From MALAWI– Grace Chilongo (URI Individual Member) recently attended the 2024 African Food System Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, thanks to an AWARD Fellowship (African Women in Agricultural Research & Development).
Grace has returned to her home in Malawi with an even stronger commitment to address the gender inequalities in farming and to implement food security practices that are rooted in community and that invite leadership and innovation from women and youth.
In Grace’s words, “…Women are the drivers of growth and job creation in agri-food systems. However, they remain highly vulnerable to climate change due to lack of access to finances. (We) need to meet women where they are—understanding their unique circumstances, empowering them to take ownership of resources, and involving community leaders to create sustainable, inclusive solutions.
A powerful quote from presenter, Incoline Dehaan, resonated with me: ‘We spend time trying to change women, but it’s time we change the system.’” Grace and her local “YEEM team” of famers (Youth Empowerment and Environmental Management) have already rented one piece of land and plan to rent four more plots to lead their communities by example.
From CAMEROON – To honor and celebrate Pan African Women’s Day on 31 July, the FAHEDEF (Family Health & Development Foundation), a CC in Cameroon, offered classes in organic backyard farming, including how to make natural fertilizers to feed and regenerate the soil.
Plants and vegetables were distributed for the women to take home and plant. Isn’t this a fantastic story to follow what we have just learned from the Food System forum data shared above by Grace?
From AUSTRALIA - As part of Faith and Climate Week, more than 150 houses of worship around the country hung banners asking for action on climate change and a switch to cleaner energy. As you think about the community where you live, how might you adapt this activity to provide education and invite meaningful change for a safer, cleaner, healthier planet?
