In 2018, a group of women in Kenya formed the Habsa Women’s Group to combat the effects of climate instability and food insecurity in their community. In the small town of Malkadaka, the effects of unstable climatic conditions have been disastrous. Droughts and floods kill livestock and crops, making multiple families have limited access to food and suffer from malnutrition and hunger. Innovations led by women in Kenya aimed to make food more accessible by improving their farming tactics with new agricultural innovations. 

Assistance From Action Against Hunger

The group partnered with Action Against Hunger to achieve its goal of creating a more sustainable agricultural system. The women began by learning the basics of crop cultivation, starting with corn and later expanded to onions and kale. Their progress faced numerous obstacles, including limited access to farming equipment and funds, as well as recurring droughts and infestations, all of which made achieving success significantly more challenging.

With the assistance of Action Against Hunger, the organization provided training on maintaining crops, pest management, rotational farming and drought-resistant seeds. It focused on eco-friendly strategies like intercropping, sunken garden beds and innovations in building a solar-powered water pump to help increase water retention during severe weather conditions. A fence was constructed to keep unwanted pests out of the crops.

Growing Success

Thanks to the hard work of these women in Kenya and with support from Action Against Hunger, the harvest successfully produced tomatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, hot peppers, kale and more. The Habsa Women’s Group earned a profit of approximately $463. This profit allowed the group to invest in improved farming tools and enhance its members’ livelihoods.

Women in Kenya often face restrictive gender roles that limit their income opportunities. Through this project, they helped reduce food insecurity and challenged these norms. Action Against Hunger further supported the Habsa Women’s Group, empowering the women to teach others about farming and nutrition.

The Village Savings and Loan Association

Action Against Hunger established the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), providing women with financial literacy training and encouraging independence. With new confidence and knowledge, they learned to manage earnings, plan for the future and strengthen their community’s economic foundation.

Participating in financial decision-making enables women to earn more. It ensures most of their income supports their families, improving overall health and well-being. Building on the success of the innovations led by women in Kenya and the Habsa Women’s Group, Action Against Hunger is expanding support to nearby communities, connecting them to additional markets in Isiolo County to increase income and business reach.

The organization also aims to boost crop yields, raise profits and enable more sustainable livelihoods for women and their families.

Looking Ahead

The success of the Habsa Women’s Group shows the great potential of eco-friendly alternatives in agriculture. It seems promising that the group will continue to grow. The use of climate-smart technology will continue to spread throughout Kenya, hopefully eventually ending the ongoing food insecurity crisis with nutritious food grown by local people in the community.

– Bowie Aldrich

Bowie is based in Syracuse, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash