Alumna Aileen Ye on the Blue Nile project
Aileen Ye graduated from the BA International Studies in 2019 and is a board member of the Leiden University Green Office (LUGO). She also works on Blue Nile, a documentary in which looks at the effects of climate change from the perspective of an Ethiopian coffee farm. In the LUGO newsletter she tells more about the project.
The coffee farm focused on in the documentary is the Yukro cooperative, where over a hundred women work planting, harvesting and serving coffee. Due to climate change, temperatures are rising and rainfall is decreasing, which could have devastating effects on the harvest, as well as the income of the women. Ye hopes that by underscoring the complexity of human nature in the context of environmental turmoil, this film will bring a heart-warming narrative to a topic often overshadowed by despair. ‘As the world descends into literal chaos, we struggle to visualise what we can do and what the future holds. Through this documentary, I hope to gain some sense of purpose and direction in the face of this universal threat.’ On ways of incorporating sustainability into our own lives, she says to combine it with a passion to provide yourself with more of a purpose. ‘Think small, then aim big.’
More information about the documentary can be found on the Blue Nile website.