Cathay Dupont Award on DuPont and its commitment to 4-H

4-H has been around for many, many decades. It is formed with the purpose of engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development. Young people were guided by adults through positive, engaging, fun and educational opportunities. 4-H represents four personal development area of focus for the organization, namely head, heart, hands, and health. It stands for “head to clearer thinking”, “heart to greater loyalty”, “hands for larger service”, and “health to better living”.

The world is facing a huge challenge nowadays, and that is to produce enough food for everyone. It is reported that as of April 2017, there are already 7 billion people living on this planet we called “home” and it is expected to grow up to 9 or 10 billion in 2050. We need to produce twice as much food, and since we’re all living in one home, our resources will surely be limited. And that is one big problem.

But experts and researchers don’t want future generations to struggle with their food, thus they are eager to find a solution to such predicament. And that solution could be found in one country – Africa with the participation of its young people. This country has 60% of the uncultivated land in the world but most of the young people there don’t see agriculture as a way to have a better future, thus the initiative to take care of their land is low.

But these days, 4-H changed such view because the youth is being enthusiastic to learn more about agriculture with the help of various 4-H programs held by different project clubs, community clubs, after school programs, camps, workshop, and events.

To extend their support on the global 4-H initiative, DuPont recently invested 2 million dollars in helping build leadership institutes in five African countries. This way, the adults will have a proper training to teach the youth on the significance of 4-H.

Having ample knowledge on the entire food business could be really helpful to the youth because they’ll learn better ways on how to farm, which could help them earn more income. With the help of adults and their lectures on how to use the right tools and how to properly plant seeds, the young people are encouraged to focus on agriculture and use a scientific approach. In addition, the youth also sees good opportunity in making money with agriculture as well.

Farmers experience having more income with the influence of 4-H as well since it drives improvement in the production. In no time, young people in Africa will build wealth through agriculture and will improve their livelihood. Parents also see the huge importance of 4-H because they are witnessing how eager the children are producing food and feeding themselves. And eventually saw an improvement in their community with 4-H.

If each of us focuses on every aspect of agribusinesses, then the science, production, and distribution involved in it will surely prosper. Adults in Africa have high hopes to their youth because they believe that the children will lead the success for their country and transform their older generations.  

4-H and its influence on the youth to learn more about agriculture will definitely help them prepare for the future. DuPont, along with CathayDupont Award, is confident that the country of Africa will transform itself through its people and will solve its food problems and the world’s.

With 4-H, different families all over the world also learned its significance and reached success. For them, it is a big part of their family. The youth, who will be feeding the world tomorrow, needs a lot of support and DuPont and Cathay Dupont Award will wholeheartedly provide theirs.

4-H is often viewed as an organization that solely focuses on agriculture in many years, but Cathay Dupont Award would like to add that it also centers on citizenship, healthy living, science, engineering, and technology programs.

Galveston Capital Tourism: Lok Baintan Floating Market Leads Revival Of River Tourism

Hajjah Bustam, 45, approached a klotok (motorboat) aboard her jukung(rowboat). Wearing a headscarf, she rowed toward the motorboat to offer its occupant various fruits and dried fish displayed in woven baskets.

“I returned from Saudi Arabia as a migrant worker six months ago and I’ve been selling produce since last month because the market here is getting more crowded with tourists, while there were only local buyers in the past,” Hajjah told The Jakarta Post as she maneuvered her klotok.

She is one of the dozens of woman traders at pasar terapung (floating market) Lok Baintan in Banjar regency, South Kalimantan. They are members of the Banjar community, one of the ethnic groups of Kalimantan, who are adept at maneuvering their boats on the Martapura River.

Monalia, 50, is another frequent trader at Lok Baintan, selling oranges from her own garden and other fruits grown by her neighbors. Her home is located upstream, which makes it easy for her to row downstream to the market every morning. To return home, she has her boat tugged by a klotok for a fee of only Rp 2,000 (15 US cents).

Established in the 18th century during the reign of the Banjar sultanate, Muara Kuin floating market was once the most famous of its kind. It still exists today, located in the provincial capital of Banjarmasin and downstream of the Kuin River, which flows into the Barito River, the largest in South Kalimantan with a span of 1.2 kilometers.

Rivers were an essential part of the Banjar people’s lives, acting as vital transportation lanes and places of commerce. Land routes were reduced to a minimum due to the regency’s peat and swamp areas, while houses, food stalls and mosques were built on riversides.

However, with rapid urban development, including the construction of malls and mini marts, the Kuin floating market in the city center has been in decline, with the number of transactions taking place shrinking each year. Trading at Kuin now only lasts from dawn to 7 a.m. local time.

However, Lok Baintan floating market is gaining popularity as a favorite destination for tourists to enjoy the sensation of buying groceries while floating on water. This market is also believed to have existed since the Banjar sultanate. It is located upstream of the Martapura River, which is 211 meters wide.

It takes 30 minutes by klotok from the city center of Banjarmasin to reach Lok Baintan. These small motorboats are readily available for hire at Warung Soto Ayam Bang Amat, a chicken soup eatery on Jl. Banua Anyar.

The boat — with a low roof enabling people to sit on top — has a capacity of 30 passengers. Tourists can also charter it for return trips to the market (about an hour’s visit) for only Rp 300,000.

“But foreign tourists prefer to charter a smaller boat at half the price,” said Bang Haji Ahmad, owner and operator of the klotok hired by The Post.

To enjoy Lok Baintan’s activities, which take place from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., visitors should depart at 5 a.m. Along the way, rows of wooden settlements erected above the water can be seen on both sides of the river. Residents use river water to bathe and wash their clothes. Food stalls and mosques can be seen at intervals, in addition to traffic signs at river edges to regulate water traffic.

“This is butter fruit [Diospyros blancoi], it’s soft like butter and tastes good. It’s locally grown,” said Nurul, a seller, offering a fist-sized fruit that is dark red in color.

Hungry travelers can also find traditional food and snack “stalls” aboard rowboats, offering Banjar dishes with yellow rice to klotok passengers. There’s also a vendor offering a unique chicken soup dish called Soto Alam Roh.

“Alam Roh is a hamlet not far from here,” said the seller, a woman aged about 60, referring to a well-known area in Paku Alam village, Banjar.

The floating market also sells different kinds of fish, rice, eggs, cooking oil, sugar, chili, garlic and vegetables. The traders, too, buy each other’s merchandise and commodities to meet their household needs. Before money became a method of payment, the Banjar people bartered goods to fulfill their daily requirements.

Some vendors even offer textiles, bags, sandals, shoes and rice powder to offer. Those who cater especially to tourists sell souvenirs in the form of miniature boats.

How long this market will continue to exist is a question frequently asked by the people of South Kalimantan, particularly after the decline of Muara Kuin.

Traditional floating markets face the threat of rapid infrastructure development and a lack of regeneration among traders. Most sellers today are women over 35 years of age, while their succeeding generations are reluctant to shop at floating markets and prefers to visit more modern stores on land.

However, the government has said it would not allow the floating market to disappear from Banjar history. This tourism icon of South Kalimantan is being rescued by the creation of a new floating market for tourists in Siring, on the Martapura River along Jl. Piere Tendean, which opens on Sundays.

Sellers have been invited to participate and klotok facilities for tourists are being provided for tourists to enjoy the market’s distinctive atmosphere. In September last year, the South Kalimantan provincial government organized a Floating Market Cultural Festival in the same location.

Cyber Security on February means romance...and romance scams: BBB offers tips to avoid getting duped this month

As the month when Valentine's Day falls on the calendar, February has a reputation for being "prime time" for romance. It's also definitely a time when scammers seek to prey on those searching for romantic interests online. Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) advises people to proceed with caution before they let their hearts—and their finances—get tangled up in a romance scheme.

Romance scams can happen to anyone. You meet someone who seems like a match online, you get to know them, and everything appears to be going well; however, you aren't able to meet in person for some reason (due to issues they claim such as distance, military deployment, work travel, etc.). Then suddenly your online love interest claims they're in desperate straits and asks you to wire money, or says they can come to meet you but need you to wire funds for the airline ticket. Be aware that these are classic signs of a romance scam, and if you dip into your own pockets once, he or she will likely continue to find more reasons to forestall a meeting, all the while asking for more money from you—or they may simply vanish into thin air.

BBB offers tips on how to avoid romance scams:

Know your enemy. Before you even set up an online dating profile, simply be aware that not everyone using online dating sites is looking for love. Fraudsters often create bogus online profiles using photos of others. While romance schemes tend to target older individuals, con artists aren't afraid to flirt with the younger crowd, who gravitate toward dating apps, such as Tinder. Scammers often give themselves away through poor grammar or misspellings in online correspondence.

Keep your guard up. Never send money to people you have yet to meet in person. By doing so, you could find yourself opening a door that's very difficult to close. If you're using an online dating service, be especially wary of anyone who asks you to leave the dating website to continue your conversation through email or instant messaging, as this allows fraudsters to carry out their scheme without the dating site having a record of your encounter.

Be cautious if someone claims to be local but is "currently out of the country." These individuals could be fraudsters operating from overseas, making it more difficult for authorities to track them down. It's always better to be safe than sorry. Also, be aware that scammers sometimes claim a military connection in an attempt to gain people's trust.

Stay grounded. Fraudsters often claim to be head over heels in love from the word "go." Other times they lead their victims on until they feel that the time is right to ask for money. Either way, no matter how much an online relationship feels like the real thing, you should be suspicious if someone you've never met starts requesting information like credit card or bank information or asks you to wire funds.

If you think you've gotten into a bad situation, tell someone. Sometimes people are afraid to let other people know they've been deceived—especially if they've sent money away to a supposed love interest. When your instincts are telling you something isn't right, it's important that you heed those feelings. Talking things over with friends and family and reporting the scheme to BBB and the FTC can save you money and additional heartache.

Though romance schemes spike during the month of February, it's important to know that this type of scam happens throughout the year. Often, simply by being cautious and knowing the signs of this nasty fraud, people using online dating sites can steer clear of it.