If one were to fly from the northernmost point of Chad down to its southern border with the Central African Republic, the country’s many climates would reveal themselves in the landscapes below: miles of harsh Sahara sands would give way to the shrub-speckled Sahel and ultimately transition into the lush green savannas of the South.
It’s at this last cusp – where the semi-arid Sahel shows hints of the abundant south – that 43-year-old Tom Rakhis built the farm that supports his family of eight. Here, in the village of Niergui, about an eight-hour drive east of the capital N’djamena, land is fertile enough to cultivate, but water is still in short supply.
That’s why Tom grows sorghum, a grain crop akin to millet that does extremely well in dry climates. Tom, who learned to farm as a boy, swears by one variety in particular.
“I am one of those people who produce what they eat, which is why I like the Mara-Guisséré variety,” he says. It’s a native sorghum that means “short woman” in local Arabic and is perfectly adapted to the semi-arid conditions. It’s very productive, resistant to water stresses and short-cycle, so he can easily ramp up production whenever he needs it and get a harvest quickly.
It’s also tasty. Porridge, sweet rolls, and boule – a local bread that accompanies sauces – are favourite dishes in his house, he says. And the fact they are made with sorghum makes them rich in iron and antioxidants.
Any sorghum he doesn’t use, he sells at the local market. In recent years, that surplus has grown significantly, thanks to new techniques he’s learned for managing water stresses, like planting in “half moons”, which keep more water near his crops.
Overall, his yields have nearly quadrupled, from 700 kg/ha of land to 2500 kg/ha. With the money from his surplus sales, he covers medical care for his family and ensures his school-aged children are getting a full education. He no longer fears they might have to drop out for lack of funds later.
In 2021, Tom was selected to become a seed supplier for his region and he is now planning to increase the area on which he cultivates. He wants to produce enough seeds to supply his village, he says, and ultimately the whole Province of Guéra. But his foremost goal, he says, is to earn enough to send all of his children to school.
Tom received training in drought-resistant farming under PARSAT, a joint initiative of the Government of Chad and the International Fund for Agricultural Development to make agriculture systems more climate proof.
