Climate-Smart Solutions for Food Security: A Community-Led Transformation in Kenya
In the remote village of Malkadaka, home to just 800 households in Kenya, climate change was wreaking havoc. Once a self-sufficient pastoralist community, Malkadaka was devastated by recurring droughts and floods that decimated livestock and left families struggling with hunger and uncertainty. More than 100 miles from the nearest major town, Isiolo, the village remained isolated and cut off from vital resources needed to recover and rebuild.
As their traditional pastoralist lifestyle became increasingly unsustainable, some members of the community were determined to adapt. In 2018, a group of local women came together to form the Habsa Women’s Group, united by a shared goal: to improve access to nutritious food through agriculture. They started with maize farming, learning the fundamentals of crop cultivation. Encouraged by early success, they expanded their efforts to grow vegetables like onions and kale—taking a vital step toward food security and resilience.
Despite achieving a remarkable milestone—learning to grow crops with limited tools and in a harsh, unpredictable climate—the women still faced significant hurdles. Persistent droughts and pest infestations continued to threaten their harvests, keeping true food security out of reach. In 2023, the Habsa Women’s Group partnered with Action Against Hunger through the “Building Resilience of Drought-Affected Communities” project in Isiolo County, funded by the UBS Optimus Foundation. The initiative focuses on improving access to nutritious, diverse diets in communities affected by climate change—especially for women and children under five, who are most vulnerable to malnutrition. By offering sustainable solutions to the challenges of food insecurity, poor dietary diversity, and limited livelihoods, Action Against Hunger is working hand in hand with the women of Malkadaka to build resilience and adapt to the realities of a changing climate.
Innovative, Climate-Smart Techniques to Conserve Water and Boost Yields
Action Against Hunger began by introducing farming techniques tailored to improve yields in a challenging climate by focusing on methods like crop rotation and the use of drought-resistant seeds. Designed to be farmer-centered, regenerative, and nature-based, the program emphasized eco-friendly practices that nurtured the land and empowered local communities. For the Habsa Women’s Group, the training prioritized sustainability and self-reliance. They learned techniques such as intercropping—growing different crops together as a natural way to manage pests. To protect their harvests from grazing animals, Action Against Hunger also supported the construction of a fence around the group’s two-acre farm.
Malkadaka Village’s greatest challenge was its harsh, arid climate—marked by low rainfall and prolonged droughts. To help the community adapt, Action Against Hunger introduced a range of climate-smart farming techniques designed to improve water retention and make the most of scarce resources. One key innovation was the installation of solar-powered water pumps, which provided a reliable source of irrigation even during dry spells. Another simple yet effective solution was the use of sunken beds—garden beds dug below ground level to create natural basins that capture rainwater and retain moisture in the soil.
“We have trained the farmers in climate-smart agriculture because our farming is irrigation dependent,” explains Janet Muema, Action Against Hunger’s Food Security & Livelihoods Officer for Kenya. “Water is a big challenge, and rainfall is unreliable in this area.” In addition to conserving water, sunken beds also helped enrich the soil by trapping organic matter—an affordable, sustainable practice well-suited to the region’s changing climate.
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