For farming families like Momtaz’s, the climate crisis isn’t a distant threat. It’s destroying their harvests, threatening their livelihoods and making it harder to put food on the table.
Water is supposed to keep crops alive. But in Momtaz’s village in Bangladesh, it can kill them. With ocean levels rising, salt water has seeped into the soil, damaging crops before they can grow. Every harvest is more uncertain than the last.
‘The water situation is very bad. Crops don’t grow properly in salt water,and there isn’t much drinking water either; we have to struggle a lot to live here.’
Momtaz’s life had taken a devastating turn when her husband passed away, leaving her struggling to provide for her two young children. Not least because all the traditional crops she’d been cultivating were no longer growing.
One day, Momtaz’s son came to her with an unexpected idea: ‘Mum, couldn’t we try farming strawberries?’
He had seen strawberries being grown elsewhere. But nobody in their village had ever grown them before.
It was a risk to try something new, and Momtaz couldn’t do it alone. Thanks to Tearfund’s generous supporters, our local partner was able to offer Momtaz practical training in climate-resilient farming and give the guidance she needed to start farming strawberries.
What happened next surprised her entire village. The strawberries grew well, and Momtaz was able to sell them at market for much more than her typical income.
Nobody thought they would grow. But when your family's future depends on it, you don't stop looking for a way forward.
Credit: Jaman Bista/Tearfund
What began as a single idea has become a source of opportunity for a brighter future for Momtaz and her children. But for countless other families around the world, the way forward is still uncertain. They are still watching their harvests fail and struggling to feed their families.
Across Bangladesh – and in communities around the world – Tearfund is working with local partners to equip families with the training, skills and practical support they need to adapt to the challenging effects of the climate crisis.
Will you follow where love leads this Harvest? As the climate crisis threatens crops, incomes and the food people rely on, your Harvest gift can give more families the opportunity to build a stronger future.
If you have any questions that haven’t been answered here, please email [email protected] or contact our lovely Supporter Care Team on 020 3906 3906.
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