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Sudan: Um Ayman

Transformations in one woman's life - Um Ayman.

“I’ve been a farmer all my life, only now I’ve got nine children to feed and a household to support. Poor rainfall years are becoming more common and my village has suffered from water shortages. To make matters worse, a major gully near my village caused by soil erosion has meant that our seasonal rains are wasted down this gully leaving large areas of good land, bone dry. There came a point where we felt we might have to leave to look for opportunities elsewhere because of a lack of water. But in 2016, the Korga dam was established with the help of UN Environment and Practical Action. Because of it there was green as far as the eyes could see at harvest time, even in desert soils, and the produce in the market was plentiful. Now that we have water, we are no longer anxious about our future here. The structure has even filled a major gully that was causing us concern. Now that people are not as apprehensive about water, there is harmony between the villages. Having water for irrigation is also a relief for women, as it means food security for the family and income through sales in the market.”

 

This video was produced by UN Environment.