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Effective Charities Reducing Poverty

Effective Charities Reducing Poverty
One of the most straightforward methods to combat extreme poverty is contributing to charities dedicated to this cause. However, the positive impact a donation can have varies between different organizations. Despite this, only 38% of U.S. donors research where their money is going. Fortunately, websites such as TheLifeYouCanSave and GiveWell provide valuable data to help individuals identify effective charities that reduce poverty globally. Here are three charities reducing poverty. They are different, yet highly cost-effective and impactful, organizations worthy of support.

Effective Charities Reducing Poverty

  1. GiveDirectly: A new and radical way of helping those most in need is through transfers of no-strings-attached cash. This concept has received wide criticism — consider the aphorism, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for the day; teach a man to fish, and you will feed him for a lifetime.” However, Michael Faye, executive chairman and co-founder of GiveDirectly argues, “There is some visceral discomfort with simply giving poor people money. But the evidence, overwhelmingly, is that cash is one of the most effective ways of alleviating poverty.” Using the gold-standard evidence of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), GiveDirectly claims its impact per $1,000 increases earnings by $270, assets by $430 and spending on nutrition by $330, with no effect on alcohol or tobacco spending, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of their method. One research study conducted in Siaya County, Kenya, found the economic impact of a $1,000 transfer to be roughly $2,500 after 27 months. Not only did the economic benefit more than double, but psychological well-being, food security and education all improved too. Although there could be a risk of inflation, in Siaya where over 15% of local GDP was delivered in cash transfers, prices hardly increased — only rising 0.1%. Another study evaluating $1,000 cash transfers to coffee-farming communities in Uganda also found consumption, earnings and food security all improved for those in coffee farmer households as well as those not. GiveDirectly proves that cash transfers can have a huge impact on poverty-stricken communities as they reduce child labor (without reducing adult labor), increase school attendance, and provide economic autonomy and greater diversity in diet. It might be time to trust that those most in need know what they need and are capable of building a future for themselves.
  2. Malaria Consortium & The Against Malaria Foundation: Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in low-income countries, killing more than 600,000 people annually, most of whom are children under 5 years old in sub-Saharan Africa. One of the most effective ways of combating malaria is through seasonal malaria chemoprevention, a preventative medicine. In the Sahel region of Africa, which experiences notably high malaria rates, the Malaria Consortium leads the implementation of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention program. This program involves administering monthly doses of antimalarial drugs to children during the four months when malaria season is at its peak. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing the prevalence of malaria attacks and severe cases by approximately 75%, potentially preventing millions of cases and thousands of child deaths. The estimated cost of providing this treatment during the high-risk rainy season is remarkably low, at around $3.40 per child. Another method for malaria prevention is the distribution of bed nets along with education on how to use them. The Against Malaria Foundation (AMF) excels in efficiently distributing bed nets while conducting follow-up audits to ensure the distributed nets are in use and being used correctly. Each bed net from the AMF costs just $2 and can protect two individuals for up to three years. Thanks to sponsor support for additional costs, the AMF is able to allocate 100% of public donations toward the purchase of bed nets.
  3. Helen Keller International: Malnutrition is another main focus for organizations dedicated to eradicating poverty, as every 11 seconds a child dies of malnutrition. According to the WHO, inadequate consumption of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is a form of malnutrition — micronutrients help produce the necessary enzymes and hormones for growth and development. Deficiencies in iron and vitamin A threaten the development and health, especially of pregnant women and children, in low-income countries. More than 200,000 children die every year from vitamin A deficiencies, as they are left vulnerable to deadly infections. Helen Keller International is an effective organization supporting door-to-door campaigns where health workers administer vitamin A supplements to preschool children at their homes and fixed-site campaigns where caregivers travel to health facilities with preschool-aged children to receive the supplements. It is an extremely cost-effective method as it costs only $1.00 to deliver a vitamin A supplement and help save a life.

Looking Ahead

These charities reducing poverty continue to do incredible, life-changing work to reduce extreme poverty. GiveDirectly offers an economic approach by providing families with an allowance to help them not only survive but thrive, while Malaria Consortium, the Against Malaria Foundation and the Helen Keller Foundation focus on health as they try to prevent deaths from malaria and malnutrition. 

– Alice Isola
Photo: Flickr

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How the Arbaeen Pilgrimage Helps Combat Poverty

the Arbaeen Pilgrimage
Every year, millions travel to the holy city of Karbala, Iraq to commemorate Arbaeen, an occasion which marks 40 days after Ashura, when the grandson of the Holy Prophet, Imam Hussein, was killed in 680 AD. The pilgrimage consists of walking 50 miles from Najaf to Karbala and is a show of support for social justice, dignity and compassion. The official number of visitors during the 10-day period surpassed 22 million people on September 6, 2023, making it the largest and most peaceful gathering in the world. Shia Muslims largely attended the commemoration, as well as many Sunni Muslims and Christians who also visited to pay their respect to Imam Hussein. Here is how the Arbaeen pilgrimage helps those in poverty.

Hospitality and Kindness in the Face of Poverty 

One of the most beautiful elements of the Arbaeen pilgrimage is the extensive hospitality that participants offer to all kinds of people. Participants provide water, food, shelter and transportation to visitors for free, no matter their age, ethnicity or religion. Along the walking path from Najaf to Karbala, there are thousands of food and refreshment stalls with spaces for resting and medical attention, set up to serve all passers-by. One table holds the world record for the world’s largest dining table.

UNICEF’s 2020 Report 

UNICEF reports that 4.5 million Iraqis are now below the poverty line for socio-economic and COVID-related reasons. Iraq, with a poverty rate of 31.7%, still makes room every year for millions of visitors to commemorate the family of the Prophet, and in doing so provides stability and hospitality to the many Iraqis who are unable to make ends meet. The scale of hospitality led one visitor to claim that it makes one “want to give back.” The event helps those who don’t have access to basic human necessities such as food, water and shelter and helps combat poverty.

Helping the Poor Worldwide During Arbaeen

During the period of Arbaeen, there are several independent organizations that operate inside Iraq and outside, to help combat poverty. For instance, the charity Who Is Hussain, a grassroots social justice movement, operates on five continents to help feed and clothe the poor. Overall, it has accumulated around 50,000 blood donations, saved more than 140,000 lives and helped feed more than 700,000 people. During the period of Arbaeen, its teams provide voluntary initiatives around the world like donating blood, alongside distributing food, drink and masks to citizens, to countries including “USA, France, Britain, Pakistan, Lebanon as well as African cities and countries suffering from poverty.”

Looking Forward

Despite Iraq’s many years of war and suffering, every year the Arbaeen pilgrimage showcases the many beautiful things Iraq has to offer, demonstrating its resilience and hospitality to the world. The hospitality of Arbaeen helps those who may not have a place to sleep at night or a warm meal to come home to, providing hope to Iraqis — and all humanity.

– Amber Hamed
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Charities in Italy Stepping Up Post Pandemic

Charities in ItalyFor many, lockdowns, social distancing and face masks feel like a distant memory. But for many Italians, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are sharply present as many struggles in both relative and absolute poverty daily. 

COVID-19 first arrived in Europe in Italy, with the first case confirmed on February 21, 2020. Since then, the country has been one of the hardest hit by the virus, with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring almost 26 million confirmed cases and 190,782 deaths between January 2020 and June 2023. 

COVID-19’s Effect on the Italian Economy

The Italian government took measures to cap the spread of COVID-19. Lockdowns, the closure of non-essential businesses and social distancing changed the shape of Italians’ daily lives. Heavy bureaucracy and inefficiencies in the public sector meant significant delays in government payments to families and businesses worst affected. Further, public sector resources were stretched. Consequently, many businesses closed their doors for good, and have not since reopened. The pandemic triggered the worst recession since World War II, which saw Italy’s economy shrink by 8.9% in 2020, and with it an increase of families in absolute poverty. 

Today, Italy is still recovering from the economic effects of the pandemic. Approximately 5.6 million people experienced food insecurity in 2021, meaning they could not afford essential goods and services needed to meet the accepted minimum standard of living. This is the worst rate of absolute poverty since 2005, with 5.6 million, or 9.4% of the population, experiencing absolute poverty. Before the pandemic, in 2019, the figure stood at 7.7% of the population. Moreover, 22% of the Italian population is at risk of food poverty. 

Further, a study from Eurostat shows the extent of poverty in Italy compared to other EU countries. Eurostat defines poverty and social exclusion as those who are either at risk of poverty (determined by disposable income) and/or face severe social and material deprivation (determined by their ability to afford a set minimum of items or social activities in addition to the employment of a household). 

Eurostat found that 21.6% of the population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion — Italy ranks highly above the EU average. These figures show that poverty is on the rise in Italy. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the Italian economy and thus the most financially vulnerable groups. 

Mission Bambini

As the Italian economy faces the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the ground, there are an array of organizations working to alleviate poverty in the country. Mission Bambini focuses on the health and education of children across the country by working to expand employment and educational opportunities. Some projects include the Scintilla project which aims to make childcare and nurseries more accessible. Mission Bambini also created ‘Second Chance Schools’ for traditional school dropouts. As a result, 12,978 children have accessed early learning services, while 1,239 young people have joined job counseling and training programs. 

La Ronda Della Solidarietà

Further, La Ronda Della Solidarietà ODV of Rome has supported Rome’s homeless by providing food, blankets and medical supplies to those on the street. As the number of the city’s homeless has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, so too have its efforts and resources. 

Cooperazione Internazionale

Similarly, in Milan, the Cooperazione Internazionale has been aiding families in poverty by distributing food, baby products and necessities to those in need under the Fighting Poverty in Italy Project. Additionally, the project helps families by seeking legal and parental support to families where necessary. The organization works closely with the municipality of Milan to identify those most vulnerable to offer them aid. The project has been a massive success, with 35 million tons of food distributed by August 2022. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has created economic hardship for millions of vulnerable Italians. However, in the wake of increased food insecurity and both relative and absolute poverty, charities in Italy have expanded their resources to help mitigate the worst effects of poverty. 

– Lucy Wing
Photo: Unsplash

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Ons Jabeur Is Dubbed Tunisia’s “Minister of Happiness”

Tunisia’s Minister of Happiness 
Ons Jabeur is a consistent top 10 female tennis player from the North African country of Tunisia. With a career-high world ranking of number two achieved in June 2022 and becoming grand slam runner-up at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023, Jabeur is challenging gender norms in her home country. During the Wimbledon tennis tournament in 2022, Jabeur became the first African woman and the first Arab tennis player to reach a tennis grand slam singles final in the open era, says The Conversation. 

Her symbol as a “beacon of hope and strength” in Tunisia comes from her successes and her positive and gracious attitude on the tennis court, in both wins and losses. Her upbeat personality and positive attitude have led to local Tunisians calling her Tunisia’s “Minister of Happiness.” 

Jabeur’s Journey

Jabeur’s journey to the top of the tennis world has not been without its challenges. Born in Ksar Hellal in Tunisia in 1994, a small town on the east coast of Tunisia, Jabeur was first introduced to tennis by her mother when she was a toddler. 

However, due to tennis’s lack of popularity in Tunisia, there were very few resources available for Jabeur to train. For the early years of her tennis training, Jabeur relied upon access to hotel tennis courts. When she was twelve, Jabeur relocated to Tunisia’s capital, Tunis, 90 kilometers away from her family, to access better tennis facilities unavailable in her hometown. In 2011, during the height of the Arab Spring, Tunisia’s “Minister of Happiness” first achieved major success and became the first Arab woman to win the Roland Garros Juniors competition. 

Tunisia’s Current Situation 

Tunisia’s Minister of Happiness, Jabeur, has been a significant figure of hope for Tunisians in recent years. Tunisia is facing an economic and refugee crisis, with the country’s poverty rates increasing over the last decade. In 2015, the poverty rate stood at 15.2% of the population. In 2020 alone, poverty increased by 7% in a year, from 14% to 21%. As of 2021, 16.6% of the population lived under the national poverty line, according to the World Bank.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted Tunisia and its economy, with rising inflation the primary issue. In February 2023, Tunisia’s inflation rate increased for the 18th consecutive month to 10.4%, up from 6.16% in August 2021. 

Tunisia has seen a huge regression in the democratic systems of the country that were initiated after the Arab Spring in the early 2010s. Tunisia’s current President, Kais Saied, led a particularly undemocratic power grab in July 2021, weakening governmental institutions meant to keep presidential powers in check. In September 2021, Saied suspended the majority of the 2014 constitution — the roadmap for Tunisia’s transition to democracy — and granted himself almost unlimited powers to rule solely by decree.

 But perhaps one of the most concerning developments in Tunisia in recent months has been the Tunisian government’s forced removal of Black Tunisians. In July 2023, President Saied’s security forces expelled several hundred Black African migrants and asylum seekers to a remote, militarized buffer zone on the border between Tunisia and Libya. 

Charity Work 

Tunisia’s Minister of Happiness brings hope to struggling Tunisians while also actively working to help the situation in the country through charity work. In 2023, Jabeur donated 100 euros for every drop shot — one of Jabeur’s signature shots — she hit at the Wimbledon championships to help renovate a school in Tunisia. Jabeur also donated her tennis racquets for an auction, donating its funds to renovating and improving a hospital in Tunisia, which raised over $27,000. The money was used to increase the number of beds, staff and level of oxygen supplies at the hospital. 

In 2022, the Peace and Sport charity, based in Monaco, awarded Jabeur the Peace Champion of the Year award for her work promoting peace in the world and for being “a source of inspiration for women and youth around the world.” 

But as Tunisia’s Minister of Happiness, Jabeur inspires not only women and youth but all Tunisians and African people. She symbolizes what can be achieved despite the odds and of giving back to the community and country that raised her. 

– Eleanor Lomas
Photo: Flickr

3 NGOs fighting Poverty in Kazakhstan

NGOs in KazakhstanKazakhstan is an example of a country where headline figures do not tell the full story. Just 0.1% of the population lives under the extreme poverty line, according to the Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank measured literacy rates to be at 99.9%. However positive these figures are, Kazakhs still suffer from inadequate living conditions. A study conducted by the OECD found that literacy proficiency was below the organization’s average and, more worryingly, that Kazakhs with tertiary education have a similar proficiency to uneducated Kazakhs. 

While society’s issues are challenging, NGOs in Kazakhstan are well-developed and enjoy vast support from national and international institutions. Here are three NGOs that fight against Kazakhstan’s main issues at the moment.

Ayala Charity Foundation

International collaboration and support is key when trying to reduce poverty. In this sense, Ayala Charity Foundation has helped to connect the international business community with humanitarian aid. Having started in 2007, by 2023 the foundation has struck deals with companies like Samsung, Chevron and KPMG to provide aid to the poorest regions in Kazakhstan. 

Ayala has invested heavily in sanitary hardware and has managed to support more than 200,000 children’s medical needs. Furthermore, it has also funded educational programs in collaboration with Samsung to develop students’ STEM capabilities focusing on medicine and IT. Through these initiatives, Ayala Charity Foundation aims to give the poorer Kazakhstani children the opportunity to escape their current situation and allow them to lead a full healthy life. Overall, it is one of the most renowned NGOs in Kazakhstan, and boxing middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin has embraced its projects.

Zhakiya Charitable Fund Social Foundation

Rural areas in Kazakhstan are very remote and tend to be inaccessible due to extreme temperatures and poor connection through such long distances. This often leads to isolated communities where the poorest families get stranded with no hope of improving their living conditions. Zhakiya Charitable Fund is one of the NGOs in Kazakhstan trying to amend this issue. 

Since its foundation in 2014, this fund has provided aid to the three main orphanage houses in Almaty region together with boarding schools and teenage mothers who could not afford to sustain their kids. Furthermore, through three distinct initiatives, the Zhakiya Fund has fought to improve dental health, access to education and mentoring in the poorest strata of Kazakhstani society. 

Yessenov Foundation

As it is clear, Kazakhstan suffers from a severe lack of educational quality that has led to literacy and numeracy proficiency not being significantly different between educated and uneducated Kazakhstanis. The issue, however, has not gone unnoticed. There are several NGOs in Kazakhstan looking to complement the educational system and chief among these is the Yessenov Foundation. 

Since 2013, this foundation has made it its mission to “develop Kazakhstan’s intellectual potential” by supporting Kazakhstani students in the field of exact and natural sciences. The organization has provided scholarships to more than 27,000 students who could not have afforded to study otherwise. They provide this aid through 50 different projects to support and foster talent in areas such as language learning, university education and scientific research. 

These programs mainly aim to give students the best opportunities both at the national level and abroad. Furthermore, the foundation even provides support to develop the professional careers of its beneficiaries once they conclude their education, ensuring that these students from humble backgrounds can bridge the gap and escape the grasp of poverty.

Making the Difference

Despite the magnitude of the challenge, NGOs in Kazakhstan are quite developed and are fighting hard to develop the nation’s future. Through these initiatives, the country has taken large steps towards poverty eradication. While there is still much to be done, through initiatives like these, young kids get the chance for a brighter future. 

– Daniel Pereda
Photo: Flickr

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Mercy Ships Brings Health Care Services to Africa

Health Care Services to Africa
Mercy Ships, a U.K.-based charity, has offered to improve health care in developing nations for more than 40 years. With more than 44% of the world’s population living within 100 miles of a coast, Mercy Ships utilizes a fleet of repurposed and purpose-built vessels to bring life-changing health care where it is needed most. In recent years, Mercy Ships has focused on bringing health care services to Africa, particularly the sub-Saharan region. Central Africa has the highest extreme poverty rate in the continent at 54.8% as of 2022, making it a key area for Mercy Ships’ aid efforts.

Mercy Ships: History and Mission

Mercy Ships, founded in 1978, currently operates two hospital ships, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy. Both ships have space on board for 400–600 volunteers, who do most of the charity’s work. The volunteers include doctors, surgeons, crew, cooks, teachers, electricians and more. The Global Mercy, the charity’s first purpose-built Hospital Ship, is currently the largest charity-run hospital ship in the world.

Mercy Ships’ vision is to tackle the issues in the countries it visits by providing access to free health care and collaborating with the host government to address the root causes of these issues. In 2021, Mercy Ships brought health care services to people in Liberia, Senegal, Togo, South Africa and Benin. Mercy Ships aims to strengthen the country’s health care systems and drive policy change via training and mentoring local health care professionals and improving health care infrastructure.

The Value It Provides

In sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for two-thirds of the global extreme poor population as of 2017, medical facilities with up-to-date equipment are often few and far between, with trained professionals difficult to hire and retain. With a chronic shortage of medicine and skilled personnel in the continent, deaths from preventable illnesses have always been an issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2021, there were 619,000 global malaria deaths, and Africa accounted for 96%.

Malaria can be prevented or treated with access to the appropriate medicines and treatment. As such, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 countries, providing services valued at around £1.3 billion. By working closely with their host country, Mercy Ships provides the medication, treatment and trained personnel to treat preventable illness in the locations it ports.

Mercy Ships also leaves a lasting impact through the training it provides and the medical infrastructure it assists in creating. In 2021, Mercy Ships brought health care services to Africa exclusively and provided 3,138 surgical procedures, 16,067 dental procedures and 157,812 hours of participant training.

A Lasting Impact

Mercy Ships has various strategies for the longevity of the host port long after its visit. When Mercy Ships reaches an agreement with the respective Government, two years of preparations begin before the vessel sets sail. This preparation includes extensive research on the needs of the host nation. The organization draws up a strategy to implement in the particular country. Educating medical professionals is usually a top priority. Mercy Ships aims to share its skills and knowledge with local professionals to contribute to improving health care delivery after it leaves. Local professionals observe the work aboard the vessels and receive training in plastic surgeries, eye operations, orthopedics and gynecology.

The hope is that the local professionals pass their knowledge on to others, improving health care throughout the country. Mercy Ships also provides online training courses free of charge to reach even more people beyond their direct impact. A second focus on medical longevity is the Mercy Ships Renovation Project strategy. The charity identifies that often, in developing countries, there is a choice between paying staff and improving facilities. By renovating facilities in the countries it visits, Mercy Ships solves the dilemma and enables local facilities to increase the capacity and quality of their surgical care.

Renovations are often underway before the vessel even arrives in the host country. The organization’s strategy entails acquiring and renovating outpatient facilities to house and care for patients who live far away from the port before the surgeries. A notable clinic is the hospital outpatient extension center in Madagascar, which Mercy Ships refurbished and donated back to the community. The charity also acquires and renovates eye and dental clinics. When the charity departs, the clinics and centers are given to the local government so that they can continue to use them.

Looking Ahead

Mercy Ships, a charity that aims to fight health care poverty one patient at a time, provides a life-saving service to people who need it most. Focusing on a lasting impact improves the long-term infrastructure of the places it visits and encourages the continual improvement of medical care in developing nations. Recently, Mercy Ships has acknowledged the need to bring health care services to Africa and has begun to focus on the region. Mercy Ships hopes that more attention and support will be provided to this area in need by continuing to do so.

– Myron Westgarth
Photo: Flickr

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Imran Khan’s Humanitarian Legacy Uplifting Pakistan’s Poor

Pakistan's Poor
After losing his mother to cancer in 1985, Imran Khan dreamed of constructing a free cancer hospital to help others. Imran Khan spent significant time and effort raising money for this cause because he was committed to building a center that would offer quality cancer care to low-income patients in Pakistan regardless of their ability to pay.

Khan’s dream came true in 1994 when the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital opened in Lahore as the first charitable cancer hospital in South Asia after almost a decade of tireless fundraising. The hospital carries Khan’s mission that low-income people should have access to advanced cancer care. Later, Khan built two more hospitals, one in Peshawar and another in Karachi. These medical facilities have restored health to tens of thousands who had given up hope while empowering Pakistan’s poor.

Providing Access to Health Care to Help Pakistan’s Poor

With nearly a quarter of Pakistan’s population living below the poverty line, millions lack access to quality health care. Rural communities in particular face shortages of medical infrastructure, staff and essential medicines. Cancer patients are especially impacted, as treatment is often prohibitively expensive. Shaukat Khanum’s free cancer care is therefore highly significant, providing world-class diagnosis, treatment and medicines to thousands of underprivileged patients who would likely not receive care otherwise. Charity hospitals worldwide help get people out of poverty by giving them access to high-quality health care. In a country where getting good medical care can be expensive, SKMCH’s free cancer treatment is nothing short of remarkable.

The hospital guarantees that cancer will not put families deeper into poverty by covering all medical expenses, so they can focus on improving. Since it opened in 1994, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital will have seen more than 127,900 people with cancer by 2022. Breast, colon and lip/oral cancer are some of the most common types of cancer treated at the hospital. The hospital’s cancer registry listed more than 7,300 new cancer cases in 2022 alone. These numbers show how many cancer patients are in Pakistan and how hard Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital works to help them.

Paving the Way for Better Policies

Policymakers have taken notice of the success and impact of SKMCH’s work to aid Pakistan’s poor. The hospital’s innovative way of treating cancer for free has led to talks and plans to make health care easier to receive nationwide. SKMCH’s work to improve health care infrastructure has affected policy decisions, leading to more government support and funding for health programs that help people in economically disadvantaged regions.

Beating the Odds: A Teen Overcomes Cancer

At the Shaukat Khanum Hospital in 1999, 14-year-old Waqas Khan learned he had blood cancer. Even though the news was terrible, Waqas found hope in the charitable cancer hospital. He was able to access free treatment and medicines that his family could not afford on their own. Waqas kept going through years of hard chemo treatments with the help of caring doctors at SKMCH. He got strength every day from his hope to finish school. He beat the odds and beat cancer after 3.5 years of hard treatment. In 2023, Waqas is a successful university student about to graduate. His story shows how impoverished cancer patients find life-saving care and hope at Shaukat Khanum Hospital that changes their lives.

A Gateway of Opportunity: The Founding Vision of Namal University

Imran Khan founded Namal University in 2008 to empower Pakistani youth through access to higher education, regardless of socioeconomic standing. Namal provided poor, hard-working students with a chance to go to college, which seemed like an impossible dream.

Namal University, located in Mianwali, was envisioned as Pakistan’s first model institution of higher education. More than 500 students have graduated with the help of the program’s merit and need-based scholarships. The school encourages students with exceptional potential from all walks of life to apply.

Building Skills to Uplift Communities

The main subjects in Namal’s curriculum are engineering, science, computer science, business, marketing and agriculture. Students learn technical and analytical skills that fit the needs of their communities. For example, engineering graduates work on projects like irrigation and clean water, which help farmers make more money.

Through her studies at Namal University, aspiring electrical engineer Bushra Sardar has earned a chance to break new ground. Sardar, from Faisalabad, joined the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in the United States. It is a very competitive program. A woman from Namal has been accepted into an academic and cultural exchange program, making her one of the first two from her region to do so.

Sardar is a pioneering woman in engineering, a field men have always dominated. During her time at Namal, her love of engineering and passion for doing well in school has opened doors for her. Sardar’s selection shows how talented Namal’s many different students are. It shows that the university wants to give female students the tools to reach their goals.

The World Needs More Leaders Like Imran Khan

Imran Khan is known for his impact on sports, politics and humanitarian efforts to help Pakistan’s poor. Imran Khan’s charitable projects are aiding Pakistan’s underprivileged population. Khan, hailing from Pakistan, has gained immense popularity worldwide. This is evident from the huge number of followers he garnered within a week of creating his TikTok account. He has gone from being a cricket star to a philanthropist to a political leader.

Khan has given the people of Pakistan hope and pride. Shaukat Khanum Hospital made many cancer patient’s dreams come true by giving them the care they needed. Namal University gave bright students from low-income families a chance to attend college. By helping people get better and giving them more power, these humanitarian projects show how much Imran Khan cares about improving the country he loves.

– Asia Jamil
Photo: Flickr

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Makeup Brands Helping Women in Poverty

Makeup Brands Helping Women in PovertyOn average, more women across the world live below the poverty line than men, facing the same issues with poverty as men with an added layer of gender-based violence to further it. Recently, different beauty organizations have stepped in to help these women. Makeup brands helping women in poverty across the world are creating and working with organizations like Project Beauty Share and the L’Oréal Fund for Women. 

These brands not only provide women with money and resources but also help to protect women from domestic violence and other issues that women face. Many of these brands do this by setting up good education systems within developing countries which help to provide young women with the education they need to provide for themselves. 

Project Beauty Share 

Project Beauty Share is an organization that was founded in 2010 with the goal of helping women by donating previously owned, but unused, makeup products to women in poverty. It was founded by a makeup artist after discussing with a client how many makeup products she buys and never uses, giving her the idea to create an organization that donates these products to homeless women and women in poverty. 

Makeup empowers women because it is a form of self-expression. It allows women to express all sides of themselves and show their own uniqueness, something that many women who are struggling with poverty do not have the luxury of doing. Makeup can help people to feel prepared, empowering them as a result. 

Project Beauty Share is currently funded by over 100 agencies that are helping to support women across the world. Some of these companies and organizations are SMILE, Ronald McDonald House, The Salvation Army and more. Project Beauty Share is a great example of an organization that is independent of the makeup companies that are helping women in poverty, and helping these women instead of actually providing makeup to them. 

Makeup Brands Helping Women in Poverty

  • L’Oréal has set up the L’Oréal Fund for Women, a charity based on helping women who are in poverty to get back on their feet and preventing violence against women. The fund was started in 2020, hoping to empower women through education. Because of this, similar to what the brand Tatcha has done, L’Oréal has funded many charities and organizations that work to set up schools for women in developing countries. 
  • Tasha has set up schools to fund girls’ education in multiple countries, like Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos and more. The brand has done so continuously over the past six years, funding over five million days of schooling for girls across the world. 
  • Burt’s Bees is another brand that has given back to the women in the countries from which they source their products. The company uses shea butter sourced from West Africa to make its famous lip balms, and, in return, donates both money and resources for the improvement of the lives of women in the country. As of 2021, they have planted billions of wildflower seeds in order to restore the bee population in West Africa and have donated over $1 million, in both grants and products, to better the lives of over 14,000 women there. 

Final Thoughts

Makeup companies like L’Oréal, Tatcha and Burt’s Bees are helping to empower women living in poverty across the globe. These brands are not only offering financial assistance and resources but also tackling the root causes of gender-based violence by promoting education and empowerment. These endeavors highlight the potential for corporate resources to make a profound impact on women’s lives, breaking the cycle of poverty and violence.

– Allison Groves 
Photo: Flickr

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Cows For Cambodia: Bringing Aid to Cambodian Families

Cows for CambodiaOver half of Cambodia’s population lives in rural areas, and many live on less than $3 per day. Owning a cow can give rural families a chance for a better life. The Australian charity Cows for Cambodia does that by providing cows to needy families.

Cows for Cambodia

Cows for Cambodia began when founder Andrew Costello visited Cambodia in 2011 and noticed the poverty level. He partnered with cattle expert Wallace Gunthorpe to bring his charity to life. By 2015, Cows for Cambodia had raised over $15,000 and given cows to 50 families. Today, it has become Cambodia’s biggest agricultural charity.

Cows for Cambodia is a cow bank. It loans pregnant cows to families who benefit from having them. The family looks after the pregnant cow, and when it gives birth, the family keeps the calf. The calf grows up, becoming worth $800 to the Cambodian family.

Many cows in Cambodia have bad reproductive performance, and calf survival rates have dropped significantly. Cambodian cattle also have poor body conditions and are susceptible to many diseases, such as foot and mouth disease and hemorrhagic septicemia. Worms, lice and flies also plague them. Cows for Cambodia’s goal is for each one of their cows to remain healthy and happy in Cambodia. Cows for Cambodia administers vaccinations and injections for each cow to ensure their health and happiness.

In Cambodia, a cow can be worth the same as a house, and many families only dream of owning one. Families can break free of the poverty cycle simply by owning a cow. Cattle are an important part of life in rural Cambodia, and they can become an investment for a family. Beyond just providing beef, families can use cattle as draft animals, and the cattle provide families with fertilizer so they can continue to farm. By owning a cow, a family’s finances improve, children stay in school longer and begin to lift themselves out of poverty.

Tours

In 2016, Cows for Cambodia had its first tour in Cambodia. Today’s tours center around charity work and cultural immersion in Cambodian villages. Participants of each tour have the opportunity to work with cows and families and learn about vaccinations and pregnancy testing at the cattle farm. Tours include cooking for kids and helping provide English lessons at the local village school. Tourists can also become a part of the world-famous rice run charity system and deliver over 3,000kg of rice to families who are in need.

Rice Runs

Cows for Cambodia began holding rice run donations in 2015, and they describe themselves as the fastest donation in the world. An Australian Facebook page asks people to donate $50 for a 50kg bag of rice. The donor can send a message to the Cambodian family that will receive the rice, which they write on the bag along with the donor’s name. The bag of rice reaches a Cambodian family within two hours, and the organization takes a photo of them with the rice, which they post on their Facebook page. This donation system ensures that 100% of the donation goes toward helping Cambodian families and allows the donor to see their donation’s use and who it helped.

How to Help

Cows for Cambodia offers ways donors can contribute to the cause and help these rural families. No matter the amount a donor is willing to donate, every amount can help a family. $15 can vaccinate a cow, $30 will feed a family for a month and $1000 will give a family a cow. Cows for Cambodia’s goal is to have 1,000 cows in the project, and each donation goes a long way toward achieving that goal.

– Jack Wells
Photo: Flickr

5 NGOs Fighting Poverty in Laos

NGOs in LaosSince its creation out of the remnants of French Indochina, Laos has been at the forefront of conflict. Although poverty is declining in Laos, with the poverty rate dropping to 18% in 2019 from 25% in 2013, the Lao people are still in desperate need. Some NGOs are improving conditions on the ground in Laos.

5 NGOs Fighting Poverty in Laos

  1. CARE – In Laos, CARE collaborates with civil society to create policies and strategies to combat gender-based violence, enhancing the ability of women and ethnic minority farmers to anticipate better and respond to risks and opportunities due to climatic shocks. The organization also works to improve food and nutrition security among rural households and produces sustainable agricultural outcomes at the village and household levels.
  2. Oxfam – Since Oxfam began operations in Laos at the end of the 1980s, its partnerships have substantially changed. Their objective is to assist Laos in becoming an open, just society where vulnerable women and men can participate in its development and exercise their rights to sustainable development. Since the opening up of civil society, Oxfam has supported its partner groups more in their efforts to increase citizen involvement in decisions that impact their lives. To provide disadvantaged populations with a means of subsistence, Oxfam collaborates with Lao government organizations and local authorities.
  3. UNICEF – The UNICEF Health and Nutrition program works at the national and sub-national levels to ensure that high-impact child survival interventions are reflected in national policies and budgets and reach all children and their families, especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. UNICEF assists the Lao Government of Lao PDR in ensuring that all children have access to effective, secure and long-lasting immunization services. The elimination of measles, maternal and neonatal tetanus and sustaining the polio-free status are all national goals supported by UNICEF. Additionally, UNICEF works with the Ministry of Health of Lao PDR to improve health systems to deliver high-impact child survival and development interventions in communities and facilities. These interventions include postnatal newborn care, early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding, immunization and providing ORS/zinc to treat diarrhea.
  4. World Bank – The World Bank formed the Poverty Reduction Fund (PRF) in 2002. It intends to provide access to local services and infrastructure while giving the villages more control over project planning and execution. Since the PRF’s creation, the World Bank has contributed to broadening the range of sponsored initiatives benefiting 1.2 million people to date. Overall, the project emphasizes livelihood projects, market accessibility and the production and consumption of various wholesome meals, especially for expectant mothers and small children. 
  5. World Education – Through projects in education, disability inclusion, economic development, mine action and health in Laos, World Education has been committed to empowering and transforming communities, families and individuals since 1992. World Education creates these programs to enhance self-reliance. Families in rural villages now have better means of subsistence, earnings and financial stability, and they can push for the Lao government to develop social protection policies. They have managed savings and credit unions, given start-up grants, held financial literacy training, assisted the rural poor in starting micro businesses and efficiently used financial services through various projects.

These five NGOs in Laos are significantly impacting the fight against poverty. Through their diverse approaches, they are addressing various dimensions of this complex issue and improving the lives of countless individuals.

– Jake Marks
Photo: Flickr