Country: Zimbabwe Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies In the heart of Zimbabwe’s Chipinge District, a quiet joy resonates within Tambudzai Rukatu as she carefully lifts a handful of golden sorghum grains, allowing them to tumble into a green basin resting in her lap. For Tambudzai, a widow and mother of ward 21 in Chipinge, this moment is more than just a sign of a successful harvest; it symbolizes a hard-won triumph over years of despair and uncertainty. “ In the past, every season felt like a gamble with nature, ” she reflects, remembering how drought had ravaged her fields for far too long. “ But this year, my sorghum survived. ” This change in fortunes is due in large part to the Southern Africa Compounded Crisis (SACC) initiative, a collaborative effort between the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Netherlands Red Cross Society. The project has empowered households in four different parts of the district (known as “Wards” ) by providing drought-resistant seeds, including sorghum and cowpeas. Once bustling rivers running dry These seeds have had a huge impact because they help growers such as Tambudzai and many other women in her community to deal with the relentless impacts of climate change. With fluctuating rainfall patterns and repeated droughts, farming communities in Chipinge have faced devastating challenges. Once-bustling rivers have turned into dry riverbeds, and fields that traditionally flourished with maize now yield little as farmers ask themselves, ” Will the rains come? Will our crops survive? Will my family have enough to eat?”
‘This gives us hope’: How climate-resilient farming is helping communities in southeastern Zimbabwe reclaim food security in the face of drought and a capricious climate | IFRC
RELATED ARTICLES
