Photo: Oxfam International
By: Allana Mortell
Finding a backyard with a garden can be a blessing and often a rarity for many homeowners in the United States. However, take a gander over to Africa and not only will you see things in a different light but you will find one of the biggest and newest initiatives taking place in the Western Hemisphere. “A Thousand Gardens in Africa,” is the latest from the Slow Food Movement and the plan is, in itself, self-explanatory. The mission: to build 1,000 gardens in 26 different countries throughout Africa.
Slow Food USA, the national non-profit organization dedicated to the slow food movement is teaming up with Slow Food International to carry out this enormous project. Throughout different countries in the Terre Madre region, including Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Morocco, Slow Food International advocates are working on building three different garden models in various African communities and villages. [click to continue…]
Photo: European Union Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection
By: Justin Chan
News of the famine and drought in Africa has not been promising. Since last summer, region after region has fallen victim to the drought that first affected Ethiopia and Somalia, next spread to the Sudan and is now affecting countries in the Sahel region.
According to CNN, like other recent social media campaigns, UNICEF recently took to the internet to promote a crusade it calls #SahelNOW. It has asked users of Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media to share a video that addresses the scarcity of food that affects approximately 1 million children that live in the region. The Sahel is a relatively obscure strip of land located near the Sahara Desert and experiences frequent droughts. Along with countries like Senegal and Chad, it currently faces a number of dire circumstances, including poverty, drought and displacement. At least 10 million people are in danger of dying of starvation. [click to continue…]
By: Justin Chan
Harlem has always been known for its soul food, but many immigrant communities are diversifying the neighborhood’s food culture. Mexican and Cuban restaurants have flooded Spanish Harlem, while halal stands occupy busy roads and hope to draw in some potential customers. Food in Harlem, contrary to popular belief, is not one-dimensional. In fact, it is far from it.
While Latin and South Asian foods have always been popular cuisines in the city, I decided to look for something more in tune with the neighborhood’s African roots. Harlem, after all, has been home to the African American community for decades, so it was only fitting that I looked for a spot that closely reflected its heritage. As I wandered through the neighborhood for an hour or so, I passed by several restaurants that offered many different kinds of cuisines, but none seemed to serve anything that I could buy for my Five Dollar Food Challenge.
My journey seemed hopeless until I made my way down Frederick Douglass Boulevard and arrived at 118th Street. At that point, I had finally reached a restaurant, or rather a cafe, that served cheap yet delicious grub. Patisserie des Ambassades is a small and deceivingly upscale Senegalese eatery that differs from nearby holes in the walls in its decor and atmosphere. [click to continue…]
By: Melaina Gasbarrino
Flying Kites is a unique initiative that emphasizes the fact that Third World Kenyan children do matter. Many moons ago, the founders of Flying Kites volunteered at orphanages in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. With a set-up that ‘wasn’t effective’ and was a shameful way to treat children, Leila de Bruyne, Toby Storie-Pugh and Justine Axelsson developed Flying Kites. As their initiative to change grew into an organization, they wanted to ensure that we all see children as children and not label them as orphans.
The organization seeks to showcase the potential that children of Kenya have. With headquarters in Brooklyn, and a children’s home in Kinangop, Kenya the expansive agriculture-like land and room to run freely, the children of Flying Kites will ‘one day change the world.’ The home houses 150 children living in ten separate houses, students are educated and have the potential to flourish with a perfect view of The Aberdare Mountains in view.
Flying Kites focuses on not only providing these children with a home and education, but also instilling leadership, living, and cooking skills that can help them succeed in the future. We had the great opportunity to speak with Leila, Founder and Director of Marketing at Flying Kites to learn a little bit more about the organization. [click to continue…]
By: Cyndi Amaya
While many times we see or hear news about atrocities in other countries, most of us can be accused of apathy due to our lack of effort to actually try and help. When news broke out of the famine in the Horn of Africa, many chipped in with donations for the famine victims upon hearing of the millions that would be affected.
Even our own Marcus Samuelsson hosted a brunch in this own home to raise fund for the afflicted which was then brought directly to those suffering by his lovely wife Maya.
Aside from his strong philanthropic leaning, clearly Marcus’ strong ties and origin from Ethiopia would draw his attention and earnest to help. But few times do we see someone with no direct connection pitch in to help remedy a situation (Kony campaign aside).
Thankfully, this was not the case for 9-year-old Milla Martin from Sweden. So moved from news stories and photographs of children, like herself, starving in Africa, Milla launched her own campaign to raise money for famine victims in Ethiopia. Through the sales of her cinnamon buns and calling for hundreds of Swedish children to join in the campaign, Milla was able to collect more than 200.000 Kronor (about $35,000) to help the starving children in Africa.
I was able to connect with Milla and her father, Henrik for a quick interview on how she started her bake sale fundraising. Check out Milla’s story in her own words… [click to continue…]
Photo: United Nations Photo
By: Justin Chan
Sudan is currently facing rising food costs, but a larger problem is looming.
As the country’s inflation continues to increase, experts have cautioned that Sudan could be on the brink of famine by March. According to AlertNet, the Famine Early Warning System warned that the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states could reach emergency levels next month. Tensions between the government and rebels in those two states have forced approximately 140,000 refugees to flee to South Sudan and Ethiopia. The United Nations similarly warned that the number could reach at least 500,000 in the next few months.
“(This is) a looming catastrophe that will make Syria, in terms of total casualties, look like a gang war in the park,” said Sudan analyst Eric Reeves. “There’s no food getting in. There’s no food being produced. All the food reserves were consumed by mid-summer. They are eating grass. They are eating inedible berries.”
Humanitarian organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to provide aid to such war-torn areas. [click to continue…]
Photo: PBS NewsHour
By: Justin Chan
As Sudan struggles to contain its high rate of unemployment, the country’s food costs have risen. Reuters Africa reported that Sudan’s inflation increased to 19.3 percent last month due to soaring food prices. In an attempt to limit black market practices, the government had devalued the Sudanese pound two years ago. Since then, inflation has more than doubled and has been worsened by the incremental increases in food costs. Food prices rose by 4.1 percent in January.
Sudan has been economically impaired since South Sudan seceded last year. The two countries used to split oil revenues, but the secession led to a loss of close to 75 percent of Sudan’s 500,000 barrels of oil production per day. There had already been concerns over whether Sudan would be able to handle a food shortage due to the fighting that ultimately led to South Sudan’s independence.
Sudan is one of several Arab countries that is currently facing extreme poverty [click to continue…]
Photo: Muzaffar Bukhari
By: Michele Wolfson
While many of us are in full holiday mode with mad-dash shopping and flamboyant partying, people who live in the Horn of Africa are lucky if they can even get a drink of water. Scientists are worried that the drought that is taking place in Africa could be the grim future across the globe.
The Horn of Africa has been enduring the worst drought in 60 years. Crop failures have left up to 10 million at risk of famine. The social order in Somalia has been outright chaotic with thousands of refugees streaming into Kenya and refusing to return. The U.N. reduced the number of people at risk of starvation and aid has been sent to hard-hit regions, but this may not be enough to prevent drought not only in this area- but also all over the world. [click to continue…]
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