VISION
---------------------------------------------——------------———---- Lent 2021
Cambridge University International Development
Lives and livelihoods in Asia’s largest slum: Dharavi’s post-COVID recovery p.6
Dancing out of the pandemic p. 12
Collateral Damage: COVID-19 and Education in Sub-Saharan Africa p. 16
THE PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON DEVELOPMENT Also in this issue ...
THE HEALTH CRISIS HIDDEN BY THE PANDEMIC / COMBATTING FOOD INSECURITYFOR FORCIBLY DISPLACED PEOPLE / CUES MAKEATHON: CUID CHALLENGE WINNER
Contents...
10
MAYA BENEY
Combatting Food Insecurity for Forcibly Displaced People
08
ANNA FEEST
The Health Crisis Hidden by the Pandemic
16
ADITHYA MOHAN
Collateral Damage: Covid-19 and Education in Africa
04 18 Dear Readers...
CUES Makeathon:
NOISIV
CUiD Challenge Winner
Lives and Livelihoods in Asia’s Largest Slum: Dharavi's Post-COVID Recovery
06
JAI SHENDE
Dancing Out of the Pandemic
12
SEBASTIAN MITCHELL
Dear Readers... Dear readers,
Thank you for reading what is the final edition of Vision under my Presidency. I am incredibly proud of what we have produced in circumstances none of us could have predicted. I am hugely grateful to Beatrice and Ella, who have ensured that the magazine happened, and Lucy for her excellent design skills. I am also thankful to Ian and everyone at Afrinspire for their support of CUID. I hope you enjoy reading the magazine and encourage you to get involved with CUID if you can!
Anna Vassiliades President 2020-21
4
Dear Readers,
After what has been an immensely challenging year for everyone around the world, including the realm of international development, we are thrilled to publish Vision’s Lent edition.
We’ve chosen to focus on the future of international development after COVID-19 this term because we think the past year has provided
President: Anna Vassiliades
us with a lot to learn from. Not only have we seen inequalities exacerbated by this worldwide crisis, but we have also been able to see cases of remarkable resilience. As we look towards
Vice President: Pimmy Soongswang
emerging out of this crisis, it is an important time to reflect on what this past year has taught us, and to think about what our vision for the future of international development should be. We hope the collection of ideas in this volume will offer
Editors: Ella Jones and Beatrice Wong
some food for thought.
Artistic Director: Lucy It has been a delight editing this edition of Vision, and the publication of this magazine would not
Williams
have been possible without the amazing work of our artistic director, Lucy, and our team of subeditors — Alejandro, Anna, Rachel, Rob and Zannah.
Publicity Director: Archit Sharma
Finally, we thank you for reading this edition of Vision, and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we have enjoyed working on it. As always, we welcome all feedback and suggestions, and we would encourage anyone who is interested to submit a pitch for our next edition!
Beatrice and Ella
Sub-editors: Alejandro Lemus-Gomez, Zannah Lindley, Rob MacLennan, Rachel McHale, and Anna Sayles
5
Lives Livesand and livelihoods livelihoods in in Asia’s Asia’slargest largest slum: slum: Dharavi’s post-COVID recovery by JAI SHENDE
For the people of Dharavi, working from home is no COVID-era
novelty.
settlement,
life
together:
In
and
hastily
structures
act
Mumbai’s work
biggest
have
constructed,
as
makeshift
informal
always
blurred
semi-permanent
garment
and
leather
factories and double up as workers’ homes. Home to over one million people packed into an area of just two
square
kilometres,
Dharavi
holds
the
dubious
honour of being Asia’s largest slum. Pre-COVID, over 20,000
workshops,
microenterprises
factory
operated
in
units
and
Dharavi’s
other myriad
streets, making up an informal economy estimated to generate upwards of one billion USD a year.
Unsurprisingly, when the coronavirus pandemic first struck
in
emerged
2020, as
informal
hotspots
challenges
of
management
for
poor
systems,
settlements
like
transmission. sanitation
cramped
Dharavi
Along
and
living
with
waste
spaces
and
narrow walkways made social distancing and home quarantine
measures
practically
impossible.
In
Dharavi’s streets, where population density is more than 600 times the national average, there is barely space for two people to walk side by side.
In response, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) launched an ambitious strategy in
57%
April 2020 of ‘chasing the virus’. Instead of relying on self-testing and quarantine, the project was based on door-to-door screening and robust surveillance measures
in
order
to
contain
the
spread
of
the
disease. The authority partnered with local NGOs for community engagement, private hospitals for critical care, and arranged for temporary quarantine centres in
nearby
palaces,
schools,
and
sports
community
complexes,
halls.
marriage
Communal
toilets,
depended upon by around 80% of inhabitants, were
of Dharavi's
disinfected every hour.
What is fittingly now known as the ‘Dharavi Model’
population
has antibodies 6
showed remarkable success in halting the spread of the
virus,
rapidly
flattening
the
curve
of
infected
people within two months and keeping the death toll relatively low. It has also attracted significant media
attention,
hailed
by
the
WHO
and
scientists
in
particular as ‘a lesson for policymakers globally’ for similarly
resource-strapped
and
population-dense
settings.
The
Dharavi
curbing
the
Model spread
was of
certainly
the
virus.
If
important we
look
in
more
closely, however, another reason for the low death toll
surfaces.
The
population
of
Dharavi
is
vendors
affected
by
COVID-19.
However,
many
street vendors in Dharavi and nationwide have yet received
any
credit
despite
having
filled
in
the
application.
overwhelmingly young, most infected people being between 21 and 50 years old. As we know, COVID-19
Moreover,
the
challenge
is a much more likely cause of death in those who
bureaucratic
are 75 or older. Moreover, according to a study by
work
without
the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR),
them
ineligible
57% of Dharavi’s population has antibodies, meaning
institutional protection, the informal sector has seen
that
procedures the
of
mean
requisite
for
navigating that
licenses
government
lengthy
many
people
which
makes
schemes.
Lacking
some
a severe crisis over these past few months, laying
point. This large number of asymptomatic or mild
bare the inadequacy of the Indian state in providing
cases were not reflected in the numbers recorded by
for urban communities.
this
proportion
had
been
infected
at
municipal authorities. Such evidence indicates that rather
than
simply
stopping
the
spread
of
Historically,
in
an
effort
to
challenge
the
coronavirus, the Dharavi Model relied to some extent
demonisation
on herd immunity.
government and policy discourse, academics have instead
Moreover, the dominant policy discourse acclaiming the Dharavi Model’s success draws a curtain over the long-term and equally pressing effects of the virus on
the
local
economy.
Faced
with
months
of
lockdown and depressed demand in an economic downturn, many migrant workers struggled to get by, burning through what little savings they had. Living off food packages from local NGOs or choosing to embark upon arduous journeys back to their home villages were their only options. When lockdown was lifted at the end of May 2020 despite soaring cases, workers were forced to make a choice to either stay at
home
and
starve
or
go
out
to
work
and
risk
contracting the virus themselves.
of
striven
informal
to
economic
emphasise
the
activity
creativity
in
and
improvisation behind the ability of informal workers to find ways to ‘get by’ (Ferguson, 2015 and Theme, 2018).
Dharavi’s
astonishing
residents
resilience
and
certainly
display
entrepreneurial
spirit
in
eking out their livelihoods, especially during COVID19, and the way in which we theorise about informal work has profound implications for policy. But what academics miss when they emphasise how informal workers do get by despite all the challenges facing them are the occasions in which they do not. Workers in Dharavi manage to scrape together a living, but at what cost? And what happens when this precarious equilibrium
is
unbalanced
by
disruptive
economic
forces like the fallout of COVID-19? Unregistered,
While the worst health effects of the virus may have been contained in Dharavi, residents have not been spared
the
economic
effects
of
the
pandemic.
Informal workers, lacking state protection, have been hit
particularly
reduced
hard.
footfall
on
Beggars
struggle
Mumbai
due
streets.
to
Leather
manufacturers
of
Dharavi
and
entrepreneurs
in
unprotected,
the
informal
workers
economy
and
lack
the
insurance and institutional support to weather the consequences of these unprecedented times.
the
Domestic
workers are no longer allowed into their employers’ homes.
unregulated
are
seeking protections from the Indian government in
The Dharavi Model may have reduced the loss of life, but
authorities
facing
cannot
policymakers
stop
here
is
there. to
The
provide
challenge short-term
support to informal workers and also design long-
the form of higher tariffs or even blanket bans on
term
universal
social
protection
measures
to
give
foreign imports but have been virtually ignored.
workers a basic level of security. Governments must actively engage with and support informal workers
In October 2020, PM Narendra Modi launched the
through
Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors’ Atmanirbhar Nidhi
achieve decent work for all.
Yojana,
which
aims
to provide
loans to
conscientious
policy
efforts
in
order
to
street
7
The health crisis hidden by the pandemic by ANNA FEEST
In some African languages it's known as the "big cough"... In some African languages it’s known as the ‘big
Tuberculosis is mostly treatable: once diagnosed, it
cough’, because of its most common symptom. It
requires a 6-month course of antimicrobial drugs,
was brought to Sub-Saharan Africa primarily by
ideally provided with information and support by
white Europeans who could afford to travel, before
health workers. Some forms are known as ‘multi-
passing
drug resistant’ (MDR), where the bacteria do not
it
to
domestic
workers.
Transmitted
through the air, it disproportionately affects people
respond
from low socio-economic backgrounds, who also
these are mostly curable using second-line drugs
to
some
of
the
drugs
used,
but
again
often lack access to basic sanitation and live in
(although these options are limited, expensive and
cramped, poorly ventilated houses.
time-consuming). MDR tuberculosis often develops when the 6-month course of drugs is disrupted, meaning the support from health workers is key to
You
could
be
forgiven
for
thinking
this
is
a
effective treatment.
description of COVID-19 - it has been, after all, the main news story for the last year. In fact, this is
Worldwide rates of tuberculosis had been slowly
tuberculosis, or TB, one of the deadliest infectious
declining since 2015, but the pandemic is set to
diseases in the world, and the biggest killer in the
wipe
last
million
extra 1.4 million TB-related deaths in the next five
people die from TB, a number that has been slowly
years as a direct consequence of the pandemic;
declining
expert
2000
years.
in
Sustainable
Every
recent
year,
years
Development
–
around
part
Goal
1.5
of
#3
the
UN’s
to
end
is
epidemics such as tuberculosis.
out
this
progress.
modelling
The
suggests
WHO
that
if
estimates
the
an
pandemic
leads to a global reduction of 25% in detecting TB for 3 months – a very realistic possibility given the levels of disruption already seen – we could expect
Unlike
coronavirus,
regarded
as
a
however,
disease
the
tuberculosis past
in
is
many
a 13% increase in deaths caused by TB. This doesn’t even
factor
in
indirect
of
Africa and South East Asia, where there is often
ventilation),
inadequate health infrastructure, desperately poor
health outcomes for TB patients who also become
populations,
infected with covid.
densely basic
populated sanitation.
areas It
is
1 with
treatment
transmission
the
people kept indoors in close quarters with poor
to
increased
effects
pandemic
and
as
other
bear the burden – over 80% of new cases are in
access
such
the
Western, developed states. Low-income countries
limited
interruptions
and
(with
poorer
also
particularly deadly in combination with HIV, which
Although there have been limited cases of patients
again
infected with both tuberculosis and COVID-19 so
is
more
commonly
regions such as these.
8
of
found
in
developing
far, most experts agree this combination worsens
The WHO estimates an extra
1.4 million treatment
outcomes,
especially
if
the
TB
in the next
treatment is interrupted. This in turn increases the risk of developing the more problematic TBMDR. Due to lockdowns, healthcare services are running
at
limited
capacity,
and
outreach
5
TB-related deaths
years as a direct
consequence of the pandemic
programs (often key for reaching remote, rural communities in low-income countries) have been scaled back or suspended, meaning that many
from
previous
pandemics,
and
with
generally
young populations and warmer climates – and
are
even though lack of testing means these figures
afraid to come to hospital for fear of infection
may be unreliable, death rates haven’t rocketed
from COVID-19 – as for those living on the edge
as
of poverty, this means a quarantine that they
were taken at first, but many of these have since
simply
cannot
been relaxed, with suggestions that lockdowns
where
budgets
cases
are
going
undiagnosed.
afford. are
In
Patients
developing
limited,
funds
countries
are
being
they
may
diverted away from normal services such as TB,
from
malaria
have
in
actually
Europe.
Drastic
inadvertently
poverty,
hunger
and
interventions
cause other
more
deaths
diseases
than
the
they prevent from COVID-19. Social distancing
additional costs of COVID-19 related care, so
and staying at home are also unlikely to be as
the
effective anyway - people often live in crowded
and
quality
maternal
of
health
healthcare
is
to
cover
decreasing,
and
patients are losing trust. This is all, of course
conditions
assuming that patients even have the funds to
such
cover their treatment in the first place - a bold
Additionally,
assumption
information
that
the
pandemic
has
only
weakened.
without
as
access
running
water,
without on
to
the
basic
soap
reliable situation
sanitation
and
masks.
communication, is
often
gained
through inaccurate social media or perceived as false information from already-distrusted, often
Bill Gates has described COVID-19 as a once-ina-century
pandemic,
epidemics
such
as
but
if
we’re
tuberculosis
not
are
going
to
become much larger problems for the rest of the century.
Yet
the
increasing
threat
of
these
epidemics – tuberculosis, malaria, and more – is only
symptomatic
looming
behind
of
the
the
larger
one
we
health
crisis
currently
find
ourselves in: that access to healthcare in general is
being
massively
impacted,
and
disproportionately so for the world’s poorest.
The direct effects of COVID-19 – and largely on Western, developed nations – have taken centre stage
on
countries, systems
world the
as
a
news,
indirect whole
but
in
effects need
low-income
on
serious
corrupt governments.
careful,
healthcare attention.
Compared to countries with stronger economic
The economic impact is hardest on those already vulnerable, and when half the population of SubSaharan
Africa
threatens family
to
already
push
member
tuberculosis,
lives
them
into
dying
or
any
in
poverty,
financial
from
the
other
virus,
disease
this
ruin.
A or
going
undetected and untreated due to the pandemic, means a lost source of income. Unemployment rates have risen, businesses have been forced to shut and consumers have lower spending power. Vaccination programs – not for COVID-19, that is a long way off for many of these countries have
been
(including
put
the
on
hold,
and
anti-malarials
some
touted
medicines by
Trump)
are in short and expensive supply.
infrastructure and healthcare systems, the social and economic consequences of the virus have been far more significant than its direct health effects for these younger, poorer populations.
Universal healthcare coverage is another part of the #3 SDG, but we’re still a long way off that being
a
reality;
healthcare
was
already
unaffordable to many, and rising costs and lower
When the pandemic started, there was serious
incomes
concern
affordable
about
how
it
would
affect
poorer
are
widening
healthcare,
the be
gap.
it
for
Access
to
tuberculosis,
countries without the same quality of healthcare
malaria, or any other disease, is a privilege many
that we enjoy for free in the UK. Cases have in
can
fact
money: healthcare is not a priority when it is a
remained
equipped with
fairly
low
in
Africa
the resources and
–
already
knowledge
only
dream
of.
People
are
struggling
for
fight to put food on the table.
9
Combatting Food Insecurity for Forcibly Displaced Peoples Using the Case Study of Ethiopian Refugees in Sudan In
by MAYA BENEY
November
2020,
the
Ethiopian
government
under Abiy Ahmed launched an invasion of Tigray, the northernmost region of the country. Ahmed’s deployment of federal troops in the region had a clear aim: to oust the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) from its position as the area’s most powerful party. This was intended to be a decisive incursion but has instead turned into a protracted military conflict leaving grave humanitarian abuses in
its
wake,
cleansing
including
and
accusations
genocide
against
of
the
ethnic
Tigrayan
peoples. As of January 2021, it is estimated that there
have
been
more
than
222,000
people
internally displaced in Ethiopia due to the conflict, in
addition
to
the
100,000
who
displaced. Three months later, this
were
already
figure
is likely
to have increased.
An estimated 60,000 refugees have fled the Tigray region and crossed the border into eastern Sudan. The
Um
Rakuba
and
the
newly
established
Tenetba camp are the two main resettlement sites where refugees will be expected to reside. Yet there are still significant logistical problems that must be addressed, including: proper water and sanitation (including
infrastructure COVID-19);
to
avert
overcrowding;
diseases transferring
refugees from border regions to distant camps, and delivering aid (including food packages). This article will focus on the current situation regarding food
insecurity
border
areas
for or
Ethiopian
camps,
refugees
placing
it
in
these
within
the
Sudanese context of wider food insecurity in the country.
It is important to note that contrary to popular opinion, the majority of countries hosting refugees are
not
wealthy,
geographical people
are
and
proximity
fleeing.
tend to
These
to
be
based
the
regions
host
countries
on
which face
problems of their own, including limited capacity [1]https://www.ft.com/content/8f18a8bf-0999-43e6-96363581a8a2c249 and https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicitysudan-ethiopia-only-on-ap-49166602bcb2a0a112402e202a034f38 [2]https://www.unocha.org/story/daily-noon-briefing-highlights-
to provide aid to their refugee communities, and food insecurity (defined here as a lack of reliable access to sufficient and nutritious food). Sudan is
ethiopia-niger-yemen [3]https://www.rescue.org/press-release/thousands-more-fleeingconflict-ethiopia-arrive-eastern-sudan-irc-scales-emergency [4]https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/refugees-asylumseekers-and-migrants/global-refugee-crisis-statistics-and-facts/
10
such an example. It is estimated that between
February and September 2021, most regions will face minimal (IPC Phase 1) or stressed acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 2). However, some areas will be
in
Crisis
(IPC
contributing
to
Phase this
3).
Significant
insecurity
factors
include
the
government’s devaluation of the Sudanese Pound, at the same time as staple food prices increase in most
main
markets
because
of
extremely
high
production and transportation costs. In addition to this,
Sudan
also
hosts
refugees
from
other
countries such as South Sudan, and the overall number of IDPs is around 1.5 million, concentrated in Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile.
The difficulties of ensuring stable food supply for refugees in Sudan are thus compounded by the broader food insecurity in Sudan. Extremely high transportation
costs
caused
by
the
Sudanese
government’s removal of fuel subsidies in October 2020 food
have
had
prices.
problems
of
It
the
effect
also
of
increasing
exacerbates
transporting
food
the
from
stable
logistical
agricultural
centres to transit centres or refugee camps, which are
often
in
remote
areas.
Furthermore,
pre-
existing food insecurity could also depreciate the government’s capacity (or willingness) to donate
settlement Tenetba
agents
must
therefore
be
considered in the mitigation of food insecurity for Ethiopian
refugees:
the
Sudanese
government,
NGOs and humanitarian organisations such as the WFP
(World
refugees
Food
Programme),
themselves.
Broader
and
crucially,
measures
such
as
reintegration of the Sudanese economy into the international economy and reassertion of control over fuel and food prices will have the knock-on effect of aiding food supply to refugees in border areas. food
Yet this insecurity
solution in
resolves the problem of
Sudan,
rather
than
transportation important
International organisations such as the WFP have already made considerable progress in providing food for refugees, organising monthly food rations including sorghum, lentils, oil and salt (particularly as
sorghum
and
millet
prices
have
particularly risen in Sudan). This has been achieved
and
food
centres
routes.
A
consideration
Um
delivery, and
final, is
Rakuba
creating
establishing
but
what
and
nonetheless
role
Ethiopian
refugees themselves can play in increasing their food security. This question is complex as it relies on several questions that are yet to be answered: how long will the conflict in the Tigray region last?
are
the
attitudes
of
the
Sudanese
government and locals towards Ethiopians farming on
their
have
land?
to
on
one
encouraging previously
Although
depend
questions,
solutions
future
possible
Ethiopian
farmers)
to
will
outcomes route
refugees
cultivate
ultimately to
these
could (many
land
be were
surrounding
established resettlement sites, which would benefit both the refugee and settler community. NGOs or external humanitarian agencies such as the WFP would be best placed to provide refugees with the appropriate tools and resources for farming.
To conclude, this article has highlighted the three
in
to
aided
at
different actors which will be the most significant
country.
thanks
as
directly
tackling the lack of food for refugees in the host
important
also
organised
What principal
has
better
such
When, or will it ever be safe for refugees to return?
food to non-citizens.
Three
sites
the
generosity
individuals.
The
of
international
transfer
of
donors
refugees
away
combatting
refugees safety
in
fleeing
food the
Sudan.
It
insecurity Tigray
for
region,
considers
Ethiopian
and
how
seeking
potential
measures for strengthening refugees’ food supply will differ from the strengthening of food security in one country alone, hopefully demonstrating how this case study can be extended as a model for increasing food security for displaced peoples in poorer host countries.
from remote transit camps to more established [5]https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/SUDAN_Foo
[8] Ibid.
d_Security_Outlook_February%202021_Final.pdf
[9] https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-sudan-calls-funding-support-
[6] Ibid
refugees-ethiopia-thanks-japan and
[7] Ibid.
https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-food-security-outlookupdate-december-2020
11
Dancing out of the pandemic: The Zena Launchpad is changing charity, building community, and transforming lives. by SEBASTIAN MITCHELL
Seb Mitchell zooms over to Uganda to chat with Caragh Bennet, co-founder & CEO of Zena, about their new hybrid model of social enterprise. Caragh shares stories from the lives of Florence, Rehema, Sandra, and Betty - four entrepreneurs Zena have trained during the pandemic. Charity is changing, and despite the pandemic, Caragh highlights the power of community, the importance of financial independence, and her hopes for the future of international development.
internationally. Selling our jewellery internationally provides save
a
training portion
of
female
their
entrepreneurs
earnings
to
who
start
their
business dream. And the great thing about our short-term apprenticeship is it gives a platform for community
and
for
education.
So,
while
the
women are earning with us, they're also learning with us. Alongside making jewellery, there are daily classes,
" Zena is founded on the premise that female entrepreneurs are a catalyst for change in rural communities, but they face two main barriers: access to capital, and education.
for
leadership
ongoing
personal
development
to
mentoring, really
equip
and these
entrepreneurs.
After two years on our programme, our women have saved enough capital and have built the skills
We don't believe debt or handouts overcome these,
so
to
overcome
the
first
obstacle
the
women create our line of jewellery that we sell
12
and
confidence
business.
they
Normally
‘graduation’ party.”
we
need
to
start
celebrate
their
with
a
own huge
“The pandemic has really highlighted the power of community and the importance of financial independence for these women. From March until May in 2020 Uganda went into a strict
lockdown.
All
non-essential
workplaces
shut
down, travel across district lines was banned, and there was a very strict curfew from 7pm to 6:30am. While
many
of
our
graduates
had
to
shut
their
businesses temporarily, all have now reopened. Their savings have provided a buffer when they needed to stay lean.
The first thing we’ve really been reflecting on is the importance of community. Sandra, who started a hair salon last year, says “I look around, and I can see businesses on either side of me have had to shut down, but God has sustained me.” Sandra shares how
the
community
of
Zena
women
have
encouraged her and even come to her salon in show of support. Since then, she's been able to grow her business
and
employ
two
new
members
of
staff.
She’s been able to raise her own family above the poverty line, and now the families of the two other women she employs. For us, that's an example of where
you
can
really
start
seeing
long-term
sustainable grassroots change. And so the power of connection,
the
power
of
belonging
has
been
important in this time.
The pandemic showed us how much our team and graduates love working at our HQ and in their own business.
Rehema,
who
has
been
running
a
local
produce shop since last Autumn, says that returning to
work
she
was
“mostly
excited
about
the
friendships I had made at the HQ. The lockdown took that away from us, we were so happy to get back together.”
On the flipside, for some women, home situations are
really,
really
gender-based
difficult.
violence,
Lockdown
and
being
means
at
home
more with
maybe an abusive or alcoholic husband. We’re so glad that we can have all of our women back in the building now, albeit with social distancing and maskwearing. Financial independence has also been a necessity for our women, and particularly during the lockdown.
For
Betty,
who
founded
a
convenience
shop, it’s been the difference between having food on the table and not. There were lots of people who were
losing
jobs
or
not
able
to
work
as
much
because of the lockdowns, but our women were able to provide for and support their communities and families.
13 7
“Looking to the future, we’re excited about the potential for our model.
Development
I
said,
it’s
been
gratifying
to
see
that
our
And
from
our
experience,
female household income earners are in a prime position
As
Goals.
to
change
the
statistics
on
hunger,
wellbeing, and poverty.
model can weather the storm, and now I think the onus is on us to share the stories we have. For example, Florence, who graduated in February and
has
opened
her
own
boutique,
that
As I said, it’s been gratifying to see that our Rehema has started a catering business, and
“This
she has hopes for the future: “I am so excited
year I am hopeful because I've been able to start
because of the business I am in. I work in food
my business. I am now independent, I am earning my own money, I am my own boss, I am a big person.”
and work with schools and all kinds of people. I know things will only get better from here.” We hope with Rehema that we will be able to come out
Let's get the word out. Let's go. I think, for us, there's a real sense that this is an opportunity as we
emerge
from
the
pandemic,
to
share
of
this
pandemic
singing,
dancing,
and
celebrating, and most of all changing the story of rural poverty in Uganda.”
the
good news, to keep a positive approach, and to think about how we can expand our impact, how we can make this go further. We would love to see if our model has legs outside
Uganda.
empowerment
is
Right
now,
certainly
female an
international
priority. It fits multiple UN Sustainable
14
Let's get the word
economic
out. Let's go.
We hope with Rehema that we will be able to come out of this pandemic singing, dancing, and celebrating, and most of all changing the story of rural poverty in Uganda.
15
Collateral Damage: Covid-19 and Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
BY ADITHYA MOHAN
Covid-19
has
education
caused
in
the
recorded
largest
history
disruption
(United
to
Nations,
stimulate
2020). Whilst the crisis is a truly global issue, this
skills
generalisation
importance
that
have
glosses
led
inherent
support of
this
education
transformation. means
the
The
potential
modelling predicts that lifetime earnings could fall
nations have been able to mitigate the effects of
by as much as $500 billion. Previous experiences
losing in-person teaching by using e-learning, but
during
for 66% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa, school
significant proportion of children may never return
closures
completely
to school, causing persistent damage (Bandiera et
countries
al., 2020). Most countries have tried to introduce
vaccines
distanced
harmful
meant
struggling
to
stopped
Furthermore,
secure
prevent
the
with
quantities
of
epidemic
learning,
and
suggest
some
that
responses
a
have
students will need to wait longer for a return to
of radio programs to deliver interactive teaching
normality
or Malawi’s introduction of solar-powered offline
In
their
regions
outbreaks,
Ebola
been particularly innovative, such as Rwanda’s use
than
recurring
the
African
nations.
to
consequences.
learning
2020).
nations
that
losses from school closure are colossal; World Bank
(UNICEF,
developing
inequalities
industrialisation,
Wealthy
needed
to
over
and
suffering
particularly
counterparts where
in
developed
intensifying
climate
tablets.
Despite
these
efforts,
engagement
has
shocks and armed conflict already pose a threat
been low even amongst children who can access
to
the
education,
the
pandemic
will
have
tragic
consequences for the well-being of children.
internet,
due
to
a
fall
in
student-teacher
interaction. Limited access to electricity and the internet
16
digitalisation
schooling will play a crucial role in developing the
has
been
a
major
barrier
to
remote
Economists have long regarded education as a
learning efforts, with children from rural areas and
primary
poorer families being disproportionately affected.
driver
of
growth.
As
Africa
looks to
al.
2021).
Whilst
it
is
impossible to completely make up for lost school
of children in
time, active efforts before and after school reopening can minimise the effect of lost learning on
Sub-Saharan Africa,
children’s opportunities.
school closures meant learning
Although these interventions are necessary, short-
stopped completely
term
oriented
educational
policies
gap
alone
between
will
not
close
Sub-Saharan
the
Africa
and the rest of the world. Returning to the status The
pandemic’s
impact
on
education
goes
far
quo in a post-Covid world will fail to address pre-
beyond the direct effects of school closures. The
existing
financial
must be used as a catalyst to accelerate systemic
strain
imposed
on
families
has
inequities
education.
to feed their children, a problem amplified by the
irrelevant and overly complex material needs to be
loss of in-school meal provision and increases in
replaced to benefit both students and teachers.
the
More
rigorous
and
higher
neglected.
food,
education
Economic
is
likely
circumstance
to
may
be
force
in
the
pre-service standards
region.
pandemic
reform
of
education
The
compounded learning losses. As parents struggle
prices
of
in
training
Outdated,
for
enforced
teachers
by
regular
children to abandon their education to make ends
assessments of performance can help deal with
meet.
the problems of absenteeism and inefficiency that
For
girls
in
Africa,
continuing
education
during the pandemic has been especially difficult
hold
because
countries.
Familial
important
after
of
household
gender-specific chores
and
expectations
take
care
of
to
do
younger
relatives. Being out of school increases the risks of
worsens the future prospects of children, but also harms
development
by
increasing
population
perpetuate skills
cross-generational
leave
affected
inequality.
individuals
less
Lower
able
to
support their children in the future, trapping the disadvantaged in a vicious cycle of generational
support
children
will
in
developing
continue
return
to
to
school
be and
parental involvement programmes have proven to be effective and affordable (Barrera-Osorio et al. 2020). Combining informational campaigns with monetary
incentives
can
increase
inclusivity
by
removing the financial and social constraints that cause
low
Although
enrolment
they
may
in
marginalised
be
expensive,
groups. ‘bundled’
education interventions can have a transformative effect on learning outcomes in the world’s most deprived areas (Fazzio et al. 2020).
poverty.
minimise
damage,
policymakers
must
act
immediately. Re-opening schools as soon as health concerns permit should be a priority. Vaccination must
be
sped
up,
a
process
the
global
community can support through initiatives such as COVAX. Children who do not return to class must be identified and encouraged to re-engage with the
learning
process.
If
schools
have
to
remain
shut, policies must be implemented to make the technology universally
needed
for
accessible.
To
training
increase
teachers
in
learning
e-learning’s these
novel
crisis
reveal
the
deficiencies
of
institutions in society, and the pandemic has made the desperate need for education reform in SubSaharan
Africa
positions
of
glaringly many
obvious.
African
The
financial
countries
have
deteriorated in the past year, leaving policymakers with
a
people
monumental are
the
most
challenge. valuable
Nevertheless,
asset
a
country
possesses. Failure to invest in education not only limits the opportunities of the children affected by the
educational
crisis,
but
it
will
also
prevent
sustainable, inclusive growth in the future. Sub-
in
Saharan Africa needs systemic change to stop the
learning is also crucial in supporting children in
pandemic from becoming a generational tragedy
these
that constrains development for decades to come.
methods
is
hard
necessary.
times.
Parental
involvement
Cash transfers to parents can
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REFEERNCES: ” , y r e v o c e r o t d a o r e h t g ni t r a h C – e sl u P s’ a ci r f A‘ , ) 0 2 0 2 ( k n a B dl r o W
66%
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for
CUES Makeathon: CUiD Challenge Winner This
term
CUiD
partnered
with
the
Cambridge
University Engineering Society (CUES) on the CUES Makeathon. The Makeathon was based on the theme of ‘Global Solutions’ and required teams to use their
can help the world.
CUiD challenged the engineers to develop solutions to societal
problems
created
by
the
COVID-19
pandemic. We had some incredible submissions with ideas ranging from robotic nurses to viral simulations to improve public awareness. However, there could only
be
one
winner
and
that
team
was
VacPac.
VacPac impressed all the judges with their solution to vaccine
delivery
vaccines
are
in
often
developing
spoiled
countries
before
they
where
reach
their
intended destinations due to the lack of cold chain infrastructure. VacPac has written more about their story and technology below:
“The idea for VacPac came about when one of our team members, Egle, attended a talk two years ago, by
an
NGO
where
they
presented
issues
with
vaccination in developing countries. Since then, she’d wanted to help solve some of these. In particular, one issue
that
countries,
stuck the
with
her
was
infrastructure
that
for
in
developing
transporting
cold
products is lacking, especially during the “last mile” of vaccine
delivery.
This
means
many
vaccines
unfortunately go to waste; according to WHO data, 2.8 million vaccines went to waste in five countries in 2011.
Right now, most vaccines are transported in cooler boxes, not dissimilar to a cooler you would use for your picnic, just better insulated. One issue with these coolers is that to retrieve a vaccine, you have to open the entire box, exposing all the vaccines to heat and potentially contaminating them.
18
vaccines went to waste
design prototypes of new ideas and innovations that
to WHO data,
2.8 million
technical knowledge and creativity to build, code and
according
in five countries in 2011.
To
solve
this,
we
designed
VacPac,
a
3D
printed
1.
device which lets you take out vaccines one by one, without having to open a lid. The design is entirely mechanical,
so
no
power
is
required,
and
is
really
quite simple and robust. It’s also very cheap, costing
£5
about
per device. We’re hoping that because the
device can be 3D printed, it could be quickly fitted into the existing vaccine coolers and allow them to keep vaccines cooler for longer, a goal which seems more urgent now with COVID-19 than ever before.
We’d love to see our device being used in the field, but first we need to make sure we’ve got the best design
possible,
participating
in
that’s the
why
Hercules
currently
we’re
Cambridge
Design
Tournament. We’re working with our mentors and using the judges, who are top industrial design experts, to get advice on how to improve our design the best we can. However, it’s proving challenging to find people in Cambridge who have experience working in this
Most
vaccines
carriers
look
something like this...
area in developing countries. We’d really love to get some advice on potential issues from people on the ground
(If
you
have
any
experience
working
in
medicine in developing countries please get in touch! Email
do340@cam.ac.uk)!
Hopefully
VacPac
will
be
out there soon, reducing vaccine waste.”
The VACPAC solution:
Do
visit
about
our how
website
to
VACPAC
read works
more at:
https://devpost.com/software/lastmile-vaccine-delivery
19
VISION