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A retired Presbyterian minister from Portadown has recently returned from Zimbabwe where she saw first-hand the difference being made by the aid agency she chairs.

Rev Dr Liz Hughes met people struggling with extreme poverty and the impact of living on the frontline of the climate crisis during her ten days in July visiting projects supported by Christian Aid Ireland.

Liz visited the drought-affected Mwenezi region where Christian Aid is helping farmers survive by planting sesame. Sesame is naturally drought-tolerant because it puts down a 3-metre root which can reach damp soil below the surface.

Christian Aid’s local partner Sustainable Agriculture Technology is helping almost 4,000 small-scale farmers in the region to survive drought and other climate shocks. Fadzai Manhondo (42) is one of the farmers who joined the project and received sesame seeds.

Widowed grandmother Loveness Chapano and her grandsons, Liberty (7) and Litzani (5), outside their newly built home in Ndiyadzo village in the Chipinge region of Zimbabwe, pictured with Rev Dr Liz Hughes, a retired Presbyterian minister from Portadown and Chair of Christian Aid Ireland. Cyclone Idai destroyed Loveness’ home in March 2019 but donations made to the emergency appeals launched by Christian Aid and the UK Disasters Emergency Committee enabled Christian Aid’s local partner MeDRA (Methodist Development and Relief Agency) to build a new home for Loveness and 150 other families in the area. Credit: Christian Aid/Lisa Fagan

Fadzai told Liz: “We planted all our seeds as usual but the rains have been poor and some of the sesame received no rain at all after planting. All our other crops perished but the sesame germinated and produced seed for us to sell. The sesame is helping us to survive the drought. I use the income to buy food and pay school fees for my children.”

The Christian Aid-supported project also includes a processing plant to clean the seed and make more valuable products such as sesame oil to sell, while a cooperative allows growers to reach new markets and fetch a higher price for their harvest.

Across Zimbabwe, it’s estimated that around six million people are facing food shortages as a result of the El Nino-induced drought affecting much of southern Africa, with poor rainfall leading to crop failure and livestock deaths.

After leaving Mwenezi, Liz travelled to Chipinge region in the east of the country to meet a widowed grandmother who has been the sole carer for six of her grandchildren since their mother died.

Fadzai Manhondo (42) is a farmer and mother-of-five living in the drought-affected Mwenezi region of Zimbabwe, pictured with Rev Dr Liz Hughes, a retired Presbyterian minister from Portadown and Chair of Christian Aid Ireland. Christian Aid and its local partner helped Fadzai and almost 4,000 other small-scale farmers to grow sesame to support themselves and their families, despite the drought affecting much of southern Africa. Credit: Christian Aid/Lisa Fagan

Loveness Chapano and her grandsons received a new home thanks to funding from Christian Aid after Cyclone Idai destroyed her previous home in 2019. More than 150 homes were repaired or rebuilt following Idai, one of the worst tropical cyclones ever to make landfall in the southern hemisphere.

Loveness told Liz: “I thank God for my new house. It’s made from concrete and steel so it’s strong enough to survive any more cyclones. We feel safe now. We are happy here.”

Liz and her husband Brian have two grown-up daughters, Sarah and Bethan. Liz supports Christian Aid Ireland with her donations and has chaired the organisation since 2018.

During her visit to Zimbabwe, Liz was invited to pray for the farmers struggling with drought and the community who suffered so much as a result of Cyclone Idai.

She offered this reflection on her experience: “It was a privilege to visit the beautiful country of Zimbabwe and to meet people coping with the devastating impact of drought and cyclones. I was pleased to see how the donations made to Christian Aid by ordinary people are helping farmers like Fadzai to make a living growing sesame and how Loveness and her grandchildren are now safe in their new home.”

To donate to support Christian Aid Ireland’s work, please visit caid.ie/donate

If you’d like to hear Liz speak about her trip to your church or community group, please email [email protected]

Retired Portadown minister sees the life-changing work of Christian Aid in Zimbabwe