This is an edited version of a presentation by the Revd Rose Mpango of the Anglican Church of Tanzania. Rose, a member of the Anglican Communion delegation at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) meeting in New York, delivered the presentation at a Anglican / Episcopal CSW side-event – Climate change: perspectives of women of faith.

Africa is our mother. Her strength carries us, her compassion sustains us and her love binds us. She carries us on her shoulders but she has long been exploited for her wealth. She feeds us but has herself gone hungry.

This must change.

Jamila is a typical African woman living in the village. She wakes up early in the morning in order to prepare food for her husband and children. She travels far to collect firewood. She is strong. Her work in the village sustains the economy, and her life revolves around the land. And although Jamila works on the land, she cannot own land.

Her work on the land can both harm her and the environment, she is an expert at tilling, planting, and harvesting but she is not consulted on a local or national level. Jamila’s livelihood depends on the land. In times of drought Jamila suffers and in times of harvest she barely has enough to send her children to school.

After collecting firewood, if Jamila lives far from a water source, she has to walk a long way to fetch water. Her daughter goes down to the river with her to fetch water. Sometimes the road is rough, sometimes she is harassed by men on the way. Jamila prepares food with firewood for her family and gets ready to go to the farm. She tills, plants and harvests; and understands more about farming then her husband.

Jamila’s use of firewood is harmful to her health and the environment. When trees are destroyed to make charcoal, it affects the climate and when the environment is affected, Jamila’s livelihood is also affected. This is her story.

The command that God gave to Adam to till the land has fallen on the shoulders of the African woman living in rural areas. In the 21st century and in a world that is so interconnected this is wrong and we must do our part to change her story.

What is the church in Tanzania doing?

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are interconnected. If we improve one area such as sanitation and water, then we can also improve another. Climate change is one of the SDGs.

In my diocese of Central Tanganyika, climate change is a big issue due to deforestation, which in turn causes drought. There are several measures taken by the diocese to address the issue of climate change.

In 2016 the annual Clergy conference held at Msalato Theological College emphasised that, theologically, not taking care of the environment is a sin; and that from the beginning God instructed Adam and Eve to take care of the garden / environment. Their disobedience is a form of exploitation.

On Ash Wednesday this year, the diocese launched a campaign called Dodoma ya Kijani – a Green Dodoma – which encourages clergy to plant trees at the parish level to ensure the land is replenished and to prevent soil erosion.

What are some strategies used?

Most women depend on the land to feed their families and make an income. This becomes an issue when there is drought.

There are several techniques that the diocese discussed that can be implemented in order to conserve water and fight hunger:

• Cover crop helps retain moisture and add nutrients for the soil and prevent soil erosion. Cover crops such as beans, peas, and lentil grow within two months; so enabling farmers to harvest food quickly
  
  
• Crop rotation helps to balance soil fertility
  
  
• Allowing the land and soil to rest
  
  
• The need for equipment such as power rippers can lessen the burden on women
  
  
• Serving and giving to those in need

The good news is that some issues are solvable

What are we doing to support each other around the world in the struggle for equality? I would like to suggest some ways in which we can support each other in the struggle.

• Visit us! The Anglican Communion is vast and there is lots to do. I guarantee that you will learn a lot and your eyes will be opened.
  
  
• Education: It costs $500 USD (approximately £355 GBP) per year to send someone to university in Tanzania. With international support we could send five students to university a year).
  
  
• Wells: It costs about $5,000 USD to build a well in Tanzania. If we can build wells in villages, women wouldn’t have to travel long distances to fetch water.
  
  
• The use of gas, solar or other renewable energy stoves will significantly reduce the need to cut trees or produce coal.
  
  
• Inform yourself by reading African female theologians, such as Mercy Aduyoye.
  
  
• Prayer!