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Pope Francis’ Encyclical: A Message of Hope for the Earth, but Where are the Women?
By: Katie Douglas, WEA Intern “Laudato Si” or “Praised Be to You”, Pope Francis’ recently released environmental encyclical, details how the collective actions of people are responsible for the irreversible degradation of our Earth. Subtitled “Care for Our Common Home”, the encyclical speaks boldly to the need for change to the structural injustices that drive…
Meet Our Summer Intern!
We love summer for so many reasons. It’s the time of year when seeds planted in the spring blossom, bloom and grow strong, and it’s a time to prepare for the warm gatherings and occasions for sharing that seem to characterize the fall. At WEA, the summer is when we tend partnerships, plan for celebrations…
Building Solidarity Around Resource Management for Women
By: Katie Douglas, WEA Intern For Nanu Ghatani of the Lalitpur District in Nepal, staying silent in the face of injustice and oppression was never an option. Nanu’s strength, courage and determination was first tested when she moved villages to be married at the age of 14. She soon learned that she was not permitted…
Behind Bolivia’s Ambitious Agriculture Goals
Since Evo Morales – the first Indigenous president to rule a majority Indigenous country – took office in 2006, there have been major changes to the government operation of Bolivia, including an overhaul of the constitution in 2009. However, his efforts to help Indigenous and impoverished communities by increasing access to food and land for more…
When Weather Turns Unfavorable, Farmers Lose Hope
According to a report by Al Jazeera, “agricultural investment in India is a big gamble. Farmers usually take out bank loans against land to buy seeds and fertiliser, pay salaries, and acquire irrigation equipment.” However, unforeseen and unwelcome weather patterns can strike at any time, and with less than 20% of Indian farmers insured, this…
A Mother’s Day Call to Protect the Earth
This Sunday is the day of the mother, the day we honor the source of life. As we give thanks for our very existence, for all the nurturing and resources our mothers provide for us so that we may grow and thrive, we also celebrate our shared mother—the Earth itself. Without her flowing waters, warm sun,…
Seeking Solar Power Instead of the Grid
For many, electricity is a luxury; it can even be magical. Derrick Terry remembers the first winter when there were lights on at his grandmother’s house. “You see the Christmas lights in the distance, it’s like seeing that unicorn,” he says. “It’s an indescribable feeling, I guess, when you first get electricity.” Many Native Americans…
Women become Entrepreneurs in Ghana through Water
When the nonprofit Saha Global was started by an MIT grad student in 2008, the initial goal was to implement a water business run by women in Kasaligu, northern Ghana. It started with teaching one women, Fati, how to treat contaminated water from her village’s source using locally available materials that were simple to construct. Thus,…
Malnad Mela — A celebration of Seeds
In an event hall in the small village of Sirsi, on the edge of the Western Ghats in the Indian state of Karnataka, more than a hundred women gather to participate in the Malnad Mela, a decade-old festival organized by Vanastree, a seed saving collective of women farmers. These participants, as well as the 800…
A Look into the World of Water in Mali
The Malian village of Diatoula, Mali, a West African country with 4.9 million people, a third of the population, lacking safe water. But 75% of Mali’s people don’t have adequate sanitation. Tara Todras Whitehill, with WaterAid, angles her camera lens at state of water in villages throughout Mali, and across Western Africa, and how people, mostly…