Home Gardening Improves Food Security for Female Headed Households in Taiz

Eqbal was selected through the community committee. For her, the project offered a rare opportunity to learn, rebuild, and hope again.

“We used to cultivate the land without knowing if what we were doing was right or wrong,” Eqbal recalls. She explains that land was ploughed only once, crop residues were removed instead of reused, and seeds were planted without testing their quality.

Irrigation was also inefficient. “I used to water the garden every day until it was full,” she says. Despite the time and labor involved, yields were weak and unreliable.

Through CARE’s hands‑on training, Eqbal learned modern farming techniques from soil preparation to harvesting. She was trained in proper land preparation and exposing soil to sunlight to eliminate harmful organisms. She also learned techniques involved in producing safe organic fertilizer through controlled composting, selecting and testing seeds before planting to ensure high germination rates, and using drip irrigation to reduce water use while improving crop growth and controlling pests with natural methods instead of chemical pesticides. “Now I understand every step, from preparing the soil to harvesting,” Eqbal says proudly.

As a result, Eqbal’s home garden began producing healthy crops of zucchini, tomatoes, chili, coriander, and garlic. The harvest provides daily meals for her family and allows her to sell some vegetables in the local market.

“Early every morning, I go to the garden, check the plants, and pick vegetables for our lunch,” she says. “I no longer buy vegetables from the market.”

More than improving food access, the project empowered Eqbal with skills she now shares with other women in her community. “I feel proud of myself,” she says. “I learned something valuable, and I taught it to others.”

Eqbal’s story reflects the broader Food, Security and Livelihood (FSL) priorities of Yemen’s HNRP 2026, which emphasize strengthening household food production, reducing dependence on markets, and supporting women‑led livelihoods in a protracted crisis. As millions of Yemenis continue to face acute food insecurity amid significant funding shortfalls, small‑scale interventions like home gardening offer a sustainable pathway toward food access, dignity, and resilience.

For Eqbal and her daughters, a small piece of land has become a source of stability and hope for the future.