Archive for category: Children

Information and stories addressing children.

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World’s Largest Urban Garden in Progress to Fight Hunger in Brazil

hunger in BrazilIn the working-class area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the largest urban garden in Latin America has plans to become the biggest in the world. The produce goes towards families in the area, helping to remedy food insecurity and hunger in Brazil.

Hunger in Brazil

Brazil is a large nation with a sizeable population of 212 million, so any social safety net shortcomings reflect on a larger scale, affecting millions. As of 2022, 60% of families in Brazil face some form of food insecurity; this equates to 125 million people.

The situation is not improving either as the number of those facing hunger doubled from 19.1 million to 33.1 million over the past two years, according to The Brazilian Report. Hunger in Brazil now is similar to rates from 30 years ago.

Urban Garden in Rio de Janeiro

Beginning in 2013, the Manguinhos community garden started in a patch of land previously used as part of the Rio Olympics. Around one football field of land became a workable garden thus far, BBC reports. Prior to its transformation, the land was infamous for being a slum, home to many displaced persons struggling with addiction.

There are currently 35 gardeners who assist in managing the land. They receive a monthly stipend of $95 in addition to access to fresh produce which they can take for free. The majority of the produce, however, goes to the tables of families in need in the area. Currently, the garden feeds 800 families a month. The food is always pesticide free, a rare option in the area.

Julio Cesar Barros, a soil and crop expert leading much of the project, stresses the importance of providing organic food in low-income areas. “Why do poor people have to be doomed to eating poisoned food? My goal is to stop organic food from just being for the elite,” he says.

Plans for the Future

The Manguinhos urban garden does not plan to stop at being the largest urban garden in Latin America. By the end of the year, the garden could expand to nearly 27 acres, according to BBC. This development would make it the largest urban garden in the world.

The plan is to donate half of the produce to those in the area in need, while the other half will be sold at inexpensive prices. All of the money will be divided amongst the gardeners, according to BBC. As such, the garden acts both as a means of accessible fresh and healthy food and as a source of income for those that dedicate their time to maintaining the land.

The Manguinhos urban garden is an innovative and sustainable way for Rio de Janeiro to combat growing food insecurity in Brazil. Once expanded, the garden should be able to feed 50,000 local families by 2024.

– Eleanor Corbin
Photo: Flickr

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Abt Associates Is Tackling Global Issues

Abt AssociatesWith 9% of the world’s population living in poverty, there is going to be an excess of other major issues on account of poverty. Some of the effects linked to poverty include food insecurity, poor health, homelessness, lack of housing and more. As of 2021, nearly 698 million people are undergoing extreme poverty and that means hundreds of millions of people are most likely experiencing at least some of the problems poverty creates. Despite the detrimental impact poverty leaves, Abt Associates is tackling global issues in more than 50 countries around the world to alleviate some of the world’s ongoing difficulties.

What is Abt Associates?

Clark Abt founded Abt Associates in 1965. It is an organization with the goal of achieving his dream: a world no longer suffering from war and poverty. This organization is dedicated to addressing the world’s most drastic issues and implementing action through methods based on extensive research to create growth in those specific areas. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide,” the organization says on its website.

There are nine main areas that Abt Associates focuses on: education, inclusive economic growth and agriculture, equity and inclusion, governance and justice, environment, climate and energy, health, housing and financial capacity building and workforce and economic mobility.

There are five “capabilities” of Abt Associates including digital transformations and advanced analytics, data capture and surveys, research, monitoring and evaluation, technical assistance and implementation. Abt Associates is tackling global issues successfully by strengthening systems and organizations, creating knowledge and inform policy and improving population well-being.

Impacting the Entire World

From maintaining health to food security to economic well-being, Abt works in more than 50 countries to solve the challenges worldwide. Abt works in the following regions including the Middle East & North Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia & Asia-Pacific, United Kingdom & Europe and South & Central Asia. Of the regions, many countries are facing severe poverty rates. The regions include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Burundi and Guatemala, which are all countries in the top 10 highest poverty rates in the world.

Abt is working in other countries with high poverty rates, such as Haiti, with a 58.5% poverty rate, Sierra Leone, with a 56.6% poverty rate and Afghanistan, with a 54.5% poverty rate. The organization is currently working with more than 3,100 partners around the world to enact tangible and sustainable impact.

Life-Changing Projects

Abt Associates has dozens of current programs in place in each focus area to apply new technologies and solutions to improve lives. “Building the Next Generation of Resilient Ugandans” is one of the many programs in focus on food security and agriculture. This project aims to keep Ugandan children enrolled in school, make sure that families are on a healthy and nutritious food diet and are engaging in environmentally harmonious living from agriculture and other endeavors. The results have been a success. Abt Associates stated that in the first 18 months “we linked more than 1,400 community groups to markets, equipped more than 1,000 out-of-school girls with livelihood skills, and worked with 750 cultural leaders.”

The “Improving Nutrition for Tajik Mothers and Children” project works to improve Tajikistan’s health system, provide quality services to mothers, newborns and children and improve nutrition and child health. These are just a few of the many projects improving thousands of lives all over the world including “Building a 21st Century Road Map to Child Welfare Transformation”.

Abt Associate Awards

Abt Associates is tackling global issues and making real change in countries that are facing extreme issues, many of which are experiencing extreme poverty. For decades, Abt has been doing important research and making active and long-lasting changes in communities to improve quality of life. This organization has even been recognized with multiple awards for its notable work, including the MarCom Gold Award and the 2020 Commuter Connections Incentives Award. This powerful organization is essential in battling world issues and easing the gruesome effects that poverty generates.

– Dylan Olive
Photo: Flickr

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Russia-Ukraine Wheat Agreement Goes Into Effect 

Russia-Ukraine Wheat Agreement Russia and Ukraine are two of the largest grain producers in the world, combining to supply 30% of the world’s wheat and barley. A continuous flow of these goods is critical as the two countries account for over half of all wheat imports in 36 countries, according to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The Russia-Ukraine war put a stop to the export of these goods with Russia blocking Ukrainian ports since February. Fortunately, with the help of the United Nations and third-party countries, Russia and Ukraine were able to strike a deal allowing wheat and grain exports to leave the Ukrainian port in Odesa. The Russia-Ukraine wheat agreement went into effect on Monday, August 1, 2022.

Food Supply Threat

Port blockages posed a clear threat to food supply lines around the world, specifically in the Horn of Africa. Because wheat was unavailable from Russia and Ukraine, countries had to pay more for shipping from further away countries. Additionally, any vessels traveling through the black sea were in imminent danger, resulting in higher insurance premiums and an overall increase in food costs.

The situation was untenable, with it being an estimated 47 million people face acute hunger, USIP reports.

Fortunately, with the help of the United Nations and third-party countries, Russia and Ukraine were able to strike a deal allowing wheat and grain exports to leave the Ukrainian port in Odesa. The Russo-Ukrainian wheat agreement went into effect on Monday, August 1, 2022.

The Agreement

Two countries concluded the agreement last month, after two months of negotiation. United Nations and Turkey brokered the talks, with both Russia and Ukraine taking a seat at the table. The Russia-Ukraine wheat agreement should last 120 days, however, there’s an option to renew it indefinitely if both countries agree, according to BBC.

The reason for the nearly month-long delay between agreement and enaction of this deal comes from the difficult logistics that had to be ironed out. Ukrainian military mined the waters in Odesa to prevent Russian ships from entering. As a result, this makes travel by cargo ship incredibly difficult.

The Ukrainian military worked to finalize a route through the black sea suitable for cargo ships and devoid of mines. Second, all cargo ships entering and exiting Ukraine will go through inspection for weapons, upon Russia’s request. This inspection will happen at the Joint Coordination Center in Turkey, according to BBC.

Now that the agreement has gone into effect, Ukrainian officials announced that there are 17 ships carrying 600,000 tonnes of cargo waiting for inspection, BBC reports.

Compromises

Under the Russian-Ukraine wheat agreement, Russia has agreed not to take any military action on Odesa or the ships coming in and out of the port. Ukraine has agreed to use its naval vessels to guide all ships in and out of the mined waters, according to BBC.

As mentioned before, Russia had concerns over weapons being smuggled into Ukraine. To alleviate these concerns Ukraine agreed to mandatory inspections of all ships, which Turkey, as a third party, will conduct.

Issues

The Russo-Ukrainian Wheat Agreement is a major first step in building relationships and restoring food supply lines. However, there are still some concerns. First, there are concerns that Russia may not have agreed to this deal in good faith. Less than 24 hours after the deal was agreed to, Russia launched two missile strikes on Odesa port.

There are worries that Russia may continue to disrupt shipments through military action. Second, even with guidance from the Ukrainian navy, sea mines still pose a significant threat to cargo ships in the water. As a result, insurance premiums for vessels hoping to transport grain under this agreement will remain incredibly high and continue to put upwards pressure on the cost of food.

– Benjamin Brown
Photo: Flickr

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International Organizations Fund School Feeding in West Africa

School Feeding in West AfricaThe COVID-19 pandemic forced schools across West Africa to shutter their doors. These widespread school closures had a deleterious effect on the education and well-being of western Africa’s most vulnerable children. Youth were not only deprived of an education but also a chance to receive a meal through their country’s school feeding program. As schools gradually reopened as COVID-19 rates subsided, school feeding in West Africa provided an avenue for children to receive nutritious food, a commodity that some children only attain through their educational institution.

What is School Feeding?

School feeding refers to a meal provided at a child’s school at no cost to the child’s family. According to the World Bank, it is “most frequently designed as a social protection measure for poor and vulnerable communities with the key outcome being an improvement in education through increased enrolment, reduced absenteeism and enhanced gender equality.”

With a full stomach, school feeding often leads to children’s increased ability to concentrate and learn. Additionally, per the World Food Programme (WFP), “every $1 invested in school meals has a $9 return on investment.” Finally, school feeding provides incentives for families to send girls to school instead of keeping them at home or marrying them off early.

Thus, initiatives to support school feeding in West Africa are crucial because of their remedial effects on the harmful repercussions of school closures. Fortunately, international organizations are partnering with government authorities to provide increased funding and efficacious implementation for school feeding in West Africa. Specifically, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Liberia have benefited from foreign assistance.

Home-Grown School Feeding in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is an impoverished West African nation bordered by Guinea and Liberia. According to the WFP, in 2022, more than 65% of residents living on less than $1.25 per day.

As food prices skyrocket across the nation, school feeding programs remain essential for children and their families. In 2021, the government of Sierra Leone launched an initiative to transition the nation to a home-grown model, according to the WFP. This novel type of school feeding allows local agricultural workers to directly supply schools with fresh produce.

Of note, the WFP is assisting the government by launching a pilot program in the town of Tawuya. The pilot initiative has been a blessing to local female farmers. Adama, a Tawuya resident and mother of seven, told a representative of the organization that the “WFP created a means for us women to earn money regularly.” Overall, the WFP’s intervention in Tawuya has enabled many families to overcome food insecurity.

The McGovern-Dole Program in Senegal

Currently, 751,000 Sengalese citizens are food insecure and 17% of children younger than 5 are malnourished. In response to the food security crisis in Senegal, Counterpart International, an organization focused on establishing enduring relationships with at-risk communities, announced in October 2021, that the nation would be the recipient of a $25 million McGovern-Dole program award. The McGovern-Dole program is an initiative by the United States Department of Agriculture to curtail childhood hunger by providing food and financial assistance to developing nations.

The new initiative seeks to bolster school attendance, literacy and community health through school feeding and enhance the Senegalese government’s ability to implement the program. In a 2021 article in Counterpart International, Brian Dotson, Director of Food Security at Counterpart International, commented “…this project will provide a vital safety net for food-insecure families living in poverty in Senegal…”

Save the Children’s $25 Million Project in Liberia

According to the 2021 Global Hunger Index, Liberia ranks 110th out of 116 countries. In an effort to ameliorate hunger in Liberia, Save the Children launched a $25 million school feeding program on June 2, 2022

The funds from Save the Children will help the Liberian government implement its “Liberia Empowerment Through Attendance, Reading, and Nutrition (LEARN) Project.” Although this is a program implemented by both the government and NGOs, the majority of its funds are supplied through donors. Thus, Save the Children revitalized the LEARN program which has distributed more than 10 million school meals to more than 45,000 Liberian children.

Western African Governments Take the Lead

As these three programs demonstrate, school feeding in West Africa is indispensable. While international organizations have largely funded and implemented these programs, western African governments have also taken action to strengthen school feeding.

According to Brookings, 27 countries from across Africa voiced approval for a United Nations school meals coalition that aims to exceed pre-pandemic school feeding levels. Specifically, President Patrice Talon of Benin and President Macky Sall of Senegal have allocated additional funds for their nation’s respective school-feeding programs. Additionally, the African Union, a collective organization of 55 nations, endorsed home-grown school feeding and marked 2022 as the “Year of Nutrition.”

– Alexander Portner
Photo: Flickr

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Demining in Libya: How Communities are Protecting Themselves

Demining in LibyaCivilians across Libya face a unique challenge in their daily lives: avoiding landmines. Both the United States and the European Union remain committed to building a safe community for Libyan civilians by working with groups pursuing demining in Libya.

How We Got Here

Libya is a coastal city in northern Africa. The Government of Libyan National Unity (GNU) was established in March 2021 and a group led by warlord Khalifa Haftar controls the country politically. States surrounding Libya began independently supporting the two competing groups, with countries such as Egypt supporting Hafter and Turkey supporting the GNU. Another power that joined in aiding Haftar is Russia and a Russian organization called the Wagner Group.

Currently, the Wagner Group continues to occupy and influence parts of Libya, especially in the east. It continues to assist the Libyan National Army (LNA) under Haftar despite the ongoing war that Russia faces in Ukraine.

In 2020, the Wagner Group withdrew from Tripoli, the capital of the country located along the coast in western Libya. According to several sources, the organization left landmines in the area in the process of withdrawing, leaving Libyan civilians in a dangerous situation. The remaining landmines resulted in more than 300 innocent deaths or injuries in the past two years.

Through partnerships with the United States, European Union and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the present dangers mobilized communities in Libya to come together and address the issue.

Communities Unite – Free Fields Foundation (3F)

Present dangers in Libya include landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Not only are these weapons remaining from the Wagner Group in the ongoing Libyan civil war, but there are still weapons from wars dating back to World War II. Three organizations that specialize in demining in Libya receive funding from the United States and represent a significant impact in eliminating the risk of more than 60,000 explosives in the last 11 years.

The European Union similarly coordinates three demining projects with several organizations including 3F, also known as Free Fields Foundation. Rabie al-Jawashi started 3F in 2012 in Tripoli. The organization now has 60 working members and received accreditation from the Libyan Mine Action Center. Rabie’s organization primarily focuses on areas near the coast and is making a large impact on the safety of families returning home after the war. In a mere eight months in 2020, 3F destroyed over 1,050 explosives in their focus area.

Many success stories arose from the Free Fields Foundation since its establishment. One example is the case of Saud Abdel Rahman and his family located in Sirte, Libya. After seeking refuge in a neighboring city during the war, Rahman’s family returned to find their farm in ruins. After seeing phone numbers for 3F on local billboards, Rahman contacted the organization, which removed landmines from his farm. This allowed the family to continue farming. Rahman also noted that his children personally experienced mine safety education in their school, thus illustrating the real-world impact that 3F creates.

A Safer Future

Apart from demining field work, 3F also works to educate Libyan civilians on mine safety. Members of the organization inform families on the correct steps to take if families locate explosives and collaborate with regional groups to instruct children in local schools.

The United States government also strives to inform civilians on the proper contacts and risk prevention to safely eliminate explosive risks. Further, the United States promotes the GNU’s humanitarian and economic development endeavors by offering support to the Libyan government.

With landmine education and renewed funding from the United States, European Union and other critical partnerships, demining in Libya continues to embody a community effort for the safety of Libyan civilians.

– Kaylee Messick
Photo: Flickr

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The Impact of USG Funding for Ethiopia

USG Funding for EthiopiaDespite Ethiopia’s fast-growing economy, it is one of the most impoverished nations in Africa. However, the United States Government (USG) is making a significant effort to combat poverty in Ethiopia. On April 26, 2022, the U.S. announced that it would provide about $43.7 million in order for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) support along with health, nutrition and food aid to Ethiopians suffering from drought. Overall, USG funding for Ethiopia will help the nation make headway with poverty reduction.

Implementation

According to USAID, drought, flooding, food insecurity, vector-borne disease and minimal access to health services are just a few of the acute shocks that Ethiopian populations routinely suffer. These issues are worsened by continued large-scale violence, conflict and displacement, leading to a complicated emergency humanitarian situation.

On top of these challenges, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have not only brought about health impacts for countries but also economic repercussions. The World Bank predicted that Ethiopia’s poverty rate would stand at 27% by 2019. Like many other countries, Ethiopia suffered economically after the pandemic as its gross domestic product growth shrank from 6.1% in 2020 to 5.6% in 2021. Real wages for Ethiopians in Addis Ababa alone declined by 14% for high skilled workers at the onset of the pandemic.

How Will it Help?

According to the World Bank, Ethiopia is the “second most populated country in Africa” as of 2020. With this comes the increasing problem of water shortages. Besides water shortages, there is a lack of access to clean and safe water, which can lead to water-borne diseases, such as cholera, as individuals resort to consuming water from unsafe and potentially contaminated sources.

In fact, according to an article by Lifewater, “7.5[%]of the global water crisis is in Ethiopia alone” as of 2019. According to USAID, by April 2022, 8 million people in the southern parts of Ethiopia faced the impacts of drought conditions as a result of a third continuous “poor rainy season” in the latter part of 2021, which sparked severe water shortages and increased demand for emergency food aid.

WASH support aims to combat this by supplying safe water and preventing disease outbreaks. Food insecurity is also an issue in Ethiopia. According to the World Food Programme, despite Ethiopia’s progression, there are 20.4 million people who are still in need of food aid. The U.S. will ensure more people in Ethiopia have access to food by “providing assistance to drought-affected populations.”

Aftermath

Ethiopia continues to show effort in slowing down poverty. In fact, according to the World Bank, the government created a 10-year plan based on the 2019 Home-Grown Economic Reform Agenda for Ethiopia. With the intention of moving to a “private-sector-driven economy” and fostering “competition in key growth-enabling sectors” while promoting efficiency and a proper “business climate,” the plan will run for approximately 10 years from 2020/21 to 2029/30.

Ethiopia’s five-year growth and transformation plans aim to achieve “middle-income status” for the nation by 2025 by “sustaining high growth and speeding up structural transformation.” In the meanwhile, the USG funding for Ethiopia is actively lessening the burden on those who suffer from poverty in Ethiopia.

– Frema Mensah
Photo: Flickr

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Repairing Madagascar’s Health Information System Through Singing

Madagascar’s Health Information SystemMadagascar’s exotic flora and fauna belie a broken and underdeveloped health information system. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the probability of dying by the age of 5, per 1,000 live births in Madagascar is 50.24. The problem is not only a lack of access to health care but also lags in timely information, which prevents Malagasy people from taking proper precautions against infectious diseases.

Although 77% of Madagascar’s population is literate and 57% have access to mobile phones, people in the rural areas are still hampered by low literacy rates and a lack of a proper telecommunication system. Consequently, people share the majority of health-related facts orally, leading to the rampant spread of misinformation. In an effort to debunk myths and reform Madagascar’s health information system, a local NGO called Doctors for Madagascar, initiated a project that utilizes a unique tool for its success: singing.

Beginning of the Project

In 2018 and 2019, the measles epidemic in Madagascar caused more than 200,000 cases and over 1,000 deaths. During this time, health workers observed a deficiency of knowledge among rural people in southern Madagascar about measles vaccination.

To dispel the false rumors circulating, Doctors for Madagascar teamed up with local singer/songwriter Ebera to start the “Singing Sensitization” project as a medium of “getting accurate health information to isolated, rural communities in the country’s south.”

Free live music performances took place in places such as markets so that it could reach as many different demographics as possible. The song “The Measles” by Ebera became vastly popular among the rural Malagasy people for its educative lyrics and lilting tune.

The lyrics contained all information from verifiable sources such as the WHO and the Malagasy Ministry of Health. The song warned — “measles — they’re lethal” and advised them to take their children to the hospital if they showed symptoms like coughing, sneezing, vomiting, or diarrhea, instead of bringing them to “a shaman or a witch.” In addition, the song also urged villagers to get the measles vaccination as it would help protect them better against the disease.

Melodies During COVID-19

The success of “Singing Sensitization” during the measles outbreak in Madagascar encouraged the NGO to continue its project during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the first wave in 2020, songs focused on the importance of wearing masks, washing hands regularly with soap and water as well as social distancing. The productions also placed emphasis on the origin and spread of the virus.

According to the WHO case study, these performances were conducted sporadically “at eight to nine locations each month (or bimonthly in each village) in Ampanihy until August 2021.” The infrequency was a result of compliance with social distancing rules proposed by the government.

The Song of Victory

Conveying facts through songs sung in local dialects has proven effective especially since the performances conclude with an informative Q&A session, where health workers address additional questions and concerns.

This created trust between the villagers and the health workers. The project members often held focus group sessions and informal interviews with “community leaders, health care workers, and local health authorities” to understand how much the villagers had learned and retained as well as identify what was lacking in their knowledge, WHO case study reports.

The team modeled additional performances based on these discussions, focusing on filling the “knowledge gaps” and denouncing any inaccurate information.

Additionally, these discussions helped the “Singing Sensitization” team infer that the reach of their performances was approximately 60–70%, with “a positive uptake of the initiative by the local population,” WHO case study reports.

Making it Large Scale

“Singing Sensitization” has greatly helped in improving rural Madagascar’s health information system. As of now, the biggest challenge is getting funding, recruiting more local performers and expending time and energy on translating lyrics into different local languages.

Nonetheless, the team wants to expand its project and take it to other “hard-to-reach” rural communities. One of their goals is to introduce a radio network for easier and wider transmission of information.

– Anushka Raychaudhuri
Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts about Education in Niger

Education in NigerThe country of Niger has been fighting a war against poverty for years. In 2021, the United Nations named Niger the least developed country in the world, with 42.9% of its population earning less than $1.90 per day. As the country’s economic state has worsened, so has its education system. Children are unable to learn due to financial disparities and geographical disadvantages and are not receiving the level of education and social interaction that they need. Here are five facts about the realities of education in Niger.

5 Facts about Education in Niger

  1. More than 50% of children between the ages of 7 and 16 do not attend school. Meanwhile, the preschool enrollment rate sits at only 7%. These statistics are the results of food insecurity, extreme poverty and inadequate access to schools. One of the greatest barriers to education in Niger is hunger, as children are not able to attend school for weeks at a time due to malnutrition. While schooling in Niger is compulsory, many areas do not have educational facilities to accommodate children. Too many students live much too far to walk to school, and some families do not have enough money to purchase a car to get them there.
  2. As of 2020, the Government of Niger only spends 3.8% of its GDP on education, according to the World Bank. This low percentage is indicative of a lack of investment in the education of Niger’s youth. Niger continues to rank close to the bottom on the United Nations Development Programme’s Education Index but, since 2015, has spent less than 4.5% of its GDP on education.
  3. The literacy rate in Niger is only 13.6%, one of the lowest in the world. Less than 8% of children have acquired adequate numeracy and literacy skills by the end of primary school, and only one-third of teachers demonstrated satisfactory competency levels in 2017. Education in Niger demonstrates favor toward the men of the population, as the literacy rate for males ages 15-24 is higher than those of women in the same age group by more than 10%.
  4. Access to and completion of education is worse among minority groups in Niger, such as girls living in rural areas and children with physical and mental disabilities. Only four out of 10 girls make it as far as the sixth grade before dropping out due to financial or familial difficulties. In addition, the country’s lack of adaptive classrooms and inclusive training means that schools are not meeting the standard of education that students with disabilities need in order to succeed.
  5. The impacts of COVID-19 worsened the challenges that the education system in Niger was already facing. In addition to the 2.5 million children who were already being deprived of an education, 3.6 million children had to leave school, and few had the resources to participate in virtual learning. More than 80,000 teachers ended up out of a job, and dropout rates began to increase. The closure of schools in Niger has had a very negative impact on students, and many are still recovering from the financial and educational setbacks that their families have suffered.

UNICEF continues to advocate for more accountability of Niger’s government, urging them to allocate more funds toward education. In July 2020, the Global Partnership for Education donated $70,000 to Niger to help it recover from the pandemic, which will go toward drawing up a plan to rebuild and redefine education in Niger. Organizations around the world are acknowledging the disparities in Niger’s education system and are working to provide a stronger foundation for students.

– Ava Lombardi
Photo: Flickr

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How Google is Helping Africa’s Small Businesses

Africa’s Small BusinessesIn June 2022, Google announced a new initiative that targeted small businesses in Africa. The initiative was part of the company’s month-long celebration of International Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Business Day. Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, make up a large portion of the global economy, “[accounting] for 90% of businesses, 60 to 70% of employment and 50% of GDP worldwide.” The significant role that micro, small and medium-sized businesses play internationally as the backbone of economies holds true, especially in Africa. Consumers “buy more than 70% of their food, beverages and personal care products” from Africa’s small businesses.

Loyalty to Small Businesses

This loyalty to small businesses has continued despite the insurgence of corporate supermarkets and retail chain stores. Transitioning this loyalty to e-commerce holds incredible promise for economic development throughout the continent. South Africa posted online sales of $1.8 billion in 2020 and countries like Nigeria and Kenya where the retail sector is a major component of GDP posted 30% and 40% growth rates respectively in 2021.

The framework for e-commerce in Africa has been laid out. Internet coverage, access to credit cards and bank accounts and mobile phone usage have all increased substantially in Africa in the last decade. Google has noted this opportunity for growth in Africa, with Google’s country director for West Africa Juliet Ehimuan noting that “E-commerce presents an opportunity for small businesses in Africa to reach new customers and grow.”

However, the online market has remained untapped for many small and medium businesses in Africa. Technical know-how, as well as concerns over cybercrime, has impeded online market penetration by small and medium businesses in Africa, according to a report by World Trade Organization (WTO). Fortunately, Google’s new initiative is helping build online retail presences for Africa’s small businesses, aiming to “…assist small businesses in Africa to gain the expertise to connect online, expand their customer base and scale-up,” according to Ehimuan.

Google is accomplishing this strategy through a three-pronged plan. It includes the Shopping Small Business Summit, an online career certificate course, and the Local Opportunity Finder.

Shopping Small Business Summit

In late June 2022, Google hosted a Shopping Small Business Summit. According to The Guardian, this event was a one-hour virtual training session to help small and medium business owners develop the skills they need to compete in the online marketplace. This training session covered both e-commerce trends as well as digital marketing tools and skills.

Online Career Certificate Course

The second portion of Google’s plan to help build online retail presences for Africa’s small businesses is an online career certificate course, as The Guardian reported. Unlike the Shopping Small Business Summit, this course has limited availability and is not free. However, Google has offered 1,000 scholarships to Africans who wish to participate in the course. This course will cover digital marketing and e-commerce trends in a deeper capacity than the Small Business Summit, and it aims to prepare Africans for entry level-jobs in e-commerce.

Local Opportunity Finder

Google also launched the Local Opportunity Finder in June 2022. The Local Opportunity Finder is a free online tool for small and medium business owners that aims to improve their online presences. This new tool can analyze a Google Business Profile and then give personalized recommendations for improvement. These improvements are geared towards making e-commerce sites more appealing to consumers and overall more consumer-friendly.

Google’s commitment to growing small businesses is helping build online retail presences for Africa’s small businesses. The large African retail sector is dependent on small businesses. However, the continent has lagged behind in terms of digital market space until now. If African businesses can take advantage of Google’s initiatives and work through the impediments holding back e-commerce in the continent, they could scale their businesses up and expand their consumer bases.

– Benjamin Brown
Photo: Flickr

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Migration to Portugal

Migration to PortugalPortugal, a coastal country known for its colorfully-tiled sunny beach towns, is increasingly gaining a reputation as a destination for migrants looking to work in the European Union. In fact, over the last five years, Portugal’s immigrant population has increased by nearly 70%. In 2020, the number of people that acquired Portuguese citizenship stood at nearly twice that of the previous year. This increase in migration to Portugal stems from the needs of both the country as a whole and the migrants themselves.

The Benefits that Migrants Bring to Portugal

Portuguese citizens, as EU members, have the legal right to both live and work in other European Union countries. This includes countries like Germany and France, which have higher wages and better living conditions than Portugal. As a result, Portugal has a high rate of citizens that emigrate outside of the country, leaving the economy with a need for a replacement labor force.

Not only do migrants remedy the country’s labor shortage but they also bring in tax revenue and contribute to Portugal’s Social Security. Migrants even create jobs by starting businesses of their own, opening grocery stores foreign cuisine restaurants, hair salons and more. This enriches the diversity and vibrancy of the country while stimulating the economy.

What Brings Migrants to Portugal?

To fulfill that basic economic need for labor, Portugal has constructed a legal framework for immigration that is highly beneficial to incoming migrants. In June 2022, Portugal’s minister of foreign and parliamentary affairs announced that the nation would dissolve the quota regime and provide for a six-month work-seeking visa.

Even those without a visa, undocumented migrants, are permitted to apply for work. Once they have secured a job, they can apply for residency. Even “proof of legal entry” requirements in applying for residency status within the country are typically informally lax. Once a resident, migrants can have their families join them and enjoy the same legal status of residency. After five years, a resident can “qualify for a Portuguese passport of their own.” This ease on the path to a passport is a primary perk of migration to Portugal, alluring enough to make up for the relatively low wages offered in the country.

The largest group of migrants in the country are Brazilians, followed by another Portuguese-speaking country, Cape Verde. Both are steeped in poverty, with the most recent estimates of Cabo Verde’s national poverty rate standing at 35% as of 2015. In Brazil, about 27 million people lived under the national poverty line in 2021. With a national poverty rate of 16.2% as of 2019, Portugal offers a gateway out of deeply impoverished communities.

Once a migrant secures a European Union passport, they are free to move toward the wealthy economic core of Europe that draws Portuguese nationals as well, with the promise of higher wages. This allows migrants and their families to pursue opportunities to move toward the higher quality of life they imagined when they chose to leave their homelands.

– Grace Ramsey
Photo: Flickr