Prayers for rain
I crave sunshine. I think it comes from being born just after Midsummer. I feel at my happiest when sitting in dappled sunlight, underneath the promise of a cloudless blue sky.
So the last three weeks of constant rain, and the forecast of the wettest and coldest May for many years, fill me with melancholy.
Yet in spite of the current weather, we are in a time of drought, and counties up and down the UK face hosepipe bans until the end of this year at least.
It’s strange to be in drought during a time of so much rain. I was in Kenya during the drought in the Horn of Africa last summer. It was the worst that the region had witnessed for 60 years. The red flesh of the earth was barren, the empty river beds like bloodless veins. Cattle carcasses littered the horizon, and the wind carried the pungent smell of death.
One woman I met told me that she prayed for rain every single day, a prayer for rain to comfort the earth, to bring food and hope and life.
So today – even though the rain makes me crave tea and hobnobs and an old film and bed – I am remembering that woman, and her prayers for rain. I am reminding myself to be grateful for it.
There’s another drought this year in the African Sahel, which comprises Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and northern Senegal. A toxic combination of low rainfall, high food prices, entrenched poverty and regional conflict means that 13 million people are at risk of malnutrition and starvation.
Those 13 million mums, dads, children and grandparents are probably praying for rain too.
We are so lucky we don’t have to.
Unlike some larger NGOS, Practical Action is not an aid agency, and we do not deliver emergency relief. Instead, we believe passionately that it is only through long-term development work using appropriate technology that poor and vulnerable communities can become more resilient, and the desperate tragedy of drought and famine can be avoided. You can support our work here.
No Comments » | Add your commentSometimes we need to remember why we’re here
In the day-to-day minutiae of working life it’s easy to get hung up on the bad stuff:
The stresses of multiple deadlines. Or the pressures of huge fundraising targets. Exasperations with organisational bureaucracy, which exists everywhere, in spite of the efficiency of your processes and procedures. Or anxieties about re-structure, as experienced by Practical Action’s UK staff for the last eight months.
But last week a very wise colleague reminded me:
“Just remember – everything you do here is for the people of Bangladesh. Or Kenya. Or Peru. Sudan. Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe. Nepal. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re trying. The people are the only reason.”
Her words were like a bell tolling me back from encroaching negativity to a place of clarity. I looked at the photos beside my desk and once more started to marvel at Practical Action’s work around the world:
The dreamlike magic of a floating garden which allows the poorest families in Bangladesh to grow enough food to eat and sell all year round, even during the floods.
The simple genius of a solar powered water pump that harnesses the energy of a resource which exists in abundance in Kenya – the sunshine – to produce one which does not – clean water.
The quirky innovation of an eco-san loo which gives farmers in the mountains of Peru decent sanitation AND a means of preserving dry human waste to make good quality compost for their crops.
No matter how frustrating my day is, I do feel very blessed that I can go home safe in the knowledge that I spent my time trying my best to make life better for someone in need of a helping hand. That everything I do here is “for the people of Bangladesh. Or Kenya. Or Peru. Sudan. Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe. Nepal.”
I repeated my colleague’s words to a friend this weekend and he warned me that I risked sounding holier-than-thou. I don’t feel pious or saintly, and I certainly hope I don’t sound like that. I just think that sometimes it’s important – perhaps even essential – to remember why we’re here.
No Comments » | Add your commentJoy in People
One of the greatest joys of working in fundraising is meeting lots of amazing people who want to do something to change the world – whether that’s donating loose change, or running 10km and asking for sponsorship, or organising a cake sale, or setting up a charitable trust to give away larger sums of money, or climbing mountains , as some of our student supporters are doing.
Last night I was very honoured to be a guest speaker at a women only fundraising dinner in Yorkshire which was both celebrating women, and raising money for Practical Action’s work in Sudan. The room was full of over 200 women, all intelligent, funny, charming, wonderful people. Last night alone raised in excess of £7,000! And it’s all going towards a food project in rural Kassala which is helping nearly 100,000 people – some of the poorest on the planet – to make a better living from farming by giving them the tools, knowledge and skills they need to move to a life beyond poverty . The generosity in that room was tangible. And it’s amazing to experience it. All too often it seems we’re living in the worst of times – great economic austerity, a seemingly endless war against terrorism, a government that cuts benefits from the most vulnerable while simultaneously allowing the rich to prosper. It can easy to be cynical, unmotivated, to think the worst and do absolutely nothing about it.
But the dinner last night was a perfect reminder that people are, for the most part, pretty wonderful. Tell a room of women that there are 4.2 million people in Sudan starving, and they will dig deep and donate, in the hope of making tomorrow brighter than today.
Today is also Sport Relief – and I know that millions of people up and down the country will be compelled to do something about the injustice of global poverty – whether that’s texting a donation while watching tonight’s TV show, or running the Sport Relief mile on Sunday.
Gandhi once said “be the change you wish to see in the world.” Thank God there are so many wonderful people who live their lives true to that mantra. Today my heart is full of joy because of them – thank you. Happy Friday everyone!
No Comments » | Add your commentThe need to focus on women and technology
This International Women’s Day is all about empowering women to end hunger and poverty. Women play a vital role in food production in developing countries. In fact, 43% of the agricultural workforce are women. Yet they have very limited access to resources such as land, credit and agricultural training and information compared to men.
I was therefore happy to attend an event in parliament on the 7th March on ‘Effective Solutions for Agricultural Development through Empowered African Women Scientists’. The event concentrated on getting women into leadership positions within science and technology and building their skills and confidence within the agricultural sector. It also places the spotlight on the need for research into aspects of agriculture that are important and helpful to women farmers.
Woman using her technical skills to make pots in Sudan
I listened to the stories of two African women scientists, Dr Sheila Ommeh from the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya and Christine Mukantwali a senior scientist from Rwanada. Both women are AWARD (African Women in Agricultural Research and Development) fellows. Both women have invested considerable time in researching sustainable agricultural solutions to help their communities and have acted as role models for girls in local schools, encouraging them to get interested in science.
It was great to hear about the importance of getting more women into science. However, this got me thinking about the wider topic of women and technology.
Technology is a vital element for any community. It plays a significant role in food security, agriculture and small scale production. Women use technical skills and knowledge in their daily activities; they continually innovate and adapt technologies in response to things they face in their everyday lives. However, their role and technical skills are often overlooked and undervalued.
There are four main reasons why women are less visible in the application of technology than men:
- Firstly, much of women’s work is unpaid. Women have responsibilities for child care and subsistence tasks and this means it is less visible in national statistics.
- Secondly, is the cultural perception of what constitutes ‘technology’. Women carry out a considerable number of technical activities every day. For example, they farm, process crops, weave, sew, collect wood and water, tend to small livestock, fish and look after children. These activities are mostly domestic , small scale and considered un-technical.
- Thirdly, the perception of what comprises technology is mostly in the realm of ‘hard’ technology- that of equipment, like computers or machinery, but ‘soft’ technology is usually overlooked. Soft technology comprises the skills, concepts and knowledge needed to use the ‘hard’ technology. Women often have a lot of skill but use less complex equipment (e.g. in food processing).
- Fourthly, the fact that few women are involved in agricultural extension work, research and development or technical development planning has meant there has been little challenging of assumptions made about the nature of productive roles and responsibilities and assumptions that have undermined women’s roles and technical capacities.
The spotlight on women in science should open up and include the empowerment of those women that use technology day in and day out. Practical Action’s ‘Discovering Technologists’ training guidelines is aimed at increasing the skills of those involved in technology development, working in the agricultural development sector. The training is an empowering process whereby women can realize that their knowledge is not only technical but also valuable, and this realisation leads to women themselves consciously exploring, strengthening and sharing the expertise that they have.
No Comments » | Add your commentLoos and luck
I really need the loo. I’ve been at my desk for well over three hours and so far have filled my body with two cups of tea, one cup of coffee and a fair amount of water too. But I have the misfortune of working on the very top floor of Practical Action’s head office, which means that a trip to the loo involves climbing all the way downstairs. And I’m so engrossed in my work (and also a little lazy – it is Friday, after all) that I really can’t be bothered….
I’m currently writing a proposal to fundraise for a hugely exciting new project that Practical Action is embarking on in Zimbabwe. We’re working with rural communities in the southern provinces of Gwanda and Mwenezi, endeavouring to reach out to 200,000 people to improve their access to clean water, ensure they have adequate sanitation and reduce their health risks from poor hygiene. The figure is massive. 200,000 people is over double the size of my home town!
Most of these people currently live several kilometres away from a safe water supply. The task of collecting water usually falls to women and children who will spend whole days carrying up to 80 litres of water. The journey can be dangerous – these women are vulnerable to mugging and rape; and the water they do collect often isn’t fit for human consumption anyway.
Furthermore, many families in Gwanda and Mwenezi don’t have toilets in their own homes as they can’t afford to build them. This means that people usually just relieve themselves outside in the bush. This morning I’ve read stories from women and girls who describe the complete loss of dignity and embarrassment they feel while doing this, especially when they’re menstruating.
Suddenly my reluctance to walk down a flight of stairs to go to the toilet demonstrates not only laziness, but complete ignorance of how fortunate I am. Wherever I am, it only ever takes me a few minutes to fetch a glass of clean water or go to the loo.
I am lucky. But it shouldn’t be about luck. Having clean water and being able to go the toilet without putting your safety or health at risk are basic human rights to which people everywhere are entitled, whether you live in Warwickshire or Gwanda.
Now I really must go – I’m desperate.
2 Comments » | Add your comment2012
Happy New Year.
In 2012 Practical Action will help more than a million poor people around the world, we will help people get the vital technology they need, we will work together with them to ensure solutions are sustainable and we will share stories and the experience from our work as widely as possible so that people can copy everything we do.
Not a New Years resolution but our proven way of working.
Have you seen the Victoria Wood voiced over advert for the Dyson vacuum cleaner ‘protected by over 200 patents’ thats exactly the opposite of our work. We don’t want to keep ideas to ourselves but share so more people can benefit.
2012 is the UN Year of Sustainable Energy for All. We need to share ideas and experience if we are to deliver energy to the nearly 3 billion people without decent access.
No Comments » | Add your commentTechnologies in a changing climate
Climate change for a long time now has stopped being a question of ‘if…’ and more a matter of ‘how much’ (and the answer to that currently isn’t very nice).
To deal with this, enter technologies. They fall into three categories:
1) Mitigation – reducing emission from human activities, from home efficiency devices to renewables and nuclear energy;
2) Adaptation – ways of dealing with the impacts of varying rainfall, temperature, sea level rise and increased frequency and magnitude of disaster events. Most urgent for the poorest groups and those in low lying states where the most vulnerability lies, but planning is also under way for London, Durban, and other developed cities.
3) Geo-engineering – large and unproven projects to remove carbon from the atmosphere or reflect the solar radiation. Includes; ocean iron fertilization projects; mirrors in space; pipes; dreams.
Arguably, the most iconic climate change related technology is the wind turbine, used for clean energy generation. Less is known about the possibility of mirrors in space, and probably for the best. But adaptation technologies are equally mysterious for many people in developed countries. This is springs from a lack of awareness that people in developing countries feel climate change most acutely – “first and worst”.
Nevertheless, adaptation is happening spontaneously as people respond to the altered conditions they find in their area. Technologies, whether used to diversify livelihoods or protect assets, can make this easier, but people will also have to adapt their technologies in order to keep them appropriate.
Enter climate uncertainty – not knowing precisely how climate change will manifest in a specific area over the next two-three decades – and you have a problem that requires new ways of thinking about technology and a new way of doing development.
Today’s Geek Club (Practical Action’s online discussion forum) from 10am to 4pm will discuss the issues of technology for adaptation. This is set against the back drop of the current round of climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa, where countries are discussing proposals for ‘technology transfer’ to developing countries to support adaptation. Come and join us as we consider the how, what, and why not of adapting to climate change.
No Comments » | Add your commentTechnology challenging poverty
Layak Ram Chaudhary is one of the most enthusiastic farmers I have ever come across, with a knack for technology and innovation. Just with a small patch of land, I am overwhelmed to see him making fortunes, winning public laurels and becoming an inspiration. He is one of many farmers in Joshipur, a village in the Kailali district of Nepal who have made a sound return on investment in vegetable farming.
The secret? Layak Ram showed me his polyhouse and off-farm cultivation and proudly explained how it has helped him become successful in vegetable farming. “The paddy we cultivated here for a long time would hardly feed 11 members of my family for three to four months,” he said. “I was compelled to work as a wage labourer for many years just to meet the ends. When I got an opportunity to participate in the vegetable cultivation training, I learned about the polyhouse cultivation.”
He learned various technologies during the 10-day training on vegetable farming provided by Practical Action.
“They have helped me do things right,” he said. “During the first year, I planted cauliflowers and tomatoes in my land and earned NRS (Nepalese Rupees) 10,000.00 (£77). My family’s happiness knew no bound. The earnings gave a new sight to my father and he also encouraged me to pursue it further. The next year observed sharp increase in my income to Nrs 70,000.00 (£541). It offered me more motivation to buy a tractor which I paid for in instalments. Since then, I have never looked back in life. I continue to raise my production levels and generate more earnings, helping me to educate my children and sisters with pride. The polyhouse has now become a main source of income and it is the appropriate technology to farmers especially those who possess only a small patch of land.”
Ashik Mandal, technical assistant, District Development Office, Kailali, said polyhouses can be made with locally available materials that can significantly reduce the construction cost, as affordability is a major concern for many farmers.
“The most discerning benefit of the polyhouse is that the farmers can grow both seasonal and off-season vegetables at the same time – off season vegetables fetch an attractive price,” he said. “Though a small investment and labour is required to erect it first time, excellent earnings from off-season produces can well offset such investment. The construction site must be a firm land and free from potholes as the bamboo’s sticks may decay in the loose and moist land and house may fall apart. These houses generally last for three years.”
E F Schumacher’s vision and ideas continue to generate increasing momentum in how appropriate technology can challenge the poverty by pulling poor farmers out of grave poverty and famine. On the occasion of his 100th birthday, my wishes are due to him while I also offer congratulatory mention to our local hero, Layak Ram for his extraordinary and exemplary work.
No Comments » | Add your comment
Access to Energy is Essential for Development
Energy is a critical development issue. Just like access to water and other basic services, access to energy is a condition for social and economic development. But as the country’s population grows and energy demand rises, the obstacles to its availability and use loom larger today than ever.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, 1.6 billion people in the world lack access to electricity and over 2 billion people depend on biomass fuels for cooking and heating. This has been worsened by the rising demand for energy that has exploded since the beginning of the 20th century, in tandem with the world’s rising population and economic growth. Energy issues are particularly challenging for rural communities and the urban poor where high energy costs are putting a tremendous amount of pressure on families a majority of whom depend on natural resources for their livelihood. The challenge at present is to supply clean and safe energy in sufficient quantity to everyone while limiting the environmental effects.
Our visit to selected energy actors in Kisumu, Nairobi and Mai Mahiu with a visiting delegation of three Members of Parliament from the European Parliament revealed the energy poverty levels among poor communities living in the areas. The case stories observed made clear the fact that development targets such as the Millennium Development Goals which, though they do not explicitly include energy, are reliant upon energy for their fulfilment.
This is not to say there is no future in attaining the goals. The reality is more needs to be done to realise the required change. Numerous initiatives have been piloted and are being scaled up by different agencies in the energy sector. Practical Action’s energy projects over the last two decades are good examples. Working with communities in rural and informal settlements in urban centres, the organisation has not only pioneered initiatives to light up villages from small micro-hydro and pico-hydro schemes in Central Kenya but also provided alternative and efficient energy saving technologies used for cooking in western Kenya. These initiatives have accentuated the fact that the poor have a legitimate right to and need for increased energy services which are affordable, healthier, more reliable and more sustainable.
One on one learning how to make fireless cookers
They have also highlighted the skewed distribution of energy – with the richest people consuming the largest percentage of energy supply and the poorest using the least – that must change if significant change is to be realised in the sector. Developing and implementing sound national energy development policies together with the right use of technology are areas that have been emphasised over the years. They are areas that require transparent processes that provide for equitable participation from all stakeholders.
Practical Action selects winners for Leaders Awards…
We’re delighted to announce the primary and secondary winners for Practical Action’s Primary Engineer Special Award 2011.
The final award is given to students who demonstrate a high level of interest and skill in interviewing professionals who work in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics related to sustainability.
This year’s winners are Robert Marshall from Osbaldwick Primary School and Josh Catley from Hornsea School and Language College. Read more.. Congratulations to them both! Your solar powered MP4 players are on their way to you!
Christine Borrett the class teacher from Robert’s class found it good too!
‘The Leaders Award enabled my class to develop their communication skills through interviewing adults from a range of professions related to STEM. The interviews proved to be informative and inspirational, giving the children an insight into the world of work, enabling them to begin to consider their personal career options. This was a worthwhile opportunity which we plan to repeat this year.’
For details of next year’s award
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