Women
Pulling Women, Girls Out Of Poverty
For more than 844 million people worldwide, or one in every nine people on Earth, access to clean and safe water is still out of reach. The majority of these people live in rural areas and have to walk for hours to collect water for themselves and their families. And the burden of gathering water for households falls disproportionately on women and girls. In sub-Saharan Africa, women are responsible for 72 per cent of the water collected and walk for miles each day to haul 40–80lb (18–36kg) of water home, sometimes repeating this journey several times a day. In Africa alone, women spend 40 billion hours a year walking for water – time that could instead be used to go to school, run a business or improve their households.
Beyond the time lost fetching water, the gender-specific implications of not having access to water faced by women are unfairly weighted. For example, in many developing countries, girls drop out of school when they reach puberty as a result of missing a week every month for menstrual management. Without an education, these girls become trapped in the poverty cycle with no tools to help build a way out. In fact, according to USAID, for every extra year a girl stays in school, her income can increase by 15–25 per cent.
In addition, the water collected is often filled with disease-causing pathogens that cause conditions such as giardiasis, cholera and schistosomiasis. These illnesses can last for weeks or sometimes months, forcing people to lose valuable time at school or work. As primary caregivers, women are also impacted by sickness due to unsafe water, time spent caring for ill children or other family members may be time spent away from income-generating activities. If untreated, these diseases can often lead to death, especially in vulnerable individuals such as children, nearly one in every five deaths in those under the age of five worldwide is due to a water-related disease. Without clean water, people are unable to wash their hands or clean their food, which can further increase the spread of disease.
In the Caterpillar Foundation’s work to alleviate poverty around the world, we have seen first-hand how access to clean and safe water transforms the lives of these women and girls, and, ultimately, their communities. We are proud to work with innovative partners dedicated to solving this critical issue, such as Water.org.
Water.org focuses on removing the cost barrier of financing sustainable water access – some 91 percent of people reached by Water.org live on less than $6 per day. By bringing small, easily repayable loans to those who need access to affordable financing and expert resources, household water and toilets become possible. Furthermore, access to these resources helps to reduce hunger, improve health, enable equality, increase education, encourage economic empowerment and, eventually, break the cycle of poverty. Through our support of Water.org’s work since 2008, we have helped bring clean water and sanitation to 3.8 million people in India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Peru.
The ability to turn on a tap and have instant access to water for cooking and cleaning is something many of us take for granted. But for those in the developing world, the value of water and its impact on their lives is all too clear. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), access to clean water and basic sanitation can save around 16,000 lives every week. A WHO analysis also shows that for every $1 invested in water and sanitation, there is an economic return of $4. When people are no longer worried about collecting water, taking care of sick children or becoming sick themselves, they can invest their time in working toward a better future instead of just surviving. They can start businesses or improve their homes. They can go to school or get a job. They become empowered to improve their lives and the lives of those around them and can take steps to rise out of poverty.
With the help of our global partners, the Caterpillar Foundation has set out to empower 50 million people around the world to rise out of extreme poverty by 2020 and has worked to advocate and educate people about the important role water plays in making this goal achievable. This kind of work cannot be done alone; however, through collaborative and strategic partnerships, engaging with local communities, and implementing innovative and sustainable solutions, we know that water is one issue that can be solved.
So now we ask you the question that we have spent the past year asking ourselves and our partners: What will you do for water?
Karol writes from Lagos.
Kathryn Karol
Cooking is the process of preparing food by using heat. It involves a variety of techniques and methods, such as grilling, baking, boiling, frying, and steaming. Cooking also requires ingredients, utensils, and appliances to create delicious and nutritious meals. Cooking is for all irrespective of sex.
It may interest you to know that there are many benefits to cooking at home, including the ability to control the ingredients and portion sizes, save money, and customize dishes to suit individual tastes and dietary restrictions. Cooking also allows for creativity and experimentation in the kitchen, as well as the opportunity to share meals with family and friends.
When you cook, it enables you to know the right ingredients to use for a particular meal. Getting prepared food outside home will not give such opportunity and in fact it is cheaper.
For you to carry out cooking successfully, prepping ingredients ahead of time, is very important. Using the right tools and equipment, adjusting cooking times and temperatures as needed will make one a good cook and tasting and seasoning dishes to ensure they are well-balanced. A good cook should be able to taste and add adequate seasoning to ensure that dishes are consumed without stomach crams.
Cooking can be a fun and rewarding activity, whether you are a novice or experienced chef. It can also be a form of self-care and a way to explore different cuisines and flavors from around the world. Overall, cooking is an essential skill that can help you eat healthier, save money, and enjoy delicious meals at home.
Good chefs earn a living through cooking. Good ones who are opportuned to work in big hotels and smaller eateries make huge sums of money as well as earn free meal at work.
According to experts, cooking involves a wide range of techniques that can be mastered through practice and experience. Some common culinary techniques include sautéing, searing, braising, roasting, marinating, poaching, and blanching. Each technique contributes to the flavor, texture, and appearance of the final dish.
In addition, understanding how different ingredients work together to create a balanced flavor profile is key to successful cooking. This includes experimenting with sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami flavors and learning how to add these flavors in a dish to create depth and complexity. The right ingredients work together to give the right aroma and taste a good cook deserves.
Furthermore, exploring the diverse culinary traditions from around the world can open up a world of new flavors and cooking techniques. Trying out recipes from different cultures can help you broaden your culinary horizons and develop a deeper appreciation for global cuisine.
You may discover that different cultures believe in their own food and meals. Someone from the Eastern part of the country may not be comfortable with the kind of food or meal prepared and consumed in the northern part of the country.
Interestingly, gas cookers are in vogue because they cook faster especially in families with the presence of kids. Having the right tools and equipment in the kitchen can make a big difference in your cooking. From basic essentials like knives, cutting boards, pots and pans to specialized appliances like blenders, food processors, and slow cookers, having the right equipment can help you cook more efficiently and effectively.
In this 21st century, a lot of innovations have actually come into the practice of cooking. The use of wood and stove are gradually going down especially in the urban centres.
Planning your meals ahead of time can save you time, money, and stress in the kitchen. Meal planning involves selecting recipes, creating a shopping list, and preparing ingredients in advance to streamline the cooking process. This can help you eat healthier, reduce food waste, and make the most of your time in the kitchen.
A lot of families plan their meals so as to minimize waste, especially now because of high cost of living.
The safety of the food to be consumed in a home should be the concern of every good cook. Practicing proper food safety and hygiene is essential in cooking to prevent foodborne illnesses. This includes washing hands, utensils, and surfaces regularly, storing food at the correct temperatures, and avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods.
A cook should ensure that ingredients for a particular meal are properly washed. Food stuffs must be properly preserved if they are not to be used immediately. When it comes to refrigeration, experts should be contacted for proper advise on how long they should be kept.
Some persons due to health challenges are placed on special diets. Medically, some persons are advised to consume food with low salt intake as well as sugar. It is important that a good cook adheres to those instructions. If you or your loved ones have dietary restrictions or preferences, learning how to cook for special diets can be a valuable skill. This may involve accommodating allergies, intolerances, or lifestyle choices such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or low-carb diets.
Moreso, cooking at home allows you to have better control over the ingredients used in your meals, leading to healthier eating habits. By cooking from scratch, you can avoid processed and unhealthy ingredients, reduce the amount of added sugars and preservatives, and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Meals prepared at home obviously may not taste as the one consumed from outside. The food got outside may contain excess spices more than meals prepared at home.
Cooking is deeply intertwined with culture and tradition, and exploring different cuisines can be a great way to learn about different countries and regions. Trying out recipes from various cultures can expand your culinary skills and palate, introducing you to new ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques.
As peoples culture differs that is how the kind of food they consume also differ. When a chef finds himself or herself in a particular region, it is better to learn the kind of food that is being consumed.
When you talk about cooking, the meal prepared for an adult definitely differs from that of a baby. Excess pepper in meal may not be good for infants.
The use of mutter and pestle is gradually phasing out with the innovation of electrical appliances such as blenders. A good cook should be able to train herself on the usage of such kitchen equipment.
With the use of microwave oven has come to stay as hotels (eateries) and homes use them thereby saving the use of kerosine in stoves and gas.
Odoo-e Precious is a student of Pan African Institute of Management and Technology, Port Harcourt.