Our Voices EP #629 “Climate Widows Left Behind on the Continent”
Metadata
- Our Voices EP #629 “Climate Widows Left Behind on the Continent”
- July 26, 2024
- Content Type Episode
- Language English
- Transcript/Script Edited: Vincent Makori & PP OUR VOICES SHOW – The Women Left Behind– Special Edition Episode LEAD HOST – AURIANE ITANGISHAKA TAPING DATE – 07.19.24 AIRING DATE – 07.26.24 WELCOME/OPENING Throughout history, men left their households for periods at a time to hunt or gather food for their families. However, severe food shortage during economic crises fueled by climate change, often force many of these men to leave their wives and children permanently. This in search of desperately needed income elsewhere to support their families. Today we look at stories of women in rural Africa who are left behind and the challenges they often face raising children alone. We also hear what can be done in these situations. Hello there and welcome, I am Auriane Itangishaka, this is “Our Voices”, and with me today is my colleague, Ginny Niwa. Simegnish is out today. Hello Ginny. Separation is devastating for couples and families, should men continue to leave in the notion that life will be better for everyone or should they just stay or migrate with their families to deal with the impacts climate, together. [[HOST 2]] [[CAM 2 Ginny Niwa]] I think one has to sacrifice. What I don’t like is the idea of a men leaving their families and not coming back. I understand that in the African culture men must do something to show that they are doing something take care of their households. I understand you want your man by your side to show love and care, but you don’t want to be in love and hungry … I think this is a western or modern way of thinking about love. The African traditional way is, to be a men enough to take harsh journey for their families. A-BLOCK: Rural Women And Children Left Behind INTRO PKG [[HOST 1]] [[CAM 4 Auriane]] In a special report produced by VOA Portuguese service, we take you to the Southern part of Angola, where women have seen their husbands leave them behind because of the drought affecting the region for years. Now, alone, the abandoned women say they struggle to feed their children. Israel Campos visited some of the women impacted by extreme climate events and has this report. BREAK [[HOST 1]] [[CAM 4 Ginny ]] [[TOSS TO BREAK ONE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ]] [[ LEAD ANCHOR: CAM 4 Ginny ]] ((MCU)) ((Adlib )) We'll have to take pause right now. It is time for a short break. When we return we will hear from an expert who has hands on experience with women who have been left behind by their men -- and shares how climate change sometimes in the main reason for their departure. As usual, we ask you to share your thoughts on this topic, on our social media platforms at VOA Africa; we are on Facebook, Instagram and X (Formally known as Twitter), use the hashtag #VOA Our Voices.. . .... Stay with us! We’ll be right back!## As usual, we ask you to share your thoughts on this topic, on our social media platforms at VOA Africa; we are on Facebook, Instagram and X (Formally known as Twitter), use the hashtag #VOA Our Voices. B-BLOCK – Women Struggling to Make Ends Meet BACK FROM BREAK [[HOST 1]] [[CAM 4 Auriane]] Welcome back, you are watching "Our Voices". WELCOME BACK & SKYPE GUEST INTRO]] [[ HOST AURIANE CAM #1 ]] ((MCU)) Welcome back, you are watching "Our Voices" and we're talking about women have seen their husbands leave them behind because the affects of climate change. ((2BX /REM)) We now introduce you to Jane Naini Meriwas, the Executive Director of Samburu Women Trust in Kenya, an indigenous women led organization that champions for the rights of women and girls among pastoralist. She joins us via SKYPE from Nanyuki, Kenya. Ms. welcome to the program. ## [[HOST 1]] [[CAM 4 Auriane]] Q: what do you think is the reason why some men don’t come back in these circumstances? [[HOST 1]] [[CAM 4 Ginny ]] Could the reasons be that thy have a hard time reaching back to their families. [[HOST 1]] [[CAM 4 Auriane]] From what you have seen, what do women do in these circumstances, do they triumph against all odds or do most end up in worst situations? GOODBYE [[HOST 1]] [[CAM 4 Auriane]] That is our show for today. We hope today’s show shed light on how economic crisis fueled by global warming is affecting families, especially in parts of the continent----- Thanks to our guest Jane Naini Meriwas, the Executive Director of Samburu Women Trust in Kenya and our colleague, Isreal Campos from the Portuguese Division for the report. Be sure to watch “Our Voices” on the VOA website at VOA Africa dot com and our YouTube Channel, where you catch up on the latest episodes and the top news stories around the globe. Last but not least, thanks to our editorial and production teams on Our Voices. On behalf of VOA thanks for watching until next time, cheers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------((PLAYBOOK SLUG: ANGOLA’S WIDOWS OF DROUGHT HEADLINE: Angola’s Widows of Drought TEASER: In the Southern part of Angola, women have seen their husbands leave them behind because of the drought affecting the region for years. Now, alone, the abandoned women say they struggle to feed their children PUBLISHED AT: BYLINE: Israel Campos CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: HUILA, ANGOLA VIDEOGRAPHER: Breno Lucano VIDEO EDITOR: ASSIGNING EDITOR: Anabela Guedes SCRIPT EDITORS: Salem Solomon VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA original PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV X RADIO X TRT: VID APPROVED BY: TYPE: EDITOR NOTES:)) ((INTRO)) [[In the Southern part of Angola, women have seen their husbands leave them behind because of the drought affecting the region for years. Now, alone, the abandoned women say they struggle to feed their children. Israel Campos visited some of the women impacted by extreme climate events and has this report.]] ((VIDEO GFX: ANGOLA MAP TITLE: HUILA PROVINCE, ANGOLA)) ((VIDEO-VOA: B-roll of two crying twins)) ((NARRATOR)) These desperate babies crying in the scorching sun have never met their father. He left before they were born. Their mother, 38-year-old Katina Teresa says the twins, Jair and Jaira, were born in December 2022, and are two of her 6 children. Teresa raises them as a single mother. She says her children aren’t orphaned. Their father, she adds, ‘just disappeared.’ ((Katina Teresa, Single Mother)) ((Female, in Portuguese)) “I have nothing. I have nothing to give the children. I don’t have soap to wash their clothing, nor food to feed them.” ((Reporter)) “Do you plan to search for your husband? Do you want him back?” ((Katina Teresa, Single Mother)) ((Female, in Portuguese)) “No! He did not call me; he ran away from here. He won’t come back anymore. He ran away.” ((NARRATOR)) Teresa is one of many women in several villages in the region who saw their partners leave in search of a better life during the most intense years of the cyclical drought that has been affecting southern Angola for over 30 years. The women who, in the most intense years of the drought, between 2019 and 2022, saw many of their husbands turned into climate migrants. While some came back after some time, others never returned. ((STAND UP - Reporter Israel Campos/VOA)) “This is where the 38-year-old Katina Teresa lives with her children. The mother of 6 has to support and take care of all of them by herself since her husband left 2 years ago and went to Namibia. Here, they say he has gone missing since he hasn’t said anything or sent any message since then.” ((NARRATOR)) Katina has to count on her 80-year-old mother to look after the children while she has to travel long distances in search of water. ((VIDEO VOA: Katina Teresa’s children playing around/ B-roll)) ((Teresa Tchmohi, Teresa’s Mother)) ((Female, in Umbundu)) “When my daughter goes to fetch water, I have to take care of the twins. I can’t get them on my back to accompany their mother to fetch water, so I can only sit with them until she returns. ((NARRATOR)) Southern Angola’s rural population continues to face many challenges. The lack of food and water is still the main concern. People tell Voice of America that they have seen many of their neighbors die of hunger and suffer from malnutrition in previous years. ((VIDEO VOA: wide shots of land)) ((Jose Hiluko Tchipalo, Community Leader)) ((Male, in Portuguese)) “We had four years without rain. Since the famine arrived here in the Bata-Bata area, many men had to abandon their women, the men said they were going to get food but never came back.” ((NARRATOR)) Seleupa is a farmer. She has 4 children of her own but still takes care of two nephews. Her husband has not abandoned her. She says he is a climate refugee who started going to the capital Luanda, at the height of the drought here in Chibia. Unlike some other cases, Selepua’s husband travels back very often. ((Muatchicala Fernanda Selepua, Single Mother, Farmer)) ((Female, Nhaneca)) “He goes to Luanda because of the needs we face here. Because of the drought here, there’s no money, the cattle die and that’s why he goes to Luanda to look for better living conditions and then he sends us money.” ((NARRATOR)) 51-year-old Muetchiawisa Kutchia wakes up early every day to take care of the few livestock he has left. Kutchia was in Luanda for almost 2 years. He says that life is not easy in the capital city either. ((Muetchiawisa Kutchia, Farmer)) ((Male, in Nhaneca)) “In Luanda I worked in an iron factory. It was my brother who got me the job, but things weren’t easy.” ((NARRATOR)) Now that he’s back in Chibia, a town in the province of Huila, it’s up to him to take care of an entire Kimbo, which is a set of houses that form a rural community known in the local language Umbundu. He looks after 5 families, including his. His 4 brothers, who also went to Luanda because of the drought, left their wives and children in his care. ((Muetchiawisa Kutchia, Farmer)) ((Male, in Nhaneca)) “When my brothers’ children are sick, I use my money to buy medicine, but there are days when I don’t have any money either, so I have to go into debt to support their women and children.” ((NARRATOR)) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) defines climate migration as those “who must leave their homes and communities because of the effects of climate change and global warming.” ((VIDEO VOA: people walking across streets)) ((NARRATOR)) According to data from Amnesty International, which cites local organizations, in May 2021 alone more than 7 thousand Angolans had crossed the Namibian border because of the drought in the southern part of the country. ((Cecilia Cassapi, Human Rights Activist)) ((Female, Portuguese)) “The villages are completely abandoned in the hands of women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities because men are taking refuge to other locations, fleeing hunger and death. They are going to Luanda, Cunene, Namibia, and even to other countries.” ((NARRATOR)) Cecilia is a prominent activist in the southern region of Angola working with an organization called “Association Building Communities.” For years, she has been advocating for the rights of the most vulnerable communities. She says the government’s lack of action for those affected by the drought is one of her biggest concerns. ((Cecilia Cassapi, Human Rights Activist)) ((Female, Portuguese)) “Our government does not want to be touched by human suffering; it does not want to be touched by these people who have lost their dignity. In the struggle for human rights, nothing is more painful and humiliating than seeing another human being die of hunger. they die with no dignity.” ((NARRATOR)) VOA reached out for comments from the Angola government but the two departments we contacted declined our requests. Priest Pio Wacussanga has been advocating the hardships many Angolans face in the Southern region due to poverty and hunger. ((Pio Wacussanga, Catholic Priest)) ((Male, Portuguese)) “When people heard that we had a community kitchen they all started coming, including adults, men, women and children. Some had to walk more than 90 or 100 kilometers, sleeping along the way for a few days, eating leaves along the way, until they finally reached us. ((NARRATOR)) While the situation of poverty, hunger and food insecurity of Angola’s widows of the drought and children continues to get worse by the day, activists and nongovernmental organizations on the ground continue to call on the Angolan government to declare an emergency situation — so that most vulnerable people can receive the assistance. ((Breno Luckano and Israel Campos, From Southern Angola, VOA News))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
- Program Name Our Voices
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date July 26, 2024 11:46 EDT
- Byline Deirdre Murray McIntosh Auriane Itangishaka
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - Africa, Voice of America