SS7G2: Environmental Issues Across Africa and its Impact on

Education

7th Grade Social Studies

Polluted Water – Unfit to Drink• Pesticides, fertilizers, human waste,

storm water runoff, mining and manufacturing byproducts all contribute to water pollution in Africa.

• Almost half of the patients in Africa’s hospital beds are there because of unclean drinking water, which impacts the economy by reducing the workforce.

• Many humanitarian organizations provide clean water however, as the population grows in some countries, the amount of clean water is actually decreasing.

• Polluted water harms the fishing industry, unfit to swim, two oil spills in Nigeria a day, waste from industry is poured directly into the Indian Ocean

One effective way to help water-stressed communities is to donate and distribute LifeStraw® Personal water purifiers. It cost about $10 and can be used by a child for approximately one year of drinking water.

Jay-Z’s Water for Life ProjectInternet connection required

In 2006, Jay-Z met with Kofi Annan. Kofi Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, from January

1997 to December 2006. They joined forces to raise awareness for the global need of clean water.

Education in Africa• Civil wars and a lack of

resources are major factors negatively influencing quality education. Girls, in particular, have limited education opportunities.

• Kenyans value education and in 2003 made primary schools free. However, in rural areas only half of the children attend due to a shortage of clean drinking water, teachers, buildings and textbooks.

• Due to finance, boys usually attend school over girls. Girls have responsibility at home and many quit because of poor sanitation and concerns for their safety and security.

• Educating orphans because of the AIDS epidemic is another problem. Harambee schools are built to helps these children. These are schools built by volunteers and rely on donations to build more schools.

Education in Sudan

• Education has suffered due to years of Civil War. Refugee camps often do not offer schooling. The United Nations estimates that 75% of the children in southern Sudan have no access to education.

• The Islamic government of the north closed all Christian schools established by missionaries and replaced them with Muslim schools.

• UNICEF donated tents for education, but untrained teachers and lack of resources remain an obstacle.