Happy 100th Anniversary of International Woman's Day! Last year I attended an event for International Woman's day the theme was on women and water. This year the theme was 'women and hunger.' I attended an "Interactive Hunger Banquet" sponsored by Oxfam. I went with two great friends and even saw previous professors and my old boss!
A highlight was hearing a Haitian farmer share her passion for self-sufficiency related to food. Jacqueline doesn't want handouts, she wants partners. She wants Haiti to be independent from Foreign aid. I was struck by how crazy it would be if Canada or England had many workers across Minnesota giving us grants and providing food and medical services. What are the effects of dependency, when capacity isn't built for locals to do it themselves? It's just deeper spirals of dependency.
Jacqueline started a farming cooperative that works together to take care of each other and improve the land. (And this is SO NEEDED for a nation such as Haiti- the statistics are unfathomable).
The broader plea was for women to be at the center of any food solution (as primary food growers and preparers.) Leaving women out of that discussion is disastrous. And often, due to lack of education and political powers that be, women aren't in the discussion.
The Hunger banquet was interesting. We (along with the majority of other young folks) were in the 60% "poor" group. We sat on the floor and ate a meal of unseasoned rice. 25% of the "middle class" sat in chairs and ate a meal of beans and rice. And 15% of the "rich" ate at tables and had salads, bread, and pasta. We literally left the banquet hungry*! But the impression was made. We are among a privileged who live in abundance. And I am grateful. I want to live in a way that recognizes this- that isn't gluttonous, but strategic. And I want to serve in a way that empowers farmers like Jacqueline- I want my nation to give aid in that way- and doesn't trap people in cycles of dependence.
I think Oxfam's work, especially on a political/policy level is important. But this talk encouraged me to keep moving towards working with development and bringing real change to people's livelihoods. Perhaps with Food for the Hungry or ECHO, or Care of Creation... groups that are combining the daily bread we need to conquer hunger with the deeper, spiritual bread we need to be truly satisfied.
*Note: We also promptly used our blessed resources to buy frozen pizzas and french bread and chocolate and feast together :)
