African Farm News in Review

A successful pilot project is transforming the way that fish are processed on Malawi’s Lake Chilwa. And women fish processors are reaping the benefits.

Sellina Naphwinya is chairperson of Tadala women’s fish processing group, which works on one of Lake Chilwa’s beaches. She and her group are now using solar fish dryers. She says they are far better than previous ways of processing fish. She explains, “Solar fish dryers improve hygiene and the quality of fish processed because, compared to other methods, the fish has good taste and comes out clean, since it is dried inside the tents.” Another important advantage is that  solar dryers reduce time for drying.

The shoreline of Lake Chilwa is dotted with small fishing villages, and provides 20 per cent of all fish caught in Malawi. For many years, fish processors around the lake relied on traditional open-air drying and smoking. But open-air drying exposes fish to flies. And smoking uses a lot of firewood, causing environmental problems.

To address these issues, the World Fish Centre designed a pilot project. They started by building solar dryers and handing them over to two women’s groups on Lake Chilwa. The pilot project was successful, and now women fish processors around the lake are calling for the program to be scaled up.

The chairperson of a group of women fish processors from Swang’oma beach says that solar dryers have many benefits. “Most women fish processors in my group have also liked this new technique because at the market, buyers now prefer fish from solar dryers to either smoked or open  sun-dried, due to the quality of fish processed.”

The solar dryers are small tent-like houses wrapped in transparent plastic sheeting. The sheeting allows the sun’s light and heat to dry small fish placed on racks inside the tent. Drying fish takes no more than 24 hours with the solar dryers, compared to two days using traditional means.

The solar dryers are now in high demand. Dr. Jamu is the director of the World Fish Centre. He states that the Centre is ready to collaborate and reach out to women fish processors on more beaches around Lake Chilwa. Dr. Steve Donda is Deputy Director of the Department of Fisheries. He says the technique will be scaled up to all the beaches on the lakes in Malawi.

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Fields of okra, tomatoes and peppers fringe the small village of Fuoni, just outside Zanzibar City. The vegetable plots represent three years of hard work for Umwamwema, a farmers’ association with over 200 members.

Five years ago, farmer Omari Abdullah faced many challenges. Poor roads, limited transport facilities and, most importantly, a lack of storage facilities, forced him to sell his vegetables for whatever price he was offered.

Zanzibar is a small island with just over a million people, the majority of whom are subsistence farmers. Tourism has become the major industry in the last 20 years. But farmers like Mr. Abdullah are enjoying few benefits from the estimated one million tourists who visit the island each year. Eighty per cent of the vegetables supplied to the hotel industry are not grown on the island, but in mainland Tanzania. .

Things have changed for the better for some farmers over the last few years. With help from an international NGO, Umwamwema has started working with agricultural experts. The experts have helped in many ways. For example, they suggested that farmers kill harmful soil-dwelling pests by putting infested soil in a clear plastic bag and leaving it in the sun for a week. Local farmer Mama Mariam adds, “It’s really good feeling connected; knowing there are specialists on hand, both for the more routine stuff, but also for when we have problems.”

In October 2009, the Tanzanian Agricultural Productivity Programme, or TAPP, started training the farmers. The training is helping new farmers like Yasmin Mahmoud. It’s also educating experienced farmers on responding to supply and demand, and on choosing to grow products with a strong market, such as mint and basil.

Farmers are learning how to prepare their land, stagger their plantings, and use water harvesting and drip irrigation to strengthen their resilience to unpredictable rainfall. TAPP provides improved seeds to the farmers for free. Omari Abdullah adds, “We’ve also introduced compost-making, rather than relying on commercial fertilizer, which isn’t always that good.”

In the past, poor electricity supplies prevented farmers from keeping their vegetables cool and from using pumps to irrigate their crops. But by digging a well, farmers are no longer dependent on electrical pumps, and can move water by hand. This, plus a simple drip irrigation pipe, has reduced the amount of labour necessary to grow vegetables and improve crop security.

All these measures have increased the Umwamwema farmers’ productivity. And the increased productivity is paying off in improved food security and higher incomes.

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Small-scale farmers in this southeast African nation are turning to trees to help their crops grow. Killar Kawelama is a farmer from Balaka in southern Malawi. He explains, “These trees have the potential not only to enrich the soils, but also to help keep moisture in my field even if the rains rarely come.”

Many farmers intercrop trees with maize to provide moisture-preserving shade for the growing maize. Others bury tree leaves in the ground to make the soil more fertile and help retain moisture at planting time.

Between April and June, Mr. Kawelama digs planting holes. In them, he places fresh or dried leaves from Gliricidia sepium trees. The fast-growing trees grow close to his house, and do well in a wide range of conditions. When the rains come around September and October, he opens part of each hole and plants his seeds.

The leaves decompose in the ground, and the resulting compost boosts the soil’s fertility and traps moisture around the maize plants like a sponge, helping the crop grow more vigorously.

Kufasi Shela is with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development. She says, “Plants growing in such an environment are more likely to give a farmer a better yield as they don’t wither easily because of (lack of) moisture.”

Bettie Lungu of Mzimba in northern Malawi plants Tephrosia vogelii trees amongst her maize. These trees increase the amount of fertilizing nitrogen in the soil. They do not grow taller than the maize plants, so they don’t over shade and stifle their growth, according to Mahara Nyirenda, an agriculture coordinator for the Development Fund of Norway.

Nyirenda says, “The leaves falling from the trees cover the ground. When it rains, this layer traps the raindrops, preventing them from accumulating into runoff. They also aid percolation into the soil.” He adds that the tree canopies shade the ground in sunny weather and the fallen leaves help keep moisture in the soil.

According to the World Agroforestry Centre, nearly 150,000 small-scale farmers in Malawi are using fertilizer tree systems. Several species are used, though the most popular is Gliricidia sepium.

Killar Kawelama is very happy with the results. When he used chemical fertilizers, Kawelama harvested 20 sacks of maize, each weighing 50 kilograms. Since switching to tree fertilizers, his yields have declined slightly to 18 sacks.

“But I am better off now because I am saving over 24,000 Malawian Kwacha (about $150), which I used to spend on chemical fertilizers,” he explains.

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A rainwater harvesting program launched two years ago in Burundi has made life easier for residents, and even tempted people to return to the area. Rosalie Nyambere and her family of five have benefitted. She says, “We have enough water for all our needs without walking for miles.”

Residents of Kirundo Province, in northeastern Burundi, had been facing a growing water shortage. The region has low rainfall and frequent droughts. Marcien Nzoia is a local community development officer. He says, “There are no water sources, no drinking water points, and people had to travel more than 15 kilometres in search of water.” Local resident Martha Kankindi adds, “Since we were very young, water has always cost us a lot, both in time and energy.”

The new program is called “Drinking water for all.” It has reforested bare land, and set up systems to collect water for household purposes and for farming.

The program was set up by the residents of Kirundo province, with the support of the state, and funding from a German aid organization, Welthungerhilfe. The residents received 45,000 Euros to develop systems for collecting rainwater.

According to a Welthungerhilfe representative, the program aims to collect rainwater, but also to encourage greater water infiltration in soils. This is why reforestation is an important component of the program. Reforestation helps to prevent runoff and soil erosion.

As residents benefit from the program, they are realizing the value of forested land and making efforts to protect it. Alphonse Marimbu is a local resident. He learned how to install plastic tanks to catch rainwater. He welcomes the tanks because he no longer has to carry water from distant sources. Also, the water quality is generally better than water from streams and creeks.

In the collection system, water from rooftops is piped into collection tanks. This works best with tiled roofs. Residents simply open a tap on the tank when they want water.

The tanks are easy to install, especially because residents bring stones and sand to help build them. A domestic tank costs about US $110, and stores between 500 and 1000 litres. Larger tanks for communities or schools are available, and hold up to 10,000 litres.

However, misconceptions have hindered the program’s expansion. Some believe that drinking rainwater leads to sterility. Another belief is that girls who drink rainwater will find it hard to find a husband. As part of the program, Welthungerhilfe tries to overcome these misconceptions. They recognize that people who have never lived with running water or sanitation lack basic knowledge of good hygiene practices.

Since 2000, many families have deserted the area because of drought and water supply problems. Through this program, people are gradually returning.

According to resident Martha Muhimbare, the tanks guarantee an independent water supply. Households do not need to depend on community or public suppliers. Her life is easier because the tank saves her time, money and energy.

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On Thursday, January 12, 2012, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced that food distribution to 1.1 million people in central and southern Somalia had been suspended. The main reason given was the continued obstruction of supply routes. The regions in question are largely controlled by the Islamist group Shebab.

In mid-December, 140 trucks of food were intercepted in areas controlled by Shehab. The ICRC is urging a quick release of the convoys, which carry food aid for 240,000 people.

The ICRC is working to restore supplies as quickly as possible. Patrick Vial is head of the ICRC delegation in Somalia. He says, “We are actively seeking the cooperation of local authorities to restore the conditions for a resumption of activities suspended as soon as possible.” ICRC’s deputy head of operations in East Africa, Benjamin Wahren, did not hide his concern: “The longer we wait, the more the food will deteriorate.”

Patrick Vial continues, “The suspension will remain valid until we have received assurance from the authorities controlling these areas that distribution can take place unhindered and reach everyone in need.”

The Red Cross is one of the few organizations distributing aid in the most inaccessible areas of southern Somalia. Since October last year, they have distributed food to more than 1.1 million people and provided seeds and agricultural support to more than 100,000 farmers.

For further news, visit:
-“UN Aid Coordinator: Somalia Still in Crisis” http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/UN-Aid-Coordinator-Somalia-Still-in-Crisis-137292198.html

-“Somalia: ICRC temporarily suspends distributions of food and seed” http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2012/somalia-news-2011-01-12.htm

-“Somalia Islamists force ICRC food aid suspension” http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/12/us-somalia-food-redcross-idUSTRE80B1HM20120112

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You can find bananas in almost every compound in Nyaura ward, in southwestern Kenya. Now a local women’s group is taking advantage of this abundance, and making a good living producing a variety of banana-based food products.

The Kenyuni Women’s Group has shown that bananas are not only for cooking or ripening, but are versatile and easily processed. The 20 women now make cakes, bread, biscuits, crisps, ugali flour, banana porridge and banana jam. They decided to start processing bananas for sale after they discovered that middlemen were exploiting them by giving them as little as 100 Kenyan shillings (just over one US dollar) per bunch of bananas.

Everline Onserio is the group leader. She says, “We have varieties which are only used for ripening and those [used] for baking. Each member has planted some [of each] in her piece of land to avoid a shortage.”

Mrs. Onserio explains that when the crop is ready, it is carefully harvested and cleaned with salt water. Then the bananas are transported on a motorbike to the groups’ mini-bakery, one kilometre away. At the bakery, they make bread, chapati and snacks from ripened bananas. The women sell these products to the public at affordable prices. Mrs. Onserio says, “Even though we face many challenges in our business, we are committed to making our families earn a living through our small income.”

The group leader says that most of their products are purchased by the locals who flock to their bakery from morning to evening. Their customers appreciate the quality of the products. She explains, “Our products are chemical-free. That is why we encourage people to buy and consume them.”

Residents praise the group, saying that their products are local and original compared to those sold in supermarkets. Many locals have changed their eating habits, and often buy the group’s products because they are nutritious.

Mrs. Onserio explains the value in keeping good records, “We keep records on daily transactions because we want to establish whether we are making progress or not. Initially when we didn’t have such records, it was difficult for us to know the position of our business.”

Veronica Nafula is the financial record keeper. The group sponsored her training in financial management. Mrs. Nafula explains one of the charts in their office, which shows that the group used to make nearly 300,000 shillings (about 3450 US dollars) annually. Now that they are adding value to the bananas, they rake in more than double that amount. To celebrate their progress, a group member has composed a Kiswahili poem which praises the banana as a plant that can help the community jump out of poverty.

Patrick Siro is deputy mayor of the town of Kisii, and a patron of the group. He is optimistic that the women will be successful in the long run. Mr. Siro said there is a need for more funding so that members can attain food security and improve their economic base. He expressed optimism that the ongoing construction of a banana factory near Kisii town will help the group and other banana growers.

At a time when Kenyans are suffering from inflation, Mrs. Onserio says that food security can be attained if growing bananas and adding value is embraced. “I think [the] time has come for Kenyans to change their eating habits and embrace ugali cooked from banana flour instead of maize flour.”

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Fields of red sorghum stretching into the distance are a common sight in the scenic mountains of eastern Ethiopia. Farmers tie five or more tall sorghum stalks together so they support one another, and the red seeds at the top of the plant grow heavier as the plants ripen. But while sorghum is everywhere, apple orchards are new to this landscape, in the region around Dire Dawa, 350 kilometres northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa.

Dadi Yadete is a 72-year-old farmer from the village of Thefebanti. Three years ago, he took a gamble and began to grow apples, a fruit he was unfamiliar with. Hesitant and doubtful at first, he planted only 12 trees. But his experiment paid off. Apples thrive in the temperate climate of Ethiopia’s highlands.

Mr. Yadete, who has two wives and nine children, now has 70 flourishing apple trees on his half-hectare plot, plus a large avocado tree. He also grows barley, a few coffee bushes, sweet potato, green pepper and bright red hot chillies.

“Life was very difficult when I was trying to grow maize and barley,” says Mr. Yadete. “I was producing nothing and I was receiving food aid. Now I don’t need food aid.” He receives about $600 US dollars a year from the sale of his apples, and he owns four cows and two oxen. This makes him a relatively wealthy man.

Others in the village, which has about 200 households, are also prospering by selling apples and growing seedlings.  A few steps away from Mr. Yadete’s plot, women nursery workers fill pots with soil and compost. A regular market and proximity to the main road give the village an advantage over remote villages higher in the mountains.

Mr. Yadete and his fellow villagers are the beneficiaries of Meret (from the Amharic word for “land”), a joint venture between the UN’s World Food Programme, called WFP, and the Ethiopian government. Meret originated as a response to the food crises of the 1970s and targets chronically food insecure communities. The WFP provides food to each participant – three kilograms of cereals every work day.

Population pressure has led to overfarming in Ethiopia’s highlands. Trees have been cut down, allowing water to flow downhill instead of being retained in the soil. In parts of the region, the terraces look bone dry and the sorghum stunted. Meret provides technical advice to farmers on reforesting barren hillsides and building or refurbishing terraces.

Meret staff talk to farmers, discussing their problems and helping them determine the steps they need to take.  With Meret’s help, Mr. Yadete and his fellow farmers agreed to stop farming or grazing on the top of the mountain above their village for two years. They planted trees, built or repaired terraces, and dotted the slopes with mini water barriers made from stone and earth. These help to retain water and heal the land.

Ethiopia is devoting 17% of its national budget to farming, well above the 10% commitment agreed to by African governments. The country’s ambitious growth and transformation plan calls for more than doubling the production of key crops to nearly 40 million tonnes by 2015.

Despite Ethiopia’s dependence on rainwater, agricultural experts see no reason why the country cannot be Africa’s breadbasket. “As long as you can control the water, you can grow whatever you want,” says a private investor who is leasing land for dairy cows.

While government officials and other experts grapple with policy issues in Addis, Mr. Yadete is doing his bit for Ethiopian agriculture by growing his apples. Despite successfully growing a fruit he had never tasted until three years ago, he and his wife hardly eat their apples, which he describes as tasting like bananas. “I don’t eat the apples,” he says. “Whenever I see them, I see money.”

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Livestock farmers in this heavily agricultural nation are becoming unlikely heroes in Africa’s fight to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Every year in Cameroon, thousands of trees are cut down for wood and charcoal. These are the main sources of cooking fuel for the rural dwellers who make up over 65 per cent of Cameroon’s population. Livestock farmers, like other rural people, are starved for electricity. But they have plenty of manure. Now, that manure is yielding valuable methane gas when processed in biodigesters.

Forty-six-year-old Juliana Mengue was widowed five years ago. She cares for 40 cows by herself, on her half-hectare farm in Bafut village in northwest Cameroon. Traditionally, cattle manure is used as fertilizer for crops. But a new government program, established with the help of global non-profit Heifer International, is turning her animal manure into fuel. As a result of the cheap biogas she now produces, Mrs. Mengue is able to spend more on medical care, education and increasing her animal stock. She says, “We also use (the biogas) for lighting and heating, replacing our local bush lamps and the use of wood fuel.”

The project has established demonstration biogas production centres in her village and two nearby villages. Many farmers say the technology has brought meaningful changes in their lives and to their community, especially given the spiralling cost of fuel.

Henry Njakoi is country director for Heifer International in Cameroon. He says that building biogas digesters on demonstration farms can generate enough gas for whole communities. Farmers pay only a quarter of the $120 US dollar cost of a manure biodigester, with Heifer International and the Ministry of Agriculture picking up the rest of the tab.

To produce biogas, farmers collect dung from their livestock and carry it by wheelbarrow to the biodigester’s tank. They mix the manure with an equal amount of water and stir. The mixture is left to decompose for several weeks, and the resulting methane gas settles in an upper compartment of the tank. At the end of the process, the manure is removed, dried and used as fertilizer. The technology is affordable enough that many livestock farmers can integrate it with traditional practices without major financial assistance.

Mr. Mengue says her family has not only gained financially from the project, but that she now has a greater understanding of the connection between the environment and climate change. “We were not aware how much destruction the decomposing dung was doing to the environment. Now we have been told it releases tonnes of methane gas that is very harmful,” she says.

Methane released from manure is a potent driver of climate change. Global efforts to curb its release range from capturing the gas to produce biofuel, to changing livestock diets to produce less methane.

Micheal Mbu raises pigs and goats and cares for 50 cows. He says the biodigestion process is simple enough for any farmer to understand. He believes that it will ensure a consistent profit, especially for those who use the new source of energy in income-generating projects. Mr. Mbu has connected the methane pipes to 10 cookers with two burners each, which ensures a constant supply of fuel. He adds, “I use the energy to bake potatoes and flour cake and bread. This cottage baking industry employs five persons.”

The manure generated by the biodigester is high in the nutrients needed by plants, and is an effective fertilizer. Eugene Ejolle Ehabe works with the Institute of Agricultural Research and Development in northwest Cameroon. He says that making biogas from manure and other waste matter could reduce the large volumes of fuel wood used for cooking. He continues, “The production of biogas will reduce emissions of greenhouse gas, reduce deforestation, help preserve the forest and soil fertility, and above all improve the livelihood of farmers.”

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For the last seven years, the women of Fitampito have been defying tradition by helping their husbands to farm. Local traditions did not permit women to work the land. But that era is over.

Masy Ramazoto is a farmer in Fitampito, a village in central Madagascar. “Because of our customs, I never thought that I would one day have the chance to farm,” she says. ”Now that I can work just like my husband to improve our living conditions, I put my whole heart into it.”

Since women started farming in a few isolated villages in the High Matsiatra region, yields have improved significantly. In three years, rice yields have increased from two tonnes per hectare to five tonnes.

Faly and Noro Ndremazoto are farmers from the town of Vohitrafeno. Noro is responsible for growing vegetables, while her husband Faly builds ox-drawn plows. The living conditions of the couple have improved greatly since Noro began farming. Faly says, “I now understand how certain aspects of tradition can hinder development. Since my wife starting helping me, I finally have the opportunity to return to my passion, which is woodworking.”

The main crops women grow in the area are rice, cereals, fruits and vegetables. To help get them started, women attended trainings offered by local associations. The trainings focused on growing rice and vegetables. The women have learned the rice growing system called SRI, or System of Rice Intensification. They carefully follow SRI procedures by weeding regularly, transplanting and re-planting failed seedlings. Njaka Harivelo is a trainer with Santatra, an association involved in educating farmers. He explains, “SRI requires more work than traditional rice-growing techniques, but it guarantees better production.”

In addition to SRI, the women farmers were asked to adopt hybrid rice. Farmers in some communities had yields of eight tons per hectare when they combined SRI with hybrid rice varieties imported from China.

Veromanitra Soazanany is a farmer from the town of Anjoma Itsara, near Vohitrafeno. She welcomed the training. “With the training we have been given, I am very comfortable in my work.” She passed on everything she learned and convinced her husband to abandon less productive farming practices. The couple grows a wide range of vegetables in addition to rice. Her husband Besa Narisaona is even considering raising cattle now that his wife has mastered growing vegetables. He is happy: “I’m glad my wife was trained in farming, or we would not be where we are now.”

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Aboubacar Sylla grows tomatoes in Koliada, southwestern Guinea. But he doesn’t grow just any variety. For the last two years, Mr. Sylla has dedicated two hectares of land to a variety called Moungal. The impact has been enormous. In just two years, he has earned enough to build a modern concrete house.

Mr. Sylla is not the only one who is impressed by the new variety. Many tomato producers are happy. The income they earn by selling Moungal tomatoes is solving everyday problems  such as paying children’s school fees.

According to Mr. Sylla, this variety is more productive than others, is easy to grow, and farmers can grow it in any season. In the dry season, it can be grown in the lowlands. During the rainy season, it thrives on upland  slopes. It grows in all kinds of soil. Moungal is  new to this part of Guinea.

Moungal was developed during trials at the Foulaya Agricultural Research Centre, in Guinea. It was introduced to Koliada in 2000 through farmers’ associations.

Thierno Hamidou Camara is a researcher at the Foulaya Agricultural Research Centre. He is full of praise for Moungal tomatoes. He says, “We began tests to find  the qualities requested by the farmers, and  chose the best from  25 tomato varieties.” Five varieties were selected, and Moungal was developed from these. According to Mr. Camara, one hectare of Moungal grown with appropriate farming practices yields up to 25 tonnes of marketable tomatoes.

Before Moungal, tomatoes were only grown on higher slopes during the dry season. But now, growers can plant in the rainy season too.

But Moungal risks becoming a victim of its own success. Overproduction is now a serious concern. The only major market is in Conakry, and this market is almost saturated. There is little opportunity for processing excess production. For example, Guinea  has no cannery to manufacture tomato paste.

To protect the farmers from the effects of overproduction, the Foulaya Agricultural Research Centre recommends that growers produce only enough to satisfy existing orders from major cities.

As for Mr. Sylla, he avoids the problem by producing other crops. He explains, “Next to my cherished Moungal tomatoes, I grow maize in April in the lowlands. ” He sells his maize in the local market, and uses the money to help his family through the lean period before harvest. He says, “The drop in sales does not take me by surprise, I always have something in the ground.”

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Things changed for the better for Simon Wanyoike when he adopted the push-pull technique to control stem borers in maize. Not only did he increase his maize yields from one and half to fifteen bags per season, but his dairy business also improved.

Simon Wanyoike and his wife Jane Njeri Wanyoike farm half a hectare of land in Gatanga district, central Kenya. The changing weather, unreliable rains and increased pests made it increasingly hard to sustain their family of twelve. But, he says, “For the past two years since I started using the push-pull technology, I have experienced a tremendous change in my family as we have been able to produce enough food.”

Mr. Wanyoike explains how push-pull helps his dairy business: “I did not know that push-pull technology had multiple benefits. Currently my cows are being fed on Napier and desmodium [grasses] that [also] control the maize stem borer.” He has three dairy cows that now provide up to fifteen litres of milk per day.

He says the push-pull technology is easy to learn. Mr. Wanyoike plants Napier grass around the perimeter of his maize field. This attracts or pulls the stem-borer moths away from the maize. He also plants desmodium between rows of maize. Desmodium repels or pushes any remaining moths away from the maize plants. Together, the Napier grass and desmodium keep the maize free from moths that lay stem borer eggs.

Napier is a fast-growing grass which forms a bushy border around the maize field. Mr. Wanyoike explains how he feeds his cows: “I cut the Napier, then bring it home and chop the leaves and the stalks, add some salt and put it in a trough to feed the cows.” The Napier grass continues to grow after the maize has been harvested.

Desmodium is a low-growing plant which quickly covers the soil. Mr. Wanyoike feeds desmodium to his cows in the same way as Napier.

He says the two crops are locally available, and that they increase milk production when used as fodder: “I can now sell milk to the neighbours, have some for my family, while at the same time I have enough maize to feed the family.”

Mr. Wanyoike sings the praises of the push-pull technique. It has brought hope not only to his family, but to his entire community. He says, “Buying animal feed from shops is quite expensive for a rural farmer. But since the push-pull system was introduced, farmers like me in my area have double benefitted in crops and dairy farming.”

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When donor-funded projects failed in Kalacha, a village on the edge of the Chalbi Desert in Kenya’s North Eastern Province, local pastoralists proposed their own plans. Two years later, it’s clear that their home-grown response has worked.

The North Eastern Province has always been dry. Recent erratic and unpredictable rainfall has only worsened an already challenging situation. The government estimates that more than 50 million domestic animals may die in the region, and that more than 1.4 million people need food relief.

Pastoralists were excited five years ago when a group of NGOs introduced horticulture to the region. “But before long,” says Abdi Tuya, a Kalacha resident,” we discovered that all was useless because monkeys and other animals fed on the crops.”

After the project failed, scientists at the Kenya Arid and Semi-Arid Lands Research Programme, or KASAL for short, heard that the community had a different idea.

Dr. David Miano is the head of KASAL. He says, “They insisted that they wanted to use the water and the land to grow grass to fatten [their] malnourished goats and camels …” The residents wanted to use water from a rare freshwater desert spring to irrigate indigenous grass. The grass would then be used for animal feed. In response, KASAL began to identify indigenous grasses that are drought-tolerant and appropriate for fattening animals. Two years later, thousands of animals that would have died in the drought are still alive.

Home-grown successes like this one have climatologists and African think tanks announcing that African solutions are the only way for the continent to adapt to climate change. Their call came before the recent 17^th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The conference took place in Durban, South Africa from November 28 to December 9 this year.

Opinions are mixed on how the Durban talks will affect farmers. Patrick Verkooijen is the World Bank’s coordinator for climate-smart agriculture. He says, “This outcome is historic, as this is the first time that UNFCCC adopts a decision on agriculture.”

But many agricultural organizations had pushed for a specific program of work on agriculture. Instead, a working group announced that a decision on agriculture would be made at COP18, to be held in November 2012 in Qatar.

The international farmers’ movement La Via Campesina announced that “no deal is better than a bad deal” in Durban. They want developed nations to commit to at least 50% emissions reduction targets under the Second Commitment Period of the Kyoto Protocol, which would cover 2013-2017.

Back in Kachala, home-grown solutions to climate change have worked. Before the pastoralists proposed their own solution, their only alternative would have been to slaughter their animals. But now, says Abdi Tuya, “Grass farming is the best thing that happened to me … In the past year, I have been able to save up to 80 goats that were succumbing to the drought.”

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More than 500 women from across Africa arrived in Durban last week, chanting and singing. While heads of state and negotiators gathered behind closed doors at the 17th Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the women gathered at the University of KwaZulu Natal to voice their concerns in an alternative “People’s Space.” They sang, “They are refusing to sign the deal! We want a legally binding agreement with sanctions. Men, you don’t know what you want!”

The Rural Women’s Assembly of Southern Africa is a network of women’s groups from a number of African countries, including Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Burundi. The women met in Durban, joining civil society meetings outside the conference. Their goal was to raise awareness about the impact of climate change at the grassroots level.

Ana Paula Tauacale represented the National Union of Farmers of Mozambique. She says, “[Climate change] affects us as women because we are the main food producers and we depend on the rain. We are not like men, who can migrate to find work elsewhere.”

The Durban conference included substantial participation from NGOs. But many on the outside of the conference felt their interests were not sufficiently represented. Mercia Andrews is director of the Trust for Community Outreach and Education, part of the Rural Women’s Assembly of Southern Africa. She says, “There is hardly any or no relationship between the conference and social movements. We are saying … there should be no negotiations without us.”

More than 6,000 people took to the Durban streets on December 3 in a Global Day of Action. They called for climate justice and for a legally binding mechanism on reducing emissions. The protesters marched through the city to the conference centre. They waved banners reading, “Stop Cooking Africa” and “Listen to the people, not polluters.”

Inside the conference hall, negotiators from developing countries urged developed countries to commit to emissions reductions. But they faced many frustrations. Rashmi Mistry is climate change advocacy coordinator for Oxfam South Africa. She noted, “It’s really frustrating to developing countries that developed countries are not increasing their ambitions.” She added that time is running out, saying, “If we continue along this path, it’s been estimated by the International Energy Agency that in the next five years, we won’t be able to prevent the worst onset of climate change.”

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John Owida and his family are one of hundreds of families in Western Kenya who have lost their crops and are left homeless by recent floods. The Siaya and Ugenya districts are the worst hit areas close to Ugunja, where the River Nzoia has broken its banks due to heavy rains.

Mr. Owida explains: “My family and I have nowhere to call home now. My house and livestock were all swept down the river. We are counting on the generosity of neighbours and well-wishers to get a place to spend the night.”

Torrents of water swept homesteads along the river banks away. People have lost stocks of food, animals and household goods. More than 100 families are camping in schools and other institutions, waiting for government aid.

The Ugunja Community Resource Centre is one of Farm Radio International’s broadcasting partners based in this region. Aggrey Omondi is the Chief Executive Officer. He estimates that over 20,000 people are affected. By email, he advises that the situation is so bad that any assistance is welcome. Immediate needs include medical services, food, blankets and bedding. The floodwaters have not yet receded, and conditions are getting worse. Mr. Omondi says, “Cases of waterborne diseases like cholera have started and we would wish to act but we have no resources to do anything except to visit and counsel [people].”

The Kenya Red Cross has been distributing cooking oil, blankets and medicine. But Mr. Omondi contends that the response from relief agencies is slow. He says, “Red Cross has not reached many of the places despite desperate calls to assist infants and old men who we found shivering from the harsh cold.” Mr. Omondi and his colleagues have been out meeting affected people in their camps and taking their data to share with the authorities.

Officials are assessing need and advising people to move to higher ground while relief efforts are being organized.

For further reports on this story, see:

Kenya floods displace thousands (video) http://www.trust.org/alertnet/multimedia/video-and-audio/detail.dot?mediaInode=a158147b-968f-414e-abdd-4f2bc6d588b3 (video)

Flash floods displace families in Siaya

http://allafrica.com/stories/201112050077.html

Floods’ death toll rise to 24, displace 100,000

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000048220&cid=4&ttl=Floods’%20death%20toll%20rise%20to%2024,%20displace%20100,000

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The public square in Mambia is unusually busy. People are gathering for an evening of open-air theatre. Tonight, educators from an HIV and AIDS counselling centre will perform a play. The performance will deliver information and raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.

The characters use expressive language to describe how HIV is transmitted. They cover everything, including unprotected sex and the use of contaminated objects. The peer educators expose the danger posed by a person who has many sexual partners. In Soussou, the local language, they explain the importance of voluntary testing.

Mambia is a mining town in western Guinea.  The counselling centre that performed the play is known as CECOJE. They chose Mambia because sexual activity is booming in the area. This is due to the presence of the bauxite mine in nearby Débélé. The men who work here are separated for long periods from their families. Many take multiple partners, and prostitution is common. HIV prevalence is around 1.5%. But through awareness raising activities such as the theatre performance, things change.

The audience is surprised when the actors say that the thinnest person in the village is not necessarily the one carrying the virus. The most well-dressed, or the most well-respected person in the village may have HIV. The person may not even know it. The play urges young women and men to use condoms, or to practice fidelity or abstinence. The messages provoke emotional responses from members of the audience. They feel threatened by HIV and AIDS. After the play, many proclaim that they will start to use condoms, which they used to reject.

Yanrie Bangoura was in the audience. She says, “The play made an impression on me, especially where it showed a young AIDS patient who was being badly treated.” She declares that from now on she will use the female condom to avoid infection.

Tafsir Diallo was also in the audience. He was shocked. He says, “I did not know how to use condoms. I did not know that [finger]nails could puncture the condom and make me vulnerable.” He promises to use condoms in his extra-marital affairs, to protect himself and his spouse.

Mamadouba Yansané is director of CECOJE. He says their activities have reached over 500 young women and 1,200 young men.  In the last three months, CECOJE distributed over 3,000 condoms..

AIDS is now the subject of sermons in the mosque in Mambia. Elhadj Mahamoud Camara is the imam. He lost a famly member to the disease, and is now committed to raising awareness of HIV and AIDS. He believes that as a citizen, he must do all he can to protect his community. He explains, ”Our religion recommends that Muslims save lives, so if AIDS is a threat we must talk about it to help eradicate it.”

He is also taking practical steps. He says that while his religion allows each man to take four wives, they must all know each other’s health status. He now makes this a requirement. The last couple he married sent him their test results before the ceremony.

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For many years, Roselyne Rajwero lived happily with her family. But in 2003, she lost her husband due to an AIDS-related ailment. She did not know her own HIV status. After her husband’s death, she decided to go for testing. She was found to be HIV positive. The hospital advised her to start taking antiretroviral medication, or ARVs.

Mrs. Rajwero completely lost hope. Her life became even worse when people in her community learned that she was HIV positive. She explains, “Life was never the same. I was stigmatized soon after the moment I tested HIV positive.” Mrs. Rajwero is a small-scale farmer in Samia district, near the Kenya-Uganda border.

Mrs. Rajwero thought she was the only person in her community taking ARVs. But one day she met some of her neighbours collecting their drugs at the hospital. When she realised her neighbours were facing similar challenges, she decided to form a group. Although she found it difficult to approach the neighbours, one day she found the courage. They called themselves the Vumilia Support Group. Vumilia is a Swahili word meaning “be patient.”

As time passed, the group grew in number to 27. They started generating income through different activities. One of their first activities was piece-work for other farmers. They earned money from this farm work, but it took a lot of their energy.

As time went by, the group had saved enough money to start a poultry project. Mrs. Rajwero says, “We saw that our energies were reducing, so, in 2007, we started the poultry project and decided to drop the idea of working in people’s farm[s] and concentrate on poultry.”

The members rear chickens collectively, in one area. Each member brings feed for the chickens. Exotic, or hybrid, chickens are fed kale and maize. Local chickens are fed using a free-range system. Some eggs are shared among members for eating at home, and some are sold for cash.

The group’s business strategy is to sell their chickens every December. The prices are very high then, as it is the festive season. Part of the money from the chickens is shared among the members, to buy items for Christmas.

The Vumilia Support Group also goes to other villages. They encourage women to go for HIV testing so that, if they are HIV positive, they can start drugs in good time. She adds that the group has remained at 27. When one member dies, a new one is brought on board.

Mrs. Rajwero says that despite making strides in their quality of life, group members still face some challenges. It is not easy to maintain a good diet for the whole family, while maintaining the ARV schedule and finding time to earn money. She adds, “When my children finish primary education, they stay at home because I don’t have money to send them to secondary school.”

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Collen Banda used to consider himself “a star among young men.” Those were the days before he contracted HIV. Looking back on that time, his face changes and he adopts a serious tone. He says, “Now, you can see what this illness has done to me.” Mr. Banda is almost bedridden.

For Mr. Banda, his HIV status is an opportunity to discuss responsible sexual practices with his community. He believes that by telling his story, future generations will be saved.

Mr. Banda is a middle-aged man. He has one daughter and one son. Upon seeing that his health was failing, his wife of five years left him. Mr. Banda says, “I guess she will remember me one day when I am no more.” The responsibility for his upkeep and care is now with his stepmothers.

Like any other small-scale farmer in the Zambian village of Mutakwa, farming is used to be his livelihood. But Mr. Banda can no longer earn a steady income. He relies on his family. To make ends meet, his mother sells greens from his once-booming vegetable garden.

Mr. Banda says that while HIV is an illness like any other, there is still some stigma attached to it. The stigma makes it harder for him to tell his story, but he persists. A constant stream of friends and relatives come to visit Mr. Banda. He makes a point of talking to them about the dangers of having multiple partners and unprotected sex.

Referring to condoms, he tells his friends, “Some say you cannot have a shower while wearing a raincoat, but that philosophy cannot be applied to sex.” He makes it clear to them that if they take more sexual partners, they have a greater chance of contracting HIV.

Mr. Banda’s condition has given his father reason to reflect. Mr. Banda senior comments that HIV was almost unheard of in his time. He says, “I used to indulge in sex without fear of meeting death as is the case with this generation.” Mr. Banda senior has three wives, but notices that polygamy is not so common nowadays. He believes it has been replaced by extramarital affairs among young people. He comments, “Today, I see young men and women change partners like stockings.”

Yet, despite his father’s concerns, Mr. Banda is keen to make an impact on his community. There are no HIV support groups, or counselling available nearby. But Mr. Banda will continue telling his story, despite lacking the energy to knock on doors.

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In 2007, Robert Amakobe went public and declared that he was HIV positive. He formed the Elwesero Men’s Support Group with other men who were public about their HIV status. It was a difficult time.  Some of the men’s own relatives turned against them. The reaction from the wider community was worse. Other men threatened them and wrote abusive letters. But the group continued despite the challenges.

Theirs was probably the first men’s HIV support group in Kenya. It has become an important force in diffusing the stigma around HIV and AIDS in their community. It benefits individual members as they work together to improve their health and livelihoods. And the group even raises funds to support others affected by HIV and AIDS.

Mr. Amakobe explains why he started the Elwesero Men’s Support Group: “The increased number of deaths was alarming and people did not want to relate it to HIV. They always believed in witchcraft. That’s why I went public and started bringing other men on board.”

There are now thirty members in the group. They range in age from unmarried youths, to older men of 70 and 80 years. They all live with HIV or AIDS.

The group started growing vegetables, including indigenous varieties that have nutrients to boost immunity. The group eats some of the vegetables and sells some in the nearby markets and communities.

When the group started selling vegetables, there was big resistance from the communities. Mr. Amakobe says, “People refused to buy the vegetables from us thinking they would contract HIV andAIDS. But we took the vegetables to the market and members would buy them. When some people saw this, they slowly started buying the vegetables as well.”

This has helped the group receive positive reaction from the communities. Now many people order vegetables from the group. The income pays rent for a small office. The group uses the office to offer counselling to other members and to discuss their own activities. Men who come for counselling feel free to share their problems because they find only men in the room.

Profits from the vegetables are also used to help group members who are bed ridden and to support 23 children who are orphans, or in vulnerable situations due to HIV and AIDS. The men’s group pays the children’s school fees and covers other necessities.

In addition to farming, the group supplies seeds and trains farmers on how to plant crops, and which vegetables to eat in order to boost immunity. Mr. Amakobe says with proper diet, one can live long before starting on anti-retroviral treatments. The group believes that treatment is not only about drugs, but also food, exercise, and living happily.

The group has brought more men on board by speaking in public. Some group members were trained by an organization called Society for Women and AIDS in Kenya. The training focused on getting HIV positive men to come out openly, accept their status, disclose it to their families, and then go public. Once they go public, they need to know how to deal with stigma from their families and communities. This has seen Mr. Amakobe and his colleagues move in different forums, including funerals, where they ask for time to announce their status and describe how they are coping.

The group still has some challenges. The members have a greenhouse but no water. The stream to fetch water is very far which makes it difficult for the men to carry the water for the vegetables. Sometimes hospitals don’t have enough drugs, so they have to buy them for members.  Another challenge Mr. Amakobe cites is high expectations from the community, because everyone knows them and their work. He says, “When a person gets bed ridden, but [is] not a member [of our group], they will call us saying your patient is here, come and pick him.” This shows how much the group has accomplished in a few short years. They have succeeded in changing attitudes and improving lives.

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Many people who discover that they are HIV positive lose all hope in life. But James Ndlovu is living his life according to the saying “do not be negative about being HIV positive.” Mr. Ndlovu is a small scale farmer from Insiza district in the Matabeleland South province of Zimbabwe. He and his wife Sifiso were diagnosed five years ago. Since then, the couple has been dedicated to improving their lives by improving their farm. At the same time, they have enlightened their community with their farming skills and attitude.

Mr. Ndlovu admits that it was hard and painful to accept his status when he tested positive. Some of his friends labelled him a walking accident. But counselling by home-based care givers changed his attitude. He says, “Yes I’m living with the HIV virus and I think that painful fact has consolidated my attitude towards [a] better life through hard work.”

That hard work has taken place on the family farm. Caregivers advised Mr. Ndlovu and his wife  to improve their diet, so they began growing vegetables and fruits.  Mr. Ndlovu has also been working closely with extension workers and veterinary officers to improve his farming methods. He learned how to use fertilizers and cattle manure to increase soil fertility and improve yields. He also learned how to use herbicides and insecticides.

He adds, “What I have also learned is that in order for one to be a successful farmer, capital is needed for machinery such as planters and cultivators.” Mr. Ndlovu has been able to use this equipment. He says, “Despite the fact that I’m working on a small piece of land, my output per hectare has continued to increase.”

He also uses modern methods to keep his animals healthy. He says, “I’m now my own veterinary officer. I recently bought a full kit for animal diseases control, which has all the doses and vaccines.”

Mr. Ndlovu set a goal to harvest a minimum of four tonnes of maize each year, and he has achieved this goal! A larger harvest has meant more income for the family. Money from selling produce allowed Mr. Ndlovu to acquire seven heifers and a cart in 2009, alone. He has never failed to pay school fees for his two children who are currently attending secondary school.

The couple is now living a healthy life, with good annual harvests in both their maize field and fruit and vegetable garden. Mr. Ndlovu emphasizes that they derive their strength from taking their antiretroviral drugs in a regular and timely manner. They cement this by eating nutritious food rich in vitamins.

Alfina Sibanda is an extension worker in Insiza district. She confirms that Mr. Ndlovu is a dedicated communal farmer who has bravely fought the stigma associated with people living with HIV and AIDS. She says: “He has created a name for himself through his extraordinary farming skills. He is doing what we are recommending and that is working well for him.” She says that extension workers use occasions such as World AIDS Day to advise farmers to go for testing early, and to get appropriate medical care.

Ndlovu’s wife, Sifiso, notes that treatment, a good diet, and a positive attitude are key weapons to fight the virus. Through successfully improving their farming methods and increasing yields, the couple has earned respect from the community. This has overcome a lot of the stigma around HIV. Indeed, Mr. Ndlovu has won the hearts of many fellow farmers who have re-christened him “Ndlovu the farmer of farmers.”

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John Chaoneka tested positive for HIV in 2010. He thought it was the end of his life. Little did he know that herbs could help him stay healthy. His life has since changed for the better.

Mr. Chaoneka comes from the Zomba district of Malawi. At 37, he is married with two children. Mr. Chaoneka says he felt dejected when he received his diagnosis. But he discovered an NGO called Development Aid from People to People, or DAPP. DAPP helped him learn the power of herbs.  He says, “After counselling from DAPP, I joined a group of 20 farmers to [learn about] HIV/AIDS, especially what to do to increase immunity using herbs when your CD4 count is low.” The CD4 count is an indicator of a person’s immune health. A low count may mean a person’s immune system is weak.

Mr. Chaoneka built on the little knowledge he had about herbal medicine. With training from DAPP, he became a full scale herbalist. He is now known as Doctor C in his community. With the help of his wife, he opened a makeshift herbal clinic which he operates from his house.

Mr. Chaoneka advises people living with HIV not to despair but to find ways of staying healthy, such as using herbs. He says many farmers in his area are benefitting from his herbs. “I assist over 600 HIV-positive people from around my area with different HIV and AIDS-related ailments such as loss of appetite, sore throat, dizziness, low blood levels, and headaches.”

One of the medicines he prepares is called Power Drink. To make one litre of Power Drink, Mr. Chaoneka mixes one bulb of crushed garlic with the juice of three lemons, three teaspoons of honey, and a sizeable piece of crushed ginger. Water is added. According to Mr. Chaoneka, this drink boosts immunity, reduces a sore throat, and improves digestion.

Mr. Chaoneka grows many herbs in his backyard garden. He says, “Currently some of the herbs I grow in my garden include aloe vera, garlic, hibiscus, and lemongrass.” He also grows vegetables for his family to eat. Mr. Chaoneka sources other herbs from other people’s gardens, or from the bushes around Zomba forest. Mr. Chaoneka’s strategy this year is to reduce the cost of making medicines. He intends to grow more plants and scale up his herb garden. He says, “I want to … get more herbs from within reach and save on time that I spend travelling in search for the herbs.”

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