Sahro walks through her vibrant garden, her hands stained with the colors of ripe peppers. Once just a barren patch of dirt, her small plot is now full of life. Fresh lettuce, sweet and spicy peppers, and juicy tomatoes flourish under her care. Each day, she packs the previous day’s harvest for her children’s lunches, a simple act that once felt impossible.
A few years ago, Sahro and her eight children fled their village due to conflict. They found themselves in an unfamiliar camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), carrying nothing but uncertainty. As a member of a minority clan, Sahro faced discrimination, which made accessing land and opportunities even tougher.
With help from her community and the Boosting Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change (BREACH) project, Sahro began to rebuild her life. Her flourishing garden is now a symbol of hope and resilience.
Today, in Jowhar, around 35,750 IDPs, mostly from minority clans, live in need of food and resources, as highlighted by the Global Protection Cluster. Once known as Somalia’s food basket, Jowhar has struggled after years of conflict damaged vital irrigation systems and farmland. Droughts and floods have wreaked havoc on agriculture, making recovery difficult.
To help, Action Against Hunger has rehabilitated canals and installed solar-powered pumps through the BREACH project. These improvements now support hundreds of farmers with reliable irrigation, reducing crop failure during dry spells by 40%. This is crucial as climate variability continues to challenge local agriculture.
Farming cooperatives have emerged, uniting both IDPs and host community members. Through this collaboration, farmers received training in climate-smart techniques, empowering them with essential skills and tools. Many have even returned to growing rice—a staple that had become rare after the civil war.
The cooperative environment has strengthened relationships in the community. Sahro shares, “The support from cooperative members feels like a safety net. We share knowledge and work together. It makes this journey less lonely.”
Beyond just growing food, these methods have proven to be cost-effective. Farmers have saved up to $100 a season on fuel and reported 20% more earnings than those using traditional methods. Sahro’s first successful harvest earned her $600. Now, she makes about 1.7 million Somali shillings, roughly $65 weekly—a steady income that allowed her children to return to school after years of disruption.
Sahro dreams of expanding her farm even further. “I hope to grow more rice and continue with my vegetables,” she says with optimism. Her story shines as a beacon for other displaced women, proving recovery is possible even amid adversity.
Now, in Jowhar, there are 12 cooperatives, each with 52 members working towards shared goals. This unity has led to better food security and a sense of empowerment for everyone involved. Anyone can join, regardless of their background, and together they’re laying the groundwork for a sustainable future.
Amid funding cuts that threaten food aid for many in Somalia, long-term solutions like BREACH are more crucial than ever. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 3.4 million people face acute food insecurity this year. By promoting climate-smart agriculture and supporting cooperative efforts, projects like BREACH tackle hunger while strengthening communities. Expanding these initiatives is vital for lasting change, helping more families like Sahro’s find hope and stability.
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