Women Empowerment for improved livelihoods.
Hindiya Abdi from Leheley village in Sankuri location is a mother to 6 Children; 2 boys and 4 girls. Her eldest son and daughter have completed secondary school education while 2 daughters are enrolled in secondary and the last two in primary school. Hindiya is a member of Leheley farmer group which is a self-help group in Sankuri location that is working with ADSE through the Garissa livelihoods program (GLIP).
Hindiya is also a member of the Shabax women group a self-help group from Shabax village in Sankuri location. The Shabax women group majorly practices cash crop farming to compliment the other income generating activities. Through the GLIP project, I have received trainings such as financial management, pest management in vegetables and business development. These trainings have motivated me to carry on the journey to uplift my family’s livelihood. Though there were teething problems, farming horticultural crops has helped me sustain the day to day needs of my family.
Hindiya says,
“As a mother and a wife, I tried hard to help my husband to feed the family. My involvement in the women group had very minimal impact until when we the GLIP project started in the location where they trained us on pest management, post-harvest management and small businesses enterprises.”
Through linkages by ADSE to financial institutions, as members of the Shabax women group, they decided to apply for a loan from the women enterprise fund, a government credit agency. Upon receiving the funds, Hindiya bought a piece of land in Leheley farm which had its irrigation canal rehabilitated by ADSE and started preparing the land. Through the loan, she secured capsicum, Tomatoes and Kales seed to start the farming.
Hindiya narrates,
“I have planted the capsicum and as we speak, I have made two harvests which I have sold accumulating Kes. 12,500. Part of the money I have used to repay the loan and the rest used for household basic commodities and school fees for my children. Though the bigger part of the farm is not yet ready, the progress looks promising and I hope to complete repaying the loan so that we can secure a bigger one to expand the farm for more production.”
Hindiya notes that many widowed women in the community are struggling with kids after their husbands have passed on. She encourages them to be involved in the various interventions to help improve the livelihoods of their families. She is able to fend for her family and household needs despite the fact that she is unable to fill the void left by her husband. She is indebted to ADSE for the knowledge and support she has received from the project.