Huila, Angola – Frail and clutching her infant tightly, Ooli stands as a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity. Living in a small, straw-and-mud shack in the remote Bata-Bata community of Huila province, she is one of the beneficiaries of Angola’s flagship social protection program, Kwenda. Despite the support, her journey reflects the uphill battle many face in regions increasingly gripped by the dual challenges of poverty and climate change.
With cash transfers from Kwenda, Ooli initially invested in pigs, hoping to establish a sustainable livelihood. However, the unrelenting dry season claimed the lives of her livestock. Undeterred, she used her next tranche of funds to buy chicks, which now roam freely near her home. Their survival, like Ooli’s hope, depends on withstanding the harsh conditions of the next dry season.
Southern Angola, including provinces like Huila, has seen dry seasons evolve into prolonged and consistent droughts. Analysis from the Establishing an Adaptive Social Protection System in Angola (2024) reveals a grim trajectory: between 2012 and 2022, provinces such as Huila, Huambo, Benguela, and Namibé experienced an average of 9 to 10 dry months annually, compared to 3 to 5 in the previous decade. Municipalities now endure over nine consecutive dry months each year, a stark indicator of how climate change is reshaping lives.
This is not just Angola’s story. Globally, the frequency and duration of droughts have risen by 29% since 2000, eroding livelihoods and diminishing resilience. Countries like Brazil and Ethiopia face similar patterns, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive, adaptive solutions.
Kwenda’s cash transfer program, which reaches a third of a million Angolan households, offers a crucial lifeline. However, as Ooli’s story demonstrates, systemic challenges can limit its impact. Her village’s isolation means hours of walking to access water, markets, or motorable roads. The brown, murky water she uses likely comes from open, unsafe sources.
Even the technology enabling cash transfers—a Multicaixa card—proved futile until a banking agent arrived with physical cash, given the lack of banking infrastructure nearby. Limited access to education, health, and essential services further compounds the challenges for families like Ooli’s.
Experts argue that cash transfers must be layered with complementary interventions to create lasting change. At the household level, these include life and business skills training, mentorship programs, and access to drought-resistant technologies. Community-level sensitization about climate change and resource protection can bolster collective resilience.
On a broader scale, investments in infrastructure roads, water sources, health facilities, and schools are essential. These measures, coupled with climate-resilient agricultural practices and proactive adaptation strategies, can break the cycle of poverty and vulnerability.
Ooli’s story is a microcosm of a global challenge: how to build resilience in a climate-stricken world. Her journey highlights the urgent need for a multi-layered approach that not only provides immediate support but also empowers individuals, strengthens communities, and invests in local economies.
For Angola and the world, the path to resilience lies in recognizing that financial aid alone is not enough. It must be complemented by investments in skills, services, and infrastructure to enable vulnerable populations not just to survive but to thrive in an increasingly unpredictable climate.
Ooli’s chicks symbolize hope, resilience, and the possibility of a better future if the right steps are taken today.