancements in India. The plan is to use these technological advancements to bridge the educational divides experienced by impoverished youth. In response to the COVID-19 global health crisis, PIF has launched the Digital Sakshar Initiative, a collection of over 30 courses and thousands of free videos, available online and as an app.
  7. Trees of Knowledge provides repositories of educational content throughout rural areas in Africa. Developed by William Sachiti, the idea is to install wireless hubs preloaded with digital content into large trees. In addition to providing a school experience to remote villages, Tree of Knowledge learning hubs also have first aid and hygiene information. The technology is published as open-source, meaning anyone can improve a child’s quality of life by establishing remote learning in developing countries that is convenient and safe.
  8. edX is a global nonprofit working to increase access to post-secondary education worldwide. Founded in 2012, edX partners with more than 120 institutions, including Harvard and MIT, to provide high-quality education. The platform that powers edX courses is open-source and therefore can be utilized by other institutions and educators.
  9. Rumie and its development partners use their software to create and host 10-minute long micro-learning courses called Bytes. It also releases videos, MP3s and PDFs, most of which can be made available offline. Rumie’s mission is to provide free educational materials to underserved communities around the world. The organization also recently released a collection of COVID-19 related learning resources.

The pioneering programs listed above have an emphasis on equitable learning opportunities, emerging technological advances and passionate leaders. This puts them at the forefront of bringing quality education to millions of students now learning from home. Moving forward, these programs will likely become even more widely used, as digital learning transforms the future of education.

– Katrina Hall
Photo: Flickr

Addressing Mental Health in Kenya

Mental Health in Kenya
Kenya is a lower-middle-income country with a population of about 52.5 million and a physician-patient ratio of 0.2 to 1,000 people. The psychiatrist-population ratio is 0.19 to 100,000. The most common mental illnesses in Kenya are depression, substance use disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other forms of psychosis. It is estimated that of all persons seeking health services in Kenya, a quarter of the inpatients and almost half of all outpatients suffer from mental illness. Fortunately, health organizations are working to make mental health in Kenya a priority.

Kenya’s Mental Health Policy

According to the 1989 Mental Health Act, Cap. 248 of the Laws of Kenya, all general hospitals are required to treat and admit persons with mental illness. Kenya’s 2015-2030 Mental Health Policy outlines a strategy for achieving mental health reform in the country. Using a multidisciplinary approach and guided by the Ministry of Health, the policy underscores the need for collaborative interventions. The policy also recognizes human rights in treating persons with mental, neurological and substance use disorders. Finally, the policy aims to provide quality, accessible and equitable mental healthcare services in accordance with WHO standards.

Mental Health Services in Kenya

There are at least 14 general and provincial hospitals in Kenya offering mental healthcare and psychiatric services. Mathari Teaching and Referral Hospital is the national psychiatric hospital with a 700-bed capacity. There are also various private clinics and rehabilitation centers as well as professional bodies and organizations whose members work together to provide mental health services.

The Kenya Psychiatric Association (KPA) is a professional body for psychiatrists. Its mission is to promote mental health in Kenya through training, governance, empirical research and mental health services. The Association contributed to the 2015-2030 Mental Health Policy and the 1989 Mental Health Act and has established national and international networks in the field. It also continues to provide mentorship to upcoming mental health professionals.

Another organization regulating mental health services is the Kenya Counseling and Psychological Association, which governs counselors and psychologists. The organization seeks to offer professional counseling psychology services in the country based on set standards in training, practice, research and advocacy.

The National Authority for the Campaign Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse (NACADA) is an organization under Kenya’s Government that tackles drug and alcohol abuse in the population, particularly among the youth. To achieve its goals, NACADA uses public education and advocacy, undertakes research surrounding alcohol and substance use in the nation, regulates the alcohol industry and offers counseling and rehabilitation services. As of 2020, NACADA had established 100 accredited rehabilitation centers, offered 20 life skills training programs and saved 8,000 lives.

Mental Health Research in Kenya

In November 2019, a task force was set up to report on the status of mental health in Kenya; the report was released in July 2020. The team was drawn from healthcare professionals, cabinet members, security service providers, politicians and youth representatives around the country. The task force detailed recommendations for mental health reforms, citing changes in administration, legislation and criminal justice systems.

Recommendations include declaring mental illness a public health emergency and increasing funding for the mental health sector to make services more widely accessible. The report also proposed providing healthy workspaces and mental health services in learning institutions and incorporating mental health literacy across school curricula.

Moving forward, it is essential that the Kenyan government and other mental health organizations in the nation utilize this research to improve policies and practices. Through research, collaboration and informed interventions, mental health in Kenya will hopefully improve.

– Beth Warūgūrū Hinga
Photo: Flickr

4 Facts About The Safe Delivery App

The Safe Delivery AppAcross the globe, thousands of women die every year as a result of complications during birth. A variety of organizations have been developing to combat these preventable deaths. The Safe Delivery app, a maternal healthcare app, provides one of these solutions. Below are four facts outlining the app’s purpose as well as its successes since its release in 2012.

4 Facts about the Safe Delivery App

  1. Maternal mortality is an issue around the world. Every year, more than 300,000 women die from causes related to pregnancy. Women typically die in pregnancy and childbirth for five main reasons: “severe bleeding, infections, unsafe abortion, hypertensive disorders, and medical complications like cardiac disease, diabetes, or HIV/AIDS.” There is also a greater chance of death for pregnant women who lack proper assistance. Unfortunately, in sub-Saharan Africa, less than 50% of women during birth have a trained midwife, nurse or doctor to help them through the process. Many instances of maternal mortality are 100% preventable when access to quality maternal care is provided.
  2. The Safe Delivery App educates. The University of Copenhagen, the University of Southern Denmark and the Maternity Foundation launched the app to provide skills and to assess knowledge of those assisting with births in remote areas of developing nations. The app consists of 12 modules that address numerous childbirth emergencies and the appropriate preventative procedures for each. It uses “animated instruction videos, action cards, drug lists, practical procedures, and an individualized e-learning component, MyLearning,” to guide healthcare workers. The Safe Delivery app also works offline so healthcare workers can access the modules in any place, at any time.
  3. The app’s creators collaborate. Some key partners include The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Jhpiego, the Danish Emergency Relief Fund and MSD for Mothers. The app’s creators have teamed up to prep for launching the app in even more countries. For instance, Merck for Mothers is working with the Maternity Foundation to incorporate user feedback into the app’s design. They are also collecting user data through case studies and stories to help improve the app’s adoption in other countries. Additionally, the creators of the Safe Delivery App partnered with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to study the effectiveness of the app; for the study, the app trained 58 birth attendants across four different regions. After collecting feedback, the UNFPA found there was an “association between high user engagement and improvements in the health workers knowledge and competencies when handling childbirth emergencies.”
  4. The Safe Delivery app is succeeding and improving. The Safe Delivery app boasts over 17,000 downloads in 44 low- and middle-income countries. In 2019, the top five countries were Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Somalia and Togo. Also in 2019, a total of 10,418 users actively used the quiz functions. According to research conducted by Merck for Mothers, “Workers’ skills in handling complications increased by more than 100%” after using the app for 12 months. In 2017, a Hindi version of the app launched for users in India; this drastically increased healthcare workers’ skill sets in the region. The Maternity Foundation has also released multiple case studies that show the positive impact of the Safe Delivery app. For example, the Maternity Foundation tracked the app usage of 62 health workers across eight facilities in Congo. According to the Maternity Foundation, “The study showed a significant increase in the healthcare workers’ knowledge and confidence when handling post-partum hemorrhage and neonatal resuscitation.”

Since the launch of this maternal healthcare app, researchers have seen great improvements in healthcare knowledge. While maternal mortality is still an issue around the world, innovations like the Safe Delivery app can eradicate the dangers of childbirth.

– Sara Holm
Photo: Flickr

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The State of Malaria in Southeast Asia

The State of Malaria in South-East AsiaAlthough Malaria remains at the forefront of global health issues, malaria in Southeast Asia represents a success story in terms of mobilizing aid in the fight against the disease. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 8 million malaria cases, a decline of 69% since 2010, marking the largest decline of all WHO regions.

Direct Aid Strategies

Southeast Asia has been the target of hefty aid strategies from a variety of organizations. The aid primarily comes from the WHO and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. As the Global Fund puts it, “The fight against malaria is one of the biggest public health successes of the 21st century.” The multi-pronged strategies used by these organizations begin with a tactic known as surveillance.

Surveillance involves testing, record-keeping and reporting malaria cases. Surveillance systems have become more efficient. As a result, health care systems maintain a much more refined picture of malaria cases in any given region. This eventually gains “near real-time individual case data in small areas.”

Vector control is limiting contact between people and the mosquitos that transmit the disease. It has also helped eliminate malaria in Southeast Asia. One of the most effective means to achieve this is the wide-scale distribution of insecticidal mosquito nets. So far, the Global Fund has donated 142 million nets, providing a simple means for those in rural and urban areas alike to protect themselves.

Strengthening Local Health Care Systems

Besides direct aid, many organizations also turn to bolster already-existing local health care systems in the fight against malaria in Southeast Asia.

Malaria Consortium is a nonprofit organization specializing in addressing the disease. It began working in Myanmar in 2016 to train locals in rural areas to administer essential health services. Malaria Consortium also taught local health workers to treat malaria, working to close the gap in rural health care.

In one village, 13 health care workers received training in the treatment of malaria and other diseases common to the area. These workers went on to teach local mothers and adolescents, expanding the web of health care knowledge even further. By the end of the program, 90% of trainees could diagnose malaria cases correctly. Trainees were also able to run malaria diagnostic tests and administer Artemisinin. Artemisinin is the most widely used drug to treat the disease.

Concerns with Treating Malaria

Aid has been successful in treating malaria in Southeast Asia. However, a new drug-resistant strain on the rise reignites concerns around the disease. Artemisinin-resistant malaria has the potential to undermine malaria prevention and was first recorded in the Mekong River region of Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. In 2014 and 2015, studies conducted by Vietnam’s National Malaria Control Program found treatment failure rates ranging from 26% to 46%.

From the perspectives of nonprofits and medical experts, the rise of this new Artemisinin-resistant malaria in Southeast Asia means surveillance efforts must be bolstered to prevent global spread. Likewise, instead of merely treating already-present cases, the goal must be to prevent transmission in the first place. Chris Plowe, the director of the Duke Global Health Institute, is using all the tools available to the institute to eliminate aggressive malaria in the Greater Mekong subregion.

Overall, direct aid, community mobilization and the bolstering of health care systems have transformed a region once fraught with malaria. As these efforts continue, malaria in Southeast Asia moves closer toward its extinction.

– Jane Dangel
Photo: Flickr 

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Accessible Energy in Burundi

Energy in BurundiRanked 185th out of 189 countries on the 2019 United Nations’ human development index, Burundi is one of the world’s most impoverished countries. Approximately 65% of Burundians live below the poverty line. Furthermore, Burundi has the second lowest GDP in the world and the highest hunger score across the globe according to the 2018 World Food Security Report. This article will highlight challenges relating to accessing energy in Burundi and the early successes of some solutions.

An Unsustainable Lifestyle

Most Burundians live an agrarian lifestyle; approximately 80% of the population is employed in the agricultural sector and more than 87% of the population lives in rural areas. Of the 11.7 million people, only 3% have access to electricity and 90% of energy access in Burundi is dependent on biogas via the burning of firewood. Unfortunately, 50% of the population remains food insecure and the country’s total annual food production only covers 55 days per person each year. Burundian families spend on average four hours each day sourcing firewood for basic tasks like food preparation. However, this practice comes at the expense of:

  1. Education: Many children opt out of school to help source firewood. In fact, only 32% of Burundi’s children complete a lower secondary education.
  2. The Environment: Sourcing firewood contributes to deforestation and increases carbon dioxide levels. The resulting carbon emissions decrease air quality and damage the ozone layer, causing climate change.
  3. Family Health & Nutrition: Burundi has the highest level of malnutrition in the world. About 56% of Burundian children endure stunting and the median age of the population is 17.3 years. Preventing malnutrition in Burundi would cost $102 million per year.

The SAFE Initiative

Thankfully, the Burundian government joined the World Food Programme in 2017 as a part of the Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) initiative. The initiative introduces fuel-efficient stoves to more than 18 countries in the region, promoting energy accessibility for impoverished communities in Burundi.
So far, this development has sparked great progress in Burundi:

  1. Currently, 485,000 persons have received and benefited from fuel-efficient stoves.
  2. Institutional stoves that have reached 100,000 children and 147 primary schools.
  3. Fuel-efficient stoves have significantly reduced air pollution. The utility of each batch of firewood increase by up to fivefold, decreasing each family’s firewood intake by about 11.5 kilograms per day.

However, the country is still primarily dependent on biogas from firewood. Fortunately, the location and climate of the country lend themselves to the renewable generation of energy in Burundi, mainly through hydroelectric and solar energy. The government of Burundi partners with energy investors to build its private sector. Hopefully, this partnership will boost Burundi’s economy, sparking expansion in the commerce, health, education, tourism, fisheries and transport sectors. Ultimately, expanding beyond an agrarian society will lift Burundians out of poverty.

Hydroelectric Power Energy in Burundi

Burundi has only utilized only 32 MW of its 1700 MW hydroelectric energy potential. The country is located in the heart of Africa’s Great Lakes region and is surrounded by potential energy sources such as the Malagarasi river (475 km). With only 29 of 159 potential hydropower sites already explored, hydroelectric power technologies only serve 9% of the population. But, Burundi is making strides with its new development projects:

  1. The Rusumo Falls Hydropower Project: This Run-of-the-River system has an 80MW capacity and three generating units. The Rusumo Power Company developed this system with financial support from multi-national developers and the governments of Burundi, Congo and Tanzania. The plant is located on the border of Rwanda and Tanzania with transmission lines interconnecting them with Burundi. Its production began in January 2017.
  2. Ruzizi III: With a capacity of 147 MW and an energy production goal of 675 GWh, the Ruzizi III greenfield hydropower project is a part of an existing hydropower cascade fed by the Kivu Lake. Ruzizi III is one of the largest infrastructure development projects in the region; Burundi, DRC and Rwanda each have 10% ownership of this partnership with a private investor.
  3. Ruzizi IV: This project is another partnership with Burundi, the DRC and Rwanda. The Ruzizi Hydropower Plant Project IV will have a capacity of 287 MW. Additionally, the African Development Bank Group has approved an $8.9 million grant to support the development.

Access to Solar Power Energy in Burundi

Burundi also holds unique potential for solar power energy development. The country is located on the equator, with temperatures ranging from 17 to 23˚C, altitudes varying from 772 meters to 2,670 meters and extremely sunny weather. The Burundian authorities look forward to exploring this option soon.

With success, millions of households and industries will soon have accessible energy in Burundi. Reliable and widespread access to electricity is improving the quality of basic services including health, education and security services. Additionally, there will be a reduction in carbon emissions. Hopefully, with help, more Burundians will escape the cycle of poverty.

– Rebecca Harris
Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts About the Causes of Poverty in Tanzania

Causes of Poverty in TanzaniaTanzania is one of the most impoverished countries in the world, however, according to the World Bank, poverty from 2007 to 2018 was reduced by 8% overall. There are multiple reasons why the largest East African country is in such despair, such as food scarcity, poor access to education and inadequate health care access. This article will discuss five facts about the causes of poverty in Tanzania.

5 Causes of Poverty in Tanzania

  1. The population rate is increasing faster than the poverty reduction rate in Tanzania. This is causing millions of people to live in poverty and survive off of $1.90 a day or less. According to the World Bank’s Poverty and Equity Brief, from 2011 to 2018, there was only a 1.8% decline in poverty. To combat this issue, according to the brief there should be more opportunities available for those living in rural areas. This is because rural areas have the highest rates of poverty.
  2. A lack of a proper education lowers the chances for sustainable employment. A primary issue related to education in Tanzania is the decline in enrollment of children in primary school. According to a report for out-of-school children in Tanzania by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), out of the 1.3 million children aged 7 years old in Tanzania, 39.5% do not attend primary or secondary school. However, as children get older, the likelihood of attending school rises.
  3. Life-threatening diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria impact millions of Tanzanians. Many families have to pay out of pocket to receive continuous treatment. Recurring payments pressure already low-income households, adding to one of the causes of poverty in Tanzania. To mitigate the diseases affecting millions living predominately in rural areas, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided treatment to decrease the severe heath conditions’ growth and spread.
  4. Out of a population of 57.3 million people in Tanzania, 4 million people do not have access to clean water. Additionally, 29 million people do not have “access to improved sanitation.” These circumstances mean women and young girls, primarily, must carry massive amounts of water over a great distance in order to provide it for their families.
  5. The labor force is continuously declining in Tanzania. This can be partially attributed to a lack of government support in initiating sufficient employment opportunities, especially in rural areas. Due to poverty being the highest in rural areas because of poor living environment circumstances, many tend to move into urban areas. Unfortunately, unemployment persists due to people lacking skills for the jobs in their new urban environment. Access to proper education and an increase in attendance in primary and secondary schools will help expand opportunities and skills for more promising and long-lasting employment.

Progress in Eradicating Poverty

The key to eradicating poverty in Tanzania is education. However, for more children to become educated, there needs to be an increase in access to education and school attendance. As of 2020, Tanzania’s literacy rate is 70.6%. However, the literacy rate has fluctuated over the last decade, hindering continuous growth.

Nevertheless, the organization Room to Read is taking the necessary steps to ensure that 14.3 million children are literate. The organization helps young children become educated, literate and aware of personal health and proper forms of family planning. Its work primarily targets young girls. Room to Read distributes its resources not only to Tanzania but also to more than 12 other countries around the world. If Tanzania’s government recognizes the importance of education, a better health care system and an increase in employment opportunities and receives funding to implement changes, the causes of poverty in Tanzania may dissolve sooner than expected. This, in turn, could help set an example for other impoverished countries.

– Montana Moore
Photo: Flickr

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The HALO Trust in Nagorno-Karabakh

The HALO TrustRussian intervention may have ended the latest bouts of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh on November 10, 2020, but landmines from the region’s post-Soviet independence war, coupled with the recent use of cluster munitions by Azeri forces, make the mountainous region one of the most perilous areas to inhabit in the post-Soviet world. Luckily, de-mining initiatives led by The HALO Trust, a British charity, are steadily working to make everyday life safer.

The Bloody History of Landmines in Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, has been a site of geopolitical contention since the Soviet collapse. When the region seceded from Azerbaijan by referendum in 1988, neighboring Azerbaijan and Armenia engaged in protracted fighting to wrest control of the border. The two former Soviet Republics each lay rival territorial claims to Nagorno-Karabakh. While a majority of its 130,000 inhabitants are ethnically Armenian, Soviet districting placed it within Azerbaijan’s borders for decades, which Azerbaijan has sought to maintain.

Because of prolonged fighting between 1988 and 1994 and intermittent skirmishing since, tens of thousands of landmines in Nagorno-Karabakh remain scattered throughout the region. Estimates from 2005 placed the count at upwards of 50,000. Unexploded ordinance (UXO) and abandoned munitions were also noted. Meanwhile, fighting from October and November of 2020 introduced unexploded rockets and cluster munitions to civilian areas including the capital, Stepanakert, which Azerbaijan repeatedly shelled with artillery.

An Explosive Threat

Together, the explosives riddling Nagorno-Karabakh pose a serious public health risk to its local population. Tens of thousands fled the latest fighting as refugees, but the danger is residual and longstanding. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls landmines “a health threat not to be ignored” and claims that the global burden of disease linked to them is historically underreported. WHO estimates that landmines cause 11 to 12 casualties daily worldwide.

In Nagorno-Karabakh, there are more landmine accidents per capita than anywhere else in the world. When victims of these accidents survive, they are often missing limbs and can take months, or even years, to recover. These dangers force communities to disband as families relocate to safer areas. They also cause food insecurity. Nagorno-Karabakh is mountainous and many of its flat, open areas are unworkable minefields that farmers must avoid.

Because children are less educated or tend to engage in riskier behavior than adults, they make up more than a quarter of all landmine victims in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The HALO Trust: Relief Efforts

To address this longstanding public health risk, a British charity, The HALO Trust, has carried out operations targeting landmines in Nagorno-Karabakh. With teams often made up of local volunteers, it has surveyed thousands of acres and organized the removal of nearly 500 minefields since 2000. HALO teams have also supported communities in the wake of border skirmishes between Azerbaijan and Armenia that have left explosives in streets, homes and backyards.

In the latest bouts of fighting, Azerbaijan fired cluster munitions on residential areas in four separate incidents, as reported by Human Rights Watch. Cluster munitions are banned in international humanitarian law because they cannot be directed at a legitimate target, harming civilians and combatants indiscriminately. HALO teams have been responding to local alarms in the wake of these attacks. “In the last five days alone,” HALO reports, “our team has used its expertise and equipment to safely destroy over 150 explosive items.” Teams also delivered relief supplies to sheltering families throughout the fighting, including hygiene kits, blankets and fuel.

In addition to providing relief from landmines in Nagorno-Karabakh, HALO volunteers educate local communities on how to remain safe around landmines and other explosives. Its members frequent schools because of landmines’ disproportionate impact on children.

Landmine Removal Success

Conflict, unexploded ordinance and 30-year-old landmines in Nagorno-Karabakh, continually threaten lives in the mountainous region. Thanks to the work of the HALO, however, de-mining projects have worked to mitigate the risk of explosives and serve local communities. The 4,000 landmines and 8,000 items of ordinance removed since 2000 are a testament to the success of de-mining efforts.

– Skye Jacobs
Photo: Flickr

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How Livestock Can Alleviate Poverty

livestock can alleviateThroughout the world, 689 million people are estimated to be living in conditions of poverty and surviving on $1.90 a day or less. Of these numbers, around 70% of those impoverished depend on livestock for employment, income and food security. The ability for families to stay afloat, send their kids to school, put food on the table and sustain themselves, depends on the health of their herds. Livestock can alleviate poverty by providing several benefits.

Oxfam: Livestock for Poverty Reduction

Oxfam, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty, donates money, food and livestock to struggling communities for long-term success. Oxfam works with local organizations and coalitions in 70 countries both before and after crises occur to treat both the symptoms of systemic inequality as well as the systems themselves. Oxfam advocates for the rights of the impoverished and those facing oppression by challenging government leaders to do more for their constituency.

Feed the Future Campaign

Oxfam has worked with the U.S. food security initiative, Feed the Future, to help farmers in countries like Ghana, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Haiti, Senegal and Tanzania. Through intense research and direct communication with local communities, Oxfam has strengthened strategies for the success of female farmers, growth in the agriculture sector and maternal and child nutrition. Oxfam stresses the importance of aiding small scale farmers to end the cyclical nature of poverty and food insecurity. This initiative includes providing access to opportunities and resources that some families do not have, holding accountable the governments and businesses for the harmful policies that affect farmers and ensuring a positive relationship with local groups.

The Impact of Livestock

Part of Oxfam’s mission is to set communities up for success in the long-term by providing them with resources and tools to maintain these resources. Oxfam does not just provide livestock such as goats and sheep, but it provides farmers with resources and training for herds to be healthy and successful. Growth in agriculture directly leads to economic security and growth. It profits the entire community as it lowers the costs of food, creates wealth for producers and creates opportunities for other economic areas to flourish as more consumables become accessible. The work Oxfam does in bringing livestock to impoverished communities alleviates poverty and produces greater economic growth and opportunity. Livestock can alleviate poverty as it takes on laborious duties that lessen the strain on families. Livestock also produces and becomes a source of food and increases the flow of income and ability to work on other aspects of life.

Nyalit, a woman in South Sudan, was given two goats from Oxfam and has seen her life improve tremendously since the contribution. The goats provide a source of food and income, producing milk. The goats have also reproduced, allowing the farm to grow.

Livestock Programs Reduce Poverty

Oxfam has made considerable contributions to lessen the impact of poverty throughout the world and continues to do so with its programs. Its work is evidence that livestock can alleviate poverty and expand the socio-economic opportunities of the farmers. The organization has empowered female farmers, provided food security for mothers and children in developing areas and encouraged growth in the agricultural sector.

– Lizzy Herestofa
Photo: Flickr