Ayiti- The Cost of Life

1. What was it like playing the game?

It was like living another person’s life because you had to make the same decisions as if you're the person who is struggling in life.

2. What was the game about and how would you describe it to a friend?

There are lots of decisions to make which makes it hard.

3. Which primary objective did you choose, and why?

I chose "health" because it is easier to keep someone alive for as long as possible rather than spending money on education and happiness.

4. What types of decisions did you have to make about the family members while playing the game and trying to achieve your objective?

The main objective is to keep them alive till the end of the game. Thus I had to decide for the family which member is to go to school and work.

5. What strategies did you use? For example, did you combine work and school, or did you send anyone to school? Which worked? Which did not?

I made the adults get a higher paid job outside their farm since they cannot go to school because they’re too old for it. The younger children worked at the farm whereas the older kid goes to school so that he can get better job opportunities.

6. Why would parents choose to devote so much effort sending their children to school?

Because if the children have good education, it would be easier for them to find a high paying job and be independent.

7. How many children were you able to keep in school?

I I I was able to keep at least two children in school.

8. What obstacles did you face in trying to keep them in school?

I had to try to keep the ones who are working and the children healthy so that they can earn more money to bring the children to school.

9. How do the situations and options in the game compare with those in your own community?

In my community, the children don't work because our parents can earn enough money.

But in the third world family, they are so poor that the children also have to work. The similarities that the two communities share is that the adults are also working to support the family.

Why might access to education be a challenge in another country?

Because in other countries, the people are so poor that they can’t provide enough money for education.

11.What factors would make it easier for the children in the game to gain access to education? What conditions could be changed and how?

With enough money, the children would be able to gain access to education. Conditions could be changed if the family could start off with some money so that only the adults work and the children could go to school.

Global Issues Portfolio Reflection - 3rd World Farmer Reflection

1.   R The 3rd World Farmer game required a lot of strategies as we need to make good use of the limited money and resources we have to help the poor farmers survive or get out of a bad situation. The purpose of the game was to help us understand the hardships a third world farmer faces every year and how we can help them overcome.

2.      The strategy I used was to slowly earn the money until I have enough to buy a representative and insurance so that I could buy more crops without worrying about droughts, thieves, etc.  The representative can help the farmers when they are in trouble and the insurance can ensure that the farmers will be paid even if their crops are destroyed.

3.      A short term decision is one that helps the farmers for the time being such as providing them food.

4.       Short term decisions are bad because it is only a temporary solution. They can’t just depend on people to provide them with food. They should learn how to grow their own crops and be able to provide themselves with food instead of depending on others to provide that.

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5.       A person in a situation of poverty can get stuck in a cycle of short term decision making because his main concern would be of the situation he is in now, such as hunger. He would want to be fed first rather than learn how to plant crops and be independent.

6.      To get them out of this poverty cycle, short term solution such as solving their hunger first is needed. After that, they should learn to be independent and learn to grow their own crops to sell and feed themselves

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7.       A long term decision is a decision that will help you for the rest of your life such as learning the skill to grow the crops and buy insurance so that even the crops are destroyed, the farmers could still get some money to help them restart  plantation.

8.       Long term decisions are good because they help the farmers solve their problem permanently.

9.       Because long term decisions get rid of the problem forever,  thus the farmers could earn more money and come out of poverty. With education, they could even look for job elsewhere. These long term decisions will help to increase their standards of living.

10.    I learnt that making the right choices can lead to a better life. For example, with the help of a representative to help the farmers to set up and purchase insurance to protect their crops even if the crops are destroyed. Education and clinical care are also important to help increase the standard of living.

11.    Think creatively. Because in the game, you have to think outside the box to be successful. To be successful you need to have a long term solution as well as a short term solution. Solve the farmers' current situation first with a short term solution, then help them with a well planned long term solution.

            

      This is a happy farmer who has been helped by the global organization World Vision.

 

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