In Fombe, Malawi, the stakes are high for Andrew and Laston. These two brothers survive by farming a field that must produce enough crops to feed four families and their children. It’s hard, hard work, made harder by the changes that have been taking place lately. Drought has dealt a cruel blow to an already struggling area.
Sand covers Andrew's fields
A little more than a year ago heavy rains came and the nearby river flooded, dumping sand almost a metre high onto the brothers’ previously fertile soil. Now Andrew and Laston have to work much harder just to plant their crops:
‘Instead of just digging a small hole and digging some seeds in you have to dig a large hole, going down 90cm to find good earth. It used to be 30 seconds but now it takes us half an hour to plant one crop.’
The brothers don’t want to be dependent on aid, but the support from Eagles Relief and Development Programme – a Tearfund partner which was started by the Living Waters church in nearby Blantyre – has provided their families with food in desperate times.
Adapting to climate change
Through the local church Eagles has enabled local farmers, like Andrew and his brother , to plant trees which will help to protect their village from flooding and help them to grow more drought resistant crops like sweet potatoes. These are just two examples of how Tearfund partners are encouraging communities to adapt to changes in the climate.
There will be other years when Andrew and Laston need food. They will need support to help them combat the effects of a changing climate. They will need people like you and me working to reduce the impact that countries like ours has on farms like theirs.