Conflicts, natural disasters and pandemics keep millions of children out of school and the numbers are rising. In crisis-affected countries, school-age children are more than twice as likely to be out of school as their peers in other countries. SHI international is playinf an active role in promoting lifelong quality education for all people – children, youth, and adults – as a part of emergency response and for long-term recovery. SHI international’s work in this field is anchored in an education agenda which aims to ‘develop education systems that are more resilient and responsive in the face of conflict, social unrest and natural hazards – and to ensure that education is maintained during emergency, conflict and post-conflict situations.
Even in critical emergency circumstances when communities have lost everything, education remains at the top of the priority list for families. SHI international helps strengthen education systems in times of crisis to ensure life-saving messages reach children and their families; protects children and youth from attack, abuse, and exploitation; supports peace-building; and provides physical and psychological safety to children. Investing in education in times of crisis builds resilience and social cohesion across communities, and is fundamental to sustained recovery
Livelihood is sustainable when it enables people to cope with and recover from shocks and stresses (such as natural disasters and economic or social upheavals) and enhance their well-being and that of future generations without undermining the natural environment or resource base. At SHI international we are trying our best to see that we better the livelihoods of people living in affected areas.
Smiling Hearts Initiative International is trying its best to see that people in affected areas, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Over the coming decades, a changing climate, growing global population, rising food prices, and environmental stressors will have significant yet highly uncertain impacts on food security. Adaptation strategies and policy responses to global change, including options for handling water allocation, land use patterns, food trade, post-harvest food processing, and food prices and safety are urgently needed. These policy responses will be vital to improve the living conditions of farmers and rural populations across the globe. Economic growth is only sustainable if all countries have food security. Without country-owned and country-driven food security strategies, there will be obstacles and additional costs to global, regional, and country-level economic growth. Food security needs to encompass women and other vulnerable and disadvantages groups. SHI internationals work on food security includes topics such as cash transfers, agricultural technologies, and other such means of building resiliency to shocks.
WASH along with food and shelter, safe water and sanitation are the highest priority interventions in emergency situations. SHI international aims at providing adequate water and sanitation services to emergency-affected children and their families to avoid outbreak of disease and death. Unless good hygiene is consistently practiced by affected people, the danger of diarrhea, cholera and other disease outbreaks will persist. This is true in all types of emergencies, from rapid onset natural disasters to long-term crises caused by a range of complex factors.
