Thulasy Balasubramaniam is an EWB volunteer working in Zambia since the summer of 2007

“I don’t think we’re going to make it through this one,” I sighed, referring to more than just the muddy pond that stretched across the road in front of us. Whyson, my co-worker, looked ahead, then at me, and shrugged in agreement. Having been stuck in the mud more times than we cared to count in the days leading up to now, but determined to get the information we were looking for, we took off our shoes, rolled up our trousers, and started walking. We were on a mission to find out how sorghum, the drought-resistant crop that we have been promoting, has fared during a season of unusually heavy rainfall.

The Southern Province of Zambia suffers from chronic food shortages. The province, once known as Zambia’s maize belt, has experienced increasingly frequent droughts over the past two decades that have devastated yields of maize, the staple food crop here. In 2005, EWB partnered with CARE to address this problem by promoting the cultivation of sorghum, a crop that requires much less rain than the thirsty maize.

The benefits of sorghum are three-fold: it provides a more reliable source of food for local farmers; there is demand for the crop on the national market, allowing small-scale farmers to generate an income; and when combined with growing maize, the diversification of crops reduces farmers’ risk if one crop fails. After a two-year pilot, we are scaling-up the program.

Stunted sorghum plants are not capable of proper growth during this suprisingly strong rainy season

However, we have been hit by some extremely unusual circumstances this year. Zambia’s Southern Province averages 600-800 mm of rainfall during a normal growing season and less than 500 mm during a drought. This season, every district in the Province has already received rainfall ranging anywhere from 900 mm to over 1200 mm. Flooding has been extensive, maize fields are suffering, and widespread crop failure - and worse, hunger - looks imminent.

Whyson and I have spent the last month visiting farmers so we can assess the extent of the damage to sorghum. With most rural roads either washed away or transformed into swamps this has been no simple task. Unfortunately the situation does not look promising. Farmers are reporting anywhere from 50% to 80% losses in their sorghum crops this year.

Whyson traverses a flooded path during the heavy rainy season in Zambia

Promoting a drought-resistant crop in a year with unusually heavy rainfall presents its own challenges. These are complicated by funding constraints that limit the scale-up phase to two years. That sorghum won’t demonstrate itself to farmers in this, our first year, is a setback in terms of achieving sustainability. Reconciling the unpredictable nature of rural livelihoods with the somewhat uncompromising nature of the aid system is a frustrating task. However, with this project’s emphasis on farmer ownership and leadership, we’re encouraged by farmers who see a vision for sorghum beyond the bleak outlook of this season.

Most farmers are not ready to give up on sorghum yet. They recognize that this year has been abnormal, and they are willing to try again next season. I admire their resilience. It’s their willingness to keep trying despite the challenges, the setbacks, and the outright failures that gives me hope for the future. No one ever said the road to development was easy, but you can always take your shoes off, get a little dirty, and make your way through it.