Earth Day: An Opportunity to Invest in People

BY Cara Honzak, Cheryl Margoluis April 22, 2016

Cara Honzak and Cheryl Margoluis job-share as Pathfinder's Senior Technical Advisor for Population, Health and Environment.

On my last trip to the Lake Victoria region in Kenya, an indigenous forest ranger introduced me to a giant tree.

The tree had recently fallen from old age. The ranger explained that this tree was the “mother tree” of thousands of trees that had been planted and cultivated across the country and the entire African continent. The tree was famed for its health and longevity. He spoke of the tree with great respect and asked me, ‘would you like to meet the daughter?’ We walked a few hundred feet away to another giant tree of the same species. It loomed over us and the trunk was so wide it would have taken several people to circle its girth. I too was awed by its sheer size and vitality, indicative of old age and good health.

I am reminded of these trees and what they represent—health, longevity, and sustainability—as we celebrate Earth Day and this year’s theme—Trees for the Earth. Let’s Get Planting.

While planting trees might not seem like an obvious way to support women and families, we at Pathfinder have found that tree nurseries are in fact a key component of our Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) programs. Millions of families in communities around the world depend directly on the environment for their livelihood—and their future depends on these ecosystems continuing to thrive for years to come. For many, lack of access to basic sexual and reproductive health care compounds the livelihood and environmental pressures they face. PHE programs are building the capacity of communities—especially of women and young people—so they have the tools, skills, and knowledge they need to take control of their health and their livelihoods in the face of environmental changes and challenges. Pathfinder International’s PHE programs improve access to reproductive health services and promote gender equality, while empowering communities to sustainably manage their natural resources and improve their economic status.

It is the hope of every mother and father that their children—much like the ‘daughter tree’—should have long, productive lives; lives even better than their own. Yet, women and youth today are among the groups predicted to be most impacted by climate change. In fact, according to a recent report from the Obama Administration, the brunt of climate change’s harmful health effects will fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable populations, including women, children, and the poor. Through our PHE programs in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, we are working hard helping women and families make sure that their children and the environments in which they are being raised will be able to sustain the good health, vitality, and longevity that they deserve.

In Uganda, for example, Pathfinder has supported the Mirembe tree nursery cooperative through which women are provided with education and resources about reproductive health and conservation and support, such as seeds, to start a nursery—planting trees to replenish their depleted forests. While they worked, the women discussed the benefits of contraception, with many women learning for the first time that they have options and can choose for themselves when or whether to have children. The women were able to sell their harvest for nearly $200USD, a substantial amount of money for families in rural areas where the monthly household income is around $50.00. Because of the nursery, these women have more economic autonomy and are able to make decisions about how their resources are used.

Obviously, planting trees is not the only way to protect our environment; similarly our PHE programs also take a broader approach to promoting health and sustainability. Working with partner organizations, we have brought fuel-saving cook stoves to these vulnerable communities. Instead of using a pile of wood each day, women are only using 1-2 pieces, which not only saves their time, it is better for the environment. The stoves we are using in Uganda are also cost-effective—they are sourced from materials available in the community and the community is able to conduct routine maintenance on them. Fuel-saving cook stoves help with female financial empowerment by freeing up women’s time so they are able to engage in other activities such as fisheries management and tree nurseries.

There is plenty of evidence showing the positive impact of supporting women’s empowerment, but we also recognize the need to cultivate the next generation, to make sure young people have the tools and capacity to be stronger and healthier than their parents. In many parts of the world, youth comprise the majority of the population, yet their voices often go unheard and their specific sexual and reproductive health needs are often overlooked. We are engaging young people to help them take charge of their health and their environments through youth clubs, drama groups, and youth friendly sexual and reproductive health services—all with the goal of supporting young people to take charge of their health and the health of the world around them.

Earth Day is an important opportunity for the global community to reflect on how we can all contribute to making the earth a better place for generations to come and to holistically support those most vulnerable to changes in the environment. Governments are more effective at tackling development, climate change and adaptation when they also respond to the health and survival needs of these vulnerable populations. Supporting integrated strategies to improve sexual and reproductive health and access to family planning can decrease the vulnerability of these populations to a changing climate.

Here at Pathfinder International, we are dedicated to improving the overall health and wellbeing of women, their families and the environments they live in and depend upon. We believe that understanding and acknowledging the deep connection between women’s health and the environment is the first step to helping empower these vulnerable communities to live healthier, more sustainable lives.

Programs like these can have a direct impact on the long-term health of our planet. This Earth Day, let’s make it a priority to continue to work together on a global level to provide everyone with the tools and resources to live healthy, sustainable lives on a healthy planet.