Climate Smart Agriculture Transforms Women’s Livelihoods: The Case of Internally Displaced Persons in Somali Region of Ethiopia

Asma Bilal, 22, was displaced from her village in Oromia region eight years ago due to conflict. Once living comfortably on her husband’s income, she spent five years in an Internally Displaced Persons(IDP) camp in Dire Dawa city, relying on aid. Later, her family relocated to Jedane village, Shinile District, in the Somali region, receiving a 150-square-meter homestead land from the government. “The land was flood prone and covered in invasive bushes. Frequent droughts also occur making life harder,” said Asma narrating her shared difficult experience with other 250 households on the same relocation site. Her situation changed with the arrival of the UN Women supported Climate Resilient Agriculture project; Resilience and Institutional Support to Empower Women (RISE).

Asma volunteered her land for establishment of a demonstration site for her and other women to learn climate adaptive agricultural techniques. Despite doubts about the land’s condition, project experts rehabilitated it, turning it into a productive garden. Asma began growing drought tolerant and early maturing vegetables, feeding her family and earning income from the surplus. Previously unfamiliar with farming, Asma now earns about 12,000 birr (100USD) monthly from vegetable sales. “Before, I never practiced agriculture and even teased those who did. Now, I see its value in sustaining livelihoods,” she said.

Mohamed Korane, the project’s Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) expert, noted the success of training displaced women with no farming background by targeting vulnerable women and providing accessible training, “We started with a demonstration site and trained women to farm their backyards and plant drought resistant crops. Customized training sessions considering their household duties helped increase participation. Seeing the results motivated others to join,” he explained adding on the value, “This is my first experience working with displaced women. Watching them transform their backyards into productive spaces has shown me how effective women can be in agriculture when empowered.”

Asma now mentors others and advocates for agriculture. “If I get more land, I’ll expand farming to support my family and community. I used to depend on aid. Now, I sell vegetables door-to-door and at the market, inspiring others to join,” she said. Tahir Farid, Bureau of Agriculture head in Shinile District highlighted the project’s pioneering role, “It’s the first of its kind, targeting women and integrating sectors like livestock, Saving and Credit Cooperatives (SCCOs) and women’s affairs. This holistic approach provides sustained support. Given the region’s reliance on livestock, diversifying the food system through backyard farming is vital to coping with climate change.

The SACCO component has empowered women financially. Asma, once doubtful, now saves monthly. “I never believed in saving. Now I have a cooperative bank book,” she shared. Ifra Ali, RISE’s women’s empowerment coordinator, said life and business skills training helped women embrace saving. Those who saved and received startup capital now share success stories. For those unable to afford SACCO registration, the project provided seedlings, tools, and training. Selling surplus produce enabled them to join SACCO, access loans, and build sustainable livelihoods. Hodan Nour, UN Women’s Somali region lead, said initial fears around loans and possible land loss if unable to pay back were eased through training and peer support.

Gardening Skill and Water Access Uplift Hawa’s Family to a Better Life

Hawa Abdulahi, a widowed mother of seven, was displaced from her village in Oromia eight years ago due to internal conflict. Her first four years at the Dire Dawa IDP camp were the hardest, relying on limited aid that often caused tension among the displaced. Relocation to Jedane village offered a larger homestead, but survival still depended on food handouts and small water donations from the local mosque.

Hawa describes the support from the RISE project as life changing. Initially unable to join the village SACCO due to registration fees, she benefited from backyard gardening and water access provided by RISE. “Now I feed my family from my garden also earn income from selling the surplus,” she shared. Hawa emphasized the clean piped water access played a prominent role in transforming her living including her productivity at the garden. With irrigation skill and drought tolerant seeds, she began growing vegetables like onions, beets, tomatoes, Swiss chard, and chili peppers.

Within a year, Hawa’s harvests became sufficient to feed her family and generate daily income of 300-400 birr(3USD) from Swiss chard and chili pepper alone. “Before, vegetables were too expensive to include in our meals. Now we eat them regularly,” she said. The earnings also help cover her children’s education and other basic needs.

Hawa contrasted RISE’s support with a previous aid program from a different agency that gave her son 20,000 birr(140USD). According to her, her son’s effort to raise goats and support the family failed due to lack of knowledge. “RISE is different. It gave me practical skills, tools, and consistent follow-up from horticulture experts,” she explained. This approach empowered Hawa and other women to commit fully and see lasting results. Hawa’s next goal is to finally register for SACCO membership, a step she once couldn’t afford but now sees within reach as part of her growing success.

The Resilience and Institutional Support to Empower Women (RISE) project in Somali Region is a two-year pilot (2024-2026) supported by UN Women and implemented by Community in Action Against Poverty(CAAP) with funding from Governments of Norway, Netherlands and Sweden. It aims to improve resilience and livelihood opportunities for drought and conflict affected women/girls and their families. So far, 200 women supported in backyard gardening, 81 women headed households gained access to piped water and 100 SACCO women members trained on business, life skills and basic healthcare.