I am not a big watcher of television but if I do sit and relax, which I am told to do more of, I watch the documentary channel, TVO, educational or travel shows.
I saw a talk by Hans Rosling https://www.ted.com/speakers/hans_rosling who is a statistician who has been studying poverty for over 35 years and he is convinced that poverty can be eliminated and here is a very short summary of some of what he said.
He showed many graphs in his talk and one that stood out to me was the one below:
EXTREME POVERTY POVERTY MIDDLE CLASS OTHER
EARN LESS THAN EARN LESS THAN EARN LESS THAN EARN
$1.00/day $10.00/ DAY $ 100.00/DAY $100 +/day
– According to UNICEF 22,000 children die each year due to poverty and over 500,000 go blind due to lack of vitamin A before the age of 5 years old. May 2016.
– Children in poverty live on less than $1.00 a day
– Number of children in the world is 2.2 billion and 1 billion
are living in Poverty
– 640 million without shelter
– 400 million without safe water
– 270 million without health services
The UN’s quest to elevate extreme poverty within a 15 year period is for good reason. The quicker it is done, the less they will require foreign aid, and help themselves out of poverty. How you say?
It has been proven in Cambodia, a country who’s government has managed to create good relationships and trade partners by climbing the economic ladder and it’s people are benefiting.
People who have started small businesses and pulled themselves out of extreme poverty but are on the edge, can get government funding if they have a emergency, such as a medical situation, from the donations from other countries.
With that little help in an emergency there are three things happening here. One, the family does not go into debt and therefore back to extreme poverty due to the financial help they have received in a time of need. Secondly, the government is managing the donations they have received wisely and giving the funds to the people who need it most. Thirdly when people are not in extreme poverty they spend excess money on additional items they need and therefore put that money back into their countries economy. It has been proven that people will spend 40% of their income on items needed or even pleasure to better their quality of life.
I have always said, If people would only realize, if they help the rest of the world, they are actually helping themselves.
How you say?
By helping a person, people or country stay above extreme poverty, they will get into a position to take care of themselves and have no need for donations.
I have seen this over and over with the many families we have helped. We have helped over 226 parents and children so far and they are now helping each other by sharing the wealth.
They are leaving the green peppers on the plants so they will turn red, yellow or orange and getting more money for them when they are sold. Previously they did not know to do that.
We are selling Pomegranate trees to those who can afford them in the cities as they are not typically grown in Barotseland so we are bringing more fruit, vitamins and variety to Barotseland , which will create more income once these trees produce fruit.
We have introduced Honey Dew Melon and Cantaloupe which is a nice sweet nutritious treat and the seeds are a natural deworming method for goats and pumpkin seeds deworm pigs. Melons are high in Potassium which is good for heart health and if they can get it the people of Barotseland eat a lot of salt which causes high blood pressure which is not good for the heart.
The fiber, potassium, vitamin C and choline content in melons all support heart health. Consuming foods that are high in potassium can help to decrease blood pressure. Getting enough potassium is almost as important as decreasing sodium intake for treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure). Foods that are high in potassium include cantaloupe, pineapple, tomatoes, oranges, spinach and bananas.
Read more here http://www.balancemebeautiful.com/banana-benefits/.
High potassium intakes are also associated with a reduced risk of stroke, protection against loss of muscle mass, preservation of bone mineral density and reduction in the formation of kidney stones.8
Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1956/2#ixzz4GNhvbscC
also, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/279176.php
We have been able to provide an additional, 1 year of post secondary education for two young men to learn agriculture. Njamba & Matindo are volunteer managers with SEEDS.
When I go to Mungu & Kalabo to take non GMO vegetable seeds and work with our team on the next steps to take at our Tree Nursery and gardens, I often take medical supplies, clothing and gardening tools etc.
Last visit I took Njamba a suit jacket, new pants and a shirt to wear for his graduation from grade 12.
It is hard to know what size clothing to take and I feared that these items would not fit. I thought the shirt was a bit big and he said to me” it’s Ok, I can take it in on the sides”. I said with surprise, ” Your mom taught you how to sew?”
He said “Yes”.
Njamba’s mom passed away in May 2014, at age 52 by contracting a rash and they could not figure out what it was.
She lived in a grass hut in a small village near remote Kalabo and by the time they got her to the doctors it was too late.
It goes to show that she was an amazing mom and taught her children well.
There are so many small ways to help that provide such a huge impact.
Have a look at our web site to see more. www.sendseedstoafrica.org or contact Joanne if you would like to volunteer, or donate to help us send our next batch of seeds.
Thanks so much!
Joanne
