Archive for category: Children

Information and stories addressing children.

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18-year-old Starts Nonprofit to Support Ghanaian Children’s Education

Children studying outdoors under trees in Ghana, highlighting Ghanaian children's education challenges.
At 18 years old, as Black Enterprise reported in September 2026, Max Owobu is doing everything a normal high school senior does: studying for exams, going to parties and applying to universities. But there is one difference. He frequently flies back and forth to Ghana to manage his nonprofit, the Yenko Foundation.

This Story Starts

When Max was 15, he began spending summers in Ghana, where his Nigerian father was raised. Max told Good News Network that during his time there he saw children his age working to provide for their families by selling products in shops or on the street, instead of being enrolled in education.

He knew firsthand how much a child benefited from attending school, not just academically but socially too. He did not think it was fair for a child to miss out on this simply because of the economic circumstances they were born into.

Once Max returned home to New York and back to school that year, he began setting aside part of his weekly allowance to pay for one child’s education. That child’s name was Matthew, and his sponsorship became the roots of the Yenko Foundation, the 501(c)(3) Max helped establish with his friend Alexander and a family friend in Ghana so his friends and strangers could support Ghanaian children’s education too.

Setting up Yenko

Through its sponsorship package, the Yenko Foundation raises funds to sponsor Ghanaian children’s education. A $1,000 sponsorship through Yenko covers tuition, along with essential supplies, school meals, uniforms and transportation.

When Max first sought out a partner school, he wanted to ensure he selected a supportive environment for Matthew. Max told Good News Network that a local family friend advised him to look at Calvary Methodist Elementary School in Accra. Upon visiting, Max was struck by the school’s atmosphere, noting that “the kids were just so joyous, so enthusiastic, just so joyful to be going to school.” One visit convinced Max that Calvary Methodist would be the ideal partner school for Matthew and future sponsored students.

Yenko Now

During the summer trip to Accra described in his foundation’s undated account, Max spent several weeks working directly with the foundation and the sponsored students at Calvary Methodist. Three of his friends flew out to join him. Together, they assisted with tutoring the kids in English and math, and led fun games like Seven Up and tongue twisters – something Max recalls as a highlight of his trip.

As part of their efforts to expand educational access, the foundation gifted each student at the school a book to take home, which would hopefully be the beginning of a love for reading. A different book was selected for each grade, with kindergarten children receiving “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and fifth- and sixth-graders receiving “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.”

During his time, Max also got to see how Matthew was progressing. The boy whose sponsorship started it all had grown into a playful, kind and confident boy. Seeing him excited about learning and growing into his environment was one of the most rewarding parts of the trip, Max said.

What Yenko Has Achieved

Matthew is not the only one. As of September 2026 reporting, the Yenko Foundation supported 10 children across kindergarten through fifth grade at Calvary Methodist Elementary School. Max’s short-term goal is to secure funding to help 10 to 15 children complete their full primary school education. His long-term goal expands beyond Ghanaian children’s education. Max eventually hopes to expand to help hospitals, orphanages and anyone else in Ghana who needs help.

Conclusion

What began as one teenager’s attempt to use his allowance for good has now developed into an international effort to improve Ghanaian children’s education. The story of Max Owobu and the Yenko Foundation shows that anyone can inspire others, no matter their age, and it only takes one person to make a big change.

– Ruby Straker

Ruby is based in Edinburgh, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Child Marriage in Serbia: Programs to Protect Roma Girls

A young Roma girl looks pensive, symbolizing child marriage issues in Serbia.
Child marriage in Serbia affects Roma girls the most, and legal protections still have gaps. A November 2025 UNICEF report states that a complete legal ban has not been achieved. Serbia’s Family Law sets the minimum marriage age at 18. An exception allows a court to approve marriage for a minor aged 16 or 17 after examining the minor’s free will and physical and mental maturity. Most child marriages occur as informal unions. According to UNICEF’s November 2025 report, most child marriages occur in a “gray zone” as informal unions. In March 2026, authorities released a draft for public consultation that would remove the court exception and prohibit marriage before age 18. A July 2026 coalition newsletter still described the measure as a draft, rather than an enacted law.

Why Roma Girls Face Higher Risk

Poverty is a major driver of child marriage and can affect children’s future development. Nikola Maletić of the UNICEF Serbia Youth Board stressed the need for youth development opportunities, adaptive education and active participation in policymaking to create a more equal future for Serbia. The November 2025 UNICEF report states that 22.6% of women from the poorest households in the general population married before age 18, compared with 0.7% in the richest households. A July 2025 UNICEF country program document cites Serbia’s Statistical Office data showing that 19.5% of children were at risk of poverty in 2023. The same document, citing the MICS6 survey, states that 83% of households in Roma settlements reported three or more material deprivations, compared with 25% of households nationally.

Social Norms

UNICEF Serbia research found that the decision to arrange child marriage in Roma communities is influenced by poverty within a closed circle of social norms and a lack of education within communities. The same research found that young Roma who face obstacles in wider society often choose to follow their community’s models. Community leaders and UNICEF reject the idea that the practice is a tradition. In late 2025, UNICEF Serbia stated that child marriage is not a cultural issue but a violation of children’s rights. The agency described the Declaration on the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, adopted by the Roma National Council, as a good example of leadership from within the community.

Marginalization Limits Roma Girls’ Options

On April 15, 2026, experts on the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination raised concerns about structural discrimination against Roma in Serbia. Committee expert Bakari Sidiki Diaby, speaking on behalf of country rapporteur Ibrahima Guisse, said Roma communities reportedly faced structural discrimination and socioeconomic disadvantages, including low school attendance, high unemployment, poor housing and limited access to health services. Nearly one in five Roma households lacked regular access to safe drinking water. Experts also noted that child marriage disproportionately affects Roma communities.

The Effects of Child Marriage

Child marriage can have lasting consequences for girls and young women, affecting their mental well-being, education and future opportunities. Girls who marry early may experience mental health challenges, have less control over decisions about their futures and face barriers to education and economic opportunities. These disadvantages can increase their vulnerability to harm and perpetuate cycles of poverty.

Programs to Protect Roma Girls

Here are some programs that are working to protect Roma girls.

Roma Women Center Bibija

The Roma Women Center Bibija has worked for more than two decades to protect the rights of Roma girls. With support from the U.N. Trust Fund to End Violence against Women and Girls, the organization leads an initiative in 10 municipalities. On Oct. 10, 2025, a story published by the U.N. Trust Fund reported that the initiative had organized 320 workshops and 320 community discussions, reaching more than 590 adolescent girls and 700 Roma community members. In the initiative’s target areas, the share of Roma girls making informed education choices rose from 30% to 55% in one year. Three out of four girls demonstrated improved knowledge of their rights and the effects of child marriage, more than double the previous year’s figure. These results come from the target areas and do not show a national decline in child marriage.

National Coalition to End Child Marriage

UNICEF and the Coordination Body for Gender Equality launched the coalition in 2019, bringing together a wide range of actors around a shared goal. UNICEF Serbia, which hosted the coalition’s meeting on March 23, 2026, said the group has pushed for stronger legal protection for children. Initial proposals to amend the Criminal Code and the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence were submitted in 2021 and repeated in 2025. The agency also welcomed the Ministry for Family Care and Demography’s announcement that it will review the Family Law.

Progress Led From Within

These initiatives show how community-led programs and advocacy can support efforts to prevent child marriage. Reported improvements in girls’ knowledge and educational decision-making are encouraging, but they do not establish a nationwide decline in child marriage. Continued community engagement, access to education and stronger legal protections remain essential.

– Gabriella Jazzy Jason Junior

Gabriella is based in Jakarta, Indonesia and focuses on Global Health, Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Serbia

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Child Soldiers in Liberia: Rebuilding Lives Through Reintegration

Child Soldiers in Liberia
Liberia experienced two civil wars between 1989 and 2003. During the conflict, armed groups recruited thousands of children through abduction, social pressure and promises of protection. UNICEF explains that child soldiers in Liberia served roles such as armed fighters, messengers, laborers and cooks. Girls associated with the armed groups also faced sexual violence and exploitation. The UNICEF evaluation describes the large number of children associated with fighting forces during Liberia’s wars, while disarmament participation figures refer to a different population.

What Children Experienced During the War

Many child soldiers in Liberia came from communities struggling with poverty, damaged schools and limited employment opportunities. The UNICEF evaluation connects these conditions to child recruitment. Some children joined fighting forces to find food, protection, belonging or revenge, while others believed armed groups could protect them and their families. Poverty did not determine every child’s experience, but economic insecurity and the collapse of family and community support increased children’s vulnerability to recruitment.

UNICEF explains that children connected to armed groups may be forced to participate in harrowing training, undergo hazardous labor and risk facing death, disability or chronic injury. They may also witness torture, killing and other forms of violence.

At a time of crucial development in a child’s life, child soldiers in Liberia were training in combat and risking their lives. Even children who were not recruited to fight experienced psychological trauma by witnessing the death of relatives, friends or neighbors. Violence also caused families to leave their homes and relocate, interrupting their children’s access to education.

Once the war ended, child soldiers did not simply return to their communities unaffected. Many former child soldiers missed years of school and time spent with their families. Some community members even viewed them with fear or suspicion. A small interview-based study published in Social Development Issues examined the experiences of 34 adults who had served in Liberia’s fighting forces as children. The study does not represent every former child soldier in Liberia. Instead, it provides a limited account of the challenges some former child soldiers faced during reintegration. The researchers identified three major barriers: poor administration of reintegration programs, constrained opportunities for education and employment, and social marginalization. The study shows why former child soldiers may need long-term support after returning to civilian life.

Reintegration Helps Former Child Soldiers Rebuild Their Lives

In an effort to ease reintegration, Liberia created programs that help children leave armed groups and return to their communities. Disarmament removes weapons from children while demobilization formally separates children from armed groups. The UNICEF evaluation explains that Liberia began its disarmament and demobilization process in December 2003 after the United Nations established the United Nations Mission in Liberia in October 2003. The program aimed to help former child soldiers address trauma, reconnect with their families and develop skills for employment. The program offered three months of skills training and three years of formal education. The report also estimated that up to 4,000 children associated with fighting forces never entered the disarmament and demobilization process. These figures show why Liberia needed long-term programs to help former child soldiers return to their families, communities and civilian life.

How the Reintegration Program Worked

In a statement delivered at a United Nations workshop on June 6, 2018, Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Lewis Garseedah Brown, described the country’s historical reintegration program for former child soldiers. He explained how UNICEF coordinated with the Liberian government, nongovernmental organizations, religious groups and private businesses to connect children to education and enroll them in vocational training. Another top priority was to provide assistance in psychological support and family reunification. These resources addressed trauma and developed the skills needed for employment and independent living.

Thousands of children participated in disarmament and demobilization initiatives, although these programs faced significant limitations. Brown explained that the process struggled with limited funding, short training periods and lack of long-term follow-up. The program also faced criticism for a short duration, only offering three months for skilled training and three years for formal education, regardless of what grade the child was entering from. These challenges show why postwar reintegration required continued support after children leave formal programs.

The Importance of Community Support

Community support remains an important part of the reintegration process. Family, schools and local organizations can help former child soldiers return to civilian life by providing educational opportunities to develop livelihoods. In a paper published by the World Bank in 2001, case studies from Angola and El Salvador provide lessons about preventing and demobilizing child soldiers. They note that successful reintegration programs require not only political support and adequate funding, but also a strong commitment from families and communities. Education and employment opportunities can reduce vulnerability to re-recruitment and support greater independence.

Liberia’s experience shows that reintegration requires more than just removing children from armed groups. Although reintegration programs cannot erase the harm and trauma caused by the war, they can offer opportunities that will help a child move forward in their future. By prioritizing education, teaching skills needed for future employment and community support, child soldiers in Liberia can build safer and more independent futures.

– Allyson Young

Allyson is based in San Diego, California and focuses on Business and New Markets, and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Cambodia’s National Health Data System Explained

Cambodia’s National Health Data System
On May 15, 2026, Cambodia’s Ministry of Health launched a new electronic Health Management Information System (HMIS) intended for rollout across all 25 provinces, aiming to address gaps in health care data and coverage. The ministry developed this initiative in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the Vaccine Alliance, representing a shift toward more consistent, data-driven health care services in Cambodia.

What is HMIS?

The Health Management Information System (HMIS) is Cambodia’s national framework for collecting and using health service data. DHIS2 is the software platform on which Cambodia’s national health data system HMIS is built. Based at the University of Oslo, it allows health workers to enter data remotely.

Built on DHIS2, the national system enables data reporting from health centers to decision-makers, increasing both continuity of care and the speed at which it can be administered. The system aims to unify reporting, increasing visibility and allowing health care providers to evaluate who needs care and identify unaccounted individuals.

What Problem is This System Working to Solve?

Cambodia faces struggles with health care coverage due to lack of infrastructure, high out-of-pocket costs, low public funding, understaffing and geographical challenges. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the kingdom faces challenges primarily in maternal mortality with a ratio of 154 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and child nutrition with 22% of children under five stunted from malnutrition.

Tuberculosis remains a priority for Cambodia, as the World Health Organization reports that the disease impacts around one in 183 people. Prevention and treatment rely on accessible health care and the distribution of vaccinations.

According to the Cambodia National Immunization Strategy Report, underused health facilities, irregular outreach initiatives and high rates of patient dropout between vaccination doses mean that Cambodia’s immunization system struggles to reach all citizens, particularly zero-dose children. Gavi reports that children remain under-immunized, underscoring the importance of more reliable service data.

HMIS covers routine immunization, primary care and disease surveillance. According to the World Health Organization, Cambodia’s national health data system now allows health care workers to enter and access service and disease data as it becomes available with dashboard monitors to track trends and performance.

What Impact is it Having?

While the implementation of the system is still in early development, it is expected to have positive impacts on Cambodia’s health care system. In September 2026, DHIS2 hosted technical training for Cambodia, including server management training in Ho Chi Minh City. According to its report, this initiative trained participants on installation, security, maintenance and system integration.

According to Cambodia’s National Immunization Strategy 2021-2025, Village Health Support Groups can be unstandardized and often have little or no formal budget, but the new DHIS2-based HMIS gives managers real-time data and dashboards to track service use and trends. This can allow for better targeting of outreach to underserved communities.

What Impact May Occur in the Future?

According to the World Health Organization and Gavi, Gavi is investing more than $2 million to build and adapt the system, train health workers and support nationwide rollout. This initiative marks the commitment of Cambodia’s government to focus on health care and collaboration. The investment aims to strengthen Cambodia’s national health data system, though outcomes will depend on implementation.

UNICEF’s partnership builds a national DHIS2 core team, ongoing training and user manuals so the ministry can manage and expand the system independently to increase long-term national ownership and sustainability. The strategy calls for quarterly tracking of missed children from commune to district to province, and for e-registries with SMS reminders to caregivers.

Cambodia’s health care challenges remain significant, however the launch of the HMIS system with the use of DHIS2 software represents an important update. Cambodia’s national health data system can offer a potential way to reduce unreliable immunization coverage figures and help health managers direct resources toward underserved communities.

– Anna Kubiak

Anna is based in Buffalo, New York/Erie County, United States and focuses on Technology and Solutions, and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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5 Charities Operating in Greenland

Charities Operating in Greenland
Across the expansive Arctic settlements of Greenland, geographic isolation and severe sub-zero temperatures present persistent socioeconomic obstacles for local communities. The island relies heavily on maritime shipments for essential goods. Consequently, low-income households face steep expenses for basic groceries, heating fuel and winter apparel. Rather than allowing these structural hardships to determine the well-being of young people, community initiatives step forward to establish essential safety nets. These grassroots organizations strengthen community resilience by addressing hardship through targeted youth empowerment, residential care and emergency relief. Here are five charities operating in Greenland that deliver vital support systems for vulnerable children, isolated youth and families facing hardship.

Foreningen Grønlandske Børn

Founded in 1924, Foreningen Grønlandske Børn creates safe educational environments to support disadvantaged youth across Greenland. The organization runs locally grounded activities and support projects for children and young people up to age 23 throughout Greenland. It serves more than 1,000 children each year through programs designed to combat social isolation, boost self-esteem and encourage school attendance. Its programs also work with children and families facing social challenges.

Kalaallit Røde Korsiat

Established in 1992, Kalaallit Røde Korsiat coordinates emergency aid and community social assistance across the island. The national society maintains seven local volunteer branches in Nuuk, Ilulissat, Qaqortoq, Maniitsoq, Aasiaat, Sisimiut and Kangaamiut. Across these municipalities, volunteer teams run community thrift shops that distribute warm winter jackets, boots and necessary household items at low prices to families on tight budgets. The organization also supports community first-aid activities and its youth initiative, INUA. Through youth-led local projects and social clubs, INUA engages dozens of young volunteers to build peer-support networks and combat loneliness during dark winter months.

Mælkebøtten

Located in Nuuk, Mælkebøtten operates an essential residential assessment facility for children facing acute domestic adversity. The residential center offers temporary care and assessment for children facing serious difficulties at home. During their residency, children receive round-the-clock professional care, balanced nutrition, educational support and psychological evaluations. The professional staff works closely with extended family members and social workers to assess each child’s developmental needs and secure a permanent, healthy living environment for their future.

Nanu Børn

Nanu Børn delivers direct emergency assistance to low-income families facing sudden economic distress. Operating as a volunteer-driven association, the charity organizes seasonal aid campaigns. Its holiday relief initiative delivers support to children and families experiencing hardship. The volunteer network regularly collects, inspects and ships large freight pallets containing warm children’s clothing and educational toys to remote coastal settlements. By delivering essential goods directly to families in need, Nanu Børn shields children from immediate material poverty and ensures that economic hardship does not hinder basic childhood well-being.

Bedre Børneliv

Bedre Børneliv, also known as Meeqqat Inuunerissut, operates as an independent child advocacy organization that defends youth rights and drives preventive child welfare measures across Greenland. The association partners with schools, civic leaders and municipal social service bodies to raise public awareness about neglect, domestic violence and trauma. Its child-protection advocacy has included public education campaigns addressing abuse and children’s rights. By promoting children legal safeguards and lobbying for comprehensive child welfare policies, Bedre Børneliv works to ensure that vulnerable youth grow up in secure environments.

Looking Ahead

These five charities operating in Greenland demonstrate how targeted local initiatives can overcome geographical barriers and mitigate socioeconomic inequality. By pairing emergency humanitarian relief with youth development, counseling and rights advocacy, these organizations safeguard the well-being of future generations across Arctic settlements. Continued civic investment in local solutions provides a sustainable path toward reducing poverty, ensuring that vulnerable children and families receive the care and stability they need to build secure futures.

– Ronnit Jain

Ronnit is based in Houston, TX and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Child Marriage in Maldives: The Quiet Crisis Behind Paradise

Child Marriage in Maldives
Child marriage in Maldives remains a quiet issue, particularly affecting young girls with limited access to education and reliable protection services. Although the legal marriage age is 18, exceptions and informal unions have historically placed vulnerable girls at risk.

Rural Pressures and Uneven Access to Education

UNICEF’s 2025 situation analysis reports that, in a 2016 survey, 2% of young women and men ages 20 to 24 had married before age 18. However, families living on remote islands face higher economic insecurity and limited access to secondary schooling. This results from the lack of functioning secondary schools on remote islands, requiring students to travel or relocate, an option that is impossible for many families.

Varying interpretations of national legislation also influences child marriage in Maldives. While national laws set the legal marriage age to 18, judicial exceptions have historically allowed marriages below that age. Family law formerly sanctioned under-18 marriages with court approval surrounding the occurrence of puberty in young girls, reflecting earlier legal frameworks that permitted exceptions. Economic insecurity and educational barriers may increase girls’ vulnerability, although the supplied data do not establish that relationship for particular islands. Supreme Court approval is required for underage marriage and UNICEF data provides more insights.

Journalists and human rights groups have documented cases where girls leave school to marry, often entering households where they have little autonomy. Early marriage can restrict girls’ access to employment and expose them to domestic instability, especially when they marry older men. NGOs working in the Maldives emphasize that education remains the strongest safeguard against early marriage, yet consistent, high-quality schooling varies widely across the archipelago.

Policy Progress and Persistent Challenges

The Maldives has strengthened its child protection laws in recent years. The 2019 Child Rights Protection Act criminalized child marriage; however, UNICEF’s 2025 review notes that other legislation still allows under-18 marriage in special circumstances with Supreme Court approval and recommends harmonizing the laws. Nonetheless, enforcement remains difficult on remote islands, where limited oversight means informal religious ceremonies can bypass legal requirements and go unregistered, leaving girls without the protections that formal documentation is intended to provide.

Child protection officials note that informal marriages are one of the biggest obstacles to enforcing the law. Several cases surfaced involving informal unions that only came to light when girls sought medical assistance after the act had been passed. Incidents like these highlight the need for stronger community-level reporting systems and greater awareness of legal protection.

Collaborative Efforts for Change

Several organizations are actively working to reduce child marriage in the Maldives through education, community engagement and child protection services. UNFPA Maldives, operating in the country since 1976, runs programs across the country focused on empowering girls through providing safe spaces for refuge and education on gender-based discrepancies. Survey findings indicate that child marriage has declined, but the evidence does not attribute this change to any particular organization.

Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) focuses on raising awareness surrounding children’s rights. In 2009 ARC registered in the Maldives. Since then, campaigns such as ‘Hope’ have operated in the country, working toward preventing child abuse. These initiatives seek to raise awareness of children’s rights and child protection.

Together, education, child protection and community engagement may help strengthen support for vulnerable girls.

A Positive Path Forward

The Maldives’ progress highlights that change is possible when legal reform, community engagement and education come together. By expanding access to schooling, strengthening child protection networks and supporting girls’ ambitions, organizations across the archipelago are helping to ensure that every girl can choose her future freely. While challenges remain, the growing collaboration between communities, NGOs and government agencies offers a hopeful path toward ending child marriage in Maldives and improving opportunities for girls across the islands.

– Lottie Oldreive

Lottie is based in Devon, England and focuses on Technology and Solutions, and Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Child Support Ghana is Tackling Child Poverty

Child Support Ghana
Child poverty remains a significant challenge in Ghana, particularly in rural communities and parts of the north. UNICEF’s 2025 social protection budget brief estimates that 28% of Ghanaian children live in monetary poverty, while 73.4% experience multidimensional poverty, meaning they lack access to several essential services or living conditions at once. These measures are different from child food poverty: UNICEF reports that 2.4 million children under five experience food poverty, lacking a sufficiently diverse diet.

Child Support Ghana

Child Support Ghana, founded by Kwame Jones Jay-Jay, has launched a campaign calling for a national Child Benefit Allowance Programme. The group wants the government to introduce the proposed benefit by 2030, with financial support intended to help families meet children’s needs for nutrition, health care and education. The campaign is an advocacy effort; the proposed allowance is not yet an established national program. The Ghana News Agency reported the initiative in July 2026.

A Campaign for Children’s Well-Being

Jay-Jay has appealed to Parliament, charities, faith-based institutions, businesses, families, schools and the media to support the proposal. He argues that a regular child benefit would be an investment in Ghana’s future rather than simply a handout. He has cited the different forms of deprivation affecting Ghanaian children, including inadequate diets, barriers to schooling and limited access to essential services.

The campaign also highlights regional inequality. UNICEF’s June 2026 analysis of public spending on children found that public resources are distributed unevenly, with the youngest and poorest children particularly disadvantaged. This strengthens the case for examining how income support could complement existing health, nutrition and education services.

Campaign Launch and Community Support

The campaign gained local support at Asafo Pechi M/A Basic School, where school leaders and members of the Atwemamena community endorsed its petition. Assistant headteacher Christiana Nador described children arriving at school without adequate meals, footwear, uniforms or exercise books. She said a well-designed allowance could help struggling families meet basic educational and nutritional costs. A July 25, 2026 report documented the appeal and the community’s endorsement.

Looking Ahead

Child Support Ghana is seeking wider backing for its petition and a government commitment to develop a child benefit program. No resulting reduction in child poverty can yet be attributed to this campaign. However, its proposal has opened a discussion about how direct family support, alongside public services, could help protect children from hardship. Existing efforts such as Ghana’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty program provide a policy context for that discussion. UNICEF’s 2026 assessment reports improvements in food security and educational outcomes among households supported by that program.

– Sophia Creo

Sophia is based in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, United States and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Mobile Library in Syria: Bringing Books to Conflict-Affected Children

Mobile Library in Syria
Life in Syria remains profoundly challenging after years of civil war and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2024. This includes increased poverty rates and a devastated education system. However, one mobile library in Syria is helping children reconnect with books, art and cultural activities after years of disruption. Through books, art and performance, it offers an escape from the harsh nature of reality.

Refugee Crisis and Poverty

Despite the collapse of the Assad regime in 2024, Syria remains the world’s largest refugee crisis. In December 2025, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recorded 5.4 million refugees, with a further 5.5 million Syrians internally displaced as of April 2026. Syrians are still feeling the remnants of the civil war as 90% of people live below the poverty line, making humanitarian assistance essential.

Impact on Education

One aspect of Syria’s infrastructure that the war has severely impacted is the education system. The war resulted in the damage or complete destruction of more than 7,000 schools, leaving more than 2 million children out of school. As a result, the number of children who have never entered formal education is rising, limiting their future opportunities and sparking concern for their long-term development. Additionally, the psychological trauma of war and limited supplies pose significant challenges to children in Syria. However, mobile libraries in Syria ensure that children who have grown up with war have a connection to knowledge, enrichment and entertainment.

Mobile Cultural Bus Initiative

In 2025, Syria’s Ministry of Culture launched its initiative known as the Mobile Cultural Bus. The objective is to bring books, art and fun cultural activities to children and their families who do not have access to safe community spaces. This mobile library in Syria, run exclusively by volunteers, focuses efforts in refugee camps and rural areas, where access to books is severely limited. It consists of two buses, each equipped with approximately 1,200 books. This mobile library in Syria has visited the governorates of Qunetira, Deir Ez-Zor and Tartus, as well as the rural outskirts of Syria’s capital Damascus.

This initiative has received funding from publishing houses and libraries across the world, while organizations on the ground have ensured that the bus continues to support as many children as possible.

Connecting Children to Culture

Through reconnecting children to books, this mobile library in Syria also offers them the opportunity to learn about the country’s rich history and heritage. This is achieved through traditional crafts such as soap making and glass blowing. By expanding services beyond books, the Mobile Cultural Bus offers an escape from the devastating impacts of poverty and war through community and laughter, giving children a glimpse of what a childhood should entail.

More than 8,000 children have benefited from this important mobile library in Syria. The demand for this initiative is high, with volunteers facing more requests than they can answer to. In response, project officials have indicated that a long-term goal is to install a mobile library in all 14 of Syria’s governorates.

When safety, food and work are not guaranteed, cultural enrichment is a luxury that is often inaccessible. While Syria’s educational crisis is complex, this mobile library provides a joyful window to learning for children and their families rebuilding their lives after much pain and instability.

– Maya Tailor

Maya is based in London, UK and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Mobile Libraries in India: How they Can Improve Literacy in Urban Slums

Mobile Libraries in India
For children living in India’s urban slums, access to a book can be more than an opportunity to read. Literacy provides the foundation for continued education, employment and economic opportunities, making access to reading materials an important tool in the fight against poverty. In India, mobile libraries are bringing books directly to communities that may otherwise have limited access to reading materials. By using vehicles and portable collections to reach underserved areas, these initiatives make literacy resources more accessible to children outside of traditional educational settings.

India’s Learning Poverty Challenge

India has made significant progress in expanding access to education, but enrollment does not necessarily mean that children are developing foundational reading skills. According to the World Bank, when accounting for children who are out of school, 56% of children at late-primary age are not proficient in reading.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 highlights similar challenges in foundational literacy, although its findings cited here specifically concern children attending government schools in rural India. Among Grade Three children in government schools, 23.4% could read a Grade Two level text in 2024, compared with 16.3% in 2022. While this represents significant improvement, the figures demonstrate that many children in rural India continue to struggle with basic reading skills.

These national and rural findings do not directly measure literacy among children living in urban slums, but they illustrate the broader challenges India faces in developing foundational reading skills. For children in underserved urban communities, access to books and other educational resources may also be limited, making community-based approaches to literacy particularly relevant.

Bringing Libraries to Children

Mobile libraries in India have provided one way of overcoming barriers that have resulted a lack of permanent library infrastructure. The Delhi Public Library, an autonomous organization under India’s Ministry of Culture, has operated mobile library services since 1953, with efforts continually increasing. The service currently uses four mobile vans across 73 areas of Delhi and has 4,275 registered mobile-library members.

The vans bring library services directly to communities with limited access to traditional library facilities. The Indian government has identified slums and resettlement colonies as places that can specifically benefit from mobile library services through its Ghar Ghar Dastak, Ghar Ghar Pustak initiative.

Mobile libraries can also provide materials in multiple languages. The Delhi Public Library’s collection includes books in Hindi, English, Urdu, Punjabi and other Indian languages. This allows mobile libraries in India to respond to the linguistic diversity of the communities they reach.

Bookwallah provides another example of how libraries can operate without relying entirely on permanent buildings, which can be difficult to establish in underserved communities. The organization runs permanent libraries in special schools and orphanages in India, while its portable “Magic Crate” libraries deliver books to locations including crisis shelters, hospitals and child-friendly police stations.

According to Bookwallah, its Magic Crate program has reached tens of thousands of children through first-level interventions. While the program is not specific to urban slums, the organization demonstrates how portable collections can provide books and literacy opportunities to children who face barriers to conventional libraries and education centers.

Literacy as a Tool for Poverty Reduction in Urban Slums

There is evidence that community-based and mobile library initiatives can support literacy among children in underserved communities. In Kolkata, the Little Literacy Library was established in two slum communities, Chetla Lock Gate and RG Kar, providing bilingual English and Bengali books to children ages five to 15.

The initiative was designed to address educational inequalities by bringing learning materials directly into communities where children had limited access to books. According to the organization, the project has reached 45 children across the two sites. Although the initiative is small-scale, it demonstrates how community-based literacy programs can bring reading materials directly to children living in underserved communities.

Wider research also supports the potential of mobile libraries as a literacy intervention, although this research is not specific to India or urban slums. A 2025 study involving 487 mobile-library participants, educators, facilitators and administrators found a statistically significant relationship between mobile library access and literacy improvement. Participants’ reading comprehension scores increased by 3.3 points, while mobile library use accounted for 46.4% of the variation in literacy improvement.

Together, these findings suggest that mobile libraries can do more than provide recreational reading. By bringing books, structured literacy activities and educational support directly into underserved communities, they help children develop the reading and comprehension skills needed to progress through education.

Looking Ahead

For children growing up in urban poverty, stronger literacy can create opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. Literacy can help children engage with further education, develop additional skills and eventually access better employment opportunities. In this way, mobile libraries in India offer a relatively low-cost approach to addressing one of the educational barriers associated with poverty.

While mobile libraries cannot solve educational inequality or poverty alone, bringing books directly into underserved urban communities can help ensure that a child’s access to learning is not determined solely by where they live. Expanding these initiatives alongside investment in schools, teachers and wider educational infrastructure could help more children develop the foundational literacy skills needed to build a pathway out of poverty.

– Amber Bannon

Amber is based in High Wycombe and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Education Initiatives in Libya: Supporting Children

Education Initiatives in Libya
Libya’s education system has faced years of disruption following the 2011 revolution and subsequent conflict. Before 2011, Libya had achieved near-universal primary and secondary enrollment with equitable gender enrollment, but conflict, displacement and economic crisis have since restricted access to education. Education Cannot Wait reports that hundreds of schools have been targeted, destroyed or repurposed, while many children and adolescents remain out of the classroom.

The current challenges remain significant. UNICEF reports that about one in 10 households rely on child labor and that almost one in five families have at least one child out of school. UNICEF also continues to support vulnerable children, including children with disabilities, displaced children and children on the move, through education and protection programs. Here is some information about education initiatives in Libya and what they are doing to help.

The Good News: Education Initiatives in Libya

Several education initiatives are working to improve education and student well-being in Libya. In June 2026, the Libyan government and UNICEF launched two complementary initiatives: the National Community Health Program and the National Strategy for School Health and Nutrition (2026–2030). The school strategy addresses priorities including nutrition, mental health, water, sanitation and hygiene, digital referral systems and school clinics. Partners also plan to train school-health personnel and expand mental-health services over the five-year strategy.

This follows earlier efforts to strengthen Libya’s education system. In 2013, the European Union funded a two-year UNICEF initiative, led by Libya’s Ministry of Education, to improve teacher management and training. The €3.1 million project was designed to support teacher qualifications, in-service training, recruitment, management and deployment.

Other Initiatives

UNICEF also supports education in Libya through cash assistance, non-formal education and digital learning opportunities. In partnership with the Ministry of Education, it helps re-enroll out-of-school children, trains social workers and school counselors, supports teacher development and provides remedial or catch-up classes for children who have fallen behind.

Education Cannot Wait (ECW) also supports primary and secondary education in Libya. Its programs rehabilitate damaged schools, improve water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, support parent-teacher associations and provide cash transfers, scholarships, accelerated learning, remedial lessons and vocational training. ECW also trains educators to create more inclusive learning environments, particularly for girls and children with disabilities.

ACTED has also used Quick Impact Projects to address immediate problems in Libya’s education system. In 2018, 15 projects that UNHCR funded distributed school supplies, IT equipment and furniture and supported school renovations. ACTED reports that the projects supported around 3,300 students and contributed to community stabilization by creating safer educational environments that encouraged families to return.

The Road Ahead

Libya’s education system continues to face serious challenges, but domestic and international initiatives are expanding access to learning, improving school environments and supporting vulnerable children. Current programs from UNICEF and Education Cannot Wait sit alongside earlier efforts from organizations such as ACTED and the European Union, showing several approaches to strengthening education in Libya.

– Sebastiano Brussato

Sebastiano is based in London, United Kingdom and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr