Holistic and Sustainable Solutions to Food Insecurity in the Kembata Tembaro Zone of Ethiopia

Story was first shared in December 2022

Like mothers everywhere, Aster dreams of a better future for her seven children and two grandchildren. She has worked hard, seeking opportunities to provide a better life for herself and her family. Her son, Melash, is in college studying to be a pharmacist, her 17-year-old son is excelling in the 11th grade, and her twin 15-year-old daughters dream of becoming doctors someday. Despite her hard work, her family had to sell their only cow to buy food for their family.

Aster and some of her children.

Aster never gave up and sought out opportunities that would help her family thrive. She joined her local beekeeping coop and women's self-help group a few years ago and is now participating in our new agricultural program. She has learned sustainable farming skills to grow more resilient and healthier crops for her family and livestock. She has planted improved tomato and onion seeds and has increased the variety of vegetables on her land. She tends to her new avocado seedlings and expects a robust harvest in the next three years. She’s using new tools, including a sickle and spade, and is now watering her crops with irrigation techniques she learned during several recent agricultural trainings.

Aster tending to her avocado saplings.

Aster reports, “Food insecurity is one of the major challenges in our area due to drought, lack of improved seeds, and lack of knowledge. This new agriculture program gives great hope to my family and to other community members. We want to thank WEEMA for its support.”

Communities are facing growing poverty. Four years of consecutive drought have impacted crops to the point that 60-70% of families don’t have enough food to feed their families seven months out of the year and need to purchase food at the market. Rapid inflation has tripled food prices leaving these families even more vulnerable. Many community members have suffered the death of their livestock due to drought and disease, making farming even more difficult to manage.

Poverty is complicated, overwhelming, and multi-faceted. WEEMA’s sustainable, community-led programs address complicated issues holistically. Individuals and families are equipped with the knowledge, support, and a greater sense of agency in order to overcome poverty.

Aster with her women’s Self-help Group.