Archive for category: Innovations

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Wood-Burning Stoves in Mexico

Wood-Burning Stoves in Mexico
Many people in Mexico continue to cook meals over open fires or inefficient stoves using wood and other polluting fuels. In 2019, Gold Standard estimated that about 20% of the country’s population used firewood for cooking. New, more efficient wood-burning stoves in Mexico can reduce smoke exposure and firewood use while respecting local cooking traditions.

The Health Risks

Daily exposure to smoke from open fires can contribute to serious respiratory and cardiovascular illness, with women and children often facing the greatest exposure. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that about 2.1 billion people cook using open fires or inefficient stoves fueled by polluting fuels, and household air pollution was responsible for an estimated 2.9 million deaths in 2021.

Energy Inefficiency and Deforestation

Open fires can also be energy inefficient, requiring families to purchase, harvest and transport more firewood. Where wood is harvested unsustainably, this can contribute to forest degradation and adds time and cost for households.

The Tlecuil-Alessia Stove

The Tlecuil-Alessia stove offers an efficient, smoke-reducing solution to this problem. Alessandro Mendoza-Galina, a permaculture expert, developed it in Malinalco with support from Fundación Comunitaria Malinalco. The traditional tlecuil hearth inspired the design and it uses an insulated combustion chamber, three comals and a fume extractor.

In deprived, rural areas, gas or electricity stoves are not a good solution due to lack of financial resources and infrastructure. The Tlecuil Stove still relies on the firewood families are accustomed to using, but its innovative design requires much less of it. The enhanced efficiency of the insulated combustion chamber reportedly reduces firewood consumption by 67%, allowing families to save time and money. Esther, a participant in the Tlecuil program, explained that thanks to the new technology, where her family used to have to make 10 trips for firewood, they now only need to make two. With smoke funneled out of the kitchen, the harmful side effects of smoke exposure are reduced too. A 2007 study of Patsari stoves in Michoacán found that average kitchen carbon monoxide levels fell by 66% and fine particulate matter levels by 67% after installation.

Community and Tradition

The Tlecuil program is community-focused. Workshops are in place for participants, allowing local women to come together and cooperate in the learning process. They learn how the oven functions, how to use it and its various health and environmental benefits. Next, with financial and operational support, families build their own Tlecuil in their home, meaning the oven is suited to their individual needs. Once the ovens have been built and the construction left to dry for 15 days, participants meet again to compare and share observations, techniques and food.

The program’s founder, Mendoza-Galina, is a strong believer in protecting tradition and indigenous customs. The ovens cater to centuries-old cooking techniques, allowing families to eat the same food, prepared the same way as before, but this time with less indoor smoke and lower firewood use.

The Tlecuil-Alessia approach combines efforts to reduce household smoke and firewood use with respect for local community and cooking traditions.

– Amelia Krone

Amelia is based in London and focuses on Technology and Solutions, and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Plastic Roads in Kenya Turn Waste Into Opportunity

Plastic Roads in Kenya
Nairobi faces an ongoing challenge in managing the waste produced by its growing population. According to UN-Habitat, the Kenyan capital generates approximately 3,085 metric tons of municipal solid waste each day. About 65% is collected, while only 15% is recovered, leaving much of the remainder to end up in open dumpsites. One Kenyan company is finding a productive use for some of that discarded material by turning plastic waste into paving blocks. Plastic roads in Kenya offer an example of how local innovation can address pollution while creating employment and providing alternative construction materials.

Turning Plastic Waste Into Pavement

Nairobi-based Gjenge Makers collects discarded plastic and processes it into construction materials. Founded by Kenyan materials engineer Nzambi Matee, the social enterprise combines processed plastic waste with sand before molding the mixture into paving blocks and tiles. The company produces several types of pavers, including heavy-duty blocks designed for roads and areas used by heavy machinery.

The approach gives difficult-to-reuse plastics another purpose. Gjenge primarily works with plastics such as high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene and polypropylene. According to the company, its pavers provide a strong alternative to conventional concrete paving materials.

The technology has already been used in several paving projects around Nairobi. According to Gjenge Makers, in 2022 the company completed an installation at Kenya’s Ministry of Transport on Jogoo Road that used approximately nine metric tons of recycled plastic to create 564 square meters of paved space. The company also reports that earlier installations at residential developments repurposed several metric tons of plastic.

Creating Jobs Through Recycling

The benefits extend beyond removing plastic from the waste stream. In 2024, Gjenge Makers received an Impact Award at the United Nations SDG Action Awards. The United Nations reported that the enterprise had recycled more than 200 metric tons of plastic and created more than 600 jobs for women and young people while promoting a culture of recycling in Kenya.

This employment component strengthens the connection between recycling and poverty reduction efforts. Waste collection and recycling can provide income opportunities while supplying businesses like Gjenge with the material needed for production. The company’s model turns discarded waste into a product that can be sold and used for infrastructure.

Plastic roads in Kenya therefore represent more than an environmental solution. By connecting waste collection, manufacturing and construction, the process demonstrates how a circular economy can create economic opportunities while reducing the amount of material sent to dumpsites.

Kenya’s Growing Circular Economy

Recent government action could further support recycling efforts. Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority introduced new Extended Producer Responsibility regulations in 2024. The regulations require producers to take responsibility for the post-consumer management of their products. Kenya also introduced regulations aimed specifically at improving the management and recycling of plastic packaging.

These policies complement businesses that find commercial uses for discarded materials. Kenya’s efforts are also part of a larger shift toward circular economies across Africa. In July 2025, the African Union and its partners launched the Continental Circular Economy Action Plan for Africa 2024-2034 in Nairobi. The plan seeks to promote resource efficiency, green growth and inclusive economic development across the continent.

What’s Ahead

Gjenge Makers cannot solve Nairobi’s waste challenges alone. The low share of municipal waste currently recovered shows the scale of the problem. However, the company’s work demonstrates how locally developed technology can turn part of that challenge into an economic resource.

By converting discarded plastic into durable paving materials, creating jobs and supporting a growing recycling economy, plastic roads in Kenya provide one example of how environmental innovation can also support livelihoods. Continued investment in recycling businesses and waste collection could help Kenya build cleaner communities while creating new opportunities for workers and entrepreneurs.

– Ben Jordan

Ben is based in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany and focuses on Good News, and Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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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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TB Testing in Low-Income Communities

TB Testing in Low-Income CommunitiesTuberculosis (TB) remains a serious health challenge for many low-income communities. Testing can be difficult for those living far from laboratories or health facilities, delaying diagnosis and treatment. More than 80% of TB cases and deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Better access to rapid TB testing could facilitate earlier diagnosis.

TB also imposes financial pressure on families with limited incomes. For families already struggling financially, travel, testing and time away from work add up quickly. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that about half of people with TB and their households face serious financial costs. Easier access to diagnosis could reduce some barriers these families face.

Bringing Testing Closer to Communities

New rapid TB tests make it possible to bring testing closer to low-income communities with limited laboratory access. Tests are portable, easy to use and can run on battery power. They provide results in less than an hour, helping people get diagnosed and start treatment sooner.

These tests are also affordable. The WHO reports they cost less than half as much as many molecular tests. Another option is using a tongue swab, which assists those who have difficulty providing a sputum sample, making it easier for more people to get tested for TB.

In 2026, the Global Fund initiated an effort to bring rapid TB testing to 13 countries. Nearly 3 million tests will be provided to countries including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia. This effort is crucial, as an estimated 10.8 million people became ill with TB in 2024, and millions were still not diagnosed or officially reported. This initiative could help identify more TB cases earlier. The Global Fund is collaborating with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and the Aurum Institute on this program. They will assist countries in training health workers and implementing the new tests, facilitating broader reach.

Introducing new TB tests requires preparing health systems. The Stop TB Partnership collaborates with countries to improve their TB testing networks and optimize new tools. This includes assessing where tests are needed, how they can be integrated into health services and how they are used. This work can make rapid TB testing more widely available.

Importance of Early Diagnosis

Early detection of TB is crucial. Starting treatment sooner aids recovery and reduces the spread of TB to others. Without treatment, TB can become severe and lead to death. Easier access to testing helps individuals learn about their TB status earlier and receive necessary care. For those with limited health care access, early testing is challenging due to travel distances, costs and limited options. Faster, more accessible testing could reduce these delays and provide more opportunities for early treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The expansion of rapid TB testing offers hope in low-income communities where testing has been difficult. As new tests become faster, more affordable and easier to use, more people could receive earlier diagnoses. As more countries adopt these tests, they could play a significant role in improving access to TB care and ensuring more people receive necessary treatment.

– Mert Sungur

Mert is based in Bursa, Turkey and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Giant HeroRATs and Landmine Clearance in Cambodia

Landmine Clearance in CambodiaDecades after conflict, landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to affect rural communities in Cambodia. These hidden explosives make farmland, roads and forests dangerous, limiting where families can live, work and travel. For communities facing poverty, landmine contamination can prevent the use of land for agriculture, housing, schools and infrastructure.

Despite decades of clearance efforts, Cambodia still had an estimated 1,700 square kilometers of confirmed or suspected hazardous land remaining at the beginning of 2025, according to the Khmer Times. Much of this land is located in rural provinces where agriculture is an important source of income.

One of the most unusual tools supporting landmine clearance in Cambodia is the African giant pouched rat. APOPO, a nonprofit organization that uses detection animals to locate explosives, trains these rats, known as HeroRATs. Their work has become especially relevant as Cambodia moves toward a newly updated mine-free deadline of Dec. 31, 2030.

Cambodia’s Updated Mine-Free Timeline

Cambodia had previously worked toward a Dec. 31, 2025, mine-clearance deadline under Article 5 of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. However, the country submitted a new extension request in April 2025 and a revised request in October 2025. The Twenty-Second Meeting of the States Parties granted the request, setting Cambodia’s new deadline at Dec. 31, 2030.

The updated timeline gives Cambodia five more years to complete its mine-clearance obligations. It also shows why efficient and innovative tools remain important. According to Mine Action Review, Cambodia released 130 square kilometers of mined area through survey and clearance in 2024, though this was less than its target. Escalating tensions with Thailand halted a border survey that began in November 2024, ending the effort in June 2025.

How HeroRATs Detect Landmines

APOPO trains HeroRATs to identify the scent of trinitrotoluene (TNT), a chemical used in many landmines and explosive remnants of war. Because they are light enough to avoid setting off most mines, the rats can move across suspected hazardous areas and signal handlers when they detect explosives, making them more efficient and safer than other methods. Human deminers then mark, excavate and safely destroy the mines or unexploded ordnance.

APOPO’s Cambodia program has expanded beyond its early years. The organization says its current team includes more than 100 people; it recruited and trained most of them from mine-affected areas. APOPO also reports that more than 60 animals are working across four Cambodian provinces: Siem Reap, Preah Vihear, Battambang and Ratanakiri.

APOPO’s Recent Milestones in Cambodia

The organization began demining operations in Cambodia in January 2014 and introduced Mine Detection Rats in 2015. Since then, the program has grown into a long-term part of Cambodia’s mine action work. In 2024, APOPO marked 10 years of mine action in Cambodia. The organization reported that its teams had helped locate and destroy 2,669 anti-personnel mines, 18 anti-tank mines, 2,441 unexploded ordnance items and 946 cluster munitions. APOPO also reported that its work had directly affected more than 50,000 Cambodians by returning land for farming, housing and infrastructure.

Recent deployments show that the HeroRAT program is still active. In July 2024, APOPO sent 20 newly trained HeroRATs to Cambodia. It expected 14 to join mine detection work and assigned six to its Visitor Center in Siem Reap for demonstrations.

APOPO also reported another new deployment in 2025, when 24 new Mine Detection Rats arrived in Cambodia. It assigned 20 of the rats to live mine clearance operations and sent four to the Visitor Center in Siem Reap. These new arrivals show that APOPO continues to invest in landmine clearance in Cambodia as the country works toward its updated 2030 deadline.

Land Clearance and Poverty Reduction

Mine clearance closely connects to poverty reduction because land is one of the most important resources for rural communities. When mines contaminate land, families may be unable to farm safely, expand housing or build infrastructure. Removing landmines can allow people to return to fields, grow crops, travel more safely and develop community spaces.

Cambodia has already made major progress. According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, citing the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, Cambodia cleared 3,439 square kilometers of land between 1992 and July 2025 for agricultural, infrastructure and community use. This included land for homes, villages, schools and health centers, benefiting more than 10 million people. From January to July 2025 alone, Cambodia cleared 141 square kilometers of mine-contaminated land and destroyed 6,405 anti-personnel mines, 125 anti-tank mines and 25,845 explosive remnants of war.

For rural families, this progress can mean more than safety. For example, Cambodia has returned land cleared of mines for farming, allowing families to grow crops again instead of leaving fields unused because of safety concerns. The government has also returned cleared land for housing, schools, health centers and agriculture, allowing communities to rebuild while expanding opportunities for food production and local economic development. According to the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, Cambodia returned 81% of land cleared between 1992 and 2024 to agriculture, while authorities used additional land for infrastructure, housing, schools and health centers, benefiting more than 10 million people.

Looking Toward 2030

Cambodia’s new 2030 deadline shows that the country’s landmine challenge is not over. Remaining contaminated areas may be difficult to reach, costly to clear or complicated by border tensions. However, APOPO’s recent milestones show that HeroRATs continue to support landmine clearance in Cambodia. By helping identify explosives, these animals help return dangerous land to productive use, turning contaminated areas into farmland, roads, schools, homes and opportunities for safer livelihoods.

– Ben Jordan

Ben is based in Saint Louis, MO, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Solar Bottle Entrepreneurs

Solar Bottle EntrepreneursMy Shelter Foundation is a Philippines-based organization that helps provide lighting to low-income families by using recycled plastic bottles as solar-powered light bulbs. Established in 2011, within 20 months of its launch, the company produced more than 350,000 bottled lights, with 150,000 of that figure benefiting households in the Philippines. This innovative project highlights how affordable solar lighting solutions can simultaneously combat poverty and reduce energy inequality.

This initiative focuses on the idea of using everyday materials found in poor neighbourhoods, allowing the bulbs to be constructed using simple skills. It is constructed by using a clear, plastic bottle filled with water and bleach. The bottle is then fitted securely into a hole in the roof, with part of it exposed to incoming sunlight outside. The water inside the bottle then refracts and disperses natural light below. This design can provide illumination equivalent to 50-60 watts, according to UNFCCC.

Alongside its clear environmental benefits, the Litre of Light campaign also plays a fundamental role in improving the quality of life in low-income communities.

Lowering Household Costs

The most significant impact of these improvised light sources is their ability to reduce household expenses. Currently, the average electric bill in the Philippines per month is ₱5,388 ($87.26). Yearly, this equates to a rough cost of $1,04. By providing affordable, energy-efficient lighting options, low-income families are able to reduce their electricity consumption and save money, often around an estimated average of $6 per month, according to UNFCCC.

Although this may seem like a small amount, it can make a significant difference for poorer households.

Families could redirect this money towards more essential needs, such as school supplies or transportation costs to schools, all of which contribute to improved educational outcomes.

Empowering Communities

Another less direct advantage of this project is that people can build it easily using only a few basic tools and materials. This means that people of all ages and skill sets can participate in assembling this energy product. Participants receive all the tools and materials they need to assemble the bulbs, as well as provide assistance with quality control during the first installations, according to UNFCCC.

This creates a strong community volunteer model that members can scale up effectively. This approach of large-scale implementation has already undergone tests with groups of up to 100 people, and in some cases as many as 300, helping to build hundreds of solar bottles in remote rural areas

The Future

The success of this initiative lies in its ability to contribute to poverty alleviation by creating new sources of income for low-income communities. This project has helped establish a market for solar bottle entrepreneurs, such as Mang Demi, enabling individuals with limited employment opportunities to build small businesses. Once unemployed and struggling to afford electricity bills despite having basic carpentry skills, Demi now earns up to $0.40 per installation, demonstrating how small-scale innovations can cultivate economic opportunities and relieve financial pressures, according to UNFCCC.

Ultimately, this simple innovation shows how small, accessible solutions can create meaningful change. By transforming everyday plastic bottles into a source of light, communities are not only lighting up their homes, but solar bottle entrepreneurs are also expanding opportunities to resist poverty.

– Sophia Lupo

Sophia is based in London, UK and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Cycling Out of Poverty: A Ride Toward a Better Development

Cycling Out of PovertyBicycles are a reliable, low-cost, high-return, low-polluting and resilient means of transport. They provide an alternative to motorized vehicles for distances that would be too challenging to cover on foot. But bicycle use is not equally widespread worldwide.

While countries like the Netherlands and Denmark have made bicycles one of their most recognizable cultural staples, riding a bike is not as common in other parts of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Here are some reasons why bikes could be beneficial in certain communities, along with the aims of the foundation Cycling out of Poverty (CooP).

Poverty in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa

Rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa are among the world’s most impoverished regions. As of 2024, about 67% of the world’s impoverished live in sub-Saharan Africa. About 40% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa lacks access to clean drinking water, while 70% of children suffer from deprivation in vital sectors, including health care, education and nutrition. 

This systematic lack of access to quality education, health care facilities and job opportunities compromises the well-being of entire communities.

About Cycling Out of Poverty

CooP is an organization that believes focusing on mobility could be an indispensable turning point to provide access to other facilities for underserved communities. CooP believes that providing access to alternative mobility solutions could drastically reduce the development shortfalls local communities face. It proposes using bikes to gain access to better services, thereby improving the region’s socioeconomic conditions. 

According to a report, bikes can improve education and economic development by enabling riders to access facilities they would not otherwise have. In 2004, after a tsunami hit the Sri Lankan coast, World Bicycle Relief donated 24,300 bicycles to people affected by the disaster. A bit over two years later, 88% of recipients relied on the bicycle as part of their livelihood, while 82% of women recipients reported that their bicycles were used for income-generating activities. 

Improving footpaths and promoting the use of nonmotorized vehicles can be an efficient way to transition from subsistence agriculture to small-market production, thereby developing local economies. This is the key innovation CooP aims to introduce. The organization believes bicycles can play an indispensable role in the development of rural communities. 

As a result, it partnered with the social enterprises Bikeventures and Greenhub Shops to bring more bicycles to rural communities in Uganda and Kenya. The goal is simple: to improve the livelihoods of African families by making bicycles more accessible and widely available.

Initiatives of Cycling Out of Poverty

CooP runs several branches of the project, including Bike4Work, Bike4School and Bike4Care, which promote entrepreneurship, education and health care, respectively. Beyond providing bicycles, the organization also offers training in bicycle mechanics and maintenance, as well as traffic rules and road safety practices. While bicycles can be indispensable, safe road conditions and responsible practices are equally important. 

The organization aims to equip the next generation with the knowledge and tools to recognize and advocate for their needs as cyclists, including improved roads and traffic conditions. This serves as an important first step in helping communities fully benefit from bicycles and use them to improve their living conditions.

Final Remarks

Through these projects, CooP is advancing several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). First and foremost, it supports SDG 1: No Poverty, as bicycles have been shown to improve the socioeconomic conditions of their users. Through Bike4School, the organization also contributes to SDG 4: Quality Education, while Bike4Care supports SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being.

The initiative also addresses SDG 5: Gender Equality, as women are more likely to access employment and achieve economic independence when they have reliable transportation to reach their workplaces. In the end, something as simple as a bicycle can become a powerful tool for change and social mobility. While it may not be the ultimate solution to global poverty, it offers a practical and effective way to address many of the everyday challenges caused by poverty and underdevelopment.

– Alice Girardi

Alice is based in Paris, France and focuses on Business and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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SDG 9 in Zimbabwe: Targets in Action

SDG 9 in ZimbabweZimbabwe is an example of a developing nation working in harmony to achieve transformative components that pertain to SDG 9: industry, innovation and infrastructure. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a list of 17 global ideals toward peacekeeping, saving the planet and reducing poverty. Starting in 2015, the UN set the goal of accomplishing the SDGs by 2030. In 2018, the Zimbabwean government skyrocketed the mindset of possibility and empathy through a two-part National Development Strategy.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

There were fewer jobs and more children out of school as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, showing why SDG 9 in Zimbabwe is a priority. The Sub-Saharan nation ranks number nine among the “top 10 African countries with highest levels of extreme poverty.” Globally, the World Bank considers the extreme poverty line to be lower than a daily income of $29.80 USD. Sadly, as of 2025, 49.2 % of the Zimbabwean population live in extreme poverty and earn less than $3 a day.

Starting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of infrastructure for laptops or phones resulted in more than“4.5 million” children across Zimbabwe having to pause their schooling for “over a year.” Zimbabweans in urban or rural environments cannot thrive when digital learning is not attainable without electricity or mobile technology.

Internet Access

Even with the increase of more than 75.36% of Zimbabweans having internet access throughout the nation in 2024, rural regions lack quality internet access. Quick internet access is a need for the economy, quality education and health technology, and can in turn, help reduce poverty. Beginning in 2022 up to 2025, digital connection became the third of six transitions prioritized before 2030 in Zimbabwe.

SDG 9: Industry, innovation and Infrastructure requires countries to achieve eight targeted components. SDG 9 in Zimbabwe has had the most success in the areas of digital connectivity and broadband internet.

Digital Connectivity in Zimbabwean Communities

One of the goals for SDG 9 is “broadband” digital connectivity in less developed African countries before 2030. Zimbabwe and The World Savings Retail Banking Institute (WSBI) started a partnership in 2023 to introduce the People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB). The partnership relates to target 9.3 with banking loans and access.

POSB encourages Zimbabweans to connect online banking with speed and safety. Businesses flourish with marketing success from e-commerce and cybersecurity. Zimbabwean Agrobusiness, Prodairy, agrees to running financial interactions quicker and feeling safer with digital security. As of 2024, POSB also helps urban and rural Zimbabweans stay connected online through broadband internet, and financial entry with installation of “28 ATMs” nationwide.

Digital Learning Programs to Further Digital Connectivity

In 2024, the Re-imaging Education initiative from UNICEF, the Zimbabwean government and businesses helped 150 schools receive broadband access for e-learning. Provision of solar power, higher speed internet and laptops for primary and secondary schools in rural regions helps close the digital gap of educational advantage for most urban students in comparison to rural students. Urban regions of Zimbabwe have better access to internet connection needed for quality education. This collaboration can help actualize dreams like that of Aaron, a preteen who wants to become an engineer. This target of SDG 9 in Zimbabwe helps rural students experience equality in digital learning with urban students.

Energy Infrastructure in Zimbabwe

Realizing the important need for electricity to power digital connectivity, the energy sector is very influential in helping reduce poverty in rural regions of the nation. SDG 9 in Zimbabwe has superb progress toward target 9.4 with sustainable and cleaner energy.

As of 2024, “62 percent of the population” have electricity, along with alternative solarized and greener power sources. Also, 12% of new installations are clean energy infrastructures. The 18% improvement is a lot from the “acute energy crisis’ in 2020, when only 44% of the nation had electrical power.”

Solar and hydro innovations from the Old Mutual Renewable Energy Fund, power electricity for rural communities near Harare, Zimbabwe. The partnership with the company, Old Mutual Group, and the Zimbabwean government is helping advance SDG 7 to exit the “acute energy crisis.” Meanwhile, the SDG Renewable Energy Fund (SDG REF) Programme is working with businesses to help power more regions.

Collaboration With U.S. & Zimbabwean NGOs

In 2024, NGOs Joyce Meyer Ministries (JMM), which is located in the U.S., and Childcare Ministries Zimbabwe (CCMZ), which is in Zimbabwe, teamed up to construct the Hope factory.

The two manufacturing plant locations in Bulawayo and Heaney, Zimbabwe, have steel silos storing maize from farmers. This infrastructural project relates to sustainable infrastructure in regions and aims to reduce poverty and hunger. Furthermore, GDP can increase with new jobs in agriculture, manufacturing, textile insulation and builders constructing schools in the nation.

The circular economy involved with manufacturing and recycling bags of Corn Soyabean Blend plus (CSB+) further improves sustainable systems. In 2024, J.M.M. had intentions to “feed over 50,000” children daily. Remarkably, the humanitarian organization records “producing its 10 millionth meal” as of 2025. The philanthropic partnership demonstrates how the target 9.a. really helps developing nations accomplish economic sustainability.

Future Focus

SDG 9 in Zimbabwe has led to lots of improvements with mobile broadband in both rural and urban communities and funds for agrobusiness. However, tense trade relations and higher tariffs are interfering with financial situations around the globe and slowing progress toward SDG 9.

However, proper infrastructure for roads has shown little improvement in Zimbabwe in comparison to the aforementioned targets. Meanwhile, science and institutional studies are not close enough for targets to be achieved. This is important because gold mining helps sustain a resilient economy that is responsible for international exports of gold, but it is not enough to hold the whole economy. The primary industries of agriculture and raw material mining need to modernize for the betterment of the Zimbabwean economy.

Zimbabwe strives toward future innovations like “education 5.0,” combining more research for science, agriculture and industry. Future Developments include “industrialized parks” located around post secondary spaces like the University of Zimbabwe for research, food security and business.

Considering all of the progress so far, Zimbabwe shows it is possible for a nation to really move toward becoming a thriving society.

– Tyra Brown

Tyra is based in St. Andrews, Canada and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Francis Kéré’s Survival Architecture and Health Care in Burundi

Health Care in BurundiLate in 2025, Helen Clark, the head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), gave a speech at the G20 Health Ministerial in South Africa. She said that the architecture underpinning collective health is under immense strain, but also that health is connected to every aspect of shared security and prosperity.

The architecture of health can take both literal and metaphorical forms. Global poverty is one of the biggest threats to a person’s health, and East Africa has historically been one of the poorest regions in the Global South. As a result, many countries in the region are spending more on debt repayments than on health care. Alongside cholera epidemics and vaccine inequality, countries such as Burundi have extremely low health ratings, with a poverty rate of 74.2% and a high maternal mortality rate.

Emmanuel Niyonkuru, a nurse at a local health facility in Burundi, stated that more funding for infrastructure, more training for doctors and nurses and a reliable supply of essential medicines are needed to make the necessary progress.

The Architect

As of March 2026, a new health care facility is underway in Burundi’s Bubanza region, and Francis Kéré, African laureate and winner of the 2022 Pritzker Prize, is the figure behind it. Kéré, often referred to as the “Nobel of Architecture” recipient, was praised by judges for his efforts to change unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and for helping to develop new infrastructure that prioritizes sustainability.

Kéré’s work demonstrates a commitment to Africa and its topography. He was raised in Burkina Faso in West Africa and has received global recognition for his work. He currently has large-scale projects in countries such as the United States (U.S.), Brazil and Germany. The ethos of his architecture is survival, and he has said that everything he does is born out of necessity.

This new clinic will focus on maternity care and specialized surgical treatment, taking into account the absence of electricity in the region and the acute challenges facing Burundi’s health as one of Africa’s poorest countries.

The Architecture

In 2001, Kéré set out to build the Gando Primary School in the Boulgou area. Different from the concrete and glass buildings of Europe, the primary material involved in the construction of the school was mud bricks. In areas without electricity, these clay bricks are heat-absorbent, allowing the school to remain cool. Kéré aims to use regional knowledge in his architecture, showing commitment to local resources and local techniques.

The Burundi health care facility will follow this pattern, reducing costs through using locally sourced bricks, clay and stone, along with traditional building skills. Alongside providing health care to the region, this approach will also support the regional economy by training local workers. Beyond the building itself, Kéré is building systemic networks of support and stability for the communities that need them.

Looking Ahead

Recent United Nations (U.N.) reports note that the health sector in many African countries remains highly dependent on foreign funding. Funding can take different forms, and addressing global poverty involves both small-scale support for individuals and the larger-scale infrastructure that facilitates it.

Nana Biamah-Ofosu, a Ghanaian British architect and critic, has called Kéré the leading figure of an African renaissance of architecture. She has also stated that learning from Africa as a place of deep knowledge is important for the survival of humanity.

The 3,000-square-meter complex is expected to open in 2026, improving access to health care in Burundi.

– Grace Sandall

Grace is based in Madrid, Spain and focuses on Business and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Addressing Housing and Urban Poverty in Vietnam

Urban Poverty in VietnamThroughout the 21st century, Vietnam has focused on improving the living standards of its population. More specifically, Vietnam’s government has actively worked to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty. Despite improvements in the right direction, millions of Vietnamese face a new challenge: affordable housing. Without access to affordable housing, rural poverty in Vietnam has increased, leading to street lottery ticket vendors or families forming informal communities or hamlets in big cities. In response to this growing challenge, Vietnam’s government and private organizations are addressing housing and urban poverty created by the lack of affordable housing.

Housing and Urban Poverty in Vietnam

According to the deputy chief of the National Office for Poverty Reduction, Vietnam’s overall poverty rate would drop to around 1.1%. This represents roughly 900,000 to 1.1 million individuals living in poverty in Vietnam. Furthermore, Vietnam has developed a new multidimensional poverty index for the next six years, designed to increase the urban income threshold to VND 2.8 million ($106) and rural income to VND 2.2 million ($84) per person per month. Although these numbers highlight Vietnam’s success in tackling extreme poverty, they often ignore the millions of individuals who cannot afford housing in major urban centers, like Ho Chi Minh City.

Thousands of people in Vietnam cannot afford housing because of two main reasons: excess housing demand and a worsening affordability gap.. The director of the Housing and Real Estate Market Management Department explained that Vietnam would need roughly one million more homes to meet the increased demand. Given the growing population in urban centers, housing and urban poverty in Vietnam are increasing.

Affordability Gap

Furthermore, home prices have outpaced income growth by a significant margin, making it almost impossible for an average Vietnamese citizen to afford housing in major urban centers. Prices in major cities, like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, have risen 5.6% so far this year. This means that, on average, apartment prices are roughly 80 million dong ($3,028) per square meter. In comparison, the average annual salary of a Vietnamese worker is 98.4 million dong. This sizable difference has made it almost impossible for Vietnamese to afford housing.

Addressing the Housing Crisis

To successfully address this challenge, the government, private organizations and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have developed effective strategies and projects to decrease housing costs in Vietnam. The government has pledged to adjust land use fee regulations to ensure fairness and prevent companies from raising prices beyond people’s affordability. Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) in Vietnam, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing housing and urban poverty globally, in collaboration with local unions and organizations, has developed the Decent Housing, Peaceful Life project. This project has supported the construction and revitalization of existing properties in Vietnam to improve the housing situation of individuals facing difficult circumstances.

Looking Ahead

As Vietnam continues to grow as a nation, the government, companies and NGOs in the country continue to address the different challenges that arise. Indeed, as housing affordability and accessibility worsen in Vietnam, the government, in collaboration with other organizations, is taking steps to ease this pressure and secure affordable, safe housing for millions of Vietnamese in major urban centers.

– Rodrigo Salgado

Rodrigo is based in Boulder, CO, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr