When Cornwell Hademu, of Choma, Zambia, started mentoring the women of nearby Mbole, he was sure it would help them on their fields and their farms. What wasn’t clear was just how far that mentorship would take the women. 

In the past few years, the Twachiyanda Women’s Group has gone from foraging for food in the surrounding area, to weathering a drought thanks to Cornwell’s mentorship on nature-based solutions. And they’re now starting to bring their own influence to the surrounding community by not only bringing along their men in their journey, but providing a safe space for young women who have given birth to land as they go back to school. 

Join host Ivy Prosper as she takes us on a journey through Cornwell’s own history, and the ripple effects his influence has had on an entire community. 

This is the first episode in a three-part series written and produced by Sarah St-Pierre and edited by Tara Sprickerhoff. 

More about Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing Planet at farmradio.org/natureanswers

This is a Farm Radio International podcast produced thanks to funding from the Government of Canada.