In remote communities across Mali, Red Cross volunteers are overcoming significant challenges to identify zero-dose and under-vaccinated children, ensuring they receive life-saving immunizations. Vaccines are crucial in preventing infectious diseases, yet fewer than half of Mali’s children receive all essential childhood vaccines, leaving them vulnerable to diseases such as diphtheria, measles, and tetanus. Many factors… [Read More]
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Expanding Access: IFC and Bank of Bhutan Support Micro and Small Enterprises Nationwide
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has announced a US$20 million investment in Bank of Bhutan (BoB), the country’s oldest and largest bank, marking a significant milestone for Bhutan’s financial sector. This five-year fixed-rate financing, supported by the International Development Association’s Private Sector Window, will enable BoB to expand lending to micro and… [Read More]
The Future of Aid? What Pioneers of Participatory Grants Have Learned
There is growing recognition in the humanitarian and development sector that decisions about aid funding are most effective when made by the communities directly affected. Participatory grantmaking shifts the power to local people and movements, positioning them as the true experts in identifying needs and determining how resources should be allocated. This approach contrasts with… [Read More]
Securing Financial Sustainability for Non-Profits: Proven Fundraising Approaches
In today’s unpredictable economic climate, many non-profit organisations, particularly within the humanitarian sector, face mounting financial challenges. Heavy reliance on short-term donations and grants makes these organisations vulnerable to funding gaps that can threaten their ongoing projects and broader missions. Dependence on external sources of funding, which are often unpredictable and unstable, requires careful financial… [Read More]
Women Leading the Way: Building a Sustainable Pineapple Future in Suriname
Suriname, a biodiverse nation on South America’s northern coast, is considered one of the birthplaces of the pineapple. For centuries, Indigenous women have cultivated this fruit, drawing on ancestral knowledge and a spiritual connection to the land. Despite its cultural significance, the pineapple sector in Suriname has struggled commercially, with farmers facing limited access to… [Read More]
Portugal Consults Stakeholders to Strengthen Workplace Gender Equality
A broad consultation in Portugal has been conducted to assess the current landscape of gender equality in the workplace. Through interviews with key informants, the initiative mapped institutional roles and expectations, reviewed relevant legislation, policies, and family-friendly measures, and analyzed work-life balance practices. The consultation also examined key indicators such as the gender pay gap,… [Read More]
Promoting Fairness at Work: ILO Unveils “This is Social Justice” Campaign
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched the “This is Social Justice” campaign, featuring a series of social media videos that showcase how social justice positively transforms the lives of workers, employers, and communities. The initiative emphasizes the importance of social justice in achieving decent work and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ahead of… [Read More]
Ugandan Women Transforming Peace Efforts: A Journey Since Resolution 1325
Across Uganda, women peacebuilders are actively translating the global Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda into tangible change in their communities, mediating conflicts, countering violent extremism, and promoting equality for women and girls. Adopted on 31 October 2000, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 recognized the impacts of conflict on women and girls and codified their… [Read More]
How Taliban’s Internet Ban Silences Women and Blocks Access to Essential Services
In recent weeks, the Taliban cut off Internet and phone networks across Afghanistan, silencing millions of women and girls and severing their last link to the outside world. For those with connectivity, the blackout disrupted access to education, work, and vital services, highlighting how fragile these digital lifelines are in a country where many women… [Read More]
New Initiatives in Alberta to Boost Youth Mental Health Care Access
The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Alberta’s Minister of Health, announced a $10 million investment through the Youth Mental Health Fund (YMHF) to expand Integrated Youth Services (IYS) across the province. IYS is an internationally recognized model designed to make it easier for young people and their families to access mental health and related supports in one… [Read More]
Canada Expands Energy and Resource Collaboration with the United Kingdom
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson concluded a three-day visit to London from October 14 to 16, 2025, focused on advancing secure critical minerals supply chains and energy security for Canada and its allies. During the trip, he met with key government and industry partners to drive British investment in Canada’s resource sectors,… [Read More]
UK Statement to OSCE on Russia’s Strikes Against Ukraine’s Energy Systems
Russia has recently intensified attacks on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure, severely disrupting gas production and damaging critical storage facilities in western Ukraine. A strike on thermal power stations on 10 October left half of Kyiv without power and many residents without access to water, highlighting the devastating impact of targeting essential services during winter. The… [Read More]
Local Areas Receive £80 Million Funding to Improve Mental Health Support and Employment Outcomes
The Government has extended the Transformative Inactivity Trailblazer scheme, providing targeted support to areas with the highest levels of economic inactivity across England and Wales. The initiative aims to help local people who are currently out of work through confidence-building, social support groups, mental health services, and skills development, giving them the tools to enter… [Read More]
Urgent Warning for Youth: The Hidden Dangers of Taking Drugs
A new government campaign has been launched to warn young people about the serious risks associated with taking ketamine, counterfeit medicines, and adulterated THC vapes. Targeting 16-24-year-olds and social media users, the campaign highlights the life-threatening consequences of recreational drug use, including irreparable bladder damage, poisoning, and death. The initiative responds to a significant rise… [Read More]
£80 Million Funding Boost for Children’s Hospices Across the UK
Children’s and young people’s hospices in England will receive nearly £80 million in funding over the next three years, providing long-term certainty for vital services that support seriously ill children and their families. This multi-year settlement builds on the government’s previous £100 million investment, the largest in a generation, and will ensure that thousands of… [Read More]
Historic Investment Announced to Safeguard Jewish Communities
The UK government has announced a record funding boost of up to £10 million to enhance security at synagogues and Jewish schools, marking the largest allocation yet to protect faith communities. This emergency cash injection comes in response to the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, and reflects growing concern… [Read More]
New European Innovation Partnership Project Receives €7 Million to Support Nature on Coastal Arable Land
The Irish Ministers for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, announced the approval of a new European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project, “The Arable Coast Environment,” led by SECAD. The project aims to enhance habitats for biodiversity along the coast from South Cork to Wexford,… [Read More]
Ontario Announces $2B Investment to Enhance Long-Term Care Services
The Ontario government is making a historic investment of $1.92 billion to protect and expand the province’s long-term care system. This funding supports a significant increase in staffing over the past four years, helping Ontario surpass its target of an average of four hours of daily direct care for residents provided by nurses and personal… [Read More]
UN Peacekeeping Faces Deep Cuts Amid Global Funding Shortfall
The United Nations is facing a severe funding crisis that is forcing deep cuts to its peacekeeping operations. UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix described the situation as “more daunting than ever,” pointing to the partial non-payment of assessed contributions by Member States, which has left financing well below the approved 2025-26 budget. Speaking at a… [Read More]
Global Health at the Forefront: 100 Nations Commit to Climate Action
Tuvalu has become the 100th country to join the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH), alongside the Cook Islands and Malaysia, bringing the Alliance’s membership to 100 countries and areas committed to advancing climate action for health. The Alliance serves as a voluntary network of countries, areas, and partners focused on sharing… [Read More]
Life-Changing Water Supply Projects in DRC Extend Impact Beyond Ebola
For years, the 20,000 residents of Bulape faced a daily struggle to access water, often walking several kilometres through the forest to reach unsafe and stagnant pools. The long journey consumed hours of women’s time, delayed children from attending school, and contributed to frequent outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Henriette Byongo, a mother of seven, recalls… [Read More]
Accelerating HIV Prevention: Nigeria Introduces Injectable PrEP Options
Nigeria is intensifying efforts to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Until recently, HIV prevention in the country relied largely on daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), but adherence challenges, stigma, limited awareness, and inconsistent access have hindered widespread uptake. The introduction of long-acting injectable PrEP, which can last two to six months,… [Read More]
Historic Milestone: Angola Launches Cervical Cancer Vaccination Program
Lélia Bartolomeu, aged 12, was deeply influenced by her grandmother’s battle with cervical cancer, which inspired her commitment to promoting change. Each year in Africa, over 117,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and more than 76,000 die from the disease. Despite being highly preventable and treatable when detected early, limited access to prevention, screening,… [Read More]
