Mercy Corps In Action

In Indonesia, where more than half the population lives below the poverty line, access to education gives children an alternative to dangerous jobs and sex work. Pictured: Indonesian girls in class Mercy Corps works to combat poverty and provide education in Indonesia through better governance.

The nation highlighted in red sprawls over 17,000 islands and the geography makes providing services such as education and health care a challenge. Indonesia is one of 38 countries highlighted in green that hosts Mercy Corps programs. Visit the Mercy Corps Action Center for in depth information on the programs in Indonesia, Niger, Guatemala, and Afghanistan, among others.

Nearly 1.5 million Indonesian children work; most of them in dangerous conditions. This child is employed as a garbage picker. At the Action Center, learn what you can do to make a difference. Action #332 It only takes one minute to help poor families build a brighter future by donating to Mercy Corps Indonesia fund and telling your friends and family to do the same.

Hear Local Perspectives At the Action Center, watch video and hear directly from the people living in Indonesia including Rasdi top left a 16-year-old garbage picker. Peter Van Rooli, Deputy Director, International Labour Organization bottom left, explains how poverty contributes to child labor conditions; Dr. Marisa Anggraini top right outlines the challenges of treating life-threatening anemia without the budget to provide medicine to all who need it.

Low annual rainfall and climate change have made Niger one of the driest places on earth. Most Nigerians make their livelihood in agriculture or herding and depend directly on the land for food. As the cycle of drought and rain becomes increasingly unpredictable, the region is extremely vulnerable to poverty and hunger.

Each year, the fates of many Nigerians will be determined by the outcome of a single harvest. A vast number of people, especially children, do not have enough food. Mercy Corps runs therapeutic feeding programs at local health centers to alleviate some of the need.

The consequences of climate change in Niger are complex, but people are taking action to try and address the problems. Find ways to get involved at the Action Center.

Action #332 Give one minute and help Niger break free from the cycle of hunger.

Action #320 Give one minute and learn to lighten your carbon footprint.

Action #321 Give one day and get your mayor to go green.

In Guatemala, a colonial legacy of unequal land distribution still persists. Mercy Corps programs help to resolve land rights disputes that arise between between large landowners with commercial farms and an indigenous population who works the land.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans leave their communities to search for seasonal work on commercial plantations. In one rural community, 88 percent of the indigenous population is landless, while 90 percent of their annual income comes from farm work. The forced migration of indigenous people leads to a cycle of poverty and hunger.

More equitable land rights for the indigenous populations can help to minimize the need for migration. Mercy Corps is working with landowners, workers, and local agencies to mediate land rights disputes, create cultural cooperatives of workers to buy land of their own, and advocate for governmental change.

At the Action Center, get briefed on the conflict in Afghanistan. Extreme poverty follows in the wake of war and long conflict has greatly hindered development in that country.

Less then half of Afghanistan’s school-age population attends school. Following five years of Taliban rule, during which girls were not allowed to attend school at all, even more girls are impacted: 70 percent of Afghan girls are not enrolled in school and in some places their enrollment is as low as 2 percent.

The nation’s infrastructure is in terrible condition and most of Afghanistan lacks even basic services, such as roads and electricity. Deforestation and increasing pollution continues unchecked, and landmines are an ongoing danger to the people who live in Afghanistan.

In rural Afghanistan, few schools exist and many communities have no access to them, so sending children to school can be a significant challenge. Education yourself about access to education at globalcitizencorps.org. To learn more and do more, visit the Mercy Corps Action Center.