Reviving Somalia’s Food Basket | Action Against Hunger

From Conflict to Cultivation: Sahro’s Transformation

Sahro’s hands, stained by ripe peppers, trace new furrows of hope as she walks to a small plot of land. What used to be a patch of dirt is now bursting with life: crisp lettuce, hot and sweet peppers, and plump tomatoes thrive under her care. Each morning, she packs the previous day’s harvest into lunches and sends her children off to school— an ordinary act that once felt impossibly out of reach.

Just a few years ago, Sahro and her eight children fled for their lives when clan conflict broke out in their village. They arrived at an unfamiliar camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) with no possessions, no income, and an uncertain future. As a member of a minority clan, Sahro also faced discrimination that limited her access to land and employment, deepening the challenges for her and her family.

With support from her community and the Boosting Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change (BREACH) project, Sahro determinedly worked to build a brighter future for her family. Now, her thriving garden stands as a testament to the possibility of resilience and renewal.

Reviving the Agricultural Heartland of Jowhar

The IDP camp where Sahro and her children live is in Jowhar. About 35,750 IDPs are living in Jowhar, according to the Global Protection Cluster, the majority of them come from minority clans. Many people are in need of food, and Jowhar is struggling to meet the demand.
Before Somalia’s civil war in 1991, Jowhar was known as one of Somalia’s food baskets, but years of conflict, climate shocks, and displacement have left its irrigation system damaged and its farmland underutilized. Changing weather patterns are also causing droughts and floods that damage infrastructure and destroy crops.

To strengthen climate resilience in Jowhar, the Action Against Hunger rehabilitated canals and installed solar-powered pumps as part of the BREACH project. The rehabilitated canal system now serves hundreds of farmers, providing reliable irrigation throughout the year. The pumps reduced irrigation costs and provided a steady supply of water that helped combat the destructive effects of long dry periods. Since these have been installed, farmers have reported a 40% drop in crop failure during dry spells.

Additionally, farming cooperatives were founded. In the cooperatives, farmers from both the IDP and the host community were trained in climate-smart farming by Action Against Hunger staff. Action Against Hunger staff gave the farmers basic farming tools and started training them in climate-smart farming methods.

Through training offered to farming cooperative, some farmers have begun growing rice. Rice used to be a popular crop in Jowhar, but it became too challenging to grow after the 1990 civil war broke out, causing a rise in input prices. Using agroecological methods, she and her fellow farmers have begun to bring back this nutritious food. Members also cultivate vegetables such as lettuce, hot pepper, sweet pepper, and tomatoes, helping to increase the diet diversity of their households.

By working together and sharing resources, the farmers not only grew nutritious, climate-smart produce, but they also strengthened social cohesion in the community. Sahro credits the cooperative for much of her progress, saying “The support I get from cooperative members is like a strong unit. We share knowledge, labor, and encouragement—it makes me feel that I am not alone in this journey.”

The environmentally friendly farming methods that cooperative members learned through the BREACH project are also lucrative. With solar-powered pumps and agroecological methods, members saved about $100 per season on fuel costs. They also earned 20% more revenue compared to farmers using traditional farming methods in the region.

Sahro’s first harvest was a great success, and she was able to gain $600 in income. Now, she harvests twice a week, earning about 1.7 million Somali shillings, roughly $65 per week. The steady income has allowed Sahro’s children to return to school after years of disruption. Their lives transformed from fighting for survival to freedom to learn and prosper. “My children were out of school, but now they have been attending classes for a year,” Sahro says proudly.

Expanding Sustainable Solutions in Somalia

Looking ahead, Sahro hopes to expand her farming. “I want to benefit more from the cooperative and start rice cultivation, while continuing with vegetables,” she says. Sahro stands as a beacon of hope for other displaced women from minority clans. She has shown that it is possible to recover from conflict, even in the face of systemic challenges and climate change, and to thrive.

Across Jowhar, 12 cooperatives now bring together 52 members each, offering shared resources, training, and a renewed sense of purpose. Members report improved food security, higher incomes, and a greater sense of empowerment. Whether a member of a minority or majority clan, an IDP or host community member, a woman or man, anyone can join and build a better life for themselves. By working together, they are strengthening social bonds and laying the foundation for a more sustainable future.

At a time when funding cuts mean reductions in food aid for people in Somalia, projects like BREACH that promote long-term solutions are more critical than ever. There are 3.4 million people facing high levels of food insecurity in Somalia this year, according to Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), and it is essential for sustainable solutions to be implemented. By combining climate-smart agriculture, rehabilitated canals, and cooperative structures, the BREACH project is tackling hunger in Somalia head-on, while building stronger communities. Replication and expansion of this intervention is key to building lasting change in the region. With support, more communities and families like Sahro’s can be touched by this outreach.