Study circles mitigate climate change
Study circles operating "nutrition gardens" have been looking for ways to mitigate their vulnerability in the face of rising temperatures and more intense droughts. Their solution is integrated farming.
They may begin with a garden, growing vegetables, maize and pulses
Since they already have a borehole they can now add a small fish pond, which can be filled with water for the summer. The harvest produces protein, but the water is also very nutritious for a winter crop
This couple is ploughing land to prepare for wheat, to be grown in winter. It will be watered from the fishpond, where fish do not grow well in the winter and the pond can be drained.
Another addition is a herd of goats. A fodder crop can be added to the garden to feed the goats, which also graze freely. Their manure fertilises the garden, and the goats can be consumed for protein by the members and some sold for cash.
A board member poses here with his daughter in the
goat kraal of one of the most successful study circles.
All of these projects depend to a greater or lesser extent on the presence of a borehole for water. But once two or three projects are in place, thye community is less vulnerable as they have fall-back positions for food and cash income.
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