The transformation of a village near Beled-Hawo, Gedo

[Gabbal]

 

How Buray Flood Control Dykes have changed life at Khadijo Haji Village

 

In the Gedo region of Somalia, water from seasonal streams runs freely in the Dawa and Jubba rivers.

 

...The project focused on the construction of two flood control dykes on the Buray stream near Khadijo Haji village.

 

Khadijo Haji village lies about 3km west of the border of Kenya and Somalia and 40km south of Beled-Hawo town.

 

The construction of the two dykes on the Buray stream has transformed Khadijo Haji village. The dykes have effectively controlled flooding and thereby contributed to increased food production for the pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in the hinterland of the Gedo Region.

 

...The dykes have caused retention richer minerals-laden soils, making the area suitable for growing a variety of crops, hence improvement in food security. Areas that have not been farmed for almost 20 years are now under cultivation. During the rainy season this year, 1200 hectares of land was irrigated by the flash floods.

 

A majority of residents farm maize, cowpeas, simsim, watermelon and sorghum. An average farm per household is between 1.2 ha and 3.5 ha. They harvest between 7 and 35 bags of maize with cowpeas, simsim or watermelon, enough to feed the household and sell in the market.

 

Grazing pastures that have grown in the flooded Buray area have lasted longer leading to the return of migrated livestock. Environmental degradation and insufficient water in the area has always resulted in migration of livestock by pastoralists. A large number of pastoralists are now leading sedentary settled lives. They are slowly turning into agro-pastoralists.

 

EGER project has a positive effect on Khadijo Haji village. The community is currently creating structures for lasting peace and governance. The village is currently attracting major business enterprises such as Hormuud Telecom. Hormuud has already installed a communications tower in the village to provide phone services to the residents of Khadijo Haji.

 

The UNDP’s Employment Generation for Early Recovery Project seeks to create income and jobs for vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and IDPs and their host communities in South Central Somalia.

 

http://www.so.undp.org/index.php/Somalia-Stories/How-Buray-Flood-Control-Dykes-has-changed-lives-at-Khadijo-Haji-Village.html

[Gabbal]

Khadijo Haji today growing corn, onions, wheat, etc

 

[NASSIR]

The UNDP’s Employment Generation for Early Recovery Project seeks to create income and jobs for vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and IDPs and their host communities in South Central Somalia.

Good job! Although the failure of aid agencies has been noted, this is a remarkable story of a project worthy replicating in the fertile regions. We need to help subsidize the Somali farmers as basis for growth and recovery.

[yahya007]

perfect work

[Somalia]

Looks great mashallah.

[Somalina]

Great work.

[Gabbal]

Something to take away from this are these important points in the UNDP article:

 

Areas that have not been farmed for almost 20 years are now under cultivation. During the rainy season this year, 1200 hectares of land was irrigated by the flash floods.

large number of pastoralists are now leading sedentary settled lives. They are slowly turning into agro-pastoralists.

These points highlight the quiet social and cultural evolution at work that is turning places like Khadijo Haji into fertile oasis capable of feeding and sustaining the nation:

[Ducaysane]

Digir miyaa waxa ay abuurteen?

[Qandalawi]

It looks like maize or in other words Galey. Excellent job.

 

The southern parties of Somalia especially in some areas of Gedo, Laba Shabeele and Laba Jubba, if developed effectively, can become bread basket of all the Horn of Africa and make famine in these areas a thing of the past.

[Gheelle.T]

This is great development. It looks like Masago guduud.

[xiinfaniin]

Gabalkaan u qabay inuu diyaaradaha Kenya saaranyahay baa wax soo-saar ka hadlaya

 

Good for them. Shows we have great land to live off

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

Gabal, good to see you again awoowe.

 

Great stuff.

 

The question I have is, what will the downstream affect be on the areas the floods used to support now that dams are being errected? Will there be other villages that will suffer as a result of Khadijo Haji's gains?

[Gabbal]

xiinfaniin;776891 wrote:

Gabalkaan u qabay inuu diyaaradaha Kenya saaranyahay baa wax soo-saar ka hadlaya

 

Good for them. Shows we have great land to live off

Cheap jabs are inappropriate Xiin as is the idea you are somehow more caring for the well-being of the people affected by the military events than I who has family in the warzone.

 

Libaax, Khadijo Haji isn't actually using the rivers but streams that have branched off. In any case, the resources were being unused and it is important to note the dams we are talking about are not large-scale dams with the potential for serious impact for water movement. Only the proposed Baardheere Dam has the potential to seriously disrupt the flow of the Jubba but even so flood control and proper management of water use would have more positive consequences than negative. By that I mean, building dykes such as the Buraa dykes and using managed flood waters in an organized and equitable manner would not only decrease negative consequences of floods but also result in relevant use of it in meticulous cost-effective fashion.

 

Also, Khadijo Haji doesn't even use the Jubba River but the Dawa River which only curls around northern Gedo.

[Macallinka]

Beautiful maashallah

[Yunis]

Great stuff - an example of self-sustaining communities