
Mkulima akionesha namna ukame ulivyoathiri shamba lake nchini Lesotho. Picha imetumiwa kwa ruhusa kutoka shirika la Send a Cow.
Shirika la Hisani la Kimataifa lenye makazi yake nchini Uingereza linalofahamika kama Send a Cow, liliratibu soga la ‘twita’, #askLesotho, mnamo februari 24, 2016, kuijadili Lesotho iliyokubwa na ukame mbaya kuwahi kutokea nchini humo sambamba na ukimya wa kushangaza kwenye vyombo vikuu vya habari.
Lesotho, nchi ya kifalme inayozungukwa pande zote na Afrika Kusini, ilitangaza hali ya hatari mwezi uliopita. Kwa mujibu wa maafisa wa Umoja wa Mataifa nchini humo, hali ni mbaya kiasi kwamba inawezekana kwa kila raia watatu wa nchi hiyo, mmoja anaweza kuhitaji msaada wa chakula kufikia mwakani.
Mkurugenzi wa Shirika la Chakula Duniani (WFP) nchini humo, Mary Njoroge anasema ukame huo umewalazimisha watu kujihami na na hali hiyo kwa kutumia mbinu zisizo za kawaida, ikiwa ni pamoja na kuuza mali walizonazo pamoja na kufanya vitendo vya wizi. Mvua kubwa ilinyesha hivi karibuni, na kusababisha kile ambacho watalaam wanakiita ‘ukame wa kijani’. Mvua hiyo ilifanya mashamba ya Lesotho kugeuka kuwa kijani lakini kijani hicho kikishindwa kutafsirika kwa mazao wala mboga mboga.
Ukame huo umesababishwa na El Niño inayotokana na mabadiliko ya tabianchi iliyowaacha zaidi ya watu milioni 100 kusini mwa bara la Afrika, Asia na Amerika Kusini bila chakula.
Kwenye soga hilo lililodumu kwa takribani saa moja kwenye mtandao wa Twita, mkurugenzi wa shirika la Send a Cow nchini Lesothodirector Manthethe Monethi alijibu maswali kutoka kwa watu mbalimbali na pamoja na mashirika.
hata hivyo, soga hilo lilikuwa na changamoto kadhaa kama vile Manthethe kukosa umeme na kulazimika kuhamia eneo jingine muda mfupi kabla ya soga hilo ili kupata umeme. Kadhalika, mtandao wenye kasi ya kinyonga nchini Lesotho ulisababisha kuchelewa kwa majibizani.
Umuhimu wa kilimo cha mboga mboga ulichukua kipaumbele kwenye soga hilo. Tofauti na mahindi ambayo kwa kawaida yanachukua miezi mitano kuvunwa baada ya kupandwa, mboga mboga hukua na kuvunwa ndani ya muda mfupi.
Lumela ‘M'e Manthethe! If we help you to provide vegetable seeds for families now, when will they be ready to eat? #asklesotho
— Dolen Cymru (@DolenCymru) February 24, 2016
Lumela ‘M'e Manthethe! Kama tukiwasaidia kupata mbegu kwa ajili ya chakula hivi sasa, lini zitakuwa tayari kuliwa?
@DolenCymru #askLesotho Lumela ‘M'e! Vegetables are ready to eat within 5 weeks of planting
— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016
Lumela ‘M'e! Mboga mboga huwa tayari kwa mavuno takribani wiki tano baada ya kupandwa!
Dolen Cymru, anayetoka shirika linalounganisha Wales na Lesotho, aliuliza kuhusu uwezekano wa kubadili matumizi ya mabwawa:
@SendaCowLesotho @DolenCymru #askLesotho Since more rains are predicted soon are the #SaCL beneficiaries already preparing “makeshift” dams?
— Lerato Ato Mokone (@AtoMokone) February 24, 2016
Kwa kuwa mvua zaidi zinatabiriwa hivi karibuni, je haiwezekani kubadili matumizi ya mabwawa?
@AtoMokone @DolenCymru #askLesotho SACL supports farmers with skills to make ponds,dams,diversion furrows & roof water harvesting techniques
— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 25, 2016
Shirika letu linawasaidia kuwajengea wakulima ujuzi wa kutengeneza mabwawa, visima, mifereji ya kuchepusha maji pamoja na teknolojia ya kuvuna maji ya mvua yanayotiririkia kwenye bati
Jim Ackerman aliwapa changamoto Send a Cow kwa kuuliza:
Is an organisation that uses livestock to support communities the best placed to help when there are food and water shortages? #askLesotho
— Jim Ackermann (@jamnam1982) February 24, 2016
Je, shirika linalotumia mifugo kuwasaidia wananchi linawezaje kuwa kwenye nafasi nzuri ya kutoa msaada panapokuwa na upungufu wa chakula na maji?
@jamnam1982 #askLesotho Livestock production is equally affected because it depends on rangelands and water
— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016
Uzalishaji wa mifugo nao umeathiriwa kwa kiwango kile kile kwa sababu nao unategemea majani na maji
Joey Brownbill alitaka kujua ikiwa shirika la Send a Cow linafanya kazi zake sawa na Shirika la Chakula Duniani (World Food Programme):
Are you providing food aid like @WFP? #asklesotho
— Joey Brownbill (@joeybrownbill) February 24, 2016
Je, mnatoa misaada ya chakula kama wanavyofanya WFP [Shirika la Chakula Duniani]?
@joeybrownbill @WFP #askLesotho We do not provide food aid, we provide training and agricultural inputs
— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016
Hatutoi misaada ya chakula, badala yake tunatoa mafunzo na pembejeo za kilimo
Akahitaji kujua kama suluhisho linalopendekezwa na shirika hilo lina uhalisia wowote:
@SendaCowLesotho @WFP but how will that help people now? #askLesotho
— Joey Brownbill (@joeybrownbill) February 24, 2016
Lakini hatua hiyo inawezaje kuwasaidia watu kwa sasa?
@joeybrownbill @WFP #askLesotho Vegetable production cycle is short- 5 weeks, and availability is sustained through preservation techniques
— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016
Muda unaotumika kuvuna mboga mboga tangu wakati wa kupanda ni mfupi -wiki tano, na kwa kutumia mbinu za kuzuia zisiharibike, upatikanaji wake kwa walaji unakuwa wa muda mrefu
Shirika la Help Age Afrika Kusini lilikuwa na swali lifuatalo:
#askLesotho Q from HelpAge SA: Is the current humanitarian response age and gender inclusive?
— Send a Cow (@SendaCow) February 24, 2016
Je, jitihada za kutoa misaada ya kijamii tunazoziona hivi sasa zinazingatia suala la umri na jinsia?
@SendaCow #askLesotho The response is age and gender inclusive, targeting the most vulnerable, ie,elderly,OVCs,people with disabilities, etc
— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016
Ndio. Jitihada zinazoendelea zinazingatia suala la umri na jinsia, zikilenga makundi ya watu walio kwenye hatari zaidi, yaani, wazee, watu wenye ulemavu na kadhalika
Mtumiaji mwingine aliuliza kuhusu ukubwa wa janga hilo, akiuliza ikiwa ni janga la ‘kwanza-katika-historia’ au ‘la kwanza-katika-miaka-michache':
@MrsMoulogo @SendaCow #askLesotho I'd be interested to know how bad is the emergency in context-once in a lifetime, or once every few years?
— Waterloo Foundation (@Waterloo_TWF) February 24, 2016
Ningependa kujua ni kiwango gani hali ni mbaya kwa kuangalia kama haijawahi kutokea katika historia au ni janga la kwanza katika kipindi cha miaka michache?
@Waterloo_TWF @MrsMoulogo @SendaCow #askLesotho Lesotho is currently experiencing one of its worst draught in 30 years
— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016
Lesotho kwa sasa inakabiliwa na ukame mbaya katika kipindi cha miaka 30
@Waterloo_TWF @SendaCowLesotho 1) The problem is getting worse, so we must tackle it with long-term solution, not just food aid. Families
— Send a Cow (@SendaCow) February 24, 2016
1) Tatizo linaendelea kuwa baya, kwa hiyo lazima tupambane nalo kwa kutafuta suluhu ya muda mrefu, na sio kutoa misaada ya chakula kwa watu pekee
Mtumiaji wa mtandao wa Twita anayeishi Wales, Cathy Moulogo, alitaka kujua faida za mvua zilizonyesha hivi karibuni:
Hi @SendaCow are the current rains making any improvement to the drought situation? #asklesotho
— Cathy Moulogo (@MrsMoulogo) February 24, 2016
Je, mvua zinazoendelea kunyesha hivi sasa zinaleta nafuu yoyote katika kupunguza hali mbaya ya ukame?
@MrsMoulogo @SendaCow #askLesotho The current rains are going to make some improvement, esp on vegetable production & livestock
— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016
Mvua zinazoendelea zitaleta matumaini kiasi, hususani kwenye kilimo cha mboga mboga na ufugaji
Kisha akataka kujua nini kinaweza kufanyika kukomesha njaa:
@SendaCowLesotho @SendaCow that's great news! Will there still be widespread hunger? What can we do about it? #asklesotho
— Cathy Moulogo (@MrsMoulogo) February 24, 2016
Hizi ni habari nzuri sana! Je, njaa itaendelea kuenea? Tunaweza kuchukua hatua gani?
@MrsMoulogo @SendaCow #askLesotho We need to intensify vegetable production for consumption and income,and fodder production for livestock
— Manthethe Monethi (@SendaCowLesotho) February 24, 2016
Tunahitaji kukuza kilimo cha mboga mboga kwa ajili ya chakula na biashara, na kupanua ufugaji zaidi