Food and hunger relief
Drought resilience
Water pans, drought-tolerant seed and irrigation that outlast the dry season.
Illustrative photo: Annie Spratt / Unsplash
Objective for the 2026 funding round
Help 800 farming households grow enough food even in dry years, with drought-tolerant seed, water harvesting and better storage.
Who it reaches: Smallholder farmers in areas where the rains fail every few years.
Target$53,642
Funding for this cause closes in
From $60: drought-tolerant seed for two farm plots.
The need
Droughts are coming more often. Families who can store rainwater and plant drought-tolerant crops keep eating when others cannot, and don't need emergency aid next time.
Why give to this cause
- Preparing for drought costs far less than responding to famine.
- Droughts are becoming more frequent, and these methods help communities adapt.
- We track harvests over two seasons to show whether the change lasts.
What your gift does
- $60drought-tolerant seed for two farm plots
- $250a drip irrigation kit for a family garden
- $5,000a community water pan storing rain for the dry season
Where your donation goes
The planned budget for this cause. Every quarter, the field report shows what was actually spent against each line.
- Seed and toolsDrought-tolerant seed varieties and basic tools.30%$75 of $250
- Water harvestingSmall dams, water pans and drip kits.28%$70 of $250
- Farmer trainingConservation farming taught farmer to farmer.20%$50 of $250
- Grain storageHermetic bags and silos that stop post-harvest losses.12%$30 of $250
- Monitoring and reportingYields and months of food security, measured each season.10%$25 of $250
How we do it
- 1
Agronomists work with farmer groups to choose crops suited to their rainfall.
- 2
Communities dig water pans with paid labour, giving income during the build.
- 3
Farmers are trained on-plot through the first two seasons.
- 4
Harvests are weighed and compared with neighbouring plots.
The impact your gift will have
- Farmers grow food through the dry season using water pans and drought-tolerant crops.
- Families have harvests to fall back on when the rains fail, instead of needing emergency aid.
- Farmers keep using the methods for years and share them with their neighbours.
What we measure and report
Targets for the 2026 funding round. Results against each one are published in the quarterly field report sent to every donor to this cause.
| Measure | Target |
|---|---|
| Farmers supported | 800 |
| Water pans built | 5 |
| Increase in dry-season harvest | 40% |
| Farmers still using methods after 2 seasons | 75% |
Join in the cause today
Make an impactful change in Africa.
Donate to drought resilienceFund drought resilience
Your gift goes to this programme. You'll get an email receipt now and the field report every quarter.
Funding for this cause closes in
Choose an amount
- $60drought-tolerant seed for two farm plots
- $250a drip irrigation kit for a family garden
- $5,000a community water pan storing rain for the dry season
Gifts start at $50. Choose your own amount on the next page.
More food and hunger relief causes
Food and hunger reliefEmergency food aid
Food parcels for families when the harvest fails.
$90 two months of food parcels for a family of five.
Target$70,134
Donate
Food and hunger reliefNutrition programs
Screen and treat malnutrition in children under five.
$75 screening for 250 children with arm-band tests.
Target$47,644
DonateQuestions donors ask
How can I donate food to Africa?
The fastest way to help is a money donation rather than shipping food: our partners buy food locally or give cash and vouchers where markets work, which is quicker and supports local farmers. Choose a cause, enter your amount in US dollars and pay securely by Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay or cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and 100+ coins). You get an email receipt straight away and a field report every quarter.
How quickly does emergency food aid reach families?
We aim to distribute food within two weeks of funding, and every distribution is registered and checked.
Do you help prevent future famine?
Yes. The Drought resilience cause helps farmers grow food through the dry season with water pans and drought-tolerant crops.