African Women Fight Underrepresentation in Climate Research

Jan 14, 2020 | Busani Bafana
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As a child, Kenyan meteorologist Saumu Shaka helped out on her parents' small farm growing maize and pigeon pea and learned how the weather can hold food producers hostage.

"Looking back, the yield has declined over the years," said Ms. Shaka, who works with the Kenya Meteorological Department.

A decade ago, her parents would get 25 sacks of maize from their six hectares in Taita Taveta County, southeast of Nairobi.

Today that number dwindled to five bags at most, because of erratic rainfall that can spur crop-destroying pests.