The month in pictures: April

From left to right, Venance Matei (AKF), farmer Hassan Abdul and Green Champion Kulwa Msobi review progress in Hassan’s rice field. Planted in January, the field is part of regional trials of AKF’s Zanatany system – successfully tried and tested in Madagascar – which allows rice to be sown directly in the field rather than raised in nurseries and transplanted. Early results show the method reduces labour and can increase yields for Tanzanian farmers. With support from AKF’s climate team, agricultural officers and Green Champions, farmers are also using locally available resources such as ash, manure, biofoliar and biofungicides to improve soil health and manage pests sustainably.

“With the income I gain from agriculture, I’ve been able to pay for my son’s education.”

Jactina Fernando beams as she shares the benefits she’s gained from farming her land. Jacinta is a small‑scale farmer working with AKF through AgroVida – a programme that partners with small‑scale food producers in Cabo Delgado to build agricultural sustainability and create economic opportunities in one of Mozambique’s poorest and most fragile regions. AgroVida promotes sustainable food systems that empower producers – especially women and young people – while strengthening broader community resilience.

Supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands and Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

Sanju Kumari, delighted with her latest crop of tomatoes, which she protected from pests with an ingenious, low-cost method. Using a self-made insect trap crafted with a polybag and a layer of grease, Sanju and other smallholder farmers in rural India are protecting their crops without expensive inputs. The trap catches harmful insects early, reducing crop damage and bringing healthier yields. This innovation is part of AKF’s broader pest management approach, bringing accessible, sustainable solutions to strengthen resilience at the farm level.

A sheep farmer keeps a watchful eye over her growing herd – something that once felt out of reach after she, like many others in rural Syria, lost livestock to environmental and economic shocks. She is among 285 farming households supported by AKF’s Road to Resilience programme, with a focus on female‑headed and internally displaced families. By rebuilding herds through natural breeding and offering training in dairy production, these efforts are helping families secure food, restore livelihoods and strengthen long-term resilience.

Supported by UNHCR.

A young woman washes her hands using a new sustainable water tap in rural Tajikistan, where access to clean water is now only a five‑minute walk away – rather than the two‑kilometre journeys many local women once made. This is part of an AKF initiative that, since 2017, has brought safe drinking water to 60,000 people across 93 villages in Khatlon and GBAO, while also improving water and sanitation facilities in 49 schools and 32 primary health centres, drastically improving hygiene conditions for students and patients, respectively.

A group of Kenyan youth, working as Green Champions, spend time together in Kwale. Green Champions are young people trained and employed by AKF to work with communities across East Africa, supporting them to adopt climate-friendly practices, from mangrove restoration to regenerative farming, as part of AKF’s ReGeneration initiative. Their work is invaluable, ensuring climate resilience takes root within coastal communities living on the frontlines of climate change – and always with a smile on their face!

Under Badakhshan’s clear blue skies, a valley blooms with lush green forests. Here, AKF works alongside communities to enhance agriculture and food security, restore forests through agroforestry, protect biodiversity and natural resources, and advance renewable energy for climate adaptation and long-term resilience.

Farmer Chema Marco tends her agroforest of vegetables, fruits and spices – a livelihood she has developed since 1977. With support from AKF, Chema has added perennial crops like avocado, cocoa and cloves, boosting both income and farm resilience. Training in regenerative agriculture has helped her transition to organic fertilisers and improve productivity with new seedlings. The more stable income Chema is earning from spices is even supporting her granddaughter’s law degree in Dar es Salaam.

A farmer and his drought-tolerant plant seedlings, ready to be planted on local pasturelands and cultivated into fodder crops for livestock. Through AKF-supported community collectives, known as Common Interest Groups (CIGs), these resilient seedlings are distributed to farmers to better withstand drought and salinity in the soil – critical challenges for agricultural communities across Syria. This initiative is part of AKF’s efforts to strengthen livestock management and, as a result, build climate and economic resilience in rural Syria.

Supported by the European Union.