Over the past year, Scofia has grown her own kitchen garden – one of more than 7 000 in the Kalobeyei refugee camp in northern Kenya. 

“We have vegetables to eat, we have a balanced diet. I have more energy.”

Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement, as the camp is formally called, was established in 2016. It is now home to nearly 40 000 people and is an extension of the vast Kakuma camp, which itself houses 145 000 residents. Ever since the camp was built, FAO has supported agricultural activities at Kalobeyei as a way of improving the self-reliance of both the refugees, and the host population who live around the camp. 

Each refugee in Kalobeyei is expected to survive on a monthly cash budget of USD14, which does not go far in purchasing fresh, nutritious foods in the market. As an alternative, FAO has supported refugee households by equipping them with seeds, tools and manure, as well as a training scheme that enables them to set up their own kitchen gardens.

“The garden provides enough food for me not to have to buy vegetables at the market, so I’m very happy,” says Scofia. A refugee from South Sudan with a background in farming, she lives here with her two-year-old son Samuel.

Sarah Sikatenda, 37, is Scofia’s friend and next-door neighbour. A refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, she too has a farming background. She lives with her husband Didier and their five children, the youngest of whom are two-year-old twins.

“When we first came here a year ago, I felt stranded and confused. And I didn’t know how I could farm here,” she says. “But then I met an FAO field officer who showed me the opportunities and I was able to attend several training sessions. I am so thankful for what they have done for me and my family.”

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