Global Reflections on Poverty and Microfinance during Semester at Sea
September 2, 2010
Rachel Gutner, Member of the Vanderbilt Microfinance Leadership Board, Reflects on Economic Disparities, Poverty, and Microfinance from her Spring 2010 Semester at Sea
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Just outside the gates of the Royal Palace are beggars and broken down homes and a very poor city. It is just hard to believe such a paradox survives. I expect to see a similar image at the Taj Mahal in New Delhi. After this, we went on a sunset cruise around the local river in the city. Relaxing on a pontoon-type boat on the second tier of the small boat was just what I needed after a long, hot day of traveling. We made a loop around the river. With music heard from the distance, a slight breeze blowing across my sun burnt face, and a peaceful view of the city from afar made this sunset cruise simply perfect. As we traveled, we past by shanty homes, some were floating on the river and some were just off on land by the riverside. They were homes of Vietnamese people who could not afford to buy land property.
Varanasi, India
Our first stop on the trip was to the holy city of Varanasi. Not many tourists make this destination one of their stops in India and it’s really a shame that they don’t. Varanasi is an extremely impoverished city. It is difficult for me describe the poverty and the devastation that I saw. There was garbage all over the streets and narrow roadways and barely clothed people and emaciated cows and stray skinny dogs.
We started walking through this remote village on the outskirts of Varanasi with extremely narrow walkways in order to reach the main road. Our tour guide explained that we were walking through a village of people’s homes. We were lead through the most cramped streets I have ever walked through, filled with stray and big-toothed dogs, awful smells, massive amounts of feces, and small broken down shacks, with people wearing huge smiles on their faces. I have never felt so terrified, but so comforted in my entire life. The people of India are nothing short of amazing. They are extremely kind and welcoming and are so excited to simply be in your presence despite their awful poverty.
Cape Town
The first day I was supposed to visit a township (underdeveloped urban living areas); however, if I had visited the township, I would not have been able to visit Table Mountain and explore the city of Cape Town. Therefore, with utmost regret (regret that I now have after having left this city), I didn’t get to see the township. (On a side note, I want to describe what a township is before I explain what I did the first day I was in Cape Town. A township is an area that was created for displaced blacks during apartheid when they faced- and still do face- endless discrimination and gratuitous violence. These townships are very similar to the Jewish ghettos that were designated for Jews during the Holocaust. Even though apartheid has been over for more than a decade, these townships are still filled with blacks and colored Africans who continue to face unjust discrimination and utter hatred).
Ghana
Global Mama’s is a free trade organization that has proven itself to be a true global citizen and a strong representative a sustainable microfinance organization.
At the boutique we had the opportunity to meet one of the founders and learn some information about Global Mama’s. The founders were both members of the Peace Corps in Ghana and after going back to school, decided to return to Ghana to help the impoverished, but very skilled women who live there. Global Mama’s incorporates many women who specialize in different areas, anywhere from clothing making to soap creations. All of the material used is organic and/or recycled, which makes the goods cheaper to produce and also ecologically sustainable. Besides the crafts being “green”, the money used to purchase the items from the organization goes directly back to the “mamas.” This is turn sustains the women and the local economy.
In Conclusion
Traveling the world, and Nicholas Kristof, has taught me that it is difficult to truly know how fortunate you are unless you go see how the “others” live. If you don’t go, you don’t know.
