Rohingya Refugees Capture the Reality of Their Lives One Photo at a Time

The small town of Iola, KS, and Allen County's GROW Council offer a case study of how local communities across this prairie state have worked to solve the absence of grocery stores in many rural areas. Through local resourcefulness and organizing efforts; knowledge and financial support from the state government; and partnership with Kansas State University's Rural Grocery Initiative, towns have succeeded in bringing grocery stores, from locally-owned coops to school-based distribution hubs, back to their Main Streets.

As climate change has brought rising temperatures and more frequent droughts to much of Africa, some communities in Senegal are finding ways to survive by adapting their agricultural practices. Medicinal plants can be harvested more frequently and sold at higher prices than traditional millet and grain. The senna (Cassia) shrub in particular has allowed farmers, especially women, to sustain economic hope and prosperity, with the added benefit of improving the health of local villagers.

In Jackson, Mississippi, a series of community-led cooperatives are creating opportunities for affordable home ownership. This is part of a trend across the country to create community land trusts. They are financed through donations, other community businesses, or commissions. Though each land trust faces hurdles, they are collectively allowing more access to wealth and ownership in historically low-income neighborhoods.

Favelas, what some people might perceive as gang-filled slums surrounding the developed part of Rio de Janeiro, are in fact brimming with creative resilience that demonstrates the ingenuity of people in the face of a government that turns its back on them. Though gangs do exist, there are photographers attempting to show all views of the city. One man has transformed a trash hill into a garden. Others have built governing authorities to support their neighborhoods. All these people continue to innovate in the face of daily challenges.

In the midst of a seemingly increasingly divided political and racial landscape, some artists of color are pushing back to create art that represents their own non-White communities. Some artists have chosen to do this by recreating Norman Rockwell’s paintings, which in the earlier part of his career mainly showcased White people. “The image haunted me because of the world we live in,” the artist said, referring to today’s divisive political climate. “I wanted to imagine what it would look like today.”

With grocery stores at capacity with delivery services, and people not wanting to leave their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, local farms like Honey Brook Organic Farm are seeing huge increases in business. The New Jersey farm had already started shifting from a CSA model to delivery, so they used that infrastructure to easily pivot. Collaboration with other local farms has been key, so beyond their produce, they’re partnering with their network to deliver meat, eggs, and even prepared meals from local restaurants.

A food hub in Spokane, Washington, is providing a marketplace where fresh, local food is accessible from multiple small farms in one convenient location and website. LINC gives farmers access to a market of consumers without the hassle of deliveries, cultivating business, or staffing booths at farmers' markets. The food hub is helping strengthen the small farm economy while promoting access to fresh foods.

Agriculture accounts for 10 percent of greenhouse emissions in the U.S. according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This article details efforts by small farmers to reduce carbon emissions as part of a larger fight against climate change. Some of their methods include things like switching to solar power, not tilling the soil, using horses rather than tractors, and recharging the soil with organic matter. For some of them- it's yielding results.

Grants for women living in refugee camps have helped recipients start businesses and learn new skills, allowing them to improve their quality of life. Additionally, the women created an informal cooperative and take turns investing a percentage of proceeds from each successful business into another member’s business.

Catholic Charities helps immigrants and refugees access housing and transition to life in a new country. Housing is the first step in the resettlement process, but Catholic Charities also helps immigrants find jobs, get their children in school and integrate into the community. In 2007, Fort Wayne welcomed 3,500 Burmese refugees. By 2016 the number had grown to more than 6,000 and counting.