#UnitedNationsDAY 5 ways our space aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals
October 24th marks the anniversary of the United Nations Charter that was formed in 1945. The United Nations was formed following the Second World War to move beyond global conflict to global cooperation.
According to Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ 2022 message, although the organization is being tested like never before, the United Nations was made for moments like these. He ended his speech with a call to “renew our hope and conviction in what humanity can achieve when we work as one, in solidarity”
In addition to giving peace a chance to safeguard our planet by breaking our dependency on fossil fuels and kick-starting the renewable energy revolution, the UN also hopes to finally balance the scales of opportunity and freedom for women and girls and ensure human rights for all.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define the world we want and they were created to apply to all nations to ensure that no one is left behind. In no particular order, read more to learn more about which goals we were inspired by to make sure that this means that the girls living in deep rural areas are not left behind. This article is a reflection of how our mission aligns with 5 of the 17 SDGs.
According to the UN, more than 4 years of progress against poverty has been erased by COVID-19. Additionally, rising inflation and impacts of the war in Ukraine have further derailed the progress.
The EB256 I AM CRAFTY Affirmation introduces healing and entrepreneurship through arts and crafts in our space. With this affirmation, our hope is to help our communities move from a poverty mentality to an abundance mentality by using the skills that they naturally possess.
According to the UN, about 1 in 10 people worldwide are suffering from hunger with nearly 1 in 3 people lacking regular access to adequate food. This leaves about 149.2 million children under the age of 5 suffering from stunting.
I AM NUTRITION Affirmation focuses on promoting food security, easier access to clean water as well as the benefits of a balanced diet.
In this space, we have the porridge program which ensures that no student is learning on an empty stomach. We also want to make sure that the students are getting nutritious meals at home. We do this by checking in on the progress of their agricultural projects as well as occasionally sending them home with an earlybird256 food package.
The COVID-19 pandemic threatened decades of progress in Global Health. As a result, More than 15 million people died of covid with 500 millions infected. The global life expectancy decreased as well as immunization coverage but deaths from Tuberculosis and Malaria increased. That is without getting into the worrisome increase of the Ebola outbreak.
Adding the fact that the communities we work in were recovering from the HIV/AIDS pandemic
The health inequality in our communities is too deep that two EB256 affirmations were created for this space. I AM WELLNESS Affirmation which creates a safe space to promote emotional, intellectual, social, career, and spiritual wellness.
The I AM MOVEMENT Affirmation creates space to promote emotional, intellectual, social, career and spiritual wellness in our community.
We have manifested a space that will invest in education, creativity and innovation. We began our workshops during the pandemic because we knew firsthand the effects remote learning will have on the communities we want to serve. As we dived deeper into the Universal Primary Education of Uganda- we learned that the government budgets $3 per student per year. That is less than what one would pay for a Starbucks latte. With the help of the EarlyBird256 squad and scholarship from Busoga High School, we are seeing the impact and need for further funding for educational resources in and out of the classroom
According to the UN, more than 1 in 4 women have been subjected to intimate partner violence at least once in their lifetime.
I AM YOU: While we were manifesting the EarlyBird256 space, we had all intentions of creating programs that benefited only girls and women but after reflecting on what gender equality truly means to us, we made sure that the boys know that they are allowed in our space. We hold space for them so that they can learn the better ways to show up for women’s rights but so that they have a safe space to unpack the gender inequalities that they may face. In order to achieve gender equality, we need both sides to help balance the scale. That’s why although this is a space created to help young girls find the power of their voices, the boys are allowed.
