Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Pharma Giants against Poverty: Merck’s Plan to Eradicate Bilharzia

BilharziaSchistosomiasis, also known as Bilharzia, is a tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms that claims 200,000 to 300,000 lives a year. Its prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa is significant, second only to malaria. Contracting schistosomiasis is serious and symptoms can be lethal. It can eventually cause stunted growth, learning disorders and anemia. The task of eliminating the disease is considerable, but one that Merck believes it can accomplish.

Answer to the Problem

Merck’s plan to eradicate Bilharzia is one of education, innovation and practicality. The water-borne parasite that causes the disease is far more widespread in poorer communities with a lack of access to clean water. This indicates that the ultimate cause of the disease is rooted in poverty. In 2007, Merck allied with the World Health Organization (WHO) to eradicate schistosomiasis, pledging to wipe out the disease by 2030.

The Merck Praziquantel Donation Program is an initiative developed by Merck to tackle the disease. It focuses on the distribution of praziquantel, the tablet used to treat the disease, with enormous success rates. The program primarily focuses on preventing and treating the disease in school-age children in poorer communities. Additionally, the program emphasizes the role of education in preventing schistosomiasis.

Is It Working?

In short: yes! Merck has donated more than 1.5 billion tablets of praziquantel to the WHO. Additionally, more than 800,000 people have been treated as a result of Merck’s plan to eradicate Bilharzia. Countries are targeted individually to increase efficiency and maximize the number of people who can benefit from the program.

In Rwanda, a further 8 million tablets have been supplied in support of its plan to eliminate schistosomiasis and “Neglected Tropical Diseases.” Merck has also pledged money to the Deworming Innovation Fund, which looks to wipe out schistosomiasis and intestinal worms in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia, furthering its campaign against tropical diseases.

The Bilharzia Storytelling Lab

After previous sessions in Rwanda and Kenya, in 2024, the Bilharzia Storytelling Lab (sponsored by Merck) took place in Ethiopia, a competition that asks candidates to formulate storytelling-oriented answers to facing schistosomiasis. The winning solution is decided by a panel of judges and granted more than $10,000 to facilitate the implementation of the solution throughout the country. Focusing on the educational dimensions of tackling Bilharzia, the workshop this year was held in Addis Ababa. The initiative has so far helped treat more than 800,000 people. Individual communities that are most in need of education and treatment for the disease have benefitted from the initiative. 

The groups most at risk are still largely unaware of the disease. Most at risk include school-age children and women, highlighting how necessary the money invested by Merck truly is. As is the case in many developing areas, women are still largely tasked with domestic duties that require access to clean water. This is not realistic for many women in sub-Saharan Africa, meaning many women have no choice but to expose themselves unknowingly to schistosomiasis in order to carry out tasks expected of them. Because of the Praziquantel Donation Program and Bilharzia Storytelling Lab, Merck’s plan to eradicate Bilharzia stands a chance of meeting the 2030 goal set out in 2007.

Final Remark

The financial capability of pharmaceutical giants can evidently be utilized for change. When corporations decide to use their wealth to benefit the international community, millions benefit. The benefits help those who are suffering needlessly from curable diseases to spend their time furthering their families and businesses. Once healthy, they can become assets in their communities and consequently improve the country’s prospects in the future. Merck has demonstrated this beautifully. It has returned futures to countless school children, allowing them to contribute to society rather than sentencing them with disease.

– Molly Ralph

Molly is based in Dorset, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Single-Mother Families and Child Poverty in Japan

Child Poverty in JapanDespite being one of the wealthiest developed countries worldwide, Japan grapples with a significant child poverty issue, ranking among the highest in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Alarming statistics reveal that one in seven Japanese children lives in poverty.

Causes of Child Poverty in Japan

A significant factor contributing to child poverty is the high percentage of children living in single-parent households. Approximately 50% of single-parent families, most often mother-children households, fall below the poverty line. The summary report shows that the number of mother-children households is roughly 565,000 in 2022, while the number of father-children households is only 75,000.

Furthermore, the societal structure in Japan predominantly favors full-time male employees, leading to a gender wage gap where women, even those working full-time and overtime, often receive lower wages and fewer benefits. The average income per mother-children household is merely 3.73 million yen ($23,529) a year, compared to 6.06 million yen ($38.199) in “single-parent families with a father.” Nearly two million mothers with children in households have no jobs.

“I feel deprived of my dignity because I’m a single mother, I’m on public welfare, I don’t have enough money for daily food and school and I don’t have a job,” said Mika, a 45-year-old single mother who raises her two children, aged 3 and 7, on her own. “My children would like to join clubs and travel, but I can’t afford it.”

Additionally, 22.5% of mother-child households have no savings, the highest percentage among all types of households. Meanwhile, the lowest percentage of mother-child households have savings. In the self-assessed survey of living conditions, around 39.4% of mother-child households claimed a “very difficult” condition, the highest among all types of households. Only 23.4% of mother-child households think they live in a “normal” condition.

The Japanese Social Care System

The Japanese social care system involves local governments offering protective services to children who are either without parents or whose parents are unable to care for them. The system involves fostering psychological care and local community support goals. Other supportive systems such as psychological treatment facilities for children, facilities to support the development of children’s self-sustaining capacity and maternal and child living support facilities also provide home assistance and daycare to assist children and their parents.

Additionally, a children’s home provides a safe living environment for children without parents or those whose parents are unable to care for them due to abuse, serious health issues, or financial difficulties. According to data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of children’s homes in Japan is approximately 600 and the number of children living in such homes is 27,300.

NGOs Providing Solutions

Apart from government support, many organizations are fighting for child poverty in Japan:

  • Lights On Children: A nonprofit organization that assists and supports children’s social needs.
  • Kids Door: A nonprofit organization that provides education, comfortable homes and career workshops.
  • YouMeWe: A Tokyo-based nonprofit organization that nurtures and supports local students from institutionalized homes, helping them achieve full independence by the age of 18 through initiatives like financial literacy programs.

Final Remark on Child Poverty in Japan

These supportive programs and institutes have effectively alleviated children’s poverty. A report from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare indicates a decrease in children’s poverty rate from 2018 (14%) to 2021 (11.5%). The relative frequency distribution of the number of children in households with disposable income shows a drop in the range of less than 400,000 yen ($2,520) and between 400,000 and 1,400,000 yen ($2,520 and $8,820). The frequency of single-parent and children in households also declines in the range between 1,000,000 and 1,400,000 yen ($6,300 and $8,820).

Nevertheless, the Japanese government repeatedly made promises to provide financial support to children in poverty and mother-children households. However, the action was very slow. Akihiko Kato, a professor at Meiji University, has criticized the Japanese government for its sluggish response in delivering financial support to families with children. “It’s one thing we can do more of in society: try to recognize people’s cries for help,” said McAvoy, the filmmaker of Japanese single mother film “The Ones Left Behind.”

– Cindy Hong

Cindy is based in Milpitas, CA, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Alleviating Poverty: The SAKALA Foundation

The SAKALA FoundationHaiti, located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, is the most impoverished country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Almost 59% of people in Haiti live below the poverty line, placing the country at position 163 out of 191 on the Human Development Index. With gross domestic product (GDP) growth at -3, the economy is contracting due to political instability, poverty, insecurity and socioeconomic issues.

The country is struggling with fuel shortages, which have left many in need of necessities, a resurgence of gang violence, which has limited access to education and health services and the aftermath of a 2022 cholera outbreak. Haiti’s shrinking economy has led to past gains in poverty reduction being undone and has left the youth vulnerable to the effects of worsening poverty and gang violence.

Cité Soleil

Cité Soleil, located in Port-au-Prince, is a highly dangerous area of Haiti due to extreme poverty and gang violence. It is an impoverished area where an estimated four million children aged 5-19 are at risk of losing learning opportunities. They are also faced with violence, malnutrition and poverty, which severely impact their livelihoods and ability to learn.

The SAKALA Foundation

The SAKALA Foundation is a beacon of hope for some of the most impoverished children in Cité Soleil. As the only youth community center in the area, it offers programs to educate and develop children and young people. Its vision is to provide a safe space for young people as an alternative to violence and gangs.

The SAKALA Foundation offers education, athletics and agronomy programs. Classes in English, IT, sexual health and leadership are available, teaching important life skills and academic subjects. Sports are important to the foundation, as they are part of after-school programs and day camps. The initiative stresses sports as a vehicle for community development. Therefore, it offers boys and girls a range of sports. SAKALA’s agronomy program focuses on teaching the youth agroecology and nutrition, leadership skills and sustainable development.

Haiti’s Education Sector

SAKALA’s programs offer children and young people the opportunity to learn important academic, professional and personal skills. For children living in areas controlled by armed groups, accessing education is difficult due to a lack of qualified teachers and forced school closures. In some of the most harrowing instances of gang violence, shootouts occur in schools as gangs and police use them as a base.

The disruption to education is clear and SAKALA’s importance is also clear. Providing a haven for some youth and allowing them to learn and grow among the chaos drives the foundation. Through a partnership with the Global Fund for Children, the foundation covers school fees for 160 local youth, helping them break the cycle of poverty through education.

The Future of Cité Soleil

Without economic stimulus and political stability, addressing the situation in Cité Soleil is difficult. This is where charities, foundations and existing schools can be the key to progress in the immediate future. Due to the lack of economic opportunities in the region, education is one of the only paths out of poverty. This means that schools that are operating and foundations like SAKALA are important in helping children and young people out of their predicament.

– Lauren Alkhalil

Lauren is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Dreamwater Providing Drinking Water in Bangladesh

DreamwaterDreamwater Enterprises LTD is a venture under Footsteps Bangladesh that provides Bangladeshi civilians with quality drinking water at an affordable price. Through the construction of water plants, portable water filters and low-cost household filters, Dreamwater has converted more than 4,50,000 liters of flood water into drinking water.

Bangladesh’s Water Crisis

Bangladesh, with a population of 171 million, faces a severe water crisis. More than 18% of its population lives below the poverty line and more than 40% lack access to safe water. This lack of access to clean water sources contributes to the prevalence of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, dengue fever and tuberculosis. One of the most pressing issues is water contamination. Bangladesh has the highest rate of arsenic-contaminated water in the world, primarily due to natural geological sources polluting groundwater. The presence of arsenic in drinking water poses serious health risks, including skin lesions, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and developmental effects.

Furthermore, the country faces significant challenges due to high salinity levels in its water. This problem is exacerbated by a decrease in the Ganges River’s upstream flow, which has led to increased salinity intrusion from the Bay of Bengal. High salinity not only makes drinking water unsafe but also affects agriculture, as saline water can damage crops and reduce agricultural productivity. This, in turn, threatens food security and the livelihoods of farmers, who make up a significant portion of the population.

Bangladesh’s frequent and severe flooding compounds the water crisis. Flooding can contaminate freshwater sources with pollutants and pathogens, further reducing the availability of safe drinking water. During the monsoon season, the risk of water-borne diseases increases as floodwaters spread contaminants over large areas.

Dreamwater’s Work

Dreamwater’s innovations in water filtration have enabled it to take water from floods and convert it into safe drinking water. The filters take flood water and eliminate odor, enhance taste and remove potential toxins. Its portable water filters can be carried anywhere to convert any water into drinking water. The hand-powered version of the filter allows those in areas without electricity to have access to clean drinking water.

Dreamwater has created centralized water plants that can filter water for entire houses, apartment buildings, factories and other large-scale facilities. This creates safe tap water for drinking and bathing, helping eliminate the spread of waterborne disease in highly populated areas.

Dreamwater filters can convert more than 75 liters of water an hour and last more than 15,000 liters before needing replacement. They are priced at 20,000 BDT, which is around $170, making them affordable for low-income communities throughout the country.

Final Remark

With Dreamwater’s filters, areas in Bangladesh that have been ravished by flooding have an ensured source of clean drinking water at an affordable price. These filters help communities throughout Bangladesh save money and avoid disease, helping fight the country’s poverty and illness issues.

– Nicolas Mezzaucella

Nicolas is based in New Rochelle, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Philippine NGOs Offering Scholarships to the Underprivileged

Philippine NGOsWhen it comes to improving a country’s overall state, the masses need to be as educated as possible. An uneducated population makes it difficult for a country to progress and leaves it vulnerable to political manipulation. The Philippines is a key example of this state. While the country is beautiful and the people are renowned for their kindness and hospitality, it is also rife with corruption and the disparity between the rich and poor grows larger by the day. One way to combat this inequality is education. An educated populace will gradually improve a nation’s overall state. However, the Philippines lacks a system for cultivating an educated population. Although the country has a basic literacy rate of more than 88.5%, more than 6 million people are still illiterate. Therefore, here are some Philippine nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that offer scholarships to the underprivileged.

TORM Philippines Education Foundation

The NGO was founded in 2007 and is devoted to promoting quality education to children from unprivileged families in the Philippines. Many rural families in the Philippines often struggle to send their children to school. Aside from low-income families, the organization also helps deserving individuals gain a college education. The organization has awarded more than 200 scholarships since its inception.

UPL

While the NGO mostly aims to help farmers in their agricultural endeavors and, in the process, provide millions of families with their daily sustenance, UPL also offers scholarship opportunities to grass-roots families. UPL predominantly offers scholarships to farming families. The scholarships are designed to enhance the farming family’s agricultural knowledge and allow them to cultivate the land more effectively and efficiently.

Project Pearls

Project Pearls is one of the Philippine NGOs predominantly aimed at feeding people experiencing poverty in the city of Tondo. While it is mostly devoted to funding feeding programs, it also has educational programs that aim to provide underprivileged children with a means of gaining education. The organization’s educational programs are predominantly aimed at teaching young people the right skills to gain jobs. These programs include livelihood programs, training seminars and workshops. The organization also provides underprivileged students with monetary help for school supplies. It has provided scholarships for more than 700 students in four communities in the Philippines.

Diwa ng Magdalo Foundation

The Diwa nang Magdalo Foundation was founded by a group known as Bagong Katipuneros. Its main goal is to promote better governance in the Philippines. The organization was first registered in 2011 and is meant to create a self-sufficient Philippines. To do so, the organization focuses mostly on the country’s youth.

Its main intent is to effect societal change and it has created various programs that help grassroots-level students meet their educational needs. A key function that the organization fulfills every year is the giving away of scholarships to unprivileged students. These scholars are usually sent to well-known colleges in the country, such as the University of the Philippines.

Aside from giving away free scholarships, the NGO is also focused on assisting its beneficiaries with financial aid and assistance during times of crisis.

Conclusion

The Philippines is a developing nation rife with corruption and poverty and many families cannot afford to send their children to school for a meaningful education. Through these Philippine NGOs, children from impoverished families are now able to attend high school and even gain a college education.

– Neil Lorenz Misola

Neil is based in New York, NY, USA and focuses on World News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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HIV and Syphilis: Mother-to-Child Transmission in Belize

Belize Eliminates Mother-to-Child HIV and Syphilis TransmissionIn May 2024, Belize achieved certification from the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. Over the past 20 years, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Association (PAHO), health care workers in Belize have dedicated themselves to enhancing medical services, ensuring a generation free from these diseases.

Improving Medical Services in Belize

Since the early 2000s, Belize’s health care services, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), have been following the organization’s Plan of Action for the Prevention and Control of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections. This initiative has improved and promoted access to prenatal HIV and syphilis testing. Health care providers now screen every pregnant woman for these viruses two to three times during pregnancy, at delivery and at 18 months postpartum.

The vastly improved testing services have reduced mother-to-child transmission in Belize, of HIV and syphilis by 81% from 2007 to 2023, achieving eradication by 2024. This success depended on effective treatments administered to pregnant women who tested positive for these diseases. For syphilis, health professionals administer three consecutive weeks of penicillin injections; HIV-positive mothers receive daily antiretrovirals along with prenatal vitamins. These treatments effectively prevent the transmission of HIV and syphilis to their children. To further ensure children are born virus-free, nurses follow up with mothers a week after treatment completion to verify the full course was administered and to identify any potential complications.

Encouraging Mothers to Seek Testing and Treatment

Throughout Belize’s collaboration with PAHO under its Plan of Action, the country has enhanced the research capabilities and capacity of its health care services, enabling more pregnant women to be tested earlier and more accurately for both HIV and syphilis. The percentage of women attending health clinics in their first trimester has risen to 90%, allowing for earlier and more effective administration of preventative treatments. When mothers test positive for these diseases, health care providers also encourage their partners to get tested, fostering community awareness and enabling more individuals to know their statuses and receive necessary treatment. As of 2022, 81% of people living with HIV in Belize are aware of their status.

Screenings and treatments in these clinics are free, ensuring that all women in Belize can access life-saving treatments for themselves and their unborn children. This accessibility has been crucial in eradicating the viruses and underscores the relentless efforts of Belizean health care workers. Additionally, if a mother misses an appointment, a nurse visits her home to conduct a follow-up check.

Nurses Maintaining the Transmission Rates

The critical roles of nurses in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in Belize, particularly in remote areas like San Lazaro, are pivotal. The Belize Ministry of Health facilitates mobile health services that allow nurses to travel between villages to conduct screenings and treatments. This commitment underscores the dedication of health care workers to achieving the certification for eradicating HIV and syphilis transmission from mothers to their children.

Health care services in Belize actively educate and promote awareness of HIV and syphilis, encouraging mothers to seek regular testing. During prenatal checkups at clinics, health care workers emphasize the importance of screenings for both the women and their unborn children. This approach normalizes early testing upon pregnancy, increasing awareness and helping more women know their health status.

Testimonies from Belizean health care workers emphasize that their diligence, research and efforts are crucial for sustaining the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. The Minister of Health and Wellness of Belize, Hon. Kevin Bernard, notes that cooperation and teamwork between health care workers and the communities they serve are essential for delivering optimal services and effectively preventing the spread of the disease.

Looking Ahead

The WHO certification confirming the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in Belize highlights the success of the country’s health care workers and medical services. According to Dr. Natalia Largaespada Beer, this achievement not only ensures a new generation free of these diseases but also represents an opportunity to strengthen the health care system. The enhancement of services and nationwide access to life-saving treatments promise a bright future for Belize in sustaining this elimination, ensuring every child has the right to be born free from these diseases.

– Ben Kane

Ben is based in London, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Poverty in Egypt: Everything You Need to Know

Poverty in EgyptEgypt is a lower-middle-income country in northeastern Africa and as of 2019, 1.5% of the population lives on less than $2.15 a day (the international poverty line) while 17.6% are below the lower-middle income poverty line of $3.65. Here is everything you need to know about poverty in Egypt.

Food

Egypt is one of the most food-import-dependent countries in the world. It imports approximately 40% of its food in terms of total value, meaning that the country is highly vulnerable to shocks in global food prices. These food price shocks can have an outsized impact on the poor, who need to spend a much larger proportion of their income on food than the wealthy.

Understanding this, the Egyptian government has long implemented a comprehensive system of ration cards to combat food insecurity. As of June 2024, 71 million Egyptians, or 64% of the total population, participate in the country’s subsidized bread program. This program allows beneficiaries to buy up to 150 loaves of bread a month at the price of 20 piasters a loaf, or about $0.004 each. This price amounts to only 16% of production costs, while the government compensates bakeries for the remaining 84%, according to a 2024 report.

While this program is expensive for the government, it represents a buffer against swings in global food prices and a crucial lifeline for millions of low-income Egyptians.

Water

Water, the basic necessity for all life, is getting scarcer in Egypt. Egypt’s population has grown rapidly as its economy has expanded, exploding from just 27 million people in 1960 to about more than 100 million today. According to the Atlantic Council, this population growth has caused the per capita water supply to quarter over the same period.

The agricultural sector, which relies on traditional flood-based irrigation, is responsible for 86% of the country’s freshwater withdrawals while generating only between 11% and 14% of Egypt’s GDP, making it an ideal target for reform, the Atlantic Council reports.

The Egyptian government is addressing this by giving soft loans to farmers who switch to sprinklers or drip irrigation, which could reduce water usage by as much as 30% to 70% while increasing crop yields by 20% to 90%. At the 2023 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit, Egypt launched the Decent Life Initiative and committed to ending both hunger and poverty by 2027.

Income, Education and Health

Egypt is an admirably equal country when measured by its Gini score, a metric that proxies household income distribution. Boasting a score of 0.36 (where 0 equals perfect equality and 1 means perfect inequality), Egypt is the second most equal country in the Middle East by this metric, and among the most equal in the world.

Aiding this image of equality is that 100% of Egyptians have had access to electricity since 2017, while 99.9% have had access to clean fuel for cooking since 2016.

Health and education gaps between rich and poor Egyptians have historically been large, but are closing. For example, 93% of Egypt’s population had access to skilled birth attendants as of 2014, a marked increase from just 65% in 2000. Over the same period, infant mortality was cut in half in the country.

More than 95% of Egyptians have access to safe drinking water, and more than 90% have access to improved sanitation, according to the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) report. On the education front, the total proportion of Egyptians completing secondary education has more than doubled over the past decade, reaching 55% of the population.

The poorest quintile of Egyptians reached a secondary education completion rate of 41% in 2014, a huge improvement from the 8% completion rate in 2000, according to the ESCWA report. Despite this progress, the richest quintile has reached a secondary completion rate of 80%, which is almost double that of the poorest.

Final Thoughts

This overview of everything you need to know about poverty in Egypt shows that despite challenging circumstances, Egypt has made laudable progress in reducing domestic poverty in recent years. The country has significantly reduced health, education, and income gaps while supporting small farmers and low-income households through loans and targeted subsidies. While much is still to be done, the future looks hopeful for Egypt’s poor.

– Kipling Newman

Kipling based in Denver CO, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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Reducing the Gender Wage Gap in Zambia

Gender Wage Gap in ZambiaThe variation in pay between men and women, also known as the gender wage gap, is a prominent focus of the fight against poverty. According to the U.N. Women’s 2023 report, for every dollar men are paid, women in East and Southern Africa earn 81 cents. The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) recognized the large gender wage gap in Zambia and advised the government to “step up its efforts to take more proactive measures, including with employers’ and workers’ organizations, to raise awareness, make assessments, and promote and enforce the application of the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value.”

Understanding the Gender Wage Gap

In the 2023 Global Gender Gap Index rankings, Zambia ranked 85th out of 146 countries, with a score of 0.699. The Global Gender Gap Index considers education, health, politics and economic involvement. On the scale of the score, zero equals imparity whilst parity equals one. Zambia’s Index decreased from 0.723 in 2022 to 0.699 in 2023.

In terms of the economy, account ownership of either a bank account or a mobile money service was lower for women (45%) than men (52.5%). This difference helps to understand the gender wage gap. Although the rate of women working in vulnerable employment remains at 80.1% in Zambia, the number of female workers in vulnerable employment has decreased since 1991.

Education is a huge part of tackling the gender wage gap in Zambia and on a global scale. In 2024, the U.N. Women launched its economic empowerment strategy to champion clearer accountability for plans to achieve gender equality. These goals include U.N. Women working together with organizations such as UNICEF and the World Bank to advocate for gender equality.

Improving Education

UNICEF and the London Stock Exchange Group Foundation created Zambian Girls 2030. This scheme emerged because of the Zambian government’s “Vision 2030” aiming for the country to become a middle-income nation by 2030. The number of girls dropping out of education after completing primary school is almost double that of boys of the same age. Zambian Girls 2030 involved internships focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and the girls who participated in the program met women working in these industries, including accountants and business owners. Between 2016 and 2018, almost 10,000 girls participated in the initiative’s school clubs, whilst 233 girls had the opportunity to complete the internship. Zambian Girls 2030 provided education opportunities to girls in Zambia which could further help reduce the gender wage gap.

One reason why girls drop out at a higher rate than boys after leaving primary school is the lack of transport. Between 2012 and 2022, World Bicycle Relief and the Ministry of Education in Zambia provided 36,977 girls living in rural areas with Buffalo Bicycles so they could attend school. This removal of one barrier to their education meant that these girls were 19% less likely to drop out of school than those without access to bicycles and the amount of lessons missed fell by 28%.

Financial Literacy

Mother’s Union is a women-led organization that addresses trafficking, unemployment and the financial empowerment of women. Across Zambia, more than 12,000 Mother’s Union members campaign against violence against women and advocate health awareness schemes.

Mother’s Union has been running the Literary and Financial Education Programme (LFEP) since 2000. The program educates both men and women. Therefore, the environment is one where both men and women realize the importance of furthering women’s education and how they can contribute to the household income.

The Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods (GEWEL) project has helped 96,000 women in Zambia to access support and opportunities. Projects such as these could challenge the gender wage gap by giving women the opportunity to have a more active role within the economy. The project links with the Zambia Agribusiness and Trade Project, which aims to stop the challenges farmers face. Therefore, these two projects combine to allow women the opportunity to succeed through accessing opportunities within agribusiness.

Numerous initiatives are working to fight gender inequality in Zambia. By understanding the extent of gender equality, these schemes are addressing the causes of the gender wage gap.

– Amy Fox

Amy is based in Birmingham, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Sahar: The Organization Unlocking Education in Afghanistan

Education in AfghanistanEducation is crucial for unlocking opportunities and instilling hope. It can transform lives, empower individuals and uplift entire communities. However, not everyone has the chance to experience life-changing schooling. In Afghanistan, the situation is particularly dire: 80% of girls are out of school and less than one-third have ever entered primary education. This is not by choice. Due to the Taliban’s oppressive policies, which ban formal education for girls above the sixth grade, girls are barred from formal educational facilities. Despite these restrictions, many brave individuals and organizations are working tirelessly, often at great personal risk, to provide education to Afghan girls.

Education’s Impact

Education can bring social and economic development, reduce poverty and promote gender equality. In Afghanistan, educated girls are better equipped to contribute to their communities and the country’s development. However, the benefits of education are not limited to those who receive it directly. Educated women are more likely to ensure their children are educated, creating a positive cycle.

Sahar

Sahar, a nonprofit organization, has been at the forefront of the fight to educate Afghan girls. Since its creation in 2001, Sahar has helped educate 250,000 girls through 2024. The nonprofit provides grassroots schools and underground education, with people risking their lives to teach and learn. In 2001, Sahar aimed to build connections between the United States (U.S.) and Afghanistan, gradually expanding its mission. In this war-torn country, Sahar has built and supplied 39 schools, striving to serve those denied educational opportunities. Through education, Sahar opens pathways for girls to aim for a better life, targeting the 1.1 million girls lacking access to formal education.

Founded by Julia Bolz, an international humanitarian lawyer, Sahar has achieved remarkable success through partnerships. Information about said partners is limited, as partners in Afghanistan are actively breaking oppressive laws by protecting the human right to education. However, outside of Afghanistan, Sahar collaborates with several global partners. Sahar partners with the Afghan Ministry of Education, which helps maintain schools once they have been constructed. Additionally, foundations and philanthropists like Janet Wright Ketcham support the initiative, helping to construct two schools in Afghanistan. Institutes like the University of Washington and Coe Elementary School in Seattle have also supported Sahar’s goals through architectural assistance and fundraising efforts.

The Bright Future of Education in Afghanistan

The struggle for educational access in Afghanistan is ongoing. The Taliban’s restrictive policies, combined with cultural barriers, create significant challenges. However, the resilience and determination of Afghan girls and the organizations supporting them offer hope. Sahar’s work demonstrates the power of grassroots efforts and underground education in overcoming obstacles. By continuing to support Sahar and similar organizations, we can open up education and brighter futures for young girls. The fight for educational access in Afghanistan is far from over. 

– Abby Collins

Abby is based in Massachusetts, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Everything You Need to Know about Poverty in Tibet

Poverty in TibetTibet, known as the “roof of the world,” is a remote territory under China’s rule that lies north of the Himalayas and southwest of China. The region is home to 3.6 million, and many Tibetans earn less than $100 per year, unable to afford basic fruits and vegetables, with many relying solely on barley dumplings to survive. There are 628,000 Tibetans registered as poor who have been uplifted from poverty, as of late 2019. The Chinese government has allocated around 75 billion Chinese Yuan ($15.3 billion) to poverty alleviation, which led to China in 2020 declaring a “major victory” in eradicating extreme poverty in Tibet — all of Tibet’s 74 counties are no longer “poverty-stricken,” according to the Chinese government. Here’s everything you need to know about poverty in Tibet.

China’s Poverty Alleviation Tactics in Tibet

China’s mission to alleviate poverty in Tibet is synonymous with modernizing the region. Some poor Tibetans now own cars in Tibet, according to ThinkChina, with paved expressways and a billboard advertising a “Westernised” café amid the Himalayan mountains. Some young Tibetans own cell phones and dream of “leaving the mountains and plains” to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, or to mainland China, ThinkChina says.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) reported that China’s efforts are a “scheme” that the government carries out under the guise of poverty alleviation. The economic gain from China’s poverty alleviation mission has come at a large cost to rural Tibetans and their culture. The Chinese government has relocated Tibetan nomads and farmers en masse from poverty-stricken areas to other locations in Tibet or China, forcing them into military training and factory labor.

China also seeks to eliminate what it calls the “harmful influence” of Buddhism and change Tibetans’ “way of thinking” by way of “re-education,” according to the CTA. U.N. experts are “very disturbed” that around a million Tibetan children face seemingly forced cultural, religious and linguistic assimilation into the majority Han culture, the U.N. reported in February 2023.

Forced Evictions and Relocations

In May 2024, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that 500 Tibetan villages with more than 140,000 residents have faced or are currently facing forced eviction and relocation. When individual households are relocated, poorer households are often selected — between 2016 and 2020, 567,000 people were relocated under this program by the government. These relocations are “severely eroding Tibetan culture and ways of life,” HRW’s China director Maya Wang said.

The Chinese government states that the goal of resettling Tibet’s poorest into urban areas is to improve their housing conditions, health care and education. However, the government’s mission left many of those resettled living in poverty in urban areas, according to the United States Department of State.

Despite China’s occupation, many Tibetans’ alliances continue to lie with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who created a nonprofit organization working for the welfare of destitute Tibetans.

14th Dalai Lama’s Central Tibetan Relief Committee

Tibet used to be an independent region — in the 1950s, China forcibly claimed Tibet, destroying many Buddhist monasteries and killing thousands. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama fled to northern India, along with around 80,000 refugees, according to BBC. In 1994, he established the Central Tibetan Relief Committee (CTRC) in India.

The CTRC’s main objective is to rehabilitate and settle Tibetan refugees, as well as uplift the poor and make the Tibetan settlement “viable and sustainable,” according to its website. One of its primary initiatives is to “take care of genuinely poor and destitute elders who have no one to take care of them.” The CTRC has built more than 14 homes and accommodates more than 500 Tibetan elders, as of 2020.

“The awesome power that economic institutions have acquired in our society, and the distressing effects that poverty continues to wreak, should make all of us look for means of transforming our economy into one based on compassion,” His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama wrote in 2008.

Chinese government claims it has lifted Tibet out of extreme poverty, however, the CTA, the U.N. and HRW dispute this claim. China’s poverty alleviation tactics may have diminished Tibet’s poverty in an economic sense, but individual Tibetans often remain impoverished, with their traditional culture stripped away. Human rights groups and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama continue to look out for poor Tibetans, ensuring proper poverty relief.

– Ahna Fleming

Ahna is based in Minneapolis, MN, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr