Farmer Support Agricultural Project is Impacting Food Insecurity in Southwest Ethiopia
“WEEMA opened my closed doors and has become a light for me and my community.”
This year, we celebrated Mother’s Day by sharing the story of a woman named Aster.
Like women and mothers everywhere, Aster makes the world a better place because they never give up. They also know how important it is to look out for and support other girls and women in their communities because when women thrive, change happens! It is no different in Ethiopia. We met Aster last fall when she and 58 additional farmers joined our farmer support pilot project. She’s not only improved the lives of her family but also the lives of other women in her community.
Before participating in our agriculture project, Aster, like many in her community, struggled to feed her family and meet their basic needs due to ongoing drought and the rising cost of food. But she never gave up. Aster and 58 additional farmers joined our pilot project. They were trained in modern farming and irrigation techniques and received hand tools, quality seeds, avocado saplings, and grasses to grow to feed their livestock.
Aster and her husband Ayele, are very happy with the growth of their two avocado plants.
We visited Aster two months ago and were thrilled to see that her farm had dramatically improved, thanks to her new skills and quality supplies that started her on the right foot. She harvested a bumper crop of tomatoes and onions, saved some for her family and relatives, and sold quite a lot at the market. With the money earned, she purchased chickens and was able to plant wheat and ginger crops. In addition, her livestock is much healthier thanks to the new forage grasses planted, and one of her cows is again producing milk.
Aster and her husband, Ayele, are feeding their cattle Densho, a nutrient-dense grass.
Aster has also helped other women in her community by selling them her bounty at a low cost so they could profit for themselves, noting, ‘’I am happy to sell my harvest to my fellow villagers. I share my life with my neighborhood! I am happy that girls come to me to buy my harvest and then sell it at the local market for a profit. And with that profit, they can buy what they need for their education.‘’
Aster (L") is holding some of her harvested tomatoes. (R) Some of the women who purchased from Aster to sell at market.
Aster’s farm has quickly become a “teaching farm” where other farmers go to learn new farming and irrigation skills. She has shared her knowledge with women from her Self-Help Group, who also see better results in their gardens. As a result, her outlook on life has changed dramatically: “I am happy to support my family and my community. My life has changed. My family now has plenty of good food to eat, and I feel I am making a difference in my community!” Aster has transformed her harvest and farming skills into a brighter future for both her family and the women in her community. Aster's family is no longer food insecure- in fact, her family is thriving and is very hopeful for the future.
Over the next three years, we will reach even more families struggling with food insecurity due to drought and the rising cost of food. Three hundred eighty-five (385) farmers across five villages will receive tools, agricultural and irrigation training, high-quality seeds, plants, five chickens, and training in their care. The generosity of our donors makes this all possible:
$25 provides a farmer with five avocado plants, providing nutritious and delicious fruit for years.
$50 provides a farmer with hand tools and five chickens, providing enough eggs to feed their family for a year.
$125 will set up a farmer for success, providing a year's worth of training and supplies (including five chickens, seeds, plants, and tools).
Additional families showing their excellent harvests of tomatoes.