In Bareey Village, degraded household plots are being redesigned to capture water, rebuild soils and produce a wider range of foods. Through the FCDO-funded Resilience Adaptation Fund intervention under RESTORE/JOSP, FAO Somalia and implementing partner ADRO are applying household-scale Resilience Design in Jowhar District, Middle Shabelle. The approach starts by assessing water flows, exposed soils, available materials, household food needs and labour before introducing practices such as water-harvesting structures, double-dug beds, berms, mulching and composting.

By May 2026, the initiative had engaged 300 households through 15 Resilience Design groups and established 241 permagardens. By July, participating households had begun harvesting pumpkin, kale, spinach, mung bean, cowpea and maize. Farmers integrate cereals, vegetables, legumes and trees while using locally available resources, including organic matter and repurposed materials. The emerging experience suggests that preparing water-harvesting structures before rains and staggering diverse crops can help households manage variable conditions and reduce reliance on a single harvest.

The initiative also emphasizes community participation, farmer-to-farmer learning and continued mentorship. Lead farmers support neighbours in adapting practices, while household plots serve as practical learning spaces. Early lessons underline the importance of transparent community engagement, locally adapted design and sustained follow-up rather than training alone. As implementation is still recent, the resource presents these outcomes as emerging experience rather than evidence of long-term impact.