While collecting firewood in his village in Nigeria, Jonathan Gambo, then 12, was injured by a bomb discarded by Boko Haram, which has killed thousands of people since launching its insurgency in 2009. Temitope Kalejaiye and Hannah Summers report on the long road to recovery for the young boy, and our video reveals his resolve not to let anything get in the way of his education, as he pursues his dream of becoming a lawyer.
In Russia, thousands of vulnerable men and women go missing each year, plucked from cities and towns and driven hundreds of miles to be forced into slavery in brick factories and farms in the remote republic of Dagestan. We follow two activists who set out to free enslaved workers, and Kate Hodal reports on the huge risks they face in mounting their rescue missions.
Elsewhere on the site
Uganda at breaking point as Bidi Bidi becomes world’s largest refugee camp
One in four children will live with water scarcity by 2040
Better maternity leave for Indian mothers – but only those in formal employment
Seven dead in worst attack on aid workers since South Sudan war began
Thailand accused of failing to stamp out murder and slavery in fishing industry
El Salvador imposes landmark blanket ban on metal mining
Broken promises for the children of Bangui abused by peacekeepers
Support building for historic move to overturn El Salvador’s anti-abortion law
Nations pledge to cut women’s unpaid work and close the gender pay gap
Rotavirus vaccine could save lives of almost 500,000 children a year
In depth
Migrant domestic workers in Jordan run the gauntlet between abuse and jail
Ethiopia’s deadly rubbish dump landslide was down to politics, not providence
Dam project promises water – but also conflict – for dusty Afghan border lands
Multimedia
Death, devastation and diplomacy: battle for Mosul intensifies – in pictures
Why is east Africa facing a hunger crisis and what can be done? – podcast
‘School is good’: the boy who refused to let Boko Haram deny him education - video
‘We’re taking them home’: saving Russia’s brick slaves – video
‘All I brought with me’: Syrian refugees show their possessions – in pictures
What you said
On Temitope Kalejaiye and Hannah Summers’ piece about Jonathan Gambo in Nigeria, Sabir_123 said:
Jonathan is a braveheart and it is his indomitable spirit that made him snatch life from the jaws of death. His tragic fate indeed reflects the alarming situation in Nigeria, which is sucked into the vortex of insurgency.
Top tweet
Modern-day slavery at brick farms in Dagestan and a couple really brave dudes working to stop it. Check this out.https://t.co/cVyKVm9ov7
— Scott Rose (@rprose) April 1, 2017
Highlight from the blogosphere
Olivia Cuthbert writes for Open Democracy on how feminism is gathering pace in Jordan, as more women gain knowledge of the rights they are due – and those they are denied.
And finally
Poverty matters will return in two weeks with another roundup of the latest news and comment. In the meantime, keep up to date on the Global development website. On Twitter, follow @gdndevelopment and the team – @tracymcveigh, @LizFordGuardian and @karenmcveigh1 – and join Global development on Facebook.
