Ali’s Story of Land Restoration and Hope in Muuqdheer
Ali’s Story of Land Restoration and Hope in Muuqdheer
In Muuqdheer village, where drought and land degradation have devastated pastoral livelihoods, a quiet transformation is taking place. Ali Mahamed Ahmed, a father of five children and respected elderly, whose journey reflects resilience and the strength of community-led restoration.
“Our pasturelands were dying,” Ali recalls. “Rain became infrequent, the soil dried, and the grass disappeared.” Like many others, he struggled to keep his livestock alive--the backbone of his family’s livelihood.
When the Cash-for-Work (CfW) program under the Climate-Resilient WASH and Livelihoods Package launched, Ali was among the first to join. It provided temporary income and practical training to restore degraded rangelands.
With basic tools and strong resolve, Ali and his group rehabilitated over 25 hectares of land—building half-moon soil bunds and planting grass to help the land recover. “Each morning, I feel I’m contributing to something greater for my family and future generations,” he says.
The CfW program provides Ali with a reliable income of $153 per 18-day work cycle, repeated three times a year. This support not only sustains his family but also contributes to the revival of community rangelands.
