Knowledge is Power

Meet Saadia Ahmed, 48 years and mother of 5 children whose husband died 3 years ago from Lagdera village, Raya location in Garissa County that is among the villages that the GLIP project is being implemented by ADSE.  Sadia is a member of the Wathajir farm, a group farm that is in Raya location. When her husband was alive, life was easy and she was able to take care of her family but now, she has to make ends meet thus her venturing into farming.

With the prolonged drought being experienced by both farmers and livestock keepers, Sadia practices farming and livestock keeping as her source of livelihood. Through ADSE, Sadia has received trainings on good agricultural practices, generation if income through farming and strengthening our merry-go-round to start saving and the trainings have helped her engage in multiple income generating activities such as growing vegetables for market and milk marketing.

“In May this year, I have grown cow peas in my farm which I started harvesting late June. The cow peas are a multipurpose crop that serve as nutrient dense vegetable by utilizing the leaves and the grain as pulses which is a favorite staple food to Somali people. For the last two sales I made a profit of kshs.9000 that I have used to feed my family and I also have 4 dairy cows that produce a substantial amount of milk that I sell and the surplus I give to my children” Sadia alludes.

This project has definitely changed Sadia’s life and her family with the knowledge and skills received from various trainings on farming, savings and income generating enterprises since she is now able to feed her 5children with the cowpeas that are used as vegetables and even sell the surplus to her neighbours. The profits she gets from the sale she is used to cater to household needs.

Sadia “Most women are struggling to improve and maintain their household lives and I am grateful to ADSE for the trainings they have undertaken and especially on us women as I can now manage my own farm and livestock and I am in a better placed position to improve my life and that of my children.”