Kalaf, Djibouti — In the drought-prone north of Djibouti, a quiet revolution is taking root — not in parliaments or boardrooms, but in the vegetable gardens and cooperative halls of villages like Kalaf and Dafenaytou. Once locked out of land ownership and agricultural opportunity, women are now at the forefront of transforming their communities, thanks to a regional climate resilience project funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the Africa Climate Change Fund (ACCF), and implemented by IGAD.

“Before, farming was an unattainable dream. Today, I feed my children from the land,” says Assia Obakar Hassan, a mother from Kalaf whose story reflects a wider shift across the region.

With access to land, training, tools, and climate-adapted seeds, families are now growing their own food, selling surpluses, and breaking cycles of poverty. In communities where the right to farm was once a distant dream, women like Fatouma Ali Aden are now leading agricultural cooperatives, managing income, and shaping village economies. “Our children eat fresh vegetables, and we are no longer dependent on foreign markets,” she says.

Over 70 members — most of them women — now run Dafenaytou’s agricultural cooperative. Half of the leadership seats are held by women. “They are no longer just workers, they are decision-makers,” says Ali Kamil Mohamed, the cooperative’s head.

The ripple effects are visible: local schools report higher attendance and better concentration, especially among girls who no longer spend hours fetching water. Nutrition has improved, small businesses are thriving, and women are reclaiming their dignity through economic independence.

“This project has proved to us that it is possible,” says Hassan. “With a little help, we can transform our villages, feed our families, and pass on fertile land to our children.”

As the Horn of Africa battles the impacts of climate change, Kalaf and Dafenaytou are setting a powerful precedent: sustainable transformation is not only possible — it’s already happening. And it’s being led by women.

_{Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).}