Preparing The Baobab Home for a wetter season

In Bagamoyo, rain is essential for life. It nourishes our crops, replenishes water supplies and supports our community. But this year, we are preparing for the possibility of more rain than usual.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) expect wetter-than-normal conditions across parts of East Africa during the October until December 2026 rainy season. The combination of a strengthening El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole is contributing to this outlook. TMA is also warning of excessive soil moisture and flooding in Tanzania.

For The Baobab Home, this is not simply a weather forecast. It could affect our farm, food supply, animals, school and daily life.

When too much water reaches the farm

Our 12-acre organic farm is an important part of Baobab’s self-reliance. It provides food for our community and gives our students the opportunity to learn directly from the land.

But crops need the right amount of water — more is not always better.

If heavy rain falls faster than the soil can absorb or drainage systems can carry it away, fields can become waterlogged. Roots lose access to oxygen, plants may stop growing or die, and young seedlings can be washed away. Strong runoff can also remove fertile topsoil and nutrients that are essential for future harvests.

Persistent wet conditions create another danger: plant diseases. TMA warns that excessive rainfall can increase the risk of fungal, bacterial and viral diseases affecting crops.

The result could be damaged or failed harvests at precisely the time when we need our farm to produce food.

From the farm to the table 

The consequences do not stop at the edge of a field.

If crops are lost, there is less food for the children, our community and our animals. A smaller harvest could mean having to purchase more food from outside, increasing costs and reducing our ability to rely on what we produce ourselves.

The same applies to livestock. Excessive rain can create muddy and unhygienic conditions, complicate farm management and contribute to animal health problems.

This is why protecting the farm means protecting food security for the whole Baobab community.

Beyond the farm

Heavy rainfall can also affect buildings, paths and roads. Flooded or damaged routes may make school transport, deliveries and access to the community more difficult.

Standing or contaminated water can create additional health risks. According to the WMO, excessive rainfall and flooding can increase the risk of water- and vector-borne diseases and disrupt access to health and nutrition services.

For a community caring for children, safe water, sanitation and reliable access to school are therefore just as important as protecting the crops.

Preparing for the rainy season

We cannot control how much rain will fall. But we can prepare. Before the heaviest rains arrive, our priorities are to:

• protect our biogas from flooding and water damage 
• move our growing areas to higher ground to reduce the risk of waterlogging 
• direct excess rainwater into our water-collection area to help prevent water from building up around our crops 
• preparing the ground to reduce soil erosion
• prune the Chaya trees ahead of heavy storms and use the cuttings as food for our cows

A challenge and a lesson 

The coming rainy season also gives our students an opportunity to understand climate and agriculture in a very practical way.

They can observe how water moves through the land, how healthy soil helps manage rainfall, why plants respond differently to changing conditions, and how communities can adapt.

Because at Baobab, sustainability is not only something we teach.

It is something we practice every day.

We cannot prevent the rain. But with preparation, knowledge and cooperation, we can reduce its impact and protect what matters most: our children, our food, our animals, our land and our community.

We are watching the skies, preparing our farm, and getting ready together.