'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

'Life feels more stable': In Zimbabwe, Red Cross helps farming communities cope with prolonged drought

Rising temperatures and increasingly erratic rainfall have reshaped Zimbabwe’s climate, with droughts now striking every two to three years instead of once a decade. The result: 2.7 million rural Zimbabweans face recurrent food insecurity.As the global climate crisis accelerates, hitting the South earliest and hardest, humanitarian responses are evolving from short-term relief to long-term resilience.“We are now moving from responding to disasters to addressing them proactively and also building the capacities of our communities to be resilient,” says Thulani Sibanda, Provincial Manager withthe Zimbabwe Red Cross Society.That shift underpins the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society’s contribution to the Africa Zero Hunger campaign.Recently launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Africa Zero Hunger reframes food security interventions away from episodic relief and toward long-term, community-driven projects.“Our animals are stronger and fetch better prices . . . With the extra income, we can pay school fees and buy inputs for the next season. Life feels more stable now.”Kelias Munkuli, a farmer in Siameja Village, ZimbabweStrengthening livelihoodsZimbabwe’s approach to food insecurity involves several concrete interventions that combine local knowledge, anticipatory action, and practical support.The Climate Smart Resilience Project, rolled out by the Zimbabwe Red Cross in Binga District in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North, is one such example.Using El Niño forecasts and satellite data, the Climate Smart Resilience Project team is able to direct specific resources to the right communities before droughts strike.In 2023, when drought conditions worsened, the project focused on livelihood protections like drought-tolerant seed distribution, livestock deworming, and community education.Over 4,000 households received training in climate-smart agriculture along with seed packs, and 2,800 cattle were vaccinated and dewormed.“The quality of cattle and the reduction in deaths in those areas are evident compared to others. We also trained local para-vets to support animal health,” says Thulani.“Communities practicing conservation farming with pearl millet had better yields than other regions. These success stories encourage replication elsewhere.”The farmers who benefited from these interventions have found renewed independence:“Our animals are stronger and fetch better prices,” explains Kelias Munkuli from Siameja Village. “With the extra income, we can pay school fees and buy inputs for the next season. Life feels more stable now.”“With this food assistance, I can save a little money to buy books for my children. It gives me hope that we’ll get through this.”52-year-old Monica Mpande, from Mupambe village, ZimbabweAdapting to changing needsWhen drought conditions worsened again in 2024, focus group discussions held by the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society revealed deep community concerns about children’s well-being, particularly the growing risks of hunger and malnutrition.The school feeding program was launched to make sure that children facing hunger received nutritious, fortified meals that helped them stay healthy and keep attending school. This became a vital lifeline to protect the most vulnerable while longer-term solutions took root.The intervention provided daily Corn Soya Blend (CSB) meals to over 5,378 children. Beyond schools, 3,400 vulnerable families also received life-saving food aid.For 52-year-old Monica Mpande, who lives in Mupambe village, food aid is more than just a meal. It provides parents with the means to prioritise their children’s education.“With this food assistance, I can save a little money to buy books for my children,” she says. “It gives me hope that we’ll get through this.”Looking aheadAs the Africa Zero Hunger campaign grows, collaboration remains central: building durable livelihoods, strengthening community ownership, and ensuring that adaptation strategies are designed with those who know the land best.“Communities are stakeholders, not passive recipients of aid. They’re at the center of our planning, programming, and implementation,” says Thulani.“We are now in a position to apply for early action funds to start community preparedness in the likely events we’re predicting, for instance, drought next year. We can start now by teaching adaptive agricultural practices, like conservation farming.”Join us in ending food insecurity in Africa. Explore the Africa Zero Hunger Campaign, share our stories, and be part of building resilient, self-reliant communities.

Farmers in Kenya fight food insecurity by making their own, low-cost animal feeds

Kenya’s food crisis has deepened, with an estimated 2.8 million people facing severe acute food insecurity in 2025, according to the Global Report on Food Crises 2025. For many farmers in Kenya, the struggle isn’t just about growing food; it’s about keeping their livestock alive when feed prices soar beyond reach.That’s what inspired a group of farmers in Taita Taveta County to start producing their own animal feed: a simple yet powerful idea supported by the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) through its Integrated Food Security and Livelihood (IFSL) Project.“Most Kenyans are practicing subsistence farming,” explains Lucy Sembei, programme manager at the Kenya Red Cross Society.“They may never get to place where farming allows them to meet their economic needs. So at Kenya Red Cross, we took a moment to think strategically about how to better support communities in slow-onset emergencies as well.”Innovation at the grassrootsInitially, the Kenya Red Cross provided poultry feed as part of its emergency relief support. But as drought worsened and feed prices climbed — a 90-kilogram bag of maize reached nearly USD 50 in early 2025 — communities found themselves dependent on aid once again.“As long as they depended on the Red Cross to buy feed, their food security would last only as long as the project. Beyond that, they wouldn’t be able to continue poultry farming,” says Sembei.So, rather than stepping in with another short-term fix, Sembei and her team decided to work with farmers and technical experts to design a lasting solution.Together with the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) and input from the community, the Kenya Red Cross introduced farmers to two game-changing feed ingredients: black soldier fly larvae and azolla, a fast-growing aquatic fern. Both are high in protein, easy to cultivate locally, and require minimal inputs.“[The black soldier fly] is a type of insect that’s extremely rich in protein,” says Sembei. “The eggs produced by hens fed on black soldier flies are far more nutritious than those raised on commercial feed, and the feed itself is cheap and easy for farmers to produce.”Training sessions helped farmers learn how to set up small-scale production systems, using simple materials to cultivate both the larvae and azolla at home. Soon, farmers were experimenting with different feed combinations and sharing their success with neighboring communities.“We went for training and received a donation of 30 chickens. Now I have sixty chickens. I sell eggs, I sell chicks. I can now pay my bills and school fees for my grandchildren.”Jane Mbula, one of the participants in the Kenya Red Cross programmeA meaningful impactThe project has had a meaningful impact on both food security and local livelihoods since its launch in 2021. Now, the 135 farmers supported by the project produce an average of six trays of eggs per month, using them for household consumption and selling the surplus at KSh 450 per tray.Through project-backed innovations, such as egg incubation for chick production and Azolla farming for protein-rich, low-cost feed, farmers have boosted egg yield and quality while cutting commercial feed use from four bags per week to just one in areas like Bura Ndogo and Malukiloriti.One beneficiary, Jane Mbula, explains: “We went for training and received a donation of 30 chickens. Now I have sixty chickens. I sell eggs, I sell chicks. I can now pay my bills and school fees for my grandchildren.”Beyond poultry farming, the project has achieved broad, far-reaching results across Taita Taveta County.So far, 3,405 people have participated; including 600 crop farmers, 2,000 sunflower growers, 80 beekeepers, 300 goat keepers, 40 rabbit farmers, and 150 mothers and 250 youth engaged in nutrition and savings schemes.As Sembei explains: “As we work in this space, our focus is on making food production more affordable for communities. Now that we’re encouraging durable, sustainable solutions, we’re also asking: how can communities produce without having to invest more than they can afford?That’s something we’re doing very deliberately — not on our own, but in close consultation with communities, research institutions, and learning centers across the country. The goal is to identify what’s already within reach, so that communities can continue their work independently, even beyond project funding.”The road to Zero HungerThe Integrated Food Security Project is one of several programs receiving support from the Africa Zero Hunger campaign, recently launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).The campaign shines a light on sustainable, community-driven solutions, highlighting the importance of investing in programs that strengthen local resilience and address the root causes of food insecurity across Africa.

Fighting hunger through the power of motherhood and fatherhood

This episode Red Vest podcast takes you on an immersive audio journey to remote villages in northern Nigeria. There, you will meet groups of mothers and fathers who are challenging social norms in order to tackle a severe, persistent hunger crisis and improve the health of their communities. We’ll also introduce you to another very important character known as “Tom Brown.” But you’ll have to listen to the episode to learn how Tom Brown is helping to bring thousands of children back from the brink of severe malnutrition.

New podcast episode: Fighting hunger through the power of motherhood and fatherhood

Somalia: IFRC launches CHF 25 million appeal as drought deepens humanitarian crisis

Nairobi, 7 October 2025— The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an emergency appeal for 25 million Swiss francs to help the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) respond to a worsening humanitarian crisis that has left millions struggling for survival amid failed rains, food shortages, and collapsing local systems.Naemi Heita, IFRC Head of Delegation, Nairobi Country Cluster for Kenya and Somalia, said:“This climate-driven drought is deepening an already complex humanitarian crisis, stripping communities of water, food, and fodder. SRCS volunteers remain on the frontlines, committed to helping their neighbours.”A crisis that’s far from seasonalSomalia remains one of the world’s most complex humanitarian contexts, shaped by decades of conflict, economic fragility and climate extremes.The country is grappling with the aftermath of its worst drought in 40 years and catastrophic floods in 2023. The failedGurains (April – June) triggered new drought declarations, while forecasts warn thatDeyrrains (October – December) will also fall short. More than 2.5 million people are facing severe shortages of food, water and essential services.Health centres are closing, displacement is rising, and community coping mechanisms – once a vital safety net – are now at a breaking point. Some communities have been relying on sharing scarce resources, migrating in search of water and pasture, selling livestock, and reducing meals, but these strategies are no longer enough.After years of recurring droughts and limited recovery time, these traditional safety nets are collapsing, leaving families with no options and in urgent need of sustained, life-saving support.Local responders on the frontlinesDespite insecurity, damaged roads and shrinking funds, the Somali Red Crescent Society continues to reach those most in need.With over 1,000 staff and 20,000 volunteers across 18 branches, SRCS provides health care, clean water, sanitation, shelter, and food support, often in areas inaccessible to others. In 2024 alone, SRCS reached 1.2 million people, demonstrating its unmatched community reach and trust.Yusuf Hassan, President, Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS), said:“This appeal is an urgent call to the international community to help sustain life-saving operations, as communities exhaust their final coping strategies and essential services scale down. We must act now to protect lives, save livelihoods, and offer a chance for recovery and hope.”Scaling up the responseThe IFRC emergency appeal will enable the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) to scale up life-saving and early recovery efforts across the country. This includes restoring clean water, improving sanitation, supporting food and livelihood recovery, and delivering essential health and nutrition services.All activities will integrate protection, gender, and inclusion to ensure communities are supported safely and with dignity. The IFRC and SRCS are urging donors, governments, and partners to stand with the people of Somalia and help close the growing funding gap.Note to editors:Audiovisual materials of the emergency response are available for download.For more information or to request an interview, please contact:[email protected] Nairobi:SRCS:Abdulkadir Afi:+254 725 687 768IFRC:Timothy Maina:+254 110 848 161 Susan Mbalu:+254 733 827 654In Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa:+41 79 708 43 67 Nora Peter:+36 70 953 7709

Africa Zero Hunger campaign: The post-aid approach to food insecurity

Food insecurity is an escalating crisis on the African continent. Many of its most vulnerable people are reliant on emergency aid, which does little to address the systemic causes of widespread hunger.For Pierre Kremer, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Regional office, Deputy Regional Director, the Africa Zero Hunger campaign represents something completely different: a shift from short-term fixes to investment in long-term solutions.Solutions backed by local knowledgeWith 48 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, more than 16,000 local branches, and more than 16 million volunteers deeply embedded in communities, Kremer and his colleagues have a unique vantage point on how hunger is lived and solved in Africa.When Kremer talks about tackling food insecurity, he doesn’t start with aid shipments or top-down plans. He starts with people.“The goal is to give a voice to communities that are well placed to ‘engineer’ or co-create solutions to meet their multifaceted needs based on their local knowledge,” he explains.In this way, the Africa Zero Hunger campaign represents a “solutions bank”, a growing collection of proven, community-led initiatives that show what works against food insecurity on the ground. From livestock sharing schemes in Rwanda to Mother’s Clubs in Nigeria, these solutions are practical, replicable, and already changing lives.“This campaign reflects a post-aid approach, focusing on durable solutions generated by the impacted communities themselves,” says Kremer.Building a coalition of the willingBut for these local solutions to move beyond a single village or district, they need more than recognition. They need investment, partnerships, and political will.“The objective is to create a coalition of the willing, from local communities to national governments and global actors, working alongside African institutions, the private sector, and UN agencies to ramp up efforts toward Zero Hunger,” Kremer explains.The first phase of the campaign is already underway, with case studies, media assets, and community stories being documented across six priority countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria.The mid-term plan is to expand this into an online multi-agency platform. This digital hub would act as the home of the solutions bank, a space where the National Societies can deposit solutions, and where donors, investors, and partners can connect directly with them.What’s missing is not ideas, but the support to take them further. Creating a bank of solutions offers a ready-made platform for governments, donors, and partners to back what works, directly at community level. For Kremer, this will allow us to move beyond aid and build the foundations for lasting food security across Africa.Ways to get involvedYou can help take community-led solutions from one community to many. Donors can support Africa Zero Hunger directly and help turn local solutions into wider change. And if giving isn’t an option, you can still make an impact by sharing these stories, sparking conversations, and adding your voice to the call for Zero Hunger in Africa.Join the Zero Hunger Campaign:Africa Zero Hunger: United for durable solutionsConfronting alarming food insecurity trends in Africa: An expert’s viewFrom short-term aid to long-term strength: Launching Africa Zero Hunger

Africa Zero Hunger: The empowering journey of Mtakuja's women farmers

In the quiet, sunbaked landscape of Mtakuja Village in Taita Taveta County, Kenya, farming has always posed significant challenges. The heat is often extreme, the soil dry, and the rains delayed for months. Yet, amid these challenges, a spirit of resilience is flourishing.At the heart of this transformation are women such as Margaret, a farmer and mother whose calm, steady voice carries the weight of years of hard work. Not long ago, each day was filled with worry. Buying food often meant borrowing money she could not repay, and repeated crop failures left her efforts feeling futile.The turning point came when she and a local Friends Women Group she is part of received support through the Integrated Food Security Project established by the Kenya Red Cross Society.The project works with over 1,000 farmers, who receive training and support in a variety of agricultural specialisations — including gala goats, poultry, apiculture, horticulture, sunflower, and vegetables.In the case of Margaret’s group, the programme gave each of the eight women members a female goat, while the group shared a he-goat for breeding. What seemed like a modest gift became the foundation for a more resilient livelihood.“Being part of the Friends Women Group has really helped me. It has given me a sense of belonging and support,” she says. “I am able to share ideas with my fellow members, and I always feel encouraged to keep pushing forward even when challenges come.”By breeding their goats, Margaret soon became the proud owner of eight healthy animals. From this herd, she now provides fresh milk for her family and occasionally sells some to buy sugar or soap. “I enjoy my goat milk with each cup of tea I sip,”she says with a smile, her pride unmistakable.From struggles to smart savingsThe Integrated Food Security Project is one of many initiatives supported by the Africa Zero Hunger campaign, recently launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).This campaign champions community-led durable solutions and calls for urgent investment in sustainable programmes that harness local resilience to tackle the root causes of food insecurity across the continent.In this case, donations to the Africa Zero Hunger campaign would help the Kenya Red Cross expand the project to reach more farmers and extend its impact into other drought-affected areas, turning a proven solution into a wider movement for food security.Projects like this work best alongside other community-based microeconomic initiatives that empower local farmers. In Margaret’s case, for example, she joined a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), where she learned how to save, borrow small loans, and invest wisely. With her earnings, she began farming kale in her compound. Thanks to water conservation techniques she learned through the programme, her small garden remains green even when water is scarce.“Through using improved kale seeds, together with the training I went through, I have gained the knowledge and skills to take better care of my crops. These practices have made my farming more productive,” she explains.Resilience through every challengeEarlier this year, Margaret faced a painful setback when elephants invaded Mtakuja and destroyed her entire kale garden in a single night. The loss was a harsh reminder of the ongoing human-wildlife conflict in the region. Yet, she refused to be defeated. Determined, she set her sights on replanting and rebuilding with even greater resolve.Today, Margaret’s home is alive with hope. Rows of kale once again line her compound, while the gentle sound of goats fills the air. A small bucket of milk often sits beside freshly harvested vegetables. Every scene tells a story of effort, perseverance, and renewal.This spirit of change is spreading across Mtakuja. Through the VSLA model and the solidarity within the Friends Women Group, more women are saving, investing, and securing a better future for their families.Now, the Integrated Food Security Project has reached around 1,500 farmers in total. Among them, about 350 farmers are keeping goats, while poultry farmers have been trained to use solarized incubators to scale up egg production and to produce sustainable poultry feeds for both consumption and sale.Those who grow sunflowers, many from rain-fed areas, are preparing to benefit from a new sunflower oil processing plant, which will add value to their harvests and boost their incomes.Margaret no longer lives under the shadow of food insecurity. Her children, now grown, have joined her in farming, caring for goats and crops, turning agriculture into a shared family strength. The women here are no longer only farmers. They are pillars of resilience and progress in their community.Story and photos by Gidraph Mbugua GitemaGet involved and make a difference:Join the Zero Hunger Campaign and help vulnerable communities on a path to resilience.

The Papas’ Club: In Nigeria, fathers break down barriers to fight hunger

From short-term aid to long-term strength: Launching Africa Zero Hunger

On 19 August 2025, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) officially launched the Africa Zero Hunger: United for Durable Solutionscampaign — a bold, Africa-wide movement to change the way we respond to food insecurity.Moderated by award-winning journalist Victoria Rubadiri, the virtual launch brought together policymakers, humanitarian leaders, grassroots innovators, and partners who share a common vision: a future where the communities hardest hit by food security can become part of the solution. Click here to watch the official launch of the Africa Zero Hunger campaign and hear experts discuss what durable, community-led solutions look like in action.Why Now?The numbers are staggering. Over 282 million people are undernourished in Sub-Saharan Africa, almost one-third of the world’s food-insecure population. In 2024 alone, 173 million people faced acute food insecurity or worse, with women and children disproportionately affected.This is not simply the result of bad harvests or temporary crises. It is the outcome of deep-rooted, structural challenges: climate shocks, violent conflict, displacement, and fragile food and social protection systems.But the crisis also presents an opportunity. It’s a chance to reset the humanitarian approach. Traditional aid models are struggling to leave a lasting impact, yet across Africa, communities are already designing, leading, and scaling solutions that work. The Zero Hunger Campaign aims to accelerate and replicate those efforts.Watch this video to learn more about the ongoing hunger emergency unfolding across AfricaWhat makes this campaign differentThe IFRC and its network of 191 National Societies, including more than 16 million volunteers globally, are uniquely positioned to bridge local knowledge and large-scale impact."It represents a turning point,” said Pierre Kremer, Deputy Regional Director, IFRC Africa. “It’s moving from short-term food aid to lasting, community-driven change. For Africa, it’s a rallying call to end hunger by harnessing local ingenuity, climate-smart practices, and sustainable livelihoods."From mothers’ clubs in Nigeria that reduce malnutrition at a fraction of the cost of traditional aid programs, to integrated food and livelihoods initiatives in Kenya that combine climate-smart farming with savings and health programs — the proof is already on the ground.The launch of the Zero Hunger Campaign is just the first step. Over the coming months, we will be publishing a regular newsletter that will bring you:Progress updates from the six launch countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, DRC, Mali, Nigeria, and ZimbabweSpotlights on local innovators — from women farmers to youth climate activists to volunteers on the groundEvidence and impact stories, showing how durable solutions are transforming livesOpportunities to get involvedSign up for the newsletter by clicking here.Our goal? To reach 60 million vulnerable people in 15 countries by 2030 and to prove that durable, locally-led solutions can be scaled sustainably.This is Africa’s moment to lead, but durable change requires collective action from governments, donors, private sector investors, civil society, media, and the African diaspora.Join us. Share the vision. Invest in durable solutions.Visit the campaign website to learn more, explore stories, and get involved.

From seeds to strength: How Rwanda’s Model Villages offer a pathway to resilience

On any given morning in Rwanda’s Mukindo Sector, Gisagara District, you’ll hear goats bleating from their pens, while chickens peck at the dusty paths between homes.Just beyond the fields, a group of women gather beneath a tree. They have come together to record the latest births in the village’s livestock-sharing programme — a system where each family that receives an animal passes its first offspring to a neighbour in need.Moments like these reflect a growing movement in Rwanda: the “Model Village”, an ambitious Rwanda Red Cross programme that empowers vulnerable communities to work together to become more resilient to chronic poverty and increasingly severe bouts of food insecurity.The goal is to help local towns and villages become replicable models for sustainable, local development, food production, and livelihoods.For Emmanuel Ntakirutimana, head of the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (PMER) Department, Rwanda Red Cross, the model villages represent a much-needed holistic approach to Africa’s food insecurity crisis.“In general, you see that developmental programmes are lacking substantial funding,” he said. “People will fund things like emergency response, rather than supporting communities to meet their needs consistently, which strengthens their capacities to mitigate risk.”The risk Ntakirutimana mentions here is growing. Across Africa, climate change is disrupting planting seasons and shrinking harvests. Conflict displaces millions from their land. Rising prices make even basic staples unaffordable for vulnerable families. And while emergency food aid can save lives in the short term, it often leaves the underlying causes of food insecurity untouched, meaning communities remain just one disaster event away from crisis.As it stands, Africa faces its most severe hunger crisis in decades. Over 282 million people, more than one in five, are affected. From drought-stricken Southern Africa to famine-threatened communities in the East, the challenge is vast, but not insurmountable.Established in 2008, the Model Village is one of the initiatives through which the Rwanda Red Cross provides support to vulnerable communities, aiming to help them lift themselves out of poverty through collective participation under the slogan, “Duhuze Imbaraga Twiyubaka,” or “Our Strength, Our Development.”It involves partnership with community leaders and local authorities who work together to plan and implement interventions like livestock sharing, improved housing, and clean water access, while also educating families on hygiene and equipping them to sustain these practices themselves.“This approach is key to ensuring that communities are given not only ownership of the solution, but the self-confidence to face challenges head-on,” explains Ntakirutimana.“We want to build people’s capacity to withstand the hazards affecting them as they sustain themselves,” he said. “So when you invest in preparedness, as you build this within the community, there will be fewer response needs. By the time a disaster hits, people will already have ways to respond effectively to the risk.”Rooted in community, designed for scaleA Model Village begins with spotting potential opportunities within a vulnerable community, whether it’s a reliable water source, proximity to a connecting road, or the drive of a committed local leader.From there, Red Cross Society volunteers, already trusted members of the community, step in to provide targeted support. For instance, Béatrice, a 42-year-old farmer and mother to six children in Gihombo Sector, Nyamasheke District, was able to learn better hygiene practices through the programme, access to safe drinking water, and an opportunity to earn an income.“I received a pig which reproduced well and provided me with a source of income. I rented a plot of land where I grow vegetables. I also do other small income-generating activities,” said Béatrice.“The increase in our income and savings, as well as everything the Red Cross has implemented in our community, is just the visible part of the iceberg. What really matters to us is that we have regained our dignity.”According to Ntakirutimana, one of the most important parts of a Model Village is ensuring communities gain the self-confidence to lead their own development. The Red Cross’ role is temporary: to support until local skills and resilience are strong enough for the community to sustain and grow its own solutions.“We want to see the role of the community increase as we support them,” added Ntakirutimana. “Up to where we can say that the ownership of the activities is 90 per cent in the hands of the community. Once they’re in the driving seat, it means you have built the sustainability of the intervention.”In successful Model Villages, community leaders become role models, and community members spread their resilience strategies to their neighbours. This strong sense of ownership is what makes the Model Village approach so easy to replicate. It builds on values already central to African life, particularly the tradition of solidarity.Working together on shared goals strengthens bonds of trust and mutual support, while creating a culture of problem-solving that lasts well beyond the initial project.Just as importantly, success in one village is usually shared with neighbouring communities, sparking a ripple effect of change. In this way, each Model Village becomes both a blueprint and a source of inspiration, helping others adapt the model to their own realities and accelerating the spread of durable, locally-led solutions.Across Rwanda, the Model Village approach is already transforming lives in tangible ways. Like Béatrice, who, along with her village co-operative, has learned how to produce and sellbriquettes made from organic waste.Hygiene has also improved dramatically, with villages adopting safe water practices and better sanitation facilities, reducing the spread of disease. Young people are stepping forward as active participants, contributing energy and fresh ideas to community projects. Women, too, are taking on greater leadership roles, driving initiatives such as communal gardening, savings groups, farming associations or cooperatives, and small-scale enterprises.These successes don’t just improve day-to-day life; they build the skills, confidence, and structures needed to keep progress growing long after the initial support has ended.“Listen to the communities. Listen to their wishes,” Ntakirutimana advised. “We listen to what they see as priorities, and then facilitate the process.”Securing the next chapter of the Model Village initiativeThe Model Village initiative is just one of the locally driven, lasting solutions supported by the recently launched Zero Hunger campaign. Driven by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the campaign calls for urgent investment in sustainable, community-led programmes that address the root causes of food insecurity across the continent.By amplifying proven approaches like Rwanda’s Model Villages, the Africa Zero Hunger campaign aims to inspire governments, partners, and donors to shift from short-term relief to long-term resilience, ensuring that communities are equipped to withstand future crises and thrive.Get involved:Join the Zero Hunger Campaign and help vulnerable communities on a path to resilience.More articles about the Africa Zero Hunger campaign:Confronting alarming food insecurity trends in Africa: An expert’s viewFrom short-term aid to long-term strength: Launching Africa Zero Hunger

Confronting alarming food insecurity trends in Africa: An expert’s view

Africa faces its most severe hunger crisis in decades. As of July 2025, over 282 million people, more than one in five, are affected, with entire regions pushed to the brink by climate shocks, economic instability, and conflict. From drought-stricken Southern Africa to famine-threatened communities in the East, the challenge is vast, but not insurmountable.As Gilbert Phiri, senior coordinator for the Africa region Zero Hunger Initiative at IFRC, explains, ending hunger will take more than emergency aid. It will require durable, community-led solutions designed to withstand future crises and empower people to feed themselves for generations to come.In this conversation, Gilbert shares the latest hunger trends across Africa, what makes a solution durable, and why community ownership is essential for scaling sustainable change.Understanding the crisisQ: What are the most critical hunger and malnutrition trends you’re seeing across Africa in 2025?A: Africa’s hunger and malnutrition crisis is growing more acute in 2025, propelled by interlinked climate, economic, and conflict-related shocks. Without immediate and coordinated global action, including investment in resilient food systems and targeted humanitarian aid, millions more are at risk of chronic hunger and life-threatening malnutrition.The most critical hunger and malnutrition trends across Africa in 2025 are deeply concerning, with indicators worsening in multiple regions despite some global improvements.Q: Could you highlight regional differences or hotspots?A: Almost no region is untouched:InWestandCentral Africa, over 52 million people face hunger during the 2025 lean season—an all-time high.Southern Africa: Countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Namibia are seeing up to 40 per cent of their populations in acute food insecurity due to drought, floods, and economic shocks.East Africa: Over 69 million people face acute food insecurity, half of the continent’s total undernourished population, according to the March 2025 update of the Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG).Two other key Africa-wide analyses, from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification and the Global Report on Food Crises 2025 add that over 85 million people are highly food insecure in the East and Horn of Africa (including Sudan and South Sudan).In some countries, one in three children is malnourished. Somalia has the highest rates, but Chad, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, and Guinea-Bissau also exceed 30 per cent undernourishment.Q: What do recent statistics reveal about the scale of the crisis?A: As of July 2025, more than 307 million Africans—over 20 per cent of the continent’s population—are affected by hunger. Childhood stunting averages 30.7 per cent across Africa, with wasting (insufficient weight relative to a child’s age) at 6 per cent.In some countries, one in three children is malnourished. Somalia has the highest rates, but Chad, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, and Guinea-Bissau also exceed 30 per cent undernourishment.But addressing this crisis isn’t just about recognizing the scale of the need. A core aspect of the Zero Hunger Campaign is rethinking the way we respond to food insecurity.Defining durable solutionsQ: Durable solutions to addressing hunger can mean different things in different contexts. From your perspective, what are some of the core characteristics or principles that make a food security intervention ‘durable’?A: Durable solutions are those that are sustainable, systemic, and capable of withstanding future shocks induced by either conflict, climate change, or economic instability.Durable solutions require coordination, innovation, and inclusivity when addressing the root causes of hunger. They also build individual, community and agency resilience to food insecurity.Durable solutions must be:Sustainable and systemic – able to withstand future climate, conflict, and economic shocks.Locally led and scalable – driven by communities, designed for replication.Integrated – combining agriculture, social protection, and market access.Focused on livelihoods – diversifying income and building resilience.Q: How do these differ from short-term aid?A: Short-term aid saves lives in emergencies, but it’s temporary. Durable solutions tackle root causes, empower communities, and build systems that last. They combine health, education, agriculture, and economic development so that people can feed themselves year after year.An example of a project we’ve successfully replicated is the Village Model. In this project, households work together with support from the IFRC to improve food security, livelihoods, and resilience through shared resources, skills, and mutual support.Q: What makes durable solutions so impactful in these contexts?A: The attributes of a durable solution make it possible to transfer core methodologies and principles from one setting to another, adapting as needed for local success.An example of a project we’ve successfully replicated is the Village Model. In this project, households work together with support from the IFRC to improve food security, livelihoods, and resilience through shared resources, skills, and mutual support.By combining sustainable agriculture, savings groups, and social cohesion, it creates self-reliant villages capable of withstanding future shocks.Q: How important is community ownership when it comes to the success of these interventions?A: Community ownership and involvement are absolutely central to making zero hunger solutions both durable and scalable. When people design, manage, and adapt solutions themselves, they last longer and spread faster.In Rwanda, community-managed livestock schemes flourished because members reinvested in each other. In Nigeria, men began supporting mothers’ clubs after seeing tangible benefits for their households.Community-led approaches naturally foster replication and scale because they build confidence, local skills, and social structures that can extend successful models to new groups or regions. Strong community buy-in ensures that innovations are embraced, adapted, and promoted by local champions, creating a multiplier effect.What needs to happen nextQ: What support is most urgently needed to scale durable, community-led solutions?A:There is a significant financing gap—estimates indicate an additional $21–77 billion per year from public sources and much more from private sector investment is needed for food systems transformation in Africa.Current financial flows are insufficient to bridge this gap and reach all communities in need. Community-led models need multi-year, stable funding—not just short-term, crisis-driven aid—to allow them to take root, expand, and demonstrate impact over time.Other than that, we need enabling regulations, stronger government–community coordination, and expanded social protection programs, as well as training in climate-smart agriculture, organizational strengthening, and access to innovation and technology.The shift in thinking we hope to inspire all partners and stakeholders should move from asking: 'How can we feed people today?' to asking: 'How can we ensure people can feed themselves next year—and every year thereafter?'Q: If there’s one message for donors and partners, what is it?A: Sustainable, community-led solutions—not short-term fixes—are the only way to end hunger, and they require long-term, flexible investment and enabling policies to thrive.Too often, hunger responses rely on crisis-driven, one-off aid. While essential in emergencies, these don’t dismantle the root causes—poverty, fragile food systems, inequitable access to resources, and climate shocks.Durable, locally rooted approaches have already proven they can work, but they remain under-resourced and constrained by rigid funding cycles or policy barriers.The shift in thinking we hope to inspire all partners and stakeholders should move from asking:“How can we feed people today?”to asking:“How can we ensure people can feed themselves next year—and every year thereafter?”Join us in ending food insecurity in Africa. Explore the Africa Zero Hunger Campaign, share our stories, and be part of building resilient, self-reliant communities.

From grain to gain: A story of women’s empowerment and food security in Cameroon

At first glance, Kartoua may seem like any other rural village in the Mayo-Danay division. But this border community, vulnerable to seasonal floods and food insecurity, has become the stage for a quiet revolution led by women.Twelve women came together to form the Soubota Common Initiative Group (GIC). Their mission: to fight food scarcity by creating a cereal bank that buys millet and rice at low prices after harvest, stores them, and resells them during the lean season at affordable, community-friendly rates.“When we started, many didn’t believe in us, especially the men,” says Ahmadou Sergeline, a mother of nine, farmer, and president of the Soubota women’s cereal bank. “But over time, as they saw how we were helping the village, everything changed. Even my husband now supports and advises me.”From scarcity to sustainable strategy“When the floods hit, millet became impossible to find,” Sergeline recalls. “But thanks to the Red Cross support, we had 20 sacks ready. Every morning, women would line up with small bowls, buying just enough to feed their children.”The support came at a crucial time. The Cameroon Red Cross provided the women’s group with 20 bags of millet, along with training in stock management and basic accounting.“Before, we didn’t keep proper records. Now we have ledgers for everything — what comes in, what goes out, and what belongs to whom. People even entrust us with their own cereal bags, which we store safely for a small fee.”Equity first: feeding the most vulnerable“We made rules to protect the poorest,” explains Sergeline. “We limited purchases to four measures per household, and we refused to sell to wealthier buyers just looking for bargains. We know our community. We know who truly needs help.”Grains are sold directly at the warehouse, always below market prices. This solidarity pricing ensured that widows, the elderly, and female-headed households could make it through the lean season with dignity.The initial stock was only the beginning. Revenues from the first sales were used to purchase 45 new sacks of rice, allowing the cycle to continue. After sharing the dividends from the sales, the group decided to reinvest all profits into the next round of cereal purchases.“We put everything back into stock because we saw that demand was even higher than expected,” Sergeline explains.Normally, profits would be transparently allocated to different committees responsible for various activities:50 per cent to the management committee (day-to-day running of the GIC),30 per cent to the community hygiene committee,20 per cent to cereal restocking.But in a strong show of collective responsibility, the entire committee agreed to reinvest their shares, strengthening the group’s next cycle.More than grain: a space for growth and leadershipCereal banks like the one in Kartoua are one of many initiatives supported by the Programmatic Partnership between the IFRC network and the European Union. The partnership provides strategic, flexible, predictable, and long-term funding, so that National Societies can act before a crisis or health emergency occurs. It is being implemented in 24 countries around the world.In this case, the Cameroon Red Cross also works alongside the Soubota Common Initiative Group to support their activities, with the French Red Cross teams also working as an implementing partner.For Sergeline and the women of Kartoua, the cereal bank has become a safe space — a platform to learn, grow, and lead.“When we meet, we don’t just talk about millet. We talk about running our households, educating our daughters, strengthening our marriages. I have seven girls. I want them to see that women can lead too.”The training and engagement provided by Red Cross teams empowered the women not only technically, but also emotionally and socially.“They didn’t just bring us grain. They brought us respect. They listened to us. They saw us not as beneficiaries, but as partners.”“It wasn’t just food. It was dignity,” adds Marie, a grandmother who bought grain from the cereal bank during the lean season. “I didn’t have to beg. I bought what I could afford, and I fed my grandchildren.”“We are asking for more support,” Sergeline says. “Not just for us, but for the whole village. The needs are huge. But the solution is here — it just needs to be strengthened.”Her dream is clear: to ensure that no family goes hungry during the next flood or lean season. In the hands of women like Sergeline, a sack of millet becomes a shield against hunger, a symbol of dignity, and a seed for the future.

IFRC launches Zero Hunger Campaign to drive durable food security across Africa 

Nairobi, Kenya, 19 August 2025–The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has officially launched its Africa Zero Hunger: United for Durable Solutionscampaign, marking a bold step toward redefining the fight against hunger in Africa.The campaign was unveiled today, 19 August 2025, during a virtual event moderated by award-winning journalist Victoria Rubadiri, bringing together African leaders, humanitarian actors, and community innovators from across the continent.Its mission: to move beyond short-term aid and invest in durable, community-led solutions that strengthen local systems, adapt to climate and conflict, and deliver lasting, resilient change.A systemic crisis, a collective opportunityAcross sub-Saharan Africa,over 282 million people are undernourished — almost one-third of the world’s food-insecure population. In 2024 alone, 173 million people faced acute food insecurity or worse, with women and children bearing the heaviest burden.This crisis stems from deep-rooted structural drivers — climate shocks, conflict, displacement, and weak food and social protection systems. But it also presents a historic opportunity to reset how we respond.The Zero Hunger Campaign: United for Durable Solutions calls for a shift away from short-term aid toward community-led, African-owned solutions that build long-term resilience."It represents a turning point,” said Pierre Kremer, Deputy Regional Director, IFRC Africa. “It’s moving from short-term food aid to lasting, community-driven change. For Africa, it’s a rallying call to end hunger by harnessing local ingenuity, climate-smart practices, and sustainable livelihoods."Durable solutions, African leadershipLaunched in Kenya, Ethiopia, DRC, Mali, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe, the campaign is grounded in SDG 2, the AU’s Agenda 2063, and the Malabo Declaration. It aims to reach 60 million vulnerable people in 15 countries by 2030.The Zero Hunger Campaign will channel investment into:Climate-smart agriculture & ecosystem restorationAccess to finance and marketsCommunity-led social protectionWomen and youth-led cooperativesIntegrated food, health, and nutrition systemsFrom launch to actionThe IFRC is driving this transformation through its network of African National Societies and more than one million community-based Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers. These volunteers, embedded in local systems and trusted by their communities, are helping scale proven, locally designed approaches to food security.What’s nextThe launch may be complete, but the mission has only just begun: the IFRC is calling on governments, donors, the private sector, civil society, media, and the African diaspora to help expand and replicate these solutions.The campaign’s message is clear: Zero Hunger starts with us.Spread the word and follow campaign updates:https://bit.ly/AfricaZeroHunger For more information or to request an interview, please contact:[email protected] get involved, please contact:[email protected] Nairobi:Susan Nzisa Mbalu: +254 733 827 654In Geneva:Tommaso Della Longa: +41 79 708 43 67Hannah Copeland: +44 7535316633

Africa Zero Hunger: United for durable solutions

Over 282 million people across the continent are undernourished, and Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounts for nearly one-third of global food insecurity.The IFRC Network, in partnership with governments, donors and community leaders, aims to scale community-driven, climate-smart solutions to fight hunger at the source.Together, we can break the cycle and ensure that Africa moves closer to zero hunger.

'A child belongs to the community': Mothers take the lead in fight against hunger in northern Nigeria

‘I know what it takes to experience that level of vulnerability’ – IFRC’s new regional director for Africa talks about the challenges ahead 

What does it take to manage humanitarian crisis response for a massive continent dealing with a wide range of challenges – conflict, mass population movements, epidemics, tropical storms, drought and a widespread hunger crisis. Find out how IFRC’s new regional director for Africa, Charles Businge, plans to tackle these challenges and how his upbringing in Uganda shaped him for the task ahead. “I have seen war and fighting between different armed groups and I have worked in similar contexts,” he tells us. “So, I am committed to supporting people who faced these kinds of vulnerabilities, because I know what it takes to experience that level of vulnerability.”

Benin and Togo: Burning less, planting more and combatting climate change one meal at a time — welcome to the ‘Mothers Club’

In the remote corners of Benin and Togo, a transformation is taking place.With support from the Benin and Togo Red Cross Societies, groups of mothers have joined forces to deliver life-changing interventions that mitigatethe impacts ofclimate change,combat deforestation, improve nutrition andimprove people’s health.Welcome to the Mothers’ Clubs of Benin and Togo, where women are joining forces with local volunteers, young students, teachers and others to reduce fuel consumption, plant trees and sew crops adapted to shorter growing seasons,One of the key projects involves the way food is prepared in many rural communities.Womenin the Mothers’ Clubs, for example,are being trained tomakeand use improved cookstoves, which reduce firewood consumption and harmful smoke. This innovation not only eases their daily struggles but also curbs deforestation and air pollution.“Before, we used stoves made of stones, which caused us a lot of trouble,” says Dgniri Ouseni, a community member from Kara, Togo. “Those stoves consumed so much firewood, and firewood was becoming scarce.”“With these new energy-efficient stoves, one piece of firewood is enough to cook a meal. Our struggles have been reduced.”Beyond improved cookstoves, training in disaster preparedness, short-cycle seed farming, and reforestation have empowered communities to tackle climate challenges head-on.Mothers' Clubs are not unique to Togo and Benin. Set up by women in local communities with support from the Red Cross, they respond to the particular challenges their communities are facing.In Nigeria, Mothers Clubs address acute malnutrition by teaching new mothers about the importance of breastfeeding and better ways to use local cereals. Mothers Club members also become Red Cross volunteers and usually have a Red Cross coordinator who supports their activities.In Benin, they also supported efforts to plant over 21,000 trees in schools, villages, and communal areas. These trees are true multi-taskers: They combat soil erosion and provide nutritional and economic benefits, are symbols of hope.“They welcomed the initiative warmly. On the day we began planting the trees, we couldn’t manage the rush, everyone wanted to participate, including the teachers,” recalls Fagnihou Kokouvi, Deputy Headmaster of CEG Abomey.The trees’ benefits extend beyond the present.“The impact on future generations is obvious,”notes Frabrice Soutin, the local Red Cross President in Abomey. “Two or three years from now, the children on this field will benefit from the shade of these trees to protect them from the sun.”Across both countries, volunteers and community leaders have received training on disaster preparedness, climate resilience, and natural resource management.In Togo, the Togolese Red Cross supported 920 members of Mothers' Clubs and Men’s Committees, fostering environmental awareness and sustainable practices.“The Mothers’ Clubs were trained on techniques for making improved stoves and on how to avoid cutting down trees unnecessarily,” says Addom Aklesso, project manager for the Togo Red Cross. “They’ve also learned to monitor local indicators that signal floods, so they can prepare their villages.”In addition to these climate-focused interventions, displaced households and vulnerable families in northern Benin received life-saving aid, including food kits, cooking tools, and mosquito nets.Training in short-cycle seeds like maize and tomatoes – which produce fruit relatively quickly – has enhanced food security despite increasingly unpredictable weather patterns that have shortened the usual growing season.With funding from the Bureau for Humanitarian Affairs (BHA) of USAID and support from the IFRC, these projects have reached thousands, from volunteers and mothers’ clubs to schoolchildren and displaced families.For Aklesso Quentin Adom, who leads the project for the Togo Red Cross in the north of Togo, the progress so far gives him hope.“If all these plants are maintained and they reach maturity, this will allow us to have good rainfall in the locality, in the region,” he says. “Beyond that, communities will be more resilient, poverty will be reduced because at the level of mothers' clubs and men's committees, we will identify the income-generating activities of members to enable them to participate in the needs of the household. This is the long-term impact that all these interventions will have in local communities.”

Syria: Complex Emergency

The humanitarian crisis in Syria has sharply worsened following intensified hostilities since late November 2024, leading to mass displacement, destruction of infrastructure, and severe shortages in basic services. Donations to this urgent emergency appeal will help the Syrian Arab Red Crescent provide life-saving assistance, including food, shelter, health and protection services to 5 million people across Syria.

Afghanistan: Child malnutrition amidst economic hardship and climate disasters

Kabul/Kuala Lumpur/Geneva – Mobile health teams and fixed clinics run by the Afghan Red Crescent Society are recording alarming cases of acute malnutrition in children, especially in areas where communities are concurrently facing household economic instability, in addition to bearing the brunt of climate-related disasters and the effects of a decades-long conflict.Data from ARCS health facilities and anecdotal accounts shared by Red Crescent frontliner staff and volunteers underline the calls made by other humanitarian agencies, including UNICEF and Save the Children, that funding support is critical to saving the lives of thousands of children. Estimates provided in the beginning of the year indicated that some 2.9 million children aged under five could suffer from acute malnutrition in 2024.Dr. Mohammad Nabi Burhan, Secretary General of the ARCS, says: “The scale of malnutrition in our country is staggering, based on the numbers our mobile health teams and fixed clinics are registering. Severe acute malnutrition can be fatal if left untreated so it is imperative that we take urgent action to save as many lives as we can.”As part of their routine services, ARCS mobile health teams and fixed clinics undertake malnutrition screening, distribute ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF), provide education to communities on how to prevent malnutrition, and refer severe cases for treatment by specialised agencies or in better-equipped hospitals.“Our frontline workers are telling us that dozens of children are not getting timely treatment because our Movement partners have not received sufficient funding to scale up services. This cruel reality leaves three unfortunate options for children who are at most risk: stunted growth, wastage, or death. We must do our best, collectively, to ensure better options for our children,” adds Dr. Mohammad Nabi Burhan.The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is releasing 500,000 Swiss francs from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) to contribute to urgent life-saving interventions by ARCS.Necephor Mghendi, Head of IFRC Afghanistan Delegation, who visited some of the ARCS mobile health teams and fixed clinics in Kandahar two weeks ago, says: “Within the span of an hour I spent with Red Crescent frontliners operating a mobile health team in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar, two out of five children screened had severe acute malnutrition. Parents of these children said they lacked adequate income to obtain food, had already sold assets to survive, and that humanitarian assistance was their last resort.”“Malnutrition in early childhood could lead to long-term physical or cognitive disability. We need to prevent these lasting impacts on children we are able to assist, together with the ARCS,” Necephor Mghendi adds.The IFRC and ARCS are also rolling out programmes aimed at enhancing the capacity of communities and preparing them to withstand future difficulties, such as climate shocks like drought and harsh winters.Dr. Mohammad Nabi Burhan, Secretary General of the ARCS, says: “Even as we support affected children to receive urgent treatment, we must provide durable solutions in a manner that also tackles root-causes and vulnerabilities. These communities have faced head-on crises one after another, yet with sustained multisector support we can support them to become self-reliant and more resilient.”Longer-term ARCS programmes integrate primary and community health services, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions, livelihood assistance, disaster preparedness, disaster risk reduction measures, support for widows, and climate change adaptation, among others.For more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] Afghanistan: Sayed Eshaq Muqbel +93 707 336 040In Kuala Lumpur: Afrhill Rances +60 19 271 3641In Geneva: Hannah Copeland +41 76 236 9109

Zimbabwe: Water project offers a garden of hope in drought-stricken region

A 37-year-old mother of seven, Patience Makuya is one of many women who have borne the brunt of a devastating drought that has turned once fertile fields into barren expanses.Triggered by the El Niño weather phenomenon, the drought has ravaged Southern Africa, leaving millions facing food insecurity and water scarcity.In Mwenezi, Masvingo Province, a district renowned for its erratic rainfall and high temperatures, the impact has been particularly severe. Here, more than 80 percent of the region received below-average rainfall, leading to widespread crop failures and deepening the hunger crisis.For women like Patience, the daily struggle for survival has become a harsh reality – though a newly created irrigation system and garden is now easing the pressure on many families. "Before this piped water system and garden, we used to walk long journeys to fetch water and leave our children all day with hunger," Patience recalled. "We had no vegetables to give our children to eat with sadza, so we would buy sugar for them to eat with the sadza."This grim reality is shared by many in Mwenezi, where the drought has pushed food insecurity to alarming levels, with nearly half the population grappling with severe hunger.A pipeline of hopeRecognizing the dire need in Mwenezi, the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, with support from the IFRC, has initiated several life-saving projects aimed at mitigating the impact of the drought.One such project is the Gudomutovhoti Piped Water Scheme, a 2km pipeline network commissioned in May 2024, that has brought much-needed water to the district, transforming lives in the process.The pipeline network supports the 1.5 hectare-nutrition garden, where Patience and many other women from 100 households diligently tend to their allocated plots.For Patience and the women of Gudomutovhoti community in Ward 14, under Chief Neshuro, the piped water scheme has been nothing short of a miracle. In a region prone to irregular rainfall and water challenges, especially in the face of climate change, the scheme has not only reduced the arduous task of fetching water but has also provided the means to sustain their families.Through the establishment of a nutrition garden, Patience and other women in the community can now grow vegetables and legumes, offering a vital source of nutrition. "Our children now have better nutrition thanks to this garden,”Patience says. “We can cook spinach from our garden and feed our families." The nutrition garden has also fostered a sense of self-reliance among the women, who have taken ownership of their plots and are now able to provide for their families, despite the harsh conditions."Many in the community were sceptical and laughed at us for being a part of the project, but now they come to ask us for vegetables to eat from our garden plots and we sell to raise money to either pay for school fees for our children or buy grain to ward off hunger in this drought," Patience shared.Challenges still aheadWhile the piped water scheme and nutrition garden have provided much-needed relief, the challenges facing Mwenezi are far from over. The drought continues to tighten its grip, exacerbating food insecurity and leading to a range of social issues, including gender-based violence, child marriages, and school dropouts."This drought has made these challenges worse," said Abigail Murwira, the district's Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development gender officer. "Couples argue more when food is lacking, and many girls are leaving school to be married as their families seek ways to make a living."The drought has taken a heavy toll on livestock herders, with many animals dying from a lack of water and grazing. The Gudomutovhoti water station is providing critical relief, supplying much-needed water to both the herders and their livestock, easing the drought's harsh impact.The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society’s needs assessment in Mwenezi, supported by the IFRC, underscores the urgent need for a scaled-up response, as called for in the ongoing IFRC emergency appeal for countries impacted by drought and food insecurity in Africa. Without additional support, millions of people in Zimbabwe and across the region will face worsening levels of acute food insecurity, malnutrition, and water scarcity.Patience Makuya’s story is a stark reminder of the human cost of climate change and the critical need for sustained humanitarian efforts. While the ZRCS and IFRC have made significant strides in alleviating the immediate suffering in Mwenezi, and the resilience of people like Patience is inspiring, these facts should not be seen as a substitute for the support they so desperately need.By Rumbidzai Nenzou, IFRC Communications Officer

In part of Nigeria hard hit by drought and heatwaves, Red Cross volunteers are helping farmers find natural solutions

Like many young people in Nigeria, Saratu Aboki was introduced to the Red Cross in grade school, when she learned a range of first-aid skills to care for herself and others in emergencies.Over the years, she trained many others in first aid and in doing so she learned to speak many of the 29 languages spoken in her home state of Nasarawa.But even though she always had a strong love for the environment and the natural world, she says she was never very interested in one of the biggest activities in her home state: farming. Despite the fact that farming makes up a big part of the economy in Nasarawa, she didn’t know much about what it took to grow the food that ended up on her table.That was until she saw how much the farmers were suffering due to the dual impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic – which put a halt on nearly all trade for farmers for several seasons -- and the prolonged heatwaves and droughts in the years since.Saratu knew she wanted to do something to help. After all, the farmers were the lifeblood of their area, bringing in income and producing the yams, sesame seeds, casava and maize beloved and needed by everyone.“After the Covid-19 pandemic, the small-scale farmers in my community had a hard time getting back on their feet because during the crisis they could not take their product to market to sell,” Saratu says. “They lost a lot of their crops, especially the perishable ones. They lost almost half of their livelihoods.”After the pandemic eased up, it didn’t get much better. The normal rainy seasons weren’t coming as usual. After losing so much, farmers could no longer afford supplies like fertilizers that they needed to put on their crops of wheat, rice, melon, cassava yams and maize.“The farmers had this ritual where, at the end of each harvest, they clear their fields by setting fire to the remains of the plants in the field,” she recalls. “So I started to think about how to convert the leftover plant material into organic fertilizer.”“When the IFRC was calling for applications for its ‘Limitless’ project at the Solferino Academy, for people who have innovative ideas, I saw it as an opportunity for me to help the people of my community to get back on their feet,” she says. ‘So excited to share’With support from her local branch, Saratu’s first step was to organize training sessions with about 120 farmers, who came from 15 communities in the area. The trainings went well and the farmers were receptive.In the coming months, Saratu and other branch volunteers organized trainings in 10 other communities, where they invited farm leaders from various communities in the hope that they would share the knowledge with other farmers.The composting process they proposed to the farmers is relatively simple, though it is hard work. First, the farmers collect all the leftover plant stalks and leaves. Then they make a pit and put the organic material inside.After that, they add some topsoil and some fresh plant material. Then sprinkle occasionally with water over the next three or four months. After that, the compost is ready to be put on the fields, in time for the next planting season.But it’s also not so simple. It’s important to get the right balance of materials and to give the process enough time. Too much of one ingredient – or not enough of another – can inhibit the composting process. Also, if the compost is not cured properly, it can be too strong and hurt the crops’ growth.It’s been a joint learning process, and Saratu stays in constant touch with farmers as an evolving experiment as they refine their technique and continue to share ideas.“They call me at all times of the day and night,” she says with a smile. “They are so excited to share what they’ve learned as they try new techniques and successes. They call me and say, ‘You have to come to my village and see my yams.’”“One farmer told me that last year, he got an increasing yield and was able to buy a car and that car is now helping get his produce from farm to the community. He doesn’t have to pay money to convey the produce to the community any longer. Also, he says his kids have gone back to school. I told him I was so happy.”“It keeps me going because I know it’s protecting our ecosystem, the communities and people’s health — and it’s making money for the farmers.”Helping people displaced by violenceThe project has now expanded to other states in Nigeria. In Benue State, Saratu and other volunteers have done many trainings in camps for people displaced due to violence between herding and farming communities.“The idea is to train them so that as go back to their homes, they have something to fall back on,” she says. “A lot of the displaced people lost everything and they have to go back to farming. A lot of them are not able to afford the supplies they need.”So far, the volunteers have trained more than 2,000 farmers. They also show a similar process to women who manage gardens from which their families get much of their daily food. In this case, the compost is made mainly with cow dung, chicken dropping and rice husks.From first-aider to farmerNow, many years after learning first aid as a young student, Saratu is still also a first aid volunteer who offers trainings in first aid wherever she goes. But she also has a new found love for farming.“Now I am putting these farming skills to the test myself,” she says. “I plant around my house and I do different tests, trying other things, mixing different ingredients to make the compost.”For example, she says, if you apply too much compost to a patch of sweet potatoes, you might end up with plants that produce a lot of leaves but not much of a fruit, or in this case the root. Now that she’s got the farming bug she wants to keep developing her own green thumb. “I just learnt it on my own,” she says. “I was someone who did not really like farming. But now I love it.”“I intend to farm really big now. I want to grow maize and rice. Presently, rice is one of crops that is very expensive so I would like to experiment on techniques so it can be grown more affordably.”“But I have a lot to learn. I am still on the journey.”

Tree-planting champions of Sierra Leone: Leading the fight against climate change, one seedling at a time

With her watering can in hand, Mariam Albert carefully sprinkles each of the many tree seedlings that cover the ground around her. Someday these young trees will bear fruits and nuts, and provide oil, cacao and wood for local communities. Just as importantly, they will help diminish the impacts of climate change and deforestation, while providing a vital source of local income.The tree seedlings were planted by Miriam and others in a community nursery as part of the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society’s (SLRCS) Tree Planting and Care Project. As one of the project’s Tree Planting and Care Champions, Miriam sees her hard work as not just a duty; it is a passionate pursuit to secure a greener and healthier future for generations to come.“I take deep pride in seeing my community embrace our initiative,” she says. “The trees not only provide green cover but also benefit families nutritionally and economically. This is because we focus on fruit trees like cashew, oil palm, cacao, avocado, and timber trees such as Gmelina”.Her role as a Tree Planting and Care Champion goes beyond tending for plants. It’s also about inspiring a sense of environmental stewardship among fellow members of the Gbandi community, within the Baoma chiefdom of Bo District, Sierra Leone.Her responsibilities are multifaceted. She mobilizes the community, educating them on the importance of nurturing seeds, transplanting them, and providing ongoing care. Her leadership is pivotal in organizing regular community activities centered on environmental conservation.Funded by the Icelandic Red Cross and implemented with support from the Finnish Red Cross, the SLRCS’s Tree Planting and Care Project aims to combat deforestation, promote biodiversity, and mitigate climate change. It’s a vital response to the urgent need for environmental action in Sierra Leone and beyond.5 billion new trees across Africa by 2030The tree planting in Sierra Leone is part of a larger initiative that spans the African continent. In the face of increasing natural disasters and humanitarian crises in Africa, which are exacerbated by climate change and conflict, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched the Pan-African Tree Planting and Care Initiative in 2021.This initiative tackles these challenges by integrating environmental interventions with traditional humanitarian aid. It emphasizes large-scale tree planting and nature-based solutions to enhance climate adaptation, disaster-risk reduction, and improved food security.With a goal to plant and care for 5 billion trees by 2030, the initiative promotes sustainable practices, strengthens community resilience, and advocates for stronger policies that support environmental protection.Trees play a critical role in absorbing carbon dioxide, thus mitigating the causes of climate change while adapting landscapes to its consequences. They also reduce soil erosion, conserve biodiversity, and enhance water quality.The SLRCS empowers individual women, like Mariam, to lead and facilitate the tree-planting process in their respective communities. These women champions establish and maintain nursery sites, mobilize community members, and ensure the ongoing care of the trees until they reach maturity.To date, there are 52 dedicated women champions in 52 communities actively involved in similar efforts in Sierra Leone. Together, they have planted more than 55,000 trees, roughly 60 per cent of the project’s goal. SLRCS's planting efforts are ongoing, with the expectation that these numbers will continue to grow as champions like Mariam persist in their work.

‘No such thing as a simple disaster’: Partnership to tackle complex food crises by addressing hunger on multiple fronts

Along the Niger River in Mali, Red Cross volunteers are helping local communities find new sources of water during dry spells when the river dries up and water for crops and livestock all but disappears.“There is water in the river only for three months,” said Nouhoum Maiga, Secretary General of the Mali Red Cross. “And the people there, most of them, rely on that water for their cattle.”As part of a pilot programme, volunteers help the communities dig wells and install solar-powered pumps that provide a continual source of water.In addition, the Red Cross collaborates with meteorological and hydrological services to get ahead of future problems – extreme heat, unpredicted dry spells or flash floods – with community-based early warning systems.As a result, says Maiga, local farmers have been able to quadruple their harvests. “Instead of just doing a harvest for one season they have been able to harvest four times,” he said.A complementary partnershipThis is exactly the kind of forward-looking, multi-layered response to complex challenges that will be strengthened through a renewed partnership signedon 29 May, 2024 between the FAO and the IFRC.The FAO and IFRC partnership aims to build on the two organizations’ complementary mandates and strengths at the local and international level in order to improve the quality, reach, impact and sustainability of food security and agricultural livelihoods programming. So far, the renewed partnership has been initiated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, South Sudan and Uganda.The partnership is born from a growing understanding that durable solutions to today’s complex and long-lasting humanitarian crises require ever deeper cooperation among multiple partners from the community to the global level.“There is no such thing anymore as a simple disaster,” said Caroline Holt, the IFRC Director of Disasters, Climate, and Crises, speaking recently at an FAO-IFRC Global Dialogue on Localization held on 27 March, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland . “Issues such as food insecurity are intimately connected to lack of access to safe water or reliable energy sources. All of these issues impact one another and so the solutions need to be equally integrated.”Solutions to food insecurity must also address the complex factors that impact local food production and they will require new and innovative resourcing strategies. The partnership between the IFRC and FAO, therefore, will also serve as a base for wider investment by other partners interested in supporting local innovation on food security and livelihoods.“Two-thirds of people experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity depend on agriculture as their main source of livelihood, yet only four per cent of humanitarian assistancegoes towards emergency agriculture assistance,” Dominique Burgeon, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva, noted during the FAO-IFRC Global Dialogue on Localization.“Food aid alone is not enough to address acute food insecurity without the support and protection of livelihoods, many of which are based in local agriculture”.Mali serves as a good example. In Mali, FAO and the Mali Red Cross are collaborating on cash transfers, supplies for farm and food production, and cooking demonstrations aimed at achieving good nutritional balance, among other things.“We work with those communities, to empower them to be able to provide for themselves even in the midst of ongoing conflict,” added Maiga, who also participated in the FAO-IFRC Global Dialogue on Localization.The case of Mali also highlights the critical role that IFRC member National Societies play in addressing complex, long-lasting crises. In Mali, the Red Cross works amid an array of challenges: unpredictable and extreme weather patterns exacerbated by climate change, instability and insecurity, loss of traditional livelihoods and food sources, and massive displacement of entire communities. Meanwhile, in many parts of the country,most international organizations have left due to a lack of security.“TheRed Cross has remained in the communities impacted by these crises ,” Maiga noted. “Why? Because the Red Cross is a community-based organization. Our 8,000 volunteers are part of the communities where they work.”The critical need for early actionSimilar challenges exist in many countries. With one of the largest refugee populations in the world, Uganda is experiencing numerous, serious climate challenges, as weather patterns become more unpredictable. In some areas, entire communities have been washed away in flash floods.In this case, collaboration between FAO and the Ugandan Red Cross has helped communities withstand heavy rains caused in part by the most recent El Niño Phenomena from September to December 2023.With funding from FAO, the Ugandan Red Cross took actions in ten districts of Uganda in anticipation of coming rains: disseminating early warning information, mapping flood-prone areas, and overseeing cash-for-work activities in which local people cleaned water canals or removed silt from tanks that help contain excess water.In other cases, the cash-for-work projects involved helping local communitiessafely manage crops to reduce loss once they have been harvested. Crops can be ruined if storage facilities are damaged by flooding or if the systems needed to store, transport and distribute them are disrupted.“It's clear that the increasing frequency, magnitude, and intensity of disasters are not only affecting human lives, livelihoods and property but also evolve into epidemics requiring strong investment in community level preparedness and response,” said Ugandan Red Cross Secretary General Robert Kwesiga.

Resilience: Nurturing new life in Galoolay village

By Timothy Maina, IFRC communications officer and Guuleed Elmi, SRCS Somaliland, director of communicationsNestled in Somaliland's Togdheer region, the vibrant agro-pastoral community of Galoolay faced a harsh reality - a ravaging drought that threatened their very way of life.But hope arrived with the SRCS Somaliland Resilience and Livelihoods Programme, which empowers communities like Galoolay by fortifying their resilience against disasters and climate change, fostering sustainable livelihoods, and ensuring access to clean water and sanitation.Made possible through a partnership between the German Red Cross (GRC) and the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS), the program has successfully completed two life-changing initiatives in Galoolay since 2022 that have reached over 2,000 families.A Community StrugglesAmong the many the concrete examples of the project’s impact is the renovated berked — a traditional underground water cistern — that provides residents of Galoolay with a critical source of clean water for households and for livestock.Standing next to the refurbished cistern, Asad Abdilahi Heri, the village head, paints a vivid picture of a community struggling with drought and why access to water is so critical. Their livestock, the lifeblood of their livelihood, has dwindled by a shocking 3,800 head due to drought in recent years."Since this berked was constructed, life has improved for the better and more than half of our water needs of the households have been met,” he says. “We thank SRCS for coming to our aid."Due to increasing water scarcity in recent years, only two of the 56 berkeds that once existed still function. Villagers were forced to travel a grueling 30 kilometers to the nearest water source in Odweine district.The restoration of this water source — done by the community with SRCS support — has significantly improved the situation for 480 households who now rely on it for their primary water needs.Despite the improvements, the scars of the drought remain. Familes that were displaced due to livestock loss now live in the village, relying on donkeys and camels for the arduous water-fetching journeys.Still, there's a sense of progress. With over half the village's water needs met, life has improved. Heri's plea for another berked, along with repairs to existing ones, reflects the community's desire for a more sustainable water future.Koos Yusuf Mohamed: A Story of ResilienceSRCS' intervention has also been instrumental in reviving the village's agricultural efforts. Their support, including providing hours of field ploughing work, significantly helped farmers like Mama Koos Yusuf Mohamed cultivate a second harvest of corn.A mother of eight, Mama Koos exemplifies the challenges and triumphs of Galoolay. Despite limited resources, she keeps a spirit of optimism and gratitude. The drought reduced crop yields, but Mama Koos finds solace in the SRCS' continued support."Despite the drought hurting our crops, their continued support gives us hope,” she says. “They generously provided four hours of ploughing for my land, allowing me to harvest corn a second time this season.”The drought's effects are undeniable, but SRCS' support has demonstrably made a difference. The community's corn residue, used for animal feed, ensures the well-being of the remaining livestock, a vital part of their livelihood. With healthy animals, the village can rebuild herds, rebuild their economic engine, and secure a future they wouldn't be at the mercy of the elements.