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Articles by Uche Isieke
A Holistic Blueprint for Restoration
Rural Watch Africa Initiative’s mission extends far beyond the traditional scope of tree planting and ecosystem restoration; the organization serves as a catalyst for transformation by equipping rural communities with sustainable, alternative livelihoods. We have adopted this inclusive approach to forest and farmland restoration because we recognize a fundamental truth: poverty is a primary driver of environmental degradation.
Food Security is Everyone’s Business
Food security, where everyone has access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food at all times, is not just a development goal. It is a human right. Yet in Nigeria and across the globe, this right is under serious threat. Rising inflation, climate change, insecurity, and economic instability are pushing millions to the brink of hunger. It’s time for a mindset shift: Food security is not just the government’s job or the farmer’s burden. It’s everyone’s responsibility.
Food Security is Everyone’s Business
Food security, where everyone has access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food at all times, is not just a development goal. It is a human right. Yet in Nigeria and across the globe, this right is under serious threat. Rising inflation, climate change, insecurity, and economic instability are pushing millions to the brink of hunger. It’s time for a mindset shift: Food security is not just the government’s job or the farmer’s burden. It’s everyone’s responsibility.
The Lifeline of Our Planet
Trees are essential for human survival; they are the earth’s life support system. From purifying contaminated air to enriching soil and boosting food production, trees sustain ecosystems, wildlife, and human livelihoods. They absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, reducing harmful greenhouse gases and mitigating climate change. This process also replenishes the soil with essential nutrients, improving its fertility and, in turn, increasing food production.
Integrating Mitigation and Adaptation for Sustainable Solutions
For a long time, there has been an ongoing conversation around climate change. Mitigation and adaptation: which one is more important? The climate change mitigation and adaptation approaches are two key techniques in addressing climate change. Each of these has its distinct focus. Mitigation involves actions to lessen or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases. Its purpose is to restrict the extent of climate change by addressing its root causes.
How Great are Cashews?
Cashew trees are known not only for their delicious nuts but also for their numerous benefits that cut across nutrition, economics, and the environment. Nutritionally, cashews are rich in healthy fats, protein, vitamins like B6 and E, and minerals such as copper, magnesium, and zinc, making them a valuable dietary addition. Economically, cashew cultivation presents significant opportunities, especially in regions practicing agroforestry.
How vital is indigenous knowledge in sustainable development?
As a development practitioner, my experience of working alongside and learning from Indigenous communities for over a decade has been profoundly impactful. To achieve sustainable solutions to their challenges, it’s crucial to immerse oneself in their culture, traditions, and daily life. This includes understanding their food systems and beliefs, which are integral to comprehending the root causes of their issues.
The Rebirth of Campesinado in Mexico
Ed. note: This piece originally appeared in Spanish in La Jornada, April 25, 2023. The English translation is by Jane K. Brundage. I discovered the campesino world in the years 1970-71, while in charge of the Tropical Biology Station of the UNAM [National Autonomous University of Mexico], in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz. At the age of 25, I organized two field courses in the surrounding ejidos.
From San Juan to Cali to Hiroshima to Oakland to Hilo
Creation begins in the hungry darkness of chaos, the web of life begins in the sea. Words appear from nowhere, phrases form, the thin tendrils of the upper clouds, hang around briefly, tantalizing with possibility, rain falls onto the shore, driftwood suggests bleached bones, i look again from the window a long ribbon of river crosses the plains, a dense cloud bank looms ahead i turn to the words, an orderly flow regimented across the page, “We suffer from a hubris of the mind.
Black rides matter: Diverse cycling groups show that biking is for everyone
May is National Bike Month. Celebrate with Island Press by entering to win a brand new electric bike! Close your eyes and picture a cyclist. What do you see? A skinny white dude decked out in spandex conspicuously leaning over his handlebars at a red light? Perhaps you envision a cyclist as someone who is gentrifying their neighborhood in pursuit of cupcakes and dog parks? Likely, what you don’t envision is a Black or Latinx family out for a casual ride or a disabled person commuting to work.
Creating A Community Of Change Agents-through the climate action lens
RUWAI partnered with Oka rural youth in Imo, Nigeria, to fix their roads damaged by erosion and help local farmers access their farms and convey their products to market. The roads serve 7 other communities, contributing to the local economy. The community youths were trained on basic watershed management and erosion control skills and donated equipment by RUWAI to make their job possible. While it may take a community to make a change, it is possible for a single person to change a community.
Seed to Wealth
Climate change and how it affects vulnerable people in Nigeria is often under-mentioned, thereby not able to holistically address its related impacts on the lives and livelihoods of the affected communities. Ecological degradation, poverty, and low skills are forcing many rural people to migrate to where the pasture may seem greener.
How my late grandmother, Veronica Isieke, defended the rights of rural women to own land and feed families
My late grandmother, Veronica Isieke, was born in 1916 and died in 1997. During her time she was among the few women who made an impact in the community. She was a visionary, and resilient person who believed that women’s voices should be heard and be allowed to contribute to community development. She didn’t want to see her right or that of her fellow women trampled. This didn’t mean she disrespected the male folks or her husband, but her measuring scale was equity and justice.
Telling the Story of the Digitize my Community Initiative
Oka community has a population of about five thousand inhabitants according to the 2006 census. Out of the number, women constitute 56% of the population. It is a culturally endowed community, in Imo state, southeast of Nigeria. The major occupation of the Oka people is farming and they concentrate on cultivation of cassava, cocoyam, yams, and vegetables amongst other staple crops.
In The Troubling World, Build Resilience
My viewpoint of building resilience is that the poor and vulnerable need to regain the confidence to sustainably manage their natural resources. But what confidence does the vulnerable and marginalized possess, when they could not afford shelter, healthcare, stable land to grow food, water, and sanitation, access to quality roads, and income creation ability?
Creating the Passion to Achieve Rural Resilience
By Uche Isieke, originally published by Uche Isieke Blog September 8, 2020 #FollowYourPassion! I grew up in a small rural neighborhood, from a little below average income household. It was the choice of my parents to not allow the environmental circumstances to decide their socioeconomic fate. They drew courage from that, built resilience, and fashioned a sustainable livelihood pattern for the family. Over 70 per cent of the family’s earnings came from the natural ecosystem.
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