📍 Hingod, Qoryaweyn, Ceeldibir, Gawan and Budbud villages, Hobyo District, Galmudug State
DRRDO implemented an integrated livelihood project across five villages in Hobyo district, combining shallow well construction, water catchments, and vegetable and fodder production to help pastoralist and small-scale farming communities recover from repeated droughts and locust infestations.
DRRDO implemented a livelihood project in 5 villages under Hobyo district. The project began on 1 February 2022. DRRDO conducted community consultations in the villages of Hingod, Qoryaweyn, Ceeldibir, Gawan and Budbud in the north of Hobyo district.
The communities living in these areas are poor pastoralists and small-scale farmers whose livestock and agricultural production had been devastated by climatic challenges, repeated droughts and recent locust infestations, leaving them susceptible to food security problems and other shocks.
Communities raised limited livelihood diversification, recent locust infestations, the socio-economic impact of COVID-19, poorly distributed past rains and delayed Deyr rains, complemented by poor water sources and limited alternative livelihood options, as challenges limiting socio-economic development. These were identified during community consultations carried out in early November, in collaboration with the local authority.
In response to the community-identified livelihood challenges and prioritized interventions from the community action plans, the project aimed to support integrated fodder production, establishment of vegetable farms, and construction/deepening of shallow wells to expedite irrigation for vegetable farms across the five villages.
Construction and further digging of 7 shallow wells (1m x 1m x 17m depth) to expedite farming for vegetable and fodder irrigation in Budbud, Hingod and Qoryaweyn villages, from February to June 2022.
Creation of 3 vegetable/fruit and crop farms (135m x 130m) in Budbud, Hingod and Qoryaweyn villages, from February to June 2022.
Plantation of 3 forage areas totalling 562 m².
Creation of 3 water catchments — in Hingod, Ceeldibir and Gawan villages.
Site breakdown:
Hingod village — water catchment, fodder production, shallow wells, vegetable gardens.
Qoryaweyn village — fodder production, vegetable gardens, shallow wells.
Budbud village — shallow wells, vegetable gardens, fodder production.
Ceeldibir village — water catchment.
Gawan village — water catchment.
In April 2022, two further water catchments were created in Ceeldibir and Gawan villages. DRRDO played an important role in implementing the Food-for-Assets (FFA) activities through WFP's criteria and Standard Operating Procedures.
DRRDO deployed a senior qualified project manager alongside a recruited engineer, agronomist and field officer, who were responsible for the overall planning and implementation of the projects under the direct supervision of the Program Manager. This team worked closely with elders, Project Management Committees (PMC), women's groups and local administrations directly involved in implementation.
Each activity was implemented with consideration of seasonality to achieve planned dimensions. All beneficiaries were registered through biometric and SCOPE registration, strictly according to the allocations in the project proposal, with photographs and documentation for both in-kind (IK) and cash-based transfer (CBT) beneficiaries. In-kind beneficiaries were topped up and food redemption was verified via fingerprint verification and CBT top-up.
The project was implemented over six consecutive months, including the water catchment and shallow well works. Vegetable/fruit gardens and fodder production were also implemented over six months, as planned. 1,456 households were selected upon meeting qualification criteria and were already registered with SCOPE cards. The project commenced in earnest on 15 April 2022 in the respective villages of Hobyo district; the Field Level Agreement (FLA) was amended on 15 April, with 740 households in-kind implemented under the amendment.
A water catchment was implemented from 1 February to 31 July 2022 in Hingod village (dimensions 50m x 50m x 2m) through CBT and in-kind support — benefiting the community through livestock water consumption and small-farm irrigation, and improving food security through better livestock body condition and access to water for farms.
Fodder production covering 1,385 m² was completed in Budbud, Hingod and Qoryaweyn villages (CBT: 1 Feb–31 March 2022; in-kind: 1 April–31 July 2022), improving pasture availability and livestock reproduction and condition.
Vegetable/fruit gardens covering 11,300 m² were created in Hingod, Qoryaweyn and Budbud villages (1 Feb–31 July 2022), improving household food security and nutritional status.
7 shallow wells were created — 2 in Budbud, 3 in Hingod and 3 in Qoryaweyn (4 wells at 17 metres depth, 1 Feb–31 July 2022) — used for domestic water supply and farm irrigation.
