“Don’t ask how things will be in five years’ time, rather imagine the next fifty years”
Over two decades ago, at the age of 38, Djama Guedi Dideh (now 64) set himself the challenge of creating a farm. People said he was mad, but he had a very clear dream.
Despite the pastoral tradition usually followed in Djibouti, Djama wanted to establish a farm to produce his own food and to create “a place where my family and my friends could feel safe,” he says.
Today, Djama Guedi Dideh’s dream has come true. His farm is a reality. Thanks to his vision and perseverance, Djama has become a pioneer in the country’s agricultural sector - using climate-smart agriculture, fertilization, and innovative soil conservation technologies. He oversees various substantial plots the yield of which increases every year and even supplies Djibouti’s supermarkets with high-quality fruits and vegetable. ‘Djama, the ploughman’ – as pastoralists once called him – has managed to prove that despite aridity and intense heat, agriculture is possible and promising in Djibouti.
Since he combines agriculture with livestock breeding, Djama is also a model for agro-pastoralists across his region and the country as a whole. His farm, which was criticized in the past, is now a place where pastoralists are guaranteed to find highly nutrient fodder for their livestock.
Djama’s dream and tenacity has brought hope for a change in breeding practices in Djibouti – and he smiles when he explains how villagers are now aware that “breeding is more productive when the provision of fodder is available for consumption on the spot rather than moving animals according to the [formation of] clouds. […] I am an optimist” he explains. “Don’t ask how things will be in five years’ time, rather imagine the next fifty years.”
What’s certain is that anyone discussing Djibouti’s present-day agricultural practices is obliged to mention the example of Djama’s dream and his agropastoral area in Harou, in the region of Dikhil, of the Republic of Djibouti.