 Myths
about famine and hunger |
Issue 140 |
No crops, no food
If you were asked what are the main causes of famine and hunger, what would you response be? Over population? Not enough food in the world? It's the direct result of natural disasters such as drought or flooding? These are many of the common answers, but is there any truth behind these assumptions? While there is enough food produced globally to feed everyone in the world, more than 800 million people go hungry. How can this be so?
The United Nations World Food Program states that the combination of relentless poverty and the world's highest rates of HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa means that many people do not grow enough food to last until the next harvest because they are too poor or too sick to plant the crop.
Poverty means that you do not have money or food left over for when you need it, for example, in times when you do not have a good crop.
In Southern Africa, there are many reasons why you may not have a good crop. Most of Southern Africa is dependent upon rain fed agriculture. This means that there are very few irrigation systems and the people are largely reliant upon rain in order for their crops to grow. Additionally, there is little access to fertilisers which would help the crops to grow. More crop diversification is also needed. Many farmers grow maize, but this crop does not grow well when the weather is erratic - either too much or too little rain. Sorgum is an example of a grain that farmers can grow that is more resistant to drought. There is also a high incidence of pests and diseases in livestock and crops.
Add getting sick into the list of difficulties above and it seems near impossible to break the cycle of poverty. This is why it is so vitally important to be addressing issues such as HIV and AIDS. How can you talk about ensuring people have food security and are able to grow enough food to eat when they are too sick to grow their crops?
Then add to this the unfair trade rules which allow subsidised agricultural goods from the minority (developed) world to be brought into the counties in the majority (developing) world. Subsidised goods mean that the farmers in the majority world do not receive a fair price for their goods and are therefore unable to earn a living. If they did receive a fair price for their crops and other goods then they would be able to save money for things such as fertilisers, medicine, school fees. Also people would have something left over for the times when they have floods, poor rains or a plague of locusts.
There are many myths surrounding the causes of famine and hunger. Perhaps it is time to challenge these myths and also recall the promises that we made through the Millennium Development Goals in 2000.
A promise to address extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1); a promise to ensure education for all (MDG 2); a promise to promote gender equality and empower women (MDG 3); a promise to improve health, including addressing the issue of HIV and AIDS (MDG 4-6); a promise to ensure environmental sustainability (MDG 7); and finally promises of more and better aid, fairer trade and debt cancellation.
If we keep our promises this may go a considerable way to addressing the causes of famine and hunger. This would be something to celebrate.
The United Nations has declared 1997-2006 the decade for the eradication of poverty. In December 1996, the United Nations General Assembly declared the theme for the Decade as a whole to be "Eradicating poverty is an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of humankind."
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
1) Use the following prayers as the basis of a class prayer session on famine and hunger.
www.cafod.org.uk/resources/worship/prayers/
church_calendar/lent/love_as_i_have_loved_you
www.cafod.org.uk/resources/worship/prayers/
prayers_about_hunger/comfort_and_protect
prayers_about_hunger/i_pray_for_those_who_help
ENGLISH
Go to news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4120000/
newsid_4124300/4124358.stm Read
about life in Africa - click on "education", "conflict" etc.
Imagine you are a young person in an African country. Write 2-3 journal entries
about "A day in the life of an African school student".
ENGLISH/HSIE/SOSE
For a series of fact sheets and discussion pieces about famine and hunger, including
use of images visit: mobile.alertnet.org/thefacts/
reliefresources/112688954097.htm
HSIE/SOSE
1) Try the quiz which explores the myths surrounding famine and hunger at: mobile.alertnet.org/quiz/112652241128.htm
2) In the article "HIV/AIDS and hunger in Southern Africa" the World Food Program reports "good harvests not enough". What is meant by this statement?
3) Go to www.alertnet.org/db/crisisprofiles/
AF_HUN.htm?v=at_a_glance and
read the article on African Hunger to answer the following questions:
- How many people are estimated to be chronically malnourished in Africa?
- List four countries found in West Africa's Sahel region.
- List three factors that have led to the Sahel region's lack of food.
- How have rural communities in East Africa been affected by environmental impacts?
- Sub Saharan Africa is an area where the incidence of HIV/AIDS is at extremely high levels.
- How many people are living with HIV/AIDS here?
- What is this as a percentage of the people globally living with HIV?
- Why do you think HIV and AIDS would impact on the workforce in the Sub Saharan region? Explain.
- How many people in sub Saharan Africa live on less than $1 a day?
4) Go to www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/
discrim/e_eritrea_print.asp and
read about the history of the African country of Eritrea. Complete
the activities listed.
5) Go to www.ausaid.gov.au/country/africa.cfm
- How much money is Australia giving to Africa in aid in 2006 - 2007?
- Identify ways that Australia is helping with the humanitarian crisis in Africa. How else could Australia lend assistance?
GEOGRAPHY
1) Obtain a map of Africa from www.ciaonet.org/_media/images/atlas/
maps_flags/region/africa.gif and
locate on it countries which are experiencing severe drought
or food shortage. Go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/africa/05/
crisis_map/html/1.stm and
click on each African country that you wish to obtain information
on. Use this information to complete a table with columns headed:
- Country name
- Estimated population
- Number of people needing food aid
- Underlying reasons
2) Go to www.cafod.org.uk/news_and_events/emergencies/
east_africa_emergency/urgent_aid_
offered_2006_02_01
- What area of the country was hardest hit by the drought in Kenya?
- Peter McGeachie, CAFOD's regional office manager in Kenya stated that "Pastoralists are now migrating unsystematically to wherever localised showers are reported, sometimes up to 40 kilometres away, exacerbating the weakened body condition of the livestock." Why is this a problem for the country?
- How does the minimal rainfall affect the conditions of soil in Africa?
- The Caritas partners in Kenya will be hiring a drought program manager. What would be the role of this position? What would they need to investigate?
3) Go to cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/index.asp
- By double clicking on the chosen country, read information about each of the countries you select. Compile a list of ten African countries and list their capital cities. Test your friends to see how many they know!
- Select five of the African countries and list down the countries that border with the country of your choice indicating the direction of the border countries.
SCIENCE
Go to the following site to read about the Manzanar Project: www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/
manzanar/default.htm and
click on the option bar on the left hand side to read information
about:
- The Meaning
- Eritrean Project
- Aquaculture
- Mangroves
Use this information to answer the questions below:
- What is the project aiming to do?
- Why are mangrove trees being used?
- How can mangrove trees assist the local ecosystems?
- What are some of the economic benefits of planting mangrove trees?
- How could this idea be used in other areas of the world? What are some of the other areas that could be used to grow mangrove trees?
- It is stated that " if successful will allow Indigenous peoples who are facing famine and who live on coastal desert areas to feed themselves, but more importantly build a self-sufficient economy with available resources." How could this be achieved?
CAPA
1) Go to news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4100000/
newsid_4101000/4101060.stm and
select one of the African countries. Click on the country and
bring up the information and map on your country of choice. Paint
the flag onto A3 paper with the countries name and three facts
about the country.
4630000/newsid_4634600/4634679.stm and click on the African country to hear the local music.
1) Caritas Australia's Partnership Development Coordinator in
Africa, analyses the issues that confront Africa today at: www.caritas.org.au/emergencies/
africaAppeal_focusReport.htm
2) For further information about HIV/AIDS
and hunger in Southern Africa visit:
www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2154
3) Go to www.cafod.org.uk/resources/worship/
prayers/prayers_about_poverty and
read some of the prayers about poverty. Share these with people in
your group and offer special intentions for the people in Africa affected
by famine and hunger.
4) Read further articles at: mobile.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/
112688954097.htm