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A growing generation: young farmers in Awdal

In the fertile agricultural areas of Awdal region, in Heego and Bedenbed villages, many young men have been forced to try their luck seeking out paid work in nearby towns. Widespread youth migration has left these formerly vibrant communities bereft of their most productive members, undermining local economic activity and social interaction.

Yasin Musa, a 35-year-old resident of Heego, reflects on his own experience. “For the past five years, I been considering a move to Borama town, far from here, to seek employment,” he says, embodying the thoughts of many young people in his village.

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The key issue that Yasin and many others like him faced, was that although the land was fertile, watering crops was a significant challenge, mostly due to a reliance on expensive diesel pumps for irrigation. 

In response, the Ministry of Agricultural Development of Somaliland, with funding from the Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) under the Sustainable Land Management Project, initiated a transformative micro-irrigation scheme. The project has now helped 55 young farmers from Heego and Bedenbed become agriculturally productive. The scheme gives them a reason to stay local, meaning they can contribute not only to their families but also to their wider community. Making local agriculture productive gives young people a reason to stay, so reducing migration.

Under the scheme, SDF supported the rehabilitation of 11 boreholes and equipped them with solar energy systems, significantly reducing fuel costs. Additionally, irrigation pipes were installed to distribute water efficiently across farms, along with the construction of water storage tanks to ensure a reliable supply even during dry seasons.

Because of the scheme, Yasin’s thoughts of moving away are now receding: “We have truly been motivated and incentivized. We watered the farms during the daytime. And we were also provided with seeds and tractor hours support. As a result, our harvests have been fruitful—cash crops like onions, tomatoes, and peppers, as well as papayas”  

But SDF's support extended beyond just irrigation; the scheme also rehabilitated the feeder road connecting these villages to nearby towns like Borama, so improving farmers' access to markets. This infrastructure upgrade has been pivotal for local agriculture.

“Since August, we have transported papayas from our farms to nearby towns more than ten times. Each time, we loaded around 30 crates, each containing 12 pieces. Recently, people have started coming directly to our farms to buy our products instead of us taking them to town.” Yasin explains with pride.

Ahmed Jama, another farmer from Bedenbed, adds, “When you compare the production costs between diesel-powered systems and solar-powered irrigation, we have absolutely benefited from increasing sales, as there is relatively little input generating maximum output. I can now afford to send all of my six kids to school and Madarasa.

Young farmers like Yasin Musa and Ahmed Farah are now confident they can build their futures right in their villages. 

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In Heego, other young farmers have followed a similar model and are actively engaged in farming, reaping the benefits of the rehabilitated boreholes funded by SDF. The use of solar energy not only supports their agricultural efforts but also contributes positively to the environment by reducing harmful emissions. 

Through these micro-irrigation schemes, hope is blossoming in both Heego and Bedenbed. The community is witnessing a renaissance thanks to youth who are eager to stay and thrive in their birthplace rather than migrate in search of opportunities elsewhere.

*Micro-irrigation schemes are part of the SDF-funded Sustainable Land Management project launched in November 2021 in Borama, Awdal region. The project was aimed at improving food security and income to 20,000 agro-pastoralists in the Awdal region, as well as conserve 10,000 hectares of land through soil and water conservation, making it more fertile and capable of supporting both agricultural and pastoral activities for a longer period.