I will never forget his name.
Omar. He was about my age, walking around the street and asking for directions. He stopped me but I didn’t know the place, so I suggested trying it on Google Maps to see if he can find it. Omar looked at me, embarrassed, and told be he couldn’t do that. Why? Not because he didn’t have a phone, he did. Not because it didn’t have power, or connection, it did. But because he didn’t know how to read and write. I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones.
I grew up in a world where education is a given, not a luxury, where graduating is a rite of passage not a privilege, where going to university is the norm, not the exception. I am one of the lucky ones because I never had to question all of this as a child. I never had to think about my life as being anything else than going to school. People like you and me, we forget that some people don’t know how to read, some barely know how to count, some stopped going to school at 12 years old. We take it all for granted. But when reality hits you like that, everything shatters. Today, I remind you of them, of the Omars of the world. We need to act now, today.
In Lebanon, where you live still decides what education you get…
But how can all of this be explained? What influences such disparity? What are the factors at play? These questions needed to be answered to find out the next course of action. The common denominator? The gap between the private and the public sector. It’s where inequality starts brewing.
In the districts where the share of public schools is higher, the percentage of residents with at least a high school degree suffer and both drop-out rates and illiteracy rates grow. As such, the higher the percentage of private schools in the district you live in, the more likely you’ll make it to university. But, private education is expensive and not accessible to everyone, and getting public schools to catch up to the level of private ones takes a lot of time and requires a very big investment. In the meantime, thousands of students are abandoning their studies… We need to bridge the gap, and fast.
Educating about Education in the public sector.
The first step is awareness. We need to educate public students on the importance of continuing their education. If they don’t know why they should go on with their studies, then anything else we try, will fail. Through my NGO, I developed a program that we would like to test-run.
Our program is three-fold:
Highlights the importance of continuing an education and the long term benefits it provides.
Addresses the reasons why public school students typically abandon their studies, suggests solutions and frames education within those issues.
The program will be repeated and updated as students get from elementary to intermediate to secondary to assess new concerns tied to the evolving context in Lebanon, age-related concerns.
To do that, we need the ministry of education’s approval to begin activation within public schools. Ideally, we would like to start with Hermel, which is the biggest problem area, as it is the worst across in all 3 key measures. This ensures at the same time, that we maximize the number of students we’ll be able to help.
Equal access to education should not a child’s naive idea of reality, it should be the norm. I ask you to say yes, not for me, but for all for all the kids out there who won’t get a proper education because they were born in the wrong place. For those who have enormous potential, but will never get to reach it. For those who should have gone on to do great things. For Omar. For all the kids who were born a few kilometers inland.
Elsie is a young girl living in a small village in the Baalbak-Hermel Governorate. Every morning, she wakes up before dawn, brushes her teeth, gets dressed and packs her school bag. However, her journey to school is not like that of other children across Lebanon.
The roads Elsie travels on are cracked, uneven, and often flooded in winter. Can you imagine? Cold weather and muddy shoes?
For her, education feels like a distant dream, not because of lack of ambition, but because of the poor quality of the roads that connect her to opportunity.
This is not just Elsie’s story, it is the story of an entire governorate.
Poor infrastructure of roads leads to:
Town isolation: Travel becomes difficult and inconvenient whether on foot or by car.
Unsafe: Roads are not prepared for harsh weather, making them susceptible to flooding and destruction.
Unreliable: Poorly made roads will have any cracks, holes and bumps. Placing the car & those inside it in danger, if one is not already familiar with the road.
Among all Lebanese regions, Baalbak-Hermel governorate has the lowest number of good road quality. The lack of infrastructure is not just inconvenient, but a barrier to growth, dignity, and equality.
But here lies the opportunity: with targeted funding, we can transform these roads into opportunities. Where better road quality means:
Students like Elsie arrive safely and on time to their schools.
Emergency services reach families when they need them most.
Businesses see Baalbak‑Hermel not as a forgotten corner, but as a region ready for investment.
This is not just about asphalt and concrete, it is about justice. Every Lebanese governorate deserves equal access to safe, reliable roads. By investing in Baalbak‑Hermel, we are not only repairing infrastructure; we are repairing trust, opportunity, and hope.
In 1994, Tunisia’s electrification landscape presented a striking contrast. Urban areas were almost entirely electrified at 99.87%, but rural regions lagged significantly with only 66.29% access. This gap underscored a larger issue of inequality in access to basic utilities.
The Transformation Journey:
A visual representation, through a two-line chart, illustrates this journey vividly. As the years progressed, a noticeable shift occurred. The lines representing rural and urban electricity access started converging. This wasn’t just infrastructural progress; it was a story of reducing disparity and fostering inclusivity.
Achieving Parity (2016 Onwards):
By 2016, an impressive feat was achieved: both rural and urban areas reached a 100% electrification rate. This landmark achievement was the culmination of a series of strategic initiatives, reflecting Tunisia’s steadfast commitment to equitable development.
Behind the Success:
The road to this success was paved with innovative strategies and strong political will. Implementing technologies like photovoltaic cells in remote areas exemplified the innovative approach to overcoming geographical and logistical challenges.
Conclusion – A Model for the Future:
Tunisia’s electrification story is not just about lighting up homes; it’s about empowering communities, ensuring equitable access to essential services, and setting a precedent for other nations facing similar challenges. It’s a narrative that demonstrates how vision, commitment, and innovation can transform a nation.
Let’s keep this conversation going! What are your thoughts on such transformative initiatives?
African countries face a critical water situation, with millions lacking access to clean and safe water sources
According to the United Nations, about 40% of the world’s population lack access to the least basic water needs and with the global temperatures on the rise this number is expected to further increase. In line with its vision for the year 2030, the United Nations is developing a series of targets such as eliminating water sources pollution and increasing international cooperation, however until today not much has done to ensure that this goal will be met by year 2030.
African countries have the highest mortality rates related to unsafe water sanitation
As shown in the above heatmap, the highest mortality rates related to unsafe water in year 2019 belonged to countries from the African continent solely with Lesotho and Chad leading the way with 108.1 and 99.2 deaths coming from unsafe water sources respectively. In addition, as displayed in the above map, the African continent is clearly in a critical situation with less than half of the population receiving access to basic water services in most of its countries.
Increasing international cooperation can improve the African water situation
To address the critical water situation, a multifaceted solution involves improving water infrastructure, implementing sustainable water management practices, raise awareness and avoid water pollution. However, as known for its weak economic situation, most of the African countries are not currently capable to develop such infrastructural expansions, highlighting the need of an international cooperation to solve the critical water situation in Africa.
Integrated programs can scale and validate the proposed solutions to solve the current situation
Series of programs led and initiated by international partners can be used to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed solutions, including the sustainable water usage and pollution control to restore the ecosystems in Africa and ensure that the whole population is receiving access to the least basic water services. In addition, the programs will ensure the global collaboration discussed above.
All stakeholders should proceed immediately
As mentioned above, the United nation clearly stated that much has to be done to be in line with the SDG goals of year 2030. In this regard, we recommended to focus on clear policies that call for an immediate action plan to ensure those goals. But most importantly, we recommend all stakeholders to proceed immediately as the African continent is in a desperate water situation while mortality rates are going through the roof.
For more info, read the following articles: https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-development-goals-matter/goal-6
