RAIN for the Sahel and Sahara

I’ve been trying to grow vegetables in a small household garden for nearly 15 years now, and you’d think that I’d be much better at gardening than I am at this point. Some years I have greater success than others, but most of the time I manage to eke out at least a few vegetables from the pots and raised beds in my front and side yards. 

The meager amount of vegetables that I grow are little bonuses for our table — fresh tomatoes for a salad, sauteed Swiss chard for my morning eggs, or tiny carrots for my daughter to munch on. 

Growing food for me is just a hobby — an enjoyment in watching the process of food grow from tiny seeds. 

I don’t have to worry about the success of the vegetables I’m growing because, like you, I go to the grocery store to buy food for our family. I simply grab my reusable shopping bags, hop in my car, and head to the store to quickly get what our family needs for the week. 

But it’s not like that in many places in the world, like Niger. 

Nomadic communities in Niger rely on the food they grow to feed their families and sell to others. And growing food in these communities is becoming increasingly difficult because of the effects of climate change, such as higher temperatures, variable rainfall levels, droughts, and flooding. 

Partnering with the nonprofit RAIN, One Day’s Wages is working to support these communities as they adapt to climate change, through projects such as training in environmentally sustainable agricultural practices, community gardens, and diversifying local food sources.  

Through this partnership, women received training on topics critical to growing and selling food, such as composting, water management, weeding, use of fertilizer, and cash management. 

Community engagement is high throughout the project. Folks are on board with learning these methods to grow food to provide for their families and communities.

So next time you buy food at the grocery store, consider what our neighbors around the world in Niger are working towards as they learn and adapt to climate change. Join us as we work to support programs that help communities grow food in the face of climate change.