\u201cThe weather here is changing. Rain is becoming more scarce. Over the last five years, I\u2019ve noticed that the rain tends to come very late into the rainy season,\u201d explains Fran\u00e7ois Tarpaga as he stands in the middle of his rice field in Ratenga village, in the centre-east region of Burkina Faso.<\/p>\n
The 49-year old father isn\u2019t the only farmer in the area who is struggling to cope with the changing climate. One of the hottest places on Earth, Burkina Faso is particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change, with much of the country\u2019s population suffering from increasing drought spells and food shortages.<\/p>\n
But Fran\u00e7ois – who grows the country\u2019s staple rice crop as well as millet, beans, peanuts, sesame and maize – is learning new ways to cope with the unpredictability of the weather. As part of a Gorta-Self Help Africa project in his area, Fran\u00e7ois received drought-tolerant seeds and was trained on climate-smart farming practices, such as the use of compost holes to increase the fertility of his soil.\u00a0These fertile depressions in the ground also form a \u2018bowl\u2019 that holds the water beside each plant, when it does rain.<\/p>\n
“The training I’ve received has been\u00a0useful to help me cope with the changing weather. The seeds I\u2019ve received grow much more quickly than the ones I used before, as a result my production has increased.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fran\u00e7ois also learned about the benefits of savings, so he can manage his income to become more resistant to future shocks or crises.<\/p>\n
Sole provider for 11 dependents, Fran\u00e7ois didn\u2019t get the opportunity to go to school and so didn\u2019t get many career options outside of farming. However, he takes great pride in farming which he sees as a way to \u201chelp people get more food\u201d.<\/p>\n
His own children will have the choices in life that Francois never did, as they are all attending secondary school.<\/p>\n
Francois, whose own children are all attending school, hopes that at least one of them will continue the family tradition in farming:\u201cOne of my children wants to become a teacher, another wants to become a mechanic… I hope that one of\u00a0them decides to become a farmer in the future so they can continue the work I\u2019m doing on my farm.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"