Learning new skills often has a positive impact. This is certainly the case for people living in a village in Ainabo in western Somaliland. As part of the Irish Aid funded Ireland's Civil Society Partnership Programme (ICSP) grant, people have learned climate-smart farming techniques.
New skills
People living in this area have learned the best techniques to grow their own food. This region has been affected by a prolonged drought, so growing crops can sometimes be difficult.
“Before we used to entirely rely on fodder production and rainfed farming systems.”
“Then Oxfam started this project and introduced us to greenhouses for the first time in our village.”— Asha Mohamed, the Farmers Committee Leader
People learned skills such as the best way to plant, water, transplant and prune their crops.
Positive
The greenhouses are mainly used for growing tomatoes, but people use their new skills to grow things like onions and carrots in the fields.
“This project has a positive impact on our community because we don’t have to import vegetables.”— Asha Mohamed, the Farmers Committee Leader
Group
There are 61 people in the committee of farmers. 40 women and 21 men all work together to grow crops in these greenhouses.
Asha notes that the group plan to invest in more greenhouses to expand their work.
Partner
![Candlelight Logo. The logo has a candlelight between 2 leaves. Under the logo it reads "For Environment Education & Health"](/sites/default/files/styles/article_image_small_700_518/public/2024-07/candlelight-logo.png?h=57024e64&itok=U56knHsB)
Oxfam is working with a local organisation, Candlelight on this project. Candlelight was set up in 1995 and works across all of Somaliland. It works in the areas of environment and livelihoods, education, and health. It responds to gender and humanitarian issues across all these areas.