Furaha Nkya
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Furaha Nkya is the head teacher at a primary school in Machame in the Killimanjaro region. He has spent the majority of his life in Machame and recalls his youth when it would rain for long periods of time, both day and night. At that time, he remembers there were a lot of forests, which were big and green with plenty of animals. He remembers seeing antelopes, monkeys, and a variety of birds in the forest. However, all this has changed. Furaha attributes most of the changes to population pressures. With increasing population in Machame, many trees have been cut down to use for building, firewood and for selling. The main problem is that when trees are cut, they have not been replaced or replanted.
But also, he’s notice changes in weather patterns, and rainfall. Rainfall, he says is the main determinant of both crops and livestock, the the changing climate has had detrimental effects in Machame. The rains used to be in four clear seasons, but this is no longer the case. This has affected the main crops in the area: bananas, potatoes and most significantly, coffee. In Machame, coffee used to be the most important crop; however, with fewer rains, the coffee berry disease (CBD) has flourished, and now many coffee growers have shifted to other crops.
The changing weather patterns have also affected traditional crops, which Furaha remembers used to be in abundance. And this is now affecting the diets of people in the area. Furaha is concerned about the increase in diabetes and obesity for example, which he attributes to these changing diets.
In response to these changes, Furaha has taken initiatives to build traditional houses as well as cultivate small farms with traditional crops such as the ‘vibere’. He has also been advocating for policy support to transfer local knowledge of seeds to other parts of Kilimanjaro Region. Currently, the seed policy in the country is restrictive. Furaha sees an urgent need for stricter laws to protect the environment. Specifically, he calls on the government to enact a strict policy - “cut one tree – plant another”.
Furaha Nkya