In my country, Haiti, the agricultural sector represents 25 percent of GDP and accounts for over 50 percent of jobs. However, agricultural occupations are extremely insecure and do not permit farmers and their families to live in a dignified manner. Over two-thirds of the inhabitants of rural regions are poor, and agriculture is their main source of income. (Source in French: Haitian Institute of Statistics and Information Technology)
Agriculture is a difficult occupation and is particularly vulnerable to weather-related events. Farmers face significant risks from natural disasters owing to the lack of mechanization and expertise and the difficulty of gaining access to markets for their produce.
If nothing changes, rural populations’ incomes will remain low and unstable, and poverty-related problems will only worsen.
How can agricultural cooperatives help?
I am confident that...
Water is the source of life. Everyone depends on it, including the Kakuma refugees. In a desert environment, with no direct water source and reliable rainy season, the residents of Kakuma (locals and refugees) have great difficulty obtaining the water they need to survive. The United Nations High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), in conjunction with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), is assisting the people by trying to find solutions to create water points and establish proper hygiene and sanitation systems to safeguard the health of the people.
When a Solution is Found …..
The Lutheran World Federation arranged for the installation of underground equipment to extract groundwater. The advantage of this groundwater is that it is largely purified by natural...
Do you feel sufficiently informed about the challenges posed by the water situation in your country? Do you think that the situation can be improved?
As with all Sahelian countries, the encroachment of the desert poses serious problems for Mauritania. This threat mainly affects rural populations that depend on agriculture, but also has repercussions on urban areas. Indeed, more and more young people move to the capital city, and this rural exodus adds to significant population growth, which leads inevitably to an increase in the demand for water and the depletion of resources.
It is in this context that the NGO "Arbre," (link in French) with which I volunteer, has been working since 1998 to promote sustainable development and environmental protection by establishing sanitation systems and facilitating...
Youthink! interviewed Stéphanie Guico. Stéphanie is the Program Coordinator of the Future Cooperative Leaders Program, a program created to encourage participation by young cooperative employees and leaders (between the ages of 20 and 35) during the Summit.
Youthink!: Hello Stéphanie. First, can you tell us about the journey that led you to the Summit of Cooperatives?
Stéphanie Guico: In 2008, I went to Honduras to spend several months working at a federation of agricultural cooperatives. It was there that I experienced my “cooperative awakening.” When I returned to Canada, I did a Master’s degree in cooperative enterprise management. My thesis was on the challenges with the strategic governance of multistakeholder cooperatives (link in French) in Quebec. While pursuing these studies, I joined a...
Youthink! asked people on Facebook and Twitter to weigh in on whether they prefer e-readers to books. See how students are benefiting from e-readers in Africa .
Throughout the conversation people like Mattdan from Indonesia preferred e-readers:“…On the Sustainable development side, they indirectly save forest from the degradation and deforestation.” Jmaguial from Spain also agreed “They reduce paper waste!”And Bethold Mwesy from Tanzania...
