As a super El Niño is due to hit our communities in October, we are working at full speed to lock nutrients and moisture into the ground and block out the effects of desiccating winds and full sun.
Forecasters expect this El Niño to be very strong. In August 2026, the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) put the likelihood of it reaching very strong intensity at more than 90%, and listed Lesotho among the countries expected to be drier than normal. The Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum forecasts a higher likelihood of below-normal rainfall and above-average temperatures between October and December. The stakes are high: drought in 2024 brought Lesotho its lowest crop yields since 2018/19.
We are responding in two ways, and at two scales.
In the keyhole gardens
Our keyhole gardens are being densely planted and covered with 80% shade netting. By densely planting food crops using companion planting techniques, we will leave very little soil exposed.
Out on the fields
On the fields, we are adding nutrient-dense manure mixed with biochar, a charcoal-like substance repurposed from alien tree species, into the soil. The fields are then well watered and planted with crops. Finally, the whole field is mulched with a thick cover of wood chips to retain moisture and block out the wind and sun.
Next: the school plots
Biochar production and the wood chipper are in full swing. Once our farm is complete, we will move on to the nearby schools’ plots.
Read about the Malealea Teaching Farm →
Sources: OCHA Southern Africa El Niño Preparedness Alert, August 2026; Sunday World, 26 September 2026.