TIME FOR GLOBAL ACTION
SEASON 2
A global series demonstrating that inclusive business drives growth. Short, cinematic films that feature companies solving real-world problems while growing their bottom line.
CITI AND THE MALALA FUND
When 14-year old Amina Yusuf realised that her uncle was trying to convince her father that it was time for her to marry, she did everything in her power to persuade her parents otherwise and begged them to rather let her continue with her education. Fortunately for Amina, they agreed. This, however, is not the reality for most of the young girls in Zaria, Northern Nigeria. Indeed, this is not the reality for 130 million girls around the world who are not in school today. Early childhood marriages, poverty, war and mismanaged government funds play a huge role in depriving girls of an education. Instead of attending school, girls go out hawking to contribute to the household income or help their mothers look after their younger siblings. If they get married, their 13 or 14-year old bodies aren’t mature enough to safely sustain pregnancies, resulting in a huge increase in maternal mortality and morbidity rates.
Yet, by educating girls, the benefits swing the pendulum far in the other direction. Educating a girl makes a significant contribution to the wellbeing of not just her family, but also her entire country. It is a basic human right for all children, including girls, to have an education. An education protects girls from child labour, child marriages and, by implication, death during childbirth. When Malala Yousafzai was violently attacked by extremists for speaking out against the ban on female education in her country, it served as an even greater motivation to continue her campaign. She co-founded Malala Fund alongside her father to help girls stay in school. Malala Fund invests in education champions in communities and regions where most girls miss out on secondary education. These include Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and countries housing Syrian refugees, and they are working hard at extending their reach even further.
Partnering with a bank like Citi that has a global reach, especially in the conflict-ridden areas in which Malala Fund works, allows them to expand their network significantly. It is crucial to their success that they forge solid partnerships. Citi enables this success and thereby increases the number of education champions reached by the Malala Fund. Habiba Mohamed in Nigeria is one such champion. Working with the Center for Girls Education, she provides girls with safe spaces. Trained mentors teach girls numeracy, literacy and life skills, and special focus is placed on building the girls’ confidence and self-esteem. This helps them understand that they have value and empowers them to negotiate the marriages suggested by their families in a culturally appropriate manner.
An educated girl will ensure that her children also receive an education. She becomes independent and doesn’t have to rely on others for her survival. Her talents, ideas and passions are cultivated. She could have the solution to climate change, or she could be the next Nobel Prize winner. If one girl with an education can change the world, imagine what 130 million can do.
Yet, by educating girls, the benefits swing the pendulum far in the other direction. Educating a girl makes a significant contribution to the wellbeing of not just her family, but also her entire country. It is a basic human right for all children, including girls, to have an education. An education protects girls from child labour, child marriages and, by implication, death during childbirth. When Malala Yousafzai was violently attacked by extremists for speaking out against the ban on female education in her country, it served as an even greater motivation to continue her campaign. She co-founded Malala Fund alongside her father to help girls stay in school. Malala Fund invests in education champions in communities and regions where most girls miss out on secondary education. These include Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and countries housing Syrian refugees, and they are working hard at extending their reach even further.
Partnering with a bank like Citi that has a global reach, especially in the conflict-ridden areas in which Malala Fund works, allows them to expand their network significantly. It is crucial to their success that they forge solid partnerships. Citi enables this success and thereby increases the number of education champions reached by the Malala Fund. Habiba Mohamed in Nigeria is one such champion. Working with the Center for Girls Education, she provides girls with safe spaces. Trained mentors teach girls numeracy, literacy and life skills, and special focus is placed on building the girls’ confidence and self-esteem. This helps them understand that they have value and empowers them to negotiate the marriages suggested by their families in a culturally appropriate manner.
An educated girl will ensure that her children also receive an education. She becomes independent and doesn’t have to rely on others for her survival. Her talents, ideas and passions are cultivated. She could have the solution to climate change, or she could be the next Nobel Prize winner. If one girl with an education can change the world, imagine what 130 million can do.
KARPOWERSHIP
Countries often battle to supply adequate electricity to remote regions within their borders. Either the land is separated by masses of water, or power lines cannot reach the most remote regions. A fleet of floating powerships has found a way to overcome these issues and can provide enhanced access to power. In this episode, we look at three countries where these floating powerships have been successful in providing constant and cost-effective electricity.
Indonesia is scattered amongst an archipelago of at least 17,508 islands and, because of the cost implication of building big power plants and stringing wires across the sea, supplying electricity to its 255 million people has become a huge challenge.
With its industries growing at a rapid rate the Indonesian government had to look at cost effective and sustainable methods of supplying adequate electricity for future growth. Many industries, including the small business sector, have had to look at other ways of generating electricity in order to keep businesses afloat.
Karpowership’s floating powerships have become a credible solution to the country’s energy problems. There are currently four ships stationed at various islands and supplying 540 megawatts of electricity to the country’s national grid. As a result, businesses are once again able to thrive from an uninterrupted supply of electricity.
Lebanon, having suffered years of civil war, has been working tirelessly since 1990 to repair and rebuild the country’s damaged infrastructure. One of the industries that were hit hard during the years of war was the energy sector. With no new power plants built since 1995, citizens in Lebanon face up to 6 hours of power outages. Additionally, since the war in Syria began, Lebanon has faced an increase in refugees seeking asylum in the country, resulting in an even bigger increase in demand for electricity. With two floating powerships stationed along its shores, Lebanon is now able to meet these increasing demands and is able to supply the refugee camps with electricity.
The Mozambique landscape, with its beautiful coastline, stretches more than 3000kms along the South East of Africa. Many parts of the country, such as the Nampula Province, are situated in remote locations and getting a reliable electricity supply to these regions has proved difficult. With an innovative agreement between Mozambique, Karpowership and Zambia, the single floating powership is able to supply electricity to Mozambique’s northern region, creating a boost for the citizens and industries located there.
Indonesia is scattered amongst an archipelago of at least 17,508 islands and, because of the cost implication of building big power plants and stringing wires across the sea, supplying electricity to its 255 million people has become a huge challenge.
With its industries growing at a rapid rate the Indonesian government had to look at cost effective and sustainable methods of supplying adequate electricity for future growth. Many industries, including the small business sector, have had to look at other ways of generating electricity in order to keep businesses afloat.
Karpowership’s floating powerships have become a credible solution to the country’s energy problems. There are currently four ships stationed at various islands and supplying 540 megawatts of electricity to the country’s national grid. As a result, businesses are once again able to thrive from an uninterrupted supply of electricity.
Lebanon, having suffered years of civil war, has been working tirelessly since 1990 to repair and rebuild the country’s damaged infrastructure. One of the industries that were hit hard during the years of war was the energy sector. With no new power plants built since 1995, citizens in Lebanon face up to 6 hours of power outages. Additionally, since the war in Syria began, Lebanon has faced an increase in refugees seeking asylum in the country, resulting in an even bigger increase in demand for electricity. With two floating powerships stationed along its shores, Lebanon is now able to meet these increasing demands and is able to supply the refugee camps with electricity.
The Mozambique landscape, with its beautiful coastline, stretches more than 3000kms along the South East of Africa. Many parts of the country, such as the Nampula Province, are situated in remote locations and getting a reliable electricity supply to these regions has proved difficult. With an innovative agreement between Mozambique, Karpowership and Zambia, the single floating powership is able to supply electricity to Mozambique’s northern region, creating a boost for the citizens and industries located there.
LIXIL
The privilege of having a safe, clean and private toilet is not regarded as a privilege by many of the people on earth; indeed, it is taken for granted. However, 2.3 billion people still live without access to proper sanitation. Imagine, every time you wanted to go to the toilet, having to walk for half an hour to get there. Only, there’s no toilet, just nature. Imagine having to hide so that others don’t see you. Imagine having to fight off mosquitos and snakes, or worse, sexual harassment and potentially rape. This is the reality for a staggering 892 million of the people on earth who still defecate in the open, of whom 550 million reside in India.
6.4% of the GDP of India – US$53 billion – is lost annually due to death and diseases borne of bad sanitation. These are figures that can’t be ignored. That’s why the government of India launched the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission in 2014. It aims to have the entire country of India Open Defecation Free by 2019. This not only requires a massive 110 million individual toilets to be constructed but also the disposal of liquid and solid waste safely and sustainably. Furthermore, it involves convincing people to use these new toilets. It is no small task and not something that can be undertaken unaided. However, through the forming of strategic partnerships, the government of India is ensuring its success.
The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme’s Indian branch is a key partner in realising these sanitation goals. First off, it is assisting in the construction of efficient, sustainable twin-pit toilet systems whilst simultaneously embarking on a massive behavioural change communication campaign with local villagers. Lack of awareness around the link between sanitation and health issues, combined with cultural beliefs around the proximity of toilets to cooking areas, has resulted in many people preferring to defecate in the open. Leading by example, Dharmendr Piplode, a supervisor at Aga Khans Rural Support Programme, had to first build his toilet close to his house and demonstrate its benefits, before the villagers of Buliya Khedi in Madhya Pradesh accepted the idea. Now people are embracing the notion of a safe, clean, nearby toilet with open arms and are queueing to have their toilets constructed by the newly trained local masons.
India mainly makes use of twin-pit toilet systems but the badly designed structures of the past added to their notoriety. It was, therefore, crucial to add a private sector partner to the mix. Global building products giant, LIXIL, added their expertise in the design, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of bathroom products and created affordable, easy to install SATO products that are effective for the villages in India. These solutions are a global first, designed specifically for the people who are most in need of them. In India, their contribution is two-fold; firstly they re-designed the badly implemented Y-configuration twin-pit toilets into a sleek V-configuration with perfectly straight pipes, thereby negating any chance of clogging. By retaining the twin-pit system it allows users to first fill one pit, and whilst utilising the second pit, allow the first pit’s contents to turn into dry, safe compost that can be used as fertiliser. Secondly, the innovative SATO trap door mechanism reduces the amount of water needed to flush the toilet, as well as serving as odour and insect control.
Due to their cutting-edge solutions – solutions that work and that are sustainable – they have played a major role in the behavioural changes of the rural poor in India. LIXIL’s sanitation solutions contribute to healthy living and well-being for all and have resulted in a successful public-private partnership, thereby ensuring that millions of people in India will have access to this basic human right.
6.4% of the GDP of India – US$53 billion – is lost annually due to death and diseases borne of bad sanitation. These are figures that can’t be ignored. That’s why the government of India launched the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission in 2014. It aims to have the entire country of India Open Defecation Free by 2019. This not only requires a massive 110 million individual toilets to be constructed but also the disposal of liquid and solid waste safely and sustainably. Furthermore, it involves convincing people to use these new toilets. It is no small task and not something that can be undertaken unaided. However, through the forming of strategic partnerships, the government of India is ensuring its success.
The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme’s Indian branch is a key partner in realising these sanitation goals. First off, it is assisting in the construction of efficient, sustainable twin-pit toilet systems whilst simultaneously embarking on a massive behavioural change communication campaign with local villagers. Lack of awareness around the link between sanitation and health issues, combined with cultural beliefs around the proximity of toilets to cooking areas, has resulted in many people preferring to defecate in the open. Leading by example, Dharmendr Piplode, a supervisor at Aga Khans Rural Support Programme, had to first build his toilet close to his house and demonstrate its benefits, before the villagers of Buliya Khedi in Madhya Pradesh accepted the idea. Now people are embracing the notion of a safe, clean, nearby toilet with open arms and are queueing to have their toilets constructed by the newly trained local masons.
India mainly makes use of twin-pit toilet systems but the badly designed structures of the past added to their notoriety. It was, therefore, crucial to add a private sector partner to the mix. Global building products giant, LIXIL, added their expertise in the design, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of bathroom products and created affordable, easy to install SATO products that are effective for the villages in India. These solutions are a global first, designed specifically for the people who are most in need of them. In India, their contribution is two-fold; firstly they re-designed the badly implemented Y-configuration twin-pit toilets into a sleek V-configuration with perfectly straight pipes, thereby negating any chance of clogging. By retaining the twin-pit system it allows users to first fill one pit, and whilst utilising the second pit, allow the first pit’s contents to turn into dry, safe compost that can be used as fertiliser. Secondly, the innovative SATO trap door mechanism reduces the amount of water needed to flush the toilet, as well as serving as odour and insect control.
Due to their cutting-edge solutions – solutions that work and that are sustainable – they have played a major role in the behavioural changes of the rural poor in India. LIXIL’s sanitation solutions contribute to healthy living and well-being for all and have resulted in a successful public-private partnership, thereby ensuring that millions of people in India will have access to this basic human right.
PROCTER & GAMBLE
Water is a scarce resource in Kenya and for many communities living in rural areas, access to clean drinkable water is still a major problem. Most communities collect water from dams, lakes and ponds that are contaminated with waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera, causing severe illness and even death. When family members get sick, it is the responsibility of the women and girls in the household to take care of the sick. This prevents them from going to school or providing for their families economically.
Procter and Gamble, in partnership with local NGOs SWAP and CARE International, have developed a programme to promote the use of clean drinking water through the use of water purifying sachets. The film focuses on three very ordinary individuals who have become ambassadors in their communities for the P&G Purifier of Water sachets. They are doing extraordinary work to educate their communities about health issues with contaminated water and promoting the use of the P&G Purifier of Water sachets.
The impact of these programmes in these rural communities has seen a significant decrease in water-borne diseases, allowing women and girls to return to work and school.
Procter and Gamble, in partnership with local NGOs SWAP and CARE International, have developed a programme to promote the use of clean drinking water through the use of water purifying sachets. The film focuses on three very ordinary individuals who have become ambassadors in their communities for the P&G Purifier of Water sachets. They are doing extraordinary work to educate their communities about health issues with contaminated water and promoting the use of the P&G Purifier of Water sachets.
The impact of these programmes in these rural communities has seen a significant decrease in water-borne diseases, allowing women and girls to return to work and school.
UBS AND CHILD’S I FOUNDATION
It is a common fallacy that orphanages are the only, and most beneficial, solution for abandoned and orphaned children. Pastor Ruth Kahawa, founder of Smile Africa in Uganda, was dismayed at hearing that the cause she had steadfastly been campaigning for – ensuring that children are safely placed in orphanages – was doing the children more harm than good. Research has shown that orphanages have an extremely detrimental effect on the children residing there.
Dr Delia Pop, a director at Hope and Homes for Children, states that apart from having no sense of belonging, these children suffer from a delay in development, struggle to negotiate conflict and are more likely to become victims of exploitation.
Furthermore, 60 per cent of women brought up in orphanages become single mothers who, in turn, use orphanages to care for their children, thereby perpetuating this negative cycle. In financially stunted social care systems one care worker frequently needs to take care of anything from 15 to 50 children. They can’t provide the safe and nurturing environment that children need to excel and, by implication, their brain development is unequivocally affected.
Distressingly, between 80 and 90 per cent of children in orphanages still have one or more parents or extended families. Most of the children in orphanages are, therefore, not orphans. They are placed there due to poverty, disability or discrimination. Apart from the exceedingly negative impact orphanages have on children, they are also extremely expensive to maintain due to their high staff numbers and large infrastructure requirements. A quarter of a billion US dollars in aid money flows into Uganda annually to keep children in orphanages. Imagine reinvesting those resources into sustainable systems that benefit the children and the societies from which they come.
By treating philanthropic donation with the same significance as a financial investment, the UBS Optimus Foundation is ensuring that a large amount of the aid money reaching Uganda is propelling sustainable, impactful solutions. The foundation believes that investing in children is the single most important contribution a philanthropist can make. As such, they are working closely with the Childs i Foundation (CIF), a supporter of organisations like Pastor Ruth’s Smile Africa. The CIF aims to, firstly, prevent children from entering institutional care. They support vulnerable, at-risk families through education, skills development and income generation. Secondly, they work at reintegrating children in orphanages by either tracing the family and returning the children to their parents or having them adopted by government-approved adoptive parents.
Support from the UBS Optimus Foundation has proved invaluable to the CIF. By ensuring that donor funds are channelled in the right direction, these investments result in the creation of well balanced, educated, happy children that grow up to be citizens that can build strong and stable societies, thereby helping their communities out of poverty.
Dr Delia Pop, a director at Hope and Homes for Children, states that apart from having no sense of belonging, these children suffer from a delay in development, struggle to negotiate conflict and are more likely to become victims of exploitation.
Furthermore, 60 per cent of women brought up in orphanages become single mothers who, in turn, use orphanages to care for their children, thereby perpetuating this negative cycle. In financially stunted social care systems one care worker frequently needs to take care of anything from 15 to 50 children. They can’t provide the safe and nurturing environment that children need to excel and, by implication, their brain development is unequivocally affected.
Distressingly, between 80 and 90 per cent of children in orphanages still have one or more parents or extended families. Most of the children in orphanages are, therefore, not orphans. They are placed there due to poverty, disability or discrimination. Apart from the exceedingly negative impact orphanages have on children, they are also extremely expensive to maintain due to their high staff numbers and large infrastructure requirements. A quarter of a billion US dollars in aid money flows into Uganda annually to keep children in orphanages. Imagine reinvesting those resources into sustainable systems that benefit the children and the societies from which they come.
By treating philanthropic donation with the same significance as a financial investment, the UBS Optimus Foundation is ensuring that a large amount of the aid money reaching Uganda is propelling sustainable, impactful solutions. The foundation believes that investing in children is the single most important contribution a philanthropist can make. As such, they are working closely with the Childs i Foundation (CIF), a supporter of organisations like Pastor Ruth’s Smile Africa. The CIF aims to, firstly, prevent children from entering institutional care. They support vulnerable, at-risk families through education, skills development and income generation. Secondly, they work at reintegrating children in orphanages by either tracing the family and returning the children to their parents or having them adopted by government-approved adoptive parents.
Support from the UBS Optimus Foundation has proved invaluable to the CIF. By ensuring that donor funds are channelled in the right direction, these investments result in the creation of well balanced, educated, happy children that grow up to be citizens that can build strong and stable societies, thereby helping their communities out of poverty.