Field School: A Transformation for Sustainability and Food Security in Times of Drought

Maria Zita is a farmer who lives in the remote community of Nkhondo, in southern Angola, located in the Namibe province. Like other women from the Nyaneka Humbi (mumuíla) culture, she attended school only until the 5th grade, but still reads and writes very well. 

She recalls that one of the biggest difficulties she faced in her childhood was the inability to continue her studies. Due to the absence of secondary schools in the locality and a lack of financial resources to go to the main town of her municipality, the solution was to get married at a young age, following a tradition of her ethnicity. 

Today, she has a vision of a different life for her children. Zita dreams of seeing them complete their studies and having a profession and a future different from what she had. She dreams of seeing them become outstanding figures in the country. 

As a child, Zita faced the double burden of going to school and then working in the fields with her parents. After marriage, she fully embraced the life of a farmer, facing various challenges. 

Drought has always been a major challenge for communities in southern Angola. Maria recalls that one of the periods that put them in a particularly severe food insecurity situation was about three years ago when the rains failed for an extended period, and most people in her community had to resort to cutting trees to make charcoal, which was the only way they could survive. 

When the Okulonguesa project, through the Family Resilience Strengthening and Food Security program (FRESAN), arrived in the community, Zita saw it as an opportunity for change and did not hesitate to become involved. With the implementation of the Field School (ECA) named Tchalomboloka in 2023, the farmer and her husband became active participants. 

After 2 years of activities, Zita became one of the coordinators of the field school. She emphasizes that, with the presence of Okulonguesa in her community, the intensity of the dry season has not had as much of an impact as it used to, because, thanks to the teachings received from the agricultural technicians of the project, she is now able to plant drought-resistant crops and ensure a good harvest for her family, which consists of eleven members. 

"Previously, we lost a lot of our crops. We only understood that we needed to plant the seeds in the ground, and we would plant five to six seeds together, which harmed the development of the plants. The plants looked weak, but with the arrival of the Field School, our crops are healthy, our corn is sprouting massively. The corn didn’t do well before, and the cassava was even worse; we truly never had the harvest we’re getting now," said the farmer, excited and explaining that everything is thanks to the lessons from the ECA. 

The progress of Tchalomboloka is so significant that it now can supply the local school with vegetables for the daily school meals served to over 120 students. 

Alberto, Maria's husband, is a witness to the changes the project has brought since its implementation: "We have received a lot, both in terms of training and inputs. We received hoes, machetes, seeds for plants we didn’t grow before, among other benefits," he stated. 

For them, the ECA is already a dream come true, and they hope to expand it to larger fields with the hope of becoming a large cooperative in the future. 

Even though the project has come to an end, the farmers remain confident. "With the experience we’ve gained, we will continue working and then pass on the knowledge to those who come after us," they affirmed. 

As part of their agro-pastoral activities in the same locality, another project, which aims to Promote Socioeconomic Inclusion of Women through Goat Farming (PISMACC), financed by World Vision USA, provided the farmers of the Field School with 25 goats to increase family income through livestock farming. 

The use of goat’s milk, in addition to ensuring nutritious food, and the use of leather for handicrafts, will enhance the families' ability to support themselves, as in Maria's case. 

The Okulonguesa project is funded by Camões - Institute for Cooperation and the Portuguese Language, I.P., under the FRESAN Program, and is implemented by World Vision Angola in partnership with ADESPOV. It aims to reach over 20,000 people by the end of its activities through the implementation of integrated activities. 

FRESAN is an initiative of the Government of Angola, funded by the European Union, and co-managed by Camões, I.P. It aims to contribute to reducing hunger, poverty, and vulnerability to food and nutrition insecurity in Cunene, Huíla, and Namibe, mainly by strengthening resilience, sustainable family agricultural production, improving the nutritional situation of families, and supporting capacity development in institutions.