In Surgadud Village, Dollow District, Somalia, subsistence farming was once a reliable source of food for household consumption, with any surplus sold to neighbours or in the local market. However, in recent years, this has been severely disrupted by the impacts of climate change. Prolonged droughts and flash floods have devastated crops and livestock keeping, leading to poor harvests and threatening the community’s food security. Coupled with continued reliance on traditional farming practices, many community members abandoned their farms. Among them was Mohamud Ibrahim, who had once depended on agriculture to provide for his family.
“I’ve loved farming since I can remember,” Mohamud said, his voice filled with emotion. “But it was becoming inefficient, and nothing was growing well.”
To support farmers like Mohamud, who had given up farming after facing repeated climate shocks, Nomadic Assistance for Peace and Development (NAPAD), in partnership with Terre des Hommes (TDH) and with funding from the German government (BMZ), launched a project in Surgadud to strengthen the capacity of conflict-affected agropastoral IDPs and host communities. The initiative focuses on promoting sustainable food security and community-based conflict management, directly supporting 50 local farmers in the village.
Together with the community, the project team identified 15 acres of land safely located away from flood-prone areas. The land was divided among the 50 small-scale farmers, organized into five groups including women like Fatuma Mohamed, who knows the struggle all too well. “We used to rely on diesel generators just to pull water from the river,” she said. “It was expensive and unreliable. Now, we use solar power. We don’t pay a shilling for fuel, and we have water every day.”
To ensure a reliable water supply for farming, NAPAD constructed a shallow well, installed a solar-powered water pumping system, complete with pipelines and a 60,000-liter tank that fills up three times a day; with the community volunteers trained on its operation and maintenance. Additionally, NAPAD introduced a solar-powered surface pump mounted on a floating pontoon. This innovative pump draws water directly from the river when water levels are high, complementing the submersible pump in the shallow well. Farmers can easily switch between the two systems based on river conditions, ensuring uninterrupted access to water for irrigation all year round.
Led by Mohamud, who now serves as the group’s chair, the farmers rolled up their sleeves and got to work. They planted a variety of crops including maize, cowpeas, tomatoes, onions, Sudan grass, and sorghum. The diversity allows them to feed their families with a variety of nutritious foods. What’s more, is that the farmers now sell their produce collectively, giving them a stronger bargaining power.
“The most in-demand crop is Sudan grass which we sell for $1.50 per bale,” Fatuma shared
To support the farmers adapt, they were trained on climate smart farming agriculture. They also learned how to make organic fertilizers using locally available materials, as an affordable and eco-friendly shift away from chemical-based options. Farmers have also embraced agroforestry, planting trees along riverbanks and around their farms to reduce soil erosion and protect their crops from strong winds. To further boost crop yields, NAPAD provided farming inputs and farmer’s field days, equipping farmers with both the tools and the knowledge they need to practise more sustainable agriculture.
Beyond these, NAPAD also equipped them with skills in value addition which is turning raw crops into market-ready products with higher profit potential. As part of this training, the farmers visited the Dollow Value Addition Center, established through the project. Here, they learned how to process tomatoes into rich sauces, grind maize and bananas into flour, press sesame into oil, and blend watermelon into refreshing juice. This practical experience not only helped reduce post-harvest losses but also opened up new income streams. The center also acts as a ready market for their harvests.
In 2024, the community harvested 300 bales of Sudan grass, 340 bales of cowpea fodder, 386 bales of sorghum fodder, and 400 bales of maize fodder. These numbers tell more than a story of successful farming, they reflect a community whose resilience has been strengthened, that has improved their food security, diversified their livelihoods, and with better nutritional outcomes for their children.