The power of partnering: Holistic watershed rehabilitation in Haiti
In the valley of Nan Carré in the north-west department of Haiti, water flows rapidly through concrete channels and can be quickly diverted into adjacent plots. Everywhere the eye travels, healthy plants are pushing up in neat rows. Here Derelus Clercilien farms a small plot of about an eighth of a hectare and helps run the association that manages the new irrigation system. His enthusiasm is contagious. "Once the irrigation system was in place I planted carrots," he says. "The project staff kept telling me to keep watering. I made 10,000 gourdes (about US$236). I had never seen that much money before, I had never even seen 5,000 gourdes."
Empowering the Papuan women of Indonesia
Indonesia has become the largest economy in Southeast Asia, and steady economic growth has translated into significant poverty reduction. Growth has been uneven, however, with remote areas like the provinces of Papua and West Papua lagging behind. The process of democratization and decentralization continues, but social and cultural issues remain intertwined with the country's development.
A new lease on life for forests, and poor rural people, in Nepal
Santa Bahadur Tamang sat by his neighbour's radio listening to the annual United Nations climate change negotiations more than 3,000 kilometres away in Doha, Qatar. According to this 68-year-old grandfather of four, the outcome of the climate talks, which wrapped up on 8 December, won't have any immediate impact in his community.
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'Making our members visionaries': Rural women pool savings and credit in Oromia, Ethiopia
Shunda Wata and her husband stand in the shade, speaking to a group of visitors about how much their lives have improved in recent years. Beside the couple, several of their cattle are tethered to a tree under the dappled midday sunlight. Nearby, bales of straw are piled almost as high as the corrugated metal roof of their modest but solid home.
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