Durian, for a more just world
(by Tony Joy, 2017 kanthari graduate)
During times of crisis it is sad that people use it as an opportunity to exploit others.
I was thinking, why have the prices of locally grown food suddenly tripled?
We keep complaining that the government is doing us no good, but are we not worse in the way we are unjust to each other?
In a Nigerian household, Garri, cassava flakes, which are stirred with water to a porridge, is one of the essential staple foods. And since most of the population, about 100 million people, lives in extreme poverty, earning less than USD 1.90 a day, Garri is also seen as the food of the poor.
But, what does this really mean? Before the crisis, the price of Garri was 150 Naira per KG. This can keep a family of five afloat for two days. Today, during the Corona crisis, prices have risen to 350 to 450 naira per KG.
After digging a little, I was told this increase is a result of the hike in the price of cassava from the farm! So, it is the farmers who are raising prices? The question then arises as to how the crisis has affected the price of cassava. There is no restriction for farmers to work in the fields and there has not been a crop failure. Isn’t this more about the hidden greed of the middlemen? Maybe one day I will get my answer.
Let’s go back to the numbers: if I have to pay for 350 to 450 Naira per KG, but earn only 300 Naira per day, how can I survive? Yes, we can have our little gardens, but just vegetables won’t be sufficient to survive. I certainly won’t be able to afford Garri.
During this crisis a shocking revelation to me is this change in human character and the unreasonable price hike of food. What will people eat?
Right now, many people have lost their jobs. Are we not making room for more people to become thugs or thieves? Are we not ruining the future of our economy? Have we forgotten that there will be a post crisis season? Can we deal with the results of the seeds we are sowing now?
Local food production should be encouraged during times like this; the price of staples should be stabilized. People should not be exploited. During this challenging time, Durian, has been encouraging members of the community to set up home gardens and are currently working on cassava processing for Garri. We wish to bring the price down to what is affordable and accessible to the poor during and after this crisis.
While in comparison few people are dying from the virus, many more are at risk to die because of malnutrition and hunger. There are some trying to ensure that food is available for all, but most people are not concerned about others, they are opportunists concerned about profits alone. This James Allen quote rings so true in this situation in Nigeria: “Circumstances don’t make the man, it reveals him to himself.”
(Tony Joy is the founder of the Durian, an NGO which works on community development, women empowerment and poverty alleviation, especially in remote areas of Nigeria. Tony lives very modestly, until recently she was one of the people who can’t afford more than one meal a day. She knows what she’s talking about.)
http://durian.org.ng/