Simon is the face of adaptation, resilience and triumph. Once a meager farm laborer, he is now the proud owner of a nutrient-dense food oasis in the arid, drought-ridden northern Kenya.

Drought caused by three consecutive failed rainy seasons has left 3.1 million people food insecure in Kenya, affecting the food security of 13 million people in the Horn of Africa region.

Simon’s family were once cattle herders, but persistent drought has often cost them their animals – their only source of wealth – forcing them to abandon a traditional way of life and seek alternative sources of income.

“I worked as a farm laborer, doing everything from cultivation, planting and harvesting,” says Simon.

Simon loved farming. It was a new way of life – far from the unpredictability of breeding. But growing food for someone else troubled him.

In 2019, he created a “food forest” by converting scrubland into an oasis of fruit trees and vegetables in Turkana County – one of Kenya’s most drought-prone regions.

Simon honed his farming skills by taking World Food Program (WFP) training courses on conservation agriculture; planting techniques that involve minimal soil disturbance; marketing and training online.

“I grow a lot of things,” he says. “I have guava, papaya, bananas and sugar cane and over there – avocados, mangoes and many other fruits too.”

On his farm you will also find lemongrass, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, kale, watermelons, cowpeas, spinach, onions, peppers, oranges and cassava.

“As a parent, I have a responsibility to make sure there is food at home,” says Simon. “When I have a full stomach, I feel able to get money.”

Simon is constantly looking for ways to increase the efficiency of the farm which is both a source of food and income for his family of five.

Its main objective is to reduce the cost of pumping water from the nearby Turkwell River. Currently, he uses a gas pump that costs around US$5 to irrigate the 100 x 70 meter farm.

By planting crops in dug pits and using mulching – leaving all plant matter on the farm floor to retain moisture in the soil – he reduced the number of times he waters the crop from three to once a week.

However, with the continuing drought and temperatures reaching 53°C, it is forced to pump water longer to satisfy the parched soil and compensate for the high evaporation rates.

“The drought has significantly increased irrigation costs, but it has also helped because the demand for vegetables is now very high,” he says.

Papaya is Simon’s cash crop earning him the equivalent of $62 a week, while bananas are the family’s staple choice.

“WFP has provided us with seeds and put us in touch with buyers, which means we can grow more food because we are already in contact with customers,” he explains.

In the near future, WFP plans to install a solar-powered irrigation system for Simon and other farmers in the area, introducing clean energy and saving on the cost of fuel.