Anahilt teaching assistant sees the life-changing work of Christian Aid in Zimbabwe
An Anahilt teaching assistant has recently returned from Zimbabwe where he saw first-hand the difference being made by an aid agency he supports. Ian Mullen met people struggling with extreme poverty and the impact of living on the frontline of the climate crisis during his ten days in July visiting projects supported by Christian Aid Ireland.
Ian visited the drought-affected Mwenezi region where Christian Aid is helping farmers survive by planting sesame. Sesame is naturally drought-tolerant because it puts down a 3-metre root which can reach damp soil below the surface.
Christian Aid’s local partner Sustainable Agriculture Technology is helping almost 4,000 small-scale farmers in the region to survive drought and other climate shocks. Vhaina Mahweta, aged 51, is one of the farmers who joined the project and received sesame seeds. When Ian met Vhaina, she told him:
“We planted all our seeds as usual but the rains have been poor and some of the sesame received no rain at all after planting. All our other crops perished but the sesame germinated and produced seed for us to sell. The sesame is helping us to survive the drought. I use the income to buy food and pay school fees for my children.”
The Christian Aid-supported project also includes a processing plant to clean the seed and make more valuable products such as sesame oil to sell, while a cooperative allows growers to reach new markets and fetch a higher price for their harvest.
Across Zimbabwe, it’s estimated that around six million people are facing food shortages as a result of the El Nino-induced drought affecting much of southern Africa, with poor rainfall leading to crop failure and livestock deaths.
After leaving Mwenezi, Ian travelled to Chipinge region in the east of the country to meet a widowed grandmother who has been the sole carer for six of her grandchildren since their mother died.
Loveness Chapano and her grandsons received a new home thanks to funding from Christian Aid after Cyclone Idai destroyed her previous home in 2019. More than 150 homes were repaired or rebuilt following Idai, one of the worst tropical cyclones ever to make landfall in the southern hemisphere.
Loveness told Ian: “My new home is made from concrete and steel so it’s strong enough to survive any more cyclones. We feel safe now. We are happy here.”
Ian and his wife Hilary have two children aged 16 and 10. He worships at Saintfield Road Presbyterian Church in south Belfast where he is the Christian Aid representative, coordinating the church’s fundraising activities on behalf of the aid agency.
Ian and the other supporters who travelled to Zimbabwe covered the cost of their trip.
Ian reflected on his experience: “It was a privilege to visit the beautiful country of Zimbabwe and to meet people coping with the devastating impact of drought and cyclones. I was pleased to see how the donations made to Christian Aid by ordinary people are helping farmers like Vhaina to make a living growing sesame and how Loveness and her grandchildren are now safe in their new home.”
To donate to support Christian Aid Ireland’s work, please visit caid.ie/donate
If you’d like to hear Ian speak about his trip to your church or community group, please email [email protected]