Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Can Flaxseed Oil Become a Tool to Combat Poverty?

Flaxseed Oil
Around 689 million people, or 9.2% of the global population, currently live in poverty with less than $1.90 a day. In 2017, Global Citizen reported that “at least half of the world’s population did not have access to essential health care.” Global connections between health care and poverty are distinctly universal, even in the United States. A study by the Institute for Research on Poverty further indicates that practically 70% of the U.S.’s uninsured experience poverty or are on the brink of poverty. Consequently, poverty and low-income status have links to a variety of negative health consequences due to poor sanitation, such as shorter life expectancy. One way to improve sanitation in areas with high poverty is to use flaxseed oil.

Poverty and Sanitation

Research shows that 673 million people continue to defecate in public, such as in city gutters, behind bushes or in open bodies of water; the impacts of poor sanitation are severely detrimental. Poor sanitation exacerbates stunting and contributes to the spread of diseases like cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. This issue is causing diseases such as intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma. Predictions have determined that poor sanitation causes 432,000 diarrheal deaths per year. Factoring in deaths from all of these diseases, countless people die every year in connection to poor sanitation.

A National Center for Biotechnology Information study found that there is a relationship between sanitation and types of floors. High levels of bacteria such as E. coli are more common in houses with dirt floors in comparison to houses with concrete floors. Proper floors and resources are a solution to this issue; however, concrete is expensive which means it’s hard for the poor to access it. This is where flaxseed oil comes in.

Flaxseed-Supported Floors

After Gayatri Datar traveled to Rwanda with her classmates from Stanford University, she wanted to address the prevalence of dirt floors as around 75% of the population had dirt floors, making people susceptible to certain illnesses. Datar partnered with Zuzow, one of her former classmates, and together they created “a flaxseed oil that, when poured over an earthen floor, dries to form a plastic-like, waterproof and sustainable resin that glues the surface together. The flaxseed is currently imported from India, but EarthEnable [Datar’s organization] is planning to harvest it in Kenya to keep the entire project more local.”

This flaxseed oil is a cheap and effective alternative to concrete floors. The flaxseed oil sealant costs between $2 and $5 per square meter, or around $50 per house, and residents pay it in either one sum or in six monthly installments. The cost is less than the $162 cost of the concrete floors used in Piso Firme, one of the first floor-replacement operations in Mexico.

Connecting Solutions

TECHO – a nonprofit organization – has been doing something very similar. It has “built one-room houses with hard floors, insulated pinewood walls and tin roofs for almost 130,000 families in Latin America since 1997.” All of this together has resulted in a “big drop in childhood incidence of diarrhea in these homes, down 27% or double the improvement Gertler measured for Mexican children whose dirt floors were replaced with concrete.”

Though simple, identifying contributing factors to poverty and poor health can be a meaningful step to increase the quality of life for millions. While EarthEnable and TECHO continue their work, they quite literally work to establish a stronger foundation for those experiencing certain forms of poverty.

– Noya Stessel
Photo: Flickr

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DataKind Pro-Bono Data Analysis

DataKind
People often say that this is the era of data; after all, data mining and extraction often prove essential for widescale business operations and more. Still, even as the demand for data analysts and data scientists rises every year, projects focusing on social change do not get the same advantages in this field as large private enterprises. Expansive tech corporations still hold most of the resources and information when using data analysis as a tool for operative efficiency.

However, many organizations seek to change this. One of them is DataKind, a volunteer-based organization dedicated to putting data in the service of others. The organization works on short and long-term projects addressing topics from poverty and access to services in developing countries to health care and education.

Why DataKind?

DataKind works with nonprofit organizations that have access to large quantities of gathered information and delivers high-quality analyses. These analyses help effectively streamline resources, creating new goals for NGOs and nonprofits so that more people can receive aid. In this way, DataKind has shifted the trends of big data and data analysis toward humanitarian projects.

CEO Jake Porway stated, “In 2010, we had the big-data boom, but the things that people would do with it seemed so frivolous — they would build apps to help them park their car or find a local bar. I just thought, ‘This is crazy, we need to do something more.’ ” After realizing that data analysis has a place in the nonprofit realm, Porway founded DataKind in 2010. Based in New York City, it originally had part-time data scientist volunteers working on short-term projects, but now the organization collaborates with more than a dozen international bodies such as the U.N.’s Global Pulse and the World Bank.

GiveDirect

GiveDirect is an organization that focuses on transferring money to the poorest communities in Kenya and Uganda. These funds can go into communities, helping individuals pursue their own goals. To identify which villages will benefit from this, DataKind stepped in to analyze data from satellite images. It identified which households and villages were the poorest in each region. A programmed algorithm detected the materials of individual homes; thatched or metal roofs can be an indicator of a community’s needs. This proved to be more efficient and less costly than a traditional census in these remote areas.

VotoMobile

This organization has a dedication to amplifying the voices of marginalized groups in West Africa by using mobile surveys in local languages. It targets remote communities’ main necessities, gathering insight on groups typically not represented in common censuses. DataKind enhanced data repositories and built interactive data models for VotoMobile to use for future data collection. With DataKind’s help, VotoMobile is now focussing on standardizing its surveys so they are easier to analyze and compare. When this stage is complete, VotoMobile will be able to take many more voices into account, prioritizing specific types of aid for rural villages in Uganda and Senegal.

The World Bank: Anti-Corruption Solutions

To effectively tackle poverty, it is necessary to root out corruption in development projects. In one of its most ambitious projects, DataKind collaborated with The World Bank, working with collected data from across the globe to identify possible corruption cases and create innovative solutions. It closely studied food prices, inflation rates, vis-a-vis surveys and phone data. Participants in this project have carefully mapped what variables are missing in the data. These strategies are not limited exclusively to future frameworks in data collection. They can also contribute to ingenious solutions for rampant corruption around the globe.

In the future, DataKind hopes to keep delivering new data-based solutions for international organizations and institutions, bringing new volunteers into the era of philanthropic data analysis.

– Araí Yegros
Photo: Flickr

Tackling HIV/AIDs in Botswana

Botswana’s Interior Conflict
Botswana is a country that people know for its relatively peaceful and politically stable environment; however, it also has a high prevalence of HIV. It has some of the highest HIV rates of any country in the world, which particularly affects Botswana’s women and children. This reality affects several factors contributing to Botswana’s society and economy, including a drastically fallen life expectancy, the death rate, the effects of the virus on the body and the age of those most affected. For more than 40 years, HIV/AIDs in Botswana has been prevalent resulting in a conflict between HIV/AIDs and economic success. Here is some information about it as well as how the country is tackling HIV/AIDs in Botswana.

HIV/AIDs in Botswana

In its article on the economic impact of AIDs in Botswana, the POLICY Project writes that the virus is “different from most other diseases because it strikes people in the most productive age groups and is essentially 100 percent fatal.” This directly impacts the economy by essentially removing people who would be productively contributing. The economic output then plummets because the loss of young, formerly able-bodied adults limits the workforce. The shortage of skilled, trained laborers impacts income distribution across economic sectors as well.

The life expectancy in Botswana has fallen drastically. Some estimates place it at 60 years in 1990, then 40 years in 2001 and about a projected 30 years as of 2010. In his memoir “When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa,” Peter Godwin explained that AIDs impacts the younger generation in particular. Due to the low life expectancy that the virus creates, there are villages where the oldest members of the community are teenagers. Projections estimated that two out of every five children would become orphans by 2010, subsequently requiring state aid.

The Effects of the Virus

There are several principal costs that many people associate with having AIDs. Direct costs or physical, financial losses include medical care, treatment drugs and funeral expenses. Indirect costs, or more long-term, possibly unforeseen financial losses include lost work time, care of children who have lost their families due to AIDs and time spent searching for and hiring new workers to replace those lost to the virus. These are costs to Botswana’s economy in general, as well as to individuals and their households.

The effects of AIDs on the economy are particularly apparent in Botswana, a country that many otherwise applaud for being a lower-middle-income country that has avoided several other economic downfalls in recent years. Nevertheless, on a microeconomic level, households with AIDs in Botswana struggle to acquire basic necessities such as healthcare, education, food and shelter. Loss of employment and particularly the loss of a family’s breadwinner can begin a downward slope into extreme poverty. This then expands outwards to include the macroeconomy where businesses and firms are understaffed and have to close. Botswana’s conflict between HIV/AIDs and economic success is clearly one of the country’s greatest to date.

Solutions

Botswana has made leaps in tackling its HIV/AIDs in Botswana; however, a “one-size-fits-all approach” does not target specific high-risk groups and means reaching far fewer people. Those most at-risk –men who have sex with men, sex workers, young people and women– require individual strategies to deal with the prevalence of AIDS.

The use of condoms and sex education have played major roles in attempts to control the epidemic. The Ministry of Health and UNDP educate teachers first, who then spread their awareness to their young students. Peace Corps volunteers to Botswana work with the government and with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to better respond to the AIDs epidemic. Volunteers work in small communities addressing and educating on AIDs, with a focus on the youth.

Though no one solution exists regarding tackling HIV/AIDs in Botswana, global and regional efforts work to weaken and reverse a painful national slide. Botswana stands to gain much from meaningful efforts focused on health and the economy.

– Grace Manning
Photo: Flickr

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ProVeg International: Food Justice In Africa

ProVeg International
The definition of food insecurity is “the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources” according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. All across the world, food insecurity remains an issue despite being essential for human survival. This violation of basic human rights has justifiably led to many movements, ideas and actions to cultivate better, more accessible food systems for everyone regardless of economic status. Ultimately, increasing food justice means reducing poverty, a mission that lies at the core of ProVeg International, a global “food awareness” organization.

Food Injustice in Africa

Food injustice permeates the continent of Africa as many African countries battle poverty. According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, more than “100 million Africans were facing crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels of food insecurity in 2020.” The Center highlights a rise of more than 60% in comparison to 2020, with an expectation that food insecurity rates will continue in this direction through 2021 and beyond. The rise in food insecurity rates is alarming and represents a worsening issue in the fight against hunger.

This food insecurity is coupled with Africa’s higher poverty rates. Hunger Notes reports that “according to the World Bank, in 2013, 42.3% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa lived on $1.90 or less per day.” This, it also notes, is a major factor in higher levels of food insecurity in African countries. The connection between poverty and hunger in the continent of Africa reveals why there are many efforts to aid and combat both rates of poverty and rising rates of food insecurity. Both anti-poverty initiatives and anti-food insecurity initiatives intersect to fight this pressing issue.

A ProVeg Approach

ProVeg International is a global organization fighting food injustice with increased food awareness and plant-based initiatives. Its branch in South Africa acts as a platform for these initiatives in the African continent. According to its website, ProVeg holds events and participates in political outreach and corporate engagement. All these efforts aim to raise awareness of the importance of accessible, healthy plant-based food. In addition to these activities, ProVeg holds challenges such as Veganuary, which is “a global campaign that encourages people to try plant-based [foods] for the month of January.” This approach of easing people in is important, as is encouraging those who have the means and accessibility to go plant-based to do so.

Using a plant-based approach increases access to affordable and healthy food for those who need it. Additionally, ProVeg encourages those who already have access to fresh grown foods to fully incorporate them into their diets. ProVeg highlights how “achieving food security for everyone means doing more to ensure that everyone has reliable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food in order to maintain an active and healthy life.” ProVeg International incorporates this message by highlighting how “an inequitable global food distribution system” disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable and impoverished people.

In this way, ProVeg makes it is easy to see the intersections of food insecurity and poverty, showing the importance of ProVeg’s plant-based initiative for achieving food justice. As rates of food insecurity rise across Africa, ProVeg’s plant-based initiative contributes to food justice and seeks to make healthy foods accessible. The role that ProVeg plays presents an important approach in the fight against food injustice.

– Sebastian Fell
Photo: Flickr

Pearls Africa Foundation Helps Girls in Nigeria Through STEM

Pearls Africa Foundation
Nigerian female programmer Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin’s love for computers led her to a life’s mission to help lift girls out of poverty through science, technology, engineering and math by teaching them how to code. Ajayi-Akinfolarin founded the Pearls Africa Foundation, which provides more than technological skills, giving girls tools to become financially independent.

About Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin

After graduating from the University of Lagos, Ajayi-Akinfolarin founded the Pearls Africa Foundation in 2012, leaving her job to dedicate all her time to the Foundation. a statistic indicating that less than 8% of Nigerian women had professional, managerial or technological jobs, a staggeringly low number, drove her to establish the Foundation. She wanted to give women and girls the opportunity to acquire the skills to change that statistic and lift themselves out of poverty. In 2018, she earned the title of CNN Hero of the Year in acknowledgment of her efforts.

The Girls and Women of Makoko

Lagos, Nigeria, has a thriving economy of oil, finance and manufacturing, however, the world’s largest “floating slum,” Makoko, is on a lagoon in the city within which 250,000 people live. The slum city rests on stilts and its residents use canoes for transport. Gentrification led to the displacement of some members of the slum community until many deemed it unconstitutional. Most people in Makoko, including women and girls, do not have access to regular food, water, electricity or education. Drawing inspiration from the aim of helping the girls of Makoko, Ajayi-Akinfolarin began the Pearls Africa Foundation.

Pearls Africa Foundation Programs

The Pearls Africa Foundation has 10 different programs to help girls learn to code, keep them safe and secure and prepare them for educational and career-oriented opportunities. The flagship program of the Pearls Africa Foundation is Girls Coding, which provides underserved girls with an education in computer programming and coding, including courses such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Python. This training prepares the girls to compete for STEM jobs and achieve financial independence.

Similar programs are Lady Labs, which teaches basic IT and technology skills and provides IT experience. Empowered Hands provides vocational training such as bead-making, fashion designing, hair styling, Aso-oke weaving and more. Pearls Africa actively searches for internship placements for its students and provides scholarship opportunities through its EducateHer program.

Its mentoring activity, Safe Space, gives girls a place to cope with and address psychological trauma from their daily environments. Mentors answer questions and guide young girls in areas such as sexual health and dealing with abuse as well as cultural practices. This allows girls to understand and address their mental health issues, heal from the impacts of abuse, receive career guidance and more. Safe Space holds workshops every month to help girls build life skills and become successful in their careers.

The Foundation also has three different outreach programs: Community Outreach, Medical Outreach and School Outreach. Respectively, these efforts involve a feeding program and donations, providing free healthcare assistance in Lagos and mentoring girls in secondary schools.

Each of the programs of the Pearls Africa Foundation provides young girls in Nigeria with the tools to lift themselves out of poverty and lead successful, fulfilling lives.

– Sana Mamtaney
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Mongolia

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Mongolia
As more individuals receive their COVID-19 vaccinations, countries are beginning to loosen restrictions imposed due to the virus. Toward the end of July 2021, England relaxed its travel restrictions by allowing fully vaccinated travelers across the European Union and the United States to visit England without quarantining. Similarly, the U.S. currently plans to relax international travel regulations for fully vaccinated foreigners and citizens. However, not all nations are in a position to act as England and the U.S. have. Reporting an average of nearly 2,900 new infections every day, COVID-19 continues to make its presence known in Mongolia. Grappling with a declining economy and poor infrastructure, many Mongolian civilians have entered or remained in poverty since March 2020. Fortunately, organizations within the United States and abroad engaged in relief efforts to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Mongolia.

The Connection Between Poverty and COVID-19 in Mongolia

While Mongolia boasts fewer cases than Asian counterparts like India and Indonesia, trends indicate rising infection numbers and daily deaths. On March 28, 2021, the average number of new infections was 321. However, the number rose to about 3,700 new infections on September 25, 2021. To emphasize the rapid rates at which coronavirus is spreading in Mongolia, the U.S. Department of State assigned a level four advisory to Mongolia on July 6, urging civilians not to travel to the country.

One of the most devastating impacts of COVID-19 in Mongolia lies in its economic effects. The Mongolian economy suffered its worst hit since the 1990s with a 5.3% contraction in 2020, primarily due to reduced trade with China. This came from closed borders and low demand for fossil fuels, critical elements of the typically lucrative mining industry. Concerning the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Mongolia, between 195,000 and 260,000 more individuals fell into poverty due to the pandemic. The poverty rate also increased by more than 5%, from 28.4% in 2018 to 33.6% in 2020.  Additionally, approximately 35.2% of suffering Mongolian households reported income decline and financial issues in 2020, indicating the pandemic’s widespread influence.

Poverty, COVID-19 and Children in Mongolia

Poverty affects children, as initial school closures and reduced capacity for childcare impacted more than 900,000 children under 18, who make up almost a third of the country’s population. Alongside reduced access to education, a UNICEF report highlights how physical abuse of children rose by 32.9% in Mongolia. A study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information describes how increased rates of abuse likely reflect how the pandemic forced thousands of parents into unemployment and children out of school, leading to a significant connection between job loss and child maltreatment. Food insecurity also provided a challenge to children and families within the nation as surveys indicate that 62.1% of children endured weight loss because of inadequate access to vitamins and nutrient-rich food. Additionally, 20.3% of children experienced decreased frequency of meals.

Humanitarian Relief Efforts

While increased economic decline, child abuse and food insecurity represent the adverse impacts of COVID-19 on poverty, relief efforts highlight the positive collaboration between countries that helps lift Mongolians out of poverty. For one, Japan “extend $883 million yen,” or roughly $8 million U.S. dollars, to Mongolia earlier this month. The Japan International Cooperation Agency aims to equip the nation with cold chain technology, like refrigerated vehicles to transport vaccines, to ensure vaccine distribution.

Additionally, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced the opening of capacity development centers in Mongolia in February 2021. Both virtual and physical, these centers will help eradicate poverty by bolstering economic development across Central Asia, the Caucasus and Mongolia. Certain organizations like the Asian Development Bank extended aid to specifically address food insecurity caused by COVID-19 in Mongolia. In October 2020, the bank administered a $410,000 “technical assistance” grant to combat supply distributions by establishing price monitoring systems and food emergency stock.

Despite challenges presented by the pandemic, Mongolia has proven to be resilient. Projections have determined that with the help of global aid, the economy should recover throughout 2021, and the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Mongolia could lessen.

– Riya Sharma
Photo: Unsplash

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Eradicating Child Poverty in Scotland

Child poverty rate in Scotland
Over the past year, the Scottish government has taken significant steps towards minimizing child poverty. The government’s recent initiatives come as welcome additions to the progress Scotland has made over the last decades in its fight against child poverty. Evidently, data from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) demonstrates that the child poverty rate in Scotland over the past 20 years has fallen to 24% by 2016/2019. This figure fares well when compared to neighboring England, where the poverty rate fell to 31%.

The Scottish government’s recently released “Third Year Progress Report” exemplifies its significant devotion to eradicating child poverty. In particular, one figure stands out: over £978 million ($1.3 billion) was given as direct support to families with children in 2020-21, with £118 million ($160 million) of that as a response to COVID-19. That being said, the government is not hesitating to ensure that Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty. Its commitment shows in four major initiatives: the Universal Credit Uplift, Scottish Child Payment,Best Start Foods and Minimum Income Guarantee.

Universal Credit Uplift

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.K. government installed a £20 per week Universal Credit Uplift. This measure helps those at risk of poverty or within poverty to cope and recover from the pandemic. The impact of Universal Credit on Scotland has been notable, contributing to a 6% rise in the last year for residents. To be exact, around 480,000 residents benefited from the measure.

The Scottish government decided to take it a step further. In November 2020 and August 2021, it pleaded with the U.K. parliament in joint correspondence with the other devolved nations to extend the Universal Credit beyond its scheduled expiration of October 2021. Scotland’s government proposed the extension of the Universal Credit to continue into the long run, citing the long-term ramifications of withdrawing the uplift so suddenly. The joint letter to the U.K. Parliament indicated this, as the Scottish government noted how cutting the Universal Credit Uplift would cut social security payments in Scotland on average by £460 per year by 2023/2024.

Scottish Child Payment

The Scottish Child Payment consists of an added-on £10 per week benefit. Ever since it began back in February 2021, it has proven to be one of the country’s most instrumental and groundbreaking initiatives as Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty. In fact, the JRF labeled the Scottish Child Payment as “the lifeline children and their families need” in addition to serving as “the most progressive policy brought in since devolution 20 years ago.”

As of August 31, 2021, over 108,000 children have benefited from the Scottish Child Payments. The policy has the potential to reach around 133,000 children, according to Scottish Fiscal Commission projections. The payment targets low-income families with children under age six. It consists of continuous added-on financial support for families in receipt of qualifying benefits to aid with the costs of childcare.

On top of these phenomenal results, the Scottish government has great plans for this initiative’s near future. Its first extension consists of making the payment available to children aged 6-15 by the end of 2022. The second extension commits to significantly increasing the Scottish Child Payment. Ideally, with a full £20 payment achieved by the end of this current Parliament.

Best Start Foods

One of Scotland’s best-performing initiatives to ensure Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty is its Best Start Foods payments. The payments commenced in December 2018, and from then until May 31, 2021, contributed to exactly 179,575 families. Best Start Foods aids low-income families with children under age three to buy healthy food to maintain a sustainable living. Specifically, the payments consist of pre-paid cards made every four weeks which can purchase healthy food such as eggs, milk, fruit and vegetables.

In an interview with The Borgen Project, a Scottish government spokesperson elaborated on the August 1, 2021 decision to increase the Best Start Foods payment amounts from £4.25 per week to £4.50 per week. “For families with newborn babies up to one year old, payments increased from £8.50 to £9 per week. We are proud to say that these higher payments are now being paid to clients and as the latest official statistics show more than 85,000 Best Start Foods applications have been authorized providing low-income families across Scotland with payments worth £16.7 million. We are committed to making sure support is available so that every child in Scotland has the best start in life and are looking to widen eligibility of Best Start Foods later in the Parliamentary term.”

Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG)

The last initiative demonstrating how Scotland is pushing to eradicate child poverty involves the advanced talks of a proposal for a Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG). In a recent statement, Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison confirmed that the government is “committed to progressing the delivery of a Minimum Income Guarantee, which could be revolutionary in our fight against poverty… The policy is innovative, bold and radical.”

The following are key components of the proposed MIG:

  • The plan solely targets those in low-income status.
  • The MIG would cover tax reliefs, social security benefits, childcare and transportation services.
  • Robison claims the scheme would not replace secure employment or keep wages down.
  • The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), which forms the government’s steering group for the plan, suggests a “core entitlement” of £792 per month for any single person of working age or £1,224 for a couple. A further payment of £267 would exist for the first child and £224 for every additional child.
  • The IPPR aims to implement the MIG by 2030.

Looking Ahead

Scotland has made remarkable progress over the past decades. However, certain statistics demonstrate the necessity for the government to not slow down in ensuring that Scotland pushes to eradicate child poverty. Currently, a quarter, or around 260,000, of Scottish children live in poverty, and some projections indicate that this figure could rise to 29% by 2023. That is why it is imperative for Scotland to continue full speed ahead on its mission to eradicate child poverty.

– Gabriel Sylvan
Photo: Flickr

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Child Soldiers in Somalia

Child Soldiers in Somalia
Among Somalia’s numerous human rights crises is the recruitment of child soldiers. Not only is Somalia one of the countries with the most child soldiers, but its living standards are not improving. This article discusses five facts about Somalia’s child soldiers, along with hopeful measures which could improve the situation in the foreseeable future.

5 Facts About Child Soldiers in Somalia

  1. Somalia possesses the largest number of children who have died during war in the world. Somalia’s ongoing civil war led to drastic measures, including child recruitment into armed forces. In 2017, Somalia recorded 931 children killed at war, along with 2,127 children used in conflict. Additionally, Somalia verified the recruitment of 6,163 children between 2010 and 2016.
  2. There are many different ways to recruit child soldiers. Children’s rights in Somalia rank a 3.6/10 on the Children’s Rights Index. This ranking places Somalia in the Black Level for children’s rights, within the worst conditions in the world. This is due to several prominent factors, including the lack of education, forced displacement, sexual abuse and lack of food. All of these things happen to the majority of child soldiers in Somalia. Children as young as 9 years old suffer enlistment into Somali armed forces, both willingly and forcefully. According to reports, a majority of these children actually recruit themselves voluntarily. Often, militant groups trick child soldiers into believing that they are helping their country by doing so. Additionally, in many cases, militant groups kidnap these children and forced them into armed services. The abduction of children occurs strategically. The children targeted usually congregate in places where they are vulnerable and in large numbers, including churches, schools and orphanages. Others choose them based on their height and physical conditions.
  3. Militant terrorist organizations recruit most child soldiers. Many believe that Somalia’s government willingly allows the military to recruit children. However, this is not true. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the military that recruits these children, but, instead, terrorist groups fighting against the Somali government. The most prominent of these groups, Al-Shabaab, defines itself as an independent militant group that broke away from the Union of Islamic Courts. Al-Shabaab often demands teachers, elders and rural communities to provide them with children 8 years old and older to help them fight. Al-Shabaab has taken the most extreme measures, such as beating, raping, torturing and killing people who refused to give away their children. Over the past 10 years, Al-Shabaab recruited thousands of children to be child soldiers. In total, Al-Shabaab recruited 70% of all child soldiers in Somalia.
  4. Militant groups choose child soldiers for various strategic reasons. One might question why groups like Al-Shabaab target children since children are physically weaker than adults and lack fighting skills. However, targeting children as recruits supports Al-Shabaab’s goal to oust Somalia’s government. Firstly, children are likely to be more vulnerable than adults. Others can easily persuade them to fight for their country, thus making them believe that their contribution is voluntary and will benefit Somalia. The children who become child soldiers do not only serve as frontline fighters. Militant groups use many children as looters, spies, messengers or informants. Additionally, the physical weakness of children makes them prone to sexual assault from their terrorist leaders, who entrap some children as sexual slaves. Lastly, children present better targets than adults since they require less food and water to live. Groups like Al-Shabaab feed child soldiers just enough to survive and function in the war while remaining weak enough for physical manipulation.
  5. Organizations working against child soldiers in Somalia are making progress. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is an organization that supports residents from areas liberated from Al-Shabaab. Recently, its work focuses on helping residents resettle after losing their homes in battle. Since child soldiers have a high risk of re-recruitment unless properly reintegrated into society, its initiative to take on such a difficult issue demonstrates progress. The AMISOM Civil Affairs Officer, Christopher Ogwang, speaking about recent developments, stated, “Our responsibility is to do reconstruction where necessary. We are also extending our services to rehabilitate social facilities like schools, hospitals and police stations.”

Concluding Thoughts

In the end, this treacherous issue will not undergo resolution overnight. However, organizations like AMISOM are doing their part in saving Somalian children from becoming child soldiers. The rest of us can contribute to the struggle by keeping informed about these issues and spreading information. Doing as little as this can help take a huge step towards saving child soldiers in Somalia.

– Andra Fofuca
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

2 Organizations Addressing Mental Illness in Australia

Mental Illness in Australia
Mental illness in Australia is a serious health issue, with 20% of people ages 16-85 diagnosed with a mental illness each year. The most common disorders include depression, anxiety and substance abuse. These illnesses usually emerge during adolescence, beginning as early as the age of 18; those who fall within this age range also have the highest number of cases of mental illness compared to any other age group. Almost half of Australians (45%) will experience some sort of mental disorder within their lifetime. Of these, 54% do not have access to any kind of treatment, making mental health a major concern in Australia.

About SANE Australia

SANE Australia is a national mental health charity that has a dedication to helping those within Australia feel comfortable to talk about their problems and works toward bettering the lives of those with a mental illness. SANE provides counseling support, and peer support that includes a variety of services, as well as conducting research and providing advocacy. The organization helps those who feel alone by providing them with a free counseling service. Counselors are available via phone, webchat or email Monday through Friday from 10 to 10. All sessions are one-on-one and completely confidential.

People who feel alone are also able to contact a peer support worker to talk about what matters most to them and can join peer-group chats via the web. A peer support worker runs the group chats and these chats allow those with mental health challenges to talk to others anonymously. The forums are available to anonymously post any thoughts and feelings individuals have on any topic they choose. Others can then read these comments, and respond, letting the anonymous individuals know that they are not alone.

Mental Health Foundation Australia

Mental Health Foundation Australia is an organization that works toward improving the lives of those with a mental illness. Its vision is “Better Mental Health For All.” Established in 1930, as Australia’s first mental health organization, it prides itself on its holistic approach in advocating for mental health, and providing aid for those with a mental illness, as well as those who live with them and care for them. MHFA’s values are compassion, excellence, inclusion, innovation and integrity. MHFA’s two service activities are support groups and education.

MHFA offers various support groups to people, depending on the mental illness with which they are dealing. The organization notes that this is the best way for people to cope with their illness, through a stable environment that allows people to exchange new skills, methods and ways to cope with challenges. Group participants include family, friends and caregivers, in addition to those with mental health issues.

MHFA’s education efforts address those with mental health issues, as well as community awareness of mental health. The organization has designed programs to target early intervention and mental health literacy. These include mental health webinars, mental health first aid courses and basic mental health information brochures.

Conclusion

Through these organizations’ continued hard work and dedication, Australians dealing with a mental illness are more likely to receive the care they need, and the number of those with no access to help may decrease.

– Nia Hinson
Photo: Flickr

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The Progress of the Women’s Movement in Uganda

Women’s Movement in Uganda
The women’s movement in Uganda has fought for women’s rights for nearly two decades. In 2021, it has reason to celebrate as two bills passed through Parliament that significantly improve the rights of Ugandan women. Even with this recent example of progress, the women’s movement in Uganda continues to strive for further rights.

Discrimination against Women in Uganda

Until 2021, women in Uganda faced discrimination in cases of inheritance and land ownership. The previous law granted preference to male children. Families of widows would often force them to leave their homes. Women could not possess land or income, leaving many women in Uganda poor and vulnerable to violence. More than a fifth of women aged 15 to 49 in Uganda experienced some form of sexual violence, according to the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. Furthermore, 13% of women in the same age group experience sexual violence annually.

In 2012, a policy to regulate marriage and divorce continued to make little headway; it was pending for more than 14 years. Without this law, there was little protection for women in marriage. Although the Ugandan Constitution “provides that the minimum legal age for marriage for both men and women is fixed at 18 years,” customary laws in rural areas allow early marriages for minors. As a result, girls have higher drop-out rates because of early marriage and pregnancy. In addition, these customary laws allowed polygamy, but women in polygamous relationships had no protection in the case of divorce.

History of Women’s Rights in Uganda

Despite historical discrimination against women in Uganda, significant progress has occurred for women’s rights and empowerment in Uganda. This year, women make up 34.9% of the Ugandan parliament. In addition, 75% of legal frameworks “promote[s], enforce[s] and monitor[s] gender equality, with a focus on violence against women.” Over the last 15 years specifically, legislation has passed to protect women from both gender discrimination and violence.

In terms of violence against women, Uganda has passed multiple laws. Uganda passed the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act in 2009, which works to eliminate human trafficking and contains multiple actions related to the issue. Meanwhile, in 2010, the country passed the Domestic Violence Act and the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act. The Domestic Violence Act provides protection and relief services for victims of domestic violence and punishes the culprit.

The Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation prohibits female genital mutilation and girls and women who are at threat of female genital mutilation. Additionally, Uganda passed the Equal Opportunities Act in 2007. The policy gives the government the power to punish discrimination against any individual or group including on the basis of gender. It further allows the state to take affirmative action in favor of marginalized groups in order to readdress the imbalances already held against them.

Women’s Movement in Uganda

After decades of lobbying for women’s rights, the women’s movement in Uganda has seen the passage of two bills that address better women’s rights and discrimination this year. In March, the passage of the Succession Bill addressed women facing discrimination in terms of inheritance and land ownership. The previous law had gaps and ownership of property was given through inheritance to the male child. The gaps are now addressed, and children, regardless of sex, receive the property. In April, the passage of the Employment Bill seeks to prohibit sexual harassment in workplaces.

The bill states that “all employers are now required to put in place measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, and to prohibit abuse, harassment or violence against employees.” The bill also provides support for unpaid domestic workers as their work is now acknowledged as formal. In addition, these workers are to receive pay and the tools to report abuse.

Looking Ahead

While the women’s movement in Uganda has made significant strides in improving women’s rights and gender discrimination in the country, the movement will continue to strive for further rights and address the issue of gender-based violence. Furthermore, with recent momentum, there is a reason for the hope that the women’s movement in Uganda will continue to make a difference in the country.

– Kyle Har
Photo: Flickr