Right now, extreme drought is causing a Growing Crisis across Southern Africa. The weather that farming families once relied on has turned against them. In Zimbabwe alone, 7.6 million people have been pushed into hunger.
Watch Daud’s report – see how farmers can protect and defend their lives and livelihoods.
My name is Nicole Mubikah, and I work alongside smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe as part of the local Oxfam team. Every day, I meet families with generations of farming wisdom—people who know their land, their crops, and their seasons. But now, the seasons are changing.
Longer droughts. Hotter days. Unpredictable rains. These are not just weather patterns—they are the daily reality of climate injustice.
My name is Nicole Mubikah, and I work alongside smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe as part of the local Oxfam team. Every day, I meet families with generations of farming wisdom—people who know their land, their crops, and their seasons. But now, the seasons are changing.
Longer droughts. Hotter days. Unpredictable rains. These are not just weather patterns—they are the daily reality of climate injustice.
Fungai Nyikadzino could never have imagined life could change like this. Despite her decades of experience, her small farm in Gutu is letting her down. Harvests, that once fed her family and supported her children’s future, now provide so little. Last year, the rains didn’t come.
This is not just a food crisis. It’s a climate crisis. People here are living with the daily reality of climate injustice - suffering the consequences of a crisis they did not cause.
Last year alone, worsening droughts devastated crops, forcing 7.6 million Zimbabweans into food shortages.
Your donation can help provide emergency food supplies—offering immediate relief to families like Fungai’s. But more than that, your support helps communities adapt and build resilience for the future.
This drought season has been very difficult. We don’t have anything to eat…we were supposed to get enough yield to last us the whole year. Unfortunately, it did not rain.— Fungai Nyikadzino
Elizabeth Mutimwii, a mother-of-two, smallholder and community volunteer, knows the importance of community savings schemes in addition to emergency food supplies.
They provide a financial safety net in times of crisis. She’s seen climate breakdown destroy her source of food and income–and she’s fighting back.
Elizabeth is the secretary of her local savings club, which enables women in her village to take out loans to buy more seeds, invest in livestock or start small businesses. She received the training, resources and advice to get started from Oxfam’s local partner, Aquaculture.
Zimbabwe.
Your donation can support these savings clubs. They are community-owned safety nets, which cushion the blow of disaster and enable farmers to plan for their future.
We put in what little we can afford to save and use this money to buy food. When the droughts hit, when food prices rise, this is what gets us through."— Elizabeth Mutimwii
Experienced farmers know that to continue growing crops we must also find a way to replace the rains…and that’s where the CARL project has another, game-changing solution.
Ottilia Tarutira is already part of a solar irrigation project. This innovative approach harnesses the plentiful power of the sun to pump water to crops that would otherwise be destroyed...turning sunshine into water.
Experienced farmers know that to continue growing crops we must also find a way to replace the rains…and that’s where the CARL project has another, game-changing solution.
Ottilia Tarutira is already part of a solar irrigation project. This innovative approach harnesses the plentiful power of the sun to pump water to crops that would otherwise be destroyed...turning sunshine into water.
For Ottilia, this project has already been the difference between a thriving harvest and hunger.
What were once dry, dead fields are now full of lush, green, healthy crops!
Ottilia, a farmer, grandmother and local leader, hopes the irrigation scheme can be expanded to benefit more women smallholders.
As the climate crisis deepens, finding ways to water crops is becoming more and more vital, as farmers struggle to protect their lives and livelihoods, not just in Zimbabwe but right around the world.
Your gift can support more solar-powered irrigation, helping farmers to fight back against climate change.
When the sprinkler started working everyone went back home wet because they wanted to experience the sprinkler. We were so happy and over the moon!
People are complaining about hunger elsewhere, but this is not our case, we can’t complain.— Ottilia Tarutira
A big part of my job here in Zimbabwe is to measure impact and report on the projects we support. I have seen what happens when families have no choice but to watch their crops wither and their children go hungry.
I’ve also seen what happens when people with generations of expertise have the right tools, training, and resources to fight back. But, we need you on our side to ensure we win.
Your support today plays an urgent role - helping us to expand the CARL project to reach more farmers in Zimbabwe, and beyond. Please, if you can, donate today.
Your support can help farmers not just survive the next drought, but build a fairer, more sustainable future for their families.
JOIN FORCES WITH FARMERS…
The CARL Project (Climate Adaptation for Rural Livelihoods) equips farmers with a range of training, techniques and technology to adapt and defend their lives and livelihoods. Each one building on the other to build resilience, ensuring families can withstand climate shocks.
JOIN FORCES WITH FARMERS…
The CARL Project (Climate Adaptation for Rural Livelihoods) equips farmers with a range of training, techniques and technology to adapt and defend their lives and livelihoods. Each one building on the other to build resilience, ensuring families can withstand climate shocks.
...DEFEND AGAINST HUNGER
Emergency food packages provide a vital line of protection against hunger to families when their crops are destroyed by the climate crisis.
In the last six months alone, local partners have delivered monthly food packages to 5,918 vulnerable farming families.
...SOW STRONGER SEEDS
You can back locally-led ‘farmer field schools’, where small-holders share knowledge on a blend of new and traditional practices. They are adapting to climate change, protecting their food supplies, and defending their livelihoods for generations to come.
...SOW STRONGER SEEDS
You can back locally-led ‘farmer field schools’, where small-holders share knowledge on a blend of new and traditional practices. They are adapting to climate change, protecting their food supplies, and defending their livelihoods for generations to come.
...PROTECT AGAINST FUTURE CRISES
Savings clubs provide a vital financial cushion for families facing drought and rising food prices. By pooling their resources, communities can invest in their futures — buying essentials, covering school fees, and ensuring they have enough to eat when times are tough.
...TURN SUNSHINE INTO WATER
With solar-powered irrigation, farmers can water their crops all year round, freeing them from the constant uncertainty of unpredictable rainfall. The system draws water from a nearby lake and uses sunlight for energy, replacing the need for costly electricity
or polluting diesel pumps.
...TURN SUNSHINE INTO WATER
With solar-powered irrigation, farmers can water their crops all year round, freeing them from the constant uncertainty of unpredictable rainfall. The system draws water from a nearby lake and uses sunlight for energy, replacing the need for costly electricity
or polluting diesel pumps.
OXFAM LOCAL-PARTNER PROFILE: AQUACULTURE ZIMBABWE
Aquaculture is a national organisation in Zimbabwe who work in partnership with local communities to help build food, nutrition and livelihoods in rural areas, through innovative use of technology. The solar-powered irrigation systems that are part of the
CARL project are just one of the ways this inspirational partner is working with communities on the frontline of the climate crisis.
Aquaculture is an amazing example of the thousands of local partners working with Oxfam. Around the world, local expertise is available in abundance–what’s missing is the funds to back their vital work.
