Changing the Fundamentals
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Mali: African Women Lead Fight to Cope with Climate Change
June 2008
The women of Douentza, Mali thought they’d seen it all – war, disease, drought – but when their crops started failing year after year, they looked on in disbelief as the farms that had provided food for their families became seemingly useless.
They referred to it as a “changing of the fundamentals”; the old rules that had governed a balance between the good and bad years swept away. The trees stopped flowering; their fruits withered and useless. The soil became parched and dry. The corn seeds they planted failed to develop to harvest. Crops were failing two out of three years. What was to be done?
The foreigners called it “climate change” and wondered how it would eventually affect countries in the North, but in Douentza, they only knew that their crops were failing now. Living on the edge of the Sahara desert, the people of Douentza are no strangers to hard times, but as lands have dried out, as temperatures climb, and as weather patterns become more unpredictable, farms aren’t generating enough food to support families.
Never Give Up
But the women of Douentza – women like Mariam – are not the type to give up. As a child, Mariam heard a local legend – that one day, when the survival of the village was threatened, the community would give all the village seeds to one boy and one girl and send them away to rebuild the community. Mariam decided she would be that girl, and set about reconstructing livelihoods in her community – with the support of Seeds of Survival.
USC’s Seeds of Survival (SoS) program is giving women like Mariam the tools and support they need to overcome this climate crisis.
SoS Approach
The first step was to swap large domestic animals for smaller ones – goats and sheep – that don’t need human help to survive – they can actually climb the local trees to eat leaves! The animals are then used to break up the hard, parched soil.
Locals are also building on the global SoS experience to develop innovative ways to store water, which has become a precious commodity. Half-moons are carved into the dry soil, and reinforced to help rainwater stay long enough to water plants (See Image at Right).
They also built a basin to catch rainwater, and set up an underground system to distribute that water. To augment their income, SoS helped the women in Douentza set up market gardens, using the rainwater basins to irrigate vegetables that are then sold in local markets. The women use the extra money to send children to school, and to buy extra food and clothes for their families.
Another urgent priority is ensuring grain crops come to harvest, so families have enough rice, wheat, and millet to eat three meals a day. Seeds of Survival helped farmers launch community seed banks where farmers have access to locally-adapted crop varieties. By providing a space to share varieties, farmers in Douentza have a better chance to find varieties that withstand the harsh weather conditions.
Ongoing Help
Climate change is here, already presenting challenges to rural communities in Mali. But thanks to the support of Canadians, the women of Douentza – women like Mariam – are taking matters into their own hands. They’re showing the world how to adapt to climate change, and still thrive, using their own innovative solutions to strengthen community resilience.
As climate change gets worse, driven by greenhouse gas emissions from countries like Canada, people in Mali will continue to need help. The right to food is universal, and no one should go hungry because of climate change. As the world looks at how to help the poorest cope, USC is already acting to support those facing the climate crisis. Join the movement to support their efforts!
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USC Canada
was founded by
Dr Lotta Hitschmanova in 1945. Our award-winning Seeds of Survival program promotes vibrant family farms, strong rural communities, and healthy ecosystems around the world.
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