Angola: Juliana’s Crops Jolt Huila’s Hope Awake

Huila’s Green Surge: Sun, Soil, Success

In the sun-baked heart of Baixa da Missão, in Angola’s Huila province, Juliana, a widow raising six children after her husband’s death, once stood amid brittle, dust-choked fields, her meagre harvests crumbling under the weight of failed rains and El Niño’s cruel whims. A few years ago, each planting season brought dwindling hope, her crops shrivelling in the parched earth, barely enough to feed her family. Now, reborn through grit and ingenuity, she treads a narrow path through her garden, where tidy squares pulse with lush greens under a relentless sun. Cradling a plump cabbage head, its leaves cool and crisp, she flashes a smile that carries the weight of triumph. Her fields thrive, fed by a solar-powered, low-pressure irrigation system that hums softly, delivering water to roots even in the driest months. This quiet marvel, paired with hard-earned skills, has turned her farm into a lifeline, outsmarting Huila’s fickle climate.

Juliana’s rebirth began when she joined the Chitaka Farmer Field School, a gathering of over 20 neighbours bound by a shared hunger for change. Backed by an European Union (EU)-funded programme with support from Angola’s Agrarian Development Institute and technical know-how from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, this initiative has reached over 7,425 smallholder farmers across more than 30 such schools in Huila, seeding hope in a harsh land. At Chitaka’s core is a small, vibrant demonstration plot, alive with the chatter of farmers and the scent of turned soil, where Juliana and her peers test climate-smart practices. They experiment with water-saving irrigation, soil-nourishing techniques, diverse crops, and livestock care, each choice shaped by Huila’s sun-scorched reality.

A solar-powered micro-pump, gifted by the project, hums under the sun’s glare, pulling groundwater to feed low-pressure drip lines that snake through the plot, delivering precise sips to plant roots. “We used to lug buckets, sweating under the sun, and it was never enough,” Juliana says, her voice steady with pride. “Now, the solar pump and drip lines keep our crops alive through dry spells. They’re stronger, and we’re freer.” To coax life from the soil, they spread organic mulch—dried grass and leaves—to lock in moisture and cool the earth, planting quick-growing vegetables, hearty staples like maize for family meals, and legumes that quietly enrich the ground. “We mix manure from our cattle and goats into the soil,” Juliana explains, her hands gesturing to rows of maize and greens. “The school showed me ways to make my land sing.” Lessons on animal health and veterinary kits weave livestock into this cycle, their manure fueling crops, their strength shielding families from hunger’s edge.

The Farmer Field School’s teachings ripple beyond the plot, with trained facilitators and extension workers carrying skills to household fields across Huila’s rolling hills. For Juliana, the change is a quiet miracle: abundant harvests and a small surplus sold at bustling local markets now bring steady coins, enough to pay school fees and nurture her children’s dreams. “My older ones are at university, chasing futures I never imagined,” she says, her eyes bright. “The younger ones weed the fields after school, laughing under the acacias.” These gains, though humble, are profound—steady food, income, and knowledge, knitting her family and community tighter. In Huila, where dry winds once carried despair, these schools are planting resilience. Solar-powered irrigation, clever farming, and shared wisdom are transforming lives, as families like Juliana’s dance to the rhythm of a greener future, ready for a warming world.

Source: The FAO News And Media Office, Rome

– global bihari bureau