Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

,

Child Poverty in Ghana

Child Poverty in Ghana
In Ghana, both the incidence and intensity of child poverty have steadily decreased in recent years. From 2008 to 2014, for example, multidimensional child poverty in Ghana dropped by 11.6% in urban areas and 11.4% in rural areas while severity reduced by 0.1% and 3.0% in urban and rural areas respectively. Despite these successes, however, it is still a significant problem that deserves much attention. Many Ghanaian children still face health complications, lack of education and child labor, which the U.N. and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) alike must address head-on.

General Data

According to 2014 data, multidimensional child poverty in Ghana stood at about 34.7% in urban areas and 75.9% in rural areas. Also of great concern is the severity of child poverty, which stood at about 43.7% and 52.3% in urban and rural areas respectively. A January 2020 UNICEF study also found that 73.4% of children in Ghana suffer from multidimensional poverty, experiencing at least three dimensions of deprivation. These dimensions include nutrition, health, learning and development, child protection, water, sanitation, housing and information.

The multidimensional poverty rate is greatest among children under the age of 5 at around eight in 10, whereas the rate for children aged 5-17 is about seven in 10. Many Ghanaian children are disadvantaged financially as well — 28.2% of Ghanaian children are considered monetarily poor based on their family’s income. Again, the statistics are generally worse in rural than in urban areas.

Health

Multidimensional poverty in Ghana leads to poor health in children. According to UNICEF, “One child in every five in Ghana experiences stunted growth during the first thousand days of life caused by inadequate nourishment, frequent illness and an unhealthy environment,” affecting their development physically, socially and cognitively. Additionally, a lack of knowledge, skills and monetary resources to prepare nutritious meals for children means children’s diets typically lack diversity. Many children also go unvaccinated, leaving them susceptible to diseases.

Education

The deprivations that come with child poverty in Ghana also impact children’s education, as “[c]lasses are overcrowded, water and sanitation facilities are inadequate and trained teachers and school books are in short supply,” according to UNICEF. Children with disabilities are especially impacted as one in every five disabled children from the ages of 6-24 has never received an education due to discrimination. Many of these issues have worsened with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many schools to shut down, further depriving millions of children of proper education.

Child Labor

Child labor is another factor affecting children in Ghana. Estimates indicate that about 21% of children in Ghana aged 5-17 are involved in child labor, with 14% of those children laboring in hazardous working conditions. About 79.2% of working children in Ghana work in agriculture, primarily in cocoa production, where many face health risks such as musculoskeletal disorders, head injuries and fractures, among others.

While child labor in Ghana has long been a point of concern, the COVID-19 pandemic certainly exacerbated it as school shutdowns and widespread unemployment forced many more children into the workforce. According to interviews of several Ghanaian children by Human Rights Watch, many of these children faced exposure to dangerous substances and chemicals, including mercury. A number of children did not even receive payment for their services.

The Bright Side: Progress and Aid

Amid persistent child poverty in Ghana, several NGOs are stepping up to provide much-needed aid. World Vision International, for example, has worked with communities within the country to reduce poverty and injustices.

According to its annual National Impact Report from 2021, the organization has provided aid through a number of means, including providing more than 20,000 school supplies, such as books, pencils and backpacks to 7,180 children. The organization has also built water systems to provide clean drinking and bathing water for more than 38,000 children.

WVI also helped provide various health and training programs to educate Ghanaian parents on nutrition and “appropriate feeding practices” and taught more than 49,000 community members strategies for the prevention and treatment of diseases such as malaria and diarrhea.

Onechild Ghana came about in 2002 and seeks to provide educational opportunities for thousands of children by providing resources from fundamental infrastructure (classrooms and dorms with running water, toilets and electricity) to funds for vocational schools so that students can learn subjects such as electricals, masonry, math, English and health. Onechild Ghana currently supports more than 1,000 children across 14 different vocational schools in Ghana.

Such support from NGOs, along with coordinated plans by international government bodies such as UNICEF and others, can make significant improvements in the lives of Ghanaian children and reverse the course of child poverty in Ghana.

– Adam Cvik
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Canada’s Global COVID-19 Response

Canada's Global COVID-19 Response
The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts across the globe, especially impacting the world’s poor and marginalized. Organizations like UNICEF are working tirelessly on COVID-19 response efforts to protect children in the face of a global pandemic, but the responsibility extends far beyond international organizations to support the world’s poor. In particular, Canada’s global COVID-19 response looks to support people in the most disadvantaged areas of the world.

The Pandemic’s Impacts

COVID-19 has changed the world in more ways than one. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported more than 6.8 million COVID-19 deaths worldwide as of February 17, 2023. According to the Brookings Institution, the COVID-19 recession is “the deepest since the end of World War II.” The International Monetary Fund’s 2021 report showed a 7% loss in the global economy in 2020 alone, with nearly every country showing a decline, particularly the poorest countries.

While more than 50% of the school-aged children in developing countries faced learning poverty (the inability to read and comprehend a basic text by age 10) before the pandemic, disruptions in education due to the pandemic and associated lockdowns may have raised this rate to as much as 70%. Some students did not return to formal school at all after these disruptions.

Needless to say, the impacts of COVID-19 extend far beyond health outcomes and disproportionately impact the world’s poor.

A Strong Start to 2023

In the face of a threat like COVID-19 that requires a global response, Canada has kicked off 2023 with an announcement of a $70 million CAD contribution to UNICEF, bringing its total contribution to the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) Humanitarian Action for Children appeal to CAD $255 million. The ACT-A Humanitarian Action for Children appeal looks to support disadvantaged populations with COVID-19 tools and resources amid the pandemic. Canada was one of the earliest supporters of the effort to ensure equitable access to COVID-19-related health resources.

Canada’s global COVID-19 response also includes an ongoing investment with UNICEF called the Global Initiative for Vaccine Equity (CanGIVE), which was announced in June 2022 and allows UNICEF to increase the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines and strengthen health systems in 11 under-resourced developing countries. Not only will Canada’s contributions increase vaccine accessibility, administration/distribution and adoption but these funds will also support gender-sensitive health care efforts.

Additionally, the Government of Canada has taken a special interest in the rights and needs of women and girls, recognizing that the pandemic has magnified existing inequalities for impoverished/marginalized women. Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, launched in 2017, emphasizes supporting the poorest and most marginalized and ensuring “education, health, nutrition and sexual and reproductive health and rights.” Over the past three years, starting in February 2020, Canada’s international contributions to COVID-19 response efforts have surpassed $3 billion.

Canada’s Record of Support

  • In April 2020, Canada supported the International Monetary Fund’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust through a $1 billion loan.
  • Since May 2020, Canada has provided temporary debt service relief to impoverished countries as part of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).
  • Canada allocated $3.7 billion of its International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights to assist struggling countries.
  • On September 21, 2022, Canada made a $1.21 billion allocation to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria in order to reignite efforts to fight these diseases.
  • During the G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2022, Canada allocated $50 million to the Pandemic Fund to “address the significant financing gaps on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR).”
  • Canada committed to donating 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine both to countries directly and to COVAX, a facility that “aims to accelerate the development and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines.”
  • The country created the “Give a Vax” matching fund through which the government matched every dollar of COVID-19 donations that Canadians made through UNICEF Canada.

Canada’s global COVID-19 response stands as an example of the global duty to support those in poverty, not just during the COVID-19 pandemic but until poverty and its outcomes dissolve. These efforts that the government of Canada has undertaken extend toward poverty, health access, gender rights and more.

– Mahak Kumari
Photo: Flickr

The UK’s Response to the Turkey-Syria Earthquakes

Turkey-Syria Earthquakes
As of February 19, 2023, the Turkey-Syria earthquakes have led to the deaths of at least 46,400 people in Syria and Turkey. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake, struck Southeastern Turkey near the border of Syria on February 6, 2023, and has devastated the region as many remain missing and the death toll continues to climb. As the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the earthquakes as the “worst natural disaster” to affect its European region in 100 years, humanitarian aid from the U.K. government and U.K. non-governmental organizations is essential in mitigating the effects of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes and saving as many lives as possible.

Response from the UK Government

One day after the earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, 77 members of the U.K. International Search and Rescue team, an Emergency Medical Team, four search dogs and rescue equipment arrived in Gaziantep, Turkey, on behalf of the U.K. government. The search and rescue specialists employed “state-of-the-art” tools, such as seismic listening devices and concrete cutting equipment, to make their way into buildings that the earthquakes destroyed and locate survivors while the emergency medics assessed the situation on the ground.

Volunteers from the White Helmets, a humanitarian organization funded by the U.K. government, also began a search and rescue campaign in Northwestern Syria. The U.K.’s response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake has included an additional £3.8 million ($4.6 million) in funding for rescue operations in light of the disaster, on top of the £2.25 million ($2.7 million) allocated to the White Helmets in the financial year 2022-2023. More than 2,500 volunteers from the group have become involved in the disaster response across 40 affected communities in Syria.

Further Aid Efforts

The U.K. government provided an initial £8 million ($9.7 million) for humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria. The U.K. sent essential emergency relief such as tents and blankets for displaced families struggling amid frigid temperatures and deployed a world-class medical team supported with medical equipment to address urgent medical needs. In a press release, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stated that the U.K.’s priority is to “ensure life-saving assistance is given to those most in need, coordinated with the Turkish government, U.N. and international partners.” The equipment the U.K. deployed will fulfill the needs of up to 15,000 individuals.

As the attention shifted from rescue to recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria, on February 15, 2023, the U.K. government announced the provision of a further £25 million ($30.2 million) to fund additional emergency relief. The package will support the efforts of the U.N. and various aid agencies in Syria as well as recovery efforts that the Turkish government led. The aid will particularly target women and girls who are at an increased risk of gender-based violence in displaced communities. It will also allow U.K. medics to continue to be deployed in the Turkoglu British field hospital where medical personnel are working with Turkish medics to provide critical care in the emergency department and 24/7 operating theatre.

Response from Local Communities Across the UK

The U.K.’s response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake has also included campaigns from local charities and organizations to help provide humanitarian assistance to those affected. In Manchester, the University of Manchester Turkish and Northern Cypriot Society set up a fundraiser for multiple disaster relief charities operating in Turkey and Syria. So far, the groups have mobilized students and university staff across Manchester to raise more than £11,000 ($13,300) and gather essentials such as sanitary pads, sleeping bags and food to send to aid organizations.

In Cardiff, a local mosque has started a fundraising campaign to donate money and goods to people in the affected regions. The manager of the mosque, Dr. Mohamed Gaber, launched the campaign to raise £50,000 ($60,475) for the cause. Talking to the BBC, he says, “Unfortunately, this is one of the few reasons for different nations to come together, and that is a positive part of this catastrophe,” before going on to remark that “this is a pure humanitarian cause, apart from any ideologies or religions.”

Notable fundraising efforts are also visible in North London where a large number of Turkish and Kurdish people live. In a Kurdish community center in Haringey, many Kurds have been gathering to support one another through the tragedy and accumulate donations to assist in relief efforts. A fundraising event took place in Haringey outside a local organic food store where people sold “homemade food and secondhand items” to raise more than £10,500 ($12,700) for victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes. The Turkish Cypriot Community Association also received a sizeable donation of 1,500 sleeping bags from Arsenal Football Club to help those that the earthquakes displaced.

Looking Ahead

Despite the Turkey-Syria earthquakes causing unprecedented losses and damage to the affected areas, both efforts from locals and the government to deliver humanitarian assistance in the U.K. have provided some relief and hope to a devastated region. As the U.K.’s response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake sees communities come together to fundraise and support one another through this tragic disaster, continued efforts to support humanitarian organizations are vital in preventing further losses and helping to rebuild destroyed communities.

– Priya Thakkar
Photo: Flickr

,

Human Trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic

Human Trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic
The Kyrgyz Republic, a country located in the heart of the Caucasus, is home to nearly 7 million people. Recent unrest in the region has led to an increase in human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic and neighboring areas.

Risk Factors

Currently, the Kyrgyz Republic is listed in the second tier of the human trafficking watchlist that the U.S. State Department created. This means that despite consistent efforts to eliminate human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic, the country has not yet achieved a satisfactory level of safety. There are several reasons for this, the biggest of which is brought on by regional unrest. As a result of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, many Kyrgyzstani workers who relied on jobs in Russia are no longer able to work in Russia legally. Therefore, Kyrgyzstan migrants have to look for work as undocumented immigrants. This has led to migrants ending up in the online sex trade, an industry that is rapidly growing in the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the government of British Columbia, the Kyrgyz Republic fits the two most significant risk factors for increased human trafficking: political instability and forced migration.

Kyrgyzstani Efforts to Fight Human Trafficking

Human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic has not gone unnoticed by its inhabitants. According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a group ran by 30 youth organizations titled “100 Days against Trafficking in Persons” coordinated awareness efforts with the government in cities throughout the country, including the nation’s capital, Bishkek. Calls to the country’s national trafficking hotline saw an immediate increase, rising by nearly 15%.

The 100 Days against Trafficking in Persons is not the only citizen-run group fighting human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic. The non-governmental organization El Agartuu has been contributing to the fight against trafficking since 2006. The NGO created a database of over 30 other NGOs actively helping the government identify and aid victims of trafficking.

Meanwhile, the Kyrgyzstani government added four new articles to the country’s laws, including additional penalties for trafficking-related offenses. In addition to a stricter approach to trafficking crimes, the government of the Kyrgyz Republic instituted more protection services for victims of trafficking in 2022. The Kyrgyz Republic created a national referral method, or NRM, to help trafficking victims gain access to medical care and social services. An official case is not necessary for victims to access those services, they are widely available to anyone who should need them.

Lastly, the government continues to run the Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad, which helps job seekers look for employment and acquire legal work abroad. The Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad has helped reduce the number of Kyrgyzstani workers who feel the need to migrate illegally or put themselves in dangerous positions to find employment, thus reducing the risk factors for thousands of people looking for work.

Moving Forward

While human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic remains a problem today, there is reason to believe that that can change quickly. The public has come to a consensus on the existence of the problem, a step that is paramount to finding a solution. The Kyrgyzstani government has implemented new laws to prevent trafficking and allocated more resources to help the victims of the crime. With the renewed efforts of the public and government in Kyrgyzstan, it is possible that human trafficking is a less prominent issue in the future.

– Ezra Bernstein
Photo: Flickr

,

Violence in Haiti Impacts Education

Violence in Haiti
In February 2023, UNICEF reported a ninefold increase in acts of violence against schools in Haiti over the period of 12 months. Schools have been the locus of attacks and violence by armed groups and this has a direct impact on one of the most fundamental human rights of children: education. Education is not only the pillar of a welfare state but is also fundamental for the development of social capital in the country. Violence in Haiti stands as a barrier to the progression of children’s education.

Violence in Numbers

According to reports by UNICEF partners, armed gangs targeted 72 educational institutions in Haiti in the first four months of the scholastic year (October to February) compared to eight during the same time the year prior. In particular, armed groups attacked a minimum of 13 school facilities, set a school on fire, murdered one pupil and kidnapped a minimum of two school staff workers.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that armed factions rule 60% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Gangs targeting schools also steal critical educational supplies, such as desks, blackboards and computers. Along with cafeteria equipment, gangs steal vital supplies of “rice, dough and maize” used to provide school lunches, which are sometimes the only meals Haitian children eat in a day.

Impacts of Escalating Violence in Haiti

Due to the rising violence in metropolitan areas, 30 schools closed their doors in just the first six days of February 2023 and more than 25% of schools have stayed closed since October 2022, a decision that principals took to protect staff and students. Students missed an average of one and a half school days per week in January 2023 due to the risk of violence. By the end of June 2023, according to UNICEF, pupils could miss out on 36 days of education if no one took action to safeguard schools from violence. Despite the risk, the Haitian Ministry of Education has pushed for schools to reopen. As a result, three out of four schools reopened by December 2022, up from fewer than one in 10 reopenings in October.

Taking Action

A UNICEF report for the period July to November 2022 highlights the organization’s efforts to safeguard children’s rights to education. In Haiti, during the summer vacation, UNICEF funded a summer children’s camp in Lycee National de la Saline, providing 803 Haitian children with “a safe space for children to express themselves through plays and other activities.” UNICEF also gave cash transfers to 1,200 impoverished families with school-age children in Port-au-Prince and areas that the most recent earthquake affected. UNICEF is also providing support for the renovation of three educational facilities in Cité Soleil along with the supply of school furniture and learning materials.

UNICEF urges the Haitian government to make sure that schools are secure and to prosecute organizations and people who endanger or hurt children while attending school. The U.N. praises education for not only imparting knowledge and skills but also for transforming lives and propelling growth for individuals, groups and nations, saying that schools “must be places of learning, safety and harmony.”

Overall, the U.N. urges all nations to sign the Safe Schools Declaration, “an inter-governmental political commitment to protect students, teachers, schools and universities, from the worst effects of armed conflict.” This declaration has received support from 111 nations so far and lays out specific actions that governments can take to safeguard educational institutions. In line with this, U.N. head António Guterres said at a virtual event in September 2021, “We urge Member States to go beyond their obligations under international law and implement national policies and laws that safeguard schools and learners.” The loss stemming from education disruptions is significant. By upholding children’s rights to education, the international community safeguards the future.

– Carmen Corrales Alonso
Photo: Flickr

,

5 Charities Operating in Malawi

Charities Operating in Malawi
Malawi is a small country in Southern Africa with a population of more than 19 million. According to the World Bank, in 2019, about half of the population lived under the national poverty line. Climate shocks, low education completion rates, a struggling agricultural sector and slow infrastructure reform contribute to the high prevalence of poverty in Malawi. Below are five charities operating in Malawi with unique programs to address poverty in the nation.

5 Charities Operating in Malawi

  1. Aid Africa. This small U.K.-registered charity came about in 2004 to help improve the lives of vulnerable people in Malawi, such as orphans, the elderly, the disabled and those with HIV/AIDS. Aid Africa runs several programs in the areas of water and sanitation, food security, agriculture, education, reforestation and community development. The reforestation program aims to replenish the supply of trees and restore soils so that the natural resource does not run out. In Malawi, rural people rely on wood for constructing buildings and for fuel for cooking and heating water. This has led to deforestation, which has several consequences. For instance, deforestation exacerbates poverty as the soil quality reduces causing crops to fail and making farmlands susceptible to the destruction of flooding. The project trains locals to plant and care for trees while creating tree nurseries. In 2020, Africa Aid began the Moringa Groves Project, growing 100 moringa trees and green vegetables across several villages to resolve malnutrition in communities.
  2. Pump Aid. This local charity, established in 1998, holds a vision to end the water crisis in Malawi by the year 2030 through projects to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in rural communities. Pump Aid hopes to positively impact the education, health and nutrition of communities in this way, thereby helping people to rise out of poverty. The strategy encourages sustainability and self-reliance so that communities do not become aid-dependent. “We’re establishing small-scale businesses, creating prosperity and improved livelihoods for Malawians by training water entrepreneurs,” its website says. These local water entrepreneurs learn the skills to establish, maintain and repair water pumps in communities.
  3. Tiyeni. This is an NGO based in Malawi with a funding arm in the U.K. Tiyeni came about in 2004, and after years of research and trials, began working with 38 smallholder farmers in 2013 across four villages. The organization helps smallholder farmers improve agricultural productivity through affordable and technology-minimal strategies, such as Deep Bed Farming. Farmers have seen their yields multiply up to threefold as a result of incorporating strategies that improve soil quality and sustainability.
  4. Orant Charities Africa. This is an NGO with a 100% Malawian staff base. Orant Charities United States, based in Texas, supports this Malawian charity with free consulting and financial support to reduce fundraising costs. Orant Charities Africa strives to improve the quality of life of vulnerable Africans, putting gender equality at the forefront of these efforts. Its health care program is its longest-standing project. Its efforts to improve access to quality health care services in Malawi include the establishment of the Kasese Health Center in 2014. Orant’s mobile clinic helps the community and the ill by traveling daily to treat patients in remote rural areas.
  5. RiseUp Malawi. Founded in 2013, this organization provides educational programs in order to help vulnerable youth who live in extreme poverty in rural Malawi’s Mangochi District. RiseUp Malawi’s initial program was the “Youth Entrepreneurship After School Program,” aiming to provide free computer training, English classes and life skills lessons. Today, the program has more than 150 young participants. RiseUp also offers a scholarship program to fund the primary and secondary costs of private school education for exceptional children. In 2022, RiseUp positively impacted at least 40,000 individuals.

Looking Ahead

Agriculture, energy, education and health care strongly influence a country’s ability to prosper. These five charities operating in Malawi are making significant impacts on disadvantaged Malawians through their work to improve the quality of life in the nation.

– Naomi Kang
Photo: Flickr

,

Government Apps Encouraging Online Education in India

Online Education in India
UNICEF says, “the Indian education system is one of the largest in the world with more than 1.5 million schools, 8.5 million teachers and 250 million children.” However, a lack of access to quality education has pronounced India’s literacy gap. According to the World Bank, India’s literacy rate stood at 82% among adult men in 2018 while, among women, it stood at just 66%. A 2013-2014 survey said, at the time, around 20 million children in India did not attend preschool and about half of teenagers did not finish high school. Bridging the digital divide between the rural and urban and shifting to online education in India has the potential to expand education access in the country. In the last few years, India has launched several online platforms to ensure access to education for children of all backgrounds.

Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds

SWAYAM, a Hindi word for self, stands for Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds. The government program aims to improve education equity, access and quality. “The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy,” the SWAYAM website says.

SWAYAM is a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) portal that also comes with a mobile application to boost online education in India. The All India Council For Technical Education, an Indian regulatory body, created SWAYAM in 2016 with the goal of combining education courses in one platform accessible to everyone, anywhere and at any time. SWAYAM covers all courses and subjects from class 9 to the post-graduation level through the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL).

SWAYAM courses are free, but students can only obtain a course completion certificate after writing the final exam, which comes at a fee of about $12. Learning on SWAYAM is easy and convenient. Students can learn from the pre-recorded video lectures with subtitles, perform free self-assessment tasks and download free study materials. So far, more than 20 million students have enrolled in SWAYAM and more than 1.5 million students successfully completed their courses.

DIKSHA Platform

DIKSHA, short for Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing, is a platform for online education in India functioning in almost every state and union territory. The Indian Ministry of Education launched DIKSHA in September 2017 as a National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) initiative to empower and train teachers in imparting education in creative ways. However, in 2020, the app extended its services to students when the pandemic forced the government to shut down schools and colleges across the country.

The DIKSHA app operates in 36 Indian languages and can be accessed anywhere in the country. It issues free e-textbooks, training courses and virtual lab activities, and also renders access to TV-based classroom lessons. DIKSHA also accommodates students with special needs with the provision of audiobooks, sign language videos and special dictionaries.

E-PG Pathshala

E-PG Pathshala is another application fostering online education in India, launched with the objective to provide high-quality online content in 70 subjects. It also provides more than 700 e-books and video lectures for all postgraduate courses through its ebooks portal. Along with this, e-PG Pathshala also hosts online MOOC courses in postgraduate subjects through the portal of SWAYAM.

Operating under the skills and expertise of 3,200 professionals, the app is a virtual library with more than 20,000 e-textbooks and 19,000 videos along with animations, simulations and virtual labs. It also includes quizzes and assignments for creative self-learning. Developed in 2014 under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, the University Grants Commission implements this national portal.

Shortcomings in India’s Digital Education System

Every path has its puddle and the system of online education in India also has its own shortcomings. While online education in India became the only source of learning amid the lockdowns during the pandemic, many teachers complained that the online classes alienated students and prevented teachers and students from forming an emotional bond that could only be created in an in-person classroom.

Additionally, according to the Azim Premji University study on “Myths of Online Education” in 2020, almost 60% of children in India do not have access to online learning because of the lack of smartphones, multiple siblings sharing the same phone and lack of internet.

A survey conducted in August 2021 across 15 states and union territories assessed the impact of the pandemic on education in India, revealing a significant tech divide. The survey discloses that 37% of rural poor children did not engage in education at all and only 8% of rural children attended online classes routinely.

Looking Ahead

The Indian government launched the PM e-Vidya scheme in 2020 with the objective to unify all initiatives related to online education in India, providing access to various online portals all in one place. The scheme aims to benefit 250 million school-going children.

The Indian government has also made sufficient efforts to boost the implementation of the modified BharatNet initiative under which all the government schools and gram panchayats (village councils) in rural areas receive free internet connectivity to decrease the digital divide. The government has allocated more than a trillion rupees, the highest ever allocation, to India’s education sector in the Union Budget 2023-24. It has also planned to set up a national digital library in India to increase access to educational books.

Overall, these government apps look to improve the accessibility and quality of education through online learning.

– Aanchal Mishra
Photo: Pixabay

,

Funding for Education in Somaliland

Funding for Education in Somaliland
Since its declaration of independence from Somalia in 1991, Somaliland has carved out its own destiny as an autonomous region in East Africa. While no country recognizes Somaliland as a sovereign state, Somaliland has an independent government overseeing more than 3.5 million people living in the northwest of Somalia. East Africa is facing one of the worst droughts on record with crop failure and famine threatening a full-blown humanitarian crisis. The crisis most harshly affects Somali children who endure malnourishment, displacement and lack of access to education. Through funding for education in Somaliland, education access can increase.

Education in Somalia

USAID reports that Somalia has the largest out-of-school population globally — about 3 million out of 5 million school-age children are not attending school, owing in large part to the displacement that the ongoing civil war caused. This educational crisis reached a head between November 2016 to August 2017 when mass displacement prevented up to 50,000 children from attending school.

Somaliland has a disproportionately low attendance rate compared with other regions, such as neighboring Puntland. A staggering 44% of girls and 31% of boys have never attended school in Somaliland compared with 36% and 26% respectively in Puntland, a 2012 article by Peter Moyi highlights.

In recent years, the aid response from the international community has been lackluster. Funding for education in Somaliland was largely reserved for individual benefactors, such as former U.S. hedge-fund manager, Jonathan Starr, who built his own boarding school in Somaliland.

Inevitably, however, institutions like Starr’s Abaarso School of Science and Technology can accept only a select few of the nation’s brightest and offer scholarships to colleges abroad rather than those in East Africa. To increase student enrolment across the board, organizational funding is necessary to build new schools and train and employ staff.

An October 2022 article by the Somali Dispatch says, due to a lack of educational facilities, 400 students in the Saraar region were studying in the city’s market, working with impractical spaces donated by the city’s traders. Evidently, there is a keen awareness of the importance of education in much of Somaliland but a dire lack of facilities.

The Good News

Funding for education in Somaliland from larger organizations provides hope to students. A recent partnership between Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and UNICEF led to the launch of a multi-year program in July 2019 with the aim of increasing quality educational opportunities for young people in Somaliland who face crises like famine and drought. ECW allocated an initial grant of $6.7 million toward a target of $64 million for a three-year education program to provide a comprehensive, forward-thinking response.

The ECW’s overall investments in Somalia have led to the construction or renovation of 7,874 classrooms. Furthermore, 1,306 classrooms have received learning supplies to foster an environment conducive to learning. On top of this, more than 1,900 educators and administrators have received training from ECW. Of almost a quarter of a million children targeted by the scheme, the EWC has reached more than 170,000 as of June 2022.

Student enrollment has increased, not only because of the new infrastructure that ECW’s considerable funding for education in Somaliland introduced but also due to a gradual shift in local attitudes that new educators encouraged. The chairman of the Somaliland school Community Education Committee (ECE), Saeed Hassan, praised the partnership for educating local leaders on the importance of “mobilizing [parents] to enroll their children who missed school” owing to displacement.

Ultimately, the need to garner funding for education in Somaliland is as relevant now as ever. The work that the ECW and UNICEF partnership carried out is only possible with continued financial support. In November 2022, the ECW announced a $5 million First Emergency Response grant to prevent as many as 900,000 students from dropping out due to the impacts of the extreme climatic events in the region.

To ensure the brightest possible future for vulnerable youth in the region, funding for education in Somaliland must continue to grow. 

– Max Edmund
Photo: Flickr

How the Ethical Fashion Initiative Reduces Poverty

Ethical Fashion Initiative
The Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) is a U.N. initiative established in 2009 to supply “vulnerable artisans with market access and training,” the U.N. website says. The EFI “acts as a bridge, connecting marginalized artisan communities in challenging and remote locations with global lifestyle brands” so that artisans may access the international marketplace. The result is increased employment and income-generating opportunities in Africa and Central Asia. The EFI helps to establish purposeful employment opportunities under fair and safe working conditions so that disadvantaged artisans may rise out of poverty. Overall, the EFI works to promote “sustainable and ethical fashion practices” in the fashion industry.

Bringing Ethics and Sustainability to Fashion

The EFI is helping the fashion industry, often criticized for exploitation and unjust practices, to put ethics at the forefront of its business endeavors. EFI considers fashion ethical when the production of the garment takes into account the well-being of the people creating the garment, the environment and the final consumer.

Simone Cipriani, the chairperson of the U.N. Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, founded the EFI after recognizing the issues of exploitation, poverty and disempowerment that plague the people at the lowest levels of the fashion chains.

Industrie Africa says, “Globally, fashion employs approximately 60 million people, including enormous numbers of low-income workers in developing countries. This means that if mismanaged, it negatively impacts human rights — a tenet of the U.N.’s mandate — at a global scale.”

The Work of the EFI

In an interview with Industrie Africa, Cipriani says, “EFI offers a supply chain that enables designers and people from marginalized conditions — the majority of whom are women— especially from the continent to become permanent suppliers of the fashion industry.”

The EFI manages groups of artisans, with females accounting for 95% of these artisans. The artisans typically come from disadvantaged backgrounds and war-ravaged countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Afghanistan. The artisans are typically “individual entrepreneurs looking for assistance, training or mentorship” who aspire to establish cooperatives and businesses and become social enterprise suppliers. The artisans would not have the opportunity to reach these aspirations without the support of the EFI.

Objectives and Goals

The Ethical Fashion Initiative has several objectives that fall under the overall goal of transforming the fashion industry into an ethical and sustainable sector. For instance, creating new jobs and opportunities for people and encouraging environmentally friendly production practices.

The EFI looks to uphold several U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): zero poverty, no gender inequality, “decent work and economic growth,” greater equality, “responsible consumption and production,” climate responsibility, “peace, justice and strong institutions” and engaging in partnerships.

Luxiders explains, “Through the social enterprise, artisans become suppliers of brands, and in this way, the Ethical Fashion Initiative coordinates the work of the artisans, enabling them to have their own company, profitability and negotiate terms and conditions with brands. The social enterprise then grows, accumulates profits and is able to offer credit, investment and other incentives to the cooperative’s artisans.” The EFI also provides training to artisans.

In this way, the EFI is able to align its activities to the criteria of the International Labour Organization (ILO), for instance, fair labor practices, just wages, a safe and healthy working environment and zero child labor/exploitation.

Latest Activities

The EFI is engaging in partnerships and collaborations to become more visible at a global level. The latest collaboration is the Mother Nature’s Dream AW22/23 collection, made in Burkina Faso with the brand Laurenceairline. The partnership employed 26 local artisans, with women accounting for 41% of workers. The production utilized natural materials and all artisans received contracts and benefits.

Another recent collaboration is the Wales Bonner Spring Summer 23 collection, also made in Burkina Faso. Women accounted for 72% of the artisans working on this project. With the income from the projects, mothers can take care of themselves and their children.

Exploitative and unethical conditions in the fashion industry continue to stand as a human rights issue as the people from the poorest countries are the ones suffering. However, the Ethical Fashion Initiative is contributing to transforming the industry into a sustainable and just sector that supports the most marginalized people.

– Elena Luisetto
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

,

Ending Poverty in the Niger Delta

Poverty in the Niger Delta
The Niger Delta sprawls its oily tentacles throughout the southern coast of Nigeria. Spread over 256,000 kilometers, the 10th largest oil reservoir in the world comprises fields of industrial piping. Oil accounts for 89% of Nigerian exports, yet the region has significant poverty. Big oil makes off with the profits of Nigerian labor, fleecing the nation of its natural wealth and leaving behind a trail of economic and environmental devastation. Shell alone has spilled 17.5 million liters of oil into the region since 2011, laying waste to arable farmland and poisoning groundwater. The Market Development in the Niger Delta Program (MADE) and The Foundation For Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) are working to drain the quagmire of poverty in the Niger Delta.

Poverty in the Niger Delta

Nigeria only fully embraced democracy in the last decade, with the first peaceful democratic succession occurring in 2015. Nigeria’s Human Development Index (HDI) rose by 13.1% between 2005 and 2015, yet Nigeria is still the 152nd least-developed nation on earth. The population in extreme poverty in the Niger Delta is the largest on earth. About 76.5% of Nigerians live on less than $3.10 a day as of 2009 and one-quarter of children are working. The crux of the issue is that the success of the Nigerian economy is intrinsically bound to oil prices and is subject to the terms of big oil. Until the Nigerian economy is diversified at the individual level, poverty in the Niger Delta will continue to thrive.

The Foundation For Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta Against Poverty

PIND is a charitable NGO whose programs “identify, catalyze and leverage opportunities, jobs and incomes… promoting peace and equitable economic growth in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region.” The year 2021 was busy for PIND. Programs targeting issues ranging from youth prospects to women’s rights saw excellent progress toward ending poverty in the Niger Delta.

In 2021, PIND educated 12,199 Nigerian farmers with modern agricultural practices and technologies, incentivizing farmers to invest a total of ₦745.19 million ($1.6 million). PIND also collaborated with the Edo GIS department to map, border and secure arable agricultural land for provincial farmers.

The NGO trained 23 fishermen in Awoye with modern fishing techniques. PIND provided practical demonstrations, equipment and supply links for further purchases. PIND also demonstrated modern fish processing techniques. As a result, primary business owners in the Niger Delta purchased 20 ovens, enabling businesses to increase sales.

In association with A4&T power solutions, PIND facilitated 4,130 people from 650 households and 230 businesses in the Ondo region with access to renewable solar electricity.

An initial cohort of 631 youths graduated from the Youth Employment Pathways program in Delta State in 2021. These youths received training in “technical and vocational skills training across four intervention sectors of ICT, building construction, agriculture and services.” About 232 graduates attained apprenticeships, 161 started businesses and 112 secured paid employment.

In 2021, PIND produced 13 conflict reports to influential community leaders “to facilitate targeted interventions to mitigate emerging conflict issues in the (Delta) region.” In combination with the reports, 51 ‘peace actors’ took 48 actions to resolve conflicts in the Niger Delta region.

PIND collaborated with the Centre for Gender and Development Studies of the University of Port Harcourt to launch an advocacy program to end sexual violence and the ritualistic sacrifice of women and girls in the Niger Delta.

The Market Development in the Niger Delta Program Alleviating Poverty

The Market Development in the Niger Delta Program (MADE), by DAI, is another project alleviating poverty in the deprived Niger Delta region. Its mission is to “tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability.” Between 2013 and 2020, MADE achieved the following milestones:

  • MADE leased with 551,521 independent farmers, providing them with ‘commercial incentives.’ About 389,441 of these farmers increased productivity and 307,722 experienced at least a 15% increase in income. This represents more than $55 million of the profits that MADE generated.
  • MADE influenced “36 lead firms across five sectors… to invest in 1,982 agricultural inputs, fisheries, poultry and palm oil.” MADE also orchestrated the training of 100,000 independent farmers by inspiring 50 more companies to train impoverished Nigerians. Training enables primary business owners to become more efficient and forge meaningful trade relationships with large corporations.
  • MADE led nine corporations to invest $10 million in 33,000 vulnerable people and human rights abuse victims in the Niger Delta.

MADE and PIND programs have made significant inroads into poverty in the Niger Delta. Agricultural knowledge-sharing endeavors and modern machinery workshops allow impoverished Nigerians to forge successful businesses and livelihoods. Facilitating investment by independent farmers and large corporations affords impoverished Nigerians the prospect of financial autonomy. MADE and PIND promote human rights, peace, democracy, youth prospects, women’s rights and financial development, addressing the root causes of poverty in the Niger Delta with emphatic efficiency.

– David Smith
Photo: Wikipedia Commons