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Food crisis: the people
Testimonies of people affected by the food crisis from around the world.
Millions of people living in poverty are suffering now from the rise in food prices. Thirty seven countries worldwide have been affected. Here are some of the stories from people in Afghanistan, El Salvador, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Sierra Leone in video, images and text.
AFRICA
SIERRA LEONE
"...Between now and September 90% of Sierraleoneans will not afford a bag of rice..."
-- Sierra Leone foreign minister joins the appeal to end the food crisis
Watch the appeal and sign the petition
ASIA
AFGHANISTAN
“In the last two month two heads of families who could not feed their family members committed suicide. Afghanistan faces widespread poverty due to rapid inflation in food prices. As well as the lack of basic services, the insecurity arising from the activities of extremists, terrorists and criminals and weak, corrupt governance has created a poor environment for improvement.”-- Raz Mohammad Dalili is the Executive Director of the Sanayee Development Organization in Kabul.
The prices of food and other basic needs are increasing day by day in Afghanistan. An unphilosophical definition of the” free market” accompanied by the volatile government policies and increasing drastic inflation of the five months has caused the prices soared to the peak. Further, Afghanistan’s dependency on the import from the neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Iran has created a sad scenario in the markets in Afghanistan. The food items are imported by the individuals through private relationship and there is no official contract signed between Afghanistan and mentioned countries thus every time these countries can stop exporting goods to Afghanistan. On the other hand, the government has no control over the price of the imported products not even on the prices of Afghanistan products so price for every thing is in the hand of few people
Key findings of the Government's National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (NRVA) spring 2007 survey indicate that the poverty in early spring period stands at 42 percent (or around 12 million of people) with per capita consumption of about US$14 per month. Moreover, food poverty was estimated to affect around 45 percent of Afghans; they are unable to purchase sufficient food to guarantee the world standard minimum food intake of 2,100 cal/day. Furthermore, 20 percent were situated slightly above the poverty line indicating a high level of vulnerability.
INDIA
"... in times of illness the family go to bed on an empty stomach
... since the past seven years they have not received the government
food rations ... so where will we get the food?"
-- Kaushalya from Maharashtra, India
Watch the video on YouTube
"We are organizer villagers who have no food, no educaction, no proper health services, to improve their living conditions"
-- Manju from Bihar, India
Watch the video on YouTube
INDONESIA
“I was just watching television and saw the news about human tragedy. A mother kills her children then herself because they can’t afford the food for her family. I don’t understand what’s going on with the Indonesian government . The price of food increases but our President is busy watching the Ayat-Ayat Cinta film in a luxury theatre ( Love Articles/Paragraphs - Poligamy film) and forgets to take care of his people”.
-- The statement above came from Ms. Ijah when GCAP Indonesia discussed the food crisis with her last month (middle of April 2008). Ijah works as a domestic helper (washing and ironing the clothes) in a family, with salary of around Rp 400,000 per month (US$45). She has 2 children, an 11 year old girl and 17 year old son. Her husband works as a house guard with a monthly salary of Rp 750.000,($80) . So, the total salary of Ijah’s family is around Rp 1,150,000 (125 US$ / month). This salary must cover all their family expenditures - daily food, school expenses, local transport, health, etc.
Since the rapid increase in food and energy prices, in the middle of the month Ijah has no more money. She tried to ask her neighbour for a soft loan to cover her needs.
“In the beginning of 2008 the price of rice was Rp 4,000,- / kg. Now, its already more than Rp 4,500 / kg. That’s only rice. I must buy other food like vegetables, fish or eggs to feed my family. I need more than Rp 20,000 / day just for food. I don’t want to sacrifice my children’s meal because of food crisis and increasing price. They must grow with good food standard for their health”, Ijah said.
Ijah came from a poor family in a small village of Central Java schooled until just grade three of primary school, she did not want her children follow her path. For her, education is very important because without good education people will not recognize their worth. For this purpose she is prepared to give everything so her family eat well and get an education. Total expenditure of Ijah’s family is around Rp 1,500,000 / month (food Rp 600,000,- , education Rp 250,000., house rent Rp 400,000., toiletries and other Rp 250,000).
To cover expenses, Ijah has now taken a job with a second family as a domestic worker. Every day, early in the morning she wakes up and takes care of her family’s needs before leaving for work at 9 am. After lunch, she works for another family and back home at 5.30 pm. At night, she helps her children with their homework, takes care her family’s food and sleep after 11 pm. This work time with less rest has become Ijah’s new life after the food crisis. Before that, she only worked for one family and she still can take a rest a while before she take care her family at night.
This story of survival by marginalized people like Ijah is typical in Indonesia, especially in urban areas like Jakarta and other part of Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi island. Poor people try to adapt to the situation even though they don’t have a strong bargaining position in front of the government to demand they meet their obligations to the people. This inequality must be stopped by solidarity, through the Global Call to Action against Poverty, by asking Indonesian government to fulfill basic human rights, basic services and the basic needs of its people
PHILIPPINES
"We are eating less and less. We can't afford the rice sold in the
market so have to go to the government-subsidized outlets to buy a kilo
of rice at Php 18.25, which will feed us for only one day. If the
prices increase again, we will not be able to buy fish to go with rice.
As it is, we cannot afford vegetables. The price of vegetables has gone
up too.""The traders should not hoard rice. This is making the situation worse. We have to really act on lowering the price of rice so poor people can afford it."
-- Dory Sacaguing, 20, housewife. She lives with her husband and daughter in a house she shares with her parents, siblings and her siblings' families. Dory's mother is the only one with a job. Dory lives in No. 3 Abra St., Barangay Magsaysay, Bago Bantay, Quezon City. She is a member of Womanhealth Philippines, a member organization of GCAP Philippines.
"Everyday, we have to line up at shops selling subsidized rice because we cannot afford commercial rice. The price of rice in the market has gone up to 30 Php. We cannot bear it anymore. I know a lot of poor families who are doing much worse. Unlike them, we are only two people who have to worry about where to get our meal. Other families have many members and have little children who go hungry."
-- Rosita Diaz is a 52-year old housewife who is living with her second husband. They don't have other dependents. She lives in No. 39 Sitio San Isidro Ext., SANACA, Bagong Pag-asa, Quezon City. She is a volunteer of Piglas-Kababaihan, a member of Womanhealth Philippines.
"This situation is really hard on us. I have many grandchildren and
we do not have enough income to support them all. We don't need a rise
in food prices. Our life is miserable enough. Our budget for food is
P100 per day and we are eight in the family. That is all the money we
have for food.’ "It is a good thing that my grandchildren are given rice in school. Each child receives 1 kilo of rice every day as government assistance. It makes a big difference. We get by.
"We need the government to continue selling much cheaper rice to poor people like us.”
-- Susana Almodebar is a 71-year old grandmother who is living with her daughter's family. She is also helping her grandchildren whose parents have died. She is helping to support their household of eight. Susana lives in No. 57 Pampanga St., Bago Bantay, Quezon City
"Now that food is expensive, life is even more difficult. Some of my children are jobless. The only one who is helping the family is my child who is working in Dubai as an overseas worker.
"We line up to buy subsidized rice that costs much less than what’s sold in the market. But sometimes we do not have enough money to buy even this low-priced rice.’
"School is opening soon. Our problem is we cannot afford to give our children lunch money anymore. How can we sustain our family when we cannot even afford the most basic need, which is food?"
-- Anita Bergonia is 76 years old and is still working as a real estate agent and works with the Barangay Council. As well as her own family, she is still contributing support to seven household members, including her grandchildren. Anita lives in No. 87 Pampanga St., Barangay Sto. Cristo, Bago Bantay , Quezon City
"Honestly, we do not like the taste of the subsidized rice. It's
cheap rice so it is cheap quality. We sometimes mix it with higher
priced commercial rice to enjoy it. But this means we are spending more
than we can afford. Our budget for food now is Php 200 a day. Before
the increase in food prices, we spend Php 100 for food each day."-- Jennifer Manlangit is a 20-year old housewife who's living with her husband and a 3-month old baby. Her husband works for the family and Jennifer is having a hard time trying to keep her husband's earnings enough for their food and other needs
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
EL SALVADOR
“Since
the food prices increased, the number of women coming here for handouts
has increased from 50 to 65 in just a month. I notice that many of
them bring a plastic bag, and save part of the food they are given to
eat later on at home. I am very worried about the increasing number
of women, and the price of food. How much longer can our program look
after them?”
-- Señora Licha, is a woman working as part of a team in support of the indigenous grandmothers in Nahuizalco, she is a member of the group that provides a lunch every Sunday as they come out of church. These women are older adults, over 65, they do not speak their native language, nahuatl any more, and cannot read or speak Spanish well. They are the poorest of the poor, and come from the surrounding communities.
“The price of every staple food item has gone so high, from 14 plantains for a dollar in 2006, to 6 for a dollar now days, from 25 tortillas for a dollar, to 18 now, from 30 pieces of bread to 19, and very small, the same is true for corn, beans, rice, salt, eggs, milk. Gas, water, electricity are also so high, and often the service is not provided. The price of transportation has gone 25% higher and there are threats that it will double soon.”
--According to the testimony of the catholic Sisters Ana and Antonia, serving communities in the indigenous town of Nahuizalco, Sonsonate, El Salvador -considered the most violent town if the country - things have worsened for the majority in the town. In El Salvador, the great majority of the population is paid in its equivalent in dollars, thus, in rural areas, for those with a full-time job, the salary is $115 per month, and in the city, $140.
“The government passed a law to allow GMOs to be used for planting so, they say, people can have food to eat. The government blames the situation on international situations, without mentioning that for many years it decided, intentionally not to have an agricultural plan, and develop the country into the "maquila" ( factories) center for the region instead. The Government obtained $10 million dollars, and bought genetically modified seeds, which has given to the peasants, as a gift, part of an agricultural package that includes also fertilizer and pesticides. The World Bank and the IMF, says that many people will suffer hunger and starvation this year alone, and identified El Salvador as one of the countries less prepared to face this critical time.”
