{"id":100398,"date":"2026-06-14T23:46:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T23:46:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock"},"modified":"2026-06-15T02:01:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T02:01:44","slug":"maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock","title":{"rendered":"Maasai Women Grow Fodder to Save Livestock"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Mozambique. <\/strong> <\/span>When drought wiped out most of her livestock, Nisierkar Longidongi, a 30-year-old mother of four from the village of Selila in northern Tanzania, found herself with limited options. However, today she earns her living by growing and selling drought-resistant fodder. She explained to a local source, “Before I started growing fodder, I lost most of our goats. Now people come from other villages to buy the fodder, and I can support my children. I no longer fear drought.” Thanks to this income, she built a house and bought five goats.<\/p>\n

From Individual Story to Growing Trend<\/b><\/p>\n

Longidongi’s story has become part of a broader trend rapidly emerging in northern Tanzania, where Maasai women\u2014a community of about 430,000\u2014have transformed fodder production from a means of survival into a climate adaptation business. This is coordinated by a local organization led by women, which operates in three northeastern districts covering over 28,000 square kilometers and serves about 456,000 people, mostly Maasai. Established in 1997, the organization now has around 6,500 members in 90 villages, focusing on land rights, economic empowerment, and girls’ education.<\/p>\n

According to the Tanzanian Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, at least 306,000 heads of cattle, goats, sheep, and donkeys died between September 2021 and January 2022 due to ongoing drought.<\/p>\n

For the Maasai people, cattle represent more than just livestock; they are central to daily life, the economy, and identity. When rains are delayed, the impact is immediate, as animals weaken and families suffer.<\/p>\n

Seed Banks and Collective Farming<\/b><\/p>\n

In response to this crisis, the local organization established ten main seed banks in eight villages in the Monduli and Longido districts. Today, about 75 hectares are dedicated to fodder production, with an additional 37 hectares expected to be added in the 2025-2026 season. Approximately 250 women directly manage these farms, while thousands of herders rely on them during drought seasons.<\/p>\n

In 2025, one of the seed banks generated revenues of 6.6 million Tanzanian shillings (about $2,500) from seed sales, in addition to selling 1,111 bundles of hay at 6,000 shillings (about $2.3) per bundle. Supported by organizations like a global women’s fund and Oxfam, the organization is seen as a replicable model for protecting a livestock economy valued in the millions.<\/p>\n

To combat declining rainfall, women grow resilient grasses such as Rhodes grass and Maasai love grass on designated communal lands, as these grasses remain green longer than natural pastures during drought periods. After harvesting, they are bundled and sold to local herders. Longidongi states that the seeds “are also stored and sold later when demand rises,” adding that this cycle now supports many families in arid areas.<\/p>\n

Rachel Leteiti, one of the founding members of the organization, explains: “Women who were entirely dependent on their husbands now have their own income. Families are becoming more stable, and men are beginning to appreciate women’s contributions, especially during drought periods.”<\/p>\n

Ongoing Challenges<\/b><\/p>\n

However, this progress is not without obstacles. According to Longidongi, some farms are damaged when invasive weeds take over or when fences break, allowing livestock and wildlife to destroy carefully cultivated areas. She adds, “I have seen parasitic plants damage large parts of our farms, and sometimes animals come in and destroy what we have worked on for months. It is not easy to guard these fields every day,” also noting tensions within groups due to disagreements over responsibilities and income sharing.<\/p>\n

Currently, about 200 women are directly involved in the project with support from organizations like Justdiggit, Trees for the Future, and Swissaid, while many benefit indirectly, especially during drought seasons when pastures are scarce.<\/p>\n

Nariamo Laizer, a mother of three and secretary of the Naisho group managing one of the seed banks, states, “This work prevents our cows from dying and keeps them healthy,” adding, “If all women seize this opportunity, these projects can uplift our economy.”<\/p>\n

Longidongi concludes that growing fodder is no longer just a means to survive tough seasons, stating, “Now it helps women bring money into their homes, and families are becoming more stable.”<\/p>\n

Find more news and analyses on Mozambique<\/span> on the Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Mozambique. When drought wiped out most of her livestock, Nisierkar Longidongi, a 30-year-old mother of four from the village of Selila in northern Tanzania, found herself with limited options. However, today she earns her living by growing and selling drought-resistant fodder. She explained to a local source, “Before I started growing fodder, I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":100397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,9],"tags":[283],"class_list":["post-100398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-miscellaneous","tag-mozambique"],"yoast_head":"\nMaasai Women Grow Fodder to Save Livestock - Mozambique<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When drought wiped out most of her livestock, Nisierkar Longidongi, a 30-year-old mother of four from\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Maasai Women Grow Fodder to Save Livestock\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When drought wiped out most of her livestock, Nisierkar Longidongi, a 30-year-old mother of four from\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mozambique\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-14T23:46:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-15T02:01:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/sites\/64\/2026\/06\/sm_1781487447.766859.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Maasai Women Grow Fodder to Save Livestock\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-14T23:46:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-15T02:01:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock\"},\"wordCount\":679,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/sites\/64\/2026\/06\/sm_1781487447.766859.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Mozambique\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"miscellaneous\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/mozambique\/all-news\/maasai-women-grow-fodder-to-save-livestock\",\"name\":\"Maasai Women Grow Fodder to Save Livestock - 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