Will you give climate-resilient seeds, trees and bees this autumn?
Will you stand with grandmothers like Agness so they can grow enough to feed their families in the face of the climate crisis?
In rural Zambia, southern Africa, many families don’t have enough to eat — with nearly two-thirds of people living below the poverty line. With farming a main source of income for many families, as the climate crisis has worsened, it has become even harder for families to fight hunger and poverty.
Agness is a grandmother living on the very front line of the climate crisis in Kabuula, eastern Zambia. In the past, she was able to grow enough food to feed her family. But as the climate crisis has worsened and weather conditions have become erratic, her crops often fail – forcing her family back into poverty.
Agness, Zambia
Earlier this year, Agness’ maize crop was washed away by flash floods, and she is now worried about feeding her family in the coming months. She told us that in previous seasons, farmers knew how much rain to expect, but now because of the climate crisis, she can no longer predict the rainfall patterns.
Each time Agness grows food, her harvests are getting smaller and smaller. And with the inflation rate in Zambia at nearly 10%, it’s becoming increasingly hard for families to afford food when their crops fail.
Like many other grandmothers in Kabuula, Agness has lost multiple family members to health conditions including HIV/AIDS. As a result, she now cares for an extended family of 40, working hard to care for their children, as well as her own. Despite the challenges Agness faces, she is ambitious, eager to learn and has hope for the future.
With your support today, here's how grandmothers like Agness can transform their farms and lives with climate-resilient seeds, bees and trees.
Climate-resilient seeds
Your gift could help provide seed varieties like black-eyed peas that suit the changing climate. With resilient seeds, crops have the best chance of surviving periods of extreme drought and flooding. With better management of water, trees and soil, families can regenerate their land and the climate-smart seeds they receive can thrive.
Thriving fruit trees
Your gift could support families to plant fruit trees like guava, avocado and mango. Trees help prevent soil erosion and put important nutrients back into the soil making the land more fertile, ensuring families can produce a healthy crop for years to come. Any surplus fruit can also be sold for a vital income, helping families to save for the future.
Buzzing beekeeping business
Your gift could help support a family like Agness’ with the skills to keep a healthy beehive, providing a reliable source of income to support the needs of their families. Through selling wax and honey in their local market, families can raise vital income to keep their children in school. And by pollinating the whole area, bees increase crop yields, improving biodiversity for the whole neighbourhood.
Your donation of any size today, could help families like Agness’ learn the practical solutions to fight the devastating effects of the climate crisis and overcome hunger and poverty for good.
For Agness, there is hope for the future. But there are many more grandmothers and mothers whose families are facing severe hunger as they struggle to grow enough to eat on their land ravaged by the climate crisis.
With climate-resilient seeds, trees and bees, plus vital training, families like Agness' can start a ripple effect in their communities by passing on knowledge and skills to others.
With you by their side, families can fight hunger, whatever the weather brings. Thank you for making a real impact to the lives of families in Zambia and beyond.
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