We’re closing out the week at Squirrel News talking about the big impact Mexico’s social welfare policies have had on everyday citizens, Botswana cutting the rates of mother-to-child HIV transmission to just 1.2%, and Denmark’s mission to get more people reading.
How Mexico’s welfare policies helped 13.4 million people out of poverty
In a country that has long suffered from deep inequality and struggled with economic precarity, the steep drop in the number of people living in poverty is a remarkable achievement and suggests former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s policies had a measurable impact on the lives of millions of everyday Mexicans.
How Botswana became a world leader in eliminating HIV in children
The pioneering African country is lauded for slashing rates of mother-to-child transmission to just 1.2% and is holding trials that may now hold the key to curing young people.
Denmark scraps VAT on books to get more people reading
With recent data suggesting that one in four 15-year-olds in the Nordic country struggle to understand a simple text, Denmark is moving to abolish the existing 25% book sales tax. Culture Minister Jacob Engel-Schmidt said he hopes the change will see more books flying off the shelves, and that the 330 million kroner annual is simply an investment in Denmark’s cultural future.
No-strings cash grants slashed child mortality in rural Kenya, study finds
In a massive study, infants born to people who received $1,000, no-strings-attached, were nearly half as likely to die as infants born to people who did not receive any money. Cash cut mortality in children under 5 by about 45%, on par with interventions like vaccines and anti-malarials.
With a growing body of research revealing that walkable cities make people happier, less lonely, more satisfied with life and physically healthier, more and more communities are rejecting car-centric designs.
Solar panels in space “could provide 80% of EU’s renewable energy by 2050”
Using a detailed computer model of the continent’s future power grid, researchers found that a system of space-based panels designed by Nasa could reduce the cost of the whole European power system by as much as 15%. It could also cut battery use by more than two-thirds, and might resolve problems with irregular and weather-dependent Earth-based supply.
Nigerian firm creates hyper-realistic bionic arms for amputees
Developed by brothers John and Ubokobong Amanam, the bionic prostheses work with EMG signals that are sent from the brain to different muscles in the hand, complete with nails, wrinkles, and fingerprints.
“Bee buffets”: the pollinator pathways turning drab alleys into insect havens
Corridors of nectar-rich plants encourage pollination and brighten up city streets at the same time, bringing more nature into local communities and, at the same time, helping to connect important nearby habitats.
The Vermont summer camp supporting kids with incarcerated parents
For over twenty years, Camp Agape in the North-Eastern US has helped children come to terms with parental incarceration, an often destabilising, stressful and isolating experience. The camp’s mission is to challenge the stigma surrounding it and to open up a space where kids can just be kids.
All-women tiny home neighbourhood gives senior citizens a fresh start
With many women between the ages of 60 to 80 wanting more community connection but unable to afford ever-increasing rental costs, a 5-acre plot of land in Texas is showing up as a potential solution.
