Titus Musakanya, a small-scale farmer living in Muchinga Province, Zambia, has transformed his modest plot in Kalimbanya Village into a thriving example of sustainable conservation farming. His farm has doubled in productivity, employs two local workers, creates jobs, and contributes to the economic growth of his community.
These results alone are impressive, but Titus has achieved them while facing additional challenges.
Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis during infancy, he has been plagued with significant pain and mobility challenges all his life, making traditional farming tasks seem impossible, but Titus was not deterred.
In 2021, when he was 52 years old, he was recruited by COMACO under the Global EverGreening Alliance’s Restore Africa Programme in Zambia.
Restore Africa: Restoring Trees and Livelihoods in Zambia with Salesforce programme applies conservation farming techniques that emphasise minimal soil disturbance, maintain ground cover, integrate organic matter, and incorporate agroforestry using Gliricidia sepium, all nature-based and environmentally friendly techniques that also reduce the physical strain on the farmer.
Learning from the Project, Titus introduced other sustainable practices such as rainwater harvesting and mulching, which provided him with a reliable water source during dry periods and helped retain soil moisture and combat erosion – changes that significantly improved his farm’s productivity and resilience. He also embraced permaculture principles, diversifying his crops by incorporating legumes and vegetables. This not only increased his yield but also provided a balanced diet and additional source of income from selling surplus produce at local markets and to COMACO.
Titus’s farm, once a symbol of struggles, is now testament to how sustainable farming can improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Harnessing what was learnt from COMACO, the programme and local cooperative leaders through a network of lead farmers, his farm now helps feed his community and serves as a training ground and an inspiration for other disabled farmers. He is teaching other farmers about conservation farming and disability-friendly tools and demonstrating that with the right tools, techniques, and mindset, disability does not preclude success in agriculture.
His incredible journey has garnered attention from national media, and he has become a voice for inclusive farming practices, speaking at agricultural conferences and field days, sharing his story and advocating for change. His achievements have inspired many, and his message is clear: agriculture is not limited by physical ability but determined by the vision that adversity can be transformed into opportunity.