Let’s Advocate for Zero Hunger by ChiYoWo

The Sustainable Development Goal 2 promotes zero hunger. The target is to end world hunger along with malnutrition by the year 2030. Another target is to double the agricultural productivity and income of small-scale food producers. The UN says, “It is time to rethink how we grow, share and consume our food.”

In Nigeria, there are 4.5 million that are in need of food assistance with hard to access regions like the Borno and Yobe states being considered to be in a severe food crisis, some even saying conditions are famine like. There are an estimated 244,000 children that are suffering from acute malnutrition. If treatment is not provided soon, 49,000 children are at risk of dying.

Unfortunately, hunger is becoming more and more common around the globe. Let’s take a quick look at some quick facts provided by the UN.

• Globally, one in nine people in the world today (795 million)are undernourished.
• The vast majority of the world’s hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population is undernourished.
• Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45 percent) of deaths in children under five – 3.1 million children each year.
• 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone.
• In sub-Saharan Africa, projections for the 2014-2016 periods indicate a rate of undernourishment of almost 23 per cent.

These horrific and alarming facts are only a brief look into what hunger is doing to people all over the globe. It is time for all of us to come together and commit to the eradication of hunger.

To get more information and the Sustainable Development Goals please visit: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org

For information and facts about hunger as well as how you can help in the fight against hunger please visit:

https://www.unicef.org/nutrition/

http://www.wfp.org/

https://www.un.org/zerohunger/

 

Sources

[1.] United Nations – http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/

[2.] World Food Programme – https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/nigeria

 

Why is Gender Equality Important? by ChiYoWo

Every single one of us wants a peaceful, prosperous world so why is it that gender equality is still a struggle for us to achieve? Not only is gender equality a basic human right, but it lays a foundation for a more sustainable world. That is why gender equality is the 5th goal on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Why is gender equality so important? Well, about half of our world’s population is represented by women and girls (about 3.52 billion) which mean they make up half of its potential. When issues like gender inequality persist it causes social progress to become stagnate, promotes poverty, and leaves our young girls and women without access to healthcare, education, and proper nutrition.

Quick gender equality facts provided by the UN :

• Women in Northern Africa hold less than one in five paid jobs in the non-agricultural sector. The proportion of women in paid employment outside the agriculture sector has increased from 35 percent in 1990 to 41 percent in 2015.
• In sub-Saharan Africa, girls still face barriers to entering both primary and secondary school.
• Globally, nearly 15 million girls under age 18 are married every year—or 37,000 each day.
• Worldwide, 35 percent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence.

For our world to keep progressing, gender equality has to happen. We must harness and use the potential of our girls and women. Providing our girls and women with equal access to education, healthcare, and work will not only fuel sustainable economies, but it will also benefit all societies economically.

Some of the targets for goal five on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals list are:

• To end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
• Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
• Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
• Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.

Please, join us in raising awareness of the importance of gender equality. Our girls and women around the world need our help.

For more information on the Sustainable Development Goals please visit: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

 

Sources:

[1.] UN – http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/

[2.] UN – http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/5_Why-it-Matters_GenderEquality_2p.pdf

Malnutrition in Children in Internally Displaced Camps

In 2009 Boko Haram attacked Maiduguri the capital of Borno state and carried out a series of attacks on police stations and government buildings which led to confrontation, chaos and bloodshed on the streets. Hundreds of Boko Haram supporters were killed, and thousands of residents fled the capital.

Seven years later, this conflict is still on-going with no sign of abating any time soon. Over 15 million people affected by this conflict and within Nigeria’s borders more than 1.8 million people have been forcibly displaced. Alarmingly, 7.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, with more than 50 percent being children.

These children, who are already living in precarious situations and poverty, are left with nothing. Right now, there are a quarter of a million children left severely malnourished. Malnutrition is defined as “lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that one does eat.”

The largest attributing factor to children being malnourished is the lack of access to nutritious foods in these camps. Children are in need of an array of assorted vitamins, minerals, and micro-nutrients and without the proper type of food malnutrition occurs. When a child becomes malnourished, their body cannot even do the simplest of things such as continue to grow or fight off disease.

Currently, organizations like UNICEF, WFP, and OCHA are working hard to reach those severely malnourished children in these camps. The WFP plans on providing not only food but money as well to 1.8 million of the most vulnerable people while UNICEF is treating 133,000 severely malnourished children while providing healthcare to 3.3 million people.

There are also plans for the government to ramp up their efforts and establish an inter-ministerial response task force and appointing a Humanitarian Coordinator to liaise with the international community.

If you are looking to help these children in need there many organizations you can donate too. A few of them would be:

 

United Nations

UNICEF

World Food Program

 

 

 

[1.] Vanguard – http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/450-children-died-of-malnutrition-in-28-idp-camps-in-borno/

[2.] UNICEF – https://www.unicef.org/appeals/files/UNICEF_NorthEast_Nigeria_Snapshot_5_Feb__2015.pdf

[3.] World Food Program – https://www.wfp.org/hunger/malnutrition

[4.] UNICEF – https://www.unicef.org/appeals/nigeria.html#1

[5.] Humanitarian Response – https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/nigeria/documents/document-type/humanitarian-programme-cycle

[6.] UN OCHA – http://www.unocha.org/nigeria/about-ocha-nigeria/about-crisis

https://unocha.exposure.co/when-conflicts-starve-children

[7.] BBC News – http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13809501

 

 

 

International Volunteer Day

By ChiYoWo

International Volunteers Day was created in 1985 for organizations, communities, and individual volunteers to celebrate and make visible their contributions at local, national, and international levels. It is now observed every year on December 5^th.

Volunteering is defined as, “a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking.”

Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa with an estimated 170 million people, but despite being the largest economy, poverty rates are still climbing with 65% said to be living in extreme poverty. These conditions breed discontent and disaffection amongst youth. It also becomes an entry way for corruption, Islamic extremism and ineffective governance. VSO International says Nigeria needs to create at least 2.5 million jobs every year for the next decade to meet the needs of its growing workforce, and with 10.5 million children currently out of school, something needs to be done.

That is where volunteering comes in. There are many great benefits to volunteering. It can help

• fight poverty
• improve education
• by making sure that everyone gets the skills they need to live a full, exciting, and dignified life.
• volunteering can also help contribute to the delivery and enhancement of education. Baker, Gersten and Keating (2000) showed that volunteers can have a direct impact on students such as helping them to learn how to read.
• improve health
• by making sure people have access to better quality healthcare.
• improve livelihoods
• Giving people the freedom to live with independence and dignity by offering secure and reliable access to food and income.

 

It also has positive effects on the volunteers themselves, bot intrinsically and extrinsically. It can help with self-esteem, open and expand career paths and allow them to get proper training, along with helping with mental and physical health.  They are also able to build up their resumes, develop leadership skills, and develop long lasting relationships with people in their communities and community leaders.

There are many things for today’s youth to volunteer with. Things like working in a foodbank, volunteering for administrative tasks, working with children, and working with the homeless are just a few.

If you are interested in volunteering there are numerous volunteering projects available.

A few for you to look at are:

• http://www.icyenigeria.org/projects.html
• http://www.opportunitiesforafricans.com/category/volunteering/
• https://www.chiyowo.org

Let’s all start coming together and becoming a cohesive community. Let’s make sure everyone has the access to healthcare, education, and a chance for great livelihoods! Help us observe International Volunteers Day and show appreciation for our volunteers all around the world!

Sources:

Points Of Light – http://www.pointsoflight.org/sites/default/files/site-content/files/social_impact_of_volunteerism_pdf.pdf

UNDP – http://www.ng.undp.org/content/nigeria/en/home/library/human_development/undp-nigeria-annual-report-2015.html

VSO International – https://www.vsointernational.org/volunteering/ICS-youth-volunteering

VSO International – https://www.vsointernational.org/sites/default/files/the_role_of_volunteering_in_sustainable_development_2015_vso_ids.pdf

USAID – https://www.usaid.gov/nigeria

 

Stand Up For Someone’s Rights Today

By ChiYoWo

On December 10, 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document set out fundamental human rights to be universally protected. Human Rights Day is now observed every year on December 10^th to commemorate this huge milestone in human rights history.

Many feel that this year’s Human Rights Day is an especially important one because of the way the world is currently heading. People are fearful. Fearful for their lives and the lives of others. All over the globe there is disrespect for the most basic of human rights. There are senseless killings surrounded by messages of hate and intolerance. People come face to face with horrific violence from extremist movements. People are scared to be themselves, and we must put a stop to it.

This year’s theme is Stand Up For Someone’s Rights Today. United Nations states, “We must reaffirm our common humanity. Wherever we are, we can make a real difference. In the street, in school, at work, in public transport; in the voting booth, on social media.”

Ways to stand up for rights:

• Read and share the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Stand up for someone that you see is being bullied or harassed. It doesn’t matter if you see it online, at the mall, or at school.
• Donate to organizations that help those affected by human rights abuse.
• Combat myths with facts. Challenge those harmful stereotypes.
• Educate your children about human rights. Show them positive and diverse role models.

 

Though only a few are listed, there are many things you can do to stand up for human rights not just on Human Rights Day, but every day of the year. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. […] Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

If we want the world to change, it must start within ourselves first.

 

Source:

United Nations – http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/background.shtml

United Nations – http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/

United Nations Office of the High Commissioner – http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/HumanRightsDay.aspx

Let’s be kind to one another …

By ChiYoWo

In 1998 the World Kindness Movement introduced World Kindness Day on November 13^th. World Kindness Day focuses on the good deeds being done throughout communities, and focuses on the positive power and the common thread of kindness that binds us all together. According to Gulf News “it is a day that encourages individuals to overlook boundaries, race and religion” There are many ways you can participate in World Kindness Day.

Here are two suggestions to help you get started on World Kindness Day.

1. Share a kindness quote. There are many quotes out there about kindness, such as “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted “–Aesop. So, find your favorite one, put on Facebook and Twitter and tell it to your co-workers and friends.
2. Do Kindness. We should do kindness every day, but especially on World Kindness Day! There are many activities you can do such as: writing a note of encouragement to someone, picking up rubbish, recycling, helping someone out to their car, or donating to charity.

Random facts about kindness

Kindness Fact #1: Did you know engaging in acts of kindness produces endorphins, the brains natural painkiller?

Kindness Fact #2: Like most medical antidepressants, kindness stimulates the production of serotonin. This feel-good chemical heals your wounds, calms you down, and makes you happy!

Kindness Fact #3: The positive effects of kindness are experienced in the brain of everyone who witnessed the act, improving their mood and making them significantly more likely to “pay it forward.” This means one good deed in a crowded area can create a domino effect and improve the day of dozens of people!

So, no matter where you are in the world or whether you are young or old, be sure to spread kindness and participate in World Kindness Day!

Sources:

[1.] The World Kindness Movement – http://www.theworldkindnessmovement.org/

[2.] Random Acts of Kindness – https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/about-us

International Men’s Day

By ChiYoWo

On February 7, 1992 International Men’s Day was first created. It is now celebrated annually on November 19^th in over 60 countries. The objective of International Men’s Day is to focus on men’s and boy’s health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive role models. It is a day for men to celebrate all of their achievements and their contributions to their families, communities, marriages, and children. It is also a day to focus on men’s wellbeing socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

The theme for this year’s International Men’s Day is STOP MALE SUICIDE. Sadly, the suicide rate for men is three times higher than women in every country. Annually, there are some 475,000 deaths from murder, of which 80% are male. On top of high suicide rate, data shows that men are overall unhealthier than women in almost every part of the world due to numerous factors. Some of these factors being, the majority of smokers are male, men are also more likely to drink and do illegal drugs than women, they overall have a poorer diet and are faced with more occupational health hazards than woman. Globally, men’s life expectancy rate has dropped down from 69 years to 58.3 years.

Now is the time to bring attention to the issues the men in our world are facing! We need to show we are there for them and care for them as they care for us.

There have been and are many methods of commemorating International Men’s Day such as public seminars, conferences, festivals and fundraisers, classroom activities at schools, radio and television programs, religious observances, and peaceful displays and marches. You can participate in observing International Men’s Day by telling those special men in your life how much they mean to you! Let’s celebrate men and all that they do for the family, friends, jobs, communities and their nations!

 

[1.] Mens Day – http://www.mensday.ws/en/about.php

[2.] BCMJ – http://www.bcmj.org/articles/silent-epidemic-male-suicide

[3.] Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Men%27s_Day

[4.] Mens Health Week – http://www.menshealthweek.org.au

[5.] International Mens Day – http://www.internationalmensday.com/

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

By ChiYoWo

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was designated to November 25^th by the United Nations General Assembly. This date was chosen in remembrance of the assassination of three sisters Maria, Teresa, and Minerva Mirabel.  The Mirabel sisters were activists from the Dominican Republic who were opposed to the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo and were involved in clandestine activities against his regime. Because they were protesting against Trujillo, he ordered for them to be assassinated.

Today, the premise of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is to raise awareness to the fact that women all around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence as well as other forms of violence.

Quick Facts

• 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence-mostly by an intimate partner.
• Women who have been physically or sexually abused by their partners are more than twice as likely to have an abortion, almost twice as likely to experience depression, and in some regions, 1.5 times more likely to acquire HIV, as compared to women who have not experienced partner violence.
• It is estimated that of all women who were the victims of homicide globally in 2012, almost half were killed by intimate partners or family members, compared to less than six per cent of men killed in the same year.
• Around 120 million girls worldwide (slightly more than 1 in 10) have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts at some point in their lives. By far the most common perpetrators of sexual violence against girls are current or former husbands, partners or boyfriends.

Many women’s organizations have pulled together to increase awareness and gather support. It is time for us to join in and end violence against women together.

Please, help us celebrate and take action by participating in International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The 25^th of November is known as “Orange Day’ so be sure to wear something orange!

Sources

[1.] UN Women – http://www.unwomen.org

[2.] History – http://www.history.com

 

World Food Day: Food a Basic Human Right?

By ChiYoWo

Hunger.  What do you picture when you think of hunger? Do you think about how you have not eaten in four hours and you really need a snack? Or do you think about the over 805 million people (that is 1 in every 9 people) who live in chronic hunger? Food is a basic human right, yet many people around the world do not have access to safe and nutritious dietary food needed to lead productive lives.

Hunger Facts:

• Sub-Sharan Africa has the highest prevalence of hunger as 1 in 4 people are undernourished,
• Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45 percent) of deaths in children under five. That is 3.1 million children each year,
• 1 out of 6 children (roughly 100 million) in developing countries is underweight,
• Over 70 percent of food insecure people live in rural areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East. Many of them are small hold family farmers.

Now, wait a minute. Did that last statistic say that family farmers are food insecure? Yes. Most farmers are able to produce enough food to feed others around them, but not for themselves. Most often, they lack adequate storage for their crops, transportation, access to good seeds, well-functioning markets, and financing.

Did you know that if women farmers had the same access to resources as male farmers do, the number of hungry people could be reduced by up to 150 million! What an accomplishment that would be!

So, participate in World Food Day with us! World Food day is celebrated on the 16^th of October every year in in honor of the date that the Food and Agriculture Organization was founded. This is take action day is for everyone to come together and make a commitment to eradicate hunger. Join us on this journey of stopping world hunger!

Sources:

World Food Day USA – http://www.worldfooddayusa.org/what-is-wfd

All Africa – http://allafrica.com

World Food Programme – https://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats