Misi Faki: A Woman with a Disability Leading Climate Adaptation in Pemba

 

By Khelef Nassor

Misi Mwalimu Faki is a woman farmer from Gombeume Mchangamdogo village in Pemba who, despite living with a physical disability, is actively engaged in climate adaptation through agroforestry. Her work challenges deep-rooted assumptions about disability, gender, and who can lead climate action at the community level.

At 58 years old, Misi Mwalimu Faki is a woman with a physical disability, living with one arm, a mother of nine children, four sons and five daughters, and the wife of a man who has been chronically ill for many years. Her daily life has long been shaped by care, responsibility, and resilience under difficult circumstances.

For years, her household faced deep vulnerability. Limited income, growing climate stress, and declining soil productivity made farming increasingly challenging. Feeding a large family was often uncertain, and each season carried new risks.

Beyond economic hardship, Misi also experienced social exclusion. In her community, disability was often associated with dependence and inability. Leadership, especially in agriculture and environmental initiatives, was rarely imagined for people with disabilities.

“Many people believed that because I have one arm, I could not farm or contribute anything meaningful,” she recalls. “Some thought my place was only at home, waiting for help.”

Misi Mwalimu Faki cultivates her farm using just one arm, demonstrating resilience and determination in leading climate adaptation in her community

As a result, Misi remained invisible in many development spaces, despite her strong desire to work and provide for her family. Yet within her grew a quiet determination and an unbreakable belief that she still had a role to play.

That belief began to take shape when the Zanzibar Women Leadership in Adaptation (ZanzADAPT) project, implemented by Community Forests Pemba (CFP), reached Gombeume Mchangamdogo with a clear commitment to inclusive climate adaptation.

Unlike many initiatives before it, ZanzADAPT deliberately ensured that women with disabilities were not left behind, but instead were included, trained, and encouraged to take active roles as climate actors and leaders.

“When ZanzADAPT came, they did not focus on my disability,” Misi explains. “They focused on my willingness to learn and my determination to work. That changed how I saw myself.”

Misi proudly beside a young Mtondoo tree she planted on her farm, contributing to forest restoration and climate resilience.

Through the project, she received training in agroforestry and climate-smart mixed farming, learning practical, locally appropriate methods to restore land, improve food security, and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Today, Misi practices agroforestry on a piece of land measuring more than two acres. Her farm is still at an early establishment stage, with crops and trees just beginning to grow, an investment in long-term resilience rather than immediate harvests.

On her farm, Misi has planted a diverse mix of short-term and long-term seedlings, including fruit trees, forest trees, and spice crops. These include banana plants, mango trees, avocado trees, lime trees, cinnamon, cloves, neem trees, and other species. All of these seedlings were provided with support from Community Forests Pemba through the ZanzADAPT project, ensuring both environmental restoration and future livelihood opportunities.

Most of the time, Misi works independently on her farm, preparing land, planting seedlings, and managing crops using one arm. Occasionally, one of her children assists her when tasks become physically demanding.

At times, when her strength is limited, she pays a small amount of money for labor support, though this is not common. “I prefer to work with my own hands,” she says. “Even if it takes longer, it gives me dignity.”

“This is my land and my responsibility,” Misi adds. “I believe this farm will change the life of my family.”

Misi with a young mango tree she planted on her farm, a symbol of hope and her commitment to climate-smart farming

One of her greatest challenges remains the lack of water infrastructure, especially during the dry season. Without reliable irrigation systems, sustaining crops becomes difficult when rainfall is low.

“The biggest challenge I face is water,” she explains. “If we had proper water systems, I could irrigate my farm even during drought. When the land becomes dry, farming becomes very hard.”

Despite these constraints, Misi remains hopeful. She believes that once her crops mature and harvesting begin, the farm will generate meaningful income, income that will help her meet household needs, particularly given her husband’s ongoing illness.

“I am investing my strength today for a better tomorrow,” she says. “When I harvest, I know my family’s situation will improve.”

Her long-term goal is to expand her agroforestry farm, making it larger and more productive while continuing to protect the environment. She also dreams of becoming a role model, inspiring others to see that disability does not limit leadership.

“I want to be an example,” Misi concludes. “Even with one arm, I can lead the fight against climate change. ZanzADAPT showed me that I am not left behind, and that I, too, can lead.”