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Life in Zimbabwe
Nyarai lives in the Mutoko district in Northeast Zimbabwe. The climate there is becoming increasingly variable with frequent droughts and dry spells punctuated by torrential storms. The unpredictable weather is leading to declining productivity and food insecurity.
Like most people in the region, Nyarai and her family are farmers. They always made their living by farming and selling chickens, until the climate crisis began to threaten their harvests and their hope. Low rainfall meant that yields were barely enough to feed the family, while hyperinflation undermined the value of the produce they could take to market.
When the family tried planting small grains because of the climate change issues, the birds would destroy most of the crop.
Help secure the harvest and the hope of farming families like Nyarai’s.
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How Christian Aid supported
Nyarai’s determination to provide a secure future for her family led her to take agriculture training with Christian Aid’s local partner Bio-Innovation Zimbabwe.
‘One of the main things we got was improved knowledge’, said Nyarai. ‘We learnt how to put in place measures to prepare for unpredictable situations.’
Nyarai learnt how to sustainably harvest many of the wild plants that grow in the hills and forests surrounding her home. She’s now using some of these to improve her family’s nutrition, including making tea from zumbani and rosella. Other plants are prepared for market using a dryer constructed with support from our training partner.
With the profits, the family have been able to buy goats for their farm, as well as groceries, crockery and blankets. Nyarai also learnt about climate smart agriculture, helping her family to grow a wider range of grains and legumes.
We’ve seen our livelihoods, diet and farming methods improve greatly. We are better able to sustain ourselves even when droughts hit.
Help secure the future of farming families this harvest.
Recovery and resilience
Zimbabwe remains a challenging place to live, with high levels of poverty and increasingly unpredictable weather threatening food security. Due to poor rains this year much of the country is currently experiencing drought conditions.
Whilst the situation is difficult, the good news is that the communities, like Nyarai’s, which have benefited from Christian Aid’s work in the Mutoko and neighbouring Mudzi districts are remaining resilient. The farmers’ new knowledge and application of climate smart agriculture techniques is helping them to push back and to thrive.
We’ve seen our livelihoods, diet and farming methods improve greatly. We are better able to sustain ourselves even when droughts hit. People have adapted to the unpredictable climate by using the climate-smart farming methods and have food and economic security.
Make a donation this harvest to help people living in extreme poverty.