A path shared for 27 years - IFAD

This book…
commemorates the innovative partnership that was financed by the
people of Belgium, through their elected representatives, between 1984
and 2011. Instead of the usual focus on development success stories
and best practices, it presents the experiences of people who measure
personal achievement in terms of a full cooking pot for every meal, every
day of the year and some cash for essentials like clothing for the family,
metal roofing sheets and fired bricks for the house, land for crops and/or
livestock, equipment, tools and knowledge for boosting their incomes and
hence, the ability to pay for health care and gain access to education and
the knowledge and skills to run their affairs in a rapidly changing world.
These people feel they have come a long way, indeed, when they can even
think about spending on things that used to be beyond their reach: meat
or fish once or twice a week, a fancy new dress for the girls, a grown-up
suit for the boys, proper shoes for everybody, some nice dishes to serve
guests, or a mobile phone for checking prices in different markets.
The testimonials by these people confirm the strength of the vision
that had prompted the Parliament of Belgium, in 1983, to create a fund
to fight hunger in Africa. The underlying principle of that Law was that
poverty will not decline unless the majority of hungry people are able
to think beyond the next meal, unless they have access to water that
is safe to drink, to food that is filling and nutritious, to quality shelter
and clothing, to affordable health care and education, and to cash for
essential expenditures.
Most of the comments and quotations in this book were gleaned
from the development specialists who have worked in close contact
with such people. Readers interested in learning more about
development may find it useful to consult appendix 2 for a quick
guide to development terminology.
The Editorial Team, December 2011
NB:
The Fund has had different names over the years. Known as the
“Third World Survival Fund” and/or the “Survival Fund for the
Third World” from 1983 to 1999, it became the “Belgian Survival
Fund” or BSF from 1999 to 2009, and the “Belgian Fund for Food
Security” or BFFS as from 2010. This book uses “the Belgian Fund”
for all versions.
Meal preparation in Aguié, Niger.
©IFAD/D. Rose
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