Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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The Intersectionality of Gender and Poverty in India

Gender and Poverty in IndiaAccording to NITI Aayog’s National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2023, 14.96% of the Indian population live in multidimensional poverty. However, like the rest of the world, there is an intersectionality between gender and poverty in India. In particular, women are most susceptible to experiencing poverty and poverty most harshly impacts them. SwaTaleem is a nonprofit organization based in India that recognizes this intersectionality and works to uplift and empower girls and women in India.

Gendered Impact of Poverty

In the 1980s, feminists analyzed this intersectionality of poverty and gender and came to the conclusion that poverty affected women more than it affected men and that females suffered more than their male counterparts. This phenomenon and understanding came to be known as the “feminization of poverty”– a global truth. According to projections by UN Women, UNDP and the Pardee Center for International Futures from February 2022, an estimated 388 million women and girls lived in extreme poverty globally, compared to 372 million men and boys. This gender-based gap has only widened since the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in developing nations like India.

When examined, there are many reasons why this might be the case. According to a 1995 paper written by Kathryn King in Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature, Vol. 14, No. 1, titled “Of Needles and Pens and Women’s Work,” others have traditionally restricted women to the private sphere of society and this remains largely true in the rural and sub-rural areas of India.

Killing of the female child after birth (infanticide) or even before birth (foeticide) is common in many urban and rural households, and if that is not the case, they experience neglect and exploitation with a noticeable bias toward the male child of the family. Even in urban areas, issues like double burden (that is, women having to take up the responsibility of both taking care of the household and children and of working) and the gender wage gap prevail. Additionally, a lot of the work women do in the household falls under the category of unpaid (and unrecognized) labor.

Education for The Poor Girl Child

As per data, more than 53 million girls in India–between the ages of 12 and 18–belong to underprivileged communities. Even though school enrollment of girls in India has been increasing and has increased from 10.7 to 28.1 million between 2000 and 2014, girls continue to drop out of school at higher rates than boys and many become victims of child marriage (despite it being illegal). According to data published by UNFPA in 2021, there are 102 million child brides in India. These trends highlight the need for niche organizations and NGOs like SwaTaleem to enter into this space of intersectionality of gender and poverty in India, and address the concerns that largely remain ignored by mainstream initiatives.

SwaTaleem’s Efforts

SwaTaleem is a New Delhi-based nonprofit organization that came into existence in 2015 and uses a participatory system-based approach to address the intersectionality of gender and poverty in India, helping those who live within this intersectionality. The organization aims to break the cycle of oppression by helping girls from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and rural and tribal areas gain access to high-quality education and foundational skills, overcome language barriers and achieve financial freedom.

SwaTaleem majorly works with Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV schools), which are residential girls’ secondary schools run by the Government of India since 2004 to provide for and ensure quality education for girls belonging to the disadvantaged sections in India. Its methodology consists of working with school clusters through collaborative efforts and by using low-tech IVRS (Interactive Voice Response Service) technology to allow for an engaging and participatory approach to education.

Through its consistent efforts, the NGO has multiple ongoing programs, including:

  • Girls Engagement Program which conducts in hybrid mode.
  • Teacher Professional Development Program which includes both a digital component and a field-based component.
  • Parent Engagement Program where parents participate in the education of their daughters through regular contact points.
  • Women Leaders Program which aims at social transformation by recruiting and creating local women as leaders for community work while generating employment opportunities.
  • Government Officials Engagement Program where the organization engages government officials in the process and challenges systemic hierarchies.

SwaTaleem’s Impact

Through its work spanning the past eight years, SwaTaleem has positively influenced the lives of millions of girls and women. The organization has achieved this through its IVRS program, placing close to 100,000 calls annually and delivering more than 10,600 hours of educational content. Additionally, under its parent engagement initiative, it has made nearly 3,700 calls. Although SwaTaleem’s reach extends to practically every girl in India, its broader impact on the community is noteworthy. This success stands as a testament to the adage that “little by little, a little becomes a lot.”

– Manasvi Kadian
Photo: Flickr

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Ending the Cycle of Child Poverty in Singapore Through Education

Child Poverty in SingaporeThe Republic of Singapore, a tropical island and city in Southeast Asia centered around the Malay peninsula, suffers from high rates of child poverty. Here are some facts about child poverty in Singapore and what some are doing to address it.

The Cycle of Poverty

Education is a key factor in overcoming child poverty. Children from low-income families are more likely to struggle to match their peers. In Singapore, 3% of school-age children are not proficient in reading.

Children who struggle to stay in school due to unmet financial needs have a higher risk of remaining in poverty, continuing a cycle when they have children of their own. Children who struggle with poverty are at risk of failing to achieve the core competencies necessary for growth and development. To combat this, Singapore offers financial assistance to families whose children are at risk of leaving school in order to help financially contribute to the household.

Attending libraries assists families that cannot afford to buy toys or books that are necessary to reach developmental milestones. Libraries can provide access to all educational tools. The benefits of children doing extra reading outside of school hours have been found to increase their inspiration and vocabulary skills. In Singapore, families with an annual income of around $60,000 per year struggle with obtaining educational materials for childhood learning and development.

Government initiatives toward encouraging access to education are important to end the cycle of child poverty in Singapore. Having parents who finish secondary education has been shown to increase a child’s vocabulary skills significantly—children of educated parents have an average range of 600 vocabulary words by age 3, compared to 250 words for children of uneducated parents.

Children’s Rights in Singapore

The Children’s Ordinance originated in 1927 to ensure that all children were safe from any type of poverty. In 1946, the Social Welfare Department began to raise awareness of social issues, including child poverty. The Social Welfare Department assists individuals and families struggling with finding health care, employment and affordable food. 

In 1950, efforts to protect children from neglect and abuse through community activities and youth sports leagues became the Children and Young Persons Act, giving children increased legal protection. In 1989, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child combined children’s legal access to health care, education and social services.

Education Resources

Originating in 2000, the I Can Read campaign supports literacy from home. Children enhance their language skills through an online platform that is geared to provide a school-like setting.

The nonprofit organization Kidstart supports families during the early stages of childhood development, serving children under 6 years old. Its aim is to build stronger relationships between children and parents and empower children to discover more about their communities.

My Home School supports international schooling, with a curriculum based on the Charlotte Mason method, providing in-home education to children from Kindergarten to Secondary 4.

Overcoming the Cycle of Poverty

Education is an important factor in overcoming poverty. A great resource to help fight poverty is FreeRice. It donates grains of rice to the World Food Programme for every question that participants answer correctly.

– Paige Couture
Photo: Flickr

Providing Clean Water in India

Clean Water in India
According to UNICEF, India loses more than $600 million annually due to waterborne diseases. Additionally, it is not just clean water that India’s people lack. UNICEF adds that nearly two-thirds of Indian districts face extreme water depletion. With such an immense gap in the need for water and the resources available, a question arises. What is limiting clean water in India?

Limitations to Clean Water in India

Many rural areas lack water infrastructure. Eighty-five percent of drinking water in rural areas comes from groundwater. For the locals, while this source may not be as clean, it is convenient and the only option that has so far been reliable. Leaky pipes, lack of water treatment facilities and improper water management hinder rural areas. They cannot access water in ways similar to their urban counterparts. However, the Indian government has been making steps towards improving water access, and new legislative goals on sustainable development should boost accessibility to water treatment facilities in the coming years.

Pollution in Water Sources

According to a study by the National Institution of Transforming India (a government think tank), nearly 70% of India’s water is contaminated. While groundwater is still the primary water source for most people, wells and aquifers are depleting nationwide. This forces people to shift towards unsanitary drinking water. These devastating circumstances lead to millions of people being ill. 

Children are especially at risk, with 1.5 million children dying annually of diarrhea directly due to a lack of clean water in India. India’s water pollution stems from a lack of infrastructure for waste disposal and an understanding of how human activities damage water resources. Recent initiatives have aimed to combat the problem of pollution by creating sewage treatment plants and looking into technology that could potentially recycle wastewater on a large scale. 

A Lack of Education About Water Resources

When rural areas saw an increase in clean water accessibility, it turned out that less than half of the locals were using these new water systems. While providing water is essential, educating the public on its importance is also crucial for its adoption. Additionally, another important step is changing the narrative around certain holy streams. For example, the Ganges, a holy river in India, experiences 3 million liters of sewage daily. With this river being a primary source of water for millions, it becomes crucial to prevent contamination. 

Several nonprofits, such as the GANGES Project, are partnering with the Indian government to spread awareness of the importance of clean water. The project started in the early 2000s. The National Institute of Advanced Studies learned that the amount of pollution in the river was getting toxic. Since its start, the project has made massive strides by collecting more data about the water flow and its relationship to pollution. Team members are lobbying for policy changes, empowering community leaders to change the lifestyle of people along the river and initiating campaigns to practice proper waste management. 

While the Indian government has several obstacles to overcome, it has shown progress. By establishing infrastructure and working with outside organizations, clean water in India is becoming more possible. With each step, thousands of people can access clean water in India, and many disease vectors will be eliminated.

– Aman Chaudhary
Photo: Flickr

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How Tab for a Cause is Addressing Global Poverty

Tab for a causeSince its launch in 2011, Tab for a Cause has raised more than $1.5 million for charity. The method by which Tab for a Cause is able to hit this milestone is simple: any time one of Tab for a Cause’s users — called Tabbers — opens a new tab in their browser, the browser extension allocates between one-tenth and one full cent to charity.

While Tab for a Cause’s traditional interface allows users to pick and divide their donations among a range of approved charities, the nonprofit recently rolled out specific global initiatives. This article illustrates four of these specific initiatives, which address global poverty.

Tab for Ukraine

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tab for a Cause launched its Tab for Ukraine initiative. Tab for Ukraine provides user-initiated donations that help Ukrainian families in the war access food, water, shelter, education and other crucial services. The specific charity that this initiative supports is Save the Children, which has worked in Ukraine since 2014.

In 2022 alone, Save the Children provided essential services to more than 1,095,323 Ukrainians. These services included hygiene kits, mental health support, direct cash transfers, online education spaces and locations where children could safely participate in sports, art, language learning, socialization and playtime.

Tab for Global Health

Another Tab for a Cause initiative is Tab for Global Health. This initiative provides donations that help train and employ health care professionals in developing nations, enabling health care access in the communities that need it the most and generally creating “healthier and happier communities around the world.” The charity that this initiative supports is Partners in Health.

Founded in 1987, Partners in Health provides high-quality health services to people in Haiti, Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and the Navajo Nation. While Partners in Health mostly focuses on developing nations, they work within the U.S., too.

Tab for Ending Hunger

For users looking to fight food insecurity, Tab for a Cause also offers its Tab for Ending Hunger. This supports the charity Action Against Hunger, which provides baby formula, emergency nutrition services and quality food to those who need it, fighting global malnutrition.

Action Against Hunger originated in 1979, and operates in 55 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Through its programs, Action Against Hunger provides services to an average of 28 million people worldwide every year.

Tab for Ending Poverty

The final initiative covered in this article is Tab for Ending Poverty. This funnels donations to GiveDirectly, which provides money directly into the pockets of those who need it, trusting that those living in poverty will spend the money on necessities. The goal of this charity is to accelerate the end of extreme poverty.

Founded in 2009, GiveDirectly provides direct cash transfers to people in Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Türkiye, Uganda, the U.S. and Yemen. To date, GiveDirectly has provided more than $700 million to people living in poverty in the aforementioned countries.

Conclusion

With each day that passes, Tab for a Cause’s users raise more money for charity, helping to fight global poverty and food insecurity. For those looking to be part of this effort, Tab for a Cause is free and available for Google Chrome, Safari and Microsoft Edge.

– Natalie Coyne
Photo: Unsplash

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The Link Between Poverty and Children’s Education in Somalia

Earlier in 2023, the United Nations (UN) reported that more than 3 million children living in Somalia currently have no access to education. Poverty has an influence on children’s education in Somalia – the World Bank reports that 73% of people in Somalia live in poverty as of 2023. The following is an overview of the link between children’s education and poverty in Somalia.

Education in Somalia

UNICEF has highlighted several challenges affecting children’s education in Somalia. Parents in many areas are unable to afford their children’s education due to poverty, long distances to schools, safety concerns, social norms favoring boys’ education and a shortage of teachers, especially female ones. Additionally, the lack of sanitation facilities further hinders enrollment, especially for girls. Even for those attending school, challenges persist—overcrowded classrooms, inadequately trained teachers and a shortage of educational resources hinder the quality of education. Consequently, children face difficulties in achieving academic success.

Concerning gender inequality, a 2018 report from the Education, Policy and Data Center (EDPC) underscores disparities in Somali education. In 2006, 81% of girls aged 6-11 were not in school, compared to 77% of boys. Similarly, 79% of girls aged 14-17 were out of school, in contrast to 66% of boys. Gender norms influence this discrepancy, leading parents to prioritize their sons’ education over their daughters’ due to limited financial resources.

Schools are limited in rural areas, and often centralized in cities, making it challenging for children to commute. Due to insufficient government funding, due to extreme poverty fluctuations, the education system faces financial challenges. Amina Abdulle, a British primary school teacher working with girls in Somalia, reported that teaching conditions are tough, with a shortage of supplies due to funding issues. She also reported that poverty-related cuts have affected public education, making schooling less accessible, compounded by the introduction of school fees.

Ongoing Efforts

Speaking on what adjustments could improve the education in the Somali schooling system. Abdulle says, “I think there is a lot of room for improvement. But the changes don’t have to be drastic to make a difference.”

Save the Children is a children’s rights organization that has worked in Somalia since 1951, for more than seven decades. The organization’s efforts cover “health and nutrition, education, child protection and child rights governance,” the Save the Children website says. Through various forms of programming, the organization aims to improve the well-being of children. For instance, in terms of education in Somalia, Save the Children supports the Ministry of Health and the public education sector to rehabilitate school infrastructure, and provide quality training to educators while advancing the school curriculums and strengthening education policies.

What is Next?

The Save the Children website outlines its commitment to enhancing education access, particularly for marginalized groups such as rural and pastoralist communities, out-of-school children and internally displaced populations. The organization concentrates on elevating the quality of education services to enhance learning outcomes and advocates for equality and inclusiveness, particularly for girls and children with disabilities. Its educational initiatives follow a holistic approach, addressing child rights, protection, health and proper nutrition. In an interview, Abdulle noted that change is underway, albeit gradual, and emphasized the children’s eagerness to learn, expressing hope for appropriate transformations to benefit them.

– Sumaya Ali
Photo: Unsplash

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Gender Equality Improves in Sub-Saharan Africa

Gender Equality in Sub-Saharan AfricaGender equality in Sub-Saharan Africa improves as countries take positive strides to increase women’s involvement in their national economies. Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire are making significant strides in achieving scores above 90 on the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law index.

Poverty and Gender Equality in Sub-Saharan Africa 

Promoting global gender equality is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations in 2015. The goal is to achieve gender equality by 2030. UN Women conducted a new data analysis that spotlights gender-based discrimination across all 17 SDGs and then summarized where Sub-Saharan Africa stands in comparison globally. 

The first Sustainable Development Goal is no poverty. The global average is that 122 women in the 24-34 year-old cohort live in extreme poverty for every 100 men of the same cohort. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the average is 127 women living in extreme poverty for every 100 men in the same cohort. The fifth Sustainable Development Goal is about gender equality and reducing the barriers for women and girls. Globally, women do 2.6 times the unpaid domestic work compared to their male counterparts. In the three countries that UN Women looked at — Ethiopia, Mali and Mauritius — women, on average, spend 19% to 22% of their day doing unpaid domestic work. Meanwhile, men spend approximately 2.5% to 8.7% of the day on unpaid domestic labor in the same three countries.

The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) comprehensively measures how poor a population is based on a summary figure of the three dimensions of poverty — health, education and living standards. The most recent survey year for Gabon was 2012, and based on the data collected, 15.6% of the population is multidimensionally poor. The most recent survey year for Côte d’Ivoire was 2016 when 46.1% of the population was multidimensionally poor.

Reforms in Gabon

Gabon adopted new laws in 2021 that revised the country’s 1972 Civil Code. The Civil Code had previously been rooted in French colonial labor laws that imposed constraints on the jobs and sectors women worked in, the hours and the pay for their labor. As part of the 2021 revisions to reduce these constraints, women in Gabon could:

  • Be heads of household.
  • Own and manage property.
  • Choose where they live. 
  • Have independent bank accounts not connected to their husbands.
  • Have access to more jobs that were previously unavailable to women.

Additionally, reforms to the Criminal Code in 2021 protected Gabonese women from gender-based discrimination when accessing credit.

In May 2023, the First Lady of Gabon, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, patronized a three-day event promoting women’s rights and empowering them during the Conference of Ministers in Gender and the Advancement of Women. The event highlighted how vital the inclusion of women is when it comes to political and peace processes. At the end of the event, the eleven countries present adopted the “Declaration on the Common Agenda on priority actions for the promotion of women’s rights and their empowerment.”

Reforms in Côte d’Ivoire 

The results of the Program for the Analysis of Educational Systems were published in 2021. This report revealed that only 41% of children could read above the satisfactory level during their final year, and only 17% showed satisfactory proficiency in math.

Côte d’Ivoire has transformed its education system in response to the report. During the 2023/2024 school year, Côte d’Ivoire began the National Early Learning Program, which uses cognitive science and neuropsychology to understand how children read during their early schooling years. In addition to reforms on how children learn, Côte d’Ivoire is also reducing gender inequality and stereotypes in the educational system through: 

  • Training teachers.
  • Increasing female representation in school leadership.
  • Promoting safety.
  • Preventing violence.
  • A revised curriculum.

Concluding Remarks

The reforms that Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire have taken so far are essential steps in the 2030 Agenda to promote gender equality and reduce the barriers that women face. These steps help women gain greater access to rights at all levels — from education to economic systems and political processes. Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire are leading the charge of increasing gender equality in Sub-Saharan Africa.

– Komalpreet Kaur
Photo: Flickr

4 Organizations Helping the Deaf Community in Zimbabwe

Deaf Community in ZimbabweThe current Constitution of Zimbabwe, adopted in 2013, recognizes sign language as one of the country’s official languages. Yet, the approximately 1.5 million deaf Zimbabweans in the country experience significant challenges in navigating life. As Lydia Chikate described in 2022, an activist who is working to promote the use of Zimbabwean Sign Language, most deaf people in Zimbabwe “are suffering on the streets as beggars or vendors.” Additionally, a 2012 research article published in the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education noted that deaf students in Zimbabwe rarely make it to high school. This article highlights organizations helping the deaf community in Zimbabwe overcome these challenges that force them into poverty.

1. Deaf Zimbabwe Trust

One organization helping the deaf community in Zimbabwe is Deaf Zimbabwe Trust. Founded in 2012 and based in Harare, Zimbabwe, Deaf Zimbabwe Trust initially originated to promote human rights for deaf Zimbabwean children. Deaf Zimbabwe Trust still supports equal educational opportunities for deaf children in Zimbabwe, but in the 10 years since its establishment, the organization has experienced substantial transformation and expanded to offer services to the entire deaf community in Zimbabwe.

Deaf Zimbabwe Trust now works to promote human rights for all deaf Zimbabweans by influencing policy, promoting better health outcomes for deaf Zimbabweans through the use of interpreters, teaching sign language, researching evidence-based interventions and empowering deaf women. Through this work, Deaf Zimbabwe Trust envisions a world where all deaf and hard-of-hearing people can live independent, dignified lives with the same rights and opportunities that are available to hearing people.

2. NZEVE Deaf Centre

Another organization helping the deaf community in Zimbabwe is NZEVE Deaf Centre. Founded in 2000 and based in Mutare, Zimbabwe, NZEVE Deaf Centre caters to the needs of deaf Zimbabwean children and youth, as well as their families. The organization’s work includes running a preschool for deaf children, providing early detection and intervention services, improving deaf Zimbabweans’ access to various forms of health care, encouraging deaf leadership and promoting social justice.

Through this work, NZEVE Deaf Centre has supported 237 deaf Zimbabwean children, provided education to 202 deaf Zimbabwean children, provided training to 99 deaf Zimbabwean youth and trained 157 workers. Additionally, NZEVE Deaf Centre has partnered with Mrs. Kadzora’s Garden Project, which now employs deaf Zimbabweans and other Zimbabweans with disabilities in Zimbabwe’s farming industry. NZEVE Deaf Centre does this work with the goal of creating a world where deaf people are viewed as valued members of society.

3. Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe

An additional organization helping the deaf community in Zimbabwe is Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe. Founded in 2017 and based in Harare, Zimbabwe, Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe specifically focuses on empowering deaf Zimbabwean young women and girls. Alongside hosting an annual Miss Deaf Pride pageant, Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe works to provide education and opportunities to deaf women and girls.

Other work that Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe carries out includes sign language education, self-advocacy training, disability rights training and entrepreneurship and career development training. Within the organization’s entrepreneurship and career development training, Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe teaches deaf women and girls how to make jewelry so that they can embark on lucrative careers in jewelry making. Miss Deaf Pride Zimbabwe does this work with the goal of enabling deaf women and girls to feel more confident in themselves.

4. Sunrise Sign Language Academy

A final organization helping the deaf community in Zimbabwe is Sunrise Sign Language Academy. Based in Harare, Zimbabwe, Sunrise Sign Language Academy focuses specifically on Zimbabwean Sign Language education to make all aspects of life more accessible to deaf Zimbabweans. It is currently hard for deaf Zimbabweans to access equal health care, equal opportunities and equal recognition in society due to a lack of people who know sign language and, therefore, a lack of people able to communicate with deaf people. In teaching sign language to influential members of society, including but not limited to clergy, education professionals, medical professionals and legal professionals, Sunrise Sign Language Academy hopes to bridge that gap.

Sunrise Sign Language Academy also has the goal of making Zimbabwean Sign Language something that all households in Zimbabwe know. This is an important endeavor, as many deaf people worldwide currently end up suffering from Language Deprivation Syndrome, a result of a lack of language input from an early age.

Looking Ahead

While there is still a long way to go before the deaf community in Zimbabwe achieves full equality, these organizations have helped them take strides in that direction. It is thanks to their tireless efforts that many deaf Zimbabweans have been able to access educational opportunities, career development opportunities and more.

– Natalie Coyne
Photo: Flickr

Aprende Leyendo Aims to Improve Children’s Literacy in Colombia

Children’s Literacy in ColombiaAprende Leyendo, which translates to “learn by reading,” is a Colombian-based nonprofit organization focused on increasing children’s literacy in Colombia. According to the organization, literacy is “the pathway to sustainable peace in Colombia.” Focusing on literacy worldwide has been a common goal of humanitarian activists and those working to alleviate poverty. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the fight against illiteracy has become more necessary and troublesome, and groups like Aprende Leyendo are working to fill gaps and support children left behind. 

Literacy in Numbers

Colombia and the rest of South America have been fighting to increase children’s literacy for a while, yet the pandemic posed unprecedented obstacles. According to UNICEF, “four in five sixth graders within Latin America are expected to lack basic reading comprehension proficiency.” This number has increased since the start of the Pandemic as school closures and lack of funding hit many communities. These same studies estimate that the region’s learning goals have been set back by more than a decade. This impacts current and future students. These findings are likely because children in Latin America faced some of the longest school interruptions globally- on average, “students in the region lost, fully or partially, two-thirds of all in-person school days since the start of the pandemic, with an estimated loss of 1.5 years of learning.” 

These learning disparities not only limit the personal growth and knowledge individuals can acquire, it also compromise the country’s future development and class disparities within the nation. According to Jean Gough, UNICEF’s Latin America regional director, “turning a blind eye to the most severe learning crisis ever faced by the region will hurt children now and all of us in the long run.” Increasing children’s literacy is a necessary fight against poverty. 

Governments across the continent have implemented various programs to support children’s literacy and increase learning resources, yet the world of organizations like Aprende Leyendo is crucial, especially within rural communities with limited resources. Focused primarily on Colombia, the group works to fight the connection between poverty and illiteracy. In Colombia, poverty is the leading cause of illiteracy. Within the most impoverished communities and families in Colombia, at least 80% are currently illiterate. 

Aprende Leyendo

The World Literacy Foundation implemented Aprende Leyendo in 2014 and focuses on children aged 4 to 14 years living in marginalized communities. The group believes in focusing on younger populations as an early intervention tactic to decrease illiteracy before adulthood and increase opportunities available to children as adults. In these communities, war has impacted 41,411 children and teenagers. In 2020-2021, the literacy programs by Aprende Leyendo impacted more than 3,000 children across five communities. As of last year, it distributed 3,550 books. 

Providing Books and Educational Resources

The group focuses on increasing children’s literacy through three means: providing books and educational resources, providing literacy support to struggling children and involving parents in the program to encourage more reading at home, and bringing literary technology and digital e-books to children in remote communities. The technology also encourages games focused on literacy for children to practice reading skills. It distributed paper books every six months so children continue to have new material to learn from. 

A Weekly Reading Group

Further, children join a weekly reading group to encourage communal learning and make learning fun with activities and a shared meal. Parents are receive encouragement to join workshops during these times to learn how parents can support reading at home. 

In addition to promoting Spanish literacy and reading comprehension, the group focuses on English as a second language course. It welcomes international volunteers to teach English classes and use the distribution of learning technology to include English learning games and programs. 

Literacy can change a child’s life and support the prosperity of an entire community. 

– Nikki Bayat
Photo: Flickr

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School Meals Eating Away at Child Hunger in Madagascar

Child Hunger in MadagascarMadagascar is an island off the Southeast coast of Africa that is highly vulnerable to severe weather events such as cyclones and floods. Between 2018 and 2022, it suffered its worst prolonged drought in 40 years, devastating crops and leaving 48.5% of its population undernourished. A string of cyclones have exacerbated the situation, decimating food production, which in 2022 left 500,000 children under five acutely malnourished. With a poverty rate of more than 80%, reducing child hunger in Madagascar is an uphill challenge. 

The World Food Programme (WFP) has partnered with the Malagasy government for over 30 years to deliver a school feeding program that provides primary school children with lunch and snacks. In 2022, this program supported 325,300 children in 937 schools. 

Nutrition 

Food shortages have led to high levels of child hunger in Madagascar, causing 40% of children to be stunted and 7.7% of children under 5 to suffer from wasting, which leads to higher mortality and morbidity risks. 

The school feeding program addresses this by ensuring children get at least one nutritious meal daily. These consist of micronutrient-rich foods otherwise missing from their diets, such as fruits, vegetables, fish and fortified oil to provide much-needed vitamin A. It also gives children micronutrient supplements and biofortified rice for extra protein.

The WFP also promotes the Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSF) to diversify children’s diets, which links school meals with smallholder farmers. This program makes children’s diets more varied and nutritious while stimulating the local economy. Children also receive nutrition education to instill long-term dietary behavioral changes and promote better health. 

In addition, some schools participate in the School Gardens Project, which promotes school canteens to use fresh vegetables grown in urban micro-vegetable gardens. This program encourages the practice of urban agriculture among the general population while increasing nutrition and food security for children. 

The Economy

School feeding is a social safety net that relieves parents of part of their food costs and saves them around 10% of their income, allowing them to spend money on other necessities, further stimulating the economy. 

Furthermore, HGSF gives smallholder farmers a stable market for their products by connecting them with schools. Farmers can then invest this income in better agricultural practices, which, in turn, increases productivity. 

As well as being detrimental to peoples’ lives, child hunger in Madagascar is a significant burden on the economy, with the associated health costs totaling 14.5% of GDP. The government can spend its money on other well-needed projects by reducing child undernutrition. 

School feeding also has long-term impacts, allowing children to get an education, find work and contribute to the economy. The WFP School Feeding Programme costs only $26 per student per year, yet it creates $935 throughout the recipient’s life.

Education 

High rates of malnutrition not only affect children’s physical development but also impede their cognitive development. Chronically malnourished children have greater problems understanding and engaging with school material than their well-nourished classmates and have lower learning outcomes in reading and mathematics. They also drop out of school at a higher rate.

Schools where children receive meals have improved learning outcomes, reducing absenteeism and the dropout rate. They also have 14% higher attendance; on average, students stay in school for one year more. Incentivizing children to attend school regularly and for longer gives them access to a better education and a more promising future.

Many children in Madagascar cannot attend school because they must work to support their families. Such a lack of access to education promotes the cycle of poverty by robbing children of their future job prospects. School feeding incentivizes parents to send their children to school as they are guaranteed a nutritious meal and an education. 

Looking Ahead

The importance of school feeding in the fight against poverty cannot be understated. WFP has pulled out all the stops to reduce child hunger in Madagascar by providing them with the nutrition they need to develop physically and cognitively while incentivizing them to get an education and escape poverty. 

– Marcos Caro
Photo: Flickr

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UNICEF’s Plan to Address Poverty in Suriname

Poverty in SurinameThe South American nation of Suriname is an incredibly unique place with a special history. Suriname gained its independence almost a half decade ago. The most common language spoken in the country is Dutch but the nation is extremely diverse. People with roots in parts of Asia, Europe and Africa make up the population of Suriname today. Suriname has always been a place that is rich with natural resources. The mining industry has always been a critical aspect of the national economy and plays a large role in the overall success of Suriname as a whole. Unfortunately, over the last 8 years economic struggles have plagued the nation and poverty in Suriname has become an extremely serious issue. 

About Poverty in Suriname

The COVID-19 pandemic made an already difficult economic situation much worse and as a result about one of every four people is living in poverty in Suriname. There have been small signs of hope over the last few years, but inflation has made continued progress difficult to achieve. 

As is the case in many developing nations, children and teenagers feel poverty in Suriname extremely hard. According to Humanium.org, the youth throughout the nation are facing a wide variety of challenges as a result of poverty. Exploitation of child labor and poor education systems have contributed to a low quality of life for young people throughout Suriname. 

Another serious issue in the area is the poor health of children. Malnutrition has become a challenge that is very common in Suriname and as a result, a large number of young children are contracting anemia and other diseases. In some of the less densely populated areas of Suriname, access to health care services is very limited. A study occurred in these areas and more than six out of every 10 children in the study were anemic. 

UNICEF’s Efforts

Luckily, in 2022, UNICEF laid out an elaborate plan for the nations of Suriname and Guyana on how to improve the unfortunate circumstances facing these nations, specifically for children. The plan that UNICEF assembled is elaborate and will tackle several aspects of poverty in Suriname through numerous channels. UNICEF has several partnerships in place with various organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank and many others to improve access to health care, quality education and other services to help young children move out of poverty. UNICEF has been able to allocate $18.3 million for its objectives in Suriname. 

Another very critical aspect of the plan that UNICEF put out in 2022 is the agreements it has with organizations that will be able to gather updated and accurate data in regards to poverty in Suriname. UNICEF has developed different data analysis tools to measure the progress in each issue area laid out in the plan. These tools will allow UNICEF to accurately measure the success of each part of the plan. The various surveys conducted and data collected will be shared with leaders and government agencies. 

The goal that UNICEF has outlined is for the government to use this information to develop policies that address the current state of the nation and not an outdated perspective which UNICEF will also analyze to make sure they are robust enough to make a significant impact. This plan has outlined a bright future for Suriname due to the fact that it outlines how to keep its citizens, especially children, healthy, educated and safe.

Looking Ahead

Suriname is clearly struggling, but the plan that UNICEF has implemented coupled with the partnerships they have developed is a massive step in the right direction. The measures that UNICEF is taking as described in the plan address so many issues and the hope is that each problem can be overcome. If the plan undergoes proper execution, Suriname will be on a path toward a better future and away from poverty. 

– Dylan Lyons
Photo: Flickr