Unit 7 Ecology and Development
Foresters without Diplomas
Exercise from the Book:
Ways with words Page: 66
- Match the words with their meanings.
Ans:
| a. constituency | i. electoral district |
| b. pursue | ii. to follow in an effort to overtake or capture |
| c. Infiltrate | iii. to enter or gain access to (an organization, place, etc.) secretly and gradually |
| c. nomadic | iv. living the life of roaming |
| d. anatomy | v. art of studying the different parts of any organized body |
| e. subversive | vi. seeking or intended to overthrow an established system or institution |
Page: 66/67
Comprehension Answer these questions.
a) What did Maathai decide to do for the community?
Ans : She decided to create jobs for them: cleaning their constituency, planting trees and shrubs, cleaning homes of the richer people in the communities, and getting paid for those services.
b) Mention the problems faced by women in Kenya.
Ans : Women were facing problems of firewood, malnutrition, lack of food and adequate water, unemployment, soil erosion.
c) Why did the speaker go to the women to talk about planting trees?
Ans : She went to the women to talk about planting trees to overcome problems like the lack of firewood and building and fencing materials, stopping soil erosion, protecting water systems.
d) What is the most important achievement of the movement described in the text?
Ans : The most important achievement of the movement described in the text is that the women were now independent, had acquired knowledge, techniques and had become empowered.
e) Why were the foresters’ ways not helpful to the women for planting trees?
Ans : The foresters proved to be very complicated because they have diplomas; they have complicated ways of dealing with a very simple thing like looking for seeds and planting trees.
f) When and how did she start The Green Belt Movement?
Ans : She started on World Environment Day, June 5, 1977. They started by planting the first seven trees of Nandi flames.
g) Why do the donors want to provide money to the women?
Ans : Donors want to provide money to the women because their efforts are providing results.
h) What happened when the speaker criticized the political leadership?
Ans : When the speaker criticized the political leadership she has been portrayed as subversive. So, she felt constrained.
i) Mention the agencies that supported her movement?
Ans : Her movement is supported by the following agencies:
1.the United Nations Development Fund for Women
2. the Danish Voluntary Fund
3. the Norwegian Agency for International Development
4.the African Development Foundation
Critical thinking
A) Do you think that the title “Foresters without Diplomas” is suitable to the essay? How?
Yes, the title is suitable because the foresters proved to be very complicated for them because they have diplomas. But the women learned to plant the trees without any help. They used their common sense and day to day technique. They became successful without any help from others. So, the title justifies that a person can make a difference in a society as well as in the world without diplomas. It means that practical knowledge is far better than theoretical knowledge.
The foresters came to show the women how to plant trees. They have complicated ways of dealing with a very simple thing like looking for seeds and planting trees. So eventually they taught the women to just do it using common sense and they did. They were able to look for seeds in the neighborhood, and learn to recognize seedlings as they germinate when seeds fall on the ground. Women do not have to wait for anybody to grow trees. They are really foresters without a diploma.
B) Can a person make a difference in a society? Discuss with an example from a person who has made a difference in your society.
Ans: Yes, a person can make a difference in a society. If a person starts a certain goal with passion then he/’she can change the whole world. A person should start from himself/herself to bring change in the world. In my village there is a person whose name is Birendra Sharma. He doesn’t have formal education. He started vegetable farming in his farm without having prior knowledge of vegetable farming. He wanted to bring change in his society by doing organic vegetable farming. He wanted to make people aware about the effects of pesticides on vegetables. At the beginning, he planted vegetables to feed his family.
Later on, he started selling it from his own farm. People started to visit farming. People were eager to learn the technique. They not only sold his organic vegetables but also taught his unique methods to his villagers. He became famous in his village. Media also became interested in his farming. He told everything about his farming to media. He talked about the dangerous methods that farmers are using to cultivate crops which can affect our health. He also discussed about what is organic farming and its importance. He became a national hero with his unique technique of using day to day things for organic farming.
Page: 68
A) Write an essay on ‘The Community Forest in Nepal’. Describe how these community forests have contributed to maintain ecology in our environment.
Ans: Community forests of Nepal are helping to preserve ecology in our environment. It is also fruitful to decrease deforestation as well as land degradation in Nepal. It is a key tool to preserve biodiversity. Nepal has passed three decades of community based forest management practices. It is a model of community governance.
The local communities are involving in forest management. The main goal of it is to ensure forest products to locals as well to stop locals to misuse it. It will eventually help to maintain ecology in future. It will increase biomass, flora and fauna and carbon stock. It will decrease land use and increases land area covered by forests. Wild animals are increasing day by day because of the concept of community forests in Nepal. It will preserve natural resources and forest ecosystem. It has increased the community people’s right, decision making power and women empowerment.
In a nutshell, it has contributed in species diversity, ecological diversity and genetic diversity. It is improving forest condition and biodiversity than past. Community people are directly involved in their own community forest management. It makes them feel that it is their own forest maintain, control and use by them. So, it is very fruitful to maintain ecology.