OXFAMCloseup, Winter 2013

Adding to my Global Poverty course’s extensive external reading list, Closeup deals and addresses many of the similar issues we are studying, although it is not part of the official reading list.

In Sowing The Seeds Of A Better Future, the future of Haiti is summed up to one thing – Rice. In a community where people make less than $2 a day, they are finding new ways to improve their crops, fighting against cheaper imported rice. Some farmers are moving on to other jobs with the support of microloans, enabling women to train and acquire jobs formerly reserved for men.

In Finding A Path To Prosperity, people in Ghana are gaining hope and pushing for transparency from their government and leaders, much like we are today here in America. With new oil business coming in and replacing the old gold mines, people are looking to prevent the poverty that has occurred in the past by holding their government and the corporations responsible.

In Growing From The Roots Up, Vietnamese fishers are learning new trades from old skills, turning to a form of growing called aquaponics. Located in Louisiana, near the 2010 BP oil disaster area, fishing is still rough, and people are learning to move forward. Their fresh-grown crops are now supplying Farmer’s Markets and elite restaurants, bringing the income back to where it is needed most – the growers.

To read this copy of Oxfam Closeup (Volume 13, Issue 1) online or download the PDF, click here.