This blog post was written by our Creative Communications & Events Officer, Megan Henderson.
Landscape in Marsabit, Kenya.
Five Talents has provided innovative microfinance training and support in sub-Saharan Africa for over twenty years. In that time we have been unable to ignore the clear connection between climate and environment with the increased threat of disease, poverty and food and water shortages our members face.
When we visit our programmes we often hear stories of regular flooding, drought and crop failure which directly affect communities. Before joining our programmes most members did not have a financial safety net to combat emergencies. When their crops failed they could not eat, and did not have the financial resources to buy food elsewhere.
Increasingly our programmes are addressing issues of climate change by providing members with tools and knowledge to build resilience against major environmental setbacks. How do we do it?
We show members how to build their savings so they have a safety-net if crops fail due to drought or flooding;
We provide members with business skills training which helps them diversify their incomes to build business opportunities which are not subject to environmental factors. For example, a woman who earns a living by growing and selling bananas might also begin buying and selling clothes or cooking utensils, which are not dependent on a good harvest;
We encourage members to use their savings to invest in environmentally friendly assets like rainwater harvest tanks, solar panels and smokeless cooking stoves.
While the communities we work in have a low carbon footprint compared to the western world, we do want to encourage environmental responsibility in our programmes too. For example our literacy lessons are based on local issues. The communities we work in select an issue affecting them and discuss the causes and consequences of that issue. During one visit we sat in on a class discussing drought. The Group identified deforestation as a cause and discussed tree-planting as a possible solution.
What about here in the UK? We believe in climate justice; we in the UK need to act to combat climate change which is directly affecting the lives of the marginalised poor we work with. But what can we do here to combat climate change?
Recycle!
Use sustainable products - investing in recycled paper or biodegradable toilet tissue is a small change for you but big help to the environment.
Reduce your waste - carrying your own reusable coffee cup is better for the environment, and you can often get a discount!
You can even adopt an environmental policy in your office - check out ours here.