Archive for category: Food & Hunger

Information and stories on food.

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Food Security for Venezuelan Refugees in Colombia

Food Security for Venezuelan RefugeesThe collapse of global oil prices in 2014 led to a rapid economic decline in Venezuela and subsequent hyperinflation. In 2015, this caused a rebellion and the forming of a major opposition group whose leader Guaidó became the interim leader of Venezuela. The standoff between the two leaders was exacerbated by U.S. and EU support for Guaidó and Russian and Chinese support for Maduro. Social services could not be provided, and as a result, many refugees traveled underfed and carrying disease. While Maduro managed to get inflation down a bit in his presidency, the pandemic caused a second economic decline causing a second wave of refugees to arrive into Colombia.

More than 7.2 million Venezuelans fled their country from 2019 to 2023 due to the violent revolution and economic turmoil. Approximately 2.5 million have sought refuge in Colombia, and about 980,000 Colombians who were working there had to return to their home country — which now has to support over 2 million refugees seeking jobs and housing. This has caused an obvious strain on food security in Colombia. 

The 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for Colombia identified 7.7 million people in the country to be in need of humanitarian assistance, in particular food security, health and protection. As of February 2023, approximately 30 percent of Colombian households were food-insecure. More than half of the migrant and refugee population in Colombia — 1.3 million people — face acute food insecurity.

Foreign Aid

USAID provided more than $958 million in response to the regional crisis since 2018. The primary focus was emergency food security in Colombia — cash transfers for food, food vouchers redeemable in local markets, hot meals and food kits for traveling refugees. Additionally, USAID has supported five NGO partners since 2021 to provide critical protection interventions such as hygiene kits, reproductive services and temporary shelter. In 2023, $47 million was set aside from the budget for this kind of emergency assistance. The U.S. understands that prosperous countries are great trade partners. Since 2012, Colombian agricultural exports to the United States have grown by more than $2.1 billion.

In hopes of boosting economic growth to accommodate the high number of refugees, the Colombian government signed a 2022-2026 National Development Plan amid the Venezuelan conflict. It was created with the help of e-government and regional input, the document being translated into 51 dialogues. There are five major outcomes, one of them being food security in Colombia. The country plans to increase food availability by improving roads for transport and providing online platforms to inform and help farmers with their logistics and operations. Colombia’s President Petro promised in 2022 to buy 1.23 million acres of land to give as farmland to rural communities in an effort to strengthen food security. Another of the five major outcomes is security for the individual — which encompasses a wider health care system, crucial for new refugees carrying disease. 

Unfortunately, many humanitarian aid groups face restrictions when trying to access certain communities in Colombia notably Guaviare, Nariño and Norte de Santander. OCHA, an emergency agency within the U.N. reported a 133% increase in restrictions on humanitarian assistance in Colombia between January and April 2023. President Petro signed a peace agreement with Maduro in 2022, and it is theorized that eager to re-establish ties with Venezuela, Petro downplayed the magnitude of the humanitarian issues Venezuela’s migrants face. Additionally, Colombia still does not have enough money to keep the economy stable. A Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan — aimed at helping Venezuelan migrants in 17 Latin American and Caribbean host countries — only received about 8% of the $1.72 billion in funding it needed for 2023. 

Final Thoughts on Food Security for Venezuelan Refugees

Thankfully some services have been in Colombia since before the conflict and have strengthened the economy. The U.N. Agency IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) has services to increase the productivity and income of small-scale farmers and rural entrepreneurs. The agency does this through the improvement of its assets, its association capacity, its access to markets and access to inclusive financial services. The NGO is creating partnerships with the private sector to develop permanent agribusinesses. It is crucial that the food available is well-distributed.

Thanks to foreign aid and a welcoming government, Venezuelan refugees are slowly gaining safety and food security in Colombia. Though much progress needs to be made for Colombia’s economy and refugees, international coverage of the Venezuelan conflict has brought in substantial finances to ease Colombia’s strain and give hope to its people.

– Claire Duvillier
Photo: Flickr

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Impact of Hydroponics on Sahrawi Refugees

Sahrawi Refugees
Since 1976, the Sahrawi refugees have been in the middle of a dispute over who controls the Western Sahara, being confined to refugee camps in the Tindouf province of Algeria. The conflict has changed the way they live their lives settling in arid conditions and struggling for self-sustenance away from their traditional nomadic lifestyle. Due to the lack of self-sustenance many of the population residing in the camps largely depend on humanitarian aid for survival and food security. The impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara has had profound effects on food security, economic opportunities and reducing malnutrition in the camps raising the Sahrawi people’s standard of living.

Problems and Challenges Faced by Sahrawi Refugees

As of 2018, the total population of the five camps located in Tindouf was 175,000. Due to the Algerian desert being a very hostile environment to live in with frequent sandstorms and temperatures that can exceed 50 degrees Celsius, food is a major issue in the harsh environment making it nearly impossible for anything to grow naturally. The hostile climate combined with the lack of economic opportunities has led to around “one-quarter of the camps’ residents” facing chronic malnutrition. This chronic malnutrition comes from “the limited range of food available – which is mainly composed of cereals, sugar and oil but is lacking in protein.” Due to chronic malnutrition and hostile conditions, “food assistance accounts for 52% of refugees’ food consumption” with the “poorest households spending over 60%” of their income on food. 

Hydroponics as a Solution

H2Grow is a World Food Program (WFP) hydroponic initiative that uses low-tech hydroponic units to grow food for animals to “strengthen food security in the community” as the Sahrawi refugees’ diet traditionally consists of meat and milk. Hydroponics uses 90% less water than traditional agriculture without the use of soil. Therefore, this technique can be used to enable plant growth in areas that are non-fertile and arid, the same condition where the Sahrawi refugees currently reside.

The Sahrawi refugees value livestock for meat and milk; however, due to the Algerian desert’s arid climate, goats in the camp often end up eating garbage. Thus, using hydroponics, the WFP alongside local experts “developed a low-tech system to grow barley for use as animal fodder by refugees in camps in Tindouf.” The increase in the volume of barley has allowed more goats to be fed, increasing access to milk and meat, thereby improving food security in the camps. 

In 2017, the WFP made both a solar-powered container and DIY household unit built with “locally procured material at 10% of the cost” as well as household kits. Due to the success of hydroponics, the technique was scaled up in the camps increasing the number of units from four to now 200 as of 2018.

The Impact of Hydroponics on Sahrawi Refugees in the Algerian Sahara

The impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara has been significant, with the Sahrawi people working together to maintain and protect the hydroponic units from “wind, sandstorms and keeping it cool from the sun.” With the hydroponic units at full operation, refugees can use 90% less water to “grow barley grass from seed in just 7 days.” According to Oxfam, each unit produces about “132 pounds of fodder per day – enough to feed 20 goats.” The implementation of hydroponics has led to a better diet for goats, something the Sahrawi refugees rely on for livelihood whether for food or economic trade. The WFP has found that hydroponics had increased goat milk production by 250% when fed fresh fodder rather than garbage found around the campsite, with meat quality and quantity improving also. Furthermore, excess fodder was able to be sold creating a new revenue stream for the Sahrawi refugees.

The impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara has been huge. The WFP and Oxfam have taken huge leaps in improving food security and livelihood for the Sahrawi people who live in a hostile environment. Due to the success of hydroponics in Algeria, the technique can be used in “similarly challenging environments such as Chad, Jordan and Sudan.” The implementation and impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara show us that humans cannot just survive in hostile environments but thrive.  

– Kishan Patel
Photo: Pixabay

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China’s Advancements in Vertical Farming

Advancements in Vertical Farming 
Among the biggest issues families in poverty face are the lack of access to nutritional foods and the fatigue that follows extreme hunger. Vertical farming is a modern agricultural advancement that may be able to greatly increase accessibility to healthy, natural food for lower-income families and China is a leading investigator into this new idea. In April 2023, Chinese scientists managed to make one of the biggest advancements in vertical farming. They grew a previously unheard-of yield of cabbages and lettuce — 2,500 — in a single 9 by 5.5-meter tower in Singapore. The tower was in the shape of an “A,” and its yield was about 10 times that of a traditional farm with about 5% of the ground space. 

China’s Vertical Farming Efforts

China is one of the top investors in vertical farming. The farms require high-technology equipment to regulate temperature, making the production of them an expensive endeavor. However, China is confident in its ability to provide food to urban areas and has so far invested in more than 250 farms across the country. The country was even one of the first to officially invest in the farms in 2002, and its popularity has increased steadily since then. 

One of the largest farms set to be made in China is the Jian Mu Tower, which is designed to be 218 meters tall and use 10,000 square meters to grow indoor crops. This amount of space would yield almost 300,000 kilograms of crops each year, meaning it would be able to feed about 40,000 people. This is set to be one of the biggest advancements in vertical farming and many other agricultural practices. The tower is not only intended to be a farm but an experiment center for techniques like solar shading and microclimate control. The production of this building in Shenzhen will set the bar for vertical farms across the globe, alongside being a huge agricultural and architectural advancement. 

The Benefits of Vertical Farming

One of the biggest benefits of vertical farming is that it simply takes up less space and water. Vertical farming is built upward, not outward across acres of land, and thus can yield thousands more crops with only a fraction of the ground space of traditional farming. The farms are also able to eliminate water waste within farming.  

Another huge advantage to vertical farming is that the farms’ yields are not susceptible to bad weather conditions. In traditional farming, entire acres of crops can be wiped out by tornadoes or windstorms, yields can be ruined because the climate is too hot or cold and certain crops can only be grown in season. Indoor vertical farms can grow almost all crops year-round independent of weather conditions. The indoor farms are able to simulate any climate to properly nurture crops and save them from harsh weather conditions that would otherwise wipe them out, yielding high-quality, healthy food consistently and without high waste. 

Finally, plants are also able to grow without bugs eating away at them, meaning agrochemicals that are used to control weeds or repel insects do not need to be used. This benefits both the crops, keeping them natural and unaffected by chemicals, and the environment, through the decreased use of aerosols. 

The Downsides of Vertical Farming

Unfortunately, vertical farms can be very expensive. Many of the benefits that come along with vertical farming are a direct result of the cost of creating vertical farms. The equipment required to simulate outdoor conditions and properly monitor the growth of the crops is high-tech and high-priced, making countries less likely to invest in the farms. 

The Future of Vertical Farming

Traditional farming is high-maintenance, strenuous work, and young people are becoming less interested in traditional farming as a career path. As of 2017, around 60% of farmers were more than 50 years old, and fewer and fewer young people are willing to participate in manual labor as the world becomes more technologically advanced. Vertical farms could grow in popularity because of this, as their controlled environment and smaller-scale individual production make working conditions much more comfortable. 

– Allison Groves
Photo: Flickr

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Passionate Youth Entrepreneurs Drive Fiji’s Sustainable Food Shifts

Fiji’s Sustainable Food Shifts
Fiji, a large archipelago in the South Pacific, has diverse landscapes and climate. Although a nation of complex ecosystems, the island’s food systems suffer to feed its own sustainably. The leading cause of death in Fiji is NCDs, a rising crisis affecting thousands. Furthermore, malnourishment afflicts more than 40% of Fijian children, “a condition caused when children (and adults) don’t eat enough food, don’t eat the right sort of food, or are unable to digest food.” The health of Fijians is at risk as the history of chronic mistreatment of the body stresses the demand for sustainable food systems to cure the nation’s health behaviors. In response, youth-led social entrepreneurship and innovation efforts aim to advocate for Fiji’s sustainable food shifts that promote positive human health needs. 

The participation of the country’s passionate youth emerges in their drive to endorse and build sustainable approaches to deliver fresh, nutritional foods to local communities. Pulling from several studies and journals, the island parents established several programs and initiatives to champion Fiji’s youth to combat NCDs.

Poverty and Food in Fiji

Fiji, a Pacific nation scattered across 300 islands, flourishes with substantial natural resources and accessibility to rich freshwater resources and fertile land to grow crops. However, due to the country’s remote location, Fiji battles with changing weather patterns and disasters that continue to threaten communities and limit Fijians to fresh local foods (fruits, vegetables, fish, etc.).

Despite Fiji’s larger geographic size and favorable growing conditions, “High consumption of energy-dense foods is also considered a contributing factor to the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Fiji..” According to importation data, Fiji’s reliance is low at 22.46%, while exporting figures rest at 60.02%. Although these statistics materialize deceptions that food is accessible, 30% of Fijians live below the basic needs poverty line. This marks 14% of the population as experiencing moderate to severe levels of food insecurity. 

Due to the island’s extreme sensitivity to disastrous natural disasters, higher food prices, seasonality and lifestyle choices, the stability of Fiji’s food system worsens, putting Fijian health at risk.

Pacific Youth Leadership

The message of healthy and sustainable foods and the ability to create them is the information that the young community of Fiji (which makes up more than half the population) needs to learn. Luckily, many people are starting to see these issues and are passionate about animating Fiji’s sustainable food shifts. The Participatory Action Research (PAR) of Talanoa is one example of a group excited to help make a difference in food systems. It is passionate about spreading the word about new ideas to young people to help build the future leaders of these big projects. Alongside this work, it aims to bring back the traditions of Fijian food, rooted in fish, vegetables and other nutritious foods. 

Another group, the Young Entrepreneurs Council, is focused on changing the narrative around food in general. Taking a more psychological approach to the situation and working on education around the relationship between the body and food, rather than only explaining what food is bad for you, a tactic that has proven unsuccessful. Teaching people to love food and understand what healthy food is capable of can have groundbreaking results as opposed to previous methods, which can do the opposite. 

In addition, the 2022-2027 Youth in Agriculture Policy notes young people as crucial agents for positive change, increasing its support in the 2023-2024 budget, supporting the “establishment of sustainable gardens for young people’s health and wellbeing.” 

The Minister explains, “Under this policy, young people will be encouraged and supported through a 4-pronged approach of increasing access to land, finance and markets; improving agricultural education and training; increasing commercial agriculture opportunities and supporting sustainability.” Furthermore, the SDG Fund program, led by UNDP and in partnership with IFAD, envisions young people with employment opportunities in the agriculture sector. These initiatives strengthen public-private partnerships, meeting the needs of education and employment for Fiji’s youth within the agricultural sector, empowering self-sufficiency and local production of healthy food to advocate for resilient food systems.

Fiji’s Future

Overall, the hope is to bring down the rates of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, obesity and heart disease that have hurt the nation. Creating enough food sources locally to provide for the community is vital in bringing these numbers down and decreasing poverty significantly. 

There is great hope that in the future, the children of Fiji will feast on the local fish, fruits and veggies that become so available on the island that the history of health issues is long in the past, but change must start now to invigorate Fiji’s sustainable food shifts. The Ministry sums up the integral participation of young Fijians, “We can create livelihoods without sacrificing our biodiversity. Rather than leave our children a world of lifeless deserts, we can pass on ecosystems that are rich with life and capable of supporting coming generations.”

– Emmalyn Meyer
Photo: Flickr

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World Central Kitchen’s Work in Ukraine

World Central Kitchen's Work in UkraineThe war in Ukraine has posed a significant threat to the region’s food supplies as ports and bridges have been under attack, limiting exports of Ukrainian grains to the rest of Europe. On June 6, 2023, the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam exploded, flooding one of the world’s largest reservoirs and displacing 190,000 people from the Mykolaiv region in Ukraine. Flooding destroyed entire villages and ravaged miles of crops.

This reservoir is known as “Europe’s breadbasket,” and according to The New York Times, it irrigates millions of acres of farmland. Its catastrophic flooding puts food for millions at risk. More than 5 million Ukrainians are already internally displaced, with an additional 8 million seeking refuge outside of Ukraine. Today, one-third of families in Ukraine are food insecure. Here is some information about World Central Kitchen’s work in Ukraine to feed Ukrainian families.

About World Central Kitchen’s Work in Ukraine

Since 2011, World Central Kitchen (WCK) has worked on the front lines of humanitarian crises, feeding those cut off from a stable food source. Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, WCK has cooked and delivered 235 million meals to refugees in seven other countries and people still in Ukraine.

On the same day the dam exploded, World Central Kitchen in Ukraine set up sites for evacuees. Volunteer teams from the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions arrived at Pryozerne, a village that was underwater. WCK teams used inflatable boats to transport the supplies to reach families stuck without food or drinking water.

How the World Central Kitchen Works

The goal of WCK is to provide hot, locally sourced meals for those with nothing to eat. First Food Fighters respond immediately to disasters where the need is greatest and then partner with local restaurants to affect long-term change. Its approach has come to include meal kits and bags of groceries.

In an interview on “The Late Night Show,” founder of World Central Kitchen Jose Andres, recipient of the 2018 Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Culinary Foundation, said of his decision to act: “I think I got tired of sitting in the comfort of my home and seeing that actually big problems had really simple solutions.”

In 2010, Andres went to Haiti to cook for victims of a devastating earthquake. He noticed inefficiencies in existing crisis response systems. Emergency provisions did not arrive soon enough nor stay long enough. To remain community-driven and sustainable, World Central Kitchen partners with local restaurants and chefs. José Andres formed a cooking school École des Chefs alongside a Haitian chef to permanently improve access to quality food in Haiti. Since then, WCK has spearheaded infrastructure that increases food stability in hard-hit regions.

Chefs for Ukraine

Chefs for Ukraine is a branch of WCK. It runs the largest food relief network in Ukraine, with sites in Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Kharkiv and Lviv, among others, despite active missile strikes. In a #ChefsforUkraine interview, a Food Fighter explains, “There is an urgent need for World Central Kitchen. Food is a big contribution because people in the 21st Century are dying of hunger.”

In Kramatorsk, at the end of a train line, World Central Kitchen in Ukraine opened an aid site within hours of Russia’s first attack. As more residential areas are targeted, Chefs for Ukraine sites feed refugees – mostly women, children and seniors. Currently, thousands of Food Fighters run more than 9,000 sites in Ukraine.

Ripple Effect

The impact of giving food and water to those hungry and thirsty is world-changing. José Andres believes WCK is an investment in the people, in democracy and in global interconnectedness. A video for #ChefsforUkraine in 2022 announced 100 million meals served in Ukraine. Andres, in the video, describes how World Central Kitchen’s work in Ukraine is helping fight for “a country of liberty, a country of freedom, and a country that for centuries has been feeding not only Ukraine but has been feeding the world.” Food changes individual lives and, in doing so, changes the world.

– Caroline Crider
Photo: Flickr

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Innovations in Poverty Eradication in Finland

Poverty Eradication in FinlandAcross the world, more than 150 million people are homeless, around 783 million lack food security and more than half the global population lacks essential health services. Among countries, Finland stands out as a pioneer in implementing innovative solutions to combat mass poverty. The following is a brief look into innovations behind poverty eradication in Finland.

Decline in Homelessness

From 2006 to 2007, Finland experienced a spike in the number of homeless people, the first since 1998. This prompted a focus on addressing homelessness and led to innovations in poverty eradication. The main innovation Finland implemented was the Housing First policy. Enacted in 2008, the Housing First policy has dropped the number of homeless people from more than 8,000 to 3,686 in 2022. This correlates to a 50% reduction in the number of homeless people in Finland in 14 years. The Housing First policy works by granting homeless people access to long-term housing as opposed to the more common temporary shelters. These rental housing units are innovative as they are financially viable and provide the homeless with substantial social support, such as better employment opportunities.

As more homeless people acquired jobs, the unemployment rate dropped by 2.6% from 2015 to 2022. This has, in turn, stimulated Finland’s economy and compensated for the cost of these rental units, thereby highlighting the efficiency of the Housing First policy. Overall, the Housing First policy benefited more than 4,000 individuals through housing, and an additional 137,208 through job opportunities.

Stable Food Security

Food security has become a non-issue in Finland due to innovative approaches dominating the Food and Agriculture industry. One such innovation is the prevalence of vertical farms. Vertical farms have revolutionized food security within Finland as they maximize space (no need for arable land), are pesticide-free, decrease water usage by 90%, cultivate up to 2.5 times more yield and have rapid scaling potential (from 500 to 20,000 sq.m). Vertical farms have proven to be positively transformative as they have successfully increased access to cheaper and healthier foods. Each vertical farm, such as the one in Pirkkala, Finland, has the potential to feed more than 20,000 people.

Another innovation in Finland is the recent creation of Solein, a natural protein produced using air and electricity. The creation of Solein has the potential to increase food security in Finland as it exceeds the bounds of traditional proteins. Solein can be used in meat, cheese, dairy, bread, pasta, drinks, etc. Solein’s versatility makes it suitable for various food products, offering a cost-effective alternative for nutritious food seekers.

As a result of these food security innovations, Finland achieved a score of 83.7 on the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) in 2022, the highest among countries. As opposed to the world average of 11.7 % in 2022, Finland’s food insecurity rate remains relatively low at 2.5%. The country’s innovations have prevented 511,233 people from falling into poverty.

Effective Health Care

Finland is lauded for its health care system as it offers a variety of services at affordable prices. One way Finland achieves this is through the innovative Kela Card. In terms of health care, the Kela Card plays a key role, in reimbursing people for medical prescriptions, ill-related absences, travel and a portion of private health care expenses. The Kela Card is an integral component of Finland’s health care system because every citizen and permanent resident of Finland receives it. The Kela Card also provides social security and employment benefits. Its very design allows it to assist those who are struggling to maintain a stable income and provides them with social benefits. This has, in turn, benefitted more than 360,000 people in Finland each year.

Innovations in poverty eradication in Finland extend to medical hardware as well. Finnish tech company Sooma developed a portable medical device for depression treatment. This device is portable and requires no expertise to use, thus reducing the medical costs associated with depression. Another medical instrument, created by Optomed, captures retinal images and diagnoses diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness worldwide. This device is innovative as it is the most affordable camera of its kind. The efficiency of medical equipment in Finland has allowed people to avoid the excessive costs associated with modern health care.

What is Next?

Finland continues to pursue poverty eradication through ongoing innovation. These modern solutions have already contributed to a 1.4% drop in poverty rates between 2019 and 2020. Ultimately, the success of Finland’s innovations could serve as a model and inspiration for other countries looking to alleviate poverty.  

– Manav Yarlagadda
Photo: Unsplash

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How Villages in Partnership Relieves Poverty in Malawi

Villages in Partnership is an organization that has assisted Malawi in its fight against poverty. More than 50% of the population in Malawi lived under the national poverty line in 2019, the World Bank notes. Villages in Partnership has contributed by providing electricity, wells to access clean water and many other basic necessities that the people of Malawi lack.

Infrastructure

During the rainy seasons, areas of Malawi easily become flooded, which makes it more difficult for the people of Malawi to travel from one place to another. Bridges allow students to get to school and allow people to access wells for clean water while allowing others to travel to health care centers and access goods and services. Villages of Partnership’s mission is to build more bridges to provide this crucial access to the people of Malawi.

Malawi is known for its lack of electricity. Less than 10% of the population of 18 million is connected to the electrical grid. And, access to electricity stands at just 1% for the 80% of people who live in rural areas.

Electricity is very important to the infrastructure of a country. In 2013, Villages of Partnership provided electricity to the village of Kaupe to power the maize mill. The mill makes flour, which is an important ingredient in the staple dish called nshima. Because of the electricity access, the mill can supply flour in minutes instead of producing it through hours of labor without electricity.

Food Security

Unlike countries like Congo, Malawi does not have rich soil. This forces farmers to depend on successful rainy seasons. However, the climate in Malawi is very unpredictable, and this often leads to food insecurity.

Villages in Partnership has created a solar irrigation technology for the farmers in Malawi. In 2020, the organization added a second site for this technology, which has created a water source for more than 70 farmers and families that are now able to depend on it.

Alongside that, Villages in Partnership also provides improved seed varieties and fertilizers to farmers to increase their crop yields and gives goats and chickens to families in need. The animals provide eggs and meat, which improves the food security of many families in Malawi.

Access to Water

In Malawi, 4 million people lack access to safe water, USAID reports. Along with that, only 6% of the population has the ability to access clean sanitation facilities. Unfortunately, this lack of access to clean water and sanitation can lead to disease and even death.

One of Villages in Partnership’s top priorities is providing accessible and safe water to villages that need it. In Malawi, women and girls are spending their time walking several miles to source clean water. Sometimes, the women source this water from contaminated rivers.

Many villages in Malawi have been hesitant to accept the option of building wells and donating land due to the time-consuming nature of the process. Nevertheless, since 2019, there has been significant progress in efforts to improve water accessibility in the town of Sakata. A total of 23 boreholes and 15 shallow wells have been dug, and many damaged wells have been repaired.

Villages in Partnership takes a proactive approach to addressing water scarcity issues in Malawi. Every year, it organizes the Water Walk, a global event that brings people together to understand the needs of Malawian villages and the significance of clean water. Participants in the Water Walk contribute to various initiatives, including providing solar irrigation, creating employment opportunities, and facilitating access to health care through the Khanda Health Center. The primary focus remains on raising funds to drill wells in Malawian villages.

Education

In 1994, the Malawi government initiated free primary education, providing a valuable opportunity for children to receive education at no cost. However, this move resulted in challenges such as overcrowded classrooms and insufficient supplies, leading to decreased educational quality and poor student performance.

Presently, Malawi faces low literacy rates, with only 65% of the population able to read or write, and limited access to secondary education, with one-third of students attending. For Sakata’s community, the percentage of people who have attended university is as low as one-tenth of 1%, highlighting the education system’s shortcomings.

Nonetheless, education remains a crucial pathway out of poverty. Recognizing this, Villages in Partnership supports 15 community-based childcare centers, acting as preschools to foster the mental, social and physical development of Malawian children.

Additionally, Villages in Partnership has undertaken projects like Chimpeni School, providing education to children who previously had limited access to schools. The organization also undertook the reconstruction of Sakata School after it began to deteriorate in 2016. These efforts aim to improve education opportunities and enhance the prospects of the Malawian community.

Looking Forward

Villages in Partnership is making a significant impact in Malawi by addressing key challenges such as infrastructure, food security, access to water and education. Through building bridges, providing electricity and implementing solar irrigation technology, the organization is enhancing the lives of people in need. By focusing on clean water initiatives and supporting educational opportunities, Villages in Partnership is empowering communities and contributing to the fight against poverty in Malawi.

– Abigail DiCarlo
Photo: Pixabay

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How Bamboo Farming in Uganda Reduces Poverty

Bamboo Farming in UgandaAlongside offering numerous benefits, the bamboo plant can thrive in almost any type of soil and weather condition. This ability to thrive in less-than-ideal conditions works out favorably for Uganda, an East-African country with an active agricultural sector despite its poor soil quality.

Bamboo farming in Uganda has become a valuable source of income for many individuals. As a result, the Ugandan government responded with training programs to develop citizens’ skills in producing baskets, furniture and other crafts using the versatile plant.

A Reliable Source of Employment

Bamboo farming in Uganda provides a dependable and recurring source of income for the unemployed due to several agricultural factors unique to the plant. The bamboo plant is a perennial crop with a rapid maturation cycle. The entire plant matures within four to eight years and is ready for harvest in just five years. Furthermore, the plant has the unique ability to produce new shoots every year, which helps to stabilize the soil.

In Uganda, where the unemployment rate is 9.2% and 13.3% among youths aged between 18-30 years, the Ministry of Water and Environment has developed a strategy to produce 140 million bamboo poles yearly. By planting 230,000 ha of bamboo on farmland, the initiative will create 150,000 full-time jobs and 700,000 long-term job opportunities, providing a crucial boost to the country’s economy.

Market Expansion

The global market for bamboo production is expanding in response to the growing demand for sustainable products. According to the International Network of Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), a United Nations intergovernmental organization, the bamboo economy is estimated to be worth around $60 billion, serving as a significant source of income for rural households.

To capitalize on this trend, the Ugandan government has developed a 10-year National Bamboo Strategy and Action Plan (2019-2029) with support from INBAR, the Uganda Forest Sector Support Division, the Ministry of Water and Environment (MoWE) and the National Foresting Authority. This plan aims to unleash the untapped potential of the bamboo plant, not only to develop a green economy but also to produce high-quality products for international, regional and domestic markets.

Alleviating Deforestation

Bamboo farming in Uganda is ideal for reforestation efforts due to the plant’s fast regrowth after cutting. In 2010, Uganda had almost 7 million hectares of tree cover, but by 2021, the number had dwindled by 49,000 hectares. This was mainly due to illegal logging and population growth. Planting bamboo could help restore some of the lost forest cover quickly.

Projections suggest that bamboo planting could contribute 15% toward the restoration of 2.5 million hectares of forest by 2030, with much of the planting occurring on private land.

Bamboo as a Food Source

Food insecurity in Uganda remains a significant concern, with 48% of the population experiencing moderate food insecurity and 11% experiencing severe food insecurity. Malnutrition is also a problem, with an estimated 2.4 million children suffering from stunted growth per UNICEF’s report.

Bamboo farming in Uganda offers a promising solution to this issue, as bamboo shoots are a rich source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein, making them ideal for addressing the nutritional deficiencies of stunted children.

To promote bamboo as a food source, the Dutch-Sino-East Africa Bamboo Development Program organized a training initiative for Ugandan government officials and community members. The aim was to raise awareness of the plant’s benefits, alongside its potential to improve food security.

In Uganda, the young shoots of the bamboo plant are a delicacy known as Malewa and the leaves are a valuable source of nutrition for livestock, such as cows and horses.

Providing Shelter

Bamboo is a versatile plant with variable applications in building construction. It can be utilized for roofs, fences, ceilings, floors and other building materials. Additionally, the stem can serve as a source of bioenergy for cooking, providing an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional firewood.

Bamboo is also a valuable resource in the paper and textile industries. It is also a useful resource for manufacturing cardboard and fabric. In addition, it can be fashioned into canoes, baskets, pencils and school desks, providing an additional source of income.

In Uganda, bamboo is effective in dealing with floods. When grown, it acts as a barrier to limit the effects of overflowing rivers. Its widespread, firm root structure allows water to pass through while preventing the collapse of river banks.

Looking Ahead

Bamboo is an economically significant plant, as its leaves, stem and root are all valuable. Bamboo farming in Uganda continues to play a crucial role in boosting foreign trade, promoting food security, creating job opportunities and mitigating the impact of deforestation. Ultimately, it is contributing to creating a better country for all Ugandans.

– Chidinma Nwoha

Photo: flickr

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Supporting Refugees During Ramadan

Supporting Refugees During RamadanRamadan is the holiest month of the year for Muslims globally. During this month, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset every day for 30 days as an act of worship, a way to practice self-discipline and a period to empathize with the needy and less privileged. Every evening in the holy month, Muslims break their fast with a meal known as ‘iftar’.

Apart from being a fast-breaking meal, iftar plays a vital role in balancing health and nutrition. Unfortunately, in a world where 11.7% of the entire global population experiences extreme food insecurity, millions of Muslims often have no food to break their fast with. Food insecurity is a major issue affecting refugees and displaced people who rely on donations and aid to access food. In a bid to alleviate the issue, charities like Restless Beings are supporting refugees during Ramadan by providing them with iftar meals.

Restless Beings is a U.K.-based human rights organization that is making efforts to address food insecurity during Ramadan. Through distributing food packages in nations with high numbers of refugees and displaced people, such as Syria and Bangladesh, it provides iftar meals for Muslims around the world.

The Borgen Project spoke with one of the directors of Restless Beings, Rahima Begum, to find out more about the organization’s food packages and other ongoing efforts aimed at supporting refugees during Ramadan.

Food Packages

In 2023, Restless Beings is distributing food packages in Gaza, Turkey, Syria and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. The content of the food packages varies for each nation depending on dietary requirements and cultural sensitivities. According to Rahima Begum, “As Restless Beings is a highly consultative organization, we ensure that at all stages, we speak to the community about their needs and what they want in their food packs.”

For example, the packages for refugees in Bangladesh include food items such as rice, chickpeas, lentils, vitamin supplements, oil, onions and seasonings. These are all staple items in a typical Bangladeshi diet. In Gaza and Syria, the packages include tea, pasta, beans, feta cheese, dates and bulgar. The Turkish food packages include most of the aforementioned as well as olives, tahini and ingredients for making traditional Turkish bread. Each food package contains enough to feed a family for at least one month.

The food packages are distributed by the organization’s on-the-ground teams. As of April 2023, Restless Beings has provided food packages and other forms of assistance to over 50,000 refugees globally.

Feeding Refugees in the UK

For Restless Beings, supporting refugees during Ramadan in the U.K. is just as important as supporting refugees abroad. It partners with other organizations that specialize in assisting refugees and migrants arriving in the U.K. to provide occasional free, warm iftar meals throughout Ramadan. It also donates baked snacks, including bread and pastries, which refugees can take away. The service is not exclusive to only Muslims, as Restless Beings is committed to helping refugees from all religious and cultural backgrounds. The organization is affiliated with two food banks in East London, both of which provide free or discounted food to the homeless and those affected by extreme food insecurity.

Gifting Presents and Haircuts

Restless Beings is supporting refugees during Ramadan in ways other than providing food. It also aims to restore joy and hope in the lives of refugee children. Many of the children that Restless Beings works with have witnessed extreme violence and experienced severe political conflict and displacement. This has stripped them of their fundamental human right to safety and deprived them of their childhood.

The organization is making efforts to give children something to look forward to while encouraging them to believe that there is hope for a better future. It gifts children in the Rohingya refugee camps hampers, new clothes, shoes and fresh haircuts to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the day that follows the end of Ramadan. For Rahima Begum, the gifting service is of utmost importance because it bestows a sense of normalcy and dignity on the recipients that aids their emotional healing. She says “When a child is reminded of their dignity and given an opportunity to feel and look fresh… this child feels like they are seen, heard and most of all, valued.”

Concluding Thoughts

Through their work in supporting refugees during Ramadan, Restless Beings is addressing global food insecurity and bringing nourishment and familiarity to affected people. A Muslim herself, Rahima reflects that “feeding a fasting person is a blessed action” and doing so provides her with the opportunity to ensure Muslims less fortunate than herself can “observe the religious duties that [she is] personally adhering to, in the most comfortable way possible.”

– Mohsina Alam.
Photo: Flickr

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Unemployment Inequality in Belize

Unemployment Inequality in Belize

In 2019, over 60,000 people in Belize had employment in the country’s tourism industry. The country’s relatively small economy is primarily dependent on tourism, which accounts for 40% of the country’s GDP and 70% of export proceeds. When the COVID-19 pandemic crossed borders into Central America, unemployment levels rose dramatically with the swift restrictions that were placed on international travel and other major industries. This growth in unemployment was coupled with a simultaneous growth in unemployment inequality in Belize, as the women of Belize found themselves more at risk of unemployment than men.

Unemployment on the Rise

Toward the end of 2019, unemployment began to rise in Belize. Reports indicated a jump from 7.7% to 10.4% in the last quarter. Some suggested that this increase in the unemployment rate was due to an unprecedented growth of the labor force and an insufficient job market. Specifically, women found themselves out of employment more than their male counterparts. Figures indicated that an increase in women entering the workforce effectively flooded the labor market, where there were not enough available jobs.

In all the districts of Belize, unemployment rose significantly in 2019. Research indicates that around 6,200 people found themselves unemployed from April 2019 to September of the same year alone. A staggering three-quarters of this demographic were women.

As COVID-19 crept into the country the following year, it became apparent this pattern was set to continue. COVID-19 created the biggest contraction within Belize’s economy to date, which was already in a precarious way prior to the pandemic. ‘Substantial declines’ in vital industries such as tourism, led to a further increase in unemployment inequality in Belize, which continued from 2020 to 2021.

Impacts of Unemployment

Food Insecurity: The rising unemployment rate in Belize had many profound impacts on affected households. Notably, COVID-19 and unemployment directly correlated with an increase in food insecurity and hunger for Belizeans. 25% of households reported that they were skipping meals as a result of economic struggles from the pandemic, and many children who had main meals at school found their access to food restricted as school closures were imposed across the country.

Gender Inequality: The intersection of gender and unemployment in Belize resulted in a widening gap in unemployment inequality. Micro and small enterprises were hit particularly hard by the pandemic, resulting in many closing down and workers finding themselves unemployed. The majority of business owners within these micro and small enterprises were women, making them particularly vulnerable to unemployment.

On job recovery since COVID-19, this pattern of unemployment inequality continued. 21% of jobs held by men were not recovered after the pandemic, yet 38% of jobs held by women were not recovered. This has led to an increase in unemployment inequality in Belize as more women are finding themselves unemployed than men.

The Solution

However, despite this staggering widening of unemployment inequality in Belize, the government has implemented measures which are proving to be relatively effective so far. Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena for the Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean (ECLAC) has identified that in order to reduce the prevalent poverty and hunger rates in Belize, employment policy must be at the center of government policy making. In response, the government has built on the Horizon 2030 Vision Project, which has been running since 2010 to support long term development in Belize.

The Horizon 2030 Vision is focusing on increasing employment opportunities in the Northern Triangle and Southern Region of Belize, for all Belizeans, including women and indigenous people. These two priority areas are seeing investment and protection of small and medium enterprises, and an increase in trade agreements such as the Belize-Guatemala border, in the aim of job creation.

Results

Since Belize implemented this in 2021, a steady decrease in unemployment has been seen as the country begins to reverse the negative impacts of COVID-19. Between 2021 and 2022, unemployment decreased by over half from 10.2% to 5%. This was coupled with a significant increase in the country’s GDP as economic performance and productivity was boosted, which is expected to continue.

To tackle the inequality amongst unemployed persons in Belize, the government increased funding for targeted social spending, such as BOOST, a cash transfer program designed to support families in sending their children to school. This program has been successful in increasing enrolment figures which has directly resulted in increasing the female labor force participation in Belize. As of October 2022, female participation in the labor market stands at 44%. This is a positive result which is indicative of a continuing trend of tackling unemployment inequality in Belize.

– Ariana Mortazavi
Photo: Flickr