Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

E-commerce in West Africa

E-commerce in West Africa
The Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) approved a regional e-commerce strategy for all 15 members on July 7, 2023. This does not come as a surprise — pre-COVID-19, national and regional institutions in West Africa expressed their interest in a regional strategy that focuses on the development of e-commerce and a digital economy. 

Benefits of E-Commerce

The increase of e-commerce in West Africa will help to bridge the poverty gap between urban and rural areas. It is a tool that can provide the people of West Africa with a better quality of life.

The first benefit of e-commerce is that it is electronic, which means it can reach the global market. It is open 24/7, 365 days a year, and it allows people to work from any location as long as electricity and an internet connection are provided. This gives potential customers the flexibility to purchase whenever they want to, without being restricted by a store’s hours. 

In comparison to physical stores, e-commerce reduces costs and requires a lower investment. Physical stores require costs, such as rent, repairs, store design, etc., that are not incurred in e-commerce. E-commerce allows for affordable advertising and marketing. Websites like Amazon have interfaces to help users add videos, infographics and photos. Good reviews will also help customers see products and services from developing countries.

E-commerce can be used to deepen trade and boost productivity, creating jobs for the growing young population. Many researchers regard it as a critical means for alleviating poverty. ICT as a whole has the potential to reduce poverty by allowing easy access to education, health, government and financial services as well as other relevant information.

Lastly, the introduction of e-commerce in West Africa can be used to help bridge the poverty gap between those living in rural and urban areas. By providing the right infrastructure in rural areas, e-commerce can allow people like low-income farmers to earn much more by cutting their costs.

The Progression to E-Commerce

E-commerce in West Africa will prove to provide many benefits, though it requires a certain environment in order for it to survive and thrive. Important requirements include electricity, a stable internet connection, credit card ownership, good road infrastructure and adequate literacy rates. 

West Africa has been planning ahead to ensure that requirements are met to allow e-commerce to flourish. Without meeting these requirements, e-commerce will only be available to the rich, rather than becoming accessible to everyone.

The ECOWAS region has seen a significant rise in internet usage over the last decade. The Internet is now being used mostly for commercial purposes, and this can be seen in the increase in online retail. This increase is influenced by a rise in internet penetration, the adoption of phones, the development of cashless payments and the young growing population.

More people in West Africa are starting to pay for goods and services with credit cards, mobile money and online, rather than cash. West Africa is leading the continent in terms of the number of registered mobile money accounts, and it has the world’s largest number of mobile services to date.

Road infrastructure is important for the delivery of goods, both imports and exports. The 2023 West Africa Road Infrastructure and Investment Forum is set to be the most important road infrastructure event in West Africa. It will address how road development, investment and technology synergize and how to fund and finish infrastructure projects on time and within budget.

Literacy is important for e-commerce and West African countries have made progress towards increasing literacy rates; some countries mention literacy in their national development plans, while others have adopted non-formal education policies. 

Education is important to e-commerce, as people need skills to start selling and buying online. Education and average primary school enrollment in Western and Central Africa is close to the universal average. It has risen from 50% in the 1990s to almost 90% today. Secondary enrollment in the last decade has more than doubled to the current average of 55%.

Conclusion

With a boost to e-commerce in West Africa and the correct infrastructure in place, the lives of West Africans will surely become easier. Low-income farmers and others can use the tool to increase their revenue. E-commerce is a tool used on a global scale. With West Africa adopting more technology and providing the right infrastructure, e-commerce will help to alleviate poverty.

– Lewis Butcher
Photo: Pexels

Globalization and Trade In Vietnam: A Success Story

Globalization and Trade in Vietnam
At the end of the Vietnam War, Vietnam had one of the poorest economies in the world. But this began to change after 1986 when economic reforms triggered the reconstruction of the country. Now it has become a strong manufacturing player engaged in global trade and displaying impressive domestic and globalization improvements.

What Has Happened?

Similar to China, Vietnam’s growth came from economic reforms which opened its economy to foreign investors and opportunities for global trade. Globalization and trade in Vietnam saw exponential growth and made their economy the fastest-growing economy in Asia last year at a rate of 8%.  

There are three key factors contributing to this rise. First is its embrace of trade liberalization. Second, they have supported this with domestic reforms. Finally, an increase in public investments in human and physical capital. The impact has been incredible. Vietnam’s trade in 2017 accounted for 190% of its GDP compared to 70% in 2007, progress which has had knock-on benefits for all of its economy. Between 2014 and 2016, for example, 1.5 million new manufacturing jobs were created. It has also been estimated that these open borders have allowed for more than 10,000 companies to move and operate within Vietnam. 

In particular, electronics manufacturing has expanded, creating high-value goods and better-paid jobs. Companies like Samsung, Google and Microsoft have moved their production into Vietnam and therefore created economic development in the country. 

What Does This Mean for Poverty in Vietnam?

Not surprisingly, globalization and trade in Vietnam have had many positive impacts on the Vietnamese people and poverty. In fact, between 2010 and 2020 poverty in Vietnam decreased from 16.8% to 5%. 

A 2014 survey saw that 95% of Vietnamese say “trade is good.” As part of the steps to open and maintain their economy, Vietnam invested in human capital, and this was focused on primary education. 

In 2015, the OECD Program for International Student Assessment ranked Vietnam at 8 out of 72 countries, an important figure when thinking about how education is so important in helping people raise their income and move out of poverty.

In the workplace, Vietnam continues to prove itself to be a progressive model where women’s employment has stayed within 10% of men’s and, according to the World Economic Forum’s Inclusive Development Index, it has done a good job at creating inclusive and sustainable growth. 

Looking Ahead

Globalization and trade in Vietnam and how it has been conducted is a model for healthy growth and has shown how a country can develop without leaving people behind. Due to a young working demographic and a growing middle class, Vietnam is likely to see this growth continue and the Vietnamese people will reap these benefits. 

– Daisy How
Photo: Flickr

5 Health Care-Focused Organizations in Africa

Health Care-Focused OrganizationsHealth care is a continuing issue in developing sub-Saharan African nations, but both foreign and domestic investment in the region are tangible and helping to improve it every day. Below are five health care-focused organizations in Africa working towards improving some of the most poverty-stricken areas.

5 Health Care-Focused Organizations in Africa

  1. The African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) – At its inception, the AMREF was an effort to bring doctors to remote areas of the continent. It has since expanded to work on strengthening the core health systems in Africa and in training African health workers to be able to respond to “critical health challenges.” In 2021, more than 92% of its operational budget went directly towards program services — clinical services, health training and primary care efforts in Africa. Much of AMREF’s efforts are focused on education — training new health care workers is a crucial part of their work as there are, on average, “only 2 doctors and 9 nurses available for every 10,000 people” in the sub-Saharan Africa region. AMREF Health Africa considers this to be the cornerstone of their efforts.
  2. Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) – The WBFA is a health care-focused organization in Africa dedicated to the improvement of health outcomes for women, infants and children — particularly during childbirth and early infancy. One of their most influential programs in the region is “Mamacare360” — a program dedicated to improving maternity care. Operating out of Nigeria — a nation known for being the second largest global contributor to maternal deaths — the program has helped more than 200,000 women with their midwife, pregnancy and post-pregnancy needs. To date, it has not lost a single mother enrolled in the MamaCare program.
  3. Access Afya – Access Afya is an enterprise focused on the delivery of health care directly to the communities that need it most — particularly those in low-income areas. Afya works to achieve this primarily through their standardization efforts — that is, Access Afya provides a standardized model for clinics that will provide “chronic care…lab testing, child immunizations and nutrition… and more.” Its mission is to help provide the backbone of a regional health care system by implementing digital health technologies that are already commonplace in more affluent parts of the world.
  4. African Mission Health Care (AMH) – Operating as a nonprofit, the AMH’s mission is one shared by many of the other mentioned organizations — a happier, healthier Africa where health care is available and no longer a factor in preventing the development of the continent. AMH primarily supports mission hospitals, providing resources and funds to missionary physicians and the domestic hospitals they serve. AMH currently maintains active projects in 10 different sub-Saharan African nations and has invested more than $30 million in training, direct care and infrastructure.
  5. The Africa Mental Health Training and Research Foundation (AMHRTF) – The AMHRTF stands out for its primary efforts being rooted in the realm of mental health care. The organization works primarily in researching mental and neurological health in the hopes of more efficiently creating policy and practice guidelines for “affordable, appropriate, available and accessible mental health services.” The AMHRTF strives to be the cornerstone of mental health research and knowledge on the African continent. One of the recent projects was the DIALOGUE project — a collaboration with traditional and faith-based healers that sought to empower them with the ability to stage mental health interventions and provide screening for signs of depression.

Health Care, Poverty and the Future

Despite their varying methods and purposes, all of these health care-focused organizations in Africa are working towards one goal: providing an efficient, widely available and active health care network to some of the most impoverished areas in the world. They represent real-world investments in the developing world. Health care provision is one of the many avenues through which people can be lifted out of poverty.

– Marc Federici
Photo: Unsplash

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Addressing Child Marriage in Chad

Child Marriage in Chad
“I was given in marriage at 17, my husband was 35. I didn’t love him, he was mean to me. He was beating me, forcing me to sleep with him. He was hurting me a lot until I said to myself, enough is enough. I couldn’t go on with him. That’s why I decided to leave. If I stayed with him, he would’ve killed me.” 

This is the story of Titi, one of many who have suffered the experience of child marriage in Chad. Her words are a testament to the harsh realities that Chad is facing. The African nation is grappling with the grim challenge of having one of the highest child marriage rates in the world. The extent of the issue is staggering — while poverty, displacement, regional and ethnic disparities and cultural complexities play their part in forming this burden.

The Scale of Child Marriage in Chad

UNICEF’s 2014 report puts the rate of child marriage in Chad as the third highest in the world, only behind Bangladesh and Niger. Chadian girls are suffering staggering marriage rates as 29% of girls under 15 are married, and a staggering 70% are married before their 18th birthday. Taking into account that Chad has 1.8 million girls between the ages of 10 and 19, a very conservative estimate shows that more than half a million girls are married while still being children.

Regional Inequalities

Ethnic diversity defines the threads of Chad’s identity. Nevertheless, within the complex tapestry of tradition, poverty and gender norms, certain regions and ethnic groups bear a disproportionate burden in the nation’s child marriage crisis. The rate of female child marriage in the Chari Baguirmi region is at a disheartening 70%, while the Mayo Kebbi Est, Guera, Kanem and Salamat regions range from low to mid 60%. Child marriage in Chad, however, is not exclusive to girls, as 23% of boys in the Logone Oriental region suffer from this reality, followed by the Logone Occidental, Mandoul and Mayo Kebbi Ouest regions, with rates between 12% and 17%. There are also disparities by ethnicity, as the Peul/Foulbe group grapples with a devastating 67% prevalence of child marriage, trailed by Massa/Mousseye, Baguirmi/Barma and Kanembou/Bomou from low to mid 60%.

Roots of Child Marriage in Chad

In Chad, poverty, insecurity and limited access to vital services like education fuel the distressing prevalence of child marriage. At its core, gender norms and economic and humanitarian turmoil are the main drivers of child marriage in Chad. Very conservative gender perspectives paired with 5.5 million individuals in need of humanitarian aid, 406,000 people displaced and over 528,000 refugees from neighboring lands create a context for desperation. 

Views of women’s purity and honor cut across religious lines. Child marriage practices permeate households nationwide, encompassing Catholic, Protestant, Animist and Muslim families alike. Moreover, poverty within these communities significantly drives child marriage in Chad. With 54% of young brides originating from the poorest households, impoverished families see early marriage for their daughters as a means of alleviating perceived financial burdens. Harsh expectations, skewed perceptions, and destitute material conditions create a context for child marriage to thrive.

World Vision’s Efforts

While child marriage in Chad is a dire situation that affects countless people, World Vision is an NGO playing its part in helping prevent and alleviate the burdens of this reality. World Vision works to fight inequality, poverty and injustices and explicitly intends to combat child marriage in Chad through its child protection and participation program. This program focuses on improving children’s quality of life through protection from abusive behaviors. More than 59 child protection clubs have been created, which provide children with the tools necessary to promote their protection and development as well as provide a safe space for expressing their points of view. 

In 2019, World Vision was able to annul 37 child marriage cases, allowing girls to return to school, while also aiding in reporting more than 50 child protection incidents that received appropriate responses. Furthermore, World Vision educated 310 religious and community leaders, along with 3,000 individuals, about the implications of child marriage and the detrimental impact of violence against children. World Vision’s work stands as a testament to the power of efforts to alleviate the burdens that countless Chadian children face.

Final Thoughts

The well-being and promotion of youth form the foundation for the future of any nation. The scope of child marriage in Chad is disheartening. The situation is indeed dire, with an urgent need for comprehensive interventions to safeguard the livelihoods of these children as well as the future prosperity of the nation.

– Agustín Pino
Photo: Flickr

Agricultural Technology Alleviates Rural Poverty in Latin America

Rural Poverty in Latin America
Latin America is known for its agricultural lands that grow and harvest some of America’s favorite products: coffee and avocados. The region’s agricultural sector makes up a high percentage of the economy and its vast, rural lands are enriched with agrobiodiversity. Rural inhabitants, 18% of the overall population, make up 29% of the poor population. Investing in technology within the agricultural industry has proven that it can help reduce the high rates of rural poverty in Latin America, and here is how. 

Job Creation

Poverty levels remain high in rural Latin America where agriculture is the dominant line of work. According to a recent study, about 77 million rural inhabitants in the region are confronted with a “connectivity gap.” This gap not only impedes their access to technology, but, according to The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), also creates “a barrier to health, education, social services, work, and the overall economy.” Providing rural inhabitants equal access to technology can potentially increase their food production and “break the vicious cycle generating insecurity, poverty and migration.”

Universally, as a result of rural farmers adopting technology in developed countries, it has boosted productivity within the agriculture sector leading to the creation of more jobs and rising incomes. According to the IICA, a 1% increase in wireless internet penetration would result in an overall 0.15% GDP increase, in comparison to the “fixed broadband penetration that would result in a 0.08% increase in GDP” for the region.

Sustainable Development

Recent reports from the World Bank demonstrate that Latin America’s role in the “agri-food system” is “technically inefficient, socially inequitable, fiscally irresponsible, and environmentally unsustainable.”

The IICA is designing technological tools suitable, equitable and inclusive to use to sustain and enhance Latin America’s agricultural development. Apart from creating these tech tools, the IICA is being mindful of the low-skilled workers and the rural connectivity gap, introducing them to information and communication technology (ICT), which, in turn, has proved to have helped rural living conditions in Latin America. Technological changes in the region’s agricultural sustainability can augment production growth and trade, create new jobs, raise incomes, preserve natural resources and reduce food and nutrition insecurity and rural poverty in Latin America.

In February 2022, the U.N.’s International Fund for Agricultural Development launched Innovatech. This type of agricultural technology is helping to alleviate rural poverty in five Latin American countries: Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. This project is assisting rural development, small-scale farmers and rural inhabitants by ensuring that farmers have access to modern technology, tools and services to prosper in today’s agricultural economy. Innovatech has so far helped 9,000 rural households and is striving to improve more linkages with smallholder farmers across the region.

The lack of developing new technology is hindering the agricultural sector in Latin America. Specific numbers on productivity, job creation, income and poverty reduction as a result of technology adoption are excruciatingly scarce, yet tech projects like Innovatech are making an effort to take the first steps of documenting — and alleviating — rural poverty in Latin America. 

– Amy Contreras
Photo: Flickr

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5 Charities Operating in Taiwan

Charities Operating in Taiwan
Tensions between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan have remained high since the Second World War. China continues to claim that Taiwan should be considered a part of its mainland by putting forward the “One China Policy.”

Taiwan also has a different method of measuring poverty. There is a relative poverty line, and the poverty threshold is different for every region. Only around 2% of the population is considered to be poor. However, income inequality is prevalent as more than 65% of workers earn a below-average salary in Taiwan. If a person’s income crosses even slightly above the poverty threshold for a particular area, then benefits and aid become scarce. Here are five charities operating in Taiwan that are helping both locally and internationally to rapidly decrease the rate of poverty.

Tzu Chi

Tzu Chi means “relieving suffering with compassion.” The compassion relief organization was founded in Hualien City in May 1996 by Dharma Master Cheng Yen. One of the Buddhist charities in Taiwan, Tzu Chi believes in healing spiritual poverty, by “spreading the essential values of love and compassion to all.” It has established grassroots volunteers across the world and has up to seven bases in the United Kingdom, including Cambridge, Edinburgh, Manchester and London.

Tzu Chi believes in “educating the rich to help the poor; inspiring the poor to realize their riches.” It spreads a message of universal love and encourages bringing out good in everyone. In February 2023, it fundraised and mobilized aid for the disastrous 7.8 magnitude earthquakes in Turkey. The charity provided warm blankets and food. The local Tzu Chi volunteers in Turkey also provided citizens with gift cards to buy supplies from supermarkets.

Garden of Hope

Garden of Hope is a charity that is fighting gender-based violence in Taiwan. It was established in 1986 by Angie Golmon, Liang-Wan Hui and a group of Christian missionaries. It was one of the first charities in Taiwan to help girls rehabilitate and heal from sexual abuse. It spreads the values of justice and love by actively preventing sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and domestic violence of children and women.

More than 68% of women to whom the charity has provided aid have significantly lowered the risk of being in a violent environment. About 76% of women have been aided to start work and become financially independent. More than 75% of children who are victims of domestic violence have been provided with therapy and feel that they can protect themselves better.

Ti Hwei

Ti Hwei is a charitable nursery that fosters orphans and underprivileged children by providing them with shelter and education. Tang Lesong founded the charity in 1980 using their own savings and loans from relatives to establish a sports welfare kindergarten. Lesong’s passion has encouraged more destitute families to reach out and ask for help.

Ti Hwei also launched a project called Kyobo Croner with the mission of helping children attain long-term placement in an establishment that can provide personal care, education and training services.

The Mustard Seed Mission

The Mustard Seed Mission believes that “the mustard seed can grow into a big tree and bear fruits for others under proper care.”

The Foundation offers initial funding for small startup projects initiated by churches globally. It aims to support these projects as a minority partner, providing financial assistance for a defined period while fostering self-sustainability and reliance on the local church.

The Foundation is one of the first registered welfare charities operating in Taiwan. It was established by the late missionary Lillian R. Dickson, often called the “Mother of Orphans” in Taiwan, after the Second World War. Initially, the organization provided medical clinics and vocational training. Now, the Foundation extends grants to churches and Christian organizations worldwide, particularly for new ministry endeavors encompassing outreach, discipleship and economic empowerment.

The ongoing “Sprout of Love!” project continues to help more than 5,000 disadvantaged children in Taiwan.

The Children Are Us Foundation

The Children Are Us Foundation is a charity focused on supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities. It was established in June 1995 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan by parents of intellectually disabled individuals. The organization’s primary objective is to nurture and empower the untapped potential of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

The heartwarming and self-reliant reputation of Children Are Us has now become a significant symbol for intellectually disabled individuals in Taiwan. Notably, the Children Are Us bakery and restaurant have emerged as successful models of social enterprise in Taiwan, benefiting both the public and its employees.

All of these charities operating in Taiwan are actively shaping a brighter future for the country. Despite the misleading poverty rate measurements, such charities create positive change on a local level and will shape generations to come.

– Sharvi Rana
Photo: Pixabay

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US Aid To Poverty-Stricken Areas in Libya

US Aid To Poverty-Stricken Areas in Libya
Knowing the crises faced by the Libyan population since the end of the dictatorship in 2011, poverty, development and security have continued to deteriorate. Therefore, taking into account that the U.S. is one of the countries that provides the most international aid, it is important to analyze U.S. aid to poverty-stricken areas in Libya.

How the US Operates in Libya

U.S. aid to poverty-stricken areas in Libya is mostly carried out by the USAID agency and the U.S. embassy in Libya. While the embassy identifies, selects and reports on the weak areas of development that are most in the interest of the U.S., USAID acts with intervention and direct assistance in such areas. Therefore, USAID’s aid work involves partnerships with NGOs, local institutions and international organizations, such as the World Bank.

USAID Work

The main investment focus areas for the agency are development, security and humanitarian assistance. Regarding development, USAID focuses on the country’s economic growth, and its strategies are mostly executed in partnership with the government. The project is called the Public Financial Management of Libya (LPFM) with an implementation target between 2019 and 2024 and with $55 million invested to strengthen the capacity of the Central Bank of Libya to meet the needs of the population. The main development targets are energy and banking, with the most notable key results being helping to stabilize the electricity grid at a 63% increase in electricity production and aligning the banking sector with global best practices in order to facilitate liquidity and financial services for the private sector.

With regard to humanitarian assistance from USAID to poverty-stricken areas in Libya, the work is carried out by USAID’s Humanitarian Assistance Bureau, with the largest involvement being made during the COVID-19 crisis (2020-2021) with a total investment of $21.5 million. In this sense, taking into account that one of the main causes of the need for humanitarian assistance was the conflicts and crises experienced in the country since 2011 (a moment of political instability due to the end of the dictatorship), USAID’s role is focused on assistance in such crises. Such work is focused on providing health support (including mental and emotional), protection and shelter, and from 2011 to 2022 USAID provided a total of $11.2 million in humanitarian assistance.

The Job of the US Embassy in Libya

The current work of the U.S. through the embassy is to draw attention to and cooperate with USAID’s efforts to intervene in human trafficking in Libya. This is done in partnership with the local government through records and case reports, normative evolution to prevent trafficking crimes and penalize those involved and signal and change weaknesses in the system (political or legal) and in society that lead to human trafficking.

The main laws against human trafficking are articles 418, 419 and 420 of the penal code, which criminalize forms of sex trafficking with penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine.

U.S. intervention in human trafficking encompasses aid in poverty-stricken areas in Libya and assistance in investigation and enforcement, providing support to the local government and acting in concert with the efforts and assistance of NGOs and other international organizations to stop the trafficking system more effectively.

– Letícia L. Lacerda
Photo: Flickr

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4 Charities Operating in Sri Lanka

charities operating in Sri LankaAs of 2022, 2.5 million people in Sri Lanka are living in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $2.15 a day, according to the World Bank. Compounding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lanka is currently enduring a severe economic crisis that has worsened living conditions across the nation. Amid deteriorating social and economic conditions, countless charities operating in Sri Lanka are looking to improve the lives of the most vulnerable groups living in extreme poverty. In particular, there are four charities operating in Sri Lanka with the aim of helping the impoverished.

4 Charities Operating in Sri Lanka

  1. The Tarana Foundation. This charity operating in Sri Lanka was founded in 2018 with the aim of strengthening the “socio-economic norms of rural communities in Sri Lanka,” its website says. The Tarana Foundation’s work centers around five specific U.N. Sustainable Development Goals: water and sanitation, shelter, education, health care and environment. The organization has completed more than 60 projects with an impact on more than 12,000 children through more than 20 collaborations and partnerships. For example, School Project Bandarawela, occurring in March 2023, entailed the organization providing 1,447 students across 24 disadvantaged schools with school bags, stationery, shoe vouchers and sports equipment.
  2. Save the Children. This children’s organization has worked in Sri Lanka since 1974, holding children as the focus of humanitarian efforts. Save the Children works to improve the state of children’s education, health, rights and livelihood of children in poverty in Sri Lanka through several programs and initiatives. For instance, in terms of the overall health and nutrition of impoverished children in Sri Lanka, Save the Children is working with the Ministry of Health to improve the school feeding program in more than 1,000 schools across the country. The organization is also working to strengthen access to maternal, child care and nutrition services in Sri Lanka, especially for the most marginalized communities, such as people working in the plantation sector.
  3. The Tea Leaf Trust. Couple Yasmene Shah and Tim Pare founded the Tea Leaf Trust after visiting the Sri Lankan tea estates in 2007 and realizing the poor living conditions of tea estate communities. The tea industry is responsible for a large part of Sri Lanka’s exports and produces 340 million kilograms of tea per year, with 4% of the land covered by tea plantations, according to Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board. The industry employs 1 million people overall. Despite the fact that the tea industry is a thriving sector, tea plantation communities often live in poverty and endure exploitation in unsafe working conditions. The Tea Leaf Trust works to ensure the education of young people in tea estate communities so that they can move on to secure gainful employment and financial stability to lift their families out of poverty. The Tea Leaf Trust has ensured an education for nearly 40,000 young people and around 350,000 tea estate workers are supported by the organization’s alumni.
  4. The Asha Trust. This local charity operating in Sri Lanka works on the outskirts of Colombo, supporting children from impoverished households. At the charities’ venue, both educational and recreational classes are provided for the children and mothers can take part in sewing and cooking activities. The Asha Trust also accommodates children with disabilities and assists families with accessing disability-specific support. In July 2022, the organization launched the Family Food Challenge, calling for donations to continue providing food essentials to families in Sri Lanka amid inflation. Using these donations, the Asha Trust provided 800 food packs made up of rice, lentils, coconuts, soy meat, sugar and tea to families in need.

These charities operating in Sri Lanka provide support to the country’s most impoverished people amid the deteriorating conditions of the economic crisis.

– Jess Wilkinson
Photo: Flickr

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Providing Support to Refugees in the Netherlands

Support to Refugees in the NetherlandsFounded in 2021 by Thami Schweichler, the United Repair Centre is a Dutch for-profit social enterprise that specializes in clothing repair. With rising numbers of clothing waste and rising numbers of refugees in the Netherlands, the United Repair Centre’s strategy prevents clothing waste while providing support to refugees in the Netherlands.

Clothing Waste

Replacing damaged but reparable clothes with new clothes results in unnecessary expenses and, on a large scale, the disposal of clothes has both environmental and health impacts. Overall, the World Economic Forum says the clothing industry accounts for about a tenth of man-made CO2 emissions, and oftentimes, the clothes that people discard are disposed of via burning, releasing toxic chemicals into the air.

Moreover, the cotton used to produce various items of clothing, such as jeans and t-shirts, requires significant amounts of water that people could otherwise use to meet their clean drinking water needs. In fact, in just half a century, the massive uptick of cotton production in Uzbekistan caused almost the entire Aral Sea (actually a lake) to dry up, the World Economic Forum says.

However, by working with large-scale clothing companies such as Patagonia, Lululemon and Decathlon to repair damaged articles of clothing, the United Repair Centre is reducing clothing waste and reducing the demand for new clothing that puts a strain on environmental resources.

Support to Refugees in the Netherlands

In 2022, the Netherlands saw a significant influx of refugees. More specifically, in 2021, the total population of refugees in the Netherlands stood at just under 100,000. But, in 2022, that number increased to almost 220,000, with the majority of refugees coming from countries like Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen, where there are ongoing humanitarian crises. Starting over in a new country with nothing but the bags on their backs, refugees face several barriers when arriving in a host country. Apart from difficult living conditions in overcrowded asylum accommodations with limited access to health care, education and other essential resources, refugees struggle to secure paid work to move toward financial stability.

Recognizing these adversities, the United Repair Centre endeavors to help by supporting refugees in the Netherlands. The center hires refugees as employees, offering positions to both those with relevant work experience in their former home countries and those with no previous experience. For those with no experience, the center offers on-the-job training. The center intends to launch an officially certified training course in clothing repair work so that refugees have higher chances of securing future employment with a qualification.

As of July 2023, the United Repair Centre employs 20 full-time workers who are either “economic migrants or refugees.” In addition to providing vocational opportunities, the United Repair Centre also helps its employees adjust to the new host country by pointing them to essential services such as free language classes, legal support and housing services. One such employee benefiting from the support of the center is a Syrian refugee named Ramzi, who uses the opportunities given to him by the United Repair Centre to support his family.

Looking Ahead

As the humanitarian crises around the world continue, the numbers of refugees and asylum seekers continue to rise. The challenges for these people do not end once they have successfully sought asylum in a new country. Refugees and asylum seekers face barriers that include social and cultural integration and a lack of access to adequate health care, education, employment and other critical resources and services necessary for a prosperous life. In this regard, the United Repair Centre offers a lifeline of support to refugees in the Netherlands by providing them with vocational opportunities and assistance in integrating into a new country. In the process of doing so, the center helps to save the environment by repairing damaged clothes, which reduces clothing waste and production. As the United Repair Centre continues to expand as a for-profit social enterprise, the enterprise’s impact will continue to grow.

– Athan Yanos
Photo: Flickr

Rebuilding Lives: Sustainable Housing for Displaced Syrians

Sustainable Housing for Displaced SyriansAmid the ongoing Syrian conflict, the plight of Syrian refugees has captured the world’s attention. In the face of devastation, a beacon of hope emerges through sustainable housing for displaced Syrians that not only provides shelter but also spearheads the fight against global poverty. Collaborative efforts between nations, charitable campaigns and innovative architectural approaches are paving the way for resilient communities and offering displaced families a chance to rebuild their lives with dignity.

From Displacement to Dignity: The Syrian Conflict’s Toll

The decade-long Syrian conflict has uprooted countless families from their homes, with millions of displaced persons forced into makeshift shelters, refugee camps or onto the streets. Approximately, 5.5 million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries out of more than 14 million citizens who had to abandon their homes in search of safety. This dire situation has not only stripped individuals of their fundamental dignity but has also compounded issues related to poverty, education and health care access.

Holistic Approach: Beyond Shelter

Sustainable housing projects are utilizing a holistic approach to addressing the multifaceted challenges that Syrians face. These initiatives go beyond the mere provision of shelter, integrating environmental sustainability, economic empowerment and community engagement into their core principles.

The United Nations Human Settlements Program underscores the fundamental importance of decent and affordable housing in breaking the cycle of poverty. This resonates profoundly with the sustainable housing projects, which offer shelter and provide a pathway to improved livelihoods and access to education. By incorporating sustainability principles, these projects echo the call for housing as a basic human right and a key instrument in poverty alleviation.

Turkey and Qatar’s Joint Initiative

In May 2023, Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu announced that Turkey and Qatar have joined hands to construct 240,000 sustainable houses in Northern Syria. With more than 1 million Syrian people seeking refuge in Turkey, this project would allow for the voluntary return of Syrians to Syria, easing the strain on Turkey. This monumental undertaking not only addresses the critical housing shortage but also highlights the commitment of these nations to alleviate the suffering of displaced Syrians. The collaboration goes beyond bricks and mortar, aiming to foster sustainable communities that empower residents to overcome adversity.

Additionally, in February 2023, the Qatar Charity completed the first phase of a housing project for internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in camps in Northwest Syria. Beyond immediate relief, such efforts enhance the overall stability of affected regions, fostering resilience and providing a platform for families to rebuild their lives. OCHA’s Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund (SCHF) funds this project, which involves constructing “250 housing units, each consisting of two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom, replacing the tents with homes. The project also seeks to build 54 other housing units for IDPs families in other camps,” ReliefWeb says.

Grassroots Campaigns and Cultural Empowerment

The power of grassroots campaigns cannot be underestimated in this global effort. Campaigns such as “Let’s Build a Sustainable Village in Syria“ by Human Concern International allow individuals from across the globe can contribute to funding the construction of homes for those in need. The project has managed to fundraise about $615,000 to give families some sense of stability and security through sustainable shelter. This collective action not only provides sustainable housing for displaced Syrians but also empowers ordinary citizens to make a lasting impact on the lives of the Syrian population, emphasizing the unity required to combat global poverty.

A Testament to Resilience and Humanity

In the wake of adversity, sustainable housing for displaced Syrians shines as a testament to resilience and humanity’s capacity for positive change. Through international collaborations, grassroots endeavors and innovative architectural solutions, the fight against global poverty takes on a tangible form. As displaced families find solace and new beginnings within these sustainable shelters, the world witnesses the transformative impact of compassion and unity in the face of adversity.

– Valentin Lyazov
Photo: Unsplash