Welcome to The Yeheb Project, restoring land and livelihoods in the drylands of the Horn of Africa.

About

About

Our vision is to improve the lives of communities in the drylands of the Horn of Africa, by restoring Yeheb as a reliable, drought-resistant source of food and fodder. In order to do this, we are working with local communities to tackle issues such as overgrazing that have caused Yeheb and other valuable species to become scarce. We are volunteers, seeking to use every pound wisely and to find no-cost and low-cost solutions wherever possible.

Updates and news

Restoring Yeheb in Ethiopia with SoRPARI

Restoring Yeheb in Ethiopia with SoRPARI

The Somali Region Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Research Institute (SoRPARI) is working to conserve and restore the Yeheb plant. Their latest report describes an intervention in the village of Gambarey, in the eastern part of the Somali Region.

An update for  2023

An update for 2023

The Yeheb project achieved some impoertant milestones in 2023 including registering as a UK charity. During the year, the security situation in Somalia deteriorated and it was no longer possible to travel safely. The project therefore pivoted to the Somali region of Ethiopia, which we hope to visit in 2024.

An Unexpected Discovery

An Unexpected Discovery

While researching the potential to restore Yeheb, Dr Muna Ismail found new evidence that if the right conditions are met, Yeheb can be cultivated outside of its natural habitat in arid rangelands. A local man by the name of Huute was inspired to collect yeheb seeds from his native Galmudug region of Somalia, where it was growing wild, and plant them in his garden. See Muna’s video of the results!

BBC Somali interviews Dr Muna Ismail

BBC Somali interviews Dr Muna Ismail

On 8th July 2016, Farxaan Maxamed Jimcaale of the BBC Somali World Service interviewed Dr Muna Ismail. They discussed the benefits of the Yeheb plant for drought-prone areas in Somalia and Horn of Africa. You can hear the interview (in Somali) on the BBB website.

Planting Yeheb

Planting Yeheb

In December I spent three weeks in Somaliland, testing the possibility of restoring and domesticating Yeheb, a food and fodder crop which grows well in very dry conditions. It is one of those plants that has not found enough interest outside its indigenous habitat. Historically Yeheb used to flourish in the Haud or Savannah pastoralist […]

Yeheb is back!

Yeheb is back!

In December 2015, project leader Dr Muna Ismail made a second journey to Somaliland. Her aim was to plant Yeheb seeds and seedlings at sites that had been identified during the scoping mission earlier in the year. Together, Muna and our local partners managed to reintroduce Yeheb to six sites, exhibiting different habitats and levels of rainfall.

Muna’s story

Muna’s story

In 2011 there was a massive drought in the Horn of Africa. It was the worst drought in 60 years and Millions of people were affected across the region. There was a serious food crisis in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya; all within the Somali inhabited areas. Hundred thousands fled from Southern Somalia in search […]