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Heroes

How some Syrian refugees can pay for food with the blink of an eye.

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Gates Foundation: The Story of Food

"I used to be a farmer, growing tomatoes and potatoes ... I dream to go back home."

It was 2012 when Abu Alaa finally decided to flee his country with his wife and five kids amidst the dangerous Syrian conflict that took the life of his brother and burned down his house.

Still, it was hard for him to leave home. And it's hard for most people to even imagine being put in that situation to begin with.


Image via Morgan Shoaff/Upworthy.

Syrians like him have gone through unthinkable hardships in the past few years.

Since 2011, more than 650,000 Syrian refugees have fled to Jordan for safety due to the ongoing conflict back home.

They now make up 10% of Jordan's total population — that's a lot of people to take in over such a short amount of time. While some countries have been criticized for turning their backs on refugees, Jordan has opened its arms to them.

As many refugees have tried to start over in camps or in urban areas of other countries, in dire conditions with very little to their name, it begs the question: Is it possible to maintain a sense of normalcy?

It's a loaded question, and for most, the answer is an instant "no." But in Jordan, United Nations-based BetterThanCash Alliance, a global partnership of governments, companies and international organizations, are working together to see how digital technology can help take a load off for refugees.

Jordan is using digital methods to make life — and accessing food — as easy as possible for Syrian refugees.

Some of these programs are creating promising solutions in a tough situation.

All images used with permission from Maria de la Guardia/Better Than Cash Alliance, unless otherwise noted.

E-cards give refugees a voice and a choice when it comes to the food they eat.

When people's entire lives are uprooted and they're forced to start over with next to nothing, the two most basic things for survival are food and shelter. The World Food Programme's (WFP) got the food part down.

Their updated approach to food assistance in Jordan says "no more" to the old methods of beneficiaries waiting in long lines to obtain paper food vouchers or to be handed items they may not even need. Instead, the WFP is working to put the control back in the hands of the Syrian refugees in Jordan through e-cards.

Every month, refugees receive a simple text message with the amount they are able to receive through the WFP. They can then go to one of over 200 markets in the country to choose the items they want, and they purchase them with their WFP e-card.

"I feel more secure using the e-card and am able to buy a range of products. I care more about quality, and the quality at this market is good," said WFP beneficiary named Kifah (pictured above).

The e-card looks and works just like a debit card for the most part — and that's the point. This digital payment method brings more dignity and normalcy back into the lives of Syrians who used to use debit and credit cards in their everyday life back home.

Digital payments used by refugees are paying off for Jordanians too. Since 2012, the voucher programme for Syrians has pumped almost $600 million back into the local Jordan economy, according to the WFP.

Some refugees can even pay for groceries with the blink of their eye.

Paying for items with your eyeball? In our digital age, it seems like something that could happen in the distant future. In Jordan, it's already very real for many Syrian refugee families.

Thanks to a partnership between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Cairo Amman Bank, Jordan is the first country to use iris scan technology to allow refugees to access cash grants from participating nonprofits.

It works like this: You look into the device and it'll scan your iris, registering who you are and allowing you to purchase food items from markets or to take out money from an ATM. No additional identification or pin numbers needed.

You've just gotta be you — and what's easier than that?

The system has been so successful that it's being expanded to other regional countries to help aid in the Syria crisis.

High tech payment solutions aim to make life a bit easier — but they also keep refugees safer too.

Not having to carry as much cash around helps refugees feel more secure in their environment. And with iris scans in particular, an anti-fraudmeasure eliminates the possibility for others to pretend to be someone else and use their resources.

In the unfathomable situation millions of Syrians have been forced into, e-cards and iris scans help — but they can only do so much.

Many still have difficulty affording rent and accessing the health care they need. And the food assistance, while helpful, still isn't enough to get them back on their feet.

But there is no doubt that incorporating digital solutions does provide a silver lining. Even in the hardest of times, people are finding ways to use technology to improve conditions and to help restore dignity in the lives of Syrians.

As one refugee expressed, "I hope for freedom and for my kids to grow up feeling free and safe and empowered."

Perhaps technology will play a part in keeping that hope alive.

Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

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The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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