A large proportion of Nepalese people get their daily food from their own backyards. Vegetable gardens, which are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, are the lifeblood of families in remote areas of Nepal.
Text: Elisa Rimaila Photos: Antti Yrjönen
A BROWN CHICKEN that until recently pecked around the yard has lost its head. Its fate? To end up as part of the lunch Sabitri Gurung Ale, 28, and Dhansara Ale, 31, are preparing today. Before its demise, the bird was free to roost and dig in the yard with its fellow birds, living a life of which most of the world’s domestic animals can only dream.
Video shows chicken curry being made in Taranga village in Nepal.
Dhansara’s chicken stew
MAKES ABOUT 6 SERVINGS You will need: a sharp knife for carving the chicken, a large wok or frying pan with high sides. Serve with jasmine rice.
1 chicken or 600–700 grams of chicken meat
2 onions
1 garlic clove
A good piece of ginger
500 g cherry tomatoes or tomatoes, chopped
1 chili pepper (spiciness to taste)
A dash of oil for frying
300–500 ml water
A pinch of salt
2–4 tablespoons ground turmeric
1. Cut the chicken into small pieces.
2. Chop the onions, garlic and ginger and sauté them in oil in a pan.
3. Add the turmeric and stir. Add the chicken and fry until cooked.
4. Add the chili, chopped cherry tomatoes and water. Cook until you have a soft stew.
In rural villages in Nepal, chickens are allowed to live freely in the yards.
IN TARANGA VILLAGE in Surkhet district of western Nepal, chicken is rarely eaten. Birds and goats are slaughtered for food, mainly for celebrations and guests. Meat may also be needed when the fields and vegetable gardens produce a poorer harvest than usual.
Sabitri and Dhansara belong to the same family, as their husbands are brothers. The women’s home is 34 kilometers from the nearest big city, Birendranagar. The journey takes an hour and a half on the dusty, hilly and partly unfinished road, even in a four-wheel drive. Shops and health services are far away, and Sabitri and Dhansara’s families don’t have enough money to spend there in any case.
In the village of Taranga, self-sufficiency is a lifeline for families.
Vegetable curry from one’s own vegetable garden
The ashes are still smoking as Sabitri gathers them into a bowl with her bare hands in the shade of her rustic kitchen.
Soon a new fire is burning in the campfire, and she pours cooking oil into the pan. The ingredients for the vegetable curry are waiting to be added to the pot: plump cabbage, onions, garlic, and potatoes as small as the bottom of the pot. Everything has been picked directly from the family’s own field.
Video shows how to make vegetable curry.
Sabitri’s vegetable curry
MAKES ABOUT 6 SERVINGS You will need: a large wok or saucepan for the curry, a saucepan for heating the milk, a stone base and a grinding stone (a mortar and pestle will do).
1 white cabbage
About 1 kg potatoes
2 onions
A dash of cooking oil for sautéing the vegetables
1 chili pepper (spiciness to your taste)
1 whole garlic clove
400 ml milk
700 ml water (you can add more water if the curry consistency seems too dry)
A pinch of salt
2–4 tbsp ground turmeric
1. Start by heating the milk in a saucepan.
2. Chop the cabbage, cut the potatoes into pieces and slice the onion. Cut the chili into pieces and the garlic cloves into smaller pieces and grind them into a smooth paste, to which you can add a couple of tablespoons of cold water if necessary.
3. Sauté the onion in cooking oil for a while in a wok.
4. Add the turmeric and the chili garlic paste you prepared. Stir.
5. Sauté the potatoes over low heat first, stirring, and add the cabbage when the potatoes start to cook.
6. Add the milk to the mixture and gradually add the water. Simmer gently over low heat. Stir and let it simmer under the lid.
Video shows how to make spice paste.
Minty spice paste
ABOUT 30 GRAMS OF PREPARED PASTE You will need: a stone base and a grinding stone (a mortar will also work).
300 g fresh cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
A good bunch of fresh mint
1 chili pepper (spiciness to taste, but preferably hotter than mild)
A good pinch of salt
About 1 cl water
1. Chop the tomatoes, mint and chili pepper into small pieces.
2. Grind the chopped tomatoes, mint and chili pepper into a smooth paste. Add cold water in small amounts if necessary until the consistency is correct.
3. Finally, add salt to taste. You can also add mint, chili pepper and tomato if you like.
DID YOU KNOW? 70 per cent of Nepalese people earn their living from agriculture. The country’s agricultural area is 2.7 million hectares. Only half of that is irrigated. (Source: cdkn.org)
Climate change is affecting Nepal, making life particularly challenging for families who have traditionally relied on their own fields for not only their livelihood but also their food.
Irrigation of the cropland creates a lot of extra work for Dhansara Ale and Sabitri Gurung Ale when the rains don’t come normally. According to the women, unusual weather events such as drought have plagued the village of Taranga for a decade.
TOMATO STEMS snake along their support canes. Their leaves are pale yellow, and the soil in the potato field cracks with thirst. This year there hasn’t been enough to sell the crop, which means the family has been living on a shoestring.
“Everything depends on water. Now there is none,” says Sabitri.
Climate change is affecting Nepal. As a result, rainfall is more erratic than before. In addition to drought, Nepal has experienced heavier than usual rainfall this year, resulting in devastating floods.
The family carries irrigation water from a river about two hundred meters away, even though there is a water pump in the yard.
The pump was installed as part of a larger regional irrigation project. It was intended to improve water access in remote villages like Taranga by pumping water from the Bheri River using electricity generated by solar power. Taranga has been waiting five years for solar power to be installed.
Raj Ale Magar, 5, climbs on a branch of the mango tree in the yard.
Drinking water carried from the river
The scent of the clear, rushing Bheri River brings to mind a Finnish lake landscape. The family’s children rush to swim. Today, only a few tiddlers are caught in the nets, which the children release back into the river.
Children pour water into a larger plastic barrel in their backyard. The water is used for cooking and drinking.
“Drinking water has to be fetched every four days,” Sabitri says, pouring a drop of water into the spice mixture that she grinds between stones from fresh mint, chili, and small tomatoes.
Fetching water from the Bheri River, which flows a few hundred meters from the home, is the job of the family’s children. From left: Maya (11), Simra (10), and Raj (5).
Maya Ale Magar, 11, is an experienced water carrier for her age. In the village of Taranga in rural Nepal, there is no electricity, and without electricity, water cannot be pumped from the river for domestic use or irrigation.
The Bheri River is a tributary of the Karnal River, Nepal’s longest river that originates in the mountains. The river’s strong flow is being harnessed for electricity generation in rural Nepal.
Carrying water is a child’s job in the village of Taranga, on the banks of the Bheri River. Maya Ale Magar, 11, carries a water barrel to her home on a hill about two hundred meters away.
Climate change is separating families
Drought doesn’t just affect food production and livelihoods. It tears families apart.
“When it doesn’t rain and there are no crops, people go elsewhere to work. Because of the drought, we can’t live together as a family,” says Sabitri.
Dhansara Ale and Sabitri Gurung Ale.
Her husband works in Malaysia, her father-in-law in India.
“We used to live happily together. I haven’t seen my husband for almost a year and I miss him,” Sabitri says.
Sabitri and Dhansara’s families have lived in the region for decades. In recent years, the families have been learning about new farming methods that help them adapt to climate change in a project funded by the Finnish and German Foreign Ministries and the European Union. The project is implemented by FCA together with the German development agency GiZ.
“We now have the knowledge and skills we need. But that’s of no use if we lack water,” says Sabitri.
Outside the courtyard cattle nestle under trees, resting in the midday heat. For Hindus and Buddhists, cattle are sacred animals that are not slaughtered for food. Their milk is still good for sweet, spicy tea. Sabitri also pours thick, fatty milk into the cauldron of onions, cabbage, and cooked potatoes. The cauldron smells of turmeric, chili, and garlic. Lunch is soon ready.
Time to eat! Birds and goats are slaughtered for food in rural Nepal, mainly for guests and celebrations. In the village of Taranga, self-sufficiency is a lifeline for families.
FCA and GIZ – green resilience in Nepal, youth training in Kenya.
FCA AND GIZ are working together through the Green Resilient Agricultural Productive Ecosystems (GRAPE) programme, which aims to strengthen sustainable agricultural ecosystems in the Sudurpashchim and Karnali provinces of Nepal.
As part of the project, FCA operates Climate Field Schools, where farmers from the most vulnerable and marginalised communities can learn and practice proven trends and technologies in Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA). Most farmers working with the project are women. In addition, we work with communities to raise awareness on CRA through advocacy and street dramas, focusing on women and gender transformative approaches.
Et ole hyväksynyt markkinoinnin evästeitä nähdäksesi videon.
Nepali farmers told us about the effects of climate change on their crops. Working with German development agency, GIZ, FCA is engaging whole communities on climate resilience through the GRAPE project.
FCA supports communication about CRA through production of radio shows and infographics as well as providing training to journalists covering climate issues. Select journalists graduating from FCA training then received media fellowships to support writing and broadcasting on CRA.
The Women’s Academy for Leadership during a visit to facilitate learning and knowledge-sharing among the members
The project includes 53 civil society organisations in Nepal who cooperative on CRA in a Community of Practice. This is a collaborative space for networking, peer learning and upscaling of CRA models. One initiative, the Women’s Academy for Leadership, aims to address the lack of female representation in the agriculture sector.
In the next iteration of the project, activities will focus on gender transformative approaches, addressing the specific needs of women in agriculture, and the disproportionate effect of the climate crisis on women plus aspects of intersectionality.
The GRAPE programme is jointly financed by the European Union (EU), the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Climate change threatens the sustainability of whole food systems in Nepal with women and girls at particular risk of losing out on economic independence.
Key Facts
21 Groups formed and 568 individuals reached through Climate Field Schools.
53 Civil Society Organisations work with FCA Nepal to regularly share best practices in climate adaptation and sustainable agriculture.
64 female leaders from 38 organisations joined FCA’s Women’s Academy for Leadership.
21 journalists on FCA’s media fellowship have published or broadcasted 119 articles or programmes on CRA .
FCA and GIZ
FCA has worked with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Nepal since 2023, focusing on sustainable climate adaptation and supporting green local economic development.
FCA and GIZ also work together in Kenya and on a global level with other partners, leveraging expertise in modern teaching methodologies and using evidence-based studies to expanding refugee inclusion in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
Technical and vocational education in Kenya
IN KENYA, FCA, GIZ and the TAMK University of Applied Sciences in Tampere are collaborating on a project to foster collaborative partnerships between Finnish educational institutions and Kenyan actors working in the area of technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
The project aims to leverage Finnish expertise in modern teaching methodologies, individualised learning and competency-based education to elevate the quality and effectiveness of TVET in Kenya.
Improved experiences in vocational education will lead to improved learning, as well as enhacing employability among Kenyan youth. It’s hoped that the project will eventually facilitate a sustainable model of quality technical and vocational education that can be replicated aross various contexts.
Both FCA and GIZ also work as part of a wider global steering committee, with UNHCR and ILO, dedicated to expanding refugee inclusion in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
FCA has long supported TVET training courses, like this hairdressing course in Rwamwanja refugee settlement in Uganda.
Working with local partners and international experts, FCA and GIZ are leveraging this experience in Kenya.
Fly larvae help Nepalese women create innovative sustainable business
FCA and Womens’ Bank BUZZ project in Nepal uses larvae from the Black Soldier Fly as alternative animal feed due to their high protein and fat content, as opposed to traditional feeds. This reduces solid waste by efficiently converting organic waste into animal feeds and organic fertilizer within the cycle of circular economy.
IN THE small village of Bhardeu in Nepal’s Lalitpur district, a building with a corrugated tin roof is abuzz with activity. Women crowd round small plastic trays, which are writhing with small larvae. One woman gently and carefully lifts a handful of the larvae in gloved hands. She doesn’t seem fazed by the wriggling grubs – in fact, these unassuming worm-like animals represent an exciting innovation in the working lives of these women. They’re a chance to turn waste into value.
“It’s such a new concept in Nepal,” says BUZZ project coordinator Nishi Khatun. “In the beginning, the women who saw our prototype larvae farm were a bit doubtful and sometimes frightened. But since training, they’re really confident with handling the larvae and find the process more convenient and beneficial from the farming they’re currently doing.”
Women observe a demonstration of how black soldier fly larvae can be bred for animal feed in Nepal
With funding from our sister organisation, Women’s Bank, and in partnership with the Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs’ Associations of Nepal (FWEAN), the project aims to provide employment to seven women, who are part of a farming cooperative in the village. All of them face social and economic marginalisation, with limited access to resources, job opportunities and influence within their community
The premise is simple: Black Soldier Fly larvae are raised in a special production facility feeding on organic waste. They then are used as feed for farmed animals and fish. The frass (excretion of larvae/fly) is used as organic fertilizers.
“The organic waste from the household and farming land is reused again and again for the larvae,” says FCA Climate and Environment Sustainability Advisor, Aly Cabrera. “It’s a really good initiative because it reduces land competition between food for human and for animal consumption.”
A close-up of the larvae feeding on organic waste
FCA set up the production facility and provides ongoing training to the women in both the technical skills needed to raise the larvae and the business development skills that will enable them to connect with customers and larger industries. In time, they won’t just be able to maintain their farms, but also sell surplus larvae and frass to others.
That said, it’s a very new concept in Nepal and the benefits of using the larvae are not yet well understood by stakeholders in the agriculture, poultry and fisheries industries.
Other challenges include the delicate nature of the larvae themselves. The grubs are highly sensitive to temperature and humidity and getting the ambient conditions exactly right for them to thrive is crucial.
Despite this, the women in Bhardeu recently celebrated a milestone. The initial insects needed to establish a colony arrived from the western district of Chitwan and they were able to get to work after long months of training. The cooperative issued a statement in celebration:
“We are filled with hope that our dream of economic empowerment through engagement in the Black Soldier Fly business model will finally come true. We envision ourselves becoming successful entrepreneurs.”
The BUZZ project is thanks to a joint FCA and Women’s Bank initiative that develops circular economy projects to increase income opportunities & sustainable agricultural practices in order to improve community resilience.
Contract farming project delivers life-changing benefits for women farmers in Uganda
Traditionally, women have had a hard time making a living in Mityana, a rural town in central Uganda. Women are usually not allowed to own farming land, and the ones who have land at their disposal have had low and unpredictable crop yields. This is something the contract farming project, backed by Women’s Bank and Finn Church Aid, wanted to address.
CONTRACT FARMING is a system in which farmers enter into an agreement with a buyer under predetermined contractual obligations. The farmers produce for the market, as they are already assured that they will have a buyer, and what price they will get for their produce.
In some cases, the buyer might also support the farmers with agrotechnical knowledge, inputs and other production requirements to be assured of the best quality product.
“Before, I struggled to make ends meet. I would plant my crops and hope for the best. But now, I have a contract that guarantees to buy my maize at a fair price. I have also received training on how to improve my farming practices, and I have seen the results in my yields,” says one of the farmers, Celina Nelima, about her experience with contract farming.
With the money Celina Nelima has earned through contract farming and selling chips, she and her husband are building a new house. Picture: Björn Udd / FCA
“With the profits I make, I set up a fast foods business where I sell fried chips to the community in the evenings. I save enough money weekly, and now I am building my dream house. I am grateful to Finn Church Aid for their support,“ Nelima, 34, adds with a big smile.
Increased bargaining power
Finn Church Aid and Women’s Bank help build the linkages between the women farmers and buyers. One of those buyers is Egg Production Uganda Limited (EPL), which is set up by the Women’s Bank. Women are assisted in organising into groups, creating collective bargaining power, to negotiate fair trade deals with the buyers.
FCA and EPL provide women farmers with training and support in the community, such as business literacy, good agricultural practices, Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) methodology, gender awareness, leadership and short-term specialized livelihood trainings. Training has improved the lives of the women and helped them access seeds, fertilizers, and other things they need to start their businesses.
Bitamisi Nakibirango was able to start a tailoring shop. Now she makes school uniforms for the nearby schools to earn some extra income. PHOTO: Björn Udd / FCA
The results have been remarkable. The farmers have been able to increase their yields and household income significantly, take their children back to school with ease, access finances for investment through VSLAs, access medical services, gain respect in their communities, and be elected to leadership positions.
Women in control
Through this, the lives of the women farmers have transformed. They are no longer at the mercy of middlemen who would buy their crops at a low price or not at all. They now have a steady income and can plan for the future.
Bitamisi Nakibirango, 52 years says, “I used to walk 7 kilometers to go to the market to sell my produce, now EPL collects the produce from the bulking center which is not far from my home. This has allowed me to save time and money.”
The success of the contract farming system in Mityana has also had a ripple effect in the community. Other farmers have seen the benefits and are now interested in joining the program. Finn Church Aid Uganda continues to work with the farmers to expand the program and ensure its sustainability.
In Mityana, over 700 women, from as many households, with an average of 6 household members each, were introduced to contract farming by Finn Church Aid Uganda (FCA). FCA is a non-profit organization that works to promote sustainable livelihoods in rural communities in a program that was initiated on January 3rd 2021.
When your whole fortune dries up. The two-year drought has taken everything from the pastoralists of northern Kenya
East Africa is struggling through an unprecedented drought. Since October 2020, four consecutive rainy seasons have failed, and the fifth seems to fail as well. In northern Kenya, the nomadic population has lost all of their property, meaning cattle, which has traditionally been by far the most popular investment in the region. The situation can be compared to a total collapse of the stock exchange in Finland. Lives are in danger, too.
SHEDO ISACKO ROBA, 25, started her journey to the nearest borehole with her friends yesterday. The distance is approximately 40 kilometres, and the young woman, familiar with the conditions of the journey, covers it in a couple of days. There is no water in Shedo Isacko’s home village, Gareru in the north of Kenya.
Washing the sand and dust out of the clothes is not easy. To get access to water Shedo Isacko Roba, 25, has to walk 40 kilometers. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
Shedo Isacko knows how much hardship the failure of the rainy seasons causes in the lives of the locals.
“For the past two years I’ve come here to get water and look for food for my children,” she says whilst washing her laundry at the well.
The clothes are so covered in sand dust that the water instantly turns brown, and they need to be rinsed several times.
After finishing her load of laundry, Shedo Isacko fills up her worn-out yellow plastic jugs with water and ties them on a donkey’s back for the way home. 40 litres of water is enough for a family of five for two days, but due to the drought, Isacko can’t find enough food.
“We share what we can get between us. Sometimes we have food, sometimes we don’t. Life is tough.”
The cattle perish first – then the people
Isacko’s family lives a nomadic life, just like most people in the region. The drought has killed most of the family’s livestock. Shedo Isacko mourns not only for the lost property but also for what’s ahead.
“I’m afraid there will be no more rain. When the cattle have already died as a result of drought, we’ll soon be losing human lives. That’s what scares me.”
According to official figures, by the beginning of November no-one has died directly due to the ongoing drought or food shortage. In neighbouring Somalia, the situation is several steps ahead: based on a UN report, thousands of people had died by mid-October and half a million people are at risk of death. In the Marsabit region in northern Kenya, health officials are extremely concerned about the direction of development.
“At the moment, the deaths in the region aren’t directly caused by malnutrition, but they are strongly linked. Many deaths, particularly among the elderly, are caused by illnesses that hit undernourished people,” says Bokayo Arero, the director of nutrition at the Marsabit health department.
The pastoralists of Marsabit in Northern Kenya are severely affected by the droughts. Since the drought began in 2020 the working water supplies are further and further away, and a lot of livestock has died from lack of food and water. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
Undernourished people are more likely to contract pneumonia, diarrhoea, and tuberculosis. The elderly, children, pregnant women, and disabled people are in a particularly vulnerable position. According to a health screening conducted in October, 92 percent of the surveyed children under the age of five in Marsabit were malnourished, and approximately half of them had received urgent treatment.
Especially in the case of children, malnutrition leads to serious, life-long consequences.
“Both physical and mental development suffer from malnutrition,” Bokayo Arero emphasises.
Food shortage also puts people under mental strain. Those whose entire property dries up can suffer from mental health issues.
“The population here is completely dependent on their livestock. There have even been a few reports of suicides being committed, when people notice that they have nothing left,” notes Bokay Arero.
Malnutrition affects the grades of the students negatively and a lot of learners stay at home because of hunger. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
Hungry children have trouble learning
The drought and the resulting food shortage have an impact on schooling, too. A few dried-up trees stand in the schoolyard of the Boru Haro village school, and the most energetic of the children are playing in the shade. The rest of the pupils sit and rest under the roofs of the building.
The principal Wako Salesa Dambi says that the drought and lack of food make children stay home instead of coming to school. The pupils who do come to school tend to be tired, and staying focused in class can be difficult.
Headmaster Wako Salesa would like to provide food for his students, but currently that is not possible. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
“Even just for the sake of humanity, I think it’s important that the basic needs of the pupils are met. If their tummies are full, they listen, learn, and do their homework,” Wako Salesa points out.
Previously the state supported school lunches, but currently there’s no support available. After the elections in August, the resources are scarce, as the resulting transfer of power has brought financial transactions between the state and the local government almost to a standstill.
A school lunch is an important meal for children and a reason to come to school for many. Particularly younger students are likely to stay at home, if they haven’t had anything to eat the night before.
12-year-old George Guyo has returned to school after being absent for 10 days. Now he sits in the front row learning how to read a clock.
“My parents haven’t got money for food, so I can’t come to school. When I don’t get enough food, my health gets worse.”
12-year-old George Guyo was absent from school for ten days because of lack of food. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
George Guyo can clearly tell how hunger makes it more difficult to go to school, and his learning results deteriorate.
“When I’m hungry, I think about food all the time, and I can’t focus in class.”
“My biggest wish is that there would be enough food for us children and that we’d be able to maintain a balanced diet.”
In December in Kenya, a national exam will be held to students finishing primary school. The result of the exam determines which secondary school the pupil will continue in. Wako Salesa fears that the results will be negatively impacted by the food shortage.
“Getting a good exam result will be difficult for the children who’ve had to skip breakfast and lunch. It would be great if we could offer food for the pupils, but it seems impossible. The parents are currently so poor that they can’t afford to pack a lunch for their kids,” says Wako Salesa.
“This two-year drought is completely exceptional”
One of the main reasons to the poverty in the region is that the majority of cattle has either died or in such a dire shape that it’s lost its value. Previously, a cow would be sold for 20 000 Kenyan shillings, or approximately 160 euros. Now, a cow is worth as little as 500 shillings, or four euros, as the livestock is in bad condition and many people are simultaneously trying to sell their animals to the butcher.
Locally, the situation is comparable to a total market crash. Traditionally, the nomadic population has invested its entire wealth in livestock.
50-year-old Elema Gufu Sharamu has, in his words, been a nomad since he was born. He has brought his caravan of camels to drink from the well repaired by Finn Church Aid. He used to have plenty of cows and goats, but most of them have died because of the food shortage caused by the drought.
Elema Gufu Sharamu has been a pastoralist all of his life. He used to invest his profits in livestock, but now most of his cows and sheep have died. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
“There have been dry periods previously, but this two-year drought is completely exceptional. The circumstances have led to grass not growing, and there’s nothing for the animals to eat.”
As a nomad, Elema Gufu is used to being on the move. It takes him eight hours to walk to the nearest bore well.
“This well is really important to us. If it didn’t exist, we’d have to travel even further.”
Sharamu’s family comprises of two wives and nine children. He used to be able to easily provide for them all, but the situation has changed.
“I take cattle to the market and sell it there, but the prices have dropped dramatically. I haven’t got enough money for food, and sometimes we must skip lunch. It feels bad not to have enough food for my family.”
In Marsabit a lot of the livestock has perished. The livestock that is still alive is in very bad shape, resulting in the price of livestock dwindling. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
Currently Elema Gufu Sharamu borrows food from his neighbours, which isn’t a sustainable solution. He’s afraid for his family.
“If this drought continues and the rest of my cattle dies, we too will die. I have no other option. I can’t read, and I won’t be able to get another job. There’s nothing for me in the city.”
The health officials of Marsabit have noticed that parts of the population are drifting towards towns and cities. The director of health Bokayo Arero deems this problematic.
“I don’t think it’s a good survival mechanism. There really isn’t enough work for even those who already live near the cities. Now, an entire family might move to live with a young man working a day job at a construction site. A single income simply isn’t sufficient.”
Conflicts in the area escalate
However, sometimes circumstances force people to move close to population centres. In Marsabit, there are tensions between tribes that every now and then spew out for various reasons. A year ago, the home of Biftu Boroyani’s family was burned in clashes. The family of four used to live in a house of their own, had a small allotment that provided them with enough food, and a few goats.
Biftu Boroyani recieved cash transfers from FCA. She used it to buy food and pay the tuition for her children. Photo: Björn Udd / FCA
“When I lived there, I was able to live in peace. I felt no stress. We used to make a good living from our plot.”
Now the family has had to come up with new ways to make a living. Biftu Boroyani’s husband is working in construction. When they have enough food at home, Biftu cooks a larger batch at once and sells it to the nearby construction workers.
“Recently it’s been difficult for both of us to find work opportunities. Because of the drought and lack of money few people are building right now, so making money is hard.”
Because of the difficult situation, Biftu Boroyani used to be able to offer food for the family only once a day. She was stressed out when she noticed how hunger made her children too tired to play.
Now the Boroyani family has received a cash allowance from Finn Church Aid. The 74-euro allowance is given in three consecutive months directly to a mobile phone in mobile money. Biftu Boroyani has received the first instalment, which she spent on food and school fees. Although food is scarce, Biftu Boroyani thinks that the children’s education is at least just as important.
“If the children get a good education, they can get a good job and then support us later. That’s why I make sure the school fees are covered.”
Conflicts between tribes can even result in houses being burned to the ground in Marsabit, forcing people to leave their homes. Kuva: Björn Udd / FCA
Although the first part of the allowance was spent on food and education, Biftu hopes to be able to use the coming instalments on establishing a small business. She’s planning on buying basic supplies from the city and then selling them near her home.
However, Biftu is still scared that the drought will drag on.
“I can only pray for the rain to come.”
Text and photos: Björn Udd
The prolonged drought in Northern Kenya has resulted in a lack of access to water. Here a group of women were washing their clothes at a borehole in October. Goats are better equipped to deal with drought and lake of grazing opportunities than cattle, but even the goats have started to perish now. Kuva: Björn Udd / FCA
“In the future I’ll be measuring instead of guessing” – A tech innovation by a young Jordanian helps farmers increase crop yields
Sager Marayha, 28, developed a device he hopes will boost the most important trade in his birthplace – farming. FCA supports the young agricultural engineer with a grant to start production.
THE AIR FEELS thick and there are flies buzzing around. In early November, Jordan is preparing for winter; but in the sheltered Jordan Valley, west of the country, summery conditions continue.
The greenhouses are brimming with foliage. Between them, cucumbers are loaded onto a truck that’ll soon begin its journey to the capital Amman. There, the cucumbers will be pickled and then sold to be served in local restaurants.
Sager Marayha, 28, stands in the scorching sun and fiddles with a tiny plastic bag. Inside it, there’s something that can reduce farmers’ workload and improve crops in the future.
“This is the prototype, like a small computer with several sensors,” Marahaya says, digging into his bag.
“This sensor measures soil temperature, this one assesses humidity, this one acidity and salinity.”
Portrait of Sager Marayha’s device which he developed to support farmers in Jordan. Sager received a grant from FCA which would help him to develop a prototype to support farmers in Jordan. Photo: Sherbel Dissi
Marayha demonstrates how the innovation works. First, it’s thrusted into the soil, and soon, the farmer will receive information regarding the properties of the soil on a smartphone app. A new result will appear on the screen every five seconds.
“The farmers in the Jordan Valley use fertilisers and water without knowing exactly what the farmland actually needs. It’s possible that the soil is so rich in nutrients already that it’s impossible to grow anything anymore. The device will help reduce the unnecessary use of fertilisers and watering just in case.”
As a teenager, Marayha already worked in the fields and greenhouses. The community encouraged him to continue his studies at a university. Marayha became the first in his family to have a higher education.
During his studies, Marayha got to know different kinds of agricultural measuring instruments and wondered why they all seemed so complex and clumsy. Could a small and easy-to-use alternative provide all that information in one go?
Northern Jordan Valley. Jordan Valley is an area in West Jordan which is known for its agricultural opportunities and crops that benefit the whole country. Photo: Sherbel Dissi
A cucumber farmer is ready to invest in smart tech
The practical experience from the field and the knowledge from university helped Marayha get started with developing the device. Soon the technology began to garner the interest of not only farmers and the media but also researchers.
“The problem is that Jordanian agriculture doesn’t really attract investors,” Marayha points out.
The young agricultural engineer was given support from a joint project of Finn Church Aid and the foreign ministry of the Netherlands. The project trains young agricultural professionals to ensure the industry continues to attract future workforce. After proving his commitment and willingness to develop, Marayha was given a grant he can use to begin the production of the devices and selling them to farmers.
Abu Muhammad is a 45-year-old farmer from Jordan Valley. Photo: Sherbel Dissi
There are plenty of potential buyers. Cucumber farmer Abu Muhammad has a total of a hundred cucumber tunnels in Jordan, and in three months, a single tunnel produces 7000 to 7500 kilos of crop.
According to Marayha, a 500-square metre tunnel can be covered with three devices. Manufacturing one device costs approximately 65 euros, but it hasn’t got a market price yet. Even so, the farmer is ready to invest in the innovation.
“The price doesn’t concern me, and I don’t care about it. I’m sure the benefits will outweigh the price,” Abu Muhammad says.
He’s confident that the device will be particularly useful during sowing.
“Sometimes I fertilise wrong and end up losing both the money spent on fertilisers and the crop. In the future my farming will be based on scientific measuring instead of guessing.”
Making a living as a farmer isn’t easy. The biggest reason, Abu Muhammad says, is that there’s no fixed market price for crops in Jordan.
“As we’re farming, we don’t know for what price we’ll be able to sell. Many have quit, and most people have started to cultivate various plant species to mitigate the risk. I’m taking a significant risk with all these tons of cucumber. I get along, because I have a contract for getting them pickled. If all my cucumbers were sold in the fresh market, the profit would be uncertain.”
Farming is badly lacking young professionals
The situation in the rest of the world also poses a challenge for Jordan’s farmers. The crops no longer travel to dinner tables around the world like they used to.
“We used to farm a lot to meet the needs in Syria, and through Syria, our products would go to Turkey and from there to Russia. Because of the war in our neighbouring country, the trade route has been closed. Previously we also sold to the Gulf countries, but now they have their own farms,” says Abu Muhammad.
Workers at Abu Muhammad’s farm in Jordan Valley shipping the harvested cucumbers to Amman. Photo: Sherbel Dissi
Abu Muhammad says he’s constantly on a razor’s edge due to the fluctuating markets.
“I only have to fail once. If I can’t sell my next crop, I’ll give up farming.”
At worst, the consequences to food production can be dramatic. If one farmer after another quits their profession and the young aren’t drawn to it, Jordan might have to start importing more food in the future. The cucumber farmer has faith in young professionals who otherwise have no work opportunities in the region.
“It’s great that Marayha and other young people are developing agriculture. Everyone wins: the farmers benefit from the innovations and the young get more work opportunities. Marayha has a university degree, and the studies have cost a fortune, and currently he hasn’t got anything else to do for work. It’s up to us farmers to encourage the young to make a living for themselves,” Abu Muhammad ponders.
Marayha says that his education as well as the grant he received improve the financial situation of his family. The young man wishes that with the help of his future income, his hard-working mother could finally get some rest.
“I dream about my future every day. I have already received inquiries from people who could help me sell the device abroad. My dream is to see the device in use specifically in Jordan, so it could benefit the people in my own region.”
The Cool-Ya project is funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The project is seeking to attract more youth to the agriculture sector by making it more appealing and interesting for the young people.
Text: Ulriikka Myöhänen Translation: Anne Salomäki Photos: Sherbel Dissi
