Harvest Appeal 2022
Give the gift of clean water
Life for most people in Burkina Faso, a hot, dry country just south of the Sahara, is tough.
Families here depend on rainfall to grow crops, both to feed themselves and to earn a living. But rising temperatures and longer droughts are making it harder and harder to grow food. When the rains don’t come, precious harvests are ruined.
And it’s those who tread lightest on the planet – like farmer Justine Sawadogo – who are affected the most.
You can help bring water to farmers impacted by our changing climate – and together, we can make sure that others have harvests worth celebrating.
If there is not enough rain, we cannot grow and harvest enough to feed ourselves.
Meet Justine: mother, farmer, community water monitor
Like most of her neighbours in the village of Bonam, Burkina Faso, Justine is a farmer. She relies on rain to grow crops – both to feed her family, and to earn enough money to pay for her children's education and all her household expenses.
"The rain went away. The crops ran out of water... It was a year of hunger"
People here are used to a long dry season: for eight months a year, no rain falls, as temperatures soar to almost 50°C. But now, the rains no longer come when they should. Reserves soon run dry. And, as droughts become increasingly severe, crops fail.
Sharing skills to manage water supplies
As a water monitor trained by our local partner, Justine is responsible for checking the rain gauge each morning, sharing the result with her community. Together, they can then make informed decisions to plan ahead and make their precious supplies last.
We're working together to provide more communities like Justine’s with a steady supply of water all year round, so more families can have bountiful harvests to celebrate – even when the rains don't come.
Will your group join a united effort to bring communities like Justine’s reliable water in an unreliable climate?
Your free harvest pack includes resources to learn more about Justine's story and how climate change is affecting communities like hers, lots of ideas and tools to help you fundraise, and more information about the life-changing impact your support will have.
Ways to get involved
You'll find lots more suggestions and activities, including for the younger members of your group, in your pack – available to download immediately, or to receive in the post.
Our work in Bonam, Burkina Faso, is supported by the European Union and players of People's Postcode Lottery.