Madame Sabine is tackling farming challenges her parents and grandparents never had to face. Rapidly changing weather patterns, unreliable rains and an increase in drought, flooding and windstorms are making farming an increasingly precarious way to earn a living in Cameroon.
Add in the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the results have been devastating, hitting women the hardest. It is vital, now more than ever, that we continue to share our skills and knowledge with rural women farmers. Their understanding of climate-smart farming techniques, drought-resistant crops and sustainability will be critical to their ability to survive once the pandemic is over.
âWomen are the ones who do most of the family farming,â says Madame Sabine, whose family has farmed the land for generations. âWe are the ones feeding our families.â
And yet women donât have the same access to informationâsuch as alerts for extreme weather eventsâas their male counterparts. This results in lower productivity levels and fewer profits for female farmers.
Madame Benda, who comes from a long line of smallholder farmers, can attest. She remembers being able to anticipate the weather when she was younger but thatâs no longer the case.
âWe knew when the little rains would come. We knew when to expect the big rains,â she says. âNow, itâs all unpredictable. I couldnât plant my corn when I usually plant it because the rains didnât come.â
Madame Sabine and Madame Benda are among 40 farmers participating in Cuso Internationalâs program Building Up Climate Resilience of Women Farmers in AwaĂ©, Cameroon, located 55 kilometres from the capital city of YaoundĂ©.
The program, one of three Innovation Fund projects selected by Cuso International alumni, aims to narrow the gap between female and male farmers.
Cuso International volunteer Nelly Rakotozafy is among those spearheading the project. Participants receive crop seeds bred specifically for the countryâs changing climate and training on improved agricultural techniques, such as a farm-friendly smartphone application.
âIâve been working with these women and they all have stories about how climate change is affecting them,â says Nelly. âThe app will give them information about what weather is predicted for the day or even hourly. If thereâs a storm coming, they may choose not to plant that day.â
The mobile app contains information from training sessions, provides weather forecasts and farmers can discuss their experiences and request assistance using a chat platform.
âIf one of the women is having trouble with her corn, she can share that with the group and someone may have information that can help her,â says Nelly.
In a country where agriculture accounts for roughly 70 per cent of the workforce, climate resilience and womenâs economic empowerment are important factors to improve food security and achieve inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Mobile weather stations have been installed in Awaé and Edéa, making it possible for women farmers to access precise weather data on their smart phones.
The Cuso project is a joint initiative with Cameroonâs Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development.
You can help support more farmers like Madame Sabine and Madame Benda by making a donation in their names. With the global COVID-19 pandemic, Cusoâs work is needed now more than ever.