Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Hunger in Jamaica: Everything You Need to Know

Hunger in Jamaica
Food crises disproportionately affect the poorest, who often resort to cheaper, less nutritious food options during such periods. This underscores the critical importance of ensuring food security, particularly for vulnerable segments of society like children. Failure to meet nutritional needs jeopardizes their physical health and impedes their ability to concentrate on academic pursuits. Jamaica, nestled in the Caribbean Sea, grapples with hunger as a pressing issue affecting its populace. According to findings by Food For The Poor (FFTP), a nonprofit organization, approximately 17.1% of the country’s population resides below the poverty line. More than 7% of children under the age of 5 endure stunting due to malnutrition, exacerbating the nation’s food insecurity.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Forbes article revealed that one in three survey respondents admitted to skipping meals or reducing food intake, with 1in 10 experiencing an entire day without sustenance. Additionally, global food prices have surged, partly attributed to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. As per the World Bank, Ukraine and Russia’s significant grain, oilseed and fertilizer production has led to supply shortages, resulting in price spikes for these commodities.

Food for the Poor

The intertwining of poverty and hunger underscores Jamaica’s ongoing efforts to seek support from various organizations dedicated to aiding impoverished families. Understanding hunger in Jamaica often hinges on the mission and focus of different organizations. FFTP is a prominent nonprofit that has been substantially impacted since its establishment in 1982. Jamaica holds the distinction of being the first country to receive assistance from this organization.

FFTP operates its office and warehouse complex in Spanish Town at the nexus of five highways spanning the island. Through its distribution centers, the organization provides life-saving food to approximately 350,000 Jamaicans each month, addressing the immediate needs of the most vulnerable populations.

Beyond food aid, FFTP endeavors to enhance the living conditions of numerous impoverished families by constructing homes island-wide. With an impressive track record, the organization has built 36,556 homes, addressing the pressing issue of homelessness in Jamaica.

Other Organizations Helping Jamaica and Political Actions

The World Food Program (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, extending its reach to the Caribbean to bolster food security efforts. Within the region, the WFP Caribbean endeavors to assist governments in developing mechanisms to connect local production with institutional markets, such as school meal programs and campaigns to stimulate demand for locally sourced food. Furthermore, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is steadfast in its commitment to reducing its food import expenditure to  25% by 2025, aligning with broader goals to eradicate hunger and malnutrition by 2030.

Jamaica, under the leadership of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, has celebrated significant milestones toward achieving a more sustainable economy. Notably, the country has witnessed a nearly 50% reduction in its unemployment rate. Holness highlighted this achievement: “When we assumed office in 2016, the unemployment rate stood at 13.7%. Today, it hovers around 7%. This remarkable progress signifies greater employment opportunities and increased household income for individuals across diverse backgrounds.”

Vision 2030 Jamaica

Understanding hunger in Jamaica revolves around the willingness to embrace change and accept necessary assistance. By acknowledging the need for change and embracing support, Jamaica can progress towards aiding the most vulnerable families. Getting help should not be seen as a sign of weakness or surrender but rather as a determination to persevere. As Jamaica approaches 2030, its national vision statement envisions the country as the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business. This vision includes ensuring that poverty does not persist due to insufficient support and fostering sustained growth and development. Consequently, Jamaican families hold an optimistic and confident belief that they can achieve future food security for all.

– Nevin Guler
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Mental Health in Luxembourg

Mental Health in LuxembourgOf all of the countries in the world, Luxembourg is among the richest. Luxembourg has one of the highest GDP per capita, after Liechtenstein and Monaco in the top spot. Additionally, according to almost every ranking system, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Luxembourg has one of the best health care systems in the world. Based on this, it would be correct to assume that Luxembourg’s mental health levels are high regarding its citizens and their wellbeing.

Mental Health and Happiness

According to the World Happiness Report, which conducts an extensive study into the mental well-being of people all across the globe, Luxembourg consistently ranks in the top 10 in average life evaluation and ranked 9th in 2023. Furthermore, according to the same report, Luxembourg ranks 9th again when it comes to happiness equality across the wealth spectrum. This is undoubtedly correlated with the numerous mental health resources available to the citizens, enabling them to properly care for and maintain a high level of mental health in Luxembourg.

Even though Luxembourg has a fantastic health care system in place, in a 2017 Eurostat report, 9.5% of the population reported experiencing chronic depression, which is above the 6.7% average of the group as a whole. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this, during which 37% of people between the ages of 18 and 44 reported declining mental health during the pandemic.

Therapy Access

In Luxembourg, the public health care system covers the cost of a therapist for anyone who is under the age of 18 and part of the social security system. The doctors can also prescribe therapy for up to 27 sessions. As for anyone older than 18, health care system reimburses for 70% of the total price. Finding a psychiatrist should be no issue, as Luxembourg has more than 20 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, which ranks it 8th in the EU.

Resources Available to Citizens

When it comes to governmental spending on health care, Luxembourg spends $6,436 per capita, which makes up about 5.8% of its total GDP and is the lowest in the European Union. Luxembourg primarily follows the WHO when it comes to procedures regarding mental health and has enacted many changes to destigmatize using the many mental health resources available to the people.

In conclusion, Luxembourg should be a guidebook for the rest of the world when it comes to mental health resources and how to address this issue. Its incredible health care system, the destigmatization of getting help, the large pool of mental health care professionals available and the ability for anyone to get the help they need have resulted in Luxembourg being one of the world leaders in combating mental health issues.

– Steven Gulkowitz
Photo: Unsplash

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I Built 100 Water Wells: Borehole Wells in Africa

Water wellsSocial Media influencer and American Youtuber Jimmy Donaldson, AKA Mr. Beast, has been the subject of worldwide praise and controversy with his latest video, “I Built 100 Water Wells in Africa.” This video, a sequel to; “We Built Wells in Africa,” released in 2022, details a journey in which the influencer and his team traveled across several African countries, including Kenya, Somalia and Zimbabwe, to install water borehole wells.

What Are the Benefits?

Africa is experiencing a water crisis. According to The Guardian, many humanitarian projects, including active water wells across rural Africa, have fallen into disrepair due to the lack of maintenance or care across the continent. Governments and other organizations have often installed water wells and projects without considering maintenance and care costs for year-round provision.

Borehole drilling offers an economical and environmentally friendly means of obtaining safe, high-quality drinking water throughout the year on the property where it’s installed. Essential for populated regions and business sites lacking access to clean water, boreholes ensure a reliable supply of pressure and quality drinking water.

With minimal cost and maintenance, this endeavor has proven helpful to developing nations like Cameroon and Uganda. This makes the initiative crucial to developing countries, who struggle with access to clean drinking water and water necessary for crop growth and development. Beast’s initiative will provide clean, naturally sourced drinking water for more than 500,000 people in developing African countries.

Going Forward

Beast’s venture has garnered global attention. While some commend his initiative, others have leveraged the project to highlight the perceived inadequacy of actions and legislation addressing the water crisis within African parliaments and governing bodies. In contrasting the actions of the influencer with those of the Kenyan Government, prominent activist Boniface Mwangi stated, “We are a shameful, horrible country, a begging nation that is governed by millionaires.”

While some have applauded the project, concerns about its long-term impact have been raised, particularly regarding maintenance and sustainability. Saran Kaba Jones, an activist and the CEO of Face Africa, an organization dedicated to enhancing water infrastructure in Africa, emphasized, “It’s one thing to install the well; it’s another to go back three, four or five years from now and see if that well is still functional.”

The most recurring problems with borehole drilling initiatives are maintenance and upkeep. Far too often, boreholes are drilled and left unattended for months or even years. The International Institute for Environment and Development states that the U.S. has invested more than $360 million in drilling and building wells that become non-functional or outright useless because of the lack of maintenance or repairs when they break.

In response to the criticism, Beast utilized social media platform X to reaffirm his project’s goal. Asserting his commitment to using his channel and influence to assist individuals and encourage his followers to do likewise, he remains undeterred by the criticism.

– Anthony Durham
Photo: Flickr

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Community-Based Tourism Alleviating Poverty in Rwanda

Community-Based TourismRwanda is a landlocked country located in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa. Known as the “land of a thousand hills,” it is renowned for its unique biodiversity and natural beauty, making it an increasingly popular tourist destination. However, despite making significant progress developmentally and economically since the 1994 Genocide, approximately 49% of Rwandans still live below the poverty line, with 92% of them living in rural areas.

This positions the nation as having one of the highest poverty rates in Africa. However, with tourism now the most significant and fastest-growing industry globally, the Rwandan government is turning to new ways to address poverty. Specifically, as part of substantial policies to promote tourism, such as its flagship “Visit Rwanda,” the government has sought to create jobs that protect the country’s biodiversity and simultaneously provide significant social and economic opportunities. This is known as Community-Based Tourism (CBT). While CBT can be effective, it has its issues.

What Is CBT and How Does It Alleviate Poverty?

To understand how Community-Based Tourism is relieving poverty in Rwanda, it is helpful to see how tourism benefits the country more broadly. For many developing countries like Rwanda, tourism is a great way to attract investment to create jobs, which, as of 2019, brought in an estimated $408 million and provided 142,000 workers with employment.

However, with most jobs in the tourism sector located in urban areas, without carefully targeted policies aimed at those living in rural areas, tourism benefits won’t effectively help reduce poverty. One solution to this problem, however, is CBT. CBT provides local communities with economic opportunities centered around their environment, culture and traditions. Not only does this reduce poverty, it is also intended to accommodate any contingent needs the community or individuals in the community might have. In countries like Rwanda, which are heavily dependent on the natural environment as an attraction for tourism, providing communities with economic opportunities that respect their traditions and the natural environment is vital.

What Are the Issues With CBT?

As pointed out by many scholars, a central facet that contributes to the success of Community-Based Tourism is the concept of community ownership and their effective engagement in the decision-making processes of these programs. Policies will build trust and improve service delivery by ensuring that communities are involved in decision-making. This enhances tourism’s economic benefits and provides vital knowledge on how tourism benefits vulnerable groups like women and children and looks after the environment.

For example, without effective community engagement, farmers may miss learning about new agricultural techniques and how they can benefit them. This might prevent them from improving their yields, generating a better income and sustaining the country’s natural biodiversity. CBT policies will then have little effect on reducing poverty and encouraging tourism.

What Is Being Done to Remedy These Issues in Rwanda?

In Rwanda, however, several organizations are operating to address these issues. Volcano’s National Park, one of many national parks, has nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working with the government. They aim to implement projects that ensure communities are effectively engaged in the decision-making process and to help communities fully reap the benefits of the tourism boom.

In particular, an African NGO, Red Rocks, has been active. It advocates not only for the Rwandan government to include local communities in decision-making processes but also for the implementation of training and skills development programs. These programs provide much-needed knowledge on building economic resilience while conserving the park’s precious natural resources. For example, one of its key pillars has been prioritizing youth and women’s programs that teach organic agricultural practices that reduce costs, increase yields and preserve biodiversity.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the success of these programs has been significant as livelihoods have been improved and communities have received resources that better fit their contingent needs. This issue is especially pertinent for traditionally marginalized groups like women and children. The park’s story, therefore, highlights the transformative potential of CBT when it functions as intended, underlining that it needs to be focused on people just as much as the environment.

Conclusion

Rwanda has done well in marketing itself as a global tourism destination. Policies that promote tourism need to remain people-focused, especially for those living in poverty. CBT schemes have been shown to work better when participating communities are fully incorporated in the decision-making process. This will allow the necessary resources to reach those who need it most.

– Cameron Mason
Photo: Flickr

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Sightsavers Reduce Trachoma in Kenya

Trachoma in KenyaTrachoma, one of the well-documented Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), is the foremost infectious cause of blindness globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), trachoma represents a significant public health challenge in 42 countries, contributing to the blindness or visual impairment of approximately 1.9 million individuals. Its impact most profoundly affects the most rural areas of Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. Africa bears the brunt of its effects, with more than 30% of the population in Kenya being affected with trachoma.

Sightsavers, an international organization, is dedicated to preventing and treating blindness caused by NTD. Originating in the ’50s, it initially focused on leading countries like Kenya. The organization promotes disability rights and provides medical treatments to help eliminate trachoma in Kenya.

Sightsavers’ Efforts to Combat Trachoma in Kenya

Sightsavers dedicates itself to “avoiding blindness and advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities.” The organization actively pursues several key goals:

  1. Protecting Sight: Sightsavers works to prevent blindness in the most impoverished communities globally.
  2. Combatting Tropical Diseases: One of Sightsavers’ primary focuses is fighting tropical diseases like trachoma in regions such as Kenya.
  3. Disability Rights: Sightsavers strives to ensure equal opportunities for all, advocating for fair access to education and employment facilities.

Kenya stands as one of the countries most affected by trachoma. However, the nation’s health care system faces significant challenges due to underfunding and lacking essential resources for avoiding vision loss. Consequently, many individuals in Kenya’s poorest communities struggle to access vital medications necessary for preventing trachoma.

In response, Sightsavers focuses on providing targeted support through various initiatives. This initiative includes offering “Free Eye Screening” services and ensuring regular check-ups for trachoma to detect and address vision issues early. The organization also emphasizes training local staff, equipping doctors and surgeons with the necessary skills to enhance Kenya’s health care system and improve patient care quality.

Additionally, Sightsavers researches to gather data on the causes and prevalence of visual impairment due to trachoma in Kenya. The organization reaches out to remote communities through rural outreach programs to conduct screenings for signs of trachoma. Moreover, Sightsavers implements hygiene programs to educate schools on the significance of good hygiene practices. They are helping to combat infectious diseases. Finally, the group prioritizes inclusive education efforts, working to reduce gender inequality barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing essential eye care support.

Lanoi’s Journey: A Tale of Resilience and Hope

In 2024, Sightsavers captured the narrative of Lanoi, a 4-year-old afflicted with trachoma in Kenya. The nonprofit organization’s community health volunteer, Joel, embarked on a journey to remote villages where he encountered Lanoi, grappling with trachoma. Utilizing dose poles facilitated by SightSavers, Joel swiftly determined the appropriate medication dosage and administered antibiotics to Lanoi.

Dose poles are crucial in assessing a patient’s height and facilitating accurate medicine dosage. The distribution of more than one billion NTD treatments through pole calculations highlights the significance of Sightsavers. Following treatment, Lanoi experienced a swift recovery within days. Following her recovery, Lanoi’s uncle committed to advancing Sightsavers’ mission and combatting trachoma in Kenya. He focused on educating others about crucial prevention strategies to reduce the prevalence of the disease.

SAFE Strategy in Kenya

SightSavers employs the SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Face-washing and Environmental improvements) to combat trachoma in Kenya. This comprehensive approach involves surgical interventions to alleviate the condition where necessary. The group distributes antibiotics through mass drug administration programs, repeated annually for five years, to ensure the effectiveness of treatment.

Additionally, the organization prioritizes facial cleanliness, conducting local workshops to educate individuals on the importance of personal hygiene. Environmental improvements are also emphasized, with efforts concentrated on enhancing access to clean water and minimizing the risk of reinfection by eliminating breeding grounds for flies carrying the disease in Kenya.

Fighting Stigma Toward Gender

Sightsavers emphasizes the importance of addressing gender inequality in trachoma treatment efforts in Kenya. Children are particularly vulnerable to trachoma. Mothers, often primary caregivers, face heightened exposure. Recognizing this, Sightsavers views female volunteers as crucial in reaching women lacking treatment due to cultural or religious norms.

– Kasia Flisiuk
Photo: Flickr

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Period poverty in the Balkans

Period Poverty in Europe: The Balkan CaseWith half of the world’s population comprising of females, period poverty affects millions of women and girls on an ongoing monthly basis. Defined by ActionAid as the lack of access to safe, hygienic menstrual products and an inability to manage menstruation with dignity, period poverty remains prevalent in many least-developed and developing countries worldwide. But how common is period poverty in the Balkans?

PaRiter, a Croatian human rights organization and Jana Kocevska, a North Macedonian female rights activist and founder of Tiiit! Inc., collaborate to highlight and address inequality and period injustice affecting women and girls in the Balkans. Its efforts focus on raising awareness and advocating for systemic changes to address these challenges.

The Balkan Case

The Balkans, a region on Europe’s mountainous southeastern peninsula, includes countries like Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. Historically, this area has experienced long periods of instability and conflict, leading to significant disparities between these countries and the rest of Europe, particularly its Western counterparts.

Multidimensional poverty remains high, with 34% of people in Kosovo living below $6.85 per day according to the World Bank’s poverty line for upper-middle-income countries. In contrast, the number of people living below this threshold in the rest of Europe amounts to only 2%.

Period Poverty in Croatia

With this lack of socio-economic development, gender-based poverty has increasingly been scrutinized. A study conducted by PaRiter in 2021 indicated that 9.9% of participating women in Croatia sometimes did not have the financial resources to buy enough sanitary products, while 28.1% were forced to buy cheaper items of worse quality.

Until 2023, Croatia imposed a 25% tax on tampons, which was then reduced to 15%. This tax cut marks progress in combating period poverty, yet the ongoing stigma around menstruation and limited access to affordable, quality sanitary products still cause disparities. Many women and girls, due to these barriers, miss work or school, further increasing their vulnerability.

However, through PaRiter’s initiative, many educational institutions across Croatia have implemented a trial run providing free sanitary products to people who menstruate. In response, Marinella Matejcic, women’s rights and reproductive justice program lead from PaRiter, stated “We are happy not only with the fact that many educational institutions and local administrations have decided to take action but also because a paradigm shift has taken place regarding the topics considered suitable to be addressed in a public debate. The battle against period poverty is an issue of public interest that overcomes ideological differences.”

Interview with North Macedonian Female Rights Activist

Croatia sets an example for other Balkan countries with its advanced public and health care infrastructure. Unlike Croatia, nations like Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia still grapple with limited access to modern gynecology and contraceptive methods. Rural areas in these countries often face challenges in accessing clean water and their health facilities, underdeveloped and burdened with outdated perspectives on female sexual and reproductive health, further exacerbate the disparities in women’s health care.

In an interview, North Macedonian Jana Kocevksa described that “Menstrual Justice is about opening the debate, acknowledging that menstruation is an important natural phenomenon related to sexual and reproductive health” and that “politics leading to ending menstrual poverty should be systematically supported by the national health program.”

On October 4, 2023, North Macedonia joined the UNECE-WHO/Europe Protocol on Water and Health as the 28th member, committing to enhance health and hygiene support in its minority and rural communities. This initiative marks a crucial step in addressing disparities in menstrual hygiene by focusing on clean water access. However, to fully combat period poverty, the country recognizes the need to expand education and awareness campaigns to dismantle the stigma associated with menstruation.

In its survey, PaRiter pointed out that a key factor of period poverty was that many women felt shame and embarrassment around menstruation, indicating a severe gap in the current education system. Kocevska suggests that the solution “can only be achieved with political and well managed public health politics, emphasizing that “Menstrual justice means that marginalized people and minorities, people in different age groups or urban or rural areas, should all have equal access to knowledge on menstruation, periods free of stigma and clean period products.”

Period Poverty: Destigmatization

Efforts by organizations like PaRiter and activists such as Kocevska have raised awareness of period poverty in the Balkans, yet ongoing discussions are crucial to identify further areas for development. Many countries in the region lag behind their European counterparts in health and education, often clinging to outdated views on menstrual and reproductive health.

Efforts to educate on sexual health and women’s reproductive rights may need to undergo systemic changes at both local and national levels. This is critical to dismantling the stigma associated with menstruation and women’s cycles, ultimately aiming to eradicate period poverty in the Balkans.

As PaRiter’s Matejcic states, “For the idea of menstruation as something dirty to be definitively deconstructed and or the menstrual cycle to be destigmatized, it is necessary to introduce sexual education in school to educate citizens. Embarrassment and shame are fought with knowledge.”

– Zoe Winterfeldt
Photo: Unsplash

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5 Organizations Tackling Food Insecurity In Malaysia

5 Organizations That Tackle Food Insecurity In Malaysia More than 333 million people worldwide faced food insecurity in 2023, according to estimates by the World Food Programme. When it comes to global poverty, food insecurity is one of the most pressing issues. It disproportionately affects women and children, particularly those from low-income nations. The burden of severe food insecurity in Malaysia is 16% and malnutrition is 20.9%.

The most vulnerable communities to the crisis are residents of Kelantan and Sabah, since agriculture is the main driving factor of their economies, the disruption of which exacerbates food insecurity and poverty among the regional population. The pandemic also thrust a lot of Malaysian residents already facing food insecurity even further into the crisis.

5 Organizations Fighting Food Insecurity in Malaysia

Fortunately, several regional and national programs tackle food insecurity in Malaysia. They aim to help alleviate the crisis among low-income families, marginalized communities and during natural disasters. Below is a list of five nonprofits and NGOs that are doing substantial work:

  1. Sincere Charity Association. Established in 2020 following the outbreak of the pandemic, the Sincere Charity Association provides financial, nutritional and welfare assistance to Malaysian families in need, single mothers, disabled people, orphans and students. In 2023, it held a New Year charity activity that monetarily helped 100 families. Participants also received free meals.
  2. Rizq-Ar-Rahman. This organization tackles food insecurity in Malaysia by providing weekly home-cooked meals to more than 300 families in need in Kuala Lumpur. It has implemented long-form solutions like installing water tanks in Malaysian villages to provide families with access to clean water.
  3. INSAN. Under its Food Security project, INSAN distributed food baskets to more than 500 people in 2016 and more than 1125 in 2018 in and near Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state. INSAN’s annual Qurbani program, which helps vulnerable Muslim communities in Malaysia by providing Qurbani meat, benefited 2025 people in 2019.
  4. Kechara Soup Kitchen. Since 2008, the Kechara Soup Kitchen has provided meals to 1,324,072 people in urban communities throughout the country. Its food bank program, which gathers surplus food and produce from markets, hotels and businesses and distributes it to those in need, has helped 21,698 families tackle food insecurity in Malaysia.
  5. Food For The Hungry International Malaysia. Launched in 2006, FHI Malaysia focuses on providing food to children in the rural areas of Sabah and conducting community development through agriculture. In September 2022, it converted a wetland along Sabah into a plot to implement a System of Rice Intensification, an ecological strategy meant to increase the productivity of rice and other crops.

Looking Ahead

In the face of mounting food insecurity challenges, Malaysia is witnessing the unwavering dedication of various organizations committed to making a difference. With innovative approaches and grassroots initiatives, these groups are providing essential support to those most vulnerable, from rural communities in Sabah and Kelantan to urban families in Kuala Lumpur.

As these organizations continue to expand their reach and impact, they embody collective resilience, demonstrating that through collaboration and compassion, overcoming food insecurity is within grasp. The road ahead, while challenging, is brightened by the promise of sustained support and community empowerment, guiding Malaysia toward greater food security and prosperity.

– Jay Kosumi
Photo: Unsplash

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Namami Ganga: Improving Water Sanitation in India

Sanitation in IndiaBeginning in the western Himalayas and winding through India and Bangladesh, for centuries Hindus have regarded the Ganges as a holy river. Its basin is home to hundreds of millions of people and is among the most densely populated areas in the entire world. However, despite its sanctity, it has become highly polluted and a significant factor in the poor levels of sanitation in India. People use the Ganges as a means of waste disposal for anything and everything, from untreated sewage to animal carcasses. A traditional ritual for Hindus, involving casting the ashes of the deceased into the river, revered to be a direct path into heaven, has also been linked to contaminating the waters.

As of 2021, approximately 16% of India’s population live in poverty, often living with limited access to clean water and sanitation and as a consequence are at risk of contracting dangerous diseases. River pollution is a substantial factor in poor sanitation in India and the high levels of waterborne diseases, such as cholera, affect the most poverty-stricken and claim the lives of more than 1 million children in India every year. Due to the levels of poverty and the limited access to safe water, there have been many calls to clean up and regulate the waste that is polluting the Ganges River.

Namami Ganga

In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Namami Ganga campaign during his election campaign, which aims to improve the reduction and proper management of pollution and environmental conservation and restoration of the river. The success of this initiative could help contribute to improving sanitation in India. With approximately 200 million liters of untreated sewage emptying into the river daily in Varanasi alone, it needs proper regulation and cleanup.

The main elements of Namami Ganga include sewage treatment infrastructure, river cleaning, afforestation, industrial waste overseeing, river-front development, bio-diversity and promoting public awareness,

A decade later, the campaign seems to be making good progress. It helped complete a total of 99 sewage management projects and another 48 are underway across several states in India and multiple locations have launched means of floating solid waste collection and disposal along the Ganges.

Namami Ganga has launched projects in collaboration with several wildlife organizations to help restore the local biodiversity and forest large amounts of land, which can combat soil erosion and flooding. The campaign is also working to increase public awareness with workshops, seminars and activities to promote local participation and understanding of the mission, according to its website.

Thanks to the initiative, the Ganges has seen great improvements over the last decade, and there is great optimism for its efforts to continue and help improve sanitation in India.

Sankat Mochan Foundation

Although Namami Ganga has made great strides since 2014, other organizations and initiatives, such as the Sankat Mochan Foundation (SMF) have been raising awareness and doing vital work too.

First established in Varanasi in 1982, the SMF is a non-profit and non-political organization that has been working to combat the Ganges River’s environmental damage. The SMF centers its mission on the eradication of sewage pollution in the Ganges, an objective all the more relevant in Varanasi, a holy city on the Ganges, where many Hindus come to visit and practice the spiritual act of bathing in the Ganges’ sacred waters that have now become highly polluted.

According to its website, some of the SMF’s key objectives include the promotion of education and health care for the region’s poorer communities, the protection and advocacy of Varanasi’s time-honored traditions and customs and the environmental restoration and conservation of the Ganges.

The Future of Sanitation in India

The clean-up of the River Ganges seems key to safety and prosperity on both a health, social and environmental scale and could help bring into fruition what the SMF has been advocating for since the 1980s and contribute to the ongoing mission to improve sanitation in India. Nanami Ganga has the potential to reduce the threat of many diseases and significantly improve the quality of life of those who depend on the river in their daily lives, as well as those who bathe in its waters in reverence to its sanctity as one of the holiest water sources in all of Hinduism.

– Rose Williams
Photo: Unsplash

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Equitable Funding: African Visionary Fund

Equitable Funding: African Visionary Fund (AV Fund)The African Visionary Fund (AV Fund) is integral to this article’s discussion on the reevaluation of foreign assistance approaches. Degan Ali, a prominent African activist and founder of NEAR, a network championing the Global South’s leadership, advocates for reforming foreign aid distribution. Furthermore, the organization aims to decentralize control, directing resources and decision-making power closer to the communities they intend to assist.

Evidence of Change

Decolonizing Development is gaining traction in the aid sector, highlighted by the African Visionary Fund (AV Fund)’s recent announcement. Launching as a Segal Family Foundation fellowship in 2017, the AV Fund commits $1 million in flexible support to African-led organizations. In addition, this initiative, benefiting Sub-Saharan African communities, boasts pooled funding from several contributors, including King Baudouin Foundation’s United States (U.S.) arm, Segal Family Foundation, Skoll Foundation and the Tawingo Fund, which supports small to medium-sized charitable groups aiding the needy in developing nations.

The Case for Co-Leadership

Co-leadership is essential to the African Visionary Fund’s (AV Fund) operation, underscoring the belief that proximity to the communities served enhances the impact. Integral to its philosophy since inception, the AV Fund advocates for equity-centered philanthropy, embodying these principles within its structure. Launched as an independent entity in 2020, Katie Bunten-Wamaru, with her extensive background in nonprofit management and experience in East Africa, serves as the co-CEO, propelling the Fund’s mission forward. Her leadership exemplifies the Fund’s commitment to shared governance and deep local engagement.

“The African Visionary Fund (AV Fund) emerged amid global discussions on equity and localization, focusing on directing more funding to local leaders during the global pandemic. A year after its inception, Atti Worku joined Katie Bunten-Wamaru as co-CEO. Based in Africa, Worku, with her extensive experience in the nonprofit sector and advocacy for local founders, has significantly contributed to the Fund’s mission. Moreover, before the AV Fund, Worku founded and led Seeds of Africa in Ethiopia for more than a decade, bringing valuable grassroots experience to her role.

Atti Worku, AV Fund co-CEO stated “This role is very personal to me. I see myself in the ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs we engage with at the AV Fund. I hope to learn from them and partner with them to redesign funding systems that give African visionaries an equitable chance of success.”

AV Fund

The African Visionary Fund (AV Fund) emphasizes collaboration with visionary leaders and acts as a strategic ally, creating opportunities for those closest to their communities. It focuses on supporting organizations that are African-founded, -based and -led, working alongside a network of trusted partners. In addition, this approach enables significant impacts across various sectors, including health infrastructure, education, local economies and equitable societies, showcasing the Fund’s success in fostering sustainable and inclusive development.

Looking Forward

The AV Fund is evidence that foreign aid is having a reckoning. As Degan Ali impressed “International fund-raising should be based on amplifying the dynamic work our communities themselves are engaged in.” Furthermore, Bunten-Wamaru stated, “Everything that we do has to be in service of African-led organization.” In addition, Katie explained further, “There will always be a need to balance this tension – having a co-leadership model helps us balance both sides of our work and not lose sight of either goal.”

– Pamela Fenton
Photo: Flickr

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Human Trafficking: 5 Companies Fighting It

Human TraffickingThe fight against human trafficking stands as one of the most important causes in the modern world. Every year, it is estimated that some form of international slave trade traffics 600,000 to 800,000 people. Therefore, the fight is essential because it champions providing basic human rights to everyone and aids impoverished countries in improving. 

While not every single person has the capacity to stop slave labor physically, everyone can contribute in many ways, even by simply purchasing useful or pretty products. Here, we list five interesting products and companies that help stop human trafficking.

Purpose Jewelry

Purpose Jewelry is a company that sells handmade jewelry made by survivors of human trafficking. The company rescues the girls from brothels and sends them to live in its trademarked “Sanctuaries,” where it trains them to make jewelry. It also provides them with health care, mental care and education. The girls also earn full salaries for their work. The company invests 100% of its profit back into helping the victims. Currently, the company assists victims from Mumbai, Cebu, Kampala and Tijuana. 

Elegantees

Elegantees creates casual but stylish clothes that any woman can wear. Its priority is sustainability, using cotton and deadstock materials. Most importantly, the employees are primarily girls who are survivors or at risk for human trafficking from Nepal or India. “The Nepal-India border is one of the busiest human trafficking gateways in the world,” with a report showcasing that around 50 women are illegally transported from Nepal to India daily.

The company explains very simply that poor girls often get tricked into brothels because they are looking for jobs. If companies quickly provide safe jobs, human trafficking intermediaries are cut out. All workers are adults, earn a livable wage and receive overtime, vacation and any other benefits you would expect from normal working conditions.

Dignity Coconuts

Dignity Coconuts is a company tackling a unique poverty-related problem in the Philippines. Coconuts are the country’s largest crops grown, with both large plantations and small-scale farmers involved in their production. However, this has resulted in a serious issue known as “copra slavery.” Many companies and countries prefer to purchase products from large-scale farmers, which often drives smaller farmers into poverty. This leaves them vulnerable to human trafficking and at the mercy of larger farms. 

As a result, they are usually forced to beg for loans that they will never be able to repay. Dignity Coconuts changes this dynamic by enabling customers to purchase coconut oil directly from the farmers in the Philippines. The organization has more than 150 farmers on board, which means 150 farms providing jobs for people, protecting them from poverty and desperation that might lead them to trafficking jobs, including running the slave trade.

The Starfish Project

The Starfish Project is an organization that rescues girls from brothels and provides them with training in making jewelry and crafts. Additionally, the girls can continue their education while working there. They can move up in the company hierarchy from crafting to having full careers in fields such as accounting and photography. It is worth noting that the Starfish Project focuses on rescuing rather than prevention. More than 180 women have been able to escape human trafficking situations and turn their lives around thanks to the Starfish Project’s efforts.

Good Paper

Good Paper is a company that creates handcrafted cards for various occasions. The cards are produced in two locations: one in the Philippines, which supports victims of sex trafficking and the other in Rwanda, which helps victims of genocide. 

The Philippines is one of the highest-risk countries for trafficking, with 60,000 to 100,000 children being the victims of sex trafficking. You can make a difference in someone’s life by purchasing a card from Good Paper. Each card is signed by the person whose life you have helped change by supporting this company.

The above products are available for purchase by the average consumer. By buying them, you can help support victims of human trafficking and prevent more people from falling into this terrible crime. Furthermore, improving the economic situation of the victims can help reduce poverty overall.

– Varsha Pai
Photo: Pixabay