Habiiba Muhumed, 34, Builds a More Secure Future Through Climate-Smart Farming in Dolo Ado, Ethiopia
In Kole Kebele, a dry area in Ethiopia’s Somali Region, families affected by drought and displacement are starting to see farming as a way to rebuild their lives.
Habiiba Muhumed at her farm in Kole Kebele, Ethiopia
Posted on 04 Nov 2025
Among them is 34-year-old Habiiba Muhumed, a mother and former pastoralist who joined the “Building Sustained Climate Resilience and Food Security in Disaster-Affected Communities in Ethiopia” project, also known as the Humanitarian, Development and Peace Nexus (HDPN) project.
The project is implemented by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) together with its local partner, Pastoralist Concern (PC), with funding support from SIDA and NORAD.
For many years, Habiiba and her family depended only on livestock. But as rains became less reliable and pastures disappeared, survival became harder. In 2024, through the HDPN project, she began to learn new farming techniques and received drought-tolerant seeds, basic farm tools, forage seeds, and an irrigation pump. The project also helped to rehabilitate 20 hectares of land that had been covered by invasive Prosopis juliflora trees. That land is now productive and in use again.
I never imagined I could grow food on this land. Now, I can feed my family and sell some of what I produce at the market.
/ Habiiba Muhumed
The project also organised practical training on good farming practices, including organic fertiliser production and efficient water use, with support from the Dolo Agricultural Office and local research centres. These sessions helped farmers like Habiiba learn how to improve their yields while keeping farming costs low.
Today, her farm produces a mix of cereals, pulses, and vegetables. She also participates in activities that go beyond crop production — such as savings groups (VSLAs), cooking demonstrations to promote healthy eating, and cash-for-work programmes that restore land and water sources in the community.
Farmers like Habiiba are now using a crop-livestock mixed system that combines traditional knowledge with new ideas. This approach helps them withstand droughts and other challenges more effectively.
The HDPN project is helping families in Kole Kebele move from relying on aid to building more stable and self-sufficient livelihoods. For Habiiba, the change is not only about food or income — it is about gaining knowledge and confidence to plan for the future.
Before, we only depended on livestock. Now we have both crops and animals, and that gives us more security.
