TV reporter Seyi Rhodes voices appeal on behalf of Rugby-based development charity

TV reporter Seyi Rhodes has voiced a BBC Radio 4 appeal on behalf of Rugby-based development organisation Practical Action.
Seyi Rhodes.Seyi Rhodes.
Seyi Rhodes.

The documentary makers is known for his ability to bring compelling and unusla stories from around the world to British screens in series such as Unreported World and Dispatches.

During this Sunday’s appeal, Seyi tells the story of Ganga, a single mum and farmer who works day and night to look after her family in the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal.

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There, families are struggling to feed themselves due to the impact of climate change and Coronavirus, which has combined extreme weather, such as drought, flooding and landslides with increased unemployment and a lack of access to vital supplies.

Listeners will be asked to support Practical Action’s approach to the problem, combining climate-smart farming methods and seeds, locally adapted technology and training so thousands of farming families can thrive, not just survive.

Seyi, who has seen the effects of climate change on communities around the world through his work, said: “For me, climate change is all about how we can rise to new challenges.

“One of the things I like about Practical Action and their approach is that instead of telling everyone we’re all going to die because of climate change, they are saying we’ve got some challenges coming and this is roughly how we might start dealing with them. I love that.”

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All public contributions to the appeal before 9th March 2021 will be doubled by the UK government. Government matched funds will go to communities in Nepal, while donations from the public will be spent on Practical Action’s work helping communities adapt to climate change around the world.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is also supporting the appeal.

He said: “The impacts of climate change are already being felt across the world, and communities like those in rural Nepal are especially vulnerable. The global pandemic has demonstrated the need to build resilience to future shocks, including extreme weather and climate change.

“That’s why we will double public donations to Practical Action’s new appeal, together we can unlock the skills, knowledge and innovation needed to help thousands of farmers build back better and take control of their future.”

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The appeal will be broadcast on Sunday, January 24th at 7.55am and 9.26pm and again on Thursday, January 28th at 3.27pm. You can also hear the appeal and find out more about Practical Action’s work on the bbc website here.

Practical Action, which has its UK office in Albert Street, Rugby, was founded more than 50 years ago by the grandfather of the green movement and the author of ‘Small is Beautiful’.

Since then, the organisation has helped millions of people worldwide improve their lives by working with them to develop ingenious, lasting and locally-owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy. And it has always shared what works with others, so answers that start small can grow big.

To find out more about Practical Action log on to www.practicalaction.org