Dayaha, an agro-pastoralist village in the Sanaag region of Somaliland, has long depended on agriculture for their means of living. Sadly, the village has been through its fair share of difficulty in recent years due to the need for more necessary resources and tools. But with Oxfam’s commencement of a new venture, the situation is slowly improving.
The project provided the agro-pastoralists of Dayaha village with the tools and resources they needed to improve their farming practices. This included tillage hours, soil preparation techniques, planting advice, and harvesting strategies. In addition, the project also offered training sessions and workshops to teach the farmers the most efficient and effective ways to maximise their crop yields.
“Oxfam gave us corn seeds, grain seeds and ploughing hours, which have given us various benefits,” Said Osman Ali, A local farmer. “First, we stopped spending money on tillage hours which used to cost us a fortune; one hour was worth around $130 and $140, but now we don’t pay, and that led us to save our cash.”
This activity was part of the integrated multisectoral project funded by the German office of humanitarian assistance (GFFO). The project has enabled local farmers to increase their yields and incomes through the provision of resources and knowledge.
“I learned new ways to cultivate corns and grains that provide essential nutrients, which were previously unavailable in this region, and this had a major impact on my life as a farmer.” Said Ali; he added, “I’m really excited because I have enough food to feed my family and extra in storage that I just put away. I even have enough hours of ploughing to last me the whole season.”
The project has also positively impacted the community as a whole. With increased incomes, the villagers can now invest in their future and build a better life for their families. “We are so grateful for this project,” said another farmer. “It has improved our lives and given us hope for the future.”
In addition to providing agricultural support in Dayaha village, the project also rehabilitated and solarised strategic boreholes to provide free and accessible water to the community in Puntland.
The agro-pastoralists of Dayaha village have been able to achieve significant progress in terms of their resource pool and knowledge base. The resource pool includes better access to quality seeds, fertiliser, and other critical agricultural inputs for higher yields. The knowledge base includes skills in new farming techniques such as crop rotation, mulching, and soil management that need to be incorporated for sustained production growth. With this newfound resource and knowledge, they are now better equipped to increase their crop yields and generate more income, which will go a long way in securing a bright future for the entire community.