Archive for category: Education

Information and stories on education.

, , ,

5 Active NGOs in Afghanistan

NGOs in Afghanistan
Throughout the world, countless nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are battling against abuses such as poverty, changing weather patterns and hunger. In Afghanistan, human rights abuses have been skyrocketing, and homelessness has become the new norm. More than 40% of Afghanistan’s population lives below the poverty line, in desperate need of help. Here are five NGOs Active in Afghanistan that are fighting these pressing issues.

5 NGOs in Afghanistan

  1. Afghan Institute of Learning: The Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) seeks to equip all vulnerable Afghans, particularly women and children, with the knowledge and abilities to take care of themselves. Through community-based programming, AIL is increasing access to high-quality education and health care, empowering communities to strengthen their populations. The objective is to lay the groundwork for effective health and education systems in Afghanistan that will serve the needs of the population both today and in the future. Through health facilities, educational institutions and training programs, AIL, which was founded by an Afghan woman and is primarily operated by women, reaches thousands of people every year.
  2. Islamic Relief: Dr. Hany El-Banna and a group of students established Islamic Relief in 1984 to address the growing famine in Africa. The organization’s initial endeavor was to help a farm in Sudan, and years later, it started to broaden its reach outside of Africa, providing immediate relief to people in Pakistan, Iraq and finally Afghanistan. Islamic Relief is committed to helping vulnerable people who are in need. It achieves this by raising money for local projects and providing essentials like food and clothing. It has also implemented development initiatives aimed at long-term capacity building for vulnerable populations.
  3. Women for Afghan Women: In order to serve the Afghan immigrant populations in New York, Women for Afghan Women (WAW) originated in 2001. Before introducing comparable programs in Afghanistan, it participated in community outreach initiatives all around the region. It now works to advocate for and empower Afghan women and girls in both the U.S. and Afghanistan. Women for Afghan Women has reached more than 1.6 million women since its founding through various activities and services. Every year in the U.S., on average, more than 8,000 Afghan women receive assistance from their outreach activities. Additionally, it has approximately 800 employees working in Afghanistan to support the execution of its initiatives there.
  4. International Committee of the Red Cross: Henry Dunant established the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1863 to offer medical care to combat casualties. Years later, as World War I started to claim more lives, the ICRC increased its humanitarian activities across all of Europe. The organization persisted in offering assistance during World War II and is currently one of the most significant humanitarian organizations in existence. The International Committee of the Red Cross has helped thousands of Afghans since its foundation. For instance, it cared for approximately 50,000 injured patients in 2021. In its physical therapy facilities around the nation, the ICRC helped more than 79,000 patients in the same year. Furthermore, it has increased more than 49,000 people’s access to water.
  5. ActionAid International: Cecil Jackson-Cole established ActionAid International in 1972 to defend the rights of women most impacted by armed conflict, humanitarian crises and natural catastrophes. It started its first projects in Afghanistan in 2002 with the goal of ensuring that kids could go to school and get an education. Since then, the organization has established a number of programs that empower Afghan women and help them assert their rights. ActionAid International opposes social and cultural conventions that marginalize women and expose them to violence or discrimination. Additionally, it has advocacy, strategic and humanitarian programming capabilities to advance gender equality across Afghanistan. The organization provides training and tools to female leaders, empowering them to promote social change in their communities and advancing the rights of vulnerable women. ActionAid International has helped more than 100,000 people in five different Afghan provinces since its founding. For instance, it constructed a well in Afghanistan so that more than 1,000 local students could access safe drinking water.

Making a Difference in Afghanistan

In a country where the most vulnerable people face countless challenges, recognizing NGOs in that are making a real difference appears to be vital. These organizations work tirelessly to provide aid, assistance and support to those who need it most. 

– Jake Marks
Photo: Unsplash

,

Equity Index in Nepal Transforms Education for the Disadvantaged

Equity Index in Nepal Equitable access to school increased significantly in Nepal between 2006 and 2016. The gender gap in school enrollments reduced by 2.8% during this 10-year period. However, the government noticed that other disparities limited access to quality education for children.

The government created the Consolidated Equity Strategy for the School Education Sector in 2014 to strengthen equity in education, primarily through measuring existing disparities and taking action to address them. Nepal’s Equity Index was launched in 2017 to operationalize the equity strategy and target the most disadvantaged school districts.

An Innovative Financing Tool for the Education Sector

The Ministry of Education developed the Equity Index with support from UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), World Bank. It is an innovative tool that enables the Ministry to rank the prevalence of disparities in educational outcomes, access and participation in schools and allocate resources to schools based on data that calls out specific needs. It exists within the Education Management Information System (EMIS) in the Department of Education.

The Equity Index uses data on gender, geography, socio-economic status, ethnicity and caste, and disability to create an “equity score” for each district. The planners and policy-makers rank districts according to their respective index scores. The data and the index are shared at all levels in the education sector to ensure the inclusion of district-specific disparities. This data sharing helps the government allocate resources as part of budget planning activity and considers the outcomes for further planning.

Indicators of Education Outcomes

A few critical components or indicators were needed to measure the efficacy of the Equity Index in Nepal. These include the percentage of children not enrolled in schools, survival rates (children repeating levels and/or dropping out), learning outcomes and levels of education: Basic (Grades 1-8) and Secondary (Grades 9-12).

Nepal’s Equity Index Piloted in 2017

Nepal’s basic education sector encompasses over 30,000 schools and approximately 8 million students between Grades 1 and 10. In 2017, more than 700,000 children of school age were not in primary or secondary school across the country.

Schools are allocated a budget annually based on the number of students enrolled. However, the needs of these schools could be different. For example, a school that needs some sort of food scheme for students may be in a community that cannot afford school supplies. In such cases, the Equity Index could aid in helping decision-makers allocate the extra funds needed to procure school supplies.

Using the Equity Index, the government identified five districts as part of the initial scope for targeted interventions in 2017. The interventions are usually proposed by the district stakeholders (which could include parents and guardians), including communication campaigns and community mobilization for children who are out of school. The Equity Index observed that out of 109,500 children who were out of school in these five districts, approximately 22% enrolled due to these interventions.

Reaching the Disadvantaged Made Feasible

Nepal’s Equity Index resulted in remarkable progress, increasing coverage from 6% (5 out of 75 districts chosen in 2017) to 20% by 2019, enabling the government to allocate additional budget for targeted interventions in these districts.

In 2019, the U.N. verified that there was more than a 50% reduction in out-of-school children in these targeted districts.

Understanding the nature of barriers to access and learning is critical to ensuring inclusion and equity in the education sector. The Equity Index in Nepal enables its government to compare severities in disparities across districts and take the necessary actions to guarantee targeted interventions where they are most needed.

– Sudha Krishnaswami
Photo: Flickr

,

The Programs Addressing Learning Poverty

Learning Poverty
Poverty and illiteracy are closely intertwined. In impoverished areas, access to education can often be financially out of reach, exacerbating other related issues such as hunger and limited resources. Globally, there are at least 763 million adults who lack basic literacy skills, with two-thirds of this population being women. Moreover, in low-income countries, approximately 60% of 10-year-olds struggle with learning poverty, preventing them from reading or comprehending simple stories.

Why Pursue Literacy?

Literacy often bridges the barrier between being financially destitute and successfully independent. After age 5, a child’s survival can increase up to 31% when their mother has some level of education. Furthermore, global studies indicate a 9% increase in hourly earnings for every extra year of schooling a child receives. 

Literacy is a tool to battle the inequalities of poverty. It allows chances for social mobility and economic growth, which fosters both community and individual development, as well as equality. Marginalized groups such as women and girls have even less access to education than others and coupled with poverty, sexism is exasperated through a myriad of societal factors. When impoverished women are provided with more opportunities for literacy, they have greater life choices for themselves and go on to positively impact the health and education of their families. 

COVID-19

With the onset of the COVID-19 virus, worldwide literacy programs struggled to accommodate new, unknown challenges. Prolonged school closures and varying management strategies led to an increase in learning poverty among children around the world. 

In low and middle-income countries worldwide, the incidence of learning challenges has risen by 13%. Before the pandemic, 57% of the global population faced educational difficulties, but this number has since surged to 70%. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 80% of primary school-aged children currently struggle to comprehend basic written text, a stark increase from the pre-pandemic rate of approximately 50%. Similarly, in South Asia, 78% of children struggle with reading, up from the pre-pandemic rate of 60%.

In response to the learning crises presented by COVID-19, a number of countries have implemented the RAPID framework, a guide to “tackle learning losses caused by the pandemic and build forward better that is based on five evidence-based policy actions.” The policy responses focus on 60 low and middle-income countries, with reports paying special attention to Cambodia, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Mongolia, Romania and Zambia.

The acronym RAPID stands for:

  • Reach every child and keep them in school.
  • Assess learning levels regularly.
  • Prioritize teaching the fundamentals.
  • Increase the efficiency of instruction, including through catch-up learning.
  • Develop psychosocial health and well-being.

Only one-fifth of the 60 countries had comprehensive strategies to accelerate literacy and education. Still, there is room for more work.

Programs Fighting That Aim to Alleviate Learning Poverty

Around the world, there are programs that exist to promote universal literacy. 

  • The World Literacy Foundation — This global nonprofit gathers global literacy leaders and organizations to work together in a variety of different sectors. It provides free books and other resources to children in Australia, South America, the United Kingdom (U.K.), the United States (U.S.) and Africa. 
  • The International Literacy Association (ILA) — Formerly the International Reading Association, this group is a membership organization of more than 300,000 literacy educators, researchers and experts across 128 countries. The ILA advocates for children’s rights to read and for “excellent literacy instruction in reading, writing, communicating and critical thinking” around the world. It also publishes peer-reviewed research and provides professional development and support for teachers everywhere. 
  • The Malala Fund — This literacy organization is devoted to uplifting girls in the quest for universal literacy. Through its Education Champion Network, it supports local educators and advocates in low-income regions where women and girls lack opportunities to attend secondary school. The organization focuses on addressing the factors that contribute to the educational disadvantages faced by girls. These factors include poverty, conflict and gender discrimination, which can result in child labor. Many girls work for extremely low wages, sometimes as little as one cent per day, making it difficult for them to access educational opportunities. Additionally, the organization highlights the challenges faced by girls affected by conflict who often reside in refugee camps with limited access to education. To address these issues, the organization invests in promoting universal literacy through advocates and activists in various regions, including Turkey, Tanzania and Pakistan, among others.  
  • The Literacy and Community Development Programme (LCDP) — This program helps poor and marginalized groups, such as ethnic minorities, prison inmates, people with disabilities and women, in remote areas learn to read. It is unique in that it targets adults 15 and up, as opposed to children. These people who had little to no formal education in their youths are presented with opportunities to attain literacy. It also champions REFLECT, an acronym for Regenerated Freirean Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques, introduced first in 1997. It provides students with resources beyond “primers and other predetermined reading materials,” instead using tools such as maps, calendars, matrices and diagrams. 

Going Forward

The need for educational resources for the global poor has always been pressing, but in the wake of the changing, post-pandemic world, it is vital to consider the future. A world of economic liberty and human rights is impossible to achieve without universal literacy. Learning to read is just one step toward progress, but a vital one. By supporting the myriad of programs that look to instate that, people around the world can participate in steps toward a new future and eliminate learning poverty.

– Char Nieberding
Photo: Flickr

,

The Hanging Library Tackles Child Illiteracy in Nigeria

Illiteracy in Nigeria
In January 2023, Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Nigeria representative, made a statement highlighting that, in Nigeria, “75% of children aged 7-14 years cannot read a simple sentence or solve a simple math problem.” Education quality, literacy and school attendance is one of the ongoing struggles in Nigeria, preventing many young children from acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to find employment and lift themselves out of poverty. While primary education is officially free and mandatory for children, the reality vastly differs. Only 61% of children under 11 regularly attend school at the primary level, and in the northern states of Nigeria, the general net school attendance rate is just 53%. Due to low literacy rates in the country, efforts are underway to improve illiteracy in Nigeria.

About Illiteracy in Nigeria

There are a variety of factors that prevent children from receiving quality education. For instance, in the northern states where the education is predominantly Qur’anic, religious educators do not teach foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Additionally, cultural/societal norms discourage girls’ formal education. In addition, in states such as Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, which are experiencing conflict, classrooms have faced destruction and schools remain shut.

At a literacy conference in 2018, Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu highlighted his view that illiteracy in Nigeria is responsible for “rising incidence of drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, examination malpractice, cultism, armed robbery, human trafficking, kidnapping, communal clashes and terrorism.”

In Nigeria, a literacy gap exists between genders and between urban and rural locations, highlighting the socioeconomic norms that prevent access to quality education from being a universal right for children across the nation. Notably, in 2018, the literacy rate for males in urban areas stood at 86.4% whereas the rate for females in rural areas stood at 35.4%, according to a publication by the Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas (FAWCO).

The Hanging Library from the Neo Child Initiative

The Hanging Library, a project started in 2017 by the nonprofit The Neo Child Initiative, is an example of a creative method to facilitate and encourage reading among Nigerian children, helping reduce illiteracy in Nigeria and improve school attendance.

The project entails utilizing unused fabric to create a “handmade library” that looks like a hanging shoe rack nailed to a wall. The rack holds up to 50 books. The materials come from donations from volunteers and a book drive. So far, the initiative has established 50 hanging libraries and provided schools with more than 5,000 books in six states in Nigeria.

The founders of the project understood that, with more than half of the country’s population living on less than $2 per day, there is very little disposable income available for books and educational materials. By increasing children’s access to books, the organization hopes that literacy levels can start to improve across the board and children can gain exposure to a more expansive worldview.

The Benefits of Literacy

Even on a local level, improved literacy and better education quality will have profound effects on the future of Nigerian children. An undeniable necessity for employment, heightened literacy will help youths participate in the global knowledge economy and provide them with the skills to make calculated decisions in their daily life and to lift themselves out of poverty.

Furthermore, encouraging reading and high literacy from a young age will have generational impacts. Children who grow up reading will prioritize education over labor for their own children, creating a positive cycle and also enabling the parents to engage and help their children with schoolwork.

– Eleanor Moseley
Photo: Flickr

,

Strengthening Education in Colombia

Strengthening Education in Colombia
Colombia, located at the northernmost end of South America, has recently become an emerging power among second-world countries. Despite its prominent role in global trade and growing economy, some sectors of Colombia are lagging behind this development. In particular, strengthening education in Colombia is important because the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) suggests that more than 70% of 15-year-olds in Colombia lack basic literacy and numeracy.

Due to Colombia’s lack of emphasis on education, students often redo classes, and some even fail to enroll in school at all. In fact, according to World Education in 2018, the percentage of enrollments stood at only 42.5% for incoming high school students. Additionally, the number of students who had repeated at least one grade increased from 38% to 43% between 2009 and 2015. Out-of-school children are more susceptible to gang recruitment, drugs and teen pregnancies. Additionally, a lack of education ultimately ensures individuals remain stuck in cycles of poverty. In fact, the government statistics agency DANE highlights that about 19.6 million Colombians out of a general population of 50 million endured conditions of poverty by the close of 2021 while extreme poverty affected 6.1 million Colombians.

Strengthening Education in Colombia

In 2016, Andreas Schleicher, the director for Education and Skills at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), presented a report in Barranquilla with Colombia’s Minister of Education about education in Colombia. The report said, “As Colombia enters the global economy, its educational success will be measured by boosting national standards so that Colombian children match up to children around the world.”

The government of Colombia developed the Everyone Learns education program in 2012, targeting “elementary students in public schools in the poorest areas of the country.” This program, led by education minister Maria Fernanda Campo, focuses on math and language and has positively impacted more than 2.4 million students. The whole premise of this program is to hire some of the country’s most renowned teachers to teach in low-income areas of the country. This provides a better quality of teaching in necessary classes, including math, reading and language.

Drawing Inspiration from Others

Many impoverished children in Colombia are unable to attend school because they lack proper uniforms, books and supplies, which diminishes their opportunity to rise out of poverty. Local government funds or loans should be made available to low-income families so they can buy their children the necessary school supplies. Colombia can look to Brazil for inspiration. For example, in Brazil, the program known as Bolsa Família helps provide school supplies, clothing and shoes to lower-income families so their children can regularly attend classes. As a result, the enrollment rate in Brazilian schools increased significantly. In fact, in grades one to four, enrollment rates increased by 2.8% in the initial year and by about 5.5% after three years.

Another initiative Colombia could draw inspiration from is the Programa Nacional de Becas y Crédito Educativo in Peru. This program administers scholarships and education credits to students in poverty. Established in 2016, the program has had a positive impact on students. For the thousands of Colombians who lack the financial means to pursue education, following these programs could prove essential. By increasing the quality of teaching and making schooling affordable to students across the country, Colombia could see enrollment rates spike and tremendous motivation from students. More resources should be allocated to early childhood education to raise education outcomes and ensure that all students have a fair chance of success.

Although strengthening education in Colombia is no easy feat, with strong programs in place, the country can start reversing the negative trends in the education system. To make a real difference, though, Colombia needs to focus future efforts on solving issues that make it challenging for families to enroll their children in schools.

– Neil Chandran
Photo: Flickr

,

How Venus Williams Is Promoting Educational Rights

Williams is Promoting Educational RightsVenus Ebony Starr Williams, like her sister Serena Williams, is a professional tennis player. Growing up in a poverty-stricken community, Williams struggled to achieve success. As a former No.1 tennis player, Williams has won several grand slams, including two at the U.S. Open and five at Wimbledon. As the first Black woman tennis player to become No. 1 in the modern era, Williams has left a legacy for women globally. Not only has she paved the way for women’s tennis, but Williams is also promoting educational rights for women globally.

Humanitarian Work

According to UNESCO, around 244 million children in Africa between the ages of 6 and 18 are out of school. The Human Rights Watch estimates that more than 49 million women in Sub-Saharan Africa are out of primary and secondary schooling, undermining their opportunities and limiting their rights. Early marriages are a factor in the lack of women’s education in Africa. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 40% of girls below the age of 18 are married, preventing them from receiving a proper education.

In response, Williams is promoting educational rights for women by partnering with CARE, an international humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. The aim of the partnership is to raise awareness and encourage girls’ education in developing regions by supporting programs in Kenya and Malawi. According to UNESCO, 74% of the Malawi population lives in poverty, and education for girls often ends in primary school. Williams is promoting educational rights by contributing $25,000 to assist CARE in launching a vocational training program based in Malawi. The vocational training program has been able to reach out to 50 women in Malawi.

Educational Support in Latin America

According to the Pew Research Center, 33% of Latinos ages 18 to 24 are enrolled in school, compared to an average of 42%. The lack of education that Latinos receive is evident in the socio-economic challenges that they face. Latino families are 1.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line compared to white families.

Alongside supporting the education of African girls, Williams is promoting educational rights for Latinas. She has constantly supported the Eva Longoria Foundation, an organization that helps “Latinas build better futures for themselves and their families through education and entrepreneurship.”

The Eva Longoria Foundation

The Eva Longoria Foundation works by launching programs that are culturally relevant in order to enhance the learning and productivity of Latinas. According to the Eva Longoria Foundation, 17% of U.S. women are Latina, yet only 2% of them are in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workforce. The Eva Longoria Foundation launched the STEM Program, which encourages young Latinas’ love for math and science at a young age through projects like coding and robotics. Through Williams’ support of the organization, the Eva Longoria Foundation has been successful in teaching STEM skills to more than 2,000 young Latina women.

– Yana Gupta 
Photo: Flickr

, , ,

The Benefits of Impact Investing in Education for Poverty Alleviation

Investing in EducationImpact investing is an investment strategy employed by individuals, companies or organizations seeking both financial returns and a positive social or environmental impact. This approach, when applied to education, could yield substantial benefits for individuals and developing countries alike. Education has the potential to enhance various facets of an economy, including health, empowerment and employment, as highlighted by EHL Insights. For instance, research suggests that achieving universal education, where every child acquires basic literacy skills, could reduce the number of individuals living in poverty by an estimated 170 million.

Reducing the Funding Gap

The private sector can significantly assist governments in developing countries in closing the funding gap and providing access to quality education for all children in these nations. This support is crucial as many developing countries face challenges in securing the financial resources required for universal basic education of high quality.

According to LEK Consulting, developing countries will need an expenditure of $3 trillion on education to provide “universal access to education” by 2030, which aligns with the sustainable development goals (SDG). This is more than double the 2020 expenditure of $1.2 trillion. The benefits of impact investing in education from the private sector can potentially fill in the gaps where government funding is absent or limited – improving issues of low access to education and low learning outcomes, both of which have implications for poverty alleviation in developing countries.

Impact Investing Improves Access to Education

Hewlett-Packard (HP) launched HP School Cloud, an open learning platform, in 2018 to help improve access to education via a $20 million investment. HP school clouds allow access to educational materials such as e-textbooks and thousands of lessons in STEM subjects like science and math without the need for the internet, allowing equitable access to education worldwide, particularly helping the most marginalized in society. The resources are aligned with an international curriculum standard set by UNESCO and OECD to name a few, with the aim of improving education for 100 million people by 2025. HP School Cloud is an important tool for accessing education. Ron Coughlin, President of Personal Systems Business at HP, states, “HP School Cloud ensures today’s aspiring students develop the skills for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Education is still the primary way for people to escape cyclical poverty in developing countries. Therefore, impact investing can help to improve access to education and help promote a better future by increasing employment status, generational wealth and income and wealth creation. The World Bank states that globally for every year of schooling, there is a “9% increase in hourly earnings.” This increase in earnings in turn contributes to the economic growth of a country. No country with adult literacy rates below 40% achieves rapid growth, demonstrating the importance of access to education for poverty alleviation.

Impact Investing Improves Learning Outcomes

The Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) Optimus Foundation created the first Development Impact Bond (DIB) in education, Educate Girls DIB, in 2015 to increase the enrolment of marginalized girls and progress and improve literacy and numeracy among children who attended school, in the Indian State of Rajasthan. The DIB lasted three years until 2018. At the end of the program, the learning outcomes of enrollees “grew 79% more than their peers in other schools,” according to the Educate Girls Foundation. That is equivalent to an additional year of education.

Children need foundational knowledge that they learn in school to help them develop as individuals and thrive when they join the workforce. Improving low learning outcomes, particularly for women, can help build prosperous and healthy families. The benefits of impact investing in education in developing countries are likely to reduce children’s malnutrition by 50%, reduce the chances of children dying before the age of 5 and reduce their chances of turning to prostitution as a source of income, consequently reducing levels of HIV infection within a country.

Impact investing in education can help reduce poverty within developing countries by providing large amounts of funding in places where government resources are spread thin. Education is important for reducing poverty. Education increases economic growth and individual earnings, which benefit families and wider society. Furthermore, investing in education, particularly for women, leads to better health outcomes creating a healthier society.

– Kishan Patel
Photo: Flickr

, ,

Early Education and Its Role in Eradicating Poverty

Early EducationEarly education is often underestimated, despite being a fundamental cornerstone of learning and development. It offers children a crucial platform to nurture their skills and knowledge from an early age. These skills can prove invaluable throughout their lives, enabling them to access higher-paying job opportunities. Education holds the potential to positively impact lives from an early stage by equipping individuals with the essential tools for success.

A Foundation for a Brighter Future

The impact of education on a child is significant. Research indicates that certain skills can be better learned at the first critical period of brain development, from age 2 to 7. At this age, kids exhibit an accelerated rate of learning. It is crucial to stimulate their minds during this period to unlock each child’s maximal potential. It is evident that further and higher education depends on the right foundation for kids to succeed at higher levels.

Some of the benefits of education at a young age include: 

  • Healthy brain development.
  • Improved social skills.
  • Independence. 
  • Problem-solving skills. 
  • A smooth transition into higher levels of education. 

Equipped with the right tools early on, children are more likely to progress and reach higher intellectual capacities. The right environment and skillset provide a solid groundwork for success — both academically and, eventually, occupationally. In the long term, early education provides the future generation with the necessary skills to acquire both high-quality jobs and higher-paying jobs.

Finally, research shows that children who spend longer in early education have improved educational outcomes in the future. It also shows that high-quality studying particularly benefits children from low-income backgrounds. Investing in children’s education leads to cost savings, as the next generation develops stronger human capital, resulting in a larger pool of productive workers. This, in turn, contributes to overall economic growth.

An End To Generational Poverty

Experiencing poverty as a child means that you are much more likely to be poor in early adulthood. This is the unfortunate truth for many children growing up in developing countries; when families struggle financially, the children feel the effects of the financial burden. With limited financial resources, education is difficult to access. Without it, potential job prospects become hard to acquire, and the cycle of generational poverty continues. 

Without early education access, many kids in poverty fall behind their counterparts. This creates a disparity in children’s capabilities, making the job of the teacher difficult to attend to each child’s level and need. The unfair disadvantage some children face is what keeps the vicious cycle going.

To break the cycle of poverty, childhood education plays a crucial role, and improving accessibility is essential. This can be achieved through various school programs and increased investments in education. Quality early education provides children with a strong foundation for learning and better prepares them for higher education, which, in turn, opens doors to higher-paying job opportunities. This process fosters generational change, where individuals who were once affected by poverty gain financial stability, ensuring that the next generation has an improved chance of avoiding poverty and breaking the cycle.

What’s Next?

Access to quality education in the early years holds significant importance for several reasons. Education, knowledge and skills serve as powerful tools in the fight against poverty. Early introduction to education creates opportunities that might otherwise remain inaccessible. Research has consistently shown that high-quality educational programs have the most profound impact on children living in impoverished conditions. By investing in the intellectual growth of our youth, there is hope for a more equitable and promising future. 

– Lewis Butcher
Photo: Unsplash

, , ,

ADRA and Their Work in Serbia

ADRA in Serbia

The Impact of COVID-19

On March 15, 2020, Serbia declared a national emergency due to COVID-19. Following the declaration and the decrease in economic activity, the working hours offered in Serbia declined by an estimated 14.8% during the second quarter of 2020. More than 700,000 workers were at immediate risk, including those in wholesale trade, transport services and crop and animal production.

Since the pandemic, Serbia has faced many challenges, including rising energy and food prices, rising inflation and slow trade. Without structural reform, many feel as though there cannot be a boost in productivity. 

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency 

ADRA, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, has provided counseling and medical checkups for the homeless and displaced in Serbia, as well as transportation to health care institutions and other health care services. During the lockdown, children in Serbia also received tutoring from ADRA teachers, and this continues in 2023, as children in poverty receive education services from ADRA. 

Education

In Serbia, 45% of children will drop out of school once they reach 11 years of age, because of poverty and a lack of support for education. Yearly, ADRA supports 150 students who are a part of socially vulnerable families to enroll in school, advance their education and prevent dropout. ADRA provides links to employers for these students once they leave school.

Homelessness

ADRA estimates there are 5,000 to 15,000 persons who face homelessness in the capital of Serbia. ADRA supports up to 1,000 with mobile showers and laundry, as well as health care and psychological support. The organization works with authorities to ensure the proper implementation of relevant policies and to create new ways to end homelessness. Monthly, ADRA provides 550 hygiene, 350 health care and 450 psychological services to the homeless population in Serbia. 

ADRA trains local police to work with the homeless population. They also issue personal IDs and insurance to the impoverished people of Serbia. Yearly, ADRA lifts 130 homeless people out of their difficult living situations so they are able to restore their social lives and integrate into society.

Current Projects 

In Belgrade, ADRA has assisted in the renovation of a church. This renovation is meant to house a church congregation with some apartments offered to key workers. Currently, the organization is holding classes for Roma refugee children on Sunday mornings to improve their education. This is to help these children get into schools. ARDA runs formal education classes as well as informal ones where children learn about essential life skills and discuss the effects of smoking, drugs and alcohol consumption.

ADRA’s vision is to work with churches in Serbia to provide opportunities to break generational poverty and help victims of economic and political policies. 

– Abigail DiCarlo
Photo: Flickr

,

Education in Iraq

Education in IraqEducation stands as the cornerstone of progress and development in any society. Amid the challenges and upheavals that have marked Iraq’s recent history, education has emerged as a beacon of hope and transformation, offering a pathway toward a brighter future for the nation and its people.

The Ripple Effects of Conflict on Education

Iraq’s education system has been plagued by a myriad of challenges, ranging from inadequate infrastructure and outdated curricula to insufficient resources and trauma-based psychological impact affecting both teachers and students. According to UNICEF, “one in every two schools is damaged” and needs improvement to effectively teach students. This crisis perpetuates a cycle of ignorance, poverty and underdevelopment.

Education in Iraq is hindered by violence, infrastructure damage and the displacement of children. Due to years of war and conflict, the weakened Iraqi government has allocated less than 6% of its budget to education.

The lack of education in Iraq contributes to a dearth of skilled workers, hindering economic growth and making it difficult for the country to compete in an increasingly globalized world. Low-quality education exacerbates social disparities, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality. It deprives marginalized communities of the tools they need to break free from the constraints of their circumstances and contribute to society in meaningful ways.

Paths to Educational Reform

Improving the education system in Iraq could be the key to unlocking a plethora of benefits for the country. UNICEF and the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC) have been working toward improving the education system and the lives of future Iraqi generations.

UNICEF

Recently, UNICEF has partnered with Daewoo E&C to provide hundreds of young children with access to education in disadvantaged areas in Basra. In a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Basra Directorate of Education, this initiative will not only improve children’s preparedness for school but also streamline their progression into primary education, ensuring a seamless and efficient transition. Early Childhood Education (ECE) plays a pivotal role in enabling young learners to embark on their primary education journey at an appropriate age, armed with the essential skills required for future success.

With Daewoo E&C’s support, UNICEF will establish five ECE centers in five schools. Each ECE center will include a classroom and a play area and will be equipped with essential amenities such as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities. Through its Iraq National Education Strategy, UNICEF supports the Government’s goal to provide ECE to at least 30% of Iraqi children by 2031.

In order to ensure that children in Basra and other parts of the country have the best start in life, UNICEF will continue to work with the Government of Iraq, U.N. agencies, civil society and community organizations.

EPIC

Established in 1998, the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering peace in Iraq. EPIC undertakes humanitarian initiatives to promote harmony within the nation. Through a combination of impactful advocacy, field work aimed at empowering youth and authentic collaborations with both Iraqi civil society and the young population, EPIC is committed to advancing its mission to empower young Iraqis.

EPIC designs and implements a series of on-the-ground programs that empower adolescents to make a positive impact. It also advocates for U.S. and international support to secure peace and build democratic institutions in Iraq. This includes efforts to enhance government accountability, strengthen civil society and improve educational opportunities for all generations of Iraqis.

Furthermore, EPIC facilitates research and information-sharing about developments in Iraq. They share lessons learned and best practices in peacebuilding, education and youth development. Through these programs, EPIC is building a community of young people who have been impacted by them. By supporting the development of programs that best serve Iraq’s youth, EPIC will be able to better understand the needs and aspirations of Iraqi youth.

Unlocking a Brighter Future

Transforming education in Iraq requires a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach. Adequate funding, updated curricula, teacher training, modern infrastructure and equitable access to education are all critical components of reform. International support, collaborations and best practices can also play a pivotal role in guiding the country toward an improved education system. By committing to education reform, there is hope that Iraq can break the chains of poverty and underdevelopment and pave the way for a brighter future for its citizens.

– Dunia Matta
Photo: Flickr