K’naan’s hit song, “Wavin’ Flag” became his biggest hit after he released it in 2009; it even became the key theme and official song in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, the lyrics painted a story of suffering and poverty amidst a nationwide disaster. This story was the reality for Haiti. One January afternoon, a massive earthquake of 7.0 magnitude hit close to Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince and affected a third of Haiti’s population. What made things worse was the already unstable infrastructure, which led to massive damage of nearby buildings. It was estimated that about 300,000 people lost their lives as a result of the disaster. Families lost their homes and education, because those buildings were no longer usable....
Haiti’s former glory and promises of democracy lie forgotten as the country becomes increasingly ravaged with violence, crime, demonstrations, and corruption. The devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010 coupled with a cholera epidemic was the last blow as it leveled major housing and education infrastructures and also destroyed the citizens scantily gathered hopes and growth along with it, plunging the Haitian population into a never-ending cycle of chronic poverty. Demonstrations Demonstrations and protests are a daily occurrence in the lives of many Haitians as mounting sentiments of anger were aimed towards the country’s president, Jovenel Moïse. Distrust of the government took on a physical form in the ruined cities of Haiti. Many factors such as a deepening fuel shortage, spiraling...
The importance of girls’ education is now very well understood. And so, in this fourth blog, we will be discussing the implications of that notion and how it contributes to the development of a much grander and fruitful world. It is recognized that education is an essential tool for women’s empowerment. Women’s empowerment refers to women’s ability to make strategic life choices where that ability had been previously denied them. That is to say, to empower women is to motivate and present them with fair representation across all aspects of social and economic life. The need to empower females is quintessential in achieving gender equality and the sustainable development of all countries. “Gender equality is an essential expression of human...
International Literacy Day was established on September 8 under UNESCO in 1966 to recognize the value of literacy, which now relates to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The ability to read and write is lowest in young females, which is why organizations such as Me to We, UNICEF, and World Vision are emphasizing girls’ education more than ever. But why is it such a big issue? Why is it important? Finally, what can we do to help? All these questions will be answered through our third blog post. Why is the lack of girls’ education an issue around the world? Many young girls in third world countries suffer from oppressive lifestyles due to a lack of education. Since they...
Hello! Thank you for your continued support of Her Dreams Matter. We hope everyone is continuing to practice healthy habits and safe procedures to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Washing hands, Wearing a face mask, Staying physically distanced, and Avoiding populated areas are crucial to helping citizens make a slow return to regular life. In 2014 during the Ebola crisis, many schools in Africa were left empty, bringing down the number of students who could receive education. What followed after was an increase in marriage and child pregnancy (UNESCO). 6 years later, schools all over the world have experienced closures following the World Health Organization’s announcement of a global pandemic. With little access to technology or the internet, learning was...