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The Lesotho Joining Hands Against Hunger network has developed
its program of "hunger action training" for 2003. This
will primarily be to develop and implement a study curriculum
of economic and social justice themes that our member organizations
can use with the local groups in the communities where they work.
One of the primary purposes of Joining Hands Against Hunger is
to raise awareness of issues of globalization and neo-liberal
economic policies promoted by international bodies such as the
World Bank and World Trade Organization. These policies "stack
the deck" in favor of the countries of the North at the expense
of the South (a.k.a. "developing countries"). In October,
Bob took a group of five Lesotho JHAH network members to Cape
Town, South Africa, for a week-long "globalization school."
Of particular interest to the Lesotho group was the issue of privatization,
in which governments sell off public assets to private companies,
as is currently underway here. The reason most often given for
doing this is that private companies operate more efficiently
than the government. The problem with efficiency is that concern
for the poor is often inefficient, as it requires extending services
to rural areas or allowing people to pay in small amounts. Whereas
a government may be willing to subsidize the poor, it is certain
that a private company won't. "Cost recovery," one of
the hallmarks of privatization, has already led to most utilities
here being on a pre-paid basis. So, we buy electrical units, use
the electricity, then buy some more (if we have the money). Recently,
the Lesotho Electric Company, which is preparing for privatization
and seeking to operate more efficiently, raised the minimum amount
of electricity which can be purchased from M20 to M40, which could
be 2 to 3 weeks of electricity for a poor household. So, the poor
have to do without electricity until they've saved up enough money
to be allowed to stand in a line to buy more.
In South Africa, a new provincial network was established in
November in the Northern Cape province. This is a very large but
sparsely populated province. Because of this they are often left
out of programs, so they were quite appreciative of the efforts
to bring them into the Joining Hands network. We're now preparing
for two more provincial conferences early in the new year. The
South Africa JHAH network has joined with other organizations
to lobby for the Basic Income Grant (BIG). The BIG would provide
a small amount of income to everyone in the country, which would
then allow the poor to participate in the money economy and so
provide an economic boost to historically disadvantaged areas.
There is a great deal of wealth in South Africa, coupled with
tremendous poverty. The BIG is a feasible program for redistribution,
if the political will can be mobilized.
In October we traveled to Namibia where we went on a 12-day camping
tour of the country. Formerly the German colony of South West
Africa, Namibia was administered by South Africa (complete with
apartheid laws) under a UN mandate until it gained independence
in 1990. It is a vast and beautiful country with diverse landscapes
from mountains to beaches to red sand dunes. It also has the largest
collection of Bushman paintings and rock engravings in southern
Africa. A vendor at one of the craft markets just outside of Windhoek
was surprised to learn, when we told him we live in Lesotho, that
we were married. "Isn't there apartheid in Lesotho? How could
you be married?" "Well, no, actually there was never
was apartheid in Lesotho. But we're really from North America."
He assumed that all of southern Africa had been under the apartheid
system (and, apparently, that it still is).
On December 4 there was a total eclipse of the sun in the northern
region of southern Africa. A South African newspaper had an article
on traditional beliefs about eclipses among the various people
groups, many of which view them as punishment for past wrongs
or an indication of bad luck to come. Today, most of us don't
fear eclipses but understand that they are predictable natural
phenomena. We've learned a lot about our physical world, but we
humans still can't seem get along with each other or our environment.
It's still a world full of "hopes and fears."
Items for prayer:
- Praise for our continuing good health and safety in travel
- That Bob will be able to make more contacts in the Free State
(South Africa) so that a JHAH conference can be held in February
- Food security in Lesotho: climatic setbacks (late frost, low
rainfall in October and November) have been damaging to crops
and have intensified the current food crisis. Please pray that
people would continue their efforts to grow food and also that
there would be greater coordination among those organizations
involved in food and seed distribution. (For more information,
see http://allafrica.com/stories/200212050072.html)
Thank you for your continuing support and prayers for us in our
work. May this Advent season be one of hope for you and your loved
ones.
Blessings,
Bob & Samantha
The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 44
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