Some farmers in Annayo are transitioning their farms from rain-fed to irrigation systems. Irrigated farms are hugely beneficial. But it's also a big transition. Rain-fed farms are really large in scale - that's because they do as much as they can while the rains are pouring down. Irrigated farms, on the other hand, are limited by the fact that they can only grow as much as they can irrigate, as much as they can reach. Getting large farms transitioned over to an irrigated system requires a few things that these farmers just didn't have up their sleeves... One of those things is pipes. So we got these farmers extra-long, 200 meter pipes, allowing them to reach as far as they possibly manage on their larger-than-life farms. "I'm the owner of this farm, of these mango trees that you can see are dying," said Abdullahi Farah, point to his land. "Many of these trees are 40 or 50 years old, but they're starting to die because there isn't enough water for them to live. We … [Read more...] about Going the Distance

It’s hard to irrigate your farm if your pipes don’t reach the furthest corners of your land. Or, if you’re dealing with broken, leaky, or damaged pipes. Soon you face wasted water and less than ideal water pressure. We had an idea...to get some of these families 100 meters of durable pipes each! They'll be able to pump water out of their new machines and across the farm, ensuring that crops will stay watered all year round. "The transportation of water is the problem that we have, not the availability," said Ahmed Ali Egeh. "We would work on more land if we had more water. Each farm has it’s own well, but there are also communal wells where we are able to access plenty of water. But pipes are such a big issue for it." Imagine your frustration when water is available, you just can't access it. It's incredible that something as simple as pipes can help to solve that problem. And today, these farmers are one step - or one pipe - closer! This change made possible by … [Read more...] about Access is Everything

Wells are of little use if you have no way to get the water out of the ground and to its intended destination. It's surprising how widespread this problem is - and it's an especially big issue in Annayo. In some cases, the farmers had water pump machines to irrigate their crops and trees, but the machines were broken, and unusable. Machines aren't much help when they don't do the job they were intended to do. Today, we’re buying these farmers replacement water pumps! The pumps will help them access the water already pooling in wells, meeting them where they're at and helping them to achieve their best. "Right now, I only have fruit trees," said Mawhid Ahmed. "But with a new machine for my well, I will be able to plant new crops like maize and sorghum in all of the seasons." … [Read more...] about Wishing Well

Large-scale solutions to solve water storage problems can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Today, we’re doing the doable and taking inspiration from a big idea - and scaling it down to 365 size. In order to harness the power of rainwater, massive holes can be dug and covered in plastic. If done in an area large enough, this little lake can provide enough water to irrigate the farm for many months—even until the next rainy season We knew we didn’t have the resources to create a "lake" quite big enough for that - but we still wanted to do something to help. We bought some of the farmers of Annayo substantial tarps that they can use to create their own mini versions of the lake, crafting small ponds that can capture water during the rainy season - and be utilized when the rains aren’t coming down! They can also be used with irrigation systems, as a central place to store water that is funneled from wells and needs to be distributed throughout the farms. "I … [Read more...] about Pond-Sized Solutions

Storage of and distribution of water is one of the biggest challenges farmers in Annayo face. There are lots of potential solutions that can help them tackle the problem...Watering cans are one of them! They're simple and well-loved tools, but watering cans are a powerful instrument.They can help farmers get access to otherwise hard-to-reach parts of the farm and reduce water waste. Plus, they're just plain handy. And, easier access to water means stronger crops, and stronger crops means greater nutrition. "Even with tools like a water can, the community will be able to reliably harvest nutritious food," said Fauzia Yassin, an ARC teammate who works on nutrition issues. "It will also mean they'll have greater access to, say, a variety of fruits--oranges, mangoes, guavas - or have enough water for their livestock, giving regular access to milk." Who knew that one simple tool could do so much? This change made possible by Mankind is My Business. … [Read more...] about Small but Mighty

Jerricans are quite the multi-tool. They carry and store water, milk, or even gasoline. But sometimes there aren't enough to go around - which can lead to some problems. There's often cross-contamination. Jerricans might be used to transport milk one day and drinking water the next. Farmers in Annayo told us they didn't have enough jerricanss to transport all of the things they wanted to, and so were using them for a number of purposes. To remedy this, we decided to buy all of the farms two jerricans! Now farmers will each have enough containers for their different uses. Not only that, but the new jerricans will help solve their water transportation and storage solutions. It's a win win! This day of change brought to you by Mankind is My Business. … [Read more...] about They Do It All

Access to water is a problem for the farming community of Annayo, and it has been for many years. They told us that things aren't getting better - in fact, in some ways it's getting worse. There are many sides to the issue...so we're working to tackle it from all possible fronts. It might not be an obvious solution, but having access to a tractor is vital to retaining water and getting it to where it needs to be. Why? You can create tracts, allowing the water to follow, irrigating trees and crops alike. You can also build up soil in other places, so that water won't seep as readily into other parts of the farm. The problem is, most farmers don't have access to one. Getting every farmer in Annayo a tractor wasn't in the budget. But, we devised a system - providing a sort of ride-share opportunity for the farmers, giving them access to tractors for a few hours at a time. "The land preparation of soil bands would increase water retention, but I cannot afford the tractor … [Read more...] about Watered Down

When tackling the problem of plastic waste in our world, both conventional and creative ideas are the name of the game. Our staff in Somalia have both kinds in abundance. They're particularly interested in testing out new techniques for plastic waste reduction that would not only help the community in Annayo reduce waste, but also assist in solving for their water problem. By filling up used water bottles, poking a hole in the cap, and flipping the bottles upside down into the dirt, ARC explained to folks in Annayo that they can not only find uses for discarded bottles in the community, but also water crops and trees with less water waste. One elder member of Annayo, Shiine, was very interested in this idea. She's on board to pilot even more projects with tree seedlings, and train others to do the same. This simple solution has legs - and brings new life to old waste. This change brought to you by Mankind is My Business. … [Read more...] about Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Sometimes the best solution isn't the most expensive. Sometimes, it's the simplest - and the cheapest. When we sat down with farmers in Annayo and talked about how to tackle the water problem that so many of them face, ideas abounded. Drip irrigation, metal storage tanks, cement storage tanks, drilling new wells...the list went on. But then a tip from a colleague ended up solving part of the problem in a straightforward way.... We bought the farmers segments of PVC pipe. The farmers can dig a hole and put the pipe in, with just a few inches showing. That way, the farmers can water the roots of those plants directly, which is especially useful for trees with deep and vast root systems. Not only is this solution cheaper, it's also more effective! Getting water straight to the roots allows more water to go where it's supposed to go, reducing water loss through evaporation. An interesting and innovative idea indeed! This change made possible by Mankind is My Business. … [Read more...] about Simple Innovation

Access to water is something that many of us take for granted, but it was by and far the most common challenge we heard when speaking with farmers in Annayo. In such a dry climate, water is incredibly precious. For farmers, it's something they depend on not only for themselves but for their crops, livestock, and livelihoods. Access to water is the difference between planting things year round or not, and sometimes whether or not they can sustain their farms. "I am a mother of ten, six girls and four boys," said Khadija Aan. "We use income generated from the farm to help send the kids to school. I have one well and one pump, but it is not enough to supply the whole farm." Many more farmers than Khadija expressed a need for new pumps for their wells - so we bought them all machines! This will be a game changer for many of the farmers who might now be able to plant in the dry season - and will help increase their production throughout the year. This change made … [Read more...] about An Oasis