Talents of Hope

2023-24 Appeal

In the summer of 2023, we launched our new appeal with Christian Aid. Read on for the background of the appeal, our aim, and what you can do to join in…

Background

Climate change has made life very difficult for many farmers across the world in recent years. This is especially true in Zimbabwe, which has seen increased floods, storms and prolonged droughts in recent years.

This is against a wider backdrop of poverty for many, with years of political instability, human rights violations and a suffering economy contributing to making Zimbabwe one of the poorest countries in the world at present.

Covid-19 made things worse, leading to a rise in the cost of grain, lockdown disruption in farming and produce markets, and loss of income for many. This particularly affected small-holder farmers.

Christian Aid’s work in Zimbabwe

Christian Aid is doing vital work in the middle of this. Christian Aid have worked in Zimbabwe since the 1980s. In recent years they have placed emphasis on building the resilience of local communities in the face of changing weather patterns, as well as empowering the women in those communities and opening access to markets.

This work is done through the BRACT project (Building Resilience through improving the Absorptive and Adaptive Capacity for Transformation of at-risk communities), which works in the Mutoko and Mudzi Districts of Mashonaland, partnering with Christian Aid. Christian Aid also works with Ntengwe, who equip women in the Hwange area.

Through training in different farming methods, these projects have helped families become more resilient in the face of weather shocks, as well as helping them diversify their income streams, thus making them less reliant on agriculture which can be so ravaged by extreme weather.

Here is a glimpse of what this important work in Zimbabwe has achieved so far…

Taindonzwa is a grandmother of seven. As well as caring for the grandchildren since their parents are working away in Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare and in South Africa, Taindonzwa also cares for her disabled husband and manages the family farm.

Taindonzwa laments: ‘No matter how hard we worked we could not improve production and some years the poor rains meant that we harvested nothing.’ She recognises that the weather patterns that had changed due to the climate crisis had made growing food such a challenge for her.

However, working with the BRACT project has transformed her life.

‘The project has made a big impact in the community… We got so much useful training and I wish that I could have attended more. I have been able to change the way I farm, even at my age. This knowledge will be passed on to others and that means that the whole community will continue to improve… one day hunger will be a thing of the past.’

We want to see more stories like Taindonzwa’s! (read more stories like these in our information sheets below…)

Our Aim

The aim of ‘Talents of Hope’ is to support the work of Christian Aid, BRACT and Ntengwe in Zimbabwe.

Our aim is to help equip families and communities in Zimbabwe to adapt their farming methods to climate change, and to build resilience for a positive future.

How you can get involved...

Learn more about what is happening in Zimbabwe. Have a look at our information sheets below…
Pray for Christian Aid’s work
Consider giving or fundraising
Encourage your family, friends and church to join in with the appeal!