I used to think we had
options, choices, and prerogative.
And I do. I think the
ultimate first world problem is that we have too many choices. Too many choices: of what kind of
career to chose, movie to watch, food to eat, or which specialty to coffee will
satisfy our vegan palette (or whatever fad farm-to -able diet is most
popular). We live in a culture
that has so many options because our basic survival is decided for us. I am coming to learn that choice is a
privilege more than a right and one that is not offered to everybody. Or if choices are available the options
are not great options, choosing the lesser of two...
So what kind of choices
do Malawians make? In terms of
fuel the option for those living in the village are both illegal. Because of deforestation the law
dictates that Malawians must not harvest firewood or make/purchase
charcoal. However, in my village
electricity is not available and solar power is rare and costly. So how do mother’s start a fire to cook
for their family and purify their drinking water? They must walk great distances to collect firewood, which is
free of cost but high in labor.
Currently the law looks away from this activity, which is good for the
family but terrible for the environment.
The effects of deforestation are visible and are requiring that the
journey of collection go further and further to where the trees still stand. When you enter into a family’s outdoor
kitchen you find it hard to breathe because the firewood produces so much
smoke, which causes respiratory issues.
Well Mama, make a different choice, use charcoal, it burns without
creating so much smoke. That
sounds like a better choice.
Except it costs money. It
cost about $1 to purchase what a family would use in a week. But that is a huge portion of a
subsistence farmer’s income. Too
costly.
I think part of our job
in the Peace Corps is to look to create choices. What are the other choices that are locally available?
Because they might not be right in front of us but they are there. We look to find the fuel solution. On a macro scale it would be to look
for energy alternatives: solar, hydropower, wind turbines…you know all the
renewable energy sources you learned about in grade school. On a micro scale it is improved cook
stoves or charcoal made from compost. A Peace Corps friend, Cassandra, came to
my village and led a session with our HIV/AIDS support group to make charcoal
from agricultural waste, mainly maize cobs and husks. Charcoal made from biomass. Hippie? Yes.
Does it feel like a science fair project? Absolutely.
But, It has the potential to accomplish so many goals…less
deforestation, less time collecting firewood, potential to sell charcoal
without breaking the law. It may
seem small…but maybe it will allow some Malawians to make choices, to create
choices, and to be fueled to choose better options. Development work, for me,
is becoming less about what can be done and more about what choices can be
offered.
Other titles for this
blog post…Everybody plays the fuel sometimes, Too Fuel for school, Fuel’s Play,
Must have been kissing a Fuel…okay…I’ll stop.
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