By Hamad Rashid
I remember in 2019, the sun was so hot that our dependent river ran dry, we had to go inside the river and start digging wells to cope with the sun, so we could continue with our crops. Eventually, we succeeded until the rain fell, a voice of vegetable farmer Mery Laizer from Morogoro Town.
Climate change, as defined by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity, that alters the composition of the global atmosphere.
According to experts, the impacts of climate change start to appear in three decades to a millennium.
Climate action is not just about research and statistics, it’s about real people and their experiences, around the world women have been victims of the effects of climate change, the same with the women from Fungafunga area at Kichangani Ward, an area dependent on vegetable farming in Morogoro town, they told The Loyal Media about their struggles, resilience and how they confront this issue in their everyday lives.
“During the sunny season, we plant all vegetables. When the rain becomes excessive, the only thing we can plant is amaranth, because it can withstand the rain. If you plant Chinese, it rots; if you plant pumpkin leaf, it turns yellow,” Said Mery Laizer, A 53-year-old woman who has been working since she was a girl.
Mery Laizer, a vegetable farmer Mery Laizer in her vegetable nurseries.
After the 2019 disaster struck, Mery says, we struggled a lot because you know the crops you expect to harvest tomorrow you end up harvesting the following week, in between life must become unstable, we failed to pay the children’s school fees, getting food for the children became difficult, we struggled to find transport money for the children to go to school, therefore we were affected to some extent.
Aisha Ibrahim is a young girl living in Morogoro Town and sometimes works as an assistant in a vegetable farm at Fungafunga, says, we face the challenge of water when the water dries up, we face the challenge of going far to fetch water across water for washing clothes, for washing dishes, I might bathe in the morning if you sit for a short while the heat increases you have to bathe again at that time yet water is a problem, it is also a challenge for the child, they may start sweating at that moment you cannot access water.
The 2022 report from the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), states that, rural women are the most affected by the impacts of climate change due to their dependence on natural resources, the lack of proper infrastructure and limited access to financial services, which causes rural women to face greater challenges in sustaining themselves, after natural disasters such as floods and drought.
Speaking about the adaptation methods, Mery Laizer says, “Changes in the rainy season, we usually consider which vegetables to plant. We ourselves have planted trees in the area where we farm to protect the environment because we have seen that, when we leave this area open, the ones who are affected are ourselves.”
The UNFCCC in the gender and climate area states that, Women play an important role in supporting households and communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Restricted land rights, access to financial resources, training and technology, and access to political decision-making spheres often prevent them from playing a full role in tackling climate change.
Khadija Mrisho from the International organization Landesa says, “When a woman does not have secure land ownership, she is at greater risk of being affected by gender-based violence, climate change, but also, of having poor well-being at the family level and in her personal well-being.”
Men have a responsibility to support women in the fight against climate change.
Men have a responsibility to provide support and not to discriminate between women’s work or men’s work, says Charles Lusinde, a resident of Morogoro.
“I usually take responsibility to help my wife when there is no water and then you find the sun is very hot, I help her I have my motorcycle I usually go to fetch water and bring it home I advise my fellow men those who are married and even those who are not married who may be at home, they should help their parent to fetch water,” said Charles Lusinde.
Rajabu Mniama is an expert of climate change issues, during the interview said, “A woman is a very large user of cooking energy among the challenges that women frequently encounter are vision problems, eyes being affected due to using firewood that produces toxic smoke but also, the lack of water in nearby environments, you find them walking many kilometers to fetch water and in the midst of that there is also a safety issue”
Rajabu Mniama: Climate Change Expert.
Speaking about the COPs meeting, Mniama said that, “the meetings aimed to help women, but the challenge is the implementation of the goals of these meetings example, the contribution of 100 billion US dollars from developed countries to poor countries is a goal that has not been achieved, although it is not enough aspect of poor countries to tackle climate action.”
Rajabu Mniama has paused the social and policy strategies which is needed to ensure that women become part of the solution, not just the victims.
“When we talk about policy strategies, currently, as the United Republic of Tanzania, the National Development Vision for the year 2025 – 2050 has stated, to ensure that we build resilient Tanzanian communities in having good economic, social, and environmental well-being. Talking to social strategies, grassroots communities are required to have methods, and procedures for themselves to be able to cope with climate change, to reduce the various risks that may occur in the community, in Tanzania we have Disaster Committees at the Ward level, the chairperson of these disaster committees is the Executive Officer of the respective ward, before we discuss policy matters, laws, regulations and procedures, let us look at these Disaster Committees to make sure they work effective for people interest and for the sake of the future of our environment.
The message of Rajabu Mniama and the voices of women, men in this documentary call on the global community to have joint solidarity in helping women and the world against climate change, taking into account various agreements and treaties.
