Kenya has only an estimated 7.4% forest cover, well under the minimum 10% suggested by the United Nations. Kuvuna, which means “harvest” in Swahili, is a germinating for-profit organization with the goal of changing that statistic. “Our mission is to empower coastal farmers along the African coastlines,” said Social Innovator Jonathan Kisamwa. With the goal…
Barriers to Education Among the Most VulnerableDESCRIPTION: More than half of children that have not enrolled in school live in sub-Saharan Africa, making it the region with the largest number of out-of-school children in the world. In this region girls still face many barriers to entering both primary and secondary school. These disadvantages in education also translate into…
Ending Hunger in BurundiDESCRIPTION: In Kibezi, Burundi, the indigenous Batwa are perpetually struggling to survive while being denied land rights. Their work as pot makers does not provide enough income to meet the cost of survival in a community still recovering from Burundi’s civil war. Unemployment estimates in the Kabezi region are as high as…
Women’s Empowerment in EngitaniDESCRIPTION: Ending poverty requires the creative leveraging and distribution of resources. At the women’s mill in the village of Engitani, Tanzania, women are learning to collectively address the problem of poverty in their community. Together they run a mill for the maize grown in surrounding areas, and collectively decide how to allocate…
No Poverty in UgandaDESCRIPTION: Up to 42% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to live below the poverty line. The first Sustainable Development goal is “No Poverty,” because poverty doesn’t just cause hunger or homelessness. It also manifests in limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion, and the breakdown of…
MenstruationDESCRIPTION: According to Project Humanity, an international organization dedicated to identifying and supporting women’s empowerment projects in rural Africa, schoolgirls in Kenya miss, on average, almost a week of school every single month owing to menstruation. 70 per cent of all reproductive diseases in India are caused by poor menstrual hygiene. In many communities, the…
Food and HungerDESCRIPTION: There is an estimated 800 million people around the world that remain chronically undernourished (Center for Global Development). Although many organizations are fighting the issue of hunger in developing countries, there are many root causes that still need to be addressed such as distribution problems and the cycle of poverty and subsistence…
Domestic ViolenceDESCRIPTION: Nearly 40 percent of all murders of women worldwide are carried out by an intimate partner, according to the World Health Organization. One in three women across the globe has experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of her partner. Women who have been physically or sexually abused by their partners are…
DisabilitiesDESCRIPTION: In many communities in the majority world, children with disabilities face even greater disadvantages in accessing healthcare, education, and resources. Parents love their children but are insufficiently equipped to help them thrive. There are often social stigmas or misconceptions that further isolate these children from their communities. The gospels tell many stories of Jesus’…
Kirehe, RwandaDESCRIPTION: In Kirehe district, Rwanda, Local Experts are working with refugees from Burundi who fled there due to political violence. The total number of Burundian refugees in Rwanda is 88,500, many of whom suffer from HIV/AIDS. Children comprise 47 percent of the refugees and have no access to safe places or education. When hearing…
