Archive for category: Education

Information and stories on education.

,

The Benefits of Youth Apprenticeships in Nigeria

Youth Apprenticeships in Nigeria The African nation of Nigeria is prioritizing its growth and development. In a tough economic climate of high unemployment and poverty, the youth of Nigeria are motivated to prepare for the future. While classroom learning is undoubtedly important, students are also pursuing a different type of education, oftentimes on top of their schoolwork. Informal Nigerian apprenticeships provide children with personalized vocational training from the master craftsmen of their communities. The benefits of youth apprenticeships in Nigeria are particularly advantageous for children who face a lack of education and extreme poverty. Youth apprenticeships in Nigeria provide useful skills that increase children’s future employability and help them get a head start on their careers. Up to 49% of children are involved in apprenticeships in some areas of Nigeria.

History of Apprenticeships

The master-apprentice relationship has been around for hundreds of years and its implementation can be seen all over the globe. The Igbo apprenticeship system became the prominent model for the Igbo ethnic group, who reside in Southeastern Nigeria. Once young learners prove their knowledge and ability, learners receive more responsibility in their given occupation until they eventually take over the enterprise from their mentor. Now, this same model has spread to different parts of the country and is an ingrained part of the culture. The modern version of this system is different from before because it is not a strictly patrilineal arrangement. Today, apprentices do not have to be male or of relation to the master craftsman as in earlier times.

Benefits of Youth Apprenticeships in Nigeria

Nigerian apprenticeships are mindful of students’ school commitments. The apprenticeship system does not discourage academics but rather works in harmony with it. Hours are flexible and tend to be after school and on the weekends. In addition, many young people find that having a commitment apart from school keeps them busy and out of trouble. A typical age range for these child apprentices is between 10 and 15. In order to avoid malpractice or exploitation, the Nigerian Child Rights Act serves as protection, “but does not rule out children working altogether.” This specification is in place because working can be very advantageous to Nigerian children and restricting work could actually add to their economic difficulties and prevent their career development and economic progression.

Specialty trades for apprenticeships include farming, weaving, pottery, carving, bricklaying, mechanics, hairdressing and operating market stands. For children who are unable to complete their formal school education, being a skilled tradesman or artisan provides a steady alternative career track. Apprenticeships are generally unpaid, but some do provide small cash payments for children to afford basic necessities such as food and clothing. Even little contributions are extremely beneficial for the well-being of Nigerian families in poverty.

Reducing Rates of Poverty

Nigerian apprenticeships can help to ease pre-existing pressures that stem from high unemployment rates and increasing rates of poverty. On top of the potential money generated from apprenticing, the pupil may have the opportunity to take over the mentor’s position in the future with the knowledge of the inner workings of the operation.

Apprenticeships allow more people to have access to financial freedom and present an antidote to global poverty. Overall, Nigerian youth apprenticeships are bringing positive benefits to the country. The likelihood of youth falling further into poverty sees a drastic reduction and personal development becomes a reality.

– Lucy Gentry
Photo: Flickr

, ,

School Reopenings and Teacher Walkouts in Malawi During COVID-19

Malawi's SchoolThe COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools to shut down globally, leading to a crisis of learning as countless students are left without in-person instruction. School reopenings in Malawi show this effect, where remote learning alternatives are not widely available. A week-long teacher walkout recently heightened the tension between education and public health in what has already been a rocky school reopening. While Malawi attempts to balance the safety of teachers with the learning of an already struggling student population, international organizations such as UNICEF have lent a helping hand.

Malawi Teachers Strike

On April 6, 2021, in-person education in Malawi was put on hold as the nation’s teachers left their classrooms and refused to return. The boycott was in response to a dispute between the Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) and the federal government. The government failed to deliver the nation’s teaching staff a previously promised monthly stipend of MK50,000 (about $66) as additional compensation for the hazardous nature of their positions.

Malawi’s government has argued that it does not have enough funding to compensate its teachers, an expense that would cost the impoverished government $2.4 million each month. But, teachers refused to return to the classroom without their hazard pay, until TUM signed a deal with the government, which sent teachers back to work empty-handed.

Learning During the Pandemic

The teachers’ boycott in April was yet another interruption during an already fragmented school year. Malawi’s schools were initially closed on March 23, 2020, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. After months of closed schools and public outcry, Malawi’s president reopened the nation’s schools in a two-stage process in early September 2020. Unfortunately for Malawi’s students, the return to school was not long. Around mid-January 2021, Malawi’s schools closed once again as COVID-19 cases spiked throughout the country. It was not until February 22, 2021, that students returned to classroom learning.

Malawi faced significant difficulties in supplementing school closures with remote learning alternatives. During the initial closures, the government, in conjunction with UNICEF, implemented the Emergency Radio Education Programme (EREP). The EREP delivered primary school lessons to Malawi’s students over the radio. In total, the EREP delivered 400 lessons in English, maths and Chichewa to nearly two million primary school students. Furthermore, more than 70,000 high school students had access to online learning and 50,000 high school students received self-study resources.

But, these remote learning initiatives were not all-inclusive. More than 60% of primary and secondary students in Malawi did not have access to remote learning resources during school closures. These long-term lapses in learning have been devastating for students.

Malawi’s School System

Primary education in Malawi became free in 1994. Since then, 90% of Malawi’s school-age children have enrolled in primary schools. Yet, high enrollment has caused problems because Malawi’s education system does not have the infrastructure to support and teach such a massive student body.

While Malawi’s education system has met the rising demand for schooling, it has struggled to maintain quality schooling. A review of student performances in Malawi found low rates of comprehension in multiple subjects. Additionally, only about half of Malawi’s students complete their primary education. Furthermore, for those who do pass primary school, only 16% continue to receive a secondary education.

The frequent pauses in learning due to the pandemic threaten to degrade students’ already low rates of comprehension and completion. Malawi’s education system has received international assistance to avoid further issues.

UNICEF Assists

UNICEF has been a key ally to Malawi’s education system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from implementing Malawi’s Emergency Radio Education Program, UNICEF’s most substantial efforts have been to procure international funding for the education system’s COVID-19 response. This effort included $10 million from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and more than $300,000 from the Education Cannot Wait fund.

UNICEF has also helped to create health and safety protocols, which have guided the return of Malawi’s students and teachers to classrooms. Additionally, UNICEF has worked to distribute supplies to Malawi’s schools. For instance, the organization delivered 650 portable chalkboards to disadvantaged schools to facilitate outdoor learning for thousands of students.

UNICEF’s support has been vital to the reopening of Malawi’s schools during the pandemic. However, the recent teacher walkouts illustrate that the impacts of COVID-19 are persistent in Malawi. Malawi will need further international support for the country to fully revitalize its education system.

– Joseph Cavanagh
Photo: Flickr

, ,

GirlsGoIT Promotes Teaching Girls about Tech

GirlsGoIT Promotes Teaching Girls about Tech
GirlsGoIT is an organization based in Moldova that encourages girls and young women to explore IT careers. Particularly reaching out to girls with disabilities or from rural areas, the organization helps introduce girls to tech fields through workshops, summer camps and large community events. Through the work of the organization, GirlsGoIT promotes teaching girls about tech and helping them see that there is a place for them in the tech industry. The tech industry needs girls’ voices, creativity and ideas to continue to thrive and grow. 

How GirlsGoIT Promotes Teaching Girls About Tech: Work and Events

A major event in the Girls GoIT program is the summer camps the organization holds, where the organization invites girls aged 16 to 20 from all over the country to spend time learning the basics of IT work, how to use different computer programs and how to create their own software. The camps also give young women a fuller scope of tech work by inviting professionals to work with the girls. These include web designers, copywriters and social media analysts. Working with the professionals gives the girls a chance to conceptualize different careers and think of the different possible career paths in the world of tech IT.

The hope with the camps is that the girls will continue to research and practice for a career in tech. The girls will build connections with professionals and peers and will pass on their knowledge to other young people in their communities. In fact, many of the girls become GirlsGoIt ambassadors, where they establish and run local computer clubs in their communities. 

Throughout the year, however, GirlsGoIT continues to have programs to help introduce more girls to the world of tech. The organization often has workshops in the spring and summer and has expanded its work to include creating and programming robotics and learning how to 3D print and model. GirlsGoIT also has many live discussions for adults in which it advises parents, educators and other professionals about encouraging more young women to involve themselves with IT. It often holds informative lectures about what people can do to help create a more inclusive tech workforce.

Work During the Pandemic

With COVID-19 preventing many in-person events, many GirlsGoIT annual events had to reform and take on a new shape. But even with these setbacks, GirlsGoIt was still able to hold successful events and create new opportunities for the participants of its program.

Even before the pandemic, the team at GirlsGoIt was looking for ways to combine in-person education with the digital sphere. So, the organization embraced this and moved its typical seasonal workshops online in 2020. In the autumn workshop in October 2020, around 155 participants joined. For the spring workshop, which was from the end of March to early April 2021, more than 922 people applied. This represents the largest number of applicants the workshop has had. 

GirlsGoIT Collaborations and Campaigns 

In 2020, GirlsGoIT partnered with different organizations to host new events and give participants of its programs new opportunities. One of the organizations was Crunchyroll Moldova. Both organizations host a discussion event about STEM education’s importance in our new generation. In addition, Crunchyroll also offers internships to participants of GirlsGoIt. The internship provides experience and helps the girls continue in their careers with a letter of recommendation and a diploma.

In 2021, GirlsGoIT released a new campaign titled “It’s Not Just About the Code!” The campaign intends to show that people with different interests and fields ranging from tech-based to artistic careers can involve themselves in GirlsGoIT. A variety of professions and fields use IT skills. It also emphasizes that learning how to code is just the first step in working in IT. Other skills include being able to communicate efficiently, creating a good product and considering the customer’s needs that are necessary to succeed in the tech field. GirlsGoIT emphasizes that the program is about teaching all the skills young women would need to be successful in the industry.

Impact and Importance

Predictions have determined that soon, 90% of all jobs will require some form of ICT skills. However, as of 2018, women held only 25% of all tech jobs. Upon further examination, only 19% of entry-level or mid-level tech jobs contain women. Women had 16% of senior-level jobs and filled only 10% of executive positions in the tech industry.

The low women-held tech positions directly tie into young women choosing to study IT or STEM-related fields in the teenage as young adult years. Many young women reported avoiding the subjects because they believed they were not good at IT subjects. The women did not think that the subjects were interesting or did not believe they wanted a tech career.

The fewer women in the tech industry, the more it feels to people that women do not belong in this field. GirlsGoIT’s work is important because of how the organization teaches girls to code, create software and build robotics. The organization is also important because it shows young women and their communities that women belong in the world of tech and that the world needs their voices and ideas.

In Conclusion

Many of the young women who participated in GirlsGoIt and became ambassadors for the program did not know they wanted a career in tech before they joined. Some of the women even said they were sure they were not good at STEM subjects before participating. The program also helped win over many parents. Seeing their daughters participate in the programs helped people realize the importance of increasing the number of women in the tech industry. The women started to encourage other parents that they knew to support their children in STEM and IT subjects. GirlsGoIt promotes teaching girls about tech and is taking an important step to help make the tech industry a more equal and fair workspace.

– Mikayla Burton
Photo: Flickr

,

Education in Ghana: the North and South Divide

Education in GhanaThere is a stark difference in education in Ghana between the northern and southern regions. 18-year-old Kelvin Odartei lives in Southern Ghana and recently became the first car-owner in his community. However, Odartei’s kinfolk in the northern regions of Ghana had no such chances. Despite a renowned ranking in Africa due to its natural wealth, Ghana struggles with educational infrastructure in the northern regions. Politics in northern regions have restricted learning possibilities. But today, things have changed.

History of the North and South Divide

Ghana was the first African country to gain its independence from British colonial rule. Kwame Nkrumah led the country to independence on March 6, 1957, while he formed Pan-African organizations across the continent. Nkrumah led successful efforts to expand literacy in Ghana. His administration built and funded multiple schools across the southern regions. As a result, many southern regions have an educated population of young adults.

However, that was not the case in Northern Ghana. Sources indicate that the Nkrumah administrations neglected the northern regions’ educational system in the 1960s due to tribal-nationalist conflicts that emerged alongside the post-colonial governing efforts. As quoted by President Nkrumah’s critics, “We were hoping that when Ghana was independent the newly all-African Government would provide the North with all that was required to free the North from ignorance… [I]nstead this the Government dominated by Southerners, are doing all they can to keep the Northerners down so that they can use them as servants.” Since then, not many governments have made efforts to increase the quality of education in the northern regions.

For instance, the Sanguli schools in the northern region, founded in 1961, had 500 students with only four teachers. The school’s quality and infrastructure were reported to include “inadequate infrastructure, insufficient teaching staff and lack of information, communication technology, ICT laboratories, as well as libraries.” As a result, the poverty rate has remained alarmingly high, according to concerned residents.

Lack of resources and budgets has also resulted in poor educational settings — students were forced to sit on the floor, potholes inside the classroom had issued health and safety concerns and parents reported students experiencing forced labor in teachers’ farms in exchange for school fees.

2017 and Beyond

Things took a turn in 2017 as Ghana’s current president Akufo-Addo ensured that all regions will have newly constructed schools and supplies. “There will be no admission fees, no library fees … no examination fees…. There will be free textbooks, free boarding and free meals.” You can learn more about recent reforms for education in Ghana here.

U.S.-founded Millenium Change Corporation (MCC) has funded over $9 million for Ghana’s educational sector. This includes money for the construction of 221 schools in Northern and Southern Ghana. Furthermore, since 2007, MCC has made groundbreaking “investments in education infrastructure [which] would lead to improved school access. Improved school outcomes would lead to poverty reduction through economic growth.”

Today, Ghana has one of the highest investments in education with “30% of the government budget on the educational sector” and 11% of the country’s GDP invested in public schools. Because of the increased educational infrastructure, young students like Odartei can feel confident that Ghana can carry their future dreams.

– Ayesha Swaray 
Photo: Flickr

, ,

Addressing Autism in Hong Kong

Addressing Autism in Hong Kong
Of every 100,000 children in Hong Kong, 372 suffer from autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder or autism affects an individual’s nervous system and causes developmental delays. This condition varies in severity in each case, and symptoms mostly consist of recurring body movements, odd fascination towards certain things and trouble speaking and interacting with others. Left unattended, autism in adulthood often results in loss of employment and difficulty focusing in school. The Aoi Pui School, Autism Partnership and Heep Hong Society are all addressing autism in Hong Kong and improving lives by helping children integrate into ordinary schools and teaching vital work skills.

Aoi Pui School

Researchers who wanted to provide quality education to children with autism in Hong Kong founded Aoi Pui School (APS) in 2007. More specifically, the institution teaches fundamental work skills to its students. Every student at APS enrolls in a program that educates the children about professional competence. In the program, students learn about the importance of maintaining a positive work ethic, approaching work with enthusiasm, comprehending the responsibilities and knowing the privileges.

Autism Partnership

The Autism Partnership (AP) came to Hong Kong in 1999 and strives to offer effective treatment to children with autism. AP works towards integrating autistic children into mainstream schools and society. It offers two programs called The Buddies and i-Club to encourage autistic children to develop their social skills. The Buddies program targets first, second and third graders and educates the students on how to maintain relationships with their peers. The i-Club program focuses on children heading to middle school and teaches the children how to calm down, control their feelings, consider the point of view of others, establish relationships, respectfully play with others and start dialogues.

AP also helps children successfully join mainstream schools. First, an AP employee sets up a specific plan with the institution. Then, AP educates counselors at the school about the child’s particular case. Next, the organization checks on the success of the student and changes the child’s plan when problems arise. Lastly, the student relies less on the counselors and navigates school individually.

Heep Hong Society

Since 1963, Heep Hong Society strives to improve the lives of minors with disabilities and different backgrounds. In particular, the organization assists older autistic children in obtaining and retaining jobs. First, the Heep Hong Society gives personal guidance to each adolescent. In the one-on-one discussions, the organization discovers the young adult’s passions, talents and attributes to help connect the students with dream jobs and assist them in issues regarding socialization, studying and employment. Also, the Heep Hong Society works with local companies to secure jobs and scholarships for its students.

Conclusion

All in all, Aoi Pui School, Autism Partnership and Heep Hong Society strive to help children with autism in Hong Kong enroll in mainstream schools and obtain employment. With the help of these organizations, autistic youth can retain independence and live above the poverty line.

– Samantha Rodriguez
Photo: Flickr

, ,

Initiatives to Fight Educational Disparities in Brazil

Educational Disparities in Brazil
A number of organizations are working with local governments to combat educational disparities in Brazil. In 2021, people are living in a modern world that has deep connections to the internet, so a significant disparity for education in Brazil is access to connected technology. A majority of Latin American students lack access to digital devices with internet connections. A 2018 report stated that less than 30% of students in major countries including Brazil and Argentina had access to the web. One of the few countries with a majority of students connected to the internet is Chile. For context, around 18% of “remote rural” students in Mississippi lack internet connections. Students, especially those in extreme poverty, need access to the web, and educators need the proper equipment to teach their students.

Disparity Between Urban and Rural Students

A few factors play into the educational disparities in Brazil. The country invests one of the lowest shares of its GDP into primary and tertiary education. This may directly link to the fact that approximately 11.5 million Brazilians over the age of 15 are illiterate. A 2017 poll of public school teachers in Brazil found that “two-thirds of Brazilian public school teachers cite poor equipment as a reason for not using technological resources in the classroom.” Research shows that educational equipment and tools along with internet access at schools improve student academic performance. Meanwhile, rural students continue to have access to a limited number of technological resources. 

A large education disparity in Brazil exists between rural and urban students. Both rural and urban students transitioned from in-person to online school during COVID-19. However, teacher Ivonaldo Lopes de Araújo found that half of his class lacked access to the internet. Brazil’s government, international organizations and Google for Education are working to fix these issues.

Google for Education

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, created a program called Google for Education. The mission of the program involves “directing [its] products, people, programs and philanthropy toward a future where every student has access to the quality education they deserve.” Specifically, the program helps fund initiatives and institutions in Brazil that provide technology access for students and teachers. Colégio Agostiniano São José is a reference school for Google. The school has experience using Google Workspace and Chromebooks. The college services early childhood education and grade school educators and classrooms. Certified coaches run workshops for Brazilian educators, in which the coaches teach the educators how to properly utilize the technology in classrooms.

Google also spotlights Latin American innovation projects. In 2018, Google highlighted a few ways that the organization partnered with local governments in Brazil to make computers accessible to students and teachers in public schools. Carol Neris, a high school student, created an app called Hack Health, which gives users information about health resources near the students. The app shows doctor availability, vaccine availability and other information that bridges educational access gaps for locals. Other students from a reference school in São Paulo’s Colegio Magno developed a way to condense local water sources into drinkable water. The students even created a system to purify and use river water to grow vegetables for the cafeteria to use. Students and educators are using the technology resources available to enhance student education and improve local communities.

Resources from UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) outlined information and technology use in Brazilian education. The U.N. organization developed a program that works with regional governments and institutions to contribute resources to enhance the classroom. The program’s goals include providing policy support, training educators and promoting inclusive education that bridges economic and gender gaps. The program also collects statistics that help UNESCO develop and refine the program.

How Partnerships Help

Educational disparities in Brazil exist because of historical underfunding that has led to a limit on the technological resources available to educators and students. However, local education administrations that partner with Google and UNESCO help bridge the technology gap in public schools. While these programs cannot fix the lack of funding, the initiatives help promote technology and communication access in Brazil, which gives students and educators the necessary resources to succeed in this interconnected world.

– Jacob Richard Bergeron
Photo: Flickr

Educational Inequality in South Korea

Educational Inequality in South Korea
Despite 70 years of impressive economic and educational development in South Korea, low-income households are struggling to close the achievement gap resulting from the income gap. Past educational inequality in South Korea persists today as low-income adults invest disproportionately in hopes their children will achieve academic and economic success.

Education and Poverty

In 2018, the Organization Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a working report on child poverty in South Korea. One positive finding is that only 7% of children live at or below the poverty line in Korea in comparison with the 13% average among OECD countries. A strong labor market and a steady decrease in birth rates both contributed to a drop in child poverty.

This report highlights education’s role in children’s standard of living regarding two key identifiable risk factors:

  • Cost of Education
  • Parental Education and Employment

Other factors such as rising rent prices also burden families. However, parental education has had a noticeable impact on a household’s income potential and how burdensome a household might find all expenditures, including the significant cost of children’s education.

The Cost of Cramming Schools

South Korean households pay about 42% of the costs of primary and secondary school education for their children compared with the 22% average among other OECD countries. These expenses include traditional fees and costs for supplies and afterschool activities.

Nearly 68% of students attend hagwons, otherwise known as cramming schools, which are private schools that children attend outside of their usual classes for an average of 4.6 hours per week. Cramming schools provide additional instruction on top of regular school hours in order to prepare students for competitive entrance exams. The more hours a child spends in those schools, the more money their families have to spend. An estimated 16.5% of poor households overspend on hagwons, investing around 30% of their income as opposed to the 5% average among higher-income households. These cramming schools demonstrate how parental employment impacts educational inequality in South Korea.

The Value of Parents’ Education

While South Korean employment rates line up with other OECD countries, the nature of employment is important. Having a parent in non-regular employment is a risk factor for child poverty and, indirectly, educational inequality in South Korea. Non-regular workers are subject to inconsistent or short-term employment with poorer conditions and pay. These workers make up one-third of the South Korean workforce and many possess a secondary education level or lower.

It is also notable that a growing number of highly educated people hold non-regular employment in South Korea. While non-regular workers make up a third of the labor force in South Korea, a third of those workers have completed tertiary education. However, this is due to competition for well-paid, regular work, and households with a highly educated head still tend to be better off than less educated households. Thus, attaining a higher education level remains desirable.

Dr. Soo-Yong Byun and Dr. Kyung-Keun Kim provide a greater context in their 2010 study, “Educational inequality in South Korea: The widening socioeconomic gap in student achievement.” Byun and Kim examined how a household’s socioeconomic status affected eighth-grade academic achievement. They determined that, regarding secondary education, parents’ socioeconomic status indirectly impacted their children’s achievement through how much money they could spend on hagwons.

Lower-income students unable to extensively attend hagwons, among other opportunities, might then experience a disadvantage in competitive exams determining which schools they might attend. Various cities and regions have implemented policies to equalize primary and secondary education, more evenly distributing lower-income students throughout higher quality public and private schools. However, this policy does not apply to all of South Korea or account for university entrance exams. This means children’s future socioeconomic achievement may be at risk due to their parents’ education and employment statuses.

Cutting Families a Break

The South Korean government recognizes the educational inequality that low-income families face and employs additional programs to address the issue. The National Center on Education and the Economy outlines some programs assisting low-income households regarding educational inequality in South Korea. Such programs comprise:

  • Free childcare for all children aged 3 to 5 years old
  • Vouchers for after-school activity fees for primary and secondary-aged students
  • Child Development Accounts in which the government will match the family’s contributions and alleviate future university or vocational school expenses
  • Incentives for teachers to work in schools with higher proportions of low-income students

Looking Ahead

South Korea continues to expand and experiment with its education and social policies in hopes of mitigating burdens on low-income households. Education already helped lift generations of South Koreans out of poverty. The government and families are investing in education and its equalization in hopes of lifting up thousands more.

– Mckenzie Howell
Photo: Flickr

,

Salesian Missions: Self-Sustainability in Eritrea

Self-sustainability in EritreaSalesian Missions, an organization part of the Salesians of Don Bosco, has provided the Don Bosco Technical School in Eritrea with funding to buy two cows. The funding, which also enabled students to buy food supplies, will help the school work toward self-sustainability. In the future, the Salesian missionaries hope to gain funding to purchase two additional cows and renovate the barn housing the cows. The funding is part of a long-term self-sustainability project. Members of the school and the community have also been growing their own vegetables, selling milk and making furniture to sell. Self-sustainability in Eritrea is important as nearly 70% of Eritreans live in poverty.

Don Bosco Technical School

The Don Bosco Technical School is located in Dekemhare, 25 miles away from the Eritrean capital, Asmara. The education facility teaches technical skills in “automotive work, general metal, general mechanics, carpentry, building construction, woodwork or furniture making, electricity, electronics and surveying.” The school also teaches courses in information technology and academic subjects. After completing a course, students participate in “military training for six months” and the Eritrean government allocates jobs to them. Salesian Missions’ funding plays a vital role in the school’s flourishing self-sustainability project.

Salesians of Don Bosco and Salesian Missions

The Salesians of Don Bosco is a global Catholic organization founded by an Italian Catholic priest, Don Bosco, to “serve the young,” especially impoverished and marginalized people. It is now the second-largest order within the Catholic Church. Salesian Missions, its U.S. developmental branch, is made up of more than 30,000 religious members dedicated to serving the world’s most impoverished people. Salesian Missions’ overall goal is to equip children with the skills needed to secure employment and achieve self-sufficiency in order to break cycles of poverty.

Poverty and Agriculture in Eritrea

Eritrea’s economy depends, in part, on agriculture. While agriculture makes up about one-third of the country’s economy, it accounts for about 63% of total employment. Eritrea’s agriculture sector is highly dependant on rainfall, making it a volatile sector due to increasing droughts.

According to the World Population Review, 69% of Eritrea’s population lives in poverty. Eritrea ranks fifth for global poverty, behind only South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. Due to high rates of poverty, self-sustainability in Eritrea is the surest means of survival.

Eritrea is also known for its strict government. Dubbed by many as the “Africa’s North Korea,” Eritrea has been subject to several U.N. and EU sanctions, some of which have been lifted. However, Eritrea was recently hit with sanctions for human rights violations tied to the conflict in Ethiopia. As an isolated nation, Eritrea is cut off from many of the advantages of globalism and does not enjoy the same opportunities for global trade.

A Future of Self-Sustainability

Because of its high poverty rates and struggling agricultural sector, any funding into agricultural resources greatly helps the citizens of Eritrea, allowing them to work toward self-sustainability and thrive for far longer than short-term food aid would allow. Salesian Missions is doing important work since self-sustainability in Eritrea is vital for the survival of many.

– Augustus Bambridge-Sutton
Photo: Flickr

, ,

UNICEF Promotes Syrian Children’s Resilience

Syrian Children's Resilience
For much of the world’s youth, guns, bombs and rubble describe a scene from a war video game, but these circumstances are a reality for Syrian children. Nearly six million Syrian children have known nothing but war. Over 4.8 million were born into the Syrian conflict with one million more born as refugees after their families fled from conflict-riddled countries. However, despite these challenges, Syrian children’s resilience shines above and beyond their difficulties.

UNICEF, arguably the organization providing the most vital humanitarian assistance to Syrian children, requested $1.4 billion in 2021 to provide the necessary aid to those it serves. The Borgen Project spoke with Salam Al Janabi, Chief of Communications for UNICEF in Syria, who stated that “This past year we saw a 20% jump in the numbers of children in need. The triple crises of conflict, COVID-19 and a crushing economic crisis are really pushing children and families over the edge.” However, hope still exists, because Syrian children’s resilience is amazing despite their devastating living circumstances.

The Life of a Syrian Child

What is it like living as a child amid the conflict in Syria? Here are a few of the most startling statistics:

  • About 80% of Syrian children live in poverty.
  • The number of displaced children has doubled since 2012, reaching 2.6 million in 2020.
  • Nearly 12,000 children have been victims of death or injury since the start of the conflict in 2011. This means, one child has suffered injury or death every eight hours for 10 years, amounting to about 12,000 children. Unfortunately, the U.N. has predicted that this number could be much higher.
  • Between 2011 and 2020, militants recruited more than 5,700 children as child soldiers. Many of these children were no more than 7 years old.
  • Close to 3.5 million Syrian children are unable to attend school. Girls make up 40% of those without access to education.
  • Many children and their families have fled violence more than seven times, usually finding shelter in tents and unfinished buildings.

Hyperinflation and the country’s intense instability continue to breed catastrophe for Syrians. The price of a basket with the most basic food staples increased by 236% while the Syrian pound dropped by 78%. This staggering figure is forcing parents to put their children, as young as 7 years old, to work for meager wages to help feed the family.

UNICEF

Amid the ongoing violence, UNICEF continues to offer life-saving support to Syrian children. In 2020, UNICEF and its partners provided crucial support, such as:

  • Screening 2.6 million women and children for malnutrition.
  • Improving water supply for more than three million people.
  • Vaccinating more than 2.5 million children under 5 years old against polio.
  • Supporting the education of 2.2 million children.
  • Ensuring the continuation of services by providing PPE to healthcare workers, schools and NGOs.

In 2021, UNICEF hopes to give more than three million polio vaccinations and further expand access to safe, clean water. It will continue to provide explosive weapons risk education to young people and offer nutrition guidance to those providing care to infants and young children.

Prioritizing Education

Al Janabi told The Borgen Project, “I think what cannot be emphasized enough is how much parents here in Syria value education. Even in some of the remotest, most destroyed areas we have been to, parents will tell you that they need a school for their children.” Prior to the conflict, enrollment rates were consistently 97% or higher. In 2020, more than 3.7 million Syrian children received access to formal and informal education opportunities as a result of UNICEF and its partners’ assistance.

Education is vital for any child. However, education is absolutely vital for Syrian children. The schooling they miss not only affects their social and mental development but also holds their futures hostage. “The triple crisis” is a lot to contend with; however, even among these extremely challenging circumstances, Syrian children’s resilience continues to inspire.

Saja’s Story

To say that living in Syria as a child is challenging is a vast understatement. Nonetheless, these children carry with them infinite hope for the future. One of these children is Saja, who was just 7 years old when the war began. At age 11, Saja suffered serious injury from a bomb explosion. She lost four young friends and her leg that day. Her brother lost his life during a bombing raid. Her family relocated several times to escape the escalating violence.

UNICEF interviewed Saja at the age of 12. She spoke of the joyful life she experienced prior to the war and her passion for learning. She said she has to walk a long way to get to school which is difficult for her due to her injury. However, looking into the camera and speaking through a wide grin, she said, “It’s a struggle, but what else can you do?” Now 18, Saja says she never loses hope. Her great love of sports, soccer in particular, and school helped her overcome the difficulties that filled her childhood. She dreams of studying literature and physical education.

Hope for the Future

Children like Saja exist throughout Syria’s wartorn cities. Resilience has woven into the fabric of many of these childhoods. Children who refuse to give in to their circumstances instead seek to rise above them. Speaking to Syrian children’s resilience and courage, Al-Janabi stated that “Yes, they need our support and help but they also show us that they have it in them to get through this. The world cannot keep letting them down.” The enduring work UNICEF is doing offers a glimpse of normalcy and the organization has no intention of slowing down. While it is difficult to fathom the seriousness of the crisis in Syria, the children living through it are the true heroes in every story of this conflict.

– Rachel Proctor
Photo: Flickr