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GFI Newsletter: Providing Security to Workers in Old Age

February 2012 - Vol 4 # 2

Thank you!
The Happy Hours this month were a tremendous success!

On Thursday, February 9,
we met at Guarapo in Arlington. Over 300 people supported the BeFair
Campaign and helped us raise funds to purchase and deliver over 100
farmer livelihood kits!

A special THANK YOU to JT and Kelly and all the members of the 20s
and 30s group who supported our initiative. Guarapo was packed and
filled with positive energy!

See pictures here! -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?GlobalFairnessInitia/5a200b4eb6/b91e6a0e30/7ff9a5d491/eventId=48301142&action=detail

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And we had a lot of fun at Madam's Organ!

A special thanks to our big contributor. Nat your generous donation
alone helped us raise 20 kits!

Winners of a special raffle benefited from the generous gifts from
HOMEBODY DESIGN STORE - www.homebodydc.com and A.M. WINE SHOP -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?GlobalFairnessInitia/5a200b4eb6/b91e6a0e30/7df549219e . We are humbled by all the support the campaign keeps getting.

And all our volunteers were fantastic -
thank you!

Next:Join Us inNew Orleans
The BeFair Campaign is bringing together truly committed individuals
throughout the US.

Want to be updated on events? Want to propose an event? Like us on
facebook and share your ideas with us.

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You Can Help

The Global Fairness Initiative launched the BeFair Campaign -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?GlobalFairnessInitia/5a200b4eb6/b91e6a0e30/b33892a5c1 to bring low-cost technologies that improve livelihoods.

Farmer Livelihood Kits use low-cost drip irrigation and specialized
trainings to help farmers improve their nutrition and increase their
incomes by as much as 50%. Your contribution of $40 will deliver one
irrigation kit plus technical trainings to an indigenous farming
family in Guatemala.

Donate $40 or more and receive a BeFair water bottle!

LEARN MORE AT
BEFAIRCAMPAIGN.ORG -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?GlobalFairnessInitia/5a200b4eb6/b91e6a0e30/fa92d993d2

Providing Security to Workers in Old Age

Nearly 90% of the workforce in Africa and South Asia does not have
access to the security of a formal pension plan. If we consider that
conservative estimates put informal employment at one half to three
quarters of all non agricultural employment in developing countries,
we can safely say that the majority of the workforce in developing
countries will have no formal pension when they reach retirement age.

In Central America and the Andean Community of South America, current
pension systems are relatively inexpensive, which means countries
still have time to experiment and prepare for an aging population. In
Colombia, Mexico and Peru, for example, pensions comprise only 1% of
GDP. Though urgent issues such as food security, safety and poverty
alleviation top the agenda, focusing only on immediate relief without
addressing the root of such problems will inevitably perpetuate
long-term poverty.

When a worker goes from selling to begging in old age due to the
limited retirement options, governments throughout the Americas will
inevitably be forced to continue focusing on alleviation and charity
to assist vulnerable populations. How can governments improve the
system and break the cycle of poverty?

First, they will have to address the realities of the informal
sector. Countries throughout Latin America offer different schemes to
access pensions for formal workers but they inevitably reach only a
minority. For example, in Brazil, civil servants account for 5% of
pensioners but 50% of pension payments. Not only do pensions thus
exclude the neediest; they also put most of the burden on the formal
few.

Rather than focusing on simply extending pensions and other social
safety nets, the ultimate goal should be the formalization of the
workforce for economic growth and stability. This means equalizing
the burden of tax payments while providing needed services and social
safety nets to the majority of workers. Workers with little to no
formal education often cannot read, write, or do math well enough to
be able to fill out a questionnaire or calculate a tax payment based
on percentages. Enrolling in a pension plan and paying taxes should
be made easy enough that workers can make set payments that are
affordable for their micro or small business. Plans can provide
different levels of payments and different levels of services
accompanied by technical assistance in order to grow and "graduate"
to higher payments and better services.

Testing a broad range of options can build a sufficiently strong
portfolio for the growing population in Latin America and beyond.
Access to savings will be fundamental, including "door-to-door"
collection schemes in remote areas. Programs that promote
associations of farmers and workers can help them access public or
private pension funds under their legal registration. Partnerships
with not-for-profit organizations can promote local government
services and reach the poorest population effectively.

While developed countries face a looming retirement crisis,
developing countries can benefit from lessons learned. Investing
today in inclusion of the workforce while improving quality of social
services will pave the way to modern societies.

Success Story: Security in Agriculture Senora Prudencia was widowed
thirty years ago and left to raise three daughters on her own. She
labored seven days a week farming a small piece of land close to a
water source but far from her house. For years she worked tirelessly
to provide for the education of her daughters, who rarely saw her
because she had to spend so much time away from home. Her efforts
paid off and all three daughters are now professionals in different
towns and cities of Guatemala.

Thanks to affordable and easy-to-use irrigation technology through
the Verapaz Community Empowerment Program (VCEP), Sra. Prudencia
doesn't have to find a plot near a stream to grow her crops; she can
farm right next to her house. Because she uses less water and spends
less time collecting it, today when her daughters visit, their mother
is always home.
Sra. Prudencia proudly shares “Before I had to buy vegetables. Now
I don’t buy, I sell!
VCEP has not only given Sra. Prudencia relief from demanding
agricultural work but has also has given her a sustainable income and
access to savings. With no government or retirement benefits, Sra.
Prudencia relied on her daughters to send her money during tough
times. Now she is thrilled about her growing savings account at the
National Bank.
As a member of the newly formed Association of Agro-Producers, Sra.
Prudencia can sell from a table in the new farmer's market. Instead
of fighting for space on the street and selling her products on the
ground, she has a clean and safe space to work under decent
conditions.
Today she has enough money to buy more seeds, soap, and other
household goods that she cherishes. She has time to be at home and
rest, and she has decent work conditions -- finally her hard work
pays off.

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The Global Fairness Initiative - 2122 P St NW Suite 302 - Washington,
DC 20037
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