Skills for Life and Livelihoods
Ahmed Sheno used to worry constantly about food.
The 40-year-old farmer in Kersa Woreda, Ethiopia, had four children to feed, but very limited resources. In a place where people use livestock as a way of stockpiling wealth, Ahmed had only one cow and two goats. He and his family lived in a small grass-roofed house.
Farmers packaging potatoes for market.
Then, in 2002, Ahmed began participating in a small-scale irrigation project developed by CRS Ethiopia and our partner, the Ethiopian Catholic Church Social and Development Coordinating Office of Harar. The project is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
As part of an innovative learning alliance, CRS and two partners — the Center for Tropical Agriculture and the International Institute for Tropical Research — were encouraging market-led agriculture. This process organizes farmers so they can learn productive methods as well as respond to consumer and buyer demand. Farmers also form groups so they can pool their harvests to attract more buyers and get a better price for their crops.
'My Life Has Changed'
CRS Ethiopia supported Ahmed, along with 115 other heads of household, as they worked together to access irrigation water, develop crop production skills, distribute seeds and planting materials for potato, onion, and cabbage, and organize into groups to increase their leverage in the market. Consisting of 20 farmers each, 200 groups across Ethiopia organized and began producing vegetables for the market.
Ahmed joined one of these groups. CRS Ethiopia and its partners provided trainings to upgrade farmer's skills and enhanced their ability to compete in the market.
Through his participation in the group, Ahmed earned the equivalent of $1,340 from the sale of his vegetables. He used that money to construct a house with an iron roof, and bought six oxen, five cows and 13 goats. Not only have these new investments increased his income, but Ahmed has also improved his household's long-term security.
Ahmed was able to give back to his community by contributing money for new classrooms at his village school, where he is also now able to send his children.
"My life has changed," Ahmed says. "I feel more confident about my family's future."
