The CATALYST Giving Guide: 11 Nonprofits Working to Change the World

This holiday season, give the gift of support to nonprofit organizations operating across the globe. Through your donation, you have the ability of giving literacy to children, gender-equal education to girls, protection for displaced people and more. 

Silent reading time in Lao, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY SA-3.0

Education is an important tool that many nonprofits work to provide to children in countries around the world. By building literacy and providing important resources, organizations are granting children the ability to change their lives.

1. Pencils of Promise 

Pencils of Promise is a global organization that works for greater educational opportunities. Their initiatives provide teachers with training and resources and provide students with safe places to learn. Pencils of Promise has now built more than 550 schools in Ghana, Guatemala and Laos. Your donation would help them continue providing children with access to education in facilities that grant them access to clean water and private bathrooms.

2. Room to Read

More than 750 million people are illiterate, two-thirds of them women and girls. Room to Read works with global communities to extend literacy and gender equality in education. So far, more than 23 million children and communities in South Africa, South Asia and the Middle East have received their support. A donation will help bridge the gap, granting more women and young girls the power of literacy. 

Women and girls are a crucial focus among national and international organizations. By providing women and young girls with equal access to education, healthcare and economic and political empowerment, nonprofits are creating a brighter future for generations to come.

3. Girls Rising 

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, girls’ education is in a state of crisis. Girls Rising provides their own customized curricula focused on building confidence and agency among young girls in more than 12 countries. A donation gives girls the gift of understanding their rights along with confidence in their ability to change their lives and communities. 

4. Global Fund for Women

The Global Fund for Women is one of the leading foundations for women’s equality. They have invested in nearly 5,000 grassroots groups in 175 countries, helping win rights for millions of women and girls. Their campaigns for economic and political empowerment as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights both take a movement-led approach that is consistently under-resourced. Donations support these movements and lead to more egalitarian workplace regulations, more equitable land rights, better access to financial institutions, expanded legal protections for domestic workers and stronger laws against sexual harassment around the globe. 

The environment is a crucial issue for our planet and everything it inhabits. As temperatures continue to rise, resources deplete and weather intensifies, we are beginning to see the realities of a future on Earth.  

5. Greenpeace

Greenpeace’s global priority is to undermine the fossil fuel sector and remove fossil fuels’ legitimacy in society. Through nonviolent creative action, Greenpeace confronts the systems that threaten our environment. Donations support them as they pave the way towards a greener world. 

Human rights issues occur around the globe, and there are nonprofit organizations doing the work to help. Through their efforts, victims of human trafficking and refugees around the world receive lifesaving assistance. 

6. Free the Slaves

Free the Slaves is on a mission to abolish the conditions that allow modern slavery to exist. Their community liberation model focuses on community engagement, policy and advocacy, movement building and learning initiatives. Your donation would allow them to provide funding and technical expertise to local organizations in human trafficking hotspots in India, Ghana, Haiti, Mauritiana, Brazil, Nepal, Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

7. Amnesty 

Show your support and give to Amnesty, a nonprofit organization that works for human rights across the globe through a three-tier approach: research, mobilization and advocacy. They are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization. Last year alone, Amnesty helped free 153 people who were wrongfully imprisoned and changed laws in dozens of countries on refugees, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ equality, free speech, the death penalty and other critical human rights issues.

8. Refugees International 

There are currently more than 80 million people displaced by conflict, human rights abuse, persecution and climate disasters. Refugees International does work in the Americas, Asia, Europe, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East to provide lifesaving assistance, human rights and protection for displaced people. A donation to Refugees International supports promoting solutions to displacement crises around the world.

Travel can often have a negative impact on local communities. However, there are organizations whose goals are to connect travelers with locals to ensure the communities’ residents are the ones benefiting. 

9. Travel2Change

Travel2Change is a Hawaii-based nonprofit organization that encourages travelers to make a difference in the community. Their work ensures that the local Hawaiian community benefits from tourism by connecting visitors with impactful activities offered by locals. Your donation this giving season helps Travel2Change keep its activities affordable or free so as many people as possible are able to participate and connect to the local community. 

Health is a universal subject across the globe and during the pandemic, the most susceptible communities were ones that were already distressed. Nonprofit organizations are providing medical assistance to people all over the world who normally would not have access to it. 

10. Doctors Without Borders 

Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides medical assistance to people in 88 countries. Amid conflict and political instability, their teams in Afghanistan provide vital medical care in Herat, Helmand, Kandahar, Khost and Kunduz provinces. The 2,300 staff members working in the country respond to a range of medical needs, from acute malnutrition to maternal health services. Donations support their work providing medical services to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from healthcare.  

Sports are a competitive and entertaining activity that bring people together. Today, there are organizations using sports to break down cultural and political barriers in areas of conflict. 

11. Surfing 4 Peace

Surfing 4 Peace is a community of surfers and supporters that conduct cooperative projects, host events and run campaigns that emphasize coexistence, cross-cultural dialog and the shared experience of surfing. In the Middle East and around the world, Surfing 4 Peace aims to bridge cultural and political barriers between surfers in diverse communities. In 2007, Surfing 4 Peace successfully gathered and transferred 14 surfboards through border authorities from Israel to Gaza to donate them to the small Palestinian surfing community. Since then, the group has organized multiple projects for the surfing community in Gaza, including the Gaza Surfer Girl Project and Gaza Surf Relief. Donations support creating a safe and inclusive community rooted in the shared love for surfing. 

Claire Redden

Claire Redden is a freelance journalist from Chicago, where she received her Bachelor’s of Communications from the University of Illinois. While living and studying in Paris, Claire wrote for the magazine, Toute La Culture. As a freelancer she contributes to travel guides for the up and coming brand, Thalby. She plans to take her skills to London, where she’ll pursue her Master’s of Arts and Lifestyle Journalism at the University of Arts, London College of Communication. 

The Unique Landscapes of New Zealand's Milford Sounds

Milford Sound located in Fiordland National Park’s diverse landscape has been preserved for years, drawing travelers from around the world.

Milford Sound is often considered a destination for immersing oneself in nature. Located on the west coast of the southern island, the sound is situated in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park. A sound, by definition, is a valley filled with seawater. Milfrorf Sound, however, is formed from glacial water, which technically makes it a fiord. Milford Sound has attracted visitors for centuries, but the history of the sound dates back more than 1,000 years. 

The Māori first discovered the fiord, using the land for fishing, hunting and mining pounamu (green jade). According to Māori legend, the sound was carved by Atua, a godly figure who split the cliffs surrounding the sound. The Māori named Milfrod Sound Piopiotahi in refrence to a native bird. A Māori tells the story of a piopio bird flying over the sound after the legendary figure Maui died while pursuing immortality.

In 1877, a man from Scotland settled in Milford Sound, opening the first hotel with his wife. Visitors in the late 19th century and early 20th century were only able to reach the sound through a walking path, Milford Track. In 1954, a tunnel was drilled through the rock surrounding the sound, bringing new road access. With the building of the road, Milford Sound became much more accessible to travelers and has drawn large numbers of visitors from around the world. 

Milford Track is still available to explore today within the boundaries of the national park. The path is over 30 miles long and typically takes four to five days to complete. Each night, hikers can stay at a hut along the route before continuing the next day. The trail starts at the head of Lake Te Anau and ends a short boat ride away from Milford Sound. There are also many different day-hikes that visitors can complete to see the park as well as a variety of boat tours. The area experiences heavy rainfall year round, which provides the lush environment and abundance of waterfalls. Kayaking is also popular among visitors, as it allows people to explore the water in an eco-friendly way. 

One of the iconic sites of Milford Sound is the Mitre Peak. The mountain sharply rises up from the water, reaching a height of more than 5,000 feet. Additionally, the area is well known for its waterfalls. Lady Bowen Falls, the tallest permanent waterfall in the park, feeds directly into the fiord. Accessible by boat and a short hike, the falls are another important landmark in Milford Sound.

Milford Sound is not just known for its beautiful scenery and nature, but is an important aspect of New Zealand's heritage. The national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its unique landscapes and wildlife. The area is protected by several laws, including the Conservation Act of 1987, to ensure that the area will continue to prosper.

Dana Flynn

Dana is a recent graduate from Tufts University with a degree in English. While at Tufts she enjoyed working on a campus literary magazine and reading as much as possible. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she loves to explore and learn new things.

Underwater Noise Pollution is Shrinking Whales' Worlds

Human-caused noise pollution impacts sound-reliant species of whales and other marine life. Seismic mapping, shipping and boating traffic mask the acoustic communication systems they’re reliant on. 

Jumping Humpback Whale, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 

When a strand of eight adult female beaked whales were found on the shores of the far-flung Aleutian Islands in Alaska, members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration response team were bewildered. The whales appeared to be healthy, with no major external injuries, but their presence was unusual. What was thought to be a rare occurrence in 2018 has turned out to be part of a recurring pattern. Marine Mammal Science published a study which revealed that since the original discovery of the species, Alaska has had 74 known beaked whale strandings in 42 separate events. 

Military and naval operations in the area were put to a halt in 1997 but the U.S. Geological Survey’s monitors at the Alaska Volcano Observatory have detected human-caused seismic survey activity along the islands. New research suggests that the surveys may have been involved in the mass stranding. Underwater sonic tests are only the latest example of ocean noise pollution cited by environmentalists. Growing concern has spurred research into the potential threats of human-made noise for marine life. 

During seismic surveys, blasts of compressed air produce pulses of sound that analyze the seafloor for natural resources. At 220-250 decibels, these seismic air guns are the loudest noise created by humans underwater, producing a sound louder than a Saturn V rocket during launch. According to an article in Nature, “in the five decades before 1950, researchers recorded just seven mass strandings; but from then to 2004, after the introduction of high-power sonar for naval operations, there were more than 120.”

During the Trump administration, a ban on offshore drilling was lifted and companies from Central Florida to the Northeast were granted permits to carry out seismic mapping for gas and oil exploration. Senior bioacoustics researcher at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Christopher Clark has studied whale communication for 40 years. Clark described the noise produced from seismic mapping as a “living hell” for undersea life.

Another primary contributor to ocean noise is shipping traffic, both commercial and recreational. Between 1950 and 2000 ship traffic doubled, producing an increase in noise of about three decibels per decade. This has led to communication masking — a term used to describe the reduction in the area over which animals are able to acoustically communicate. Research shows that across species, the combination of noise contribution from commercial and recreational vessels led to a reduction in communication range of up to 82%. A recent study found that shipping noise has the potential to double by 2030, further limiting the distance whales and other marine life are able to communicate between.

In the marine ecosystem, where visibility is limited, acoustics are the primary form of communication. For whales, every aspect of their lives is dependent on sound. Many of their species are highly intelligent, social beings who communicate in clicks and songs, and are even known to have their own languages. Some whales and orcas are known to use echolocation, a natural sound wave sonar, to hunt and locate food. Noise masks their expressions between their families, affecting their ability to feed and care for their young, as well as their orientation and ability to detect prey or oncoming ships. 

In 1956, French oceanographer Jacues Cousteau released a documentary misleadingly titled The Silent World, that fed into the misconception of a quiet underwater seascape. Today we know that a healthy ocean isn’t a silent one. The ocean thrives on the familiar sounds of its natural world, sounds that marine life recognizes as home. Lead author ofThe Soundscape of The Anthropocene Ocean Carlos Duarte says that “The soundtrack of home is now hard to hear, and in many cases has disappeared.”

Claire Redden

Claire is a freelance journalist from Chicago, where she received her Bachelor’s of Communications from the University of Illinois. While living and studying in Paris, Claire wrote for the magazine, Toute La Culture. As a freelancer she contributes to travel guides for the up and coming brand, Thalby. She plans to take her skills to London, where she’ll pursue her Master’s of Arts and Lifestyle Journalism at the University of Arts, London College of Communication. 

A Romanian City Swallowed by Toxic Waste

The landscape of Geamăna is a reminder of the impact mining has on local communities and environments. A nearby copper mine, Rosia Poieni, continues to leak its contaminated deposits further into the water sources of surrounding areas. 

Geamana church flooded with toxic waste, Flickr.com, CC BY NC-ND-2.0

Geamăna, Romania was once a quaint village nestled in the Sesii Valley of the Apuseni Mountains, a range in Transylvania, Romania. In the late 1970s, Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu made way for a new copper mining project called Rosia Poieni. Work began in less than a year and the 400 families who lived in Geamăna were evacuated. Their village was replaced by an artificial lake used as a catch basin for the large quantities of toxic waste the mining project produced. 

Before displacing the villagers in Geamăna, the government promised the residents they would be relocated to a new village five miles away. They ended up being moved more than 60 miles away, receiving land and a small amount of money. Locals were upset because the government didn’t fulfill their promise to relocate the community’s gravesite, which still remains around the flooded church. 

Rosia Poieni is Romania’s largest copper mine and the second-largest copper mine in Europe. The mine is owned by the state company, CupruMin. In its prime, the copper pit produced 11,000 tons of copper a year, representing 65% of the total copper reserves in Romania. Before 1993, the discharge into the lake contained very few metals. When they could no longer sell the iron sulfate, CupruMin began discharging it into the water. 

Ever since, the metals released and the acidity of the water have increased significantly. As of 2016, more than 130 million tons of tailings containing metals such as copper, iron and zinc, have been discharged into the settling basin, an act referred to as “acid mine drainage.” Despite measures to counteract the phenomenon, a 2000 report by the French Geological Survey found the water to be very acidic, with a pH of 2.7. 

Recurring incidents of contaminated water leaking from the basin have spread pollution as far as Turda, a city more than 50 miles downstream. In 2008, millions of fish were found floating in the Aries river, a distributary of the Valea Șesii that connects to the artificial lake, as a result of CupruMin’s failure to charge the electric pumps that protect the area from biohazards. In 2011, a broken pipe led to 100 tons of waste poured into another nearby river, the Curmătura, and eventually into the Aries. Another incident occurred in 2012 when a few mineshafts flooded, spilling more of the contaminated water into the Aries. 

CupruMin receives fines from the local authorities every year for their actions, but these reprimands don’t seem to have much of an effect. The deposit of the Rosia Poieni copper mine is estimated at 900,000 tons, allowing the company to continue its exploitation for at least 20 years. As production continues, the contaminated lake will only expand and increase the range of its environmental impact. All that’s left to be seen of the old village of Geamăna today is the spire of what was once the town’s church, engulfed in toxic water: a surreal landscape that serves as a striking image of what could become of nearby towns if CupruMin isn’t held accountable. 

Claire Redden

Claire Redden is a freelance journalist from Chicago, where she received her Bachelor’s of Communications from the University of Illinois. While living and studying in Paris, Claire wrote for the magazine, Toute La Culture. As a freelancer she contributes to travel guides for the up and coming brand, Thalby. She plans to take her skills to London, where she’ll pursue her Master’s of Arts and Lifestyle Journalism at the University of Arts, London College of Communication. 

Menstruation and Impurity Are Synonymous in Nepal

Women and young girls are dying every year in Nepal because of a tradition that deems them impure due to their monthly menstrual cycle.

Rural villages in western and midwestern Nepal force girls and women to stay in menstruation huts outside of their homes. This centuries-old Hindu practice of chhaupadi (“chaau” means “impure,” and “padi” means “shed”) believes that women and girls are unclean, untouchable and impure during their menstrual cycles. When on their periods, girls and women are not allowed to live in the family home and are excluded from doing a range of everyday activities. Although the practice of chhaupadi was made illegal in 2005, it remains prevalent in remote areas and is still practiced by 77% of Nepalese. 

Under the chhaupadi practice, menstruators are banned from touching milk, idols, cattle, a male family member, a pregnant woman or any child below the age of five. In addition, while on their periods, girls and women are not permitted to enter any social gathering, school, temple or kitchen, as they are considered impure. If anything or anyone is touched, it is to be discarded or deeply cleansed. Diet during menstruation changes as well: girls and women are not allowed to eat rice, meat, pickles, citrus fruits or milk products. Meals are further restricted as they do not have access to a kitchen. 

While temporarily living in an unhygienic hut which oftentimes have no walls or doors, young girls and women are at risk for snake bites, rape, poor sanitation, urinary tract infections, diarrhea, dehydration, hypothermia and death. If girls encounter any health issues while in their huts, they are expected to wait until their menstruation is completed before seeking medical care. Blocked from using their bathrooms, they are forced to walk long distances to use public restrooms. Their time in the menstruation huts can last anywhere from 4-7 days a month. Each year at least one death occurs in menstruation huts. In December 2016, a 15-year-old suffocated after lighting a fire in the shed where she was staying to keep warm. In 2018, a teenage girl died when she was bitten by a snake while sleeping. 

Chhaupadi is not limited to times of menstruation; itt is also practiced during childbirth. Women must deliver their babies in unhygienic sheds or huts, and remain for the next 10-14 days post-delivery. Consequently, chhaupadi during childbirth can lead to both maternal and infant death arising from excessive bleeding, septic shock, malnutrition and other unresolved complications caused by lack of healthcare access. Although exact figures of maternal and child health consequences due to chhaupadi are unknown, neonatal and maternal mortality is high in the far-western regions where chhaupadi is common. 

The mental health of women and girls is impacted due to isolation from family and social exclusion, which results in: depression, low self-esteem and disempowerment among girls. In addition, there is also a fear of sexual abuse and assault at night causing extreme anxiety in the young girls. Cases of rape are not reported due to fear that a man would not want to marry a girl in the future as a result of “impurity.” The psychological issues girls and women endure while in the huts go unnoticed and are often ignored. The continuity of the chhaupadi practice is one way of preserving a tradition to the Nepalese people. It has been in existence for a long time with a focus on purity, aimed at pleasing the deities believed to take care of the community.

In August 2017, the Nepalese government began criminalizing the chhaupadi practice and imposed a fine ($30) and/or a three-month jail sentence for anyone forcing a woman to follow the custom. Local police are tasked with destroying chhaupadi shelters. Despite these efforts, the practice has been difficult to abolish as it is deeply rooted in traditional beliefs. Activists argue that the chhaupadi practice will be difficult to fully stop, as many women make the decision to practice it for themselves. However, with the new law, women who choose to practice chhaupadi are required to do so in a safer way, by isolating themselves from their families in a separate area or room and not a shed. This requirement exists to help protect the health and safety of the menstruators whilst allowing them to follow their traditional practice.

Jennifer Sung

Jennifer is a Communications Studies graduate based in Los Angeles. She grew up traveling with her dad and that is where her love for travel stems from. You can find her serving the community at her church, Fearless LA or planning her next trip overseas. She hopes to be involved in international humanitarian work one day.

The 5 Blue Zone Regions and their Centenarian Lifestyle

Dan Buettner coined the term blue zones—regions around the world where people live the healthiest and the longest. These Centenarians share similar lifestyles, although living thousands of miles from each other.

Old Man Looking Out. NeilsPhotography. CC BY 2.0

Average life expectancy around the world is 77 years. However, award winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Dan Buettner discovered five regions where people typically live to be over 90. Buettner named these cities ‘Blue Zones’ to identify them by their life expectancy. Researchers found that although their lifestyles change slightly, the people of blue zone areas were living longer and had more fulfilled lives compared to the rest of the world. This is due to their primarily plant-based diet, their spirituality, family and social networks, along with regular exercise and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol. The five cities classified as blue zones are Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California. 

1. Okinawa, Japan

Okinawan on a Walk. Dshack. CC BY-NC 2.0

Okinawans are among the healthiest living people in the world and Okinawan women live the longest in all the earth, with an average lifespan of 90 years. They follow a plant based diet, eating mostly sweet potatoes, rice, grains and soy. The Okinawan household does not have much furniture; meals are eaten on tatami mats on the floor. By getting up and down several times a day to relax or eat their meals, older people are able to gain lower body strength and, in turn, protect themselves from having dangerous falls. In addition, their diet and active lifestyle of gardening and walking everywhere helps their body stay strong. Their physical and mental welfare is accompanied by a social network called Moai. This social network consists of lifelong friends who support each other emotionally and financially in times of need. Okinawans know that there are always friends who surround them and are willing to lend support in time of need. By these simple lifestyle habits, the people of Okinawa have been able to live centenarian lives with less illness than those in other regions. 

3. Sardinia, Italy

Italian Elderly Woman Going on a Bike Ride. Paolo Margari. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Sardinian lifestyle has been culturally isolated from the rest of Italy as it is an island town. Sardinians' long life is the benefit of living within strong healthy families and a plant based diet accented with meat. Sardinian seniors are often surrounded by children and grandchildren, which results in lower rates of stress, depression and suicide. Men in this blue zone region are known for gathering in the street in the afternoons to share laughs with one another. Laughter reduces stress, which can lower one’s risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition to being surrounded with family and laughter, Sardinians still hunt, fish and harvest everything they eat. Their diet consists mainly of whole grain bread, fruits, beans and garden vegetables. An average of two glasses of wine daily are consumed by Sardinian residents, which is known to reduce stress among men. Meat is reserved for Sunday family meals and other special occasions. Although diet and family network help add years to Sardinians’ lives, a research team discovered that there is a rare genetic quirk carried by the island’s inhabitants.The M26 marker is linked to exceptional longevity, and due to geographic isolation, the genes of the residents in this area of Sardinia have remained mostly undiluted, resulting in nearly 10 times more centenarians per capita than the United States.

4. Nicoya, Costa Rica

The Central American nation of Costa Rica is home to Nicoya, an 80- mile peninsula just south of the Nicaraguan border. The people of Nicoya believe in having a sense of purpose for everyday living. This purpose encourages them to feel needed and want to contribute to a greater good. With the purpose driven life they live, they continue to work and find joy in their physical chores. Usually, they are surrounded with family and frequent social gatherings from friends and neighbors. Nicoya centenarians regularly take in the sun. This helps their bodies produce Vitamin D which is known to keep bones strong and contributes to a healthy body function. Their Mesoamerican diet consists of corn, squash and beans. These foods are rich in vitamins, proteins, fiber and healthy fats,creating a complete, nutritional diet that has helped Nicoya people live well into their 100s. 

4. Ikaria, Greece

Greek Man Smiling. Julie70. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The small island of Ikaria in Greece sits on the Aegean Sea and is home to an almost dementia-free society. Lifestyle, clean air, relaxed pace and diet contribute to the longevity of Ikarians, with one in three making it to their 90s. The people of Ikaria tend to relax mindlessly through gardening, walking to a neighbor's house or playing late night domino games. Through the games and socializing, Ikarians are able to create connections with others. Studies have found that having a strong social network is part of living a healthy life. Their faith also aids in their longevity, as most Ikarians are Greek Orthodox Christians. While practicing calls for fasting almost half of the year, it cuts about 30 percent of calories out of the normal diet — the only proven way to slow the aging process in mammals. Lastly, almost all Ikarians drink goat milk as it provides potassium and the stress-relieving hormone tryptophan. 

5. Loma Linda, California

"Loma Linda, California. CCPIX.  CC BY-NC 2.0

A community of an estimated 9,000 Adventists who live in Loma Linda, California put the US on the blue zone list. Adventists live 10 years longer than other Americans. Their beliefs, their volunteering, diet, exercise and fellowship add years to their lives. The Seventh-day Adventist Church encourages and provides opportunities for its members to volunteer. Through volunteering, many are able to focus on others and this allows Adventists to ward off depression. Their well balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, legumes and lots of nuts is influenced by the Bible. Adventists cite Genesis 1:29: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” They also avoid smoking and drinking, a healthy habit that will help prevent future health issues. Many Adventists go on daily walks or participate in low intensity exercise. Their active bodies can stay consistently strong. Adventists’ time spent with like minded people who support their habits is what continues to make them some of the longest living Americans.

Jennifer Sung

www.jennwanders.com

Jennifer is a Communications Studies graduate based in Los Angeles. She grew up  traveling with her dad and that is where her love for travel stems from.  You can find her serving the community at her church, Fearless LA or  planning her next trip overseas. She hopes to be involved in  international humanitarian work one day.

Trekking the W Circuit in Patagonia's Torres Del Paine

The W Circuit draws international hikers year round, giving travelers the chance to backpack through Chile’s famous national park.

The Torres Del Paine national park was first established in 1959. By 1978 the park was designated a world Biosphere reserve by UNESCO. The W Circuit, located in the park, is a multi-day trek providing experienced hikers a taste of backpacking in the southern Chilean region of Patagonia.

The trek is well known for its scenery and the relatively accessible altitude. The lack of technical skills required to hike this circuit draws in people from around the world. The W Circuit is 43 miles long, and typically takes hikers five days to complete. 

The W Circuit not only shows travelers the famous scenery of the national park, but it is home to diverse landscapes that draw in hikers from around the world. Granite spires loom over a glacial lake at the base of the Torres, making the landmark an iconic stop along the hike. The east end of the hike passes by Lake Nordenskjold, a site that impresses hikers with its bright blue color surrounded by forests and peaks. Another notable portion of the hike is the French Valley. Set between mountains, the valley is situated below a glacier with a river running through it. 

Getting to the national park itself can be difficult, as the nearest airport is in Punta Arenas — roughly a three hour drive from the national park. International travelers will most likely have to take more than one flight to reach the park. After reaching the W circuit, however, traveling becomes more accessible for hikers because of the refugios along the route. Refugios are essentially small lodges that hikers can stay in after a day of hiking. There are also campsites that hikers can use, although reserving a spot in advance is recommended.

Travelers set out to complete the W Circuit year round. The weather is unpredictable in general, and while there are peak seasons (typically December through February), hikers are still able to complete the circuit even during the off season. The circuit is the least accessible during the southern hemisphere winter (June, July and August in Chile), as there are often few hikers and accommodations are less readily available, but a prepared hiker can still make the trip.

The trails are consistently marked, and during peak season there are often many hikers on the trails. This makes it possible for hikers to complete the trek without a guide, as it is typically easy to follow the trail and the presence of lodges and other hikers adds an additional level of safety. 

Dana Flynn

Dana is a recent graduate from Tufts University with a degree in English. While at Tufts she enjoyed working on a campus literary magazine and reading as much as possible. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she loves to explore and learn new things.

India’s Third Gender — Hijra

Despite being protected within the Indian constitution, hijra communities experience persecution. Their colonies are often sites of abuse and poverty, yet serve as the only space in Indian society for their identity.

Image by Carol Foote

India’s third gender includes a few different groups, but the most common are the hijras. The hijra identity is complex; some are born male but dress in traditionally feminine ways, some are born intersex, some seek gender reassignment procedures, and some choose to be castrated as an offering to the Hindu goddess of chastity and fertility, Bahuchara Mata, granting them their religious powers. Outsiders tend to associate them as transgender, but Indian society considers them to be the third gender — not male, not female, not transitioning. The one defining characteristic of hijras is that they leave their homes from a young age to become a part of the hijra community, where they teach their lessons in secret. These communities exist on the outskirts of society, where they are often shunned by their families and at the mercy of police authorities. 

Image by Carole Foote

For centuries, trans, intersex and genderqueer individuals abandoned by their families have been initiated into the hijra community by gurus within the system. From the age of 12 or 13, hijras trade their relationships with their families for a relationship with a guru who takes on the role of  of parent, teacher and boss. The gurus are expected to teach each hijra the chela, or the disciple, in the hijra way of life. This includes learning their rituals, how to manage a household and how to make a living. Gurus are expected to treat the hijras like their children, but their ability to dictate how a hijra works, what they earn and even who they see maintains a hold over their lives that many activists consider a systemic form of bonded labor. 

Image by Carol Foote

These communities operate within a pyramid system where the “chelas,” or the hijra students, are divided into hierarchies by their work. At the top of the pyramid are the senior-most chelas, who sing and dance. Below them are the chelas who beg and collect alms in exchange for blessings at events. And lastly, at the bottom of the chela pyramid are the sex workers. In addition to their work, chelas are expected to take on chores that serve their guru. Regardless of how a hijra earns their money, a portion of it will go to their gurus. 

Image by Carol Foote

The founder of online transgender community Transgender India, Neysara, told NewsNewslaundry,aundry, an independent news media company in India, that the hijra community is “not a child-friendly place equipped to handle trauma.” She went on to say that, “What is vulnerable is trafficable and most that join are disenfranchised.” Neysara recalled turning to the hijra community at a time when she was young and scared. “When my family was trying to honor-kill me, I sought the hijra jamaat for help. They outright told me that I [...] could only stay with them if I do sex work and earn for them.” Honor killings are committed by a male family member seeking to protect the dignity of their family against someone they believe has brought them shame. It was sex work or death.

Image by Carol Foote

Hijras have been a part of Indian life for more than a thousand years. Evidence of their existence within Hindu society can be found inside holy texts like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, where Arjuna became the third gender. Throughout South Asian history, third-gender people have often held positions of high power. For example, during the Mughal Empire in the 15th to 19th centuries, Hindu and Muslim rulers were considerate advocates of the third gender, and many rose to significant positions, even serving as the sexless watchdogs of Mughal harems. In Hinduism, their high regard is marked by their loyalty to Lord Rama, when hijras waited at the edge of the forest for 14 years until he returned to Ayodhya after being exiled.

Image by Carol Foote

The hijras’ religious backgrounds tend to center around traditions that blend Hinduism and Islam. The practice of removing genitalia is something stigmatized in a normal Indian community, however, it’s this act that is the source of their sacred power and legitimizes their role in society. According to tradition, when a hijra is castrated their genitalia is offered to the Hindu Mother Goddess, Bahuchara Mata. The Mother Goddessworks alongside Muslim saints to transform the sacrifice of their ability to procreate into the power to bestow fertility and good luck onto others. The hijras give blessings at births and weddings to grant new couples and their newborn children fertility and prosperity. Intersex people, transgender women and infertile men are considered to be called upon by the goddess to become a hijra. Should they ignore the call, it is believed that they will pay the price of being impotent for the next seven lives they have on Earth. 

Image by Carol Foote

The castration surgery is performed by a guru and takes place without an anesthetic. The operation is illegal and life-threatening and has led some Indian regions to consider offering a medical alternative free of charge. However, because of tradition, the sacred sacrifice is performed in absolute secrecy and never spoken of. Following the surgery, new hijras recover in semi-seclusion and eat a special diet for 40 days. Afterward, they conduct a special ceremony where they're dressed as brides and blessed with the power of Bahuchara Mata. From this moment on, they are given new names and new identities. Articles in the India Times and India Today have reported how this system has been forced upon young and at-risk men, who are then pressured into prostituion and homosexuality. 

Image by Carol Foote

Even though hijras were treated with respect for thousands of years, much of their societal downfall can be attributed to Hinduism’s encounter with colonialism. The British colonized most of South Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries, and their Christian beliefs did not prepare them for their confrontation with the third gender. In 1871, the British named all hijras hereditary criminals and ordered authorities to arrest them. The law gave police the power of increased surveillance over the community, who went as far as to compile registers of hijras. A historian named Dr. Jessica Hinchy told BCC that, "Registration was a means of surveillance and also a way to ensure that castration was stamped out and the hijra population was not reproduced." 

Image by Carol Foote

Even though the law was repealed once India regained its independence, 200 years of stigmatization took a toll. Today, hijras are almost always excluded from employment and education outside of their religious roles. They are often stricken by poverty and forced to resort to begging and prostitution. Most are victims of violence and abuse, harassed by police and refused treatment in hospitals. 

Image by Carol Foote

In a step forward, India’s Supreme Court officially recognized hijras as a third gender in August of 2014, in a law that ordered the government to provide third gender people with quotas in jobs and education. The ruling came just six months after the Supreme Court’s decision to re-criminalize homosexual acts through the reversal of a 2009 Delhi High Court order.Despite being legally recognized and protected under the Indian Constitution, the court’s choice meant that hijras would be breaking the law if they participated in consensual homosexual relations. 

Image by Carol Foote

As Neysara told NewsLaundry, “without trans representation, laws made by cis people for the ‘other’ can be damaging.” Prior progress gained seemed to be lost in 2019 when activists protested the Transgender Persons Act. According to Ajita Banerjie, a Delhi-based gender and sexuality rights researcher, this “set the whole movement back by a decade.” 

Image by Carol Foote

Today, as many as half a million members of the Indian hijra community live within the guru-chela system. Despite facing discrimination, abuse and living on the margins of society, the community continues to “remain a visible presence in public space, public culture, activism and politics in South Asia," Dr. Jessica Hinchy told BBC. On a high note, NewsLaundry says that policy-led interventions have been advocated by stakeholders in the system, with the mission to integrate “trans folks into mainstream society to reduce and ultimately end their dependency on this system, if not the system itself.” 

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER:

Carol is based in Queensland Australia and has always been drawn to street photography, searching out the most colourful and quirky characters in her own environment. After studying documentary photography at college, she travelled to Yunnan, China to photograph the wide diversity of ethnic minorities in the region. However, over the past five years, her focus has shifted to Tibet, Nepal and India. As someone who has always been drawn to unique and different cultures, the regions rich heritage and local traditions make it a haven for her style of photography.

Check out more of Carol’s work here.

Claire Redden

Claire Redden is a freelance journalist from Chicago, where she received her Bachelor’s of Communications from the University of Illinois. While living and studying in Paris, Claire wrote for the magazine, Toute La Culture. As a freelancer she contributes to travel guides for the up and coming brand, Thalby. She plans to take her skills to London, where she’ll pursue her Master’s of Arts and Lifestyle Journalism at the University of Arts, London College of Communication. 

Child Labor Increases in India During the Pandemic

Child labor in India has always been prevalent, but due to the pandemic the numbers are at an all-time high.

Photo courtesy of Vignesh S.

India has always had a large number of child laborers. In 2019, 152 million children were working. In the last two years, there has been an increase of 8 million children to the workforce. There is a great risk that this new generation will be academically displaced.

Before the pandemic, being in school protected children from child labor. However, with most families out of work or working to get by, the most vulnerable have to pay the cost: children. Children are often working 16 hour days in inhumane conditions. There are many contributing factors to this issue, the largest being that a third of the Indian population is living under the poverty line. With families working and narrowly making ends meet, families may feel they have no other choice but to send their children to work. Another factor is the country’s high illiteracy rate of 287 million people. Children who do not get a basic education will become illiterate adults, making them a target for underpaying jobs that creates an intergenerational cycle of poverty within the family. 

The states where child laborers are most prevalent are Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, where over half of the country’s children work. Uttar Pradesh in northern India is the state with the highest number of child laborers,  20 percent of children work in the silk industry and child laborers work in textile factories making garments for big companies. Gap was once in the headlines when someone discovered children working in the shops. Many of the child laborers were there due to their families selling them. Taking swift action, Gap responded and said, “the factory was being run by a subcontractor who was hired in violation of Gap’s policies, and none of the products made there will be sold in its stores.” Additionally, the spokesman for Gap Bill Chandler told The Associated Press, “Under no circumstances is it acceptable for children to produce or work on garments.” Since then Gap decided to stand up against child laborers and stated on their website that they would be “removing young workers from the facility.”

Children will work all kinds of jobs from carpet manufacturing, farming, brick making and gem extracting/polishing to selling cigarettes on the streets for the tobacco industry. Indian law prohibits children under the age of 14 to work and teens from age 14-18 to do any work that is considered hazardous. Nonetheless, most go unnoticed due to lack of enforcement of the law. Companies that turn a blind eye to this issue will oftentimes not recognize the child’s labor. Children will be forced to work long hours with no compensation or very little compensation. It has been reported that a child can make as little as 52 cents a day, if they are paid at all. They are frequently abused physically, verbally or sexually. Sexual exploitation in India is widespread, with 1.2 million children involved in prostitution. 

The mental and physical effects of this arduous and traumatic experience have consequences. Exposed children may experience mental health issues, causing a disruption in their emotional development. Many psychiatric disorders can stem from child labor, for example, depression, mood disorder, attachment issues, psychogenic seizures, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse. The physical effects include but are not limited to exposure to toxic substances, working in extreme temperatures, malnutrition, sleep deprivation and death. The mental and physical toll it takes on the child will be long term if it is not dealt with. 

According to one estimate, more than 20 percent of India’s economy is dependent on children. This is a large financial burden on the hands of young people who should be exploring and playing, nurtured in their formative years, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The government’s accountability is key to move forward and to bring change to an already impacted generation. The laws that protect children need to be enforced and further tightened. 

The extreme poverty that has affected India is another root cause of child labor. According to Humanium, a organization that defends children’s rights, this is the primary reason children are falling victim to child labor. Their need to grow up before their time and help feed their impoverished family is only a momentary fix. This will impact their future and the future generations that will come after them. 

To Get Involved:

Global March is an organization that seeks to eliminate child labor. Their mission is to ensure free access to education. To learn more about Global March click here. 

To support the children of India through Global March click here.

Jenn Sung 

www.jennwanders.com

Jenn is a Communications Studies graduate based in Los Angeles. She grew up traveling with her dad and that is where her love for travel stems from. You can find her serving the community at her church, Fearless LA or planning her next trip overseas. She hopes to be involved in international humanitarian work one day.

A Cage Home Away from Being Homeless in Hong Kong

Cage homes have become the dangerous solution to living in the most expensive housing market in the world: Hong Kong.

Man Living in a Cage Home. Pondspider. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Hong Kong is considered one of the most expensive cities to live in the world. The population of 7.4 million people live in a metropolis 110 times smaller than New York City.  Many struggle with the mounting housing prices which seem to keep rising. As a dangerous solution, low income individuals have developed "cage homes'' or “coffin homes” in which they reside. It consists of a bed-space, usually made of wood or wired boxes, large enough to only fit a bed and one or two personal items. An estimated 200,000 people, including 40,000 children live in cage homes in Hong Kong. The poor and elderly are the ones experiencing the effects the housing crisis Hong Kong has caused. 

Out of desperation, many people are deciding to live out of these cage homes in order to avoid living on the streets. These barbed wire “homes” were created in the 1950’s due to an influx of refugees coming from mainland China. They provided cheap labor for Hong Kong and, therefore, a demand for low cost bed space apartments. The apartment operators decided to make more profit by stacking bunk beds known as cages on top of each other, and the term “cage home” was created. Since then, the inhabitants have grown from immigrant workers to elderly men and women and children.

An average home in Hong Kong is about $1.28 million USD and a tiny “nano” apartment is on average $500,000 USD. Cage homes are approximately $230-$300 USD a month. They are the size of a parking space in the US, 7.5 feet in width and about 10 feet in length. They’re stacked on one another and there are approximately 30 cage homes in one room. All of the renter’s personal items are locked away at night or when renter’s go out for the day. Bathrooms are mostly communal and often there are no kitchens, just electric portable burners. While living in these homes, renters usually have no privacy or natural light coming in. Most windows are away from where the cage homes are placed. Many of the cage homes are in older urban districts, such as, West Kowloon, Sham Shui Po and Mongkok. 

The mental and physical effects of living in a cage home are concerning. The people who live in these spaces are dealing with depression, anxiety and stress due to their financial situation and cramped living space. Although they live among others, they often feel isolated and alone. Hygiene is also a big issue when living in these confined spaces. Up to a dozen people share bathrooms and kitchen areas, which are at times both in one room. In addition, there are poor safety regulations due to the buildings’ age and the number of people living in these tight spaces. The inadequate fire protection is a big risk many face when choosing to live in constricted spaces like these. Renters often have to deal with the infestation of rodents, roaches and bed bugs, which in turn affects their sleep and adds to health issues. There is poor air quality and no ventilation systems, with summer temperatures making it unbearable. Some elderly people have described their lives in their cage homes as “waiting for death.”

The new coronavirus pandemic has made it extremely difficult to live in these confined spaces. The cage home inhabitants find it impossible to quarantine safely as they do not have any walls or personal space. Most of them have to wear masks to sleep in order to avoid contracting the virus from others in their room. Many who live in the cage homes used to escape their reality by spending the day in parks, librairies or jungle gyms, however the pandemic has forced all public areas to close. Now cage home dwellers pass the time by, napping, listening to music or watching TV. Volunteers visit the people living in these spaces and bring food to donate, while also spending time with the residents to ease their loneliness.

Panorama of Hong Kong. CC BY-NC 2.0

The reason for the rising costs in the housing market is Hong Kong’s dense population, in which only seven percent of the city’s land is used for residential living. The pace of land supply and creation has slowed down in recent years. With low supply and high demand for living space, Hong Kong’s housing prices have no chance to come down. Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam has proposed a variety of measures to boost the number of homes in the residential market. Her plan includes an aggressive target to turn the remote northern part of the city into a “metropolis” for 2.5 million people, a project that will take decades to complete. In July, Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Xia Baolong set a city goal to eliminate its ‘infamously small apartments’ by 2049. This refers to less than 500 square foot apartments many residents live in. The Hong Kong government legally recognised cage homes, but did so under the label “bedspace apartments,” which are defined as “any flat in which there are 12 or more bed spaces occupied or intended to be occupied under rental agreements.” The United Nations has taken notice and calls the poor conditions present “an insult to human dignity”.

Jennifer Sung

Jennifer is a Communications Studies graduate based in Los Angeles. She grew up traveling with her dad and that is where her love for travel stems from. You can find her serving the community at her church, Fearless LA or planning her next trip overseas. She hopes to be involved in international humanitarian work one day.

The Cultural Renaissance of the Sámi

The Sámi have resided in Northern Scandinavia long before the borders of existing countries were drawn. Despite pressure to assimilate to Norwegian culture, traditional Sámi culture remains strong.

More than 4,000 miles north of the equator in Finnmark county, Norway live roughly 40,000 descendents of the Sámi, a nomadic people from thousands of years ago in Northern Scandinavia. The Sámi live in parts of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia. Of the 80,000 total population of Sámi, roughly half live in Finnmark, Norway. 

The Sámi have their own language with five dialects currently used in Northern Norway. Of the dialects spoken, Northern Sámi, Lule Sámi and Southern Sámi are the most common. Each dialect is completely unique and does not resemble each other nor other Scandinavian languages. In the 1990s, the Norwegian government made speaking Sámi illegal in efforts to force assimilation of the Sámi people, resulting in many Sámi today being unable to speak the language. The Norwegian government has officially apologized for the past legislation, but the damage is still evident as less than half of Sámi people in Norway speak a Sámi dialect. In recent years the Sámi language has had an increasing role in new media and broadcasting, signaling efforts to keep the language alive.

A pillar of Sámi culture is reindeer herding, which played a major part in the Sámi economy for hundreds of years. Starting in the 16th or 17th century, the Sámi transitioned from hunting reindeer to becoming nomadic herders. Reindeers are used for more than just cooking — the Sámi make clothes and shoes from the skin, and the horns can be used to make traditional art. Today, Sámi herding is less nomadic; most families stay in permanent homes while the herder will travel with the reindeer.

Despite previous attempts from governments to assimilate Sámi people, their culture and traditions have remained present in modern life. Notably, Sámi Joik has had a cultural renaissance in recent years. Joik is a traditional form of music that has been passed down orally for generations. The music, performed acapella, is storied to have been taught to the Sámi by fairies and elves. Joik is very personal in nature, as the music is typically dedicated to a specific person, place or animal. Joik is a central part to Sámi culture, and many young Sámi people have begun to incorporate the traditional music into different genres of music. 

New artists are revitalizing Joik after intense pressure from the Norwegian government in the 20th century caused some areas to lose the tradition.  Norwegian music group KEiiNO entered the 2019 Eurovision Song contest with music that included pop, electronic and Joik, and took 6th in the competition, winning the popular vote by viewers. Joik has made a recent impact in Hollywood as well, inspiring “Vuelie,” the opening track of Disney’s Frozen.

Joik is not the only part of Sámi culture that has continued in contemporary forms. The Sámi Center for Contemporary Art was established in 1986 and features contemporary Sámi art. The gallery blends traditional art pieces with modern art forms of expression. Despite past pressure and action from governments, the Sámi continue to keep important aspects of their culture alive. These efforts were continued with the establishment of the Norwegian Sámi Parliament in 1989. The Sámi Parliament is made of 39 elected representatives and oversees matters that deal directly with the Sámi. The parliament is a political party for the Sámi people that promotes Sámi interests. Traditional Sami culture remains an integral part of daily life for the Sami to this day, and illustrates how the rich history of the Sami is being brought into the modern day.

Dana Flynn

Dana is a recent graduate from Tufts University with a degree in English. While at Tufts she enjoyed working on a campus literary magazine and reading as much as possible. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she loves to explore and learn new things.

79 Female Judges, Journalists and Activists Evacuated From Afghanistan

Female Afghan judges fear for their lives as Taliban prisoners they previously sentenced are now free. 

Women’s photojournalism course in Farah City, Afghanistan. ResoluteSupportMedia. CC BY 2.

In August 2021 the Taliban took control of Afghanistan shortly after the United States withdrew its military. As a result, there were mass attempts to flee. This culminated in citizens desperately rushing the Kubal airfield in attempts to leave the country. Concern for female judges and lawyers started immediately when the Taliban seized control, as many of those judges had sentenced Taliban fighters to prison and feared what would happen to them and their families. Many of the prisoners released by the Taliban had been convicted of serious and violent crimes, causing the judges and lawyers that prosecuted them to fear retaliation. One female judge reported receiving threats from released prisoners shehad convicted, forcing her to go into hiding, fearing for her and her family’s lives. Many of the people that initially fled the country were citizens of NATO countries who were evacuated by their respective governments, leaving citizens of Afghanistan scrambling to find refuge. Early efforts to evacuate the judges were made by the nonprofit International Association of Women Judges, who worked to find ways out of the country for the female Judges.

Most recently the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute helped to evacuate a total of 79 female judges, journalists and activists to Greece. The group was also able to evacuate the women’s families, totalling to 370 people who were able to flee Afghanistan. Greece gave the refugees temporary visas, and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute is continuing to look for more permanent solutions for the families. Many of the families evacuated have already been welcomed into other countries as their final destinations, including  Australia, Germany, the United States, Ireland, Iceland and the United Kingdom. The effort was led by Baroness Kennedy of the UK. The first flight that evacuated the judges and activists departed in early October, carrying 26 people. The following two flights to Greece carried the 370 total evacuated judges, journalists and activists along with their families. 

Kabul the capital of Afghanistan. Jorr81. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The fear for women’s safety not only comes from their occupations and judges, journalists and activists, but when the Taliban previously had power in Afghanistan women had very few rights. They were unable to work, receive an education, or leave the house without a male relative escorting them. Women working as judges was seen as a major step in elevating women’s rights in Afghanistan after the occupation of the Taliban. Female judges now forced to flee or go into hiding for fear of retaliation for their work is a devastating regression from the progress made.

Dana Flynn

Dana is a recent graduate from Tufts University with a degree in English. While at Tufts she enjoyed working on a campus literary magazine and reading as much as possible. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she loves to explore and learn new things.

The Fight to Eradicate Female Genital Mutilation

Fueled by her personal experience, Ifrah Ahmed is a grassroots activist dedicated to ending the brutal practice.

Ifrah Ahmed speaking at a symposium on Safe Cities Campaign in Mogadishu, Somalia on December 26, 2016, .AMISOM Public Information. CC0 1.0

Female genital mutilation (FGM) of women and girls is a brutal practice that persists in communities to this day. The practice, which has no health benefits for women, consists of removing exterior female genitalia. Additionally, this mutilation is extremely painful and poses significant health risks, including severe bleeding, infections and complications during childbirth. 200 million girls have experienced FGM across 30 countries. The practice is most prominent in Eastern, Western, and Northeastern regions of Africa, but cutting has a global presence including significantly in the Middle East and some parts of Asia. The practice is also present in parts of Europe and the United States. The CDC estimates that more than 500,000 women and girls were cut or at risk in the United States. In Europe, 600,000 women and girls have been subjected to the practice and another 180,000 are at risk. Many major organizations strictly oppose female gential mutilation, including the United Nations, the World Health Organization and UNICEF. 

FGM is practiced for many different cultural reasons, which includeviewing it as a rite of passage into adulthood, making women fit for marriage, fitting cultural conceptions around purity and even catering to men’s sexual preferences. The practice is primarily done to young girls, and can be extremely psychologically and emotionally scarring as well as physically dangerous.

While many countries that practice FGM have made it illegal, and major organizations campaign against it, grassroots activists also have a largeimpact in working towards ending this violence against women.

One of the more prominent grassroots activists leading the movement is Ifrah Ahmed, a victim of FGM herself as a young girl in Somalia. Ahmed founded the Ifrah Foundation, an organization with the goal to end FGM in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. In Somalia, Ahmed’s childhood home, it is estimated that 98 percent of women have undergone FGM. Ahmed was instrumental in Ireland’s official ban of FGM in 2012. Recounting her personal experience, Ahmed doesn’t want to be seen as a victim. “I want people to see me empowering other women,” said Ahmed.

FGM has a long history in Somalia, making its practice deeply rooted in Somalian culture. The Ifrah Foundation’s most recent approach to ending the practice is called the Dear Daughter Campaign. The campaign is focused on reaching individuals and having people pledge to shield their daughters from the practice in the future. The campaign also aims to provide education and information around the issue, relying on individuals to help communicate the information to their communities through different methods of outreach. The foundation’s work has the full support of the Somalian government. The foundation hopes to help completely end the practice of FGM by 2030, a goal set by the United Nations.

In the past, the Ifrah Foundation has utlized grassroots activists by training people to speak on FGM and fight any misconceptions about the practice. Many of these activists will use their own experiences with cutting when discussing the dangers of the FGM. Activists like Ifrah Ahmed are key to fight female genital mutilation because they can approach the issue within context of the many cultures that practice it. Ahmed’s foundation is focused on systematic change, making their approach to FGM specified to the culture of each unqiue region. Despite the prevalence and persistance of FGM, Ahmed remains focused on a positive future, telling the Thomson Reuters Foundation “I can’t change what happened to me, but I don’t want any other girl to go through it.” 

Dana Flynn

Dana is a recent graduate from Tufts University with a degree in English. While at Tufts she enjoyed working on a campus literary magazine and reading as much as possible. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she loves to explore and learn new things.

Power Lines Are Killing Endangered Wildlife in Costa Rica   

The abundant wildlife Costa Rica is known for is at risk as uninsulated power lines threaten to exterminate tree-dependent species, many of whom are already endangered.  

Native Costa Rican Primate, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Costa Rica is known for its extraordinary wildlife, lush rainforests, and picturesque beaches. The country is often commended for its environmental practices, setting the record in 2017 for lasting 300 consecutive days entirely on renewable energy. The small Central American country is home to more than 500,000 animal species, encompassing 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity. Its biological richness and eco-friendly reputation are what drive eco-tourism, a significant source of the country’s income that has come to be a double-edged sword. 

Over the past decade, tourism and economic growth in Costa Rica have surged, generating a need for development to support it. The construction happened rapidly, without planning and, in most cases, on a budget. Where the country saved using bare aluminum wiring for power lines, their beloved wildlife is paying the price. Not only do the above-ground power lines contribute to habitat loss and fragmentation, but they’re electrocuting the area’s tree-dependent animals. 

Even though Costa Rica has laws in place to protect its wildlife, campaigners say they aren’t enforced. Gavin Bruce, the project manager at International Animal Rescue, told Unearthed that, “The country has a very ‘green’ image, and tourists from all over the world visit to see the amazing wildlife. But if you’re on holiday and wake up to the sound of a screaming monkey being electrocuted outside your window, it’s extremely upsetting, and people ask ‘how can they let this happen in Costa Rica?’ It’s difficult to answer.”

Nearly all of the power lines in Costa Rica are aerial, meaning they run above the ground along the sides of the roads. When animals confront the roads that divide the forests of trees they’re accustomed to, their only alternative to cross is to use the power lines as a bridge. When they make their way over, their bodies can form a connection between the un-insulated wires, sending up to 34,000 volts through them.

Each year, thousands of animals, including endangered monkeys and families of sloths, are being electrocuted on the un-insulated power lines. The mortality rate following electrocution is about 70 percent, mostly due to multi-organ failure after the animal’s body temperature surpasses 109°F. If the animal survives, the rehabilitation process usually involves limb amputation, leaving the victim unable to return to the wild. As a result, it’s thought that approximately 50 percent of Costa Rica’s arboreal mammal population has been lost. 

In 2018, The Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Ricapublished a guide to address the issue, urging electricity providers to use insulated cables, practice preventative measures and provide data on animal electrocutions. Environmental engineer at the Costa Rican Electricity Institute Rafael Quesada was not optimistic about the effectiveness of the guide. Quesada told Unearthed that the guide “only recommends environmental actions, but doesn’t oblige any company to execute them.”

In the years following the MINAE report, campaigns like Refuge for Wildlife’s ‘Stop The Shocks’ and The Jaguar Rescue Centre’s ‘Shock-Free Zone’ were launched countrywide, aiming to spread awareness and lobby for change. Over time, community members in Heredia came together to start their own initiative. After calling their electricity company, ESPH, and voicing their concerns for the animals on their properties, the company partnered with Toucan Rescue Ranch and The Environmental Ministry to construct wildlife bridges — a safe alternative for animals to get from one side of a road to the other. 

Wildlife electrocution isn’t limited to Costa Rica. As development is increasing across the globe, high voltage power lines are appearing in more sensitive habitats. Elephants in India, falcons in Mongolia and gibbons in Myanmar are only a few of the reported victims. Costa Rica has an opportunity to adhere to its ‘green’ reputation and act as a leader for other countries to follow. The country must take steps to insulate the existing lines, establish reactive programs and work with wildlife experts to change pole designs. Doing so will conserve the country’s environment, add biodiversity and provide a better future for the magnificent wildlife Costa Rica is known for. 

To Get Involved

The Sloth Conservation Foundation has developed a range of strategies for sloths and humans to coexist in Costa Rica. Their work building sloth crossings, educating the community and collaborating with ICE to insulate power lines has engaged and empowered the local community. To support SloCo, you can volunteer, give a donation or contact their team. 

Toucan Rescue Ranch

Toucan Rescue Ranch rescues, rehabilitates and releases sick and injured Costa Rican wildlife. The ranch works closely with MINAE, which brings injured and displaced wildlife to their center. They work closely with The Sloth Institute of Costa Rica and other species-specific release programs to ensure success for the animals. To get involved at TRR you can volunteer, donate and even “adopt” an animal. Get in contact with them to learn about other opportunities and internships. 

Claire Redden

Claire Redden is a freelance journalist from Chicago, where she received her Bachelor’s of Communications from the University of Illinois. While living and studying in Paris, Claire wrote for the magazine, Toute La Culture. As a freelancer she contributes to travel guides for the up and coming brand, Thalby. She plans to take her skills to London, where she’ll pursue her Master’s of Arts and Lifestyle Journalism at the University of Arts, London College of Communication. 

Ljubljana: The Green City of Slovenia

The city has enacted sustainability initiatives that consistently earn recognition for eco-friendly daily living.

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is known for being ‘green’ due to its lush landscape and eco-friendly living. The small city, surrounded by the Alps and the Adriatic, has a population of roughly 290,000 residents. The city was awarded the European Green Capital award in 2016 for its commitment and vision for an eco-friendly city. Locals are dedicated to creating a sustainable city and take the green initiatives seriously. In 2008, the city center was deemed a zone free of motor vehicles. As a result, many people use bicycles to get around the city, and Ljubljana has become very bike-friendly to accommodate the influx of cyclists. The city has a free bike sharing network that allows residents and visitors to easily commute throughout the city. The city also has an eclectic vehicle service that can be hailed on the street as another form of public transportation in the city center.

Ljubljana is not only dedicated to sustainable transportation. Beekeeping is at the heart of Slovenian culture and thrives in Ljubljana. While the rest of Europe is experiencing a concerning decline in their bee population, Slovenia’s bee’s are thriving. Bees are essential to the environment and ecological systems, and Slovenia’s dedication to beekeeping is an essential part of what makes them an eco-friendly destination. Ljubljana has established urban beekeeping, with over 4,500 hives in the city. Beekeeping in Ljubljana can be traced back to the Bronze Age and remains an integral part of the city’s culture. To keep beekeeping thriving today, the city of Ljubljana started The Bee Path, a group of people who promote activities related to urban beekeeping and encourage co-existance with bees in an urban setting. Created in 2015, the path takes visitors throughout the city to learn about the importance and history of beekeeping in Ljubljana.

Ljubljana is known for its natural beauty and, prior to winning the Green Capital award in 2016, the city planted thousands of trees to add to the existing greenery. There are currently ​​65,000 registered trees in the cityMany of these trees are located along the city’s Path of Remembrance and Comradeship, which follows the location of barbed wire placed in the city during the World War II occupation. Today, the path is surrounded by trees and is used as a trail for joggers and bikers.

The city has a noticeably large amount of per capita green space, at 542 square meters. The city is also the first capital in the European Union to announce a zero waste initiative.The eco-friendly commitment is not just limited to Ljubljana; Slovenia itself was declared the first green destination in the world in 2017, meeting 96 of the 100 environmental initiatives. Ljubljana’s eco-friendly character is the result of the local community and government passionately making sustainable changes. 

Dana Flynn

Dana is a recent graduate from Tufts University with a degree in English. While at Tufts she enjoyed working on a campus literary magazine and reading as much as possible. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she loves to explore and learn new things.

Spanish Statue Prompts International Discussion about Climate Equity 

Mexican artist Rubén Orozco Loza’s latest installation of a drowning woman in Bilbao, Spain, incites international discussions of intergenerational equity in climate litigation. 

Bihar. Rubén Orozco. CC BY 1.0. 

Since appearing in the water of Bilbao’s River Nervión unannounced, an eerie statue of a drowning girl has mystified the people of the Spanish city. The figure was taken by boat in the middle of the night on Sept. 23 and placed quietly in the water. When residents awoke the following day, they were startled to see a young woman’s face partially submerged with her eyes and mouth tilted up, reaching for air. The piece has inspired international discussions about intergenerational equity and climate change. This issue is a big topic among European youth who, in recent years, organized school walkouts and protests. 

Despite her passive expression, viewers have described the image to invoke different feelings as the tides rise and fall. A visitor viewing the statue, Triana Gil, told Reuters that “At first it gave me a feeling of stress when more of the face was out of the water, but now to me she communicates sadness, a lot of sadness … She doesn't even look worried, it’s as if she is letting herself drown.”

Rubén Orozco Loza, a hyperrealist artist from Mexico, created the sculpture. The installation, commissioned by the BBK Foundation, is titled “Bihar: Choosing Tomorrow.” In an email to Insider, Loza described the piece as “a reflection on the decisions we make for future generations.” The artist told the Spanish news site, Nius, that the goal of his work is for people to consider that “their actions can sink us or keep us afloat.” 

With the help of his wife, Loza spent three months completing the piece in Mexico. The artwork is over 6.5 feet tall and weighs around 3.5 tons. It had to be flown to Spain in eight separate pieces and re-assembled there before it was brought to the river by boat.  

The young girl stands still as tides rise past her ears and over her head, then slowly back down, unveiling her upward staring eyes and calm expression. This cycle repeats over and over, day after day. Her presence isn’t just unsettling residents but inspiring discussions around an uneasy topic that affects the global population: climate change. 

A few days before the statue’s grand appearance in the river, the Science Journal published a report about intergenerational inequalities in exposure to extreme climate events. The paper found that children born in 2020 will experience up to seven times more extreme climate events like heat waves, wildfires, droughts, floods, hurricanes and tsunamis than someone born 40 years ago. This raises the important issue of intergenerational equity in climate litigation, which has fueled recent climate protests led by millions of young people in at least 110 countries in the last few years. 

Loza told Insider that “‘Bihar: Choosing Tomorrow’ is an exercise in pausing, looking at what's changing, and above all, a future reflection of what can happen if we continue to bet on unsustainable models.” His artwork serves as a medium to contemplate the question of how future generations will experience a world impacted by the actions of people today. Loza added, “I hope that this piece helps people reflect and see how, like the sculpture, we can get to a point where we are no longer afloat.”

Claire Redden

Claire is a freelance journalist from Chicago, where she received her Bachelor’s of Communications from the University of Illinois. While living and studying in Paris, Claire wrote for the magazine, Toute La Culture. As a freelancer she contributes to travel guides for the up and coming brand, Thalby. She plans to take her skills to London, where she’ll pursue her Master’s of Arts and Lifestyle Journalism at the University of Arts, London College of Communication. 

The Inca’s Sacred Site of Machu Picchu 

Machu Picchu has turned into one of the most visited sites in South America. It’s deep history and architecture draw enthusiasts in. 

Located in the Andes Mountains of Peru, Machu Picchu is believed to have been a royal estate or a sacred religious site. It sits at 7,970 feet above sea level overlooking the Urubamba river and covers 80,000 acres. It’s been estimated to have been built and inhabited in the mid 14th to mid 15th century by the Incas. This archeological site is one of the few well-preserved remnants of the Inca civilization. 

The Incas were very skilled builders; they constructed Machu Picchu using a technique called “Ashlar.” This involves cutting stone so precisely that mortar, a material often used to bind stones together, was unnecessary. Not only did they not use mortar, but  they did all of it without the help of metal to cut the stones. With no record of wheels being used, the stones were likely pushed up the steep mountains by strong men over the years. Built on land frequented by seismic activity, the site has been able to stay intact despite being built atop two fault lines. The stones are called “dancing stones” as they do not break but rather move in rhythm to the earth’s motion when an earthquake occurs. Thus, demonstrating the Incas were intentional when building Machu Picchu. 

Archeologists have identified different sections of the site, making up Machu Picchu: a residential neighborhood, a royal district, a sacred area, and a farming zone. It is believed that the inhabitants harvested potatoes, coca leaves and corn. However, the most appreciated of the three was corn. It was seen as a symbol of power and a sacred state crop. The Inca people grew their food between mountain peaks due to freezing temperatures and uneven terrain. Agriculture terraces were efficient and built as steps into the slopes of the mountain. 

Discovered in July 1911, Machu Picchu was found by Yale graduate and American explorer Hiram Bingham III. Bingham was in search of  Vilcabamba, a secret stronghold mountain used against Spanish rule. However, after many failed attempts at locating it, he arrived in Cusco. He was met by Melchor Arteaga, a Quechua-speaking resident who led Bingham to the ruins of Machu Picchu, which were hidden under vines. The following year, Bingham returned to lead in the excavation of the ruins. While excavating, he was sure that Machu Picchu was Vilcabamba. Still, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that this theory was disputed.

Historians estimate that the population in Machu Picchu was about 1,000-1,200 Inca people. The Incas are believed to have only inhabited the historic site from 1438-1471 and abandoned it a century later due to the Spanish conquest. While escaping to safer locations, the people destroyed any trails and evidence that connected Machu Picchu to the Inca Empire. The site was left untouched for centuries until Bingham discovered it again in 1911 in the dense jungle of Peru.

Machu Picchu is Peru’s most visited attraction and one of the most well-preserved examples of Inca architecture. It has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983 and one of the Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. The adept engineering of the Incas can be seen throughout Machu Picchu and continues to bring in visitors from around the world.

Jenn is a Communications Studies graduate based in Los Angeles. She grew up  traveling with her dad and that is where her love for travel stems from.  You can find her serving the community at her church, Fearless LA or  planning her next trip overseas. She hopes to be involved in  international humanitarian work one day.