Refugees and hosts unite to grow together

In southeastern Ethiopia, nature-based solutions are bringing communities together in pursuit of a better future.

In 2024, Madina changed her life story from one of displaced refugee to self-reliant farmer. Her achievements demonstrate the transformative power of inclusive, nature-based solutions.

“I am a refugee woman. I fled from civil war in Somalia in 2010 and transferred to Melkadida refugee camp. Life was difficult, and the humanitarian assistance provided, such as wheat and oil, was not enough,” she recalls of the life she and her children led there for 13 years.

A door opened when Farm Africa invited Madina and 39 other refugees to take part in a sustainable farming initiative. Accepting the offer, Madina and her children left the refugee camp and started a new life in Kalmasago, a rural community that had agreed to host the project.

Together with 40 residents of Kalmasago, the group formed a farming cooperative working towards inclusivity and shared prosperity for those living in this remote and arid landscape.

From aid to earning

The 80 members of the cooperative are just a few of the 65,000 people reached by Farm Africa’s Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable and Inclusive Development (NSSID) programme in 2024. The four-year programme, which is funded by the Swedish Embassy in Ethiopia, is working across Ethiopia to reduce poverty, build communities’ resilience to climate change and protect the environment, with an aim to benefit more than 87,000 households.

In Kalmasago, Farm Africa provided training and start-up resources to help the cooperative members overcome the dry conditions with nature-friendly techniques such as small-scale irrigation, minimum tillage, mulching and use of drought-tolerant crop varieties.

With that support, the farmers achieved two high-yield growing cycles in a row. By the end of 2024, they were covering their costs independently, relying on Farm Africa only for technical guidance.

Community learning about climate-smart farming.

“In this third season, we are self-sustaining,” says Madina proudly.

For Madina and her fellow cooperative members, the shift is a major milestone. With the income she has earned from the harvest, Madina has been able to improve her family’s living conditions, move into a larger home, enrol her children in school and ensure they receive adequate healthcare.

She’s also purchased poultry and 15 goats. “I sell some goats’ milk and eggs for daily income while keeping some for my children,” she explains.

Madina’s experience is shared by many. In 2024, the NSSID programme helped 11,646 people improve their food security.

From earning to providing

The members have named their cooperative Himilo, meaning ‘vision’. They aim to scale up their operations and export their produce, increasing their own income and providing livelihood opportunities for others.

“Our plan is to become a large cooperative of crop producers and export our yields. This will enable me to support my refugee brothers,” says Madina determinedly. With Farm Africa well-placed to support with market linkages, it’s an achievable dream.

Growing better, together

Through inclusive, nature-based solutions like those used by the Himilo Cooperative, the NSSID programme is sowing the seeds of a future where refugees and host communities thrive together, even in challenging landscapes. Our approach combines immediate livelihood support with long-term strategies for sustainable livelihood development, ensuring gender equality in economic opportunities.

The success of this approach is evident in the thriving cooperative Madina now leads. As their elected chairperson, she represents 80 farmers from both refugee and host communities. “Through the project, I have enjoyed good integration, synergy and peaceful coexistence with my fellow cooperative members,” she says.

When communities come together to cultivate not just crops but also trust, the harvest is a brighter future for all.

Himilo farming cooperative, founded as a joint venture between refugees and host community members.

This story is from Farm Africa’s Annual Review 2024. Find more case studies from our projects and download our annual review below.