Environment

Any action that you take to save the environment is valuable. The time to take that action is now, whether it involves taking school children on an expedition to show them something that can be done to protect or improve the environment, or involving friends in a group to take up a form of social service.

Assembling Data

NFAs could take action by assembling data on loss of natural resources such as:

• The lowering water table and less water coming out of tube wells
• Drying natural wells and ponds and small water bodies. On the larger scale receding glaciers and drying rivers.
• Denuded forest cover or green belts around built-up areas.
• The destruction of mangroves or other protective vegetation on the coastline

Two sources for such data are the United Nations Environment Programme and the Earth Negotiations Bulletin.

These data would enable NFAs/Branches/Chapters/UWA/Clubs to: 

• Become aware of and study environmental issues of the area they are working in.
• Raise awareness of those issues with the general public and governmental bodies at various levels. Education campaigns are very important as no action is possible unless there is awareness.
• Seek solutions and suggest action that involves the citizens as well as the government.
• Create environment groups to specialize in this work.

Additional activities

• Water conservation means helping water back into earth and not allowing it to flow over our concrete jungles of the cities into river and sea. Land contours help get water back into earth, as do artificially drilled holes filled with pebbles and covered with grass. Directing water from roof tops into underground cisterns which can drain it back into the earth does the same thing. 
  • Small ponds, ancient wells and water-bodies can be revived and kept clean (Rajasthan in India has revived ancient tanks, springs and added water. More info.)
  • Vegetation (e.g. water hyacinths and other aquatic plants) in the lakes and river banks can be cleared and used as fertilizers as was done for centuries (e.g. floating vegetable gardens in Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir are disappearing and the lake has been shrinking). Visit The Last SOS for Dal Lake and you will see the damage done. There are many water bodies suffering from encroachments the world over.
• Plastic bags thrown around in waste are blocking small water resources and killing cattle when eaten by cattle because of smell of food/residue food in them. Campaign against their use. 
• Recycling trash and not filling earth with it would help. Trash heaps can be covered and used for forestation and recreational activities. (e.g. Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA)  
• Recycling waste paper for whatever purposes it can be used for. 
• Grow plants wherever you can, look after a tree or trees wherever possible to get oxygen for breathing, to get rain, to prevent soil erosion etc.
• Buy energy efficient vehicles when possible and plan errands to eliminate unnecessary trips. Walk on short distance errands.
• Conserve energy, use bio energy (bio gas), have solar energy wherever possible to add to energy available, use energy saving light fixtures remembering that mercury vapours in these are deadly and used bulbs have to be handled with care (These should preferably be taken back by producers and reused safely.) 
• Noxious weeds and shrubs (e.g. Carrot weed “Parthenium" in India and Caragana in Canada) can be dug out and burnt to recover land overcrowded by them for farming, forestation, urbanization. 
• Networking with other NGOs involved in agricultural endeavours in the promotion of effective poultry and, fish farming is an effective and eco-friendly way for the environmental groups of NFAs to spread the message more widely. 

Economy

Micro-credit

Find out about how micro-credit programmes provide for self-employment. See the website of the Grameen Foundation for information and ideas. Go to the Get Involved section of the Grameen Foundation website and consider how your NFA/Branch/Club might:

• Raise donations to help women entrepreneurs with loans E.g. Village Phone Business
• Use the Grameen online tools to spread the word about microfinance
• Work with the Grameen Foundation as a consultant
• Organize a ‘Friend’ raiser – a fun event to raise funds for the Grameen Foundation.

Microcredit Enterprises in the USA has established a means to leverage loans to third world women.

The Economy & Gender

Examine family policies, family change and gendered parental roles. Visit the GenderAction website for more information. This site also has a reference to Women, the Environment and Infrastructure.

Carry out a survey in your community/country to find out:

• What factors determine why mothers want paid work? What factors determine the type of work they seek? Full-time or part-time?
• What family–friendly services are provided by businesses/educational institutions/hospitals? How do people who use these services feel about them?
• What out-of-school services are provided for children of working parents? Are they accessible? Affordable? Available in school holidays?

Money Management

Arrange Seminars or Workshops for women in your community that focus on:

• Budgeting
• Savings Plans
• Use of credit
• Investment

Consult with agencies like consumers’ institutes, budgeting services, investment companies, and also lawyers and persons working in the insurance industry.

Additional Activities

The Learning Programmes of the World Bank provide a number of activities that NFAs/Branches /Clubs might like to undertake. The website provides a range of resources and materials for rural services under the overall theme of poverty, and provides a platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing and related issues.

The section on Resources for Schools provides capacity building and self-sustaining school-based ICT activities especially for young people in developing countries.