Hadiza Salisu Aliyu

Location: Yakawada Village of Giwa community of Giwa LGA

Hadiza Salisu Aliyu, a 26-year-old mother of four, previously supported her 13-member household primarily through Garri selling and tailoring. Her farming methods were traditional until she participated in the SNiPS Home Garden Project. This initiative, a component of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)’s Strengthening Nutrition in Priority Staples (SNiPS) programme, was implemented by Diamond Development Initiatives (DDI). The project aimed to increase safe and nutritious food production and consumption among smallholder farmers.

Hadiza’s training introduced her to the concept of staggered sowing, a technique that proved transformative for her harvests. Applying the new skill, Hadiza divided the Amaranth seeds she received into three batches and planted them sequentially. This approach yielded remarkable results, allowing her to enjoy multiple, desirable harvests from the same crop. “I used my Amaranth many times in our food,” she shared. The success of her garden influenced her entire household, as she explained, “I have told my household that if they keep a home garden, they will save money from buying and getting vitamin A and other nutrients.”

Ummakursum Musa

Location: Kizanya Village of Kauru Community of Kauru LGA of Kaduna State

As a Lead Farmer, 24-year-old Ummakursum Musa, a mother of two from a seven-member household, attended training sessions on both Good Agronomic Practices (GAP) and nursery management practices. Although already engaged in farming, the SNiPS Home Garden Project refined her approach. This initiative, implemented by Diamond Development Initiatives (DDI) under the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)’s programme, aimed to increase safe and nutritious food production and consumption among smallholder farmers.

Ummakursum immediately recognised the benefits of the project’s model, particularly the efficient use of space. “I am happy with the project, and I am telling both men and women to know how to use small land in their houses,” she remarked. Crucially, the home garden provided a source of food safety: “Home gardens will help us produce vegetables that do not contain any dangerous chemicals,” she noted. She is already enjoying the Amaranth harvested from her garden and is anticipating the yields of pepper and Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP).

Adama Isa

Location: Ombi Anzaku Village of Lafia LGA of Nasarawa State

Adama Isa, a 22-year-old mother of one who supports a ten-member household, was already engaged in farming activities when she was enlisted in the SNiPS Home Garden Project. This initiative, implemented by Diamond Development Initiatives (DDI) under the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)’s programme, aimed to increase safe and nutritious food production and consumption among smallholder farmers. Through the Nutrition education and GAP training, she gained invaluable new technical skills. She shifted from using the traditional flat/normal ridges to raised beds for her crops in the home garden.

“I gained the knowledge of growing crops on raised beds instead of flat/normal ridges we do as local farmers, and my crops are doing well in the home garden,” Adama stated. This simple shift, combined with the garden’s proximity to her home, dramatically improved her access to fresh food. “I don’t have to go far or to the market every time to get my vegetables to prepare food, I get enough quantity I need from my garden”.

Madam Uza Susan

Location: Hausa quarters II of Gwer East in Gwer East LGA of Benue State

Madam Uza Susan, a 28-year-old widow supporting her five-member household, gained much more than just seeds from the GAP and Nutrition education training. The training was provided through the SNiPS Home Garden Project, an initiative implemented by Diamond Development Initiatives (DDI) under the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)’s programme, focused on boosting nutritious food production. She learnt critical techniques such as nursery bed preparation, transplanting, pest management, and natural fertiliser application.

The training also addressed her space constraints by introducing innovative solutions. “If I have no space, I can use sack and tyres or plastic/iron containers that are not useable now to plant my garden,” she recounted. She immediately incorporated her pepper harvest into her meals, appreciating its role as a key ingredient. The impact on her family’s health was clear: “It has influenced the variety and nutritional quality of my family’s meal in that we consume pepper with its freshness and without chemicals”.

Alheri Sunday

Location: Anga Blake Village of Kokona in Kokona LGA of Nasarawa State

Alheri Sunday, a 41-year-old mother of three from a five-member household, had been engaged in farming before being enlisted on the SNiPS Home Garden Project. This initiative, implemented by Diamond Development Initiatives (DDI) under the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)’s programme, aimed to increase safe and nutritious food production and consumption among smallholder farmers. She was highly motivated to join because the inputs and training on nutrition and Good Agronomic Practices (GAP) were provided for free.

She readily adopted the new methods taught, including planting in raised beds and sacks. This knowledge enabled her to maximize her garden, using the space to cultivate additional vegetables like Ugu and ewedu. “I eat my vegetables with ease, especially amaranths,” she said, noting its immediate availability just behind her house. When pests attacked her garden, she effectively treated them using the project’s recommended method of neem oil and ash. Her family now processes the harvested Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) into flour for various meals, improving their overall nutrition.

Mallam Munir Aliyu

Location: Nasarawa, Chikun LGA, Kaduna

Mallam Munir Aliyu, a 27-year-old farmer supporting his wife and three children in a six-member household, attended the step-down training on GAP, nursery establishment, and nutrition education. This training was part of the SNiPS Home Garden Project, an initiative implemented by Diamond Development Initiatives (DDI) under the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)’s programme, focused on boosting nutritious food production. He quickly grasped the project’s core message: how to acquire safe and nutritious food economically from the home garden.

Mallam Munir reported that his crops were flourishing, and his family was already enjoying Amaranth in vegetable soups and stew with rice. The biofortified Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) proved to be a critical resource during challenging times. “It serves us as breakfast when we don’t have money because of this hardship,” he shared. His family uses the OFSP tubers boiled, fried, and processed into delicious flour for snacks. He concluded with gratitude, emphasising the project’s profound impact on his family’s resilience and food security during a period of hardship.