Page 11 - Flipbook_ISSACHAR-COUNCIL

ISSACHAR COUNCIL – Tool Kit
Story3
Digging for
Survival
We could get a tractor and do this job in less
than half the time. But we don’t and here’s why.
Development is about empowering communit-
ies to work their way out of hunger and
poverty. It’s about giving them the tools and the
knowledge they need to change their situation.
We also want to make sure that they are able
to continue their development long after we
have gone. This is what it means to work in
partnership with the poor. Canal excavation
may not seem lifesaving, however, when you
dig further there’s more than meets the eye.
During the rainy season in Bangladesh, fields
become flooded and it becomes impossible
to cultivate new crops. By excavating the
canal systems, excess water flows off the
fields and into the cleared canals. Then
during the dry season, farmers can use
water in the canals to irrigate their fields.
Furthermore, all the mud that’s been excavated
gets piled up to create an elevated dirt road.
This allows for children to travel to school
safely and for people to sell their goods
in neighboring communities more easily.
WORLD RELIEF CANADA
To help make sure that erosion doesn’t fill the
canal system again, trees are planted on the both
sides of the elevated road and the roots help to
hold the soil together. When the trees mature,
they can be harvested and sold to further benefit
the community. New trees are then planted and
managed by the community. Often, it’s widows
who are hired by the village to care for the trees.
Because clearing the canals helps to revitalize
an entire community, many people come out
to work. This provides temporary employment
to those who would otherwise be waiting
for seasonal work to open up on the farms.
Because this helps farms to grow more crops,
it also means that more members of the
community are hired throughout the year.
We don’t want to use a tractor to clear this canal
because using one is a fix, not a solution. Using
a tractor would also take away many jobs from
the rural poor who struggle to feed themselves
and their families. In providing work, we are
empowering men and women to earn a living
that will care for their most important needs.
Essentially, more good comes from helping
men and women to overcome the obstacles
they face than if we were to just do it for them.
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