By Marsha Winsryg | Director, AACDP
Zambezi Farm is facing yet another devastating drought. This is supposed to be the rainy season, but it has only rained twice since November. All over Zambia, the staple maize crop has died in the fields. Even if it does rain now, it will be too little, too late.
Although the steadily dropping water table limits how much we can pump, the irrigation systems that your donations added enabled some vegetables to survive. But nothing can take the place of rain, especially for big crops of maize. As it is the largest part of most Zambians’ diet, maize will have to be imported, at great cost financially, politically and emotionally. The Mama Bakhita families, who all have disabled children, will simply not be able to afford it. Already, many are subsisting on one meal a day. Some can no longer afford even that, as the Zambezi farmers point out in this video.
They will be growing as much food as possible, but it will not be enough to provide food for all the families, or to provide additional income to purchase the food that cannot be grown. So we are shifting our focus for the upcoming Little by Little campaign (April 8-12) to providing funds and food to help the Mama Bakhita community get through the difficult months ahead.
We hope your interest in these families will continue, so that together we can help them through this crisis.
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