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Introduction:

This task has the character of an experience. 
	The world is full of numbers. To fully understand any aspect of the world whether it is weather, nature, economy, production, transport or anything else you need to have a sense of what different numbers and sizes mean in different contexts. 

	Basic mathematics is very useful for anyone working with both his mind and hands. Mathematics can help you to become good at understanding the significance of different numbers in relation to various themes and problems and it can help you solve specific practical tasks. 

	Many people have difficulties in making basic calculations, especially in communities where the level of schooling is poor. As most people in rural communities are self-employed as farmers, market sellers or craftsmen they need to be able to handle numbers so they can plan their economy with investments and income. They also need to be able to calculate and have understanding of economy to ensure they are not cheated when they sell their products or buy farm inputs. 

	Becoming capable of calculating amounts, making a budget, finding the cheapest option for a purchase also taking into account how the investment will pay-off is a must for self-employed people. For a farmer this is for example choosing the right crops to grow by comparing the investment cost with the income the harvest will give. You might also have to consider the risk of failing if it is a crop that is very vulnerable to weather conditions. If you buy seeds that only give a good harvest if grown with the use of fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation you need to calculate what it means for your income that you have to buy all these inputs in relation to other seeds that give a smaller harvest but can grow with little farm inputs. A craftsman needs to be able to calculate the cost of materials, tools and his working time to find out what price his product should have. At the same time he will need to be aware of what the price of the same work or product is at his competitors. Selling food on the market or in a small grocery shop also requires good calculation skills. How much can you sell? How long is the food fresh? You need to balance between having enough products for sale but not too much as you will lose money if you have too much waste. 
Mathematics is taught in all schools but generally students do not do well in mathematics. Mostly it is because the training in mathematics is carried out at a theoretical level without relating it to real life questions. Farmers and market sellers often learn to manage their work and economy by experience. They know how many sacks of seeds they should purchase for the size of their field. When they have harvested they can estimate if the harvest is bigger or smaller than the year before. This works as long as the circumstances do not change too dramatically and that they do not experiment or try out new products or crops. But it limits them in developing and succeeding under new market and weather conditions. Being good at investigating and calculating how you can best profit from your land and work will increase your possibilities for being able to improve your living conditions.

Directive:

This is a small action only scheduled to 12 hours. It is up to you to decide the content and methods of the action as long as it is related to the title and wording in this DMM task:

	&ldquo;Small action - The task is to plan and carry out a small action that is related to economy and how the community can fight for self sustainability in times of capitalist globalization&rdquo;

	Here comes a few ideas:
<ul style="margin-top:0cm" type="disc">
	<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-list:
 l1 level1 lfo2;mso-hyphenate:auto">
		Helping a local group of Poor making a budget and plan for how to ensure food and income enough for necessary expenses during the coming year</li>
	<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-list:
 l1 level1 lfo2;mso-hyphenate:auto">
		Giving numeracy classes to small farmers</li>
	<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-list:
 l1 level1 lfo2;mso-hyphenate:auto">
		Help someone in need to start up an income generating activity</li>
	<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-list:
 l1 level1 lfo2;mso-hyphenate:auto">
		Teaching 10 steps to becoming self sustainable as a Poor rural family</li>
	<li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-list:
 l1 level1 lfo2;mso-hyphenate:auto">
		Teaching a group of youth or women necessary skills when planning to run an income generating activity</li>
</ul>
<ol>
	<li>
		Decide the main idea of the action &ndash; the issue you want to target, the people you want to involve in the planning and in the action, what should come out of it, and, possibly, how the activities can continue after the action.</li>
	<li>
		Take pictures and write 1-2 pages describing the idea of the action, the content of the action and a short conclusion. Send it to your tutor.</li>
</ol>

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