Recently the Economist Intelligence Unit released the top 10 most livable cities in the world. The list was created off of the Global Liveability Index, which depends on five factors; stability, healthcare, culture, environment and education/infrastructure. In the previous list, we saw a tremendous Canadian presence, with Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto ranking 5th, 6th and 7th in 2019, respectively. However, this year it appears Canada has fallen off the list entirely, with the majority of the cities being made up from cities in Oceania. The overarching difference between the cities that were contenders before and the ones that made the list this year boiled down to the countries which had the best Covid-19 response. The leaders of New Zealand and Australia were quick to deal with the Pandemic and effectively contained the problem, whereas Canada’s delayed response ultimately led to it’s downfall. Hence the list contains the cities which made the best comeback.

The Most Livable Cities of 2021

The Most Unlivable Cities of 2021

References:

https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/global-liveability-index-2021/

https://www.businessinsider.com/most-livable-cities-in-the-world-2018-8

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/quality-of-life-rankings

https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings_by_country.jsp

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-most-war-torn-countries.html

https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/countries-no-healthcare/

https://www.aucklandforkids.co.nz/private-schools-in-auckland/

April 16, 2021

Respected Sir,

Below i will try to answer all your questions according to my knowledge and my situation :

1) Q:- What are you guys doing for food ?

Ans:- For food now we depend on our parents. because cab work is reduced due o covid-19 and i have to sit at home even if i do not want to. Due to the income of Honey, some personal expenses were coming out. But the School has been closed until month of july. Due to work from home, she is getting half salary only 2500/- Rs. and now you tell me how anyone can run his home only with 2500/- Rupees. How he can take care of his children. In the period of covid -19, we are taking all goods on loan from outside to meet the needs of the children and the home. it is just a feeling that life has become borrowed!. we can not put so much burden on our parents. because there are so many types of household expenses. I am thankful to god if our parents do not help us for food. I would probably have to live on the road at this covid -19 time.

2) Q:- What are other people doing for food?

Ans:- if some do not have jobs and work then Some people will be like me who are taking help from their parents, Friends or relatives. There will be some people living with money taken from outside. some people are finishing their savings. All i can say is at this pedmic time, everyone is trying to run their home in some way or the other way.

3) Q:- Where do people get money for food in the slum?

Ans:- According to my knowledge, slum people don't have any food issues, Because every city has  NGOs  Society they help them.they provide the grocery to needy poor peoples and also rich people, politicians donate food in slum areas to show the public. The second thing is that they have work. because they mostly do labour jobs, drive rickshaws and other small work . so in slum areas no food problem. even in lockdown period.

4) Q:- Do the kids have any lessons online?

Ans:- Yes, due to covid-19 school has been closed until the next govt order, so school starts online classes for next session. But some children and their families, who can not afford smart mobile phones. It is very difficult for them to attend online classes.I have 3 kids even though we can not afford a smartphone phone for kids to attend online classes.Very difficult to manage and this is an extra burden on parents.

5) Q:- What happens when a student cannot afford the internet ?

Ans:- There are some students whose parents have no smartphones, some who come to school for two hours to complete their work. 

6) Q:- The School fees you paid for your kids, will you be able to continue next school year without further fees after the lockdown?

Ans:- We paid last session pending fees to school. Now the next session is starting but we have not yet admitted our children because we have no funds for admission, books,or uniforms and other expenses.���

7) Q:- How do people make payments on rent and mortgages?

Ans:- God knows how people survive in this time. Because not a single help from the government. Neither the rich man has made any difference and nor has the poor man. only middle class men are in the worst condition. Because the middle man can neither become rich nor can live like a poor man. The middle man  always keeps ringing like a bell in the middle.

8) Q:- is the farmers strike still taking place?

Ans:- Yes, Still farmers on strike. 

9) Q:- What are you eating?

Ans:-  we eating only food & Medicines ( problems, our depression, mentaly stress,internal hatred and our tears).

--

With Regards

Amandeep Singh

Charities such as us are working to provide aid to those who need it the most, but the struggle to continuously raise funds is a barrier. With your donations we have been able to do marvelous things that would have inhibited multiple peoples lives and abilities if not completed. Although, we must acknowledge that charities such as ours get assistance from the community and our followers in many ways, and in this blog, I will tell you how you can help. 

2. Raise Awareness!

Need a topic to discuss with your friends? Perhaps consider informing them about issues they may not even be aware of. Did you know Leprosy is still prevalent in India today? Many people think it was an illness eradicated over 100 years ago as we don’t see it in the West. 

7. Become an Ambassador/ Share online

a. Reaching the correct audience is difficult without your help. The number of viewers on our content dramatically determines the amount of money we are able to raise. You can help us by simply pressing share or adding our posts to your story.

Overall, providing aid to your local charity is not as difficult as it may seem, as small actions such as those outlined above can lead to something great. When you are unable to donate, there are many other ways you can help. Remember that there are still people all around the world who need us to work for them to survive. Please consider supporting us on this journey. 

Personal initiative is part of Spiritual Life. It is part of our freedom to chose how to act. When Charity reflects our love for God, and through that, we assist those in need, it is indisputable evidence of our love for God and, in turn, our love for others.

When giving is difficult, it is a more extraordinary act of your love for others. Mother Theresa is an excellent example of the freedom of action in Spiritual Life. 

Do not miss your opportunity to help those in need with your gift. 

Please Donate Now. 

God Bless,

Thank you

Dr. John Bickert,

President

CFTW 

Currently, it is 11 Celsius degrees here in Calgary, and we are shocked by just how quickly summer is arriving.  Visibly you can see the relief; the snow is melting, the kids are outside, layers have come off, with few walking around in their shorts and slippers.  As I let the cool spring breeze graze my face, I am grateful as, in contrast, it is incredible how much the weather has improved. About a month ago, it was -30 degrees Celsius, and there was an overwhelming sense of endlessness. 

Do you know how to spell your name? If so, you’re already many steps ahead of millions of children in third world countries. Whether in Africa, India, South America, or elsewhere, young people around the world face constant barriers in getting an education—and that can have profound, lifelong consequences.

However, some people would do anything to ensure that these children receive the schooling that they need and deserve. For three teachers across the globe, making sure that children receive an education isn’t just an interest—it’s a duty.

 Inspiring Stories of Amazing Teachers 

Everyone has probably had that one teacher who made a difference in their life. But for children who can’t typically access education due to political conflict, cost, geography, poverty, and even the COVID-19 pandemic, a few teachers have stepped up in their communities to bring them the schooling they need.

Going the Distance

The sun is up early in the small region of Prey Veng in Cambodia, but the ardent teacher Seng is up even earlier. Attaching a cart to the back of her motorbike, she’s off to pick up children for preschool.

For the last 15 years, Seng has managed a community preschool, but many of her students rarely attended because the facility was three or more kilometers away from their homes. Because parents often couldn’t bring the children themselves, she decided it was time to take action on her own.

Early in the morning, the familiar sound of the motorbike brings the kids out to hop into the cart, and at the end of the day, Seng makes the same trip again to drop them off at home. Thanks to her efforts, the number of children attending preschool has multiplied drastically.

Seng won’t let the geographic and opportunity failings of her impoverished regions to deny children the right to an education. And she’s doing something about it.

Bringing the Classroom Home

Across the globe in Balochistan, Pakistan, another teacher is making waves to ensure that students aren’t locked out of schooling. Najeeba saw that COVID-19 had shut down schools, and her family stopped going. Determined to ensure they continued their learning, Najeeba crafted a sanitization station outside her home and called for all the students to attend there.

In place of a closed school, Najeeba turned her home into a classroom. WhatsApp groups experienced in home schooling have flocked to help her as she manages the daunting task of educating these students—even though she is a student herself.

Najeeba refused to give in when COVID-19 shut down schools. And now, students are continuing their education through her. 

Give a gift that will make a real difference in the lives of children 

Down to the southeast of Indonesia, the small island nation of East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, a teacher named Nicolau has acquired land on which to build a school accessible to more students than ever before.

With educational facilities miles out of reach for many rural families, Nicolau was upset—even at his own situation. Forced out of school at a young age himself due to political conflict, Nicolau vowed to bring education to those less fortunate. He recalled that during the time he was in school, the situation was so dire that even 17-year-olds were still studying in Grade 1 because they did not have the time or opportunity to attend regularly.

Convincing the local parents and authorities that a school was worthwhile proved to be a challenge—they believed that since girls were meant to get married and men to work, schooling was a pointless use of time. However, Nicolau never gave up, and his convincing prompted an important official to gift the land on which his school was built.

Now, with access to proper educational tools and even critical resources like water, the community is flourishing. 

Conclusion 

These teachers have made massive impacts in the lives of their communities. However, they could not have done it alone—Nicolau’s school, for example, still required the help of charitable causes. If you would like to give the gift of life-changing education to a family in a third world country, consider donating to CFTW. We build educational and medical facilities in areas that do not have access to them so that the families living their can receive the rights to education and health that they deserve, setting themselves up for future success. Even a few dollars can buy critical materials like textbooks and access to clean water.

The country of India is known for its bright festivals and unique architecture. Since its rise as a global power, many people have assumed that the wealth of the country has boosted the livelihoods of the people living there. Unfortunately, more than 80% of people live on less than $3 per day, and the top 1% own more than half of the country’s wealth. For perspective, 16 people in India are as wealthy as 600 million people—and that means that for many, opportunities as basic as learning to read and right are far out of their reach.

Why Children In India Need Your Help To Get Education 

India is well on its way to becoming the country with the largest, youngest workforce ever seen; half of its population is under the age of 25. If these young people are not able to complete an education, that’s half of India that will be unable to perform entire sectors of jobs. An educated population is good for a country—and for the people who were able to attend school.

But why do children withdraw from schools after only a few years? Why don’t they simply stay in school? To understand how we can help, first, we must understand why schooling is such a challenge.

Here are the reasons why children in India have been dragged out of school. 

The Gender Bias  

One of the main drivers of dropouts is gender. Daughters are expected to help in the kitchen and at home, while sons can go to school. In addition, lack of access and affordability to feminine products mean that girls who make it past the first year or two or schooling drop out once they reach menstruation (at a rate as high as 57%). Young arranged married to older men has the same effect.

Uninteresting Methods of Teaching  

India continues to struggle with the methods its teachers use—likely a result of those teachers themselves not receiving sufficient education or income to improve the classroom. Blackboards and chalk are still the standard method, and without engaging and comprehensive teaching tools, many students don’t learn as much as they could. This leads to the feeling that their time would be better spent earning some income for their family in poverty, and so they drop out to do labor jobs. And despite the country’s booming growth over the last 15 years, the majority of it has been jobless creation of further wealth for the rich, which never improves the lives of those in the slums who do not have access to that private money.

Unavailability of Resources 

Because the 1% control so much of the nation’s wealth, very little is sent to schools. This means that government schools in the slums are in disrepair, and teachers do not have access to critical tools such as multiple copies of textbooks and workbooks. And with some schools being too far for many low-income families to reach on foot, education is out of the question for a large number of households.

What Can We Do to Bring a Child to School 

As a charity, CFTW is working hard to ensure that underprivileged children in third-world countries receive the education they need to pull their families out of poverty and have a chance at the life they deserve. We pay school fees, build schools, and more to spread education across every corner of the world. 

Ajitha, one young woman that we have sponsored for three years, is closer to graduation than the vast majority of her female peers due to our support—and we hope to see her graduate and find success. Her success directly impacts the wellbeing of her family and her country of India.

Just $25 can help to educate the children of India who do not have the access to schooling that they deserve. You likely can’t go to India, Africa, and other struggling areas to teach children yourself, so let CFTW do it on your behalf. For the cost of a couple cups of coffee, you can help us to sponsor more children and build more schools. Donate to give the lifelong gift of education.

Christmastime is here, and with it, the world shifts toward thoughts of gift, the joy of the season, and happiness. The sharing and caring, the demonstrations of love—these are what characterize Christmas and the jolly old man in red himself. For most people, the joy of the season is giving gifts that light up the faces of their loved ones and friends. Maybe it’s time to think outside your circle and consider what a very small gift could do for others?

COVID-19, lockdowns, wars, disasters, poverty—the world is full of suffering and sorrow. Hope is dying, and more and more people are struggling to find joy and peace in their lives. This Christmas season, you can be the light of hope that many people have given up on finding.

Be Generous, Be the Light of Hope 

You don’t need to be an army general, a famous politician, or a celebrity in order to inspire people—in fact, people don’t need to know who you are at all. You don’t have to be rich to make a difference. What you can do is your best.

Go to Old Age Homes to Celebrate Christmas 

One easy and fun option to be generous this Christmas season is with your time. Visit nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to spend time with the residents. You may bring simple gifts like socks if you wish; they’re easy to afford and can make a big difference in the comfort of the people who live there.

If you don’t have a few dollars to spare, your time alone is your generosity. Listen to these folks, some of whom have no family that comes to visit. They have amazing stories to tell, and they rarely get to tell them. Sit down and have a warm conversation this holiday season.

Give Gifts to Orphans in Orphanages 

Children who live in orphanages do not get to celebrate Christmas the way that most kids do. They might have a community Christmas where everyone receives a bar of candy, but there’s something special about getting a gift that’s given just to you.

Children in orphanages might appreciate books or small toys. You don’t have to break the bank, and these young ones can experience the joy of receiving a present wrapped just for them. Consider fun options like games that you can show them how to play so that they can spend some time with folks on Christmas!

Give Gifts to Special Children 

Not all children experience Christmas the same way. For some with processing disorders and other challenges, the season full of lights, glitter, and admittedly sometimes blaring music can cause stress, fear, and discomfort. This is not how Christmas should feel!

Consider offering different gifts to these children, even if they may be a bit more challenging to buy for. Excellent options include weighted blankets, noise-cancelling earbuds, or engaging puzzle toys that they can solve with their hands. If you’re not sure what to get, a donation to a worthwhile charity can make that decision in your place based on what they know the child likes!

Visit a Slum Area and Spread Joy 

Due to economic opportunity and other factors, many people who struggle to afford the traditional trappings of Christmas live in the same area. Consider spending time visiting a slum area and spreading joy to the families there. Many of them have likely given up on Christmas entirely, or they may be feeling inadequate that they can’t provide the Christmas they’d like.

Simple tasks like handing out canned goods or clothes can go a long way toward making these families’ Christmas bright. Consider providing necessities, and if you have some resources left over, throw in a treat or two. You will bring light and hope to dozens of people this way.

Donate to CFTW for Education or Health Welfare 

Charities play a big part in the Christmas season, and CFTW is no exception. We strive to give children and families around the world access to the education and healthcare resources that they need to thrive.

Many folks have never learned to read or write, and if they fall ill, medical care is too far away or too expensive. For these families, CFTW relies on the power of donations to fund the care and treatment that they deserve. CFTW builds schools and mobile health units to improve access worldwide.

Donate to build a better world. Your small contribution could forever change the life of a child or family, and there is no greater generosity than being someone’s light of hope in a dark time.

From the Pandemic to Poverty

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the majority of the world, it is typically developing countries and those with a high ratio of low-income individuals who are impacted the most. The World Bank, which often leads discussions on the anticipated changes or increases in the world’s poor population, estimated that between 40 and 60 million people would fall into poverty in 2020—and this estimation was largely correct. Overall, the world’s low-income population has increased to 690 million, up from 640 million in 2019.

Many of these households operate on no more than $1.90 per person per day, and even then, not all of that money is physically available; rather, the value may be assumed in part from the value of property, which does not put food on the table or provide other critical services such as healthcare. In the wake of global disasters like COVID-19, areas with high levels of poverty are often the hardest hit. Understand why is a different matter.

Why ALWAYS the Slums?

People who live in their country’s slums are generally the most at risk during global health crises, and the coronavirus is no exception. The lack of access to a reliable or sufficient income means that most individuals are already in ill health for a number of reasons: inadequate access to clean or healthy food or water, no financial or physical ability to see a healthcare provider, and more. 

This means that when a pandemic hits this community, there is little or no containment. People who are already less resilient due to an inadequate diet and a lack of basic necessities are almost guaranteed to fall victim to illness, and their inability to stay home—and in so doing fail to acquire necessities like food—quickly turns slums into breeding grounds for any virus or disease. 

Many people in better-off countries take for granted their access to benefits such as sick leave that do not exist in the slums. And without disposable cash, families cannot stockpile the food that they need to remain socially distant. This is not their fault, but rather a product of their uncontrolled circumstance.

How Poverty is a Multi-Fold Phenomenon

As poverty continues to rise throughout 2020, one cannot help but examine how the coronavirus had a multifaceted impact on not only the living situations of people globally but also on the manner in which their poverty affects them. This phenomenon spreads across an individual’s entire life, from finances to emotional health, and this is more visible now than ever before.

COVID-19 has highlighted poverty as opportunity deprivation more strongly than any other time in recent history. People become imprisoned by their own low income, unable to create better opportunities for themselves. As unemployment and the face of the workforce changes drastically in response to the pandemic, all opportunities are harder to come by and are being taken more quickly be more advantaged groups.

However, poverty also presents as stigma and discrimination. The us/them issue is highlighted in countries with competing factions over personal protective equipment like masks—some wear them, some don’t. Similarly, the idea that “they” (which typically refers to the poor or the elderly) have a responsibility to protect themselves when such individuals may not have the resources has been growing exponentially.

Poverty has begun to manifest as violence; as some governments elect to keep the economy running at the cost of lives, it is largely the less fortunate who are impacted. Those living on a low income must solve their own problems, and this constitutes a form of structural violence.

Eradicating the World’s Poverty

As residents of the world, we all have a responsibility to play our own roles in eradicating poverty around the globe. We can fight for sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty by donating to NGOs for the cause if we have the financial means. Volunteering for organizations like Save the Children is another option that uses time rather than money to make a difference.

Charities and NGOs around the world are stepping up to end the cycle of poverty, even after the pandemic is conquered. But COVID-19 has made clearer than ever the vast divides in social and financial health that the world’s poorest nations endure, and organizations like CFTW continue to fund schools, build healthcare facilities, and support communities to become self-sufficient. When education and access to necessities is finally provided to poor nations, the people will be able to achieve their full potential and become acting citizens in the world in which they live.