Livelihood programs aims to enhance families increase HHs level-income to enhance access to social programs and provide families with the opportunity to provide daily equitable and nutritious food.

SEDO undertake several programs in livelihood approach. Some activities have been largely FFW, FFA or lately CBT programs where communities are provided with food conditionally based on execution of specific beneficial programs.

SEDO has also conducted vocation skills training through TVET programs that aims to provide marketable skills to the youths to create employment opportunities and other beneficial programs in the value chain.

Business and entrepreneurship training are also a major program that aims at capacitation local SMEs on basic entrepreneurship management practices like record keeping, numeracy and literacy skills, stock management among other essential skills.

Amina is a 40-year-old, a household headed woman of 7 children from Laasqorey district who has faced numerous challenges in her life, including conflict, drought, and poverty. Despite these challenges, she has always had a passion for farming and gardening, and has long dreamed of expanding her vegetable garden to provide more food for her family and to sell at the local market.

Fortunately, Amina was selected to participate in the livelihoods project supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) and implemented by SEDO in Cirbiye of Laasqorey district in Sanaag region Somalia. Through this project, she received training, tools, and support to expand her vegetable garden and improve her farming techniques. Amina was thrilled to have this opportunity, and worked hard to make the most of it.

Over four months of the project live, Amina put her new knowledge and skills to work, expanding her garden and experimenting with new crops and techniques. She learned about composting, drip irrigation, and pest control, and worked closely with SEDO staff to troubleshoot any issues that arose.

The WFP livelihoods project also supported Amina with monthly food distribution through voucher (CBT) for four months, which helped to supplement her family’s diet and alleviate some of the financial burden they faced. With this support, Amina was able to focus more fully on her garden and make the most of the training and resources provided by the project.

As Amina’s garden grew, so did her confidence and sense of pride. She began to sell her surplus vegetables at the local market, earning a small income for her family. She also shared her knowledge and skills with her neighbours, helping to spread the benefits of the livelihoods project to others in her community.

Today, Amina’s vegetable garden is thriving, and she is a respected member of her community. With the support of the WFP livelihoods project, she has been able to overcome the challenges of poverty and conflict, and build a brighter future for herself and her family. The project’s combination of training and support for gardening, as well as food distribution, provided Amina with the resources she needed to make a significant difference in her life and the lives of those around her.

Figure 1: Amina harvesting crops from her extended garden in March, 2023 (Success storey)