United Nations Development Programme The Development Advocate 28 January 2013 • Volume 2 Empowered lives. Resilient nations. LING EL CO T N Y T R E O S T st T S PLACE1 ECBrazilo-stOVES EMPOWER INDIGENOUS WOMEN A Kaiowá-Guarani indigenous family proudly using their eco-stove for the first time. G( ilmar Ganache/UNDP Brazil) BY DANIEL DE CASTRO AND get home so tired that I couldn’t low-cost and green energy access LETTER FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR JACOB SAID find the energy to cook,” says in Brazil’s semi-arid northeast. It is Gonçalves. Every day she would currently being adapted to serve Panambizinho, Brazil—The sun was make the fire for lunch on the floor, the needs of the Kaiowá Guarani still rising and Delma Gonçalves, using a few cans to protect it from people in the Brazilian tropical 41, had already spent two hours the wind and a refrigerator cooling savannah. In contrast with tradi- trekking to the place where she coil as an improvised grill. tional wood stoves constructed and the rest of her settlement col- In addition to worsening her with materials like cement and lected firewood. The return trip back pain, the floor fire filled the iron, this new stove uses low-cost was even worse: under the hot house with smoke, hurting the materials that are found in the sun, she carried a bundle of wood health of Gonçalves’ children, who region like mud, sand and clay. Helen Clark with Executive Board representatives of countries weighing 20 kilogrammes on her suffered from respiratory prob- The UNDP initiative is part of a with winning entries in the 2012 contest. (Dylan Lowthian/UNDP) shoulder. Gonçalves is a member lems like asthma, pneumonia and joint programme developed with of the Kaiowá Guarani indigenous bronchitis. But all this has started other UN agencies, with the goal Dear Readers, people, the nation’s second larg- to change with the arrival of high- of promoting food and nutrition I am pleased to introduce the second issue of The Development est indigenous group, who live on efficiency wood stoves that have security within indigenous com- Advocate, an annual publication showcasing the twelve winning the Panambizinho land located 250 helped to transform the lives of munities, especially for women and entries of UNDP’s storytelling competition which showcases our kilometres from the capital city of dozens of indigenous families in children. In all, the project benefits global development results. Mato Grosso do Sul state in west- Panambizinho. about 53,000 indigenous people As in last year’s issue, these stories highlight UNDP’s critical work central Brazil. The technology to construct across the country, both directly on poverty reduction, democratic governance, crisis prevention Three times a week, for many these so-called “eco-stoves” was and indirectly. The stove has been and recovery, and the environment and sustainable development. years, this has been Gonçalves’s developed by a group of Brazilian considered a model for sustain- The common thread running through these stories is the change morning routine. non-governmental organizations able technology and will hopefully and benefits we bring to the lives of some of the poorest and most “I had a really sore back. I would through a UNDP project promoting be used in other similar projects vulnerable individuals around the world. Continued on page 2 The twelve-member jury this year included both new and famil- iar faces. It included representatives of the Permanent Missions of EMPOWERING VO CATIONAL TRAINING Australia and Canada to the UN and prominent print and broadcast WOMEN TO FOR NEW CAREERS international journalists—many of whom focus on development FIGHT POVERTY stories. All the stories in these pages exemplify our tagline, “Empowered lives. Resilient nations.” They remind us that people are and always PLANTING A SEED FOR will be the centre of UNDP’s work. THE FUTURE Sincerely, UNDP Equips Bangladeshi Women UNDP Introduces Organic Farming with Microloans ¶PAGE 3 UNDP Provides Jobs Skills Techniques in China ¶PAGE 4 in Georgia ¶PAGE 9 Helen Clark The Development Advocate 1 Thanks to the new stove, the health stop using heavy firewood. Lighter PYUBLISHED B BRAZIL: ECO-STOVES of everyone in Gonçalves’ family and smaller wood is readily avail- United Nations Development Programme continued from page 1 Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy, has improved, especially that of her RESULTS able around the house, and dimin- Communications Cluster children who, in addition to eating ishes the environmental impact on better, now have fewer respiratory • 53,000 indigenous people nearby forests. EDITORIAL TEAM across the globe, a major goal of Satinder Bindra, Abdel-Rahman Ghandour, problems. The new stove uses a in Brazil lead healthier lives due Gonçalves’ long journeys to the programme. Rajeswary Iruthayanathan, Lamine Bal, chimney to keep the house well- look for wood have ended. She to the introduction of the new Megan Cossey, Maureen Lynch and BENEFITS OF ECo-stOVES ventilated and removes smoke eco-stoves now goes to her backyard to pick Amsatou Maty Ndiaye The stove’s materials and design and other by-products. The envi- up small branches that have fallen One United Nations Plaza help to retain heat longer; a special ronment also benefits from such from trees. DONORS: MDG Achievement New York, NY 10017, USA clay plate over the fire acts as a bar- stoves, since they produce signifi- “I use my extra time to take care Fund Articles may be freely reproduced rier to energy waste and conducts cantly less greenhouse gasses due of my kids and the house. I weed as long as credit is given. heat better. As a result, the plates to a more efficient use of firewood. the yard, do the laundry and sweep DESIGN stay hot for up to five hours, even The stove’s high energy effi- easy to find around the yard, where the porch. I also take care of the Suazion, Inc. after the fire has gone out, making ciency makes it possible to use thin families generally plant gardens garden,” she says as she drinks her it easier for people to cook food twigs, dry leaves, corn shucks and and trees. One of the aims of the tereré, a traditional yerba maté drink PRINTING without constant supervision. bark as fuel, all products that are project is to encourage families to from the region. AK Office Supplies Fire has spiritual significance Printed on recycled paper by means of for the Kaiowá people: it is a syn- environmentally-friendly technology. Delma and family socialize around their new eco-stove while lunch is being prepared. (Jacob Said/UNDP Brazil) onym for purification. Generally, fire is controlled by women, whose role is to unify and feed the fam- ily. Around the fire—now sustain- able and healthy—Gonçalves and other indigenous women in Panambizinho nourish not only their families’ daily needs but also a Empowered lives. long-respected tradition. n Resilient nations. DANIEL DE CASTRO is a Commu- nications Analyst in UNDP Brazil. UNDP partners with people at all levels of Before joining UNDP in 2010, he society to help build nations that can withstand worked as a journalist for over six years at Bloomberg L.P. in New York crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth and as a field coordinator for Doctors that improves the quality of life for everyone. On without Borders in Cameroon. the ground in 177 countries and territories, we JACOB SAID is a Communications offer global perspective and local insight to help Assistant in UNDP Brazil. Prior to empower lives and build resilient nations. joining UNDP in 2011 he worked as a communications, advocacy and multi- www.undp.org media consul- tant for the Facebook.com/undp International Poverty Centre-IG in Brasilia. Twitter.com/undp CONTENTS StorYTELLING CONTEST JURY MEMBERS Brazil: Christopher Boian is cur- André Frenette is Director- Gargi Rawat is currently a rently the chief editor of a General of Communication news anchor and environ- Eco-StOVES EMPOWER INDIGENOUS WOMEN 1 multimedia news startup at the Canadian International ment reporter with one of BANGlaDESH: based in Washington, DC. Development Agency (CIDA) India’s leading news chan- He has over 28 years of experience as a and has held that position since nels NDTV 24X7, a position she has held EMPOWERING Women TO FIGHT POVERTY 3 journalist and has spent most of those February 2012. Prior to his appoint- for several years. The face of the morn- CHINA: years working as a correspondent and ment at CIDA, he has held several posi- ing show “Breakfast News,” she has also editor for Agence France-Presse in vari- tions within the Canadian Public been involved with several NDTV envi- FARMERS PlanT A SEED FOR A CHemical-FREE FUTure 4 ous countries around the world. He Service, notably at the Department of ronment events, including the Save Our DEMocratic REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: returned to his native United States in Canadian Heritage where he served as Tigers campaign. August 2012. Deputy Director-General of Communi- Hani Shukrallah is Editor- COMMUNITY CENTRES HELP PEOPLE LEARN cation and Director of International Alison Chartres is currently in-Chief of Ahram Online, Relations. TO LIVE AGAIN 5 the Counsellor (Develop- the English-language news ETHIOPIA: ment) at the Permanent Gie Goris heads MO*, a website of Al-Ahram, Egypt’s Mission of Australia to the news magazine and website foremost news organization. Before COPING WITH DROUGHT AND ClimaTE CHange 5 UN in New York, a position she has held focusing on globalization that, he was the co-founding Chief EGYPT: since January 2011. She has been with and development.