February 04th 2025 Mandera Kenya: Women in pastoral communities experience multi-faceted challenges during climate change. Lack of productive resources such as land, farm inputs, knowledge and skills coupled with negative social norms hindered pastoral women from increasing their adaptive capacity and achieving resilience. IGAD with the financial support from the Africa Climate Change Fund (ACCF) of the African Development Bank has been building its approach to enhance resilience to climate change and respond to community needs in cross border areas.
As part of the project, community led initiatives were identified as sustainable interventions to address existing challenges through locally driven solutions that promote maximum community ownership. In this regard, IGAD in partnership with Mandera County Government, distributed drought resistance and highly productive fodder grass (Jancao grass) and farm tools to 40 selected women beneficiaries. The beneficiaries were selected through inclusive, conflict sensitive and participatory approaches from various wards in Mandera County.
The selection of beneficiaries was mainly on the basis of having access to irrigated land; prior experience in forage production/marketing and strong motivation to adopt and scale-out improved climate smart forage production practices. In addition to the Jancao grass cuttings, farm tools such as wheelbarrows, panga, spade and hoes were provided to engage women beneficiaries in productive activities and support their families. The beneficiaries were also trained on climate smart fodder production, storage and marketing practices and technologies.
The promotion of Juncao technology was selected due to its potential in addressing forage shortage during drought, poverty reduction, women employment, income generation and environmental concerns making it suitable for enhancing resilience of communities in pastoral area. There is a high demand for forage grass particularly during drought in Mandera and its surroundings. Hence, the production of forage grass by women groups will ensure continues supply of income. During the handing over ceremony, H.E. Dr Ali Maalim, Deputy County Commissioner, commended the indispensable role played by women in agricultural production and recognised the contribution of the initiative in empowering them to take a leading role in adoption of climate-smart agriculture.
Representing the Land Governance Unit, Dr Addis Teshome also stressed the need to employ participatory and inclusive approaches so that women and other vulnerable groups can benefit from interventions that address their respective climate vulnerabilities while meeting their economic and social needs.
IGAD will continue to monitor and document the initiative to support knowledge transfer while the County government will provide technical backstopping and leadership support to beneficiaries to ensure sustainability.
