Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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How Community-Led Housing Strengthens Economic Security

Community-Led Housing
For families living in informal settlements, finding an affordable home can be about more than having a roof overhead. Without secure land or housing, families can face eviction, overcrowding and limited access to basic services. Community-led housing offers a different approach. Instead of governments or private developers making every decision, residents organize themselves to help design, finance, build and manage their own communities. Projects in countries including Thailand, Kenya and Brazil demonstrate how this approach can give low-income communities greater housing security and control. While community-led housing is not a standalone solution to global poverty, these examples suggest that giving residents greater control over housing can contribute to economic security, affordability and stronger communities.

Thailand Shows How Communities Can Lead

Launched in 2003, Baan Mankong places low-income communities at the center of housing development. Through Thailand’s Community Organizations Development Institute (CODI), organized communities can access financial and technical support to purchase land, construct homes and improve infrastructure. Rather than moving residents away from informal settlements and replacing them with government-built housing, the program often allows communities to determine what their neighborhoods need. Residents can form cooperatives, save money together, negotiate with landowners and decide how their housing should be developed.

The approach has operated at a significant scale. According to CODI, Baan Mankong had reached 142,763 households by 2026. There is also evidence of potential economic benefits for participating households. CODI’s recent Social Return on Investment research found that the proportion of respondents reporting family savings increased from 38.28% before moving into Baan Mankong housing to 76.90% afterward. The research also found that 58.62% of respondents said the program had reduced their housing expenses. These figures help illustrate an important principle of community-led housing: people experiencing housing insecurity can also be part of designing the solution, while individuals can connect access to secure housing to broader household financial security.

Kenya Uses Community Land Ownership

In Kenya, the Tanzania-Bondeni Community Land Trust in Voi has provided an alternative to conventional individual land ownership. The community land trust model places land under collective ownership while allowing residents to have secure rights to their homes. This distinction is important because inexpensive housing can become unaffordable again if properties are later sold at market prices. Community land trusts can help protect affordability by separating ownership of the land from ownership or use of the buildings on it. The model has therefore attracted attention as a potential way to provide long-term housing security for low-income communities. The International Center for Community Land Trusts identifies Tanzania-Bondeni as an important example of the community land trust model in the Global South.

Latin America Demonstrates the Power of Collective Action

Community-led housing and collective land ownership have also developed across Latin America. The Caño Martín Peña Community Land Trust in Puerto Rico provides a prominent example. The trust originated to help residents of an informal settlement obtain collective land security while improving housing and infrastructure. Instead of treating residents as passive recipients of housing, the model gives the community a formal role in managing its future. Collective ownership can also help residents remain in established communities rather than being displaced as land values increase. Further, research into community-led housing in Brazil, Nepal, Malawi and Zambia, drawing from more than 100 sources and case studies, has found that resident participation can contribute to improvements in housing, social inclusion and local governance. Together, these examples show how collective action can connect housing improvements with community decision-making and longer-term security.

More Than an Affordable House

The examples demonstrate that community-led housing can provide benefits beyond reducing the cost of a home. Residents can gain greater control over decisions that affect their communities. Cooperative structures can help people pool savings and access financing. Collective ownership can also help protect land and housing from speculation. Community-led housing can strengthen existing social networks as well. Instead of relocating residents away from their communities, some projects allow people to improve the places where they already live. Environmental improvements can become another benefit. Projects can incorporate green spaces, improved infrastructure and more efficient use of land.

The approach does not mean that communities must solve housing problems without outside assistance. Baan Mankong demonstrates the importance of government financing and technical support, while other community land trust projects rely on partnerships with nonprofit organizations and local authorities.

A Model With Global Potential

Community-led housing is not a single type of building. It is a way of organizing housing around the people who live in it. Together, the examples above suggest that addressing housing insecurity does not always require communities to wait for a developer or government agency to provide a finished solution. With access to land, finance and technical support, residents can become active participants in creating and managing affordable housing. For communities facing poverty, that shift can mean more than a new home. It can provide greater housing security, greater control over local decisions and, in some cases, a stronger foundation for household economic security.

The experience of Baan Mankong provides evidence that community-led housing can operate at substantial scale, while community land trusts demonstrate ways of protecting collective land security. Community-led housing is therefore not a simple answer to global poverty. But by putting residents at the center of decisions about land, housing and community development, it offers one approach to strengthening the security and resilience of low-income communities.

– Lilia Clark

Lilia is based in Glasgow, UK and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Education Initiatives in Libya: Supporting Children

Education Initiatives in Libya
Libya’s education system has faced years of disruption following the 2011 revolution and subsequent conflict. Before 2011, Libya had achieved near-universal primary and secondary enrollment with equitable gender enrollment, but conflict, displacement and economic crisis have since restricted access to education. Education Cannot Wait reports that hundreds of schools have been targeted, destroyed or repurposed, while many children and adolescents remain out of the classroom.

The current challenges remain significant. UNICEF reports that about one in 10 households rely on child labor and that almost one in five families have at least one child out of school. UNICEF also continues to support vulnerable children, including children with disabilities, displaced children and children on the move, through education and protection programs. Here is some information about education initiatives in Libya and what they are doing to help.

The Good News: Education Initiatives in Libya

Several education initiatives are working to improve education and student well-being in Libya. In June 2026, the Libyan government and UNICEF launched two complementary initiatives: the National Community Health Program and the National Strategy for School Health and Nutrition (2026–2030). The school strategy addresses priorities including nutrition, mental health, water, sanitation and hygiene, digital referral systems and school clinics. Partners also plan to train school-health personnel and expand mental-health services over the five-year strategy.

This follows earlier efforts to strengthen Libya’s education system. In 2013, the European Union funded a two-year UNICEF initiative, led by Libya’s Ministry of Education, to improve teacher management and training. The €3.1 million project was designed to support teacher qualifications, in-service training, recruitment, management and deployment.

Other Initiatives

UNICEF also supports education in Libya through cash assistance, non-formal education and digital learning opportunities. In partnership with the Ministry of Education, it helps re-enroll out-of-school children, trains social workers and school counselors, supports teacher development and provides remedial or catch-up classes for children who have fallen behind.

Education Cannot Wait (ECW) also supports primary and secondary education in Libya. Its programs rehabilitate damaged schools, improve water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, support parent-teacher associations and provide cash transfers, scholarships, accelerated learning, remedial lessons and vocational training. ECW also trains educators to create more inclusive learning environments, particularly for girls and children with disabilities.

ACTED has also used Quick Impact Projects to address immediate problems in Libya’s education system. In 2018, 15 projects that UNHCR funded distributed school supplies, IT equipment and furniture and supported school renovations. ACTED reports that the projects supported around 3,300 students and contributed to community stabilization by creating safer educational environments that encouraged families to return.

The Road Ahead

Libya’s education system continues to face serious challenges, but domestic and international initiatives are expanding access to learning, improving school environments and supporting vulnerable children. Current programs from UNICEF and Education Cannot Wait sit alongside earlier efforts from organizations such as ACTED and the European Union, showing several approaches to strengthening education in Libya.

– Sebastiano Brussato

Sebastiano is based in London, United Kingdom and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

 

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How Alternative Credit in Kenya Empowers Borrowers

Alternative Credit in KenyaKenya is often associated with safaris and national parks. Many may think of the Great Migration or the world-class athletes that come out of Kenya such as its marathon runners. With a country full of so much beauty, majesty and talent it is easy to become blind to the poverty that exists in it. However, alternative credit in Kenya is one approach that is helping expand access to finance for some borrowers.

Understanding the Credit-Access Gap

Poverty in Kenya is multidimensional, consisting of food insecurity, lack of access to clean drinking water and unemployment. More than 15 million people, approximately 30% of Kenya’s population, live in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). Between July and October 2026, around 2.7 million people in the ASALs were experiencing Crisis or worse acute food insecurity. More than 883,300 children aged 6-59 months in the ASALs and refugee camps were expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition between April 2026 and March 2027.

Economic pressures affect both rural and urban areas. According to World Bank assessments, approximately 800,000 young people enter Kenya’s labor market each year, while fewer than 100,000 secure formal, labor-law-protected jobs. Furthermore, World Bank economic projections warn that inflation and higher commodity prices carry the scenario risk of pushing between 1 million and 2.4 million additional Kenyans below the poverty line.

For many small-scale business owners, securing capital from traditional commercial banks remains difficult because of documentation, collateral requirements and a lack of formal credit history. Consequently, informal enterprises and self-employed individuals often operate without access to traditional banking channels.

How Alternative Credit and Digital Scoring Operate

Alternative credit is a type of non-traditional financing that is for borrowers who cannot normally access traditional bank lending. Several organizations are creating alternative credit routes in Kenya, helping small business owners and entrepreneurs receive access to funds for their businesses and ventures.

  • NCBA Bank and Enterprise Training: Commercial institutions like NCBA provide digital banking, insurance and cash flow guidance to small businesses. Partnering with Strathmore Business School to establish the Enterprise Development Programme, the bank has enrolled 354 customers in a 16-week curriculum designed to strengthen leadership and business management skills.
  • JUMO’s Digital Lending Platform: Operating since 2015, JUMO uses mobile wallet and cellular transaction data to build behavioral credit profiles for individuals who lack traditional pay stubs or bank accounts. Partnering with financial networks like Standard Bank’s Sustainable Finance Team, JUMO reports more than $10 billion in lifetime loan disbursements and over 300 million individual loans facilitated across its operational markets.
  • TransUnion and FICO Scoring Solutions: To help lenders evaluate thin-file borrowers, TransUnion Kenya utilizes alternative data sources such as mobile networks and digital wallets. While credit bureaus in other global markets have observed risk-predictability improvements of 20% to 30% and approval-rate increases of 15% to 20% using advanced scoring frameworks like CreditVision Variables, these tools assist lenders in managing portfolio risk while evaluating non-traditional applicants.

Conclusion

Expanding financial inclusion and alternative credit options can provide micro-entrepreneurs with capital to manage cash flow and invest in their ventures. However, credit also carries repayment obligations and financial risks. Rather than viewing borrowing as an automatic solution to poverty, responsible alternative credit can provide a potential pathway to livelihood support and economic participation.

– Lara Lewis

Lara is based in Wakefield, RI, United States and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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Refugee Funding Diversification

Refugee Funding DiversificationThe humanitarian landscape is constantly evolving as conflicts force civilians to flee their countries in search of safety. In 2025, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) faced significant funding challenges, raising $3.578 billion, while its 2026 Global Appeal estimates that $8.505 billion is needed to protect, assist and empower forcibly displaced and stateless people. This funding gap highlights the importance of diversifying the sources of humanitarian assistance and developing innovative approaches to refugee funding.

For decades, the United States (U.S.) has been the world’s largest donor to UNHCR, enabling the organization to coordinate funding for emergency shelters, health care and refugee education. However, in recent months, uncertainty about future U.S. funding has intensified, prompting governments and humanitarian organizations to seek new partnerships and approaches.

Gulf States: A Growing Source of Global Support Funding

Gulf States have long played an important role in humanitarian assistance, ranking among the largest donors. As uncertainty over future U.S. funding persists, these expanding partnerships are increasingly viewed as an important part of a broader effort to diversify the global refugee funding base.

Despite their growing financial support through the years, none of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states officially recognize the legal concept of refugeehood, as they have never signed the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. Instead, they provide support through partnerships with UNHCR, Islamic philanthropy initiatives and bilateral aid programs.

UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund, launched in 2017, has grown into a trusted global funding source for refugees, distinguished by its strong commitment to transparency. Zakat, an obligatory form of almsgiving in Islam, channels charitable giving to those in need.

The fund is an example of refugee funding diversification, receiving more than $23 million in Zakat in 2025 and assisting nearly 580,000 eligible refugees and internally displaced people across 17 countries. Overall, the fund raised $39 million through Islamic philanthropy and reached more than one million displaced people across 25 countries.

The European Union’s Role

The European Union (EU) and its members, including Germany and the European Commission, are among UNHCR’s largest donors, providing substantial financial support for humanitarian assistance and refugee protection.

Alongside direct global refugee funding, the EU supports neighboring host countries, such as Jordan and Türkiye, to improve access to education, health care and employment opportunities for refugees. It also provides financial support to frontline countries, such as Greece, to strengthen asylum systems and refugee integration.

Diversifying refugee funding can strengthen assistance by bringing together governments, international organizations and philanthropic partners. Balancing these demands will be key to strengthening refugee funding diversification and determining the level of additional support the EU can provide to the global refugee funding system.

Conclusion

Governments and humanitarian organizations are realizing the importance of increasingly diversifying funding sources and expanding policies that promote refugee self-reliance. Initiatives such as UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund demonstrate how Islamic philanthropy can complement government contributions and reach vulnerable communities. At the same time, continued support from major donors such as the European Union remains essential.

Together, government funding, philanthropic giving and policies that promote refugee self-reliance can help humanitarian organizations respond to growing needs while reducing reliance on any single source of funding.

– Clara Iglesias Romero

Clara is based in Galicia, Spain and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Beekeeping in Uganda: Poverty Reduction and Conservation

Beekeeping in UgandaUganda is meeting conservation goals and alleviating poverty through its apiculture sector. Here is how beekeeping in Uganda helps with poverty reduction and conservation.

Agriculture and Poverty in Uganda

Historically, Uganda’s fertile soils made it one of East Africa’s most agriculturally productive nations. However, 60% of households rely on subsistence farming, reflecting persistent rural poverty that often leaves farmers unable to afford fertilizers, crop rotation or fallow periods needed to maintain soil health.

According to the World Bank, 16.1% of Uganda’s population lived below the national poverty line as of the 2023 to 2024 survey, down from 20.3% in 2019 to 2020, with poverty particularly concentrated in the country’s Northern and Eastern regions. National poverty reduction had largely stagnated in the years prior, making alternative sources of rural income increasingly important.

As crop yields deplete due to unsustainable practices, farmers expand crop access through the forest and wetlands. Mass subsistence farming causes ecological and economic challenges. Both the Ugandan government and local nonprofits have recognized beekeeping (apiculture) as a low-impact and highly effective solution.

Beekeeping and Conservation

Beekeeping in Uganda has helped reduce deforestation by creating an economic incentive to preserve trees rather than clear them for farming. According to Uganda’s National Forestry Authority, the country’s forest cover fell from 24.1% of its land area in 1990 to 9.5% by 2015, largely due to agricultural expansion and fuelwood demand. Because apiculture depends on healthy tree cover for hive placement, shade and nectar sources, it gives rural households a way to generate income without clearing additional land. By shifting some economic dependence away from land-intensive farming, beekeeping has become a practical conservation tool that supports both forest preservation and household livelihoods.

Attracting and Protecting Pollinators

Not only does beekeeping in Uganda provide an alternative to subsistence farming, but it reduces the need to clear more land for increased crop yields. Research by the Food and Agriculture Organization finds that 75% of global food crops at least partly depend on pollination, while pollinators contribute to 35% of global crop production by volume.

Further, research that the United Nations highlighted found that stronger pollination practices could increase crop yields on underperforming farms by a median of 24%. By attracting more pollinators to their land, Ugandan farmers can improve harvests on existing plots, reducing the need to clear additional forest for farmland.

The country occupies only 2% of the world’s land mass but is ranked among the top 10 most biodiverse in the world. Beekeeping in Uganda has strengthened conservation that other species rely on, as the country is home to 322 species listed as threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List (2024).

As agricultural expansion continues to reduce forest cover, threatened species such as mountain gorillas face increasing pressure from habitat loss and fragmentation. Beekeeping in Uganda plays a critical role in pollinating wild plants and supporting forest regeneration. It also helps maintain the habitats these endangered species rely on. By protecting pollinator populations and encouraging tree preservation, apiculture helps sustain the fragile ecosystems that support some of the world’s most vulnerable wildlife.

Beekeeping and Poverty Reduction

Beekeeping in Uganda supports an estimated 1.2 million beekeepers, creating market access and additional income opportunities for rural households across the country through the production and sale of honey, beeswax and other bee products. Because beekeeping requires low start-up costs and minimal resources, it remains accessible to many low-income households. Research shows apiculture allows farmers to diversify their income through honey and wax sales without interrupting primary food production. These products can be sold in local and regional markets, creating an additional source of income that can help families pay for necessities such as school fees, medical expenses and farming supplies. The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organization (TUNADO) notes that Uganda’s honey sector continues to grow as both domestic and export demand increase.

TUNADO reports reaching more than 100,000 beekeepers across Uganda and training and involving 45,000 women throughout the apiculture value chain. Its 2020 annual report recorded 91,213 subscribing beekeepers, including 36,485 women, and found that beekeeping provided 100% of household income for 52% of participating beekeepers and between 35% and 70% for the remainder.

The Results

Because beekeeping requires relatively little land, labor and capital, it has created opportunities for women and young people in Uganda, groups that often face greater barriers to land ownership and formal employment. Beekeeping can strengthen livelihoods by expanding income opportunities for marginalized groups, particularly in rural communities where economic opportunities remain limited. In Uganda, organizations like TUNADO promote beekeeping among women and youth to encourage entrepreneurship and strengthen household resilience. This allows them to take part in local economies while also supporting food production and environmental conservation.

One can see the results at the individual level. One beekeeper that TUNADO featured increased honey production from 35 kilograms to 292 kilograms within two years after receiving training and support, earning 2,482,000 Ugandan shillings (UGX) in a single season and expanding her apiary to 45 colonies.

TUNADO has also expanded apiculture opportunities to groups traditionally excluded from rural economic development. A beekeeping project for people with disabilities initially targeted 30 participants in Gulu and Jinja. All 30 received training and established apiaries, while another 10 people adopted beekeeping after learning from participants in the program. About half of the original beneficiaries had begun harvesting and selling honey during the project.

Global Demand

Uganda is one of the few African countries authorized to export honey and other bee products to the European Union, giving local beekeepers access to one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets. Uganda’s apiculture sector continues to see growing demand both internationally and domestically, with products such as honey, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom becoming increasingly valuable. This expanding trade gives rural households another reliable source of income while strengthening Uganda’s economy and increasing market opportunities for beekeepers across the country.

TUNADO’s Bee A Champion 2 Initiative

Programs continue to build on these gains. TUNADO’s Bee A Champion 2 initiative targeted 3,300 direct beneficiaries, including 300 “bee champions” and 3,000 auxiliary beekeepers, with 1,000 participants drawn from refugee and host communities. The program focuses on improving livelihoods, expanding market access and increasing access to financing, demonstrating how Uganda’s growing apiculture sector is being used deliberately as a poverty-reduction strategy.

By creating income opportunities, opening access to export markets and supporting women and young farmers, apiculture is helping strengthen rural livelihoods across the country. At the same time, its role in protecting forests and supporting biodiversity shows how economic growth and conservation can work together, making beekeeping an increasingly important tool in Uganda’s fight against poverty.

The growing reach of organizations such as TUNADO shows that this approach is already producing measurable results. By helping Ugandans turn healthy ecosystems into sustainable sources of income, beekeeping offers a solution in which reducing poverty does not have to come at the expense of Uganda’s forests and biodiversity.

– Kale Overton

Kale is based in Saint Petersburg, FL, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Rural Senses: AI-Driven Humanitarian Aid

AI-driven humanitarian aidRich countries spent $174.3 billion in overseas development assistance in 2025, but according to Rural Senses, only 20% of aid practitioners had sufficient data to successfully deliver project goals. Here is information about how Rural Senses is promoting AI-driven humanitarian aid.

Impact Measurement

Rural Senses is working to address the aid data sufficiency gap. Its advanced language processing algorithms improve traditional methods of gathering and analyzing qualitative feedback from vulnerable communities. According to the company, its modern impact analysis platform for AI-driven humanitarian aid, Visual Senses, can cut the time it takes to gather and process community data from months to just days, allowing for faster, more insightful and more impactful development responses.

Impact measurement refers to the process of evaluating long-term changes caused by a specific activity. In the context of humanitarian development, it means assessing how an aid program has affected a targeted group of people.

Traditionally, this involves gathering quantifiable statistics and interviewing local populations. The process can be time-consuming and expensive, often requiring skilled experts. Rural Senses claims that its approach to AI-driven humanitarian aid offers a fast-track option that even non-experts can use while reducing costs and speeding up planning and analysis.

A Human-led AI Solution

The company was founded in 2019, emerging from a research project at the University of Cambridge. The aim was to devise a platform that would improve the flow of information between development practitioners and the vulnerable communities with which they work. Over the past few years, the team developed not only a new methodology but also an end-to-end automated process for social and environmental impact measurement and management.

The company describes it as a “human-led” AI platform and emphasizes that the human always remains in control. The AI assists with identifying stakeholders, analyzing and presenting data, gathering related research, translating and transcribing conversations, etc.

Overcoming Bias

The platform is designed specifically for organizations carrying out work in remote, developing communities. Historically, many of these organizations would bring over American researchers and place them in a village with an interpreter to ask questions of local residents. “But there is a lot of bias there,” cautions Chief Executive and Co-Founder Yau Levy, speaking in a company-sponsored webinar.

To overcome this bias, Rural Senses’ AI-driven humanitarian aid platform adopts the User Perceived Value (UPV) methodology. Similar to a traditional needs assessment, which looks at what a community needs, the UPV approach targets what a community values. This gives the local community a more direct voice in expressing their underlying values and should translate into more effective development projects.

A Typical Project

All projects start with human input, usually when a researcher enters into the software platform the basic mission of the project, the targeted stakeholders and activities. After this, AI can begin helping with foundational background research. The system can suggest a list of similar studies and highlight the ways in which they resemble or differ from the current project proposal.

It can also transform obscure local languages into actionable data. One real-world project in 2022 saw the Rural Senses’ AI-driven humanitarian aid platform deployed in a project in Siaya County, Kenya, where most residents speak Dholuo. The AI translated and transcribed questions and responses in Dholuo and English.

The aim of this particular project was to better understand the resilience of local communities to changing weather patterns and gather views on off-grid appliances. According to study details published by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, Rural Senses was commissioned to gather feedback from 300 people across 11 villages. The project used open-ended questions designed to reduce researcher assumptions.

For example, one such question was “In your own words how would you describe climate change?” Wording it in this manner put the power of choice into the hands of the respondents. AI then analyzed recorded interviews and extracted from the comments exactly what it was that people saw as climate change. It also analyzed whether the respondent spoke about this issue negatively or positively. Results were shown in real time as responses were processed. The expectation was that project findings would help Kenyan policymakers to make more informed energy and development programs.

Pivotally, the platform is flexible. As it receives more data, it will suggest changes to strategy or outcomes based on its learnings so far.

Building Trust

Whether it is water security or health care, accurately understanding the values and needs of local communities is pivotal to delivering effective humanitarian aid. Bringing in the power of AI could accelerate efforts on this front, provided it is done in a way that builds trust. While AI has been around for decades, applications remain in their infancy and many organizations remain resistant to adoption.

Levy is confident that keeping the human at the center of AI-driven humanitarian aid is the key. “A system that works with the practitioner and brings out the best of their knowledge will help build trust,” he asserts.

A Growing Reach

Rural Senses’ reach has been growing steadily. It joined the Pears Challenge 2019, a start-up incubator looking at technology solutions for water, sanitation, hygiene and education challenges that refugees and vulnerable populations face. It also participated in the 2020 Microsoft for Startups – Tech for Good “AI for Good” Accelerator program. The client list includes a wide range of players, including the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, IKEA Foundation, Amref Health Africa, The Halo Trust, and the Centre for Global Equality. As of September 2026, it has worked in 18 countries, spoken to more than 93,000 people and collected 1.48 million data points.

AI-driven humanitarian aid plays at the intersection of smart technology and vulnerable communities. It promises to dramatically reshape the way aid projects are formulated, conducted and assessed. In theory, optimized development programs increase the impact of any given amount of funding. In practice, more independent assessments of platforms like that from Rural Senses could indeed make that happen.

– Megan Sansom

Megan is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Pakistan’s Digital Youth Hub: Connecting Young People to Jobs

Digital Youth HubFor many young Pakistanis, moving from education to employment can be difficult. Nearly 67% of Pakistan’s population is under age 30, creating both an opportunity for economic growth and a need for more education, skills and employment pathways.

An estimated 32 million young people in Pakistan are not in education, employment or training, according to UNICEF Pakistan. The organization has emphasized the need to expand pathways from learning to earning, particularly for girls and young people from underserved communities.

The World Bank has also highlighted the need for Pakistan to expand jobs and economic opportunities, particularly for women and young people, as the country works to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods.

A Digital Solution for Young Job Seekers

The Digital Youth Hub (DYH) is Pakistan’s national digital youth platform developed under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. The platform brings together opportunities related to education, employment, engagement and the environment.

Young people can use the platform to explore jobs, scholarships, internships, training programs, career guidance and entrepreneurship opportunities. The government describes it as a centralized digital platform designed to connect young people with opportunities based on their skills and interests.

The Digital Youth Hub also supports initiatives under PMYP, including the Prime Minister’s Youth Business and Agriculture Loans, Youth Skill Development Programme and Youth Laptop Scheme.

A Growing Network of Opportunities

The Digital Youth Hub has expanded its reach since its launch. As of June 23, 2026, the platform reported 800,240 registered users, partnerships with 3,163 organizations and 114,783 listed opportunities.

Of those opportunities, 114,374 were employment opportunities, 292 were related to education, 38 to engagement and 79 to the environment.

These figures demonstrate the scale of the platform and the number of opportunities available through it. However, registrations and listings do not mean that users have secured jobs or that the listed positions have been filled.

The platform also uses AI-powered tools to provide personalized recommendations for jobs, scholarships, internships, skills development programs, volunteer initiatives and climate-related projects, according to Pakistan’s Press Information Department. The government presents these tools as a way to help users find opportunities that correspond with their profiles.

Connecting Young People With Employers

The Digital Youth Hub aims to connect young people with organizations offering employment, internships, training and other opportunities. Users can create profiles containing information about their qualifications, skills and interests.

Officials have also described the platform as a way to connect Pakistani workers with international opportunities. When the platform was introduced, officials said it was intended to provide access to opportunities in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Korea, Canada and the United States.

These international opportunities are an intended function of the platform, rather than evidence of overseas employment placements. No current figures in the cited sources establish how many users have obtained jobs through the platform internationally.

Partnerships Can Expand Access

A digital employment platform depends on organizations providing genuine opportunities. The government has encouraged educational institutions, private-sector organizations, development partners and other stakeholders to participate in the Digital Youth Hub.

The wider youth-employment effort also includes Pur Azm Pakistan, a separate initiative launched in June 2026 by the Government of Pakistan through the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme in partnership with UNICEF and Generation Unlimited.

Pur Azm Pakistan focuses on expanding access to skills, employment, entrepreneurship and economic opportunities. Its Friends of GenU Pakistan initiative brings businesses together to support skills development, entrepreneurship, innovation and work-based learning.

Keeping these initiatives connected but distinct can help strengthen pathways from education and training to employment.

Access is Only the First Step

The Digital Youth Hub may make it easier for young people to find information about jobs, education and training, particularly for those who have limited professional networks.

However, digital access itself can be a barrier. An online platform can only help people who have the internet access, digital skills and ability to use the available services. In addition, having access to a job listing does not guarantee employment.

Pakistan’s National Youth Employment Policy, which the government discussed in August 2026, identifies 32.4 million young people who are not in employment, education or training and seeks to align young people’s skills with labor-market needs.

Making Employment Opportunities Easier to Find

The Digital Youth Hub addresses one part of Pakistan’s youth-employment challenge: access to information about opportunities.

With more than 800,000 registered users, more than 3,000 partner organizations and more than 114,000 listed opportunities reported in June 2026, the platform has established a significant digital network. However, these figures measure platform use and available opportunities, not employment outcomes.

Its longer-term contribution will depend on the availability of genuine jobs and training opportunities, participation from employers, digital accessibility and whether young people can successfully move from finding opportunities to securing employment.

The Digital Youth Hub could therefore improve access to employment pathways for young Pakistanis, but its contribution to employment and poverty reduction will need to be measured through outcomes beyond registrations and job listings.

– Afia Atif

Afia is based in Chenab Nagar, Pakistan and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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AI in Agriculture: Reducing Undernourishment in India

Undernourishment in IndiaIndia faces one of the world’s most persistent food security challenges. About 9.8% of people in India experienced undernourishment in 2023-2025, while rising food costs continue to push a healthy diet further out of reach for millions of families.

India has fought this crisis since the early 2000s, and the effort shows results: undernourishment fell from 21.1% in 2004-2006 to 9.8% in 2023-2025. Affordability tells a harder story: 520.1 million people, 35.5% of the country, could not afford a healthy diet in 2025, and that diet now costs nearly 48% more than it did in 2017. Better crops, fewer losses and stronger food programs will all be needed to keep that progress going.

Farming and Undernourishment in India

More than half of India’s farmland still depends entirely on rainfall, so a single erratic monsoon, heatwave or drought can devastate a season’s harvest. Decades of policy have rewarded rice and wheat above all else, and that focus has pushed pulses, oilseeds and nutrient-rich millets to the margins while draining groundwater in the northwest. Farmers also lose substantial amounts of food after harvest: a 2022 government-commissioned study estimated losses of 3.89% to 5.92% for cereals, 6.02% to 15.05% for fruits and 4.87% to 11.61% for vegetables. Programs like NFSA, PM-POSHAN, ICDS and Rice Fortification secure calories and micronutrients well, but they still struggle to put protein, dairy and fresh greens on every table.

AI in agriculture is emerging as one answer to these gaps. The World Bank Group’s AgriConnect initiative, which aims to transform farming for 300 million smallholders worldwide, equips farmers with digital tools that work even on basic smartphones and in areas with weak connectivity, and those tools deliver fast, practical advice for managing crops day to day. Farmers who use them can head off pest outbreaks before they spread, time their harvests more precisely and reach government aid programs more easily.

Kerala’s KATHIR Platform

Kerala’s state government built KATHIR together with the World Bank Group, and the platform already holds data on more than 3 million farmers while mapping over 1.1 million hectares of cropland.

The platform packs in a wide range of tools: a 10-day weather forecast, sowing and irrigation advice, fertilizer recommendations, and early alerts for pests, crop stress and extreme weather.

KATHIR operates on two levels at once. Farmers get quick, usable guidance for their own fields, while the state government gains satellite crop tracking, harvest mapping, farmer identification and land enumeration, tools that let officials see exactly where support is needed and act on it.

Maharashtra’s MahaVISTAAR-AI

Maharashtra took a different route with MahaVISTAAR-AI, a generative-AI chatbot that answers farmers through voice or simple text, no typing skills or app literacy required. Farmers have downloaded the tool more than 3 million times, and the Korea World Bank Partnership Facility helped fund its development.

Looking Ahead

The World Bank Group plans to push these platforms well past crop advice. Future versions will help farmers complete official paperwork and connect them directly with banks and other institutions willing to design financial products built around their needs, cutting through bureaucracy that keeps many smallholders locked out of credit.

India’s experiment sits inside a much larger regional push. Google DeepMind built its Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) and Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED) models to map field boundaries and track farm activity, and those models played an early role in shaping India’s approach. DeepMind now extends that same support to countries across Asia-Pacific and Africa, work that matters given estimates that global food production must grow by as much as 50% by 2050 to feed 9.7 billion people.

AI in agriculture gives farmers who have long gone without expert support a direct, low-cost line to exactly that. If platforms like KATHIR and MahaVISTAAR-AI keep growing, and if banks and governments build the financial tools the World Bank Group has planned, AI could become an important tool for supporting rural livelihoods and reducing poverty India.

– Juan Guillermo Rueda Castrillón

Juan is based in Barcelona, Spain and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Poverty Reduction in Italy

Poverty Reduction in ItalyMal comune, mezzo gaudio; an Italian phrase that encourages people to share a burden, making hardship easier to bear. The idea is relevant to poverty reduction in Italy and the government’s continuing efforts to address significant differences between regions and household types. In 2025, 22.6% of Italy’s population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion, down from 23.1% in 2024. Italy’s National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) assessment includes people who are at risk of poverty, experiencing severe material and social deprivation, or living in households with few employed individuals. The figures point to some improvement, but the situation is more complex. Nearly one in five Italians are living below the poverty line.

Poverty Remains Uneven Across the Country

The national picture does not reflect the substantial regional differences in Italy. In 2025, the South and Islands had the highest rate of risk of poverty or social exclusion at 38.4%, compared with 11.3% in the Northeast. This gap reflects wider differences in household incomes and employment conditions across the country. ISTAT reported a median household income of €37,086 in the Northeast in 2024, compared with the South, where the figure was 29% lower (est. €26,331 per household).

Household structure also matters. In 2025, the risk of poverty or social exclusion was 31.6% for single-parent households and 30.6% for couples with three or more children. In comparison, 16% of couples without children whose reference person was under 65 were at risk—nearly half of the other two groups. Households relying mainly on pensions or public transfers also faced a relatively high risk, at 32.6%, while the figure was 14.3% for households whose main source of income was dependent employment.

These differences help explain why poverty cannot be understood only as a national average: family responsibilities, access to work and the main source of household income all shape exposure to economic hardship. For this reason, poverty reduction in Italy focuses attention to the different circumstances of households and regions rather than relying only on national figures.

The pattern is also visible in ISTAT’s measure of absolute poverty. In 2024, more than 5.7 million people, or 9.8% of Italy’s population, were living in absolute poverty. ISTAT measures absolute poverty by comparing household consumption with a threshold based on the cost of a basket of essential goods and services. This threshold varies according to household size, composition, region and municipality size. ISTAT results indicated that absolute poverty was particularly high among larger households: 21.2% of households with five or more members were affected, rising to 19.4% among couples with three or more minor children. Single-parent households recorded 11.8%.

How Italy Has Expanded Social Support

Italy has introduced several measures to support households facing financial hardship in recent years. One of the main ones is the introduction of the Assegno di Inclusione (ADI) in 2024, a national income support scheme for low-income households that include a person with:

  • A disability
  • Someone aged 60 or over
  • A minor
  • Someone in a protected-care situation

ADI provides financial support to eligible families and can also include help with rent. In simple terms, it is designed to give extra financial support to households that are most vulnerable to poverty.

Changes to the Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator (ISEE) were introduced on Jan. 1, 2026. These changes have altered how some households are assessed for welfare benefits. The new rules allow families to exclude a larger portion from their owner-occupied home when their economic situation is assessed, with a higher allowance in metropolitan areas. They also provide an additional adjustment for families with children. This means that some lower-income and vulnerable households may have a better chance of qualifying for support, even if they own their home.

These measures cannot solve Italy’s wider regional and household inequalities on their own, but they are an important part of poverty reduction in Italy. They help reduce financial pressure on vulnerable families while other factors, such as employment, housing, childcare and access to services, continue to shape people’s economic security.

Looking Ahead

Italy’s recent poverty data show an improvement in the overall share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, but the national figure does not highlight differences based on region, household or personal circumstances. The South and Islands continue to record much higher levels than northern regions, while single-parent families, larger families and households relying mainly on pensions or public transfers remain more exposed to poverty or social exclusion.

For Italy, reducing poverty involves more than increasing household income. The challenge is also to improve access to stable employment and services and to ensure that social support measures reach households whose needs are greatest. The future of poverty reduction in Italy will therefore depend not only on reducing the national poverty rate, but also on addressing the regional and household inequalities behind it. Measures such as ADI and the revised ISEE rules are part of this wider effort to improve economic security for the groups and regions that remain most vulnerable.

– James Moretti

James is based in the UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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The Innovative Fight Against Poverty in Papua New Guinea

Poverty in Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea has abundant natural resources, but many people still face barriers to stable employment and economic opportunity. The World Bank reports that the country’s economy grew by 5.6% in 2025, but formal employment per person has declined over time. Many people continue to depend on informal work and subsistence agriculture. Innovations in poverty eradication in Papua New Guinea are creating new opportunities through agriculture, digital technology and renewable energy.

Poverty in Papua New Guinea

Poverty remains a major challenge in Papua New Guinea, especially for people living in rural communities. The World Bank identifies the most recent national household survey, conducted in 2009-10, found that 39.9% of the population lived below the country’s basic-needs poverty line. Papua New Guinea does not have a more recent official national poverty estimate. The World Bank identifies the country’s large rural population, poor connectivity and low levels of human capital as factors that contribute to continued poverty. These challenges are closely connected to employment. The World Bank reports that economic growth has not produced enough secure jobs for Papua New Guinea’s growing workforce. Most new workers have entered subsistence farming and low-productivity informal work rather than secure formal employment.

Agriculture and Poverty Reduction

Agriculture plays a major role in the lives of Papua New Guineans. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, agriculture employs between 6 million and 7 million people in rural Papua New Guinea, with the majority involved in semi-subsistence agriculture. Smallholder farmers also produce between 80% and 90% of the country’s export crops other than oil palm. However, rural farmers have trouble reaching markets, accessing financing and receiving agricultural information. Improving these areas can help farmers increase production and turn agriculture into a more dependable source of income. Investments in infrastructure, technology and agricultural services therefore have the potential to improve livelihoods in communities where farming remains a primary source of income.

Farming and the Digital Age

Digital technology is one of the innovations in poverty eradication in Papua New Guinea helping rural farmers overcome these barriers. In 2023, the EU-funded STREIT PNG Programme provided digital training to 74 lead farmers and agrifood business participants in East Sepik and West Sepik. The training taught participants how to use smartphones, apps, social media marketing and mobile payments. Farmers also learned to access weather and climate information that could help them make decisions about their crops. These skills can help farmers communicate with customers and participate more effectively in agricultural markets. Papua New Guinea expanded its use of agricultural technology again in October 2025 with the launch of its Agriculture Management Information System. The International Telecommunication Union and FAO developed the system through the EU-STREIT PNG Programme. It provides agricultural information that can help farmers and other organizations make decisions based on current data.

Renewable Energy Expands Opportunity

Access to electricity is another major challenge for communities across Papua New Guinea. According to the Asian Development Bank, about 20% of the country’s population has access to electricity. Expanding renewable energy offers one way to provide power to communities that remain difficult to connect to traditional electrical grids. One example is taking place in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The United Nations Development Programme reports that more than 80% of the region’s population lacks reliable access to energy. The Pacific Green Transformation Project led to the installation of solar panels at the Innovation Hub in Buka. The project, funded by Japan and implemented with UNDP, provides renewable electricity to the Hub, which supports innovation and economic opportunities, particularly for women and young people.

Creating Jobs Through Innovation

Creating employment is an important part of innovations in poverty eradication in Papua New Guinea. In July 2026, the World Bank reported that strengthening major agricultural value chains could generate about 330,000 additional formal jobs during the next decade. The World Bank estimates that this scenario could also reduce poverty by around 5 percentage points, potentially lifting about 500,000 Papua New Guineans out of poverty. Agricultural development could be especially important because it connects economic growth with people living in rural communities. Better infrastructure, technology and market access can help farmers move beyond subsistence farming and earn more reliable incomes.

What Is Ahead

No single project can eliminate poverty, but recent developments show how technology can address several barriers at once. Digital agricultural services can give farmers better information, renewable energy projects can support communities with limited electricity and investment in agriculture could create jobs. These innovations in poverty eradication in Papua New Guinea demonstrate how new technology can support practical improvements in everyday life. Continued investment in agriculture, digital connectivity and renewable energy could give more Papua New Guineans the tools needed to build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen their communities.

– Griffin Blanco

Griffin is based in Knoxville, TN, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr