Aiysha, a small-scale farmer from Bangladesh who has improved her life with new farming methods
You recently responded to a request from us to call for the UK government to support ways of producing food that are better for small-scale farmers. This is why your support matters.
Aiysha, 49, once worked as a day labourer earning BDT 5,000/month (about £30), which was barely enough to support her husband and son. With only a small amount of land, she struggled with salinity and waterlogging and wanted to learn better ways of farming.
Then Aiysha joined a CAFOD-supported project and learned about a sustainable way of growing food that works with nature, not against it. Agroecology doesn’t rely heavily on single crops, as industrial agriculture does, nor on chemicals that make farmers sick. Instead, farmers use their local knowledge to grow food that fits their specific climate, soil and culture.
It’s worked very well for Aiysha, who now earns BDT 9,500/month (about £57), so she has almost doubled her income. With 11 hens, 1 goat and a thriving homestead garden her family’s nutrition has improved.
As a woman entrepreneur and leader, she also helps raise awareness in her community about coping with the changing climate, preparing for natural disasters, and biodiversity.
This International Women’s Day, Aiysha is proof of what women farmers can achieve when they get the right support.
Thank you for taking the time to support farmers around the world.
Lent Appeal 2026
Your generous gift can help communities find innovative, sustainable ways of growing enough food in harsh conditions – like a flood resistant floating garden, or a solar powered water pump for times of drought – so they can feed their families.