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international aid
Here in Canada, most of us don't really think about water. Easy access to clean drinking water is part of our daily expectations. But in many parts of Kenya, where I recently visited to see some of Plan International Canada's programs, it's impossible not to think about water -- or rather, the severe lack of it.
That this presidency could have serious impacts on reproductive rights in the U.S. is clear. But another serious concern is the global impact the election will have; the U.S. is the biggest donor for reproductive health in developing countries. This could mean the closure of organizations and clinics that provide life-saving services.
We're the nation that opened our doors to Syrian refugees, aren't we? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has declared in his speeches that "we're Canadian and we're here to help." Generosity and giving are fundamental Canadian values -- and the world knows it.
It may be that Mohammad El Halabi has committed misdeeds -- time will tell -- but why should that derail all of World Vision's operations in Gaza? Before the end of August, World Vision had been forced to lay off all 120 staff in Gaza after the organization's bank accounts in Jerusalem had been frozen by Israel. The organization was simply no longer able to transfer money to Gaza.
Children are the most vulnerable in every situation. When a country is torn apart by civil war, shattered by economic collapse or rocked by a major earthquake, children always hurt the most. They also have the most to lose, with their educations incomplete or barely even begun.
What is a remittance? Simply put, the process of sending money internationally from Canada to a friend or family member in a foreign country. Globally, the flows of remittances have grown substantially in recent years. Even with a projected slowdown in 2015, the World Bank recently predicted total remittances to 'developing countries' would exceed $435 Billion USD. To put it in context, official development assistance/foreign aid in 2014 was estimated at just over $135 Billion USD globally.
The place I'm standing looks like a typical highway service centre anywhere in Canada. There's a gas bar, a small store and large paved parking lot for trucks and trailers -- the kind where you might pull over with your family for lunch at a fast-food restaurant. That's where the similarities end.
World Vision has been on the frontlines near the Serbian border since early in the summer, distributing baby kits, hygiene supplies, raincoats, blankets, food and water, and conducting child protection activities. Thus far, we've reached more than 70,000 refugees.
South Sudan is a tough place to live. The world's newest nation is less than five years old and it's been ranked as the most fragile country on earth for the past two years. Yet the proud people who live there hold great potential and targeted, effective aid is building more faces of resilience.
