By Obiabin Onukwugha
A climate-smart revolution is brewing in Tanzania and Maasai women are spearheading it. In response to climate change, women in Tanzania are changing age-old gender roles by taking charge of cultivation and livelihoods.
With the erratic rains brought by an adversely changing climate, many Maasai are turning to climate-smart farming practices to survive.
They are doing this by adopting a farming technique known as drip irrigation. In this method, water is sparingly dripped directly to the roots through a network of pipes.
It was learnt that in Maasai culture, men have traditionally held the reins of decision-making, especially when it comes to land and livestock. Women were expected to care for their families, with little say in how resources were managed.
But the devastating droughts swept through the region radically dismantled the old power dynamics. As cattle die and hunger looms, Maasai women are stepping into roles once reserved for men, embracing climate-smart agriculture as a vital alternative.
One of such woman is 31-year-old Maria Naeku, from Mikese village, located in Tanzania’s eastern Mvomero district,
This humble vegetable garden is more than just a plot of greenery; it’s the area’s last lifeline where drought has shattered traditional livelihoods and left the land barren.
Naeku was recently quoted in a report by downtoearth.com that she skillfully channels the trickle of water through a maze of pipes, enabling vegetation from within the soil and thereby making her crops grow healthy.
She was alien to drip irrigation, a method in which water is sparingly dripped directly to the roots through a network of pipes.
“When the drought hit, our cattle died, and we couldn’t get milk for the children. I knew I had to find a way to feed my family, so I started growing vegetables.
“I didn’t know if those small drops could nourish the crops,” she says. “But when I saw the green leaves sprouting from the soil, I knew we had a future,” she said in the interview.
Naeku’s success has been reported to inspire other women in her village to follow her lead. According to down-to-earth.com, the shift is seismic in a community where cattle have long been the bedrock of wealth and security.
Also, a 34-year-old woman, Nasarian Lengai, a mother of five, is reported to have emerged as a local leader in horticulture farming in Mikese. Lengai was said to be initially doubtful about organic farming.
“We’re no longer just caretakers of our families. We are decision-makers shaping the future of our community.”
“When I first heard about these methods, I didn’t think they’d work for us. But after seeing how much better my crops are now, I’m convinced this is the right path,” she said.
Furthermore, Maasai women are adopting climate-smart agriculture. Backed by Norwegian Church Aid, an international charitable organisation, these women are learning to diversify their sources of income, reduce their dependence on livestock, and embrace sustainable horticulture.
As more women embrace climate-smart agriculture, the impact is spreading to more villages every day. Women who were once sceptical of these new methods are now witnessing the success in Mvomero and are beginning to implement these practices in their own drought-stricken lands.