Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

,

Fighting Poverty in Timor-Leste

timor-leste povertyTimor-Leste, a small island north of Australia, continues to battle widespread poverty. For decades, the coastal communities of Timor-Leste have struggled with the dependency of crops and farming, but they have figured a new way, and it all starts with the sea.

The Numbers

More than half of Timor-Leste’s population is multidimensionally poor, and an additional 26.8% is on the cusp of extreme poverty. Despite the country’s past efforts to ameliorate conflict within communities, Timor-Leste ranks 104th out of 124 countries on the Global Hunger Index. 

Childhood stunting is an unfortunate commonality among the families and children of Timor-Leste; more than half of the children under 5 struggle with stunting. Along with this, one in 24 children will die before the age of 5, and 38% of children under 5 are underweight, according to UNICEF.

In Timor-Leste, the most popular occupations that also generate the most income are crop farming, livestock rearing, fishing, formal employment and small scale businesses. Eighty-four percent of households rely on these occupations as a source of income and 63% of households rely solely on natural resource based livelihoods as a main source of income, making fisheries an important part of how Timor-Leste fights poverty.

How WorldFish is Making a Difference

WorldFish is a key component in helping the country of Timor-Leste fight poverty. WorldFish uses science to prioritize aquatic foods as a main source of nutrition. It aims to end hunger by 2030, and advance sustainable living for the whole planet. Timor-Leste’s WorldFish program is utilizing aquatic foods to change the trajectory of Timor’s food systems, in hopes to meet the nutritional needs of the country. WorldFish is currently working on two initiatives that rely on the sea to transform food systems.

Developed in 1988 as a part of a breeding program to create adaptable food sources, Genetically Improved Farm Tilapia (GIFT) has been wildly successful in its intention of increasing income and feeding local businesses, with Timor-Leste now cultivating its 14th generation of GIFT.

The second initiative is the development of Peskas, a digital monitoring platform. There was a lack of necessary information about where coastal fishers went and what they caught, and this led to government officials and policy change makers not knowing how to improve food insecurity in Timor-Leste.

Peskas uses GPS trackers to capture data about where fishers go, and document all that happened on their journey. That data is then seen on a public online dashboard, and this helps policymakers make more effective decisions about sustainability management. Peskas is not only the official fisheries monitoring system but Timor-Leste is being praised as an example in many other countries around the world.

Along these two, the Fish in Schools Meals pilot program from July 2023 aims to improve the consumption of fish in communities that are predominantly rural. The government has concentrated on developing sustainable fisheries and aquaculture sectors, which have successfully contributed to the influx of nutrition security.

Moving Forward

Since Timor-Leste’s independence in 2002, the country has seen extreme progress in maintaining stability as the youngest nation in Asia. As a country that is coming out of a recent conflict, they have managed to strengthen institutions and has benefited from economic growth.

This research highlights that the fisheries sector remains the most promising solution for how Timor-Leste fights poverty and could boost the well-being for the rural poor who live near the coast.

– Arielle Telfort

Arielle is based in Purchase, NY, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

,

Addressing South Africa’s Housing Crisis

South Africa's Housing CrisisIn the developing country of South Africa, the issues of environmental sustainability and a lack of affordable housing for its citizens have permeated throughout the country. Here’s an in-depth look at the environmental and housing crisis within South Africa and a potential solution that could go a long way toward fixing these issues.

Climate Instability in South Africa

Starting with South Africa’s efforts to combat climate hazards, a recent Sustainable Development Report ranked the country 111th out of 167. This ranking measures progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of targets adopted by the U.N. in 2015 to address climate change and other global challenges.

The report outlines that sustainable housing in South Africa has “major challenges remaining.” This suggests that South Africa is a long way from being considered a green country and that significant strides need to be made in sustainable housing.

Housing Crisis in South Africa

Moving on to South Africa’s housing crisis, there are once again hurdles that the country needs to clear. First, South Africa works on a contract-based system, where the government issues contracts for people needing houses. The South African government adopted this model in 1994, which was successful at the onset. According to an article by The Guardian, from 1998 to 1999, South Africa’s government built more than 235,000 houses a year.

However, due to budget cuts and the pandemic, in 2022-2023, that number has dropped to 34,000, even though the municipality’s housing needs register lists more than 375,000 applicants. The article goes on to talk about how many people have died on the waiting list to get a house. This evidence makes it clear that there is a need for a solution to this sustainable housing crisis in South Africa.

Potential Solution for Sustainable Housing in South Africa

A recent study by Alireza Moghayedi and Bankole Osita Awuzie proposes a framework that would, in theory, build low-cost, sustainable housing for low-income citizens in South Africa. Indeed, the study suggests that South Africa could focus on net-zero housing concepts, which are housing models that generate as much renewable energy as they consume through things like solar panels. This model could ensure that new houses don’t add to South Africa’s carbon footprint, bringing it closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition, the article states that constructing these Low-Income Net Zero Energy Houses (LINZEH) takes only three days to complete, compared to 12 for a conventional low-income housing unit. This efficiency could allow the government to reduce the backlog of people on the waiting list and provide homes for those who desperately need them.

Finally, due to budget cuts in South Africa, these housing units would need to cost less to justify their implementation. According to the article, a conventional low-income house costs $31,555, whereas the proposed LINZEH costs $17,244. To summarize, the proposed LINZEH model for sustainable housing in South Africa would be better for the environment, take less time to construct and cost about half as much as a conventional low-income housing unit.

Conclusion

South Africa’s housing crisis, was brought on by a backlog of people who needed homes and the pandemic, resulted in a budget cuts. A proposed LINZEH housing model would not only greatly assist the government in South Africa by providing energy-efficient, cost-effective and streamlined housing. It would also provide a roof over the heads of thousands of South Africans who need it.

– Charlie Means

Charlie is based in Denver, CO, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

,

FH Cambodia: Combatting Malnutrition

fh cambodiaCambodia is one of Southeast Asia’s most prominent countries in the region for culture and tourism. However, life for its citizens is shaped by many struggles. Scarce resources have limited opportunity for development and sustainability. As of 2025, 22% of the children under 5 struggle with malnourishment, with 16% of families unable to afford meals.

Furthermore, assistance to combat hunger is disproportionate, with urban areas improving significantly faster than rural areas, creating greater inequality. Food for the Hungry Cambodia (FH Cambodia) is one of the leading organizations working to bridge the gap and create communities that are sustainable and resilient.

FH Cambodia

FH’s initial mission was relief: aiding refugees and providing immediate support during civil unrest after the Vietnam war. By 1992, FH Cambodia shifted strategy: from temporary relief to partnering with marginalized communities in southern Cambodia (Kampot Province) to improve living conditions over the long term. Over time, FH expanded north, adopting decade-long community development models that address education, health, economic security, and leadership.

In 2024, FH Cambodia reached more than 211 communities and served 188,925 individuals. Out of the individuals, 66,472 were children. Young children, from 6-23 months, have a minimum dietary diversity, minimizing the risk that they are malnourished. FH was successful in combating malnutrition by partnering with local health care centers that measure the health status of the child.

Improving Education

In addition to combating malnutrition by aiding children and starving households, the organization created long term benefits, such as mobilizing churches and providing educational resources to schools. Specifically, the education program brought 625 children, 285 of which are girls, into primary education. Furthermore, FH Cambodia assisted in renovating five digital libraries in a district, allowing for interactive online learning. As a result, school absences of children aged 7–15 decreased by 17.9%, and 86.4% of children the same age are proficient in reading.

Pregnancy

FH Cambodia’s aggregate impact demonstrates the effectiveness of community-based programs focusing on long-term sustainability. However, the improvement in individual lives can be best seen through the stories of those directly aided. Mrs Khuon Sinan is a 27-year-old woman who lost three pregnancies, suffering miscarriages.

With help from community health workers partnered with FH Cambodia, Mrs Sinan received the care and observation of a midwife at a health center. There, Mrs Sinan changed her diet to have more diverse foods such as local greens and fruit, to satisfy nutritional requirements for a healthy pregnancy.

In addition, she also attended community health awareness programs and support groups to better understand how to take care of one’s wellbeing. At the end of the pregnancy, Mrs Sinan successfully gave birth to a healthy girl, and is able to provide for her newborn by breastfeeding and learning to cook nutritious meals.

The Future

Mrs Sinan’s story, after numerous tragic failures, is a testament to the impact FH Cambodia’s program on individuals. Even though hunger and poverty remain great problems in Cambodia, combating malnutrition and hunger as a whole is imperative. The work of organizations such as FH Cambodia ensures that communities cannot face the same devastation as decades prior and that everyone is on the path to a sustainable future.

– Owen Wu

Owen is based in Boston, MA, USA and focuses on Business and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

, ,

COPD Underdiagnosis in Latin America: Challenges and Solutions

COPD Underdiagnosis in Latin AmericaThe PLATINO and PUMA studies from 2002 and 2016 outlined the rate of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) underdiagnosis in Latin America. The data highlighted the importance of early intervention in minimizing the economic and social fallout associated with this respiratory illness.

COPD is caused by damage to the lungs. It can be a consequence of smoking or exposure to air pollutants from biomass fuels. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the overwhelming majority of deaths of people aged 70 and younger from COPD take place in low- and middle-income nations.

Who Is at Risk?

In Puno, Peru, on the shore of Lake Titicaca, women’s risk of developing respiratory issues due to daily use of biomass fuels is 55%. In Colombia, older men who smoked or were exposed to wood smoke for more than 10 years were more likely to develop COPD. The findings of the 2016 PUMA study, which focused on primary care in Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela and Paraguay, revealed underdiagnosis of COPD in more than 70% of cases. The most affected group included younger men with low educational levels and no prior testing.

Consequences of COPD Underdiagnosis in Latin America

The burden created by the underdiagnosis of COPD in Latin American countries can turn into an even heavier burden that those already struggling with poverty cannot afford:

  • Productivity and work gaps decrease the earning power of people affected and their employers, placing most of the economic burden on the families of the sick.
  • A person whose COPD is more severe due to a lack of early treatment can expect higher health expenses due to the need for hospitalization. In Brazil, the cost of treatment rose from $5,891 in 2010 to $13,181 in 2015.
  • The rate of in-hospital mortality due to COPD in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina continued to rise significantly through the ’80s and ’90s. However, in Brazil, the mortality rate decreased by more than 25% from 2000 to 2019 thanks to local efforts.

The Challenges

In a survey by Vital Strategies and Umane, up to 62.3% of Brazilians did not seek medical attention due to several reasons. The surveyees stated long wait times, difficulties accessing specialists or underestimating the health issue. Up to 40.5% of those who did attempt to visit a doctor could not, due to extensive waiting times, lack of available doctors or proper equipment.

However, starting in 2024, the Breathe Well South America program has a plan to investigate access to primary care for people with COPD. It is being funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). It’s driven by the work of the Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS) in Argentina and several international universities.

Diagnostic Tools

Spirometers are a vital tool for the diagnosis of COPD. The test measures airflow and volume. In Latin America, it is often underused by primary care providers because of limited access to spirometers, short appointment windows and insufficient training to perform and interpret tests.

Throughout 2022 and 2023, the Brazilian Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, began putting into place the Telespirometry System Brazil (TS-BR). The initiative aims to provide training and spirometers to specialists. As of 2024, 147 municipalities had participated in the program.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca launched Smart Spiros in Panama to improve the rate of diagnosis of COPD. Around 7,500 tests are expected to be performed by the end of 2025, which could help diagnose nearly 50% of COPD cases.

Increasing Awareness

The survey by Vital Strategies discovered that 34.6% of Brazilians questioned avoided seeking care because they assumed their health issue wasn’t serious enough to merit a visit. To combat this, World COPD Day takes place worldwide on the third Wednesday in November. It encourages health organizations to educate people about symptoms and possible treatments regularly.

In 2017, Paraguay’s Health Ministry dedicated an entire week to training, education and testing patients. This work is important because early diagnosis is crucial to preventing exacerbations that can result in costly, lengthy hospital stays.

From Underdiagnosis to Action

As of 2024, COPD was the fourth-leading cause of death globally. COPD underdiagnosis in Latin America has been a major issue that national and international organizations are working to quantify and resolve. For people living in poverty, illness and loss of income can become a crippling situation that further diminishes their earning capacity or entirely prevents them from earning a livelihood.

Despite challenges, such as a lack of education, spirometers and trained professionals, universities, international organizations and governments have come together to put into motion programs that bring much-needed solutions to the public.

– Johanna Lorena Arredondo Gonzalez

Johanna is based in Pittsburgh, PA, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

, ,

How Latam-GPT Will Empower Latin America

How Latam-GPT Will Empower Latin America The National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) in Chile is leading the development of a large language model (LLM) for Latin America known as Latam-GPT. The new model is expected to launch by the end of 2025. Latam-GPT has been in development since 2023. As of February 2025, it was capable of processing at a capacity comparable to OpenAI’s ChatGPT-3.5. The project is open-source and free to use, capable of communicating in Spanish, Portuguese and several Indigenous languages. Latam-GPT has the potential to empower underprivileged people in Latin America by expanding access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools and education.

Why Develop an LLM for Latin America?

Álvaro Soto, director of CENIA, explained why context matters in an interview with WIRED: “Imagine if we wanted to use them to modernize the education system in Latin America. If you ask one of these models for an example, it would probably tell you about George Washington.”

According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), digital skills in the region lag behind those in wealthier countries. Only about 30% of adults had basic digital skills in 2020, compared with 80% in developed nations.

There is also a growing divide between people who work in jobs with access to AI tools and those who do not. Of the 30% to 40% of jobs that use generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) in Latin America, most are concentrated in urban, higher-paying sectors that require advanced education. Meanwhile, women are at greater risk of being replaced by AI automation.

A Joint Effort

To build an LLM for Latin America, CENIA is collaborating with organizations from Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, the United States, Spain, Peru and Uruguay. As of October 2025, its computing center in Arca, Chile, had processed 2,645,500 documents from Central and South America, Spain and the Caribbean. Progress depends on each country’s level of digital development and the availability of structured information. Latam-GPT also trains its model using conversations from users through Copuchat, an online chat platform that allows anonymous interaction and information sharing. Copuchat currently runs on GPT-3.5.

The Role of Latam-GPT in Reducing Poverty

An open-source LLM that understands the languages and cultures of Latin America can help reduce inequality and foster inclusion in several ways:

  • Low-cost AI tutors. CENIA’s collaboration with Mapuche, Rapanui and Guaraní translators ensures the preservation of Indigenous languages while enabling access to educational tools.
  • Upskilling the workforce. Latam-GPT can provide affordable training and assessments for employees and employers, expanding opportunities for professional growth.
  • Improving health education. In many Latin American cultures, people often underestimate the seriousness of their symptoms. Latam-GPT could provide a platform for discussing health concerns and encouraging individuals to seek medical care when needed.
  • Supporting startups, researchers and NGOs. Many organizations lack the resources to purchase expensive AI software. A Microsoft Copilot license costs about $30 per user in addition to a 365 subscription, and companies have spent an average of $400,000 annually on AI-native applications in 2025. Latam-GPT’s open-access model offers a cost-effective alternative.
  • Reducing cultural bias. Indigenous and Latin American cultures are often underrepresented in models trained primarily in English. Latam-GPT seeks to correct this imbalance by incorporating regional data and perspectives.
  • Empowering small businesses: Access to AI tools and market information can help small businesses become more competitive. A Deloitte study found that digital tools can make small businesses twice as profitable.

Looking Forward

Through CENIA’s efforts, Latam-GPT aims to empower Latin America to learn and work at a competitive level regardless of socioeconomic status. A model trained in Spanish, Portuguese and more than 50 Indigenous languages will allow for broader inclusion and the preservation of cultural identity. The future of Gen AI as an essential tool is inevitable. Latam-GPT can help bridge the digital and educational divide, allowing even the most poverty-stricken regions to access information, training and technology that might otherwise remain out of reach.

– Johanna Lorena Arredondo Gonzalez

Johanna is based in Pittsburgh, PA, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

,

The Problem with Oil: Renewable Energy in Guyana

Renewable Energy in GuyanaGuyana currently has one of the fastest-growing economies due to its vast offshore oil reserves. Despite this, Guyana remains one of the most impoverished countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region. In 2023, 58% of Guyanese lived in poverty, earning less than $6.85 a day, and 32% lived in extreme poverty, earning under $3.65 a day.

This disparity worsened after the government signed production and revenue-sharing agreements in 2016 with major oil companies. These deals grant Guyana just 12.5% of oil revenues, a small portion of which reaches the average Guyanese. At the same time, energy remains expensive, unreliable, and inaccessible for many, exacerbating energy poverty nationwide.

For Guyana and other developing nations, renewable energy offers a path towards sustainable, affordable, and reliable power. It holds the potential to lift communities out of poverty and build a more secure future. While renewable energy in Guyana shows significant promise, the country must overcome several key challenges to unlock its full potential.

The Current State of Energy

Oil production in Guyana exploded after ExxonMobil’s 2015 discovery of offshore oil reserves in the Stabroek Block. By 2024, daily output reached 630,000 barrels, with projections to double by 2027. This will make Guyana one of the world’s top per capita oil producers. Additionally, petroleum supplies over 99% of the country’s energy generation and consumption.

Guayana generates its power primarily through aging diesel systems and delivers it through a deteriorating grid, which causes severe inefficiencies and frequent outages. This makes energy both expensive and unreliable, and leaves many Guyanese in a constant state of energy poverty and exacerbating financial strains.

Electricity in Guyana costs around $0.32 per kilowatt-hour, which is among the highest in the region and the country loses 26% of all power due to grid inefficiencies. Those who can afford power experience frequent power outages.

Oil companies have secured significant control over the energy sector, including monopoly rights on power generation and the grid, through legal frameworks designed to protect their interests. While oil brings GDP growth, due to these agreements, Guyanese citizens themselves see little of the money.

Why Renewable Energy in Guyana Matters

Renewables offer Guyana a way to produce inexpensive, reliable, and sustainable energy that will reduce energy and financial strain for many Guyanese citizens. Recognizing this, the Guyana government created a Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) which focuses on fostering low-emission economic growth by 2030. The LCDS emphasizes energy access for underserved populations, environmental protection, and international collaboration.

Despite strong potential, renewable energy development in Guyana remains slow and uneven.

Hydropower

Guyana has an estimated 7,600 megawatts of hydropower potential, but currently has no large-scale hydro plants. The country ultimately abandoned the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, proposed in 2014 to generate more than 1,000 gigawatt-hours annually.

More recently, smaller projects have found success. In 2024, the country built the 1.5 MW Kumu Hydropower Station, and in 2025, it built the 0.7 MW Moco Moco Plant. These projects provide clean, reliable energy to several hinterland communities.

Solar Power

Solar energy has seen the most progress in Guyana, particularly in rural and off-grid areas. In 2023, the Guyana Energy Agency distributed 26,398 solar units to remote communities, according to EIA. The Home Energy Systems Project plans to add 30,000 more units, totaling 4.8 megawatts of capacity.

Two 45-kilowatt mini-grids with battery storage were installed in Orealla and Siparuta. The GUYSOL program launched a 1.5 megawatt solar plant in Bartica in 2023, which aims for 19% renewable energy in the national grid.

In March 2024, Guyana signed a $38 million deal with SUMEC to build solar farms in three regions, adding 10 megawatts. By 2025, new solar farms in Guyana are expected to produce over 39 megawatts of solar energy.

Wind and Biomass

Wind power in Guyana remains largely underdeveloped. The country never completed a 10 megawatt wind farm proposed for Hope Beach in 2007. More recently, the government proposed a 450-kilowatt wind turbine for Leguan Island, designed to complement an existing solar farm.

Guyana’s agricultural sector produces large volumes of rice husks and sugarcane waste, which offer ideal biomass fuel sources. However, biomass energy remains underutilized.

The Skeldon Biomass Power Plant in East Berbice-Corentyne is currently the only operational biomass facility. It generates 30 megawatts of power from sugarcane residue and supplies energy to surrounding communities.

Challenges to Renewable Energy

Despite significant potential, renewable energy development in Guyana faces several obstacles such as energy laws, high upfront costs and unequal access. Building renewable infrastructure requires a significant initial investment. Remote and Indigenous communities benefit least from oil revenue and struggle to finance energy projects, making them particularly dependent on public or international aid.

Strategic investment, donor support, and regulatory change could help Guyana shift toward a more equitable and sustainable energy future.

– Dylan Kretchmar

Dylan is based in Granville, OH, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

,

Improving Moldova’s Energy Infrastructure

Moldova's energyMoldova has been attempting to cultivate new means of energy diversification for years. Now they are finally beginning to make significant progress in renewing Moldova’s energy infrastructure.

History

In October of 2022, Russia’s state-owned gas corporation, Gazprom, began reducing exports of gas to Moldova by 30%, claiming that it was a consequence of Ukraine refusing to allow large volumes of gas to go through the Sochranivka station, according to the OSW Centre for Eastern Studies.

Then, in December 2022, Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu said that the state-owned firm Moldovagaz would purchase 100 million cubic meters of gas from another state-owned enterprise: Energocom. This decision aimed to reduce dependence on Russia, according to CNBC. In conjunction, Moldova also ceased all imports of Russian gas that same month. Although in March 2023, Moldova had changed their tune, deciding to resume business with Gazprom, according to Reuters.

Russian Gas and Transnistria

According to Reuters, in October 2023, Moldova’s Energy Minister Victor Parlicov stated that much of Moldova would no longer purchase gas from the Russian energy giant.

Transnistria, a Russian-backed separatist region within Moldova, continued to receive gas through all of this by way of a piped route through Ukraine. Russia had been sending this gas virtually free of charge. It was only on January 1, 2025, that these imports came to a halt after Ukraine abstained from renewing the deal with Russia, which had made this supply plausible, according to CNN.

While Moldova had refused to purchase Russian gas, it purchased much of its electricity from Transnistria because it houses the Cuciurgan Power Station, the largest of its kind in Moldova. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Moldova relies on Transnistria for around 70-80% of its electricity.

Energy Projects

Moldova’s Ministry of Energy said that in 2024, the country generated 16.7% of electricity through renewable resources.

In the last 10 months, considerable progress has been made in updating Moldova’s energy infrastructure. Renewable mediums of energy are on the rise, and diversification strategies have been fostered; deals have been made, funding has been secured.

In January, when the Trump administration decided to freeze funding for USAID programs, Moldova lost approximately $300 million, which included energy projects, according to Deutsche Welle.

But, in September, the United States approved funding for the Strășeni-Gutinaș transmission line; one of several projects which was supposed to be funded with the aforementioned USAID disbursements. According to the U.S. Embassy in Moldova, it is a “$130 million initiative that will provide opportunities for U.S. businesses, strengthen Moldova’s electric grid, and enhance Moldova’s energy security. When complete, the project will increase Moldova’s energy independence by ensuring a reliable electricity supply from European markets.”

In February 2025, the European Parliament said that it had approved a Reform and Growth facility for Moldova, totaling over $2.1 billion. The facility consists of more than $600 million from grants (more than  $445 million of which is non-repayable support), as well as over $1.7 billion in concessional loans.

The EU will distribute funds over the course of two years. In 2025 alone, nearly $290 million will be allocated to help ensure energy security; additionally, almost $70 million will go towards similar efforts in Transnistria, according to the European Commission.

Furthermore, in July 2025, the European Investment Bank said it had granted Moldova a loan of more than $165 million to improve district heating in Chisinau.

The Future

On September 1, 2025, Moldova replaced Moldovagaz as the official gas supplier, instead opting to go with Energocom for a period of three years, according to Cotidianul. For context, Gazprom controls 50% of Modovagaz, according to Reuters.

Moreover, according to Moldova’s Ministry of Energy, a new thermal power plant in Chisinau will supply an electrical capacity of 250 MW, thermal capacity of 180 MW and a thermal energy storage facility with a capacity of 1,200 MWh; construction could be complete by 2030 with funding from the World Bank.

According to Moldova’s Ministry of Energy, in August 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the auction results for a series of wind and solar farms, which would produce 105 MW and 60 MW, respectively. And as of September 2025, solar grids are online, according to PV Magazine.

Moldova may have taken years to distance itself from Russian energy influence, but it is finally paying off, and the country is strengthening its ties with other European nations. Only time will tell if their pursuit to renew Moldova’s energy infrastructure can remain manageable in the next decade.

– Owen Armentrout

Owen is based in Detroit, MI, USA and focuses on Business Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

, ,

Education in Nigeria: Children in Poverty

Education in NigeriaPoverty in Nigeria is one of the main barriers preventing children from accessing education, as many families cannot afford the school fees and materials needed for their children to attend school. As a result, countless children are out of school and trapped in cycles of poverty.

Children in Poverty

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that 54% of children in Nigeria are multidimensionally poor, meaning they face more than one form of deprivation. World Bank data further shows that child poverty levels exceed adult poverty levels. Children in northern Nigeria face particularly high rates of poverty. Additionally, parents’ education levels strongly correlate with the likelihood of their families living in poverty and deprivation.

Children from impoverished households are less likely to receive a quality education because they cannot afford essential school materials. Data shows that underserved children in Nigeria achieve only 19.7% learning compared to 49.4% among children from wealthier families.

Children Attending Schools in Nigeria

Violence in northeastern Nigeria has created widespread insecurity, making it difficult for children in the region to access education. The conflict has forced schools to close and displaced 3.3 million people, nearly half of whom are children. For girls, the situation is even more challenging, as cultural norms often prioritize boys’ education.

The Education Policy and Data Center reports that 33% of primary school–aged children in Nigeria are out of school, with girls disproportionately affected. According to the Malala Fund, nearly five million adolescent girls and a total of 8.97 million girls are out of school in the country. This makes young girls more vulnerable to child marriage.

The INEMO Foundation

The INEMO Foundation is a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that believes education is one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty in Nigeria. It directly supports families and schools to help keep children in school.

The INEMO Foundation was founded by Dr. Opeyemi Adeosun, the Executive Director and his wife, Sophia Inemotimi Adeosun, in Abuja, Nigeria. Adeosun was inspired by the novel “Only God Can Save Nigeria: What a Myth?”, which motivated him to help children in his community attend school in 2017.

After speaking with the novel’s author, Adeosun was invited to share his story on the author’s platform. This appearance attracted sponsors to his work, enabling him and his wife to help 62 children attend school in 2018. The couple officially registered the INEMO Foundation as an NGO in 2019 to continue and expand their efforts.

The Borgen Project spoke with Adeosun, who shared that he is a public health practitioner and wanted to help children in his community access education. “The education aspect has been the main part we focus on,” Adeosun said.

Reviving Schools, Restoring Hope

The Foundation’s latest project involved renovating a school in Keffi, Nasarawa State. “The Bank of Industry gave us some money to refurbish and renovate some of the classrooms,” Adeosun explained. “According to the school’s headmistress, since the renovations, they have seen more children enrolling and an increase in admissions.”

“That’s the biggest achievement we’ve had in any school,” says Adeosun, referring to the school’s renovation. The Foundation not only refurbished the school but also installed functional toilets and a reliable water supply for the community to use.

The Foundation also focuses on supporting local mothers and this approach has shown positive results. The financial assistance provided has helped cover school fees for many families. “Inflation has increased and many parents cannot afford this. So instead of the situation getting better, it’s actually getting worse,” Adeosun said.

“Poverty does not know religion, does not know ethnicity in Nigeria, but mostly those who are not educated, because the majority of the parents of these children in poverty I’m talking about are not educated,” says Adeosun as he expresses how uplifting education can be from poverty. For Adeosun, education in Nigeria is a key tool to help children escape poverty. So far, the Foundation has supported 300 children in returning to school.

Charities Working To Improve Education Access in Nigeria

Britain-Nigeria Educational Trust (BNET) is a charity that provides funding toward the advancement of education in Nigeria. The charity aims to support the training and development of teachers in Nigeria while also maintaining funding for other projects in education.

The BNET Trust has helped many schools and one of the projects it has given funding to is the Pacelli School for Blind and Partially Sighted Children. BNET’s funding has been significant as it enabled the school to buy a JAWS screen reader for the blind and partially sighted children. This has given children better resources fitted to their needs.

The Malala Fund is an international organization that aims to provide quality education for every girl. Founded by activist Malala Yousafzai, the Fund invests in local education advocates who can help to shape policies for girls’ education.

The priorities for the Malala Fund regarding Nigeria are to strengthen the right to education for girls who are married and young mothers. Another priority is to enhance the funding for girls in secondary schools. The organization wants to increase education funding at the federal and state levels so that girls in Nigeria receive better education.

UNICEF has reported that one in four Nigerian children is out of school and deserves to be educated. The charity has found that 73% of children aged between 7 and 14 do not have foundational reading skills. There is a significant gap between primary and secondary schools, with a lack of infrastructure, leaving only one secondary school for every five primary schools.

UNICEF aims to reach several goals for education in Nigeria by 2027 and one of these is to give 10 million children access to education. Another aim is to provide 4.8 million children with access to vital learning materials and for 22 states to increase and scale up their approach to literacy and numeracy learning.

– Alice Haston

Alice is based in Liverpool, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Dr. Opeyemi Adeosun

,

Psychology of Hair: Female Empowerment in African Hair Salons

African Hair SalonsWithin the female-oriented walls of a hair salon, women receive treatment with kindness, respect and a sense of belonging that they seldom find elsewhere. The rapport and understanding between stylist and client go further than just beautification. Nowhere is this more true than across Africa, where hair salons become places for socially disadvantaged women to regain their quality of life. Increasingly, these spaces are also becoming hubs for new initiatives around mental and sexual health, reflecting a growing emphasis on female empowerment in African hair salons.

Hair Salons as Mental Health Care

Whether it is their subordinated social, political and economic status, or the threats of domestic violence, sexual assault and harmful traditional practices that still permeate many African cultures, women bear a heavy burden in African society. To add to this, Women make up 80% of the 12.7 million refugees and asylum seekers forcibly displaced from West and Central Africa every year.

The lack of safe institutional spaces and the scarcity of mental health professionals further exacerbate this multifaceted gender oppression. These subordinated women are often unable to seek support in wider, male-dominated society. As a result, many remain both vulnerable and powerless in society.

Recognizing the strong tendency for women to casually open up to their hairdresser, humanitarian organizations have begun training stylists in delivering mental health support – particularly for women who may use the salon as their first port of call in a crisis.

Learning New Skills

Hairstylists universally hold a unique caregiving position in society that cannot be easily replicated. In accordance, the Heal by Hair program, active across Togo, aims to equip these workers with skills in active listening, recognizing emotional distress and delivering psychological first aid. Delivering training sessions across three days and receiving nearly 250 applications, the program successfully trained stylists to become the first hairdresser mental health ambassadors on the African Continent. The initiative allows both for stylists to conduct risk assessments and refer clients to professional services and for these women to take control of their own mental health through access to resources.

Perhaps it is the connection that forms through sharing eye contact in the mirror, the comfort of talking to someone outside their inner circle, or the hours of idle time to be filled with conversation – but something about hair salons makes people want to talk. By reshaping the vulnerable conversations that naturally occur in African hair salons into therapeutic and healing dialogues, this augmentation of female empowerment offers an outlet and camaraderie which ultimately reshape the lives of young women.

Hair Salons as Sexual Health Care

For many African women, seeking sexual health support at a clinic is difficult because of fears of being dismissal, stigma or exposure – not to mention challenges around cost and distance. As a result, they often have limited access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, leading to higher rates of unintended pregnancies, unsafe terminations and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

This risk is avoidable. Acknowledging the accessibility and trustworthiness of African hair salons has helped shift the way of delivering SRH services. Their informal, familiar environments make salons ideal spaces for women to discuss and receive sexual health care safely and without judgement.

Across southern Africa, salons have started training stylists to deliver STI testing, hormonal and injectable contraceptives and HIV prevention medications – all from the salon floor.

Stylists also learn how to deliver education and counselling to young girls, offering them autonomy to make informed choices about their bodies. This sense of female empowerment in African hair salons can be carried through to real-world scenarios, and is often the key factor in improving their futures. In turn, such initatives prevent socioeconomic consequences of unsafe sexual practices, such as school dropout and generational poverty.

Safe Spaces

Salons become both literal and symbolic safe spaces, an everyday space which encompasses many of their needs. These initiatives have gained momentum across several African countries and even attracted attention from major publications such as Vogue and Elle, affirming that this focus on female empowerment in African hair salons is revolutionary in regard to women’s health. Amongst women who share similar stories and struggles, women forge chosen families rooted in empathy and mutual support, empowering them to find strength in one another to face an uncertain future.

– Emily Wooster

Emily is based in Birmingham, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

, ,

Vocational Training in Paraguay: Empowering the Next Generation

Vocational Training in ParaguayParaguay is a South American country that, despite experiencing significant growth in the last decade, continues to struggle with wealth inequality and poverty. While the national poverty rate halved between 2003 and 2022, recent stagnation in economic growth and opportunity, worsened by a slow post-pandemic recovery, inflation and climate-related shocks, reveals the structural inequalities that impede future progress. It also highlights the vulnerability of a considerable part of the population.

About 32.6% of Paraguay’s rural population lives in multidimensional poverty—a significantly higher rate than the national average. In these regions, communities often face challenges accessing water and proper sanitation. Youth in poverty-stricken areas often have limited access to secondary and formal education. Generally, lower education rates create limited opportunities and heighten an individual’s likelihood of experiencing poverty.

Only 61.3% of Paraguay’s population has completed primary education, and 34.4% have completed secondary. With limited education, much of Paraguay’s youth remain unemployed, with rates reaching 14.1% in 2024.

Many young people turn to agriculture and farming to get by. Yet this industry is vulnerable to climate-related shocks, such as increasingly frequent droughts. These effects are often more detrimental due to the lack of investment, infrastructure, and access rural communities have to technology and financial support. This creates an entrenched cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape.

Vocational Training for the Youth

Vocational training in Paraguay plays a crucial role in sustainably breaking cycles of poverty. It offers education, opportunity and job readiness to groups previously marginalized and excluded. Vocational training provides hands-on education focused on the development of practical skills that often fill gaps left by limited access to formal education.

This approach is especially valuable because it targets specific groups and inequalities. In regular education streams, Indigenous women have the lowest average length of schooling at 3.5 years. Vocational training for these groups is often the only tangible pathway toward economic independence, skill development and social inclusion.

Fundación Paraguaya

Fundación Paraguaya is a leading social enterprise and nonprofit organization that offers vocational training and sustainable poverty alleviation initiatives across Paraguay, focusing on marginalized rural communities and socio-economically disadvantaged youth. Founded in 1985 by Martin Burt, the organization’s multidimensional approach—combining education, finance and self-assessment tools—aims to “activate the entrepreneurial potential of families” to eliminate poverty and help them “live with dignity.”

The organization’s “Self-Sustaining Agricultural Schools” program offers classroom-style learning alongside hands-on agricultural enterprises. Students have access to secondary-level education while managing real-life businesses, such as poultry farms, bakeries and gardens, which cover school expenses. Upon graduation, students have practical skills in business management, agriculture and entrepreneurship, improving their employability.

Another facet of the organization’s vocational training is its “Entrepreneurial Education” program. This initiative encourages and empowers marginalized youth groups. For example, Fundación Paraguaya conducts a Youth Ambassadors exchange program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education. This program grants full scholarships to young people to participate in training related to leadership, social enterprise and community development projects.

The Impact of Vocational Training

Fundación Paraguaya’s model demonstrates the value of vocational training in sustainably alleviating poverty and creating opportunities for youth. In 2024, the organization reported major progress in reducing extreme poverty, which fell from 10% to 3%, and income poverty, which dropped from 54% to 33%, among families involved in its programs. These initiatives have reached more than 200,000 youth members.

Looking Ahead

Vocational training empowers the next generation of Paraguayans by equipping them with sustainable methods to create livelihoods and opportunities. Unlike traditional aid approaches, this hands-on model positions young people as active agents of change rather than passive recipients of support. By fostering skills such as entrepreneurship, self-reliance and technical expertise, vocational training can help break poverty cycles and promote sustainable development through a skilled and resilient workforce.

– Mia Keen

Mia is based in London, UK and focuses on Business and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr