Women Demand Equality in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea, the most populous nation in the Pacific Islands, is ranked 153 out of 187 countries worldwide for gender equality, which is evident in education, employment, health and political representation.

Patchy Progress on Maternal and Child Health in Pakistan

As the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches, Pakistan must reckon with its patchy progress on maternal and child health.

Africa’s Economic Growth Not Matched by Poverty Reduction

Despite the rapid economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa, the continent has shown a poor capacity to commensurately boost jobs and reduce poverty, according to a report by the African Development Bank titled “Assessing Progress in Africa towards the Millennium Development Goals.”

Africa Can Develop Faster than Developed World

Africa presently only contributes about three percent of global GDP, with South Africa contributing around one percent.

Increasing Uganda’s Cotton and Coffee Production

Cotton was once one of Uganda's key cash crops but a collapse in world prices in the 1980s led to a slump in the market and production. However, cotton production doubled in the 2010/2011 season and brought in 48 million dollars in export earnings.

The Rise of Uganda’s Tobacco Production

Over the years with the demise of cotton production, tobacco has become one of Uganda's key exports. Six years after British American Tobacco set up regional headquarters in this East African nation, it has become a key tobacco producer for the company.

Sierra Leone’s Waters of Life

A coastal city, Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, is an area where people have relied on the ocean for food and employment for as long as they have lived there.

India Scores Low on Environmental Sustainability

Of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) -development targets agreed upon by the international community, whose 2015 deadline is approaching fast - MDG 7 has proven a particular challenge, especially for sprawling, populous countries like India.

Girls Fight to Stay in School

Balancing her school bag on one shoulder and holding her three-year-old son by the hand, Farida Haque (19) ignores her in-laws’ complaints and her husband’s frown as she heads each morning for the tiny school in her remote village of Allah Bachayo, located in the Thatta district of Pakistan’s Sindh Province.

Women Fight Climate Battles

From Zimbabwe to El Salvador, women in poor countries suffer the brunt of climate change, but also learn to recover from disasters, to adapt and even to find opportunities in the new weather conditions.

Zimbabwe’s Education Sector on Slow Road to Recovery

Zimbabwe's education sector, once rated amongst the best in Africa, came close to collapse during the country's economic crisis. A programme launched when the coalition government came into power in 2009 has seen the beginnings of recovery for the sector.

MDGs a Distant Dream for Nepali Children

Currently classified as one of the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Nepal has one of the highest malnutrition rates globally, with over 41 percent of children suffering from chronic under-nourishment, particularly in rural areas.

Former “Blood Diamonds” now Provide Employment

Kenya Not doing Enough to Educate Intellectually Disabled Children

Kenya has made efforts to increase literacy among intellectually normal children but not much is being done to ensure that intellectually handicapped children get appropriate education.

Early sex debut leads to increased teenage pregnancies in Mauritius

Mauritius, held up as an economic success story, is undergoing a lot of social change. However it seems the education system is not keeping pace with the rapid change as the number of teenage pregnancies is on the rise.

Kenyan NGO Pioneers HIV and Aids Phone Counseling

Young people find discussing HIV and Aids and sexuality difficult.In Kenya, a non-governmental organization has made it easier for them by establishing a free tele-counseling service.

Parents Find Caring for Handicapped Children a Major Challenge

Caring for mentally and physically children is difficult any where in the world. In South Africa the situation is worsened by the fact that parents with handicapped children are stigmatized and some parents believe giving birth to a handicapped children is the result of witchcraft or punishment by God.

NGO introduces ICT to schoolchildren in Cameroon

In Cameroon Information and Communication Technologies education is not universally accessible to Primary and secondary school children. A non-governmental organization called Ramsi ICT's House is filling the void by introducing school children to use computers, telephones and digital cameras.

Cook Islanders Greet Leaders At Pacific Islands Forum

The 43rd Pacific Islands Forum was held in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, from 28 to 30 August 2012 involved leaders from the 16 member Pacific nations including Australia and New Zealand. This year's theme: “Large Ocean Island States – the Pacific Challenge” with major topics including climate change, trade and fishing. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton along with more than 500 officials from nearly 60 countries including China, and European Union attended as observers and participated in other meetings in the Cook Islands, some 3000 km northeast of New Zealand.

Running From the Guns

As fighting rages on in Syria, thousands of civilians are fleeing the country with little more than their families and the clothes on their backs, seeking refuge on the Turkish-Syrian border.

New York Farmers Aid the City’s Hungry

At a time when big grocery stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are attracting scores of hungry customers, many local family-run farms are fighting to keep afloat.