Drip irrigation in Zambia

From a barren field to a life-saving vegetable garden

Practical Action is working with communities in Zambia to introduce the drip irrigation system. This technology has proven to be one of the most successful and efficient ways to irrigate fields in poor communities.

Raindrops are liquid gold to farmers in the poorest countries of the world. Yet when the rains do come - and in many places they come erratically or with decreasing frequency - most of that precious moisture is washed away, unused.

By collecting the rain that does fall, storing it, and then directing it in concentrated bursts to the roots of plants, this system puts every drop to good use. None of that precious water is wasted as runoff, or lost by moving down through the soil too quickly for the roots to absorb it.

So instead of parched, dusty fields - and families facing starvation because of the failure of their crops - there are life-giving gardens, brimming with hearty fruit and vegetables or sturdy columns of maize, year after year.

This is exactly what has happened in rural areas of Zimbabwe and Mozambique where Practical Action, working alongside local people, has put the drip irrigation system into practice. After years of meagre returns, their fields are now bursting with all kinds of produce.

It only takes one hour to set up a complete drip irrigation system. One hour that could buy poor families years of abundant food. Enough to eat. Enough left over to sell. Enough money to pay for health care, education and even setting up other income-generating activities.

Your donation could help us to buy seeds, train farmers, and buy drip irrigation kits to help families survive drought.