Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Preventing the Spread of Common Diseases in Liberia

Common Diseases in LiberiaAs one of the poorest countries in the world, Liberia has struggled to develop adequate healthcare infrastructure to combat the spread of disease. Many diseases in Liberia can be traced to poor hygiene, sanitation and water quality, allowing diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and cholera to affect the population.

Despite economic barriers, Liberia has made progress in certain areas, such as combatting the spread of HIV/AIDS through government programs and improved conditions.

Some of the most common diseases in Liberia include pneumonia, acute respiratory diseases and diarrheal diseases, all of which have high mortality rates. Many respiratory diseases can be linked to poor indoor air quality in rural areas where coal is often burned with poor ventilation.

Another health concern due to poor living conditions is the prevalence of cholera and parasitic disease outbreaks, which are connected to contaminated water and lack of proper sanitation. Over half of Liberian households do not use any toilet facility, and only 10 percent of households use an improved, unshared toilet facility.

Malaria is one of the most common illnesses throughout West Africa, and Liberia is no exception. Malaria accounts for 38 percent of all outpatient visits — the most out of any disease. After peaking in 2011, confirmed Malaria cases per 1000 have declined drastically to 220 cases per 1000 all thanks to preventative efforts and increased awareness.

In the spring of 2017, Liberia experienced a “mystery outbreak” along with several other West African countries. After extensive testing on autopsies, the outbreak was classified as meningitis, which caught scientists off guard due to the introduction of a meningitis vaccine throughout West Africa in 2010.

This outbreak, however, is presumed to be a meningitis C strain, which required different antibiotics to treat. In all, Liberia’s quick response and containment of the outbreak has demonstrated the country’s health improvements since the first cases of Ebola in 2014.

In the last decade, Liberia has made a concentrated effort at curbing the spread of diseases such as HIV. Recently, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and its partners have increased the number of HIV counseling and testing centers, and helped increase the number of sites providing prevention of mother-to-child transmission services from 29 in 2008 to 230 in 2011.

While the prevalence of the disease remains relatively high at 1.9 percent for adults ages 15-49, the Liberian government has put infrastructure in place to bring this number down in the near future.

While poverty and poor living conditions continue to facilitate the spread of diseases in Liberia, recent efforts have reduced the threat of Malaria and HIV. Continued improvements to water quality, living conditions and health care access are necessary for Liberia to solve future questions regarding disease.

– Nicholas Dugan

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Nine of the Most Important Facts About Tongan Emigrants

Tongan EmigrantsTonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific and the last surviving Polynesian kingdom. While isolation, limited markets, frequent earthquakes and cyclones pose a threat to native Tongans, emigration has had a positive economic impact both on Tongan emigrants and native Tongans. Here are nine facts about Tongan emigrants you should know:

  1. Tonga has retained much of its heritage despite 70 years of British colonial rule. The country gained independence and became a member of the British Commonwealth in 1970. Immigration patterns have helped maintain Tongan culture overseas: Emigrants have brought their families abroad, resulting in high concentrations of Tongans in cities like Auckland, New Zealand or Oahu, Hawaii where Tongan language and customs are preserved.
  2. One of the first motivations for Tongans to emigrate was population growth. In 1976, Tonga’s population tripled what it had been in the 1930s. The country’s relatively little land combined with a potential food shortage and greater educational opportunity abroad drove most Tongan emigrants to New Zealand, Australia and the U.S.
  3. Many early Tongan emigrants converted to Mormonism. The Church of Latter Day Saints conducted extensive missionary efforts in Tonga, and converts were offered free plane tickets to the U.S. This led to the creation of one of the first Tongan-American communities in Salt Lake City, Utah.
  4. Today, half of roughly 216,000 Tongans live abroad.
  5. Thirty percent of Tonga’s GDP comes from remittances, or sums of money sent from Tongans abroad to their families at home. Remittances come in the form of cash as well as material goods such as appliances and clothing. They are essential to the Tongan economy as Tonga has few exports, there are few salaried jobs available to young adults and unemployment is common in rural areas.
  6. However, remittances do have their drawbacks—money flowing into the country has caused a spike in material consumption, which has in turn caused inflation.
  7. Even Tonga’s tourism industry is bolstered by Tongan emigrants. Large families who have moved away visit Tonga frequently and support the country’s economy by spending money at local businesses.
  8. The longevity of remittances as the basis of Tonga’s economy currently lies in doubt. As more Tongans are born abroad, some fear that young Tongans’ connections to their home country could be weaker and that remittances could diminish.
  9. Another factor that contributes to economic instability in Tonga is the common occurrence of natural disasters. Tonga is part of the “Ring of Fire,” an area prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions near the basin of the Pacific Ocean. In addition, Tonga’s tropical cyclone season takes place November through April, though cyclones can occur at any point during the year. The variety and frequency of natural disasters in Tonga could threaten Tonga’s agricultural export infrastructure.

While Tonga’s economy faces some challenges, the Tongan population has been steadily increasing for decades. Notably, the rate of population increase spiked from 0.35 percent in 2013 to 0.82 percent in 2017. Tongans born abroad will have complex and varied relationships to their native country as time goes on, but the fact their numbers are increasing suggests that Tonga will be able to count on its emigrants for remittances for years to come.

– Caroline Meyers
Photo: Flickr

Causes of Death: The Most Common Diseases in Rwanda

Diseases in RwandaRwanda, a country located in Central-Eastern Africa, is a country that has experienced everything from colonialism to genocide. Currently, Rwanda continues to battle hidden enemies within its borders: various diseases that infect its population. With a population of more than 11 million, the occurrence of common communicable diseases in Rwanda is an urgent concern.

The top ten causes of death in Rwanda are lower respiratory infections, HIV, diarrheal diseases, congenital birth defects, cancer, preterm birth complications, encephalopathy, neonatal sepsis, protein energy malnutrition and road injuries. Of these causes of death, diseases make up at least a third of the list.

Respiratory Disease

Lower respiratory disease is an unexpected, but serious health concern in Rwanda. The elderly, specifically those over 80, are especially vulnerable to lower respiratory infections after a lifetime of exposure to factors that cause lower respiratory infections.

Air pollution and malnutrition are the leading contributors to respiratory infections. Interestingly, neither are factors which an individual can directly control. Individuals are vulnerable to lower respiratory infections throughout their life due to these environmental factors. Tobacco, alcohol and drug usage only account for about 10 percent of lower respiratory diseases.

Hepatitis B and C 

Other common diseases in Rwanda are Hepatitis (B and C). Hepatitis consists of the inflammation of the liver. Unfortunately, hepatitis shows limited symptoms, if any at all, making it difficult to diagnose. When symptoms do show, they may consist of yellowish skin and poor appetite. Hepatitis is classified as “acute” when it lasts fewer than six months, and “chronic” when it lasts longer.

Sometimes, hepatitis may be diagnosed as malaria, since malaria victims also experience yellowish skin. However, malaria’s other symptoms manifest more powerfully: the ill person will experience fever, fatigue, vomiting and headaches. In the worse cases of malaria, people experience seizures, comas and ultimately, death. In 2013, 900,000 people in Rwanda were diagnosed with malaria.

Typhoid

Typhoid is a disease that occurs as result of ingesting contaminated food or water. Typhoid brings reduced appetite, headaches, generalized aches and pains, fever and worse of all, diarrhea. Typhoid is predominantly caused by external factors such as the ingestion of contaminants.

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is another silent disease spreading through the population of Rwanda. HIV/AIDS is spread through drug needles or through sexual contact with infected people. Some symptoms of HIV/AIDS include swollen glands and flu-like symptoms. This disease is fast-spreading — one person is infected every 30 minutes. In 2013, 200,000 Rwandans were living with HIV/AIDS, with 4,500 dying the same year. Being infected with HIV/AIDS increases a person’s chance by 30 times of developing active tuberculosis.

Breast Cancer

In addition to these diseases, cancer—especially breast cancer—is common among Rwandans. Access to hospitals and medical treatment may be difficult in terms of finances and transport.

Poverty and susceptibility to communicable diseases are closely linked. Once a disease is contracted, the lack of medical care places those ill at great risk.

War and Poverty  

Diseases strike resource-poor communities, like those in Rwanda. Rwanda’s genocide in 1994 took a great toll on the communities: 800,000 Rwandans were killed in 3 months. During the genocide, systematic rape served to transmit HIV/AIDS to thousands. Rwandans who fled to refugee camps weren’t safe either. The lack of sanitation, food and water increased the spread of infectious diseases rapidly. Rwandans found themselves falling prey to malaria and tuberculosis.

Rwanda’s communities are still recovering from war and battling poverty. The poor find it difficult to access medical care when they are ill; communicable diseases then spread because they are left untreated. The cycle of poverty leaves many susceptible to treatable diseases.

Solutions 

However, hope is not lost: the Rwandan government and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working to work towards preventing common diseases in Rwanda. The CDC is trying to develop more labs and clinics to help treat HIV/AIDS, including distributing blood safety devices to help prevent HIV/AIDS in the first place. For malaria, the CDC is taking a preventative approach, by distributing nets and insecticide. The CDC is also monitoring each case of malaria carefully.

Rwanda is also home to Congolese refugees. Due to the preventative healthcare approach the CDC is taking, it is screening Congolese refugees for infectious diseases and chronic conditions that may be contagious to residents of Rwanda.

The Rwandan government has been cooperative with new approaches in its medical treatment infrastructure. In July 2017, the government became one of the first African countries to implement the World Health Organization’s treatment strategy, heralding a focus on preventative medicine.

The CDC and the Rwandan government demonstrate that together, agencies and communities can slowly defeat the common diseases in Rwanda.

– Smriti Krishnan
Photo: Flickr

Examining the Poverty Rate in Fiji

Poverty Rate in FijiComprised of 330 islands in the South Pacific, Fiji is a tropical nation with a population of almost 900,000 and growing. Despite a booming tourism industry, much of the country’s population suffers from poverty and malnourishment. Fortunately, the poverty rate in Fiji is beginning to decline.

The percentage of Fiji’s population living beneath its national poverty line hovers around 30 percent, amounting to a quarter million people, and has remained fairly stationary for the past 10 years. Compared to its South Pacific counterparts, the poverty rate in Fiji is average given its location and circumstances. Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Micronesia top the list with rates of about 40 percent. The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are the wealthiest nations in the South Pacific with poverty rates of 12.7 percent. To put these numbers into perspective, 15 percent of the United States lives in poverty.

Shanty towns, or squatter neighborhoods, rest mere miles outside of Fiji’s luxurious resorts. Impoverished rural citizens often resort to moving into shanty towns in order to find work in urban areas within the tourism industry. Fiji’s sugar production, once another booming industry, is on a slow decline. Because of this, rural workers now have better luck finding work in the cities.

In the past, hunger was a looming issue across the islands of Fiji. A 2004 report stated that approximately 40 percent of Fijian children experienced malnourishment. This figure is high even when compared to the country’s poverty rate as a whole.

Why does Fiji experience such issues? Fiji’s politics were once turbulent and the lack of a strong judiciary system allowed for rampant corruption and misconduct.  Education and literacy rates are relatively low, making it difficult for many Fijians to find ample work. Land ownership and leasing are highly restricted, as the government lays claim to about 92 percent of all property. Business ownership is also a difficult venture due to strict regulations, but it is becoming easier as new policy makes an effort to enforce a simpler start-up process.

Luckily, current news regarding Fiji’s poverty and hunger is not so bleak. With record numbers of tourists entering the country, workers are finding jobs now more than ever. With changes in leadership and policy, the government is now more supportive of its constituents. The operations manager of Fiji’s Red Cross Society, Eseroma Ledua, noted that the government supports locals in doing business and educates them to be resilient in potentially troubling future economies.

Continued government reform and an increasing tourist volume are likely to continue the steady decline of the poverty rate in Fiji.

-Emily Van Devender

Photo: Flickr

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How to Help People in El Salvador

How to Help People in El SalvadorPoverty in El Salvador is high; in 2015 it was measured that 34.9 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Comparatively, 15.1 percent of the population of the United States lives below the poverty line.

Poverty is high in El Salvador due to the remnants of its violent civil war from 1979 to 1992. Although a truce was agreed to, tensions between the communist rebel movement and the conservative government remain, which has led to the growth of violent street gangs. El Salvador has the highest murder rate in the world (excluding countries at war) due to the activities of its gangs. Violence and instability have created increased poverty within El Salvador.

People in the United States can help citizens in El Salvador. Many Salvadorans have fled to other countries – including the United States – due to the violence in their homeland. American citizens can help Salvadoran refugees by donating to The UN Refugee Agency’s Children on the Run campaign. This campaign is specifically aimed at providing shelter, education and physical and mental care for children and families fleeing the violence in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Donations can be made through UNHCR’s website.

Save the Children works within El Salvador to help improve the quality of living for Salvadorans. Through Save the Children, one can sponsor a child from early childhood through to early adulthood. The program supports children throughout their education by providing specialized programmings, such as early literacy programs for toddlers and life-skills programs for adolescents. Save the Children also provides families with seeds and livestock that they need for survival, and tools and temporary jobs to give them an income and teach them new skills. Donating to this cause is a great way to help the people, especially children, of El Salvador.

More hands-on approaches can be used to help people in El Salvador as well. Volunteer opportunities are abundant through a variety of organizations. One such organization is Help International. Help International works on an assortment of projects including building community centers, running outreach programs to assist at-risk youth and reforestation campaigns. One can apply to participate in Help International’s El Salvador program through their website.

Finally, simply sharing this information with friends and family and brainstorming ways you can help can go a long way in helping the people of El Salvador overcome poverty.

– Mary Kate Luft

Photo: Flickr

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Why Is Bulgaria Poor?

Why Is Bulgaria Poor
The European Union is one of the largest single-market economies in the world. However, not all of its 27 countries are able to attain the economic prosperity of the wealthier member states. Bulgaria is one such country. While the EU average risk of poverty is 23 percent, more than 41 percent of Bulgarians find themselves falling into this category, making it the member state with the highest level of this risk. Across the country, almost 10 percent of the population is defined as extremely poor, i.e. living with an income lower than 40 percent of that of the average member of the middle class. While other EU members thrive inside the single market, a question that needs to be asked is this: why is Bulgaria poor?

Perhaps the largest contributor to poverty in Bulgaria is the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on the country. In years prior, Bulgaria had experienced rapid growth. However, like many EU members, this reversed following the crash. In real terms, the economy contracted by 5.5 percent in 2009 primarily due to a decline in foreign direct investment and international trade. Since then, growth has not returned to previous levels, with 2011 figures showing GDP growth to be 1.7 percent. This is far lower than the 6.2 percent growth rate witnessed in 2008.

This lack of growth has negatively impacted wages, with the average annual wage in Bulgaria easily the lowest in the EU at the equivalent of just under 2,000 euros. Around 1.5 million people live on less than 60 percent of the average wage, limiting spending power and leading to further potential issues.

One of these issues is unemployment, with Bulgaria’s unemployment rate standing at 10.8 percent, a full percentage point higher than the EU average. The low wages offered through employment are part of this issue, with people lacking the incentive to work since they are able to receive similar incomes through unemployment benefits. Similarly, the financial crisis has enhanced this issue, with unemployment significantly increasing to current levels from 5.6 percent in 2008. With this being the case, many suggest unemployment as one of the primary reasons for Bulgaria’s high levels of poverty.

There seems to be little progress in assisting those in poverty in Bulgaria. Existing policies are criticised for being unreliable and unable to truly address the problems that the poor of the country face. Additionally, it is estimated that, of the poorest 20 percent of households, such policies impact less than half. Policy focused on growth appears to have failed as well and, despite funding from the EU, increases in employment, income and social inclusion have been minute.

The situation in Bulgaria appears bleak and, without significant policy change at a national level, little will change going forward. Decision makers must investigate ways to increase wages, growth and employment opportunities, while simultaneously providing sufficient aid to those in poverty. While this may be difficult, “why is Bulgaria poor?” should no longer be the primary question; rather, we should be asking about potential solutions.

– Gavin Callander

Photo: Flickr

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SafePad: Revolutionizing Menstruation and Hygiene

SafePad
When thinking of the extremely poor, one’s mind may not immediately go to the inherent struggles that come with menstruation. This is not just cramping, bloating and irritability, but the associated sanitation issues that may arise without access to proper hygiene, not to mention the stigmatic buzz around womanhood and her period.

Real Relief, a small organization committed to supplying common life sustaining supplies, is devoted to making a difference and has developed a tool for menstruation hygiene for the extremely poor: SafePad, a period game changer in the sanitation industry. While sanitary napkins are nothing new to the women’s hygiene repertoire, SafePad exemplifies what certain basic life necessities encompass and how something so simple can impact the lives of millions of women and their younger counterparts.

The extremely poor cross many cultures as well as economic strains over a variety of different ages, races and religions. There are several different ways in which women have traditionally dealt with their menses. In some cases, these methods may be simply impractical. Rags may be used to deal with menses, but they often take time and privacy to wash and dry. Where menstruation cups may be available, some cultures may not accept this means or view it as reasonable.

Inadequate access to proper sanitation such as soap and clean water can also cause yeast infections, other serious illness or in extreme cases, infertility. When all else fails, women may choose to “free bleed,” which may not seem particularly harmful unless in the context of young girls attending schools in which they may take five or more days of leave, eventually leading to a poorer performance in their classes or even drop out.

Real Relief’s mission led to the production and distribution of SafePad through NGOs, religious communities and relief aid organizations of SafePad. SafePad has been specifically designed to combat bacteria by utilizing silica, nitrogen and carbon treatment agents, provide comfort, discretion and practical solutions to women where access to hygienic means of caring for the menses is difficult or impossible.

SafePad is also reusable and recyclable for women that do not experience reliable waste management in their communities and can withstand up to 100 washes, which translates to four years of use.

Menstruation is a part of most every woman’s life but if not taken care of properly, has the potential to have serious, life-long side effects. Menstrual health, education and supplies, however, can lead to so much more relief. Period.

– Casey Hess

Photo: Flickr

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How to Help People in Tanzania

How to Help People in TanzaniaThere are many countries in need of foreign assistance. Among the highest recipients of foreign aid are Egypt, Syria, Turkey and Tanzania, to name a few. Some people may find themselves wondering how to help people in Tanzania, while others may have little interest in the issue at all.

When it comes to fighting global poverty, feeling sympathetic towards those in need is a slippery slope of uselessness. What makes sympathy dangerous is that it often goes hand-in-hand with marginalization. Feeling sorry for the world’s poor does nothing but invoke quiet judgment and a subsequent divide between the affluent and the impoverished. Social change is only possible when individuals have empathy.

A lack of empathy between groups of people is a primary cause of conflict worldwide. A lack of empathy is often a result of the absence of contact between two parties. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes.

A recent study published in the PNAS journal found that empathy increases significantly between two parties after just two shared positive experiences. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) fighting global poverty have long used jarring images and language to provoke pity in potential donors; the “guilt-trip,” essentially. However, there are growing concerns that such traditional methods can have a reverse effect.

When news of global poverty is overwhelmingly negative, the cause can seem hopeless, donations useless. Organizations such as The Borgen Project recognize this paradox and seek to supply readers with the bad and good news. Neither should be ignored.

Hope and a sentiment of personal efficacy are critical to ensuring the fight against global poverty maintains its vigor. So, know this: the world is waging a successful war against global poverty. In fact, global poverty has been more than halved in the past 20 years. With that information in mind, know too that the fight is far from won.

Take up arms and fight. There are numerous countries on the precipice of development, but just as many on the precipice of decline. Both require foreign aid brought about by empathy and hope.

Tanzania is one such country steadily pulling itself out of an impoverished past. Sixty-eight percent of the population survives on less than $1.25 a day. With newfound hope in the global fight, you may find yourself wondering how to help people in Tanzania. The outlets are endless

If you are concerned with the fundamental human right to healthcare, Dodomo Tanzania Health Development (DTHD) may be the perfect place for you to donate to. According to their website, DTHD’s mission is “to ensure high-quality, compassionate, Tanzanian-led health care for the people of Central Tanzania.”

Another important organization working in Tanzania is Feed the Children. One donation to Feed the Children can change a child’s life. The foundation can multiply your donation five times with the continued support of its corporate sponsors. The donation goes towards nutritious food, clean water, school and supplies and maybe even a goat for their family.

A third organization to which you may want to consider donating is Solar Sister, an organization which is helping to end “rural Africa’s energy poverty by empowering women to become clean energy entrepreneurs and bring light, hope and opportunity to their families and communities.”

There are many more answers to the question of how to help people in Tanzania. In fact, there are copious amounts of resources to help every country in need. It only takes a few active engagements with those in need to nourish a long-term, valuable empathetic bond. Perhaps just one person’s involvement with humanitarian aid could start an influential chain reaction.

– Sophie Nunnally

Photo: Flickr

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Human Rights in Chad

Human Rights in ChadThe Republic of Chad is a nation located in Central Africa, and is home to about 11.8 million people. The nation has endured a difficult past, which includes three decades of civil war from the time it stopped being part of the French African holdings in 1960. Today, Chad is a presidential republic with three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. Despite progress made, one weakness that this government has shown is an inability to protect human rights in Chad.

According to the 2015 United States Department of State’s Human Rights Practices report on Chad, there are three human rights problems that stand out above the rest: security force abuse, harsh prison conditions and discrimination and violence against women and children.

Protecting people from physical danger is an integral part of human rights protection, but Chad has largely failed in this area. According to reports, the government or its agencies have committed illegitimate killings, including by torture. A tragic example of this occurred in the fall of 2014, when protests against a variety of issues, including increased fuel prices, was met with live fire from police. According to Freedom House, a self-described “watchdog organization” that aims to spread freedom and democracy around the globe, between three and five protestors were killed. Unfortunately, an end to events like these may not come anytime soon due to a lack of accountability. The Department of State’s report found that Chad’s government rarely punishes those who commit abuses.

There are 45 prisons in Chad. Unfortunately, the conditions in these prisons are absolutely reprehensible. Finding oneself in one of these prisons can be potentially life-threatening due to a number of reasons, including inadequate food storage and deleterious sanitary conditions.

Human rights in Chad must be protected equally among all people, but this is unfortunately not always the case. Women, for instance, widely report instances of domestic violence. While this is technically against the law, police have seldom been helpful and women have few legal options. One can only hope that Chad will take steps to improve its protection of human rights, so that its citizens can one day enjoy a higher quality of life.

– Adam Braunstein

Photo: Flickr

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How to Help People in the Dominican Republic

How to Help People in the Dominican RepublicA 2016 World Bank Report states that, despite the Dominican Republic’s status as one of the countries with the greatest growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, one in every three citizens is poor.

While there was a substantial decrease in poverty from 36.4 percent to 32.3 percent in 2015, the country is still in dire need of reform and aid. With limited access to healthcare, proper sanitation and developing industries outside of tourism, citizens often have little socioeconomic mobility. As a result, President Danilo Medina declared that reducing this extreme, widespread poverty is the key goal in the country’s 2016-2020 plans.

Although an April 2017 World Bank report did state that the business and investing climate has improved alongside access to social services, there is still a great need for improvement.

However, there are three organizations that are directly addressing and helping alleviate the issues plaguing the island. By doing so, they are showing not only U.S. citizens, but anyone concerned, how to help people in the Dominican Republic:

The Mariposa DR Foundation
Inspired by the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals, this organization seeks to minimize both the gender gap and generational poverty through the education and empowerment of young girls. The organization assists in funding the education, health and empowerment of a girl, as “she will reinvest 90 percent of her income back into her family and her community, making her the most influential figure in the today’s world.” The Mariposa DR Foundation invests in girls’ education, enforces community engagement and service and provides a well-rounded health program to each girl. The foundation believes its model can be easily recreated in other poverty-stricken communities across the globe.

Many donations, volunteers (which include countless U.S. college students) and a capital campaign keep the young foundation afloat. The investment the Mariposa DR Foundation currently helps over 100 girls in more than 35 families while giving the Dominican Republic an educated generation of girls to round out their industries.

Sister Island Project
This organization’s mission is to foster “community empowerment, cultural exchange, diversity and equity awareness and action supporting social justice and compassion in the Dominican Republic and the U.S.” The project provides access to health care, education, creative outlets, political empowerment and safe housing to people in the Cruz Verde village and the Yabacao region. Volunteers keep the project going by teaching classes and helping build homes. Many volunteers are helping while staying in the U.S. by holding fundraisers and raising awareness.

The project maintains a learning center where health and education classes are taught. Sister Island Project has also built houses for community members, given scholarships to university students, coordinated micro-enterprise projects and distributed over a ton of donations. Sister Island is lifting communities up with an integrated approach.

The DREAM Project 
Based upon six values (integrity, opportunity, inclusion, quality, sustainability and transparency), the DREAM Project focuses on “early childhood education, high-quality primary education and holistic youth development.” Volunteers for the DREAM Project come from all over the U.S. and are never too young; a six-year-old can donate pencils and a girl once raised funds for the project at her bat mitzvah. With 14 programs in 27 different communities, the project is aiding over 7,000 children in the Dominican Republic. It promotes change first through early childhood education, then quality primary education, both of which lead to a holistic youth development in adolescence. This approach results in youth who are better-equipped with decision-making skills and job training, which creates more opportunities for success. With more opportunities for success and higher-quality education, poverty can be reduced in a generational way.

By donating to, volunteering for or simply raising awareness for these organizations, people can help these impoverished communities and subsequently show others how to help people in the Dominican Republic in more substantial ways.

– Gabriella Paez

Photo: Flickr