Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt

Poor Haitians resort to eating dirt

news.yahoo.com

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud. With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies. Charlene, 16 with a 1-month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country's central plateau

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Makes me wonder why in this day an age people have to suffer and result to this type of actions?

Were is the outrage? Were is the U.S.? The worthless U.N.? I bet that if there was oil on this and other suffering countries not only the U.S. but all other countries would be right there "giving them bread" while taking away the resources of the country.

Its a shame.

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Here's a place to start

reply to post by Bunch


This is another sad story of humans resorting to their basic survival mechanisms...

I've been posting humanitarian crises the last few days and no one has really replied.

We're more worried about a freaking asteroid that didn't come close to us and a falling dow jones than helping a brother out.

I am devoting my life to helping people, but right now I am in school learning how to do so (permaculture and human development).

Every little bit counts...Start with reducing your dependency on foreign products and food services. The less you can make do, the more that is leftover for those who are left without.

GE crops...

Every time a story floats of some starving nation, just remember GE crops could save thousands if not millions of lives. All you have to do is get the seed past terrorist organizations like Greenpeace and their bellies will be full.

Originally posted by Bunch


Makes me wonder why in this day an age people have to suffer and result to this type of actions?

Were is the outrage? Were is the U.S.? The worthless U.N.? I bet that if there was oil on this and other suffering countries not only the U.S. but all other countries would be right there "giving them bread" while taking away the resources of the country.

Its a shame.

Where is the rest of the world? why just blame the US, THe US who by the way donates the most aid to africa..Where is china? Europe? Why do you seem to think this is americas fault? Get a life..

reply to post by apc


GMO crops usually are 'terminator' seeds aka they do not reproduce seeds. You have to keep buying a new set from the 'manufacturer.'

Genetically engineered crops are not proven to be any quicker to grow, higher yielding, and definitely do not use less water.

I'll stick with my heirloom tomatoes thank you.

Scientists need to stay out of the garden and farm. They have screwed enough things up.

A lot of the food and donations that go to places like certain areas of Africa are destroyed before they even get to the people.

We have to take into account the fact that some of these people are at war or at odds and therefore will try to cut each other's food supply.

I want to just go there myself with a hundred thousand dollars and feed everyone.

[edit on 29/1/2008 by Nyorai]

reply to post by biggie smalls


I would willingly contribute in any financial and practical way if I thought there was even a slim chance that anything I could do individually could improve the situation.
Unfortunately, after years of watching, reading and listening to stories like this then seeing the inbred corruption that is rampant in these areas, one tends to get very cynical.
Yes, western governments could, and should, do a lot more to help these unfortunate people but when the ruling elite and tribal overlords live in opulent grandeur and syphon off the vast majority of aid that is given, just what is the point?

Constantly donating money is obviously not the solution.
What practical measures do you suggest that can make lasting, sustainable change to the current situation?

Perhaps we should google the recipe for these cookies as some of us are steadily going down the dark path, and one day, we too will be eating dirt cookies...

reply to post by Freeborn


A practical step would involve becoming completely sustainable on one's own piece of property and trading with neighbors for things you cannot produce.

'Third' world countries are being exploited left and right. It is not hard to find examples of this and if you don't believe me do your own research.

We need to stop enabling those in power [in 3rd world countries]. We send the food to Africa, and the tyrants in charge take it anyway.

The help is not going to those who need it.

You can donate as much money as you want to Africa, but you will not solve any problems.

The people need to be educated, including this country (we have a large population of illiterate citizens despite mandatory education till high school).

Pride needs to be instilled in many of these countries. There is no reason to live. Depression is rampant.

Their sense of humanity has been lost. We also need to stop invading countries like we own the world. We do not. We are equals to all and anyone who tells you otherwise is an ignorant racist bigoted asshole.

Permaculture is a worldwide revolution happening on a worldwide scale. The Deccan in India is one of the first successes in Asia along with Vietnam.

Parts of Africa are implementing permaculture practices and this is helping to ease the food production problem.

Much of Africa's goods are exported as the businessmen can make more from foreigners than they can from the locals...That's a huge part of the problem.

Money needs to be taken out of the food chain once and for all. Its bad for everyone.

[edit on 1/29/2008 by biggie smalls]

The USDA says that while some crops have shown "significant increases in yields," the inability to accurately track farm selection makes consistent measurements difficult.

However, the undeniable yield improvements come from plants engineered to be resistant to pests and infection, eliminating losses come harvest. This is especially important for the developing world as they are at a technological and infrastructural disadvantage.

People eating dirt cookies aren't really going to care if some dude in a lab coat fiddled with the DNA of their food, me thinks...

reply to post by biggie smalls


I agree with the vast majority of what you have stated.
Not only should we look to the west and what we can do, after all we have exploited both the people and minerals wealth of most of these countries for generations, but also change the inherent internal culture whereby the strong and powerful exploit the less fortunate.
This is equally important.
African and other Third World countries must also accept responsibility for their part in this ongoing tragic saga.

It is indeed the single biggest tragedy ongoing at present with little sign of improvement.
What a poor reflection on modern day society and technology.

reply to post by West Coast


You are right, Im sorry that you thought that I intended to bash the U.S.

Still I think that the U.S. should take care of the people in their own backyard. How many times the U.S. has invaded Haiti for one reason or another? 2 or 3 now, and everytime they leave is worst than before.

The U.S. should step up as world superpower and lead by example, not the Iraq example mind you.

Wheres the Cloned SHeep when U need em!

Something needs to be done, this isnt a sparse problem, its a outbreak, and is only going to grow, too many people = not enuff anything cept Void.

reply to post by Bunch


This is what happens when populations expand past what the land can provide. I will not aid the poor to reproduce in larger quantities so in the next 50 years 3 times as many will starve.

Let nature take its course..

apc,

The USDA doesn't exactly do its own testing of anything these days. Whatever company (General Electric?) wants to approve a genetically modified crop, it petitions the USDA (or FDA) to do its own testing as the government agencies are so backed up.

The problem with a GMO is that it attacks native plants. If you are growing any other crops, the GMO takes over. They are invasive species and no natural predators can harm them.

That is a bad thing. Almost every plant and animal have natural predators. When you introduce an non-native animal or plant to an area, the potential for contamination is high.

We should not be modifying any of our food sources as we have the potential to poison us.

By the way, I wouldn't trust anything the USDA or FDA says to begin with...They're part of the same government as NASA, the CIA, NSA, FEMA, and we all know how much those agencies care about people's health.

So you're basing your opinions about GE crops on a bias. Gotcha.

I'm not saying we should all start eating engineered food. I grow my own for a lot of things, too. But you know what... it's probably pretty hard to say, "I'll stick with my heirloom tomatoes thank you" when you've got a mouth full of DIRT!

reply to post by Rockpuck


You got to be kidding me, people that are starving in this planet are starving while many of us sit down in Country Buffet and eat are guts out. Then the food thats is left is thrown away in the trash.

People are starving because they dont have money, tell me who was the last person with money to die of starvation (People in Hollywood dont count)

This is a problem of caring for a fellow human being, nothing else.



[edit on 29-1-2008 by Bunch]

The sixteen year old has a one month old son does not help the problem for future generations either. This is another thing that has to be solved...

One thing I have to add.

There has been bad info given about terminator technology. Read Here.


One thing you have to realize is that growing conditions for crops are far from ideal in places of low food sources. If they were good, chances are there would not be as much hunger.

Even here, fields require large amounts of fertilizer. To produce foods on a large scale, you need man made fertilizer products. If you think you can spread some horse crap on 160 acres and get a bumper crop you need to think again.

Farm land is very good in the first few years after clearing trees etc. After the natural nutrients are used up, you need to get fertilizer from another source.

It would take a miracle seed to have enough food for some of these areas hit by hunger. The populations are too high, the education is not there, the equipment is not there, the land is not there, the weather is not there and the government is not there.

Should anyone have to eat dirt? Nope.