International Development & Philanthropy - Intertwined & Indispensable
Here at illuminAid, we work at the pulsating heart of international development and philanthropy. International video workshops have continued, and more possible ventures into global rural communities are being explored on a weekly basis. Our capacity building programs with partner NGOs are as robust as ever.
Even with the uptick in projects, illuminAid always has its eyes set not only on the present, but on the future as well. Our work is essential for globally underserved communities to develop the capacity to disseminate life-saving and life-boosting knowledge much more seamlessly. Channeling video to teach communities long-term skills is the strategy we embrace, rather than providing direct relief services.This timeless adage will forever sum our work: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
In playing the long game at illuminAid, we are always keeping our finger on the pulse of trends in the realm of international poverty. Of course, international poverty has unfortunately been catalyzed by the far-reaching and fatal grasp of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many years of progress on reversing poverty worldwide have now been on a backwards trajectory due to the pandemic, exacerbated climate issues, and more (Beaumont, Peter. The Guardian. “Decades of progress on extreme poverty now in reverse due to Covid.”) The World Bank even reported a forecast earlier this year of a rise in poverty induced by COVID-19 of 143 million to 163 million people (World Bank. “Updated estimates of the impact of COVID-19 on global poverty: Looking back at 2020 and the outlook for 2021”). This comes into direct conflict with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #1 (to end all poverty), which is one of the SDGs we closely embrace in our work.
Going even further, the World Data Lab has projected that by next year, more than 50% of the world’s poorest people will be living in what are known as “fragile states.” With approximately 40 fragile states in the world described as “countries with high levels of institutional and social fragility,” along with being “affected by violent conflict,” any work to build the capacity of these fragile states to rise out of poverty is of the utmost importance. The core of poverty worldwide in fragile states is based in Africa (Brookings. “Poverty and fragility: Where will the poor live in 2030?”).
Some good news is that illuminAid has conducted recent successful work in Africa and has a proven track record of executing wonderful capacity building programs there. Our most recent trip to Mozambique was a very strong success, and a capacity building program is very much underway. However, for future success to be achieved in Africa and elsewhere, we will still need support from our generous donors and partners.
Please consider making a donation on our Donate page. We will provide everyone with further updates about our community engagement endeavors soon as well. Thank you for your generous support, and please continue to help us change countless lives abroad.
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