Archive for category: Children

Information and stories addressing children.

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School Meals Eating Away at Child Hunger in Madagascar

Child Hunger in MadagascarMadagascar is an island off the Southeast coast of Africa that is highly vulnerable to severe weather events such as cyclones and floods. Between 2018 and 2022, it suffered its worst prolonged drought in 40 years, devastating crops and leaving 48.5% of its population undernourished. A string of cyclones have exacerbated the situation, decimating food production, which in 2022 left 500,000 children under five acutely malnourished. With a poverty rate of more than 80%, reducing child hunger in Madagascar is an uphill challenge. 

The World Food Programme (WFP) has partnered with the Malagasy government for over 30 years to deliver a school feeding program that provides primary school children with lunch and snacks. In 2022, this program supported 325,300 children in 937 schools. 

Nutrition 

Food shortages have led to high levels of child hunger in Madagascar, causing 40% of children to be stunted and 7.7% of children under 5 to suffer from wasting, which leads to higher mortality and morbidity risks. 

The school feeding program addresses this by ensuring children get at least one nutritious meal daily. These consist of micronutrient-rich foods otherwise missing from their diets, such as fruits, vegetables, fish and fortified oil to provide much-needed vitamin A. It also gives children micronutrient supplements and biofortified rice for extra protein.

The WFP also promotes the Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSF) to diversify children’s diets, which links school meals with smallholder farmers. This program makes children’s diets more varied and nutritious while stimulating the local economy. Children also receive nutrition education to instill long-term dietary behavioral changes and promote better health. 

In addition, some schools participate in the School Gardens Project, which promotes school canteens to use fresh vegetables grown in urban micro-vegetable gardens. This program encourages the practice of urban agriculture among the general population while increasing nutrition and food security for children. 

The Economy

School feeding is a social safety net that relieves parents of part of their food costs and saves them around 10% of their income, allowing them to spend money on other necessities, further stimulating the economy. 

Furthermore, HGSF gives smallholder farmers a stable market for their products by connecting them with schools. Farmers can then invest this income in better agricultural practices, which, in turn, increases productivity. 

As well as being detrimental to peoples’ lives, child hunger in Madagascar is a significant burden on the economy, with the associated health costs totaling 14.5% of GDP. The government can spend its money on other well-needed projects by reducing child undernutrition. 

School feeding also has long-term impacts, allowing children to get an education, find work and contribute to the economy. The WFP School Feeding Programme costs only $26 per student per year, yet it creates $935 throughout the recipient’s life.

Education 

High rates of malnutrition not only affect children’s physical development but also impede their cognitive development. Chronically malnourished children have greater problems understanding and engaging with school material than their well-nourished classmates and have lower learning outcomes in reading and mathematics. They also drop out of school at a higher rate.

Schools where children receive meals have improved learning outcomes, reducing absenteeism and the dropout rate. They also have 14% higher attendance; on average, students stay in school for one year more. Incentivizing children to attend school regularly and for longer gives them access to a better education and a more promising future.

Many children in Madagascar cannot attend school because they must work to support their families. Such a lack of access to education promotes the cycle of poverty by robbing children of their future job prospects. School feeding incentivizes parents to send their children to school as they are guaranteed a nutritious meal and an education. 

Looking Ahead

The importance of school feeding in the fight against poverty cannot be understated. WFP has pulled out all the stops to reduce child hunger in Madagascar by providing them with the nutrition they need to develop physically and cognitively while incentivizing them to get an education and escape poverty. 

– Marcos Caro
Photo: Flickr

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UNICEF’s Plan to Address Poverty in Suriname

Poverty in SurinameThe South American nation of Suriname is an incredibly unique place with a special history. Suriname gained its independence almost a half decade ago. The most common language spoken in the country is Dutch but the nation is extremely diverse. People with roots in parts of Asia, Europe and Africa make up the population of Suriname today. Suriname has always been a place that is rich with natural resources. The mining industry has always been a critical aspect of the national economy and plays a large role in the overall success of Suriname as a whole. Unfortunately, over the last 8 years economic struggles have plagued the nation and poverty in Suriname has become an extremely serious issue. 

About Poverty in Suriname

The COVID-19 pandemic made an already difficult economic situation much worse and as a result about one of every four people is living in poverty in Suriname. There have been small signs of hope over the last few years, but inflation has made continued progress difficult to achieve. 

As is the case in many developing nations, children and teenagers feel poverty in Suriname extremely hard. According to Humanium.org, the youth throughout the nation are facing a wide variety of challenges as a result of poverty. Exploitation of child labor and poor education systems have contributed to a low quality of life for young people throughout Suriname. 

Another serious issue in the area is the poor health of children. Malnutrition has become a challenge that is very common in Suriname and as a result, a large number of young children are contracting anemia and other diseases. In some of the less densely populated areas of Suriname, access to health care services is very limited. A study occurred in these areas and more than six out of every 10 children in the study were anemic. 

UNICEF’s Efforts

Luckily, in 2022, UNICEF laid out an elaborate plan for the nations of Suriname and Guyana on how to improve the unfortunate circumstances facing these nations, specifically for children. The plan that UNICEF assembled is elaborate and will tackle several aspects of poverty in Suriname through numerous channels. UNICEF has several partnerships in place with various organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank and many others to improve access to health care, quality education and other services to help young children move out of poverty. UNICEF has been able to allocate $18.3 million for its objectives in Suriname. 

Another very critical aspect of the plan that UNICEF put out in 2022 is the agreements it has with organizations that will be able to gather updated and accurate data in regards to poverty in Suriname. UNICEF has developed different data analysis tools to measure the progress in each issue area laid out in the plan. These tools will allow UNICEF to accurately measure the success of each part of the plan. The various surveys conducted and data collected will be shared with leaders and government agencies. 

The goal that UNICEF has outlined is for the government to use this information to develop policies that address the current state of the nation and not an outdated perspective which UNICEF will also analyze to make sure they are robust enough to make a significant impact. This plan has outlined a bright future for Suriname due to the fact that it outlines how to keep its citizens, especially children, healthy, educated and safe.

Looking Ahead

Suriname is clearly struggling, but the plan that UNICEF has implemented coupled with the partnerships they have developed is a massive step in the right direction. The measures that UNICEF is taking as described in the plan address so many issues and the hope is that each problem can be overcome. If the plan undergoes proper execution, Suriname will be on a path toward a better future and away from poverty. 

– Dylan Lyons
Photo: Flickr

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Addressing Child Malnutrition in Nigeria

Child Malnutrition in NigeriaChild malnutrition in Nigeria and globally presents a significant problem that leads to the difficulties of stunted growth and a greater risk of diseases during a child’s most vulnerable years. A lack of the necessary nutrients can hamper a child’s physical and mental development, leading to long-term problems like an increased risk of illnesses owing to an underdeveloped immune system. Estimates have indicated that 216 million children in Africa suffer from malnutrition, and it is the second highest killer of children, just after malaria.

Child Malnutrition’s Economic Impact

These problems also go beyond the physical of the individual with long-lasting impacts on the social and economic state of their community. The Economist notes that some of the most significant impacts of childhood malnutrition on a country’s economy come from the reduction in adult salary linked to childhood malnutrition and the ensuing underdevelopment, which also slows the growth of that economy. Other significant problems like poverty are heavily affected by childhood malnutrition as countries with slowed economic growth find themselves in a cycle of poverty that child malnutrition perpetuates.

The problem this has on a country’s economy is severe, as worldwide undernutrition costs the global economy more than $3 trillion a year. Malnutrition is not just a problem that specific countries or humanitarian agencies should worry about. It is a worldwide problem that affects all of our economies and societies. The full nutritional development of children should be a standard that will allow us to propel the presence of other country’s economies into the global market.

Colourful Giggles

Colourful Giggles is a Nigerian company dedicated to providing the nutrients vital to babies during their development. Devoted to offsetting some of the problems encountered by local mothers looking for nutritional products and reducing child malnutrition in Nigeria, Colourful Giggles uses local flavors and ingredients that allow their products to be cheaper than the imported alternatives. With the use of local flavors like cashew nuts and pawpaw, the company intends to combat some of the problems mothers face when raising babies with imported nutritional foods, namely how it affects their taste buds.

Adepeju Jaiyoeba, the founder and CEO of the company, noted that amongst her own children, she could note how imported nutritional foods could turn a baby away from the flavor of other local foods and how such a change can financially impact families given that imported goods are more expensive. As such, Colourful Giggles tackles not only the problem of child malnutrition in Nigeria but also among the children in Africa, which remains at a figure of around 216 million, but does so in a way that promotes the local economy. The ingredients are 100% locally sourced and ensure that many more mothers can provide all the necessary nutrients to their children. Through Jaiyoeba’s diligence in researching and testing vitamins and food.

Humanitarian Aid and the Way Forward

However, these are not issues that are not receiving attention. UNICEF remains at the forefront of the global battle against child malnutrition as several programs, including national support in coordination of response, technical support and strengthening of already established national systems to tackle malnutrition where they can. A recent example of some of the scale of the work done includes the financial support from the EU Humanitarian Aid Department, which aided UNICEF in responding to the crisis in Haiti affecting children with a contribution of €2.5 million.

Despite the staggering figures of global child malnutrition, companies like Colourful Giggles and organizations like UNICEF remain steadfast in the amount of humanitarian aid they provide to reduce child malnutrition. It is a grand task that requires the larger scale movements of these companies previously mentioned and the donations of those who can look out for future generations. These children who suffer represent a large part of our global future and deserve protection and aid.

– Chinua Ebereonwu
Photo: Flickr

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Child Poverty in Uzbekistan

Child Poverty UzbekistanUzbekistan is a ‘young’ nation. Of its 35 million people, 33% are aged zero to 17, with the average age of Uzbekistan citizens being 29. For comparison, the average for the United Kingdom is 40; China’s is 38; Brazil’s is 33. 

Access to Education

Child poverty in Uzbekistan is tied to education. Lately, Uzbekistan has made progress, but statistics showing economic growth and reductions in poverty do not change Uzbekistan’s need for educational reform. The poorest members of Uzbek society are children, and the poorest households are those with the least education. Luckily, Uzbekistan’s government and its international partners recognize this, and plans are being made for the young country’s future. 

Since Uzbekistan’s current president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was elected in 2016, international observers have generally agreed that the country has liberalized its economy and curtailed human rights abuses, particularly slave labor. Although progress slowed with COVID-19, steady economic growth has been met with a reciprocal reduction in poverty. It fell to 14% in 2022 from 17% in 2021 and 21% in 2019. Uzbekistan commits over 20% of its budget to social welfare and education. To compare, China spent 11% of its budget on education in 2021, as did the United Kingdom; Brazil spent 12%. 

Child poverty in Uzbekistan comes, in part, from its past as a former colony of the Soviet Union. Like other Soviet colonies, low funding and the enforcement of Russian as the primary educational language crippled education in Uzbekistan. Wanting to reverse this legacy is understandable. However, significant spending has historically been followed by corruption, inequality and inefficiency. Money is not enough.

Current Poverty Levels

As of 2023, on average, Uzbeks earn around $350 a month, with many making far less. The minimum wage is currently $82 a month. In 2019, UNICEF reported that 30% of Uzbekistan lived on incomes less than the minimum wage. More relevantly, of households headed by someone without education, 62% made less than half the average wage Most uneducated households earn less than $175 a month or a little under $6 a day. If the average household includes five people, then the household earns $1.20 per person.

The more children an uneducated household has, the poorer it will be. The poorer the household, the more likely its children will have low educational attainment. Poverty, like elsewhere, forms a vicious cycle with education. Unsurprisingly, then, children are statistically the poorest part of Uzbek society. A study made in 2021 found that classes often have 40-45 students while being designed for 25. The strain of overcrowding on teaching staff has created a system of after-school courses intended to help students ‘catch up.’ The government does not fund these, costing around $3 per lesson. If some families live on $6 a day and others $12, $14, $100, it is evident enough which families can afford these lessons and which cannot.

This is a small part of a wider problem. Ending child poverty in Uzbekistan is tied to reforming its education. Education and childcare represent a burden families cannot afford, and this poverty, in turn, leads to poorer educational outcomes: a vicious cycle. 

Government Strategy

The government of Uzbekistan recognizes this connection. President Mirziyoyev introduced the ‘Development Strategy of the New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026’ in 2022, which aims to cut the country’s poverty in half. Education and social protection for families are recognized as critical hurdles to this. As such, the strategy allocated $100 million to create free training and business courses nationwide. It also introduced an online system to allow low-income families to receive their social benefits automatically. 

Access to pre-school is to be raised from 67% to 80%; access to higher education is to be raised to 50%.

The strategy works with international partners. USAID in October announced a $40 million investment in Uzbek education, particularly toward the goal of making 51% of schools inclusive to disabled students. It’s too early to say how successful this strategy will be. Either way, the problem is recognized. 

– Frederick Lake

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone

Action Against Hunger in Sierra LeoneSierra Leone, a country in West Africa, faces chronic food insecurity due to ongoing climate shocks and disease outbreaks, such as an Ebola outbreak in 2014 and the COVID-19 pandemic. While the country is currently peaceful, Sierra Leone is recovering from an 11-year civil war, which ultimately dismantled infrastructure within the country and destroyed essential social services. 

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 57% of people in Sierra Leone are food insecure, 26.2% of children face impaired growth and development due to chronic malnutrition, and 43% of people live below the poverty line. A high poverty rate, coupled with limited access to education and health care, exacerbates the vulnerability of Sierra Leone’s population to hunger and malnutrition.

Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger, a global humanitarian organization, is committed to eradicating hunger worldwide. The organization states, “A world without hunger will never be achieved alone. We collaborate with communities, foundations, companies, governments, and humanitarian partners to achieve zero hunger.” 

Founded in 1979, the organization operates in more than 50 countries. It reaches approximately 28 million people a year by implementing a comprehensive approach focusing on advocacy, food security, nutrition, water sanitation, emergency responses and researching innovative solutions. Funded by various governments, institutional donors and private contributors, their approach focuses on providing sustainable solutions and achieving food security for all.

Action Against Hunger began its mission in Sierra Leone in 1991, at the beginning of the country’s civil war and during the subsequent humanitarian crisis. According to BlackPast, “The Sierra Leone Civil War was one of the bloodiest in Africa resulting in more than fifty thousand people dead and half a million displaced in a nation of four million people.” 

The initial goals of Action Against Hunger were to provide emergency relief, improve water and sanitation, and combat malnutrition. The organization’s early engagement laid the foundation for ongoing, comprehensive programs addressing the complex factors contributing to hunger.

Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone

In recent years, Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone has implemented various programs targeting malnutrition, food security, water and sanitation in Sierra Leone. The primary focus of Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone is improving health systems and services to prevent and treat malnutrition of children. Action Against Hunger provides “pregnant women, mothers, caregivers, and young people with knowledge about healthy nutrition through training, awareness, and cooking sessions.” 

Implementing bottom-up approaches, such as empowering pregnant women, mothers, caregivers and young people through providing knowledge on healthy nutrition, signifies a proactive strategy that fosters community involvement and ensures sustained positive impact. 

Action Against Hunger has also implemented the PROSSAN project in Sierra Leone, which seeks to address the profound health challenges of vulnerable populations within the country, focusing on women, children under 5 and young people. PROSSAN is has support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and works to provide quality care for women and young people adjusted for specific needs to reduce early pregnancies and the number of maternal and infant deaths. 

The program is founded on three key pillars: 

  1. Promoting good practices within the health system.
  2. Empowering communities and Civil Society Organizations to enhance behaviors benefitting health.
  3. Advocating for policy changes to improve the health of the targeted populations. 

The Future of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone faces ongoing challenges, including changing weather patterns and health crises. Looking ahead, Action Against Hunger in Sierra Leone aims to expand its impact by scaling up successful interventions and collaborating with local partners. The United Nations has set a goal of ending hunger and ensuring access to food for all people in Sierra Leone by 2030. This broader goal includes ending malnutrition, doubling agricultural productivity, ensuring sustainable food production systems, diversifying farming, increasing investments in rural infrastructure and more. Organizations like Action Against Hunger contribute to achieving these broader goals by committing to evolving strategies in response to extreme hunger in Sierra Leone.

– Marisa Kole
Photo: Flickr

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Early Education in Kosovo

Early Education in KosovoWith Kosovo being a relatively new nation, having declared independence in 2008, it must now navigate complex issues such as poverty, health care and education for its citizens. For its younger population, education remains a key factor in the country’s development. Several issues impact the population’s ability to receive proper instruction, and many organizations are attempting to remedy these and provide instruction to the children in Kosovo. 

Impact on Children

The country has a population of about 1.8 million people, with the average age being approximately 30 years. In 2021, only 15% of children aged 3–4 years old gained an education. Among rural and minority communities, that number decreased to 10%. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) plans on improving food availability in schools to incentivize parents to enroll their younger children. 

Rural communities are disproportionately affected by infrastructure issues and receive fewer options for health care and education. Minorities such as the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians also require more assistance. As of 2021, 23% of Kosovar children live in poverty. Poverty plays an important role in whether or not young children attend primary school education. Children in richer households are twice as likely to attend lower secondary education and four times as likely to attend upper secondary school than their poorer counterparts. 

Access to health care also impacts access to education. Minority groups have more difficulty accessing health care and are unable to enroll their children in schools. In minority communities, the infant mortality rate is twice the national average and malnutrition plagues children throughout Kosovo. Even so, 84% of children attend pre-primary school programs, a 9% increase from 2014. As of 2021, 80% of 7–14-year-olds are literate and 88% can correctly identify numbers, however, under 50% retain skills past a Grade 2 level. 

Teacher Pay

Teachers in Kosovo went on strike twice in the past four years, seeking an increase in pay. In 2019, teachers demanded a pay increase of over 30%. This was prompted by a proposed law that would raise pay for government employees. In Kosovo, the average private sector salary is €370, with public sector salaries averaging €520. These strikes proved successful. In September 2022, teachers once again went on strike, demanding an additional €100 per month to support themselves and their families. 

Improvements

Kosovo’s National Development Strategy Plan aims to increase the number of children enrolled in early education. This plan seeks to provide young kids with basic skills to further their schooling and widen their future employment opportunities. Having children in class during the day allows their parents to join the workforce, generating money for their family and strengthening the economy. 

For the entire Kosovo population, a total of 130 institutions serve as early education centers. As of 2017, Kosovo has 42 public kindergartens. Four professors at the University of Prishtina in Kosovo emphasize the importance of integrating technology into early education. Majlinda Gjelaj, Kastriot Buza, Kyvete Shatri and Naser Zabeli conducted a 2020 study about incorporating new technology into the curriculum. This study suggests that the addition of new tech improves communication and development among preschoolers. Through the Kosovo Education Strategic Plan and the Kosovo Curriculum Framework, the government aims to create a functional digital economy. It believes that students acquiring technical knowledge alongside literacy may be the best way to achieve this outcome. 

To ensure that early education opportunities in Kosovo are equitable for the entire population, the World Bank has highlighted laws and other information that can be utilized. The Department of Social Welfare puts children into foster families that share their ethnicity and religion, as outlined in the Law for Social and Family Services. Families can receive funding under the Social Assistance Scheme. This welfare initiative stands out as the single government program that directly targets poverty in Kosovo. Over 28,000 families benefit from this, including over 55,000 children. With more reform, such as making school compulsory for ages 3-5, this program can provide for over 80,000 children in the country. 

Early Education in Kosovo continues to improve with the aid it receives from both the Kosovar government and international organizations. 

– Abigail Dudley
Photo: Flickr

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How a Skateboarding Nonprofit Is Empowering Morocco’s Youth

Morocco’s YouthThe Concrete Jungle Foundation (CJF) is an international nonprofit using the positive values of skateboarding to support youth around the world. Its mission statement describes their commitment to build and run skateparks and youth development programs to “promote health and well-being, access to education, community development, gender equality and economic growth.” Founded in 2018, the group has already expanded to more than eight countries worldwide and recently expanded to build a sustainable skatepark in Morocco with the goal of empowering Morocco’s youth. 

Why Skateboarding? 

Sports have long been recognized as an important vehicle for physical health but the benefits are often far greater. Studies from the U.S. Department of Health have repeatedly shown how positive values inherent to sports — such as team building, confidence and commitment — have fostered immense growth in children. 

In fact, UNICEF has recognized these studies and launched the Right to Play initiative — arguing that children, particularly those who have experienced trauma, deserve opportunities to play sports. By focusing on skateboarding, the CJF has created a sense of community, fostered a playful environment and helped children gain confidence. 

New Developments in Morocco 

The CJF built its skatepark in Morocco in 2022 after demonstrating success in Peru and Jamaica. The nonprofit built the Fiers et Forts skatepark on the grounds of a children’s home center currently housing more than 35 children. Although the park is on the grounds of the orphanage, the skatepark is open to the public. Children throughout the community are able to skate and attend their educational enrichment programs at no cost. 

Eduskate Classes

The CJF has developed a variety of programs within the last year to offer to local youth and children of the orphanage. The programs include eduskate classes, educational enrichment offerings and designated disability sessions. 

The eduskate classes are the primary concern of the nonprofit and their connection between skateboarding and positive values. These classes, for children aged 6–16, follow a specific structure and create an opportunity for children living at the orphanage to develop friendships with children in the broader community. 

After a brief lesson/demonstration and free skate time, participants end the class with a reflection circle to share their accomplishments and reflect on their growth. Additionally, the classes often follow a specific theme such as a positive mentality, creativity, courage and other values based on personal growth and community. As teachers focus classes on these themes, they create an opportunity to connect these values with the sport. 

Educational Enrichment Workshops

Educational enrichment opportunities are the second way children within the home and the broader community come together. Two days per week, children receive encouragement to attend workshops on various topics such as gardening, art and recycling in order to supplement their education and introduce the children to new subject matter. 

While the educational enrichment workshops aim to supplement school, they play an important role in creating accessible educational opportunities to children who may not currently attend school. According to a UNICEF 2022 report, Morocco has a 28% secondary school completion rate. 

The most recent development in CJF’s ongoing offerings is designated disability sessions at the skatepark. During these hours, the skatepark is closed to the general public while disabled children skate as a form of physical therapy. A 1:1 approach between teacher and student occurs to ensure participants have adequate support. 

CJF’s Success in Helping Morocco’s Youth

In less than two years, the CJF has reported: 

  • About 52 children attending their edu-skate classes. 
  • Thirty-nine percent female participation in edu-skate classes. 
  • About 1,200+ skatepark visits.
  • Approximately 180+ total attendance at educational enrichment sessions.
  • About 41% female participation in educational enrichment sessions. 
  • Thirty-one participants in disability sessions.

Access to these resources can change a kid’s life and play a crucial role in empowering Morocco’s youth. More than 40% of Morocco’s children fit within UNICEF’s description of “multidimensional poverty.” Symptoms of multidimensional poverty include a lack of consistent access to adequate housing and education. 

Within a short period, CJF has spearheaded initiatives that could address these symptoms of multidimensional poverty and combined the programs with efforts to uplift spirits and support mental health. CJF continues to adjust its programs based on community feedback and claims it will continue to expand operations. 

– Nikki Bayat
Photo: Flickr

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Egypt’s Fight Against Child Labor

Egypt's Fight Against Child LaborEgypt’s fight against child labor achieved moderate advancement in 2022, leading to an optimistic view of the nation’s goal to eradicate child labor. Egypt began its campaign to fight against child labor in 2018 and the country’s Minister of Manpower, Mohamed Saafan, stated that Egypt’s goal is to eliminate child labor entirely by 2025. 

Children in Egypt are subject to the harshest forms of child labor, which include agriculture, the production industry and exploitation services.

Agriculture

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, about 10.4% of children are forced to work on farms. Children are mainly responsible for tending livestock like water buffalo, cattle, goats and sheep. Poultry production is a relatively new, government-promoted product that children now have to attend, alongside fishing.

Production Industry

Most children are put to work in the production industry, with about 82.4% working in factories. The factories that children work in mainly produce bricks and quarry limestone, which exposes them to hazardous chemicals and supplies. Aside from construction and the production of bricks, many children have to work in carpentry workshops.

Exploitation Services

The Department of Labor found that about 7.2% of children are put into exploitation services, including domestic work, repairing vehicles, street vending and collecting trash. Some children are even seen driving tuktuks, which are motorized taxis. Children are sexually exploited, trafficked and forced to traffic drugs and humans.

There are a few Egyptian laws and regulations that fight against child labor, including Articles 64 and 74 of the Child Law, which set the minimum age for employment at 15 years. Article 89 of the Egyptian Constitution states the prohibition of forced labor alongside the prohibition of child trafficking. 

Even though Egypt has a dedicated section in its Constitution to protect the well-being of children, it is difficult to enforce and document all instances of child endangerment. The country enforces these laws using agencies responsible for securing children’s safety.

The Ministry of Manpower

The Ministry of Manpower investigates child labor complaints and violations. The inspection division randomly targets any factory or labor institution in search of children being forced to work. If any violations are found, the agency reports to the authorities and the case is taken up by the Prosecutor General.

The Ministry of Interior

The Ministry of Interior tackles human, drug and sexual trafficking alongside the exploitation of children. The agency primarily operates using border patrol and attempts to catch anyone smuggling in and out of Egypt. Then, the Prosecutor General’s Office receives information about reported violations.

The Ministry of Justice, Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO)

The Ministry of Justice prosecutes violations of child labor and trafficking laws. In 2022, the agency investigated 107 crimes involving 237 individuals. This led to 171 prosecutions and 70 successful convictions.

In collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Egypt introduced policies to continue the fight against child labor and exploitation. These include the National Action Plan Against the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Supporting Family, the National Strategy for Combating and Preventing Trafficking in Persons, and the National Strategy for Childhood and Motherhood.

The National Action Plan Against the Worst Forms of Child Labor and Supporting Family (2018-2025)

This policy aims to eliminate child labor by 2025 and establish a strategy that can identify which government agencies can assist child laborers. The policy seeks to expand the knowledge of child labor bases in order to prevent children from working in factories or farms. It also establishes agencies to provide social protection and support, while generating awareness of child labor in the country.

The National Strategy for Combating and Preventing Trafficking in Persons (2016-2021)

This policy’s goal is to prevent human trafficking by protecting vulnerable populations and prosecuting violations of the child labor laws. This includes empowering children through education. Child labor is a primary reason for low rates of school completion in Egypt, and this policy seeks to encourage families to keep their children in school.

The National Strategy for Childhood and Motherhood (2018-2030) 

This strategy aims to update the hazardous work list, expand educational and vocational training opportunities and build on established government agencies.

Eliminating child labor is a heavy order and can sometimes seem bleak. But advancements in Egypt’s fight against child exploitation in the past few years leave a hopeful outlook on this global issue. 

– Sebastian Llerena
Photo: Flickr

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Addressing Child Poverty in Portugal

Child Poverty in PortugalPortugal has a total GDP of $251.95 billion, with a GDP per capita of $22,112. Therefore, it is surprising to discover that 19.1% of children in Portugal live in poverty. This article seeks to analyze the causes, effects and solutions to child poverty in Portugal.

The Causes

The main causes of child poverty in Portugal are unemployment and in-work poverty. Portugal’s unemployment rate of 5.8% means that Portugal has a higher rate of unemployment than New Zealand and Kazakhstan, both similar-sized economies. Naturally, unemployment causes child poverty.

The ubiquity of in-work poverty is particularly damaging, as an unemployment rate of 0% would not eliminate child poverty in Portugal, due to low wages combined with labor market segmentation. 

The impact of low wages on child poverty is rather self-explanatory; if one does not receive a reasonable salary, then they will likely live in poverty, whereas labor market segmentation contributes to child poverty by limiting people’s employment opportunities. This is because some sectors of the Portuguese economy do not have transferrable skill sets to other sectors. As a result, people in work effectively become ‘trapped’ in their current sector, unable to leave if wages fail to keep up with the cost of living.

The Effects

Child labor is one of the unfortunate effects of child poverty in Portugal. Fortunately, the country is making great strides toward eliminating this by-product. However, this has not always been the case.

For example, in 1999, the Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) found that 49 minors were working as child laborers per 1,000 visits. These children were employed illegally in the construction, hospitality and retail sectors. This has reduced to seven as of 2010.  These children had to find employment due to their economic conditions.

Government Efforts

The Portuguese government realized this, resulting in policies that provide financial aid to families with children at risk of labor exploitation. Consequently, children no longer had to work to provide income for their families, as government financial support filled the financial gap that their labor would fill.

Additionally, education is now compulsory until 18 years old, which has taken children from the constriction site and into the classroom. 

Child poverty in Portugal also ensures that its victims reside in dangerous housing, with more than 25% of Portuguese children living in a house where the roof, walls, floors or doors are either permeable to water or rotten. Damp housing is very dangerous, as it can cause asthma attacks, while also developing into toxic mold, which can cause further respiratory illness.

However, the housing charity Habitat for Humanity, founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, has been working to address this issue. This organization simultaneously builds new houses and renovates existing, dangerous properties, to ensure that child poverty in Portugal does not force children to reside in unsafe housing.

In 2016 alone, 35 families in Braga and Amarante were rehoused in newly built houses, which were free from the dangers of toxic mold. While this is only a seemingly small contribution when analyzed on a large scale, this contribution is anything but small for the families who no longer have to worry about the dangers of damp housing.

Solutions

While Habitat for Humanity and the Portuguese government have provided solutions to the effects of child labor in Portugal, solutions to the root cause have yet to be discussed.

The Portuguese government published the Child Guarantee National Action Plan in February 2023, which pledged to spend 5.1 billion Euros. This funding is to be targeted at policies that will reduce child poverty in the long term. For instance, all children will receive one free meal per day at school, which will ensure children eat a nutritious meal. This will improve their health.

Additionally, free preschool will be provided for every child, which ensures that children suffering from child poverty in Portugal are not disadvantaged compared to children whose parents can afford to send their children to a privately funded preschool. This policy will reduce inequality in educational attainment, which will break the cycle of child poverty in Portugal in the long run, as better grades improve people’s job prospects. 

A Short Summary

There are a variety of causes, effects and solutions to child poverty in Portugal. The Portuguese government has made successful interventions to eliminate child labor. Furthermore, Habitat for Humanity has rehoused families at risk of respiratory illness as a result of damp housing. 

It has taken a while, but thankfully the Portuguese government has begun to take serious steps to tackle child poverty in Portugal, with the Child Guarantee National Action Plan.

– Tom Eccles
Photo: Flickr

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Aid Groups Support Maternal and Child Health in Afghanistan

Child Health in AfghanistanWidespread poverty, changing weather patterns, economic crisis, restrictions to gender rights and a broken health care system have left Afghanistan in a dire humanitarian crisis. The region’s most vulnerable population — mothers and their children — are suffering the most. For example, in 2018, 4 out of 10 children died before their first birthday. Amidst this ongoing crisis, droves of humanitarian workers supported by several aid groups are rallying for maternal and child health Afghanistan. 

Three aid groups in particular, The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), are taking action to keep mothers and children from suffering and dying from preventable causes.

Crisis for Child Health in Afghanistan 

UNICEF recognizes that Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a baby, child or mother. Afghanistan has one of the highest infant mortality rates, and thousands of Afghani women die every year due to preventable pregnancy-related causes. According to the 2020 Human Development Report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Afghanistan ranked 169 on the gender inequality index. 

Access to health care remains low for women. Between 2000 and 2015, only 59% of women received natal care from a skilled health care provider, and only 53% of births were protected against neonatal tetanus — a life-threatening, vaccine-preventable bacterial infection in newborns that is typically caused by non-sterile instruments and an unclean environment during the birth process. Of those babies that make it past the first critical months of development, less than half are fully vaccinated between the ages of 12 and 23 months.

Malnutrition is another critical risk factor for infants and young children. Only 16% of children between the ages of 6 and 23 months meet minimal dietary standards, contributing to high levels of malnutrition-related developmental issues. About 10% of young children suffer from childhood wasting, where the weight or height is less than two standard deviations from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards. The percentage of underweight children is 41%, and child stunting, a condition where a child is too short for their age due to chronic and recurrent malnutrition, affects 41% of Afghani children.

UNICEF’s Work to Save Maternal and Child Health in Afghanistan

UNICEF is working with existing health care facilities to expand services and reach children and mothers in remote villages who could not otherwise afford to travel and receive the lifesaving health services they need. By providing training and essential equipment for newborn care, deploying mobile health care outreach teams to these rural and isolated communities, and supporting specialized maternity waiting homes and rooms, UNICEF hopes to empower existing health facilities to support Afghanistan’s most vulnerable and impoverished women and children.

UNICEF also works with the Ministry of Public Health, developing and rolling out standardized national guidelines for newborn care in an effort to reduce preventable illnesses and deaths in newborns. This includes providing zinc and rehydration solution co-packs for treatment of diarrhea, a widespread and preventable cause of illness and death in infants and children.

MSF’s Efforts

Since MSF began its work in Afghanistan in 1981, they have built seven health facilities and clinics in the region. MSF staff has assisted in more than 42,800 births, including more than 2,100 cesarean sections, and has admitted more than 9,100 children into their facilities for inpatient feeding programs in an effort to combat the effects of severe malnutrition. While these efforts have had an incredible impact on the lives of impoverished and malnourished Afghans, more work is necessary.

“Sometimes, mothers are so malnourished they can’t produce milk,” said a member of MSF’s medical staff in Herat Regional Hospital. “We see them putting tea in bottles to give to newborn babies—only seven or eight days old — which can be very dangerous.”

How WHO is Helping

In August 2023, WHO released an alert highlighting the importance of increased investment in Afghanistan’s severely under-resourced health care infrastructure. Recognizing the current health emergency in the region, WHO has targeted 7.5 million children and 3.1 million women for health assistance. 

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated: “The situation in Afghanistan is grave, and the lack of resources and funding to support health workers and facilities is putting countless lives at risk. Women and children are suffering the most.”

– Ann-Jinette Hess
Photo: Flickr