Education is the heart and soul of the YUDA Bands Project — the very ethos of our mission. We’ve always believed education is the key to poverty eradication. We have dedicated our lives to producing, creating and distributing these bracelets, so those who cannot afford to go to school finally can.
The great Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” and we couldn’t agree more.
The first beneficiaries of the Yuda Bands Project are Guatemalan kids. Guatemala has the highest illiteracy rate in all of Latin America. In fact, three-fourths of indigenous Guatemalans don’t have access to schools. That’s why the country continues to struggle. The nation can’t provide its children a future beyond what they are currently experiencing.
There are many ways a child’s life can change for the better once he starts going to school. Below are some of the benefits we’ve seen when people have access to education.
1. Benefits people’s health throughout their lives
One of the most empowering ways education fights poverty by promoting health and wellness. When children learn the importance of a healthy lifestyle early on, they will carry this knowledge as they grow older.
Nutrition
One example is teaching nutrition. When children know that they have to nourish themselves with the right food, they are more likely to eat what is good for them and their families. When they grow old to become mothers and fathers, they will strive to provide only the healthiest foods to feed their families.
Contract diseases
Another example is learning about illnesses. Believe it or not, 7 million cases were preventable if people had primary education. Alternatively, those who know more about HIV/AIDS are going to take extra precaution to prevent it. Safe to say, we can all consider education as a social vaccine to help fight these life-ending diseases.
Contraception and pregnancy
Education is what will also empower women with the knowledge of contraception, pre-natal vitamins as well as other relevant information about pregnancy. At least six years of education will ensure that more women will be better and healthier mothers in the future, should they wish to become one.
2. Fights hunger and food insecurity
Another way education can help eradicate poverty is through educating future farmers and food suppliers. In fact, a study conducted by Canadian Feed the Children (CFTC) says that by “doubling primary school attendance among impoverished rural children,” food insecurity can be slashed by up to 25%.
When children attend school, they have the opportunity to learn more about agriculture, farming and other sustainable practices that can provide food for them and their families. Moreover, they will learn other critical things like hygiene, healthy practices, and others that they may not learn by just teaching themselves.
Moreover, when more educated farmers take what they learn and apply it as they grow older, they can possess a livelihood that can provide more jobs and help feed the hungry beyond one’s household.
3. Promotes peace and prevents violence
Unrest has plagued the world throughout many years. Often, this stems from the lack of education that peace, not violence, is key to prosperity. Moreover, poverty is what drives many to seek out less peaceful means of fulfilling their interests.
When more children are educated, especially in underdeveloped nations, they will be instrumental in ending terrorism and extremism. They will be pivotal in finally promoting peace despite differences. We will be one step closer to the kind of world we all want our children and our children’s children to grow up in.
4. Inspires people to go beyond poverty
Perhaps one of the most impactful ways education fights poverty it inspires people. It opens up their eyes to everything that is beyond their daily lives. From what is out there to what they are capable of doing, education ignites something inside of people to raise themselves out of poverty. Education is what teaches them that there is more to life than what they are used to.
Educated children will seek better opportunities. They will not settle. They will strive to do better despite their poor start and unfortunate circumstances. These kids will have a better chance at employment. Thus, they provide their families a life they only dreamt of before.
The more educated people are, the less likely they are bound to contribute to economic and social despair. That’s why we continue to work hard to help make education more accessible to those who can’t afford it. It’s not only their future but the future of the world that lies in the palm of their hands.
