Productive Farm Means Better Life for Ethiopian Family

Junedi lives in Legadini in eastern Ethiopia. With just over an acre of land, he depends on farming as a means of survival for himself, his wife and his two children. Yet limited resources and erratic rainfall had left the 32-year-old farmer barely able to meet his household's food, clothing and shelter needs.

Junedi can now provide enough food to feed his family 10 months of the year

As a result, Junedi and his family were identified as chronically food insecure and became beneficiaries of the CRS-supported Support Productive Safety Net project. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funds the project and CRS administers it in partnership with the Hararghe Catholic Secretariat.

As a participant, Junedi has been able to purchase four goats through a CRS-sponsored voucher and livelihoods fair program. Using vouchers provided by CRS, Junedi has also purchased a modern beehive, 2 pounds of sesame seed, 7 pounds of sorghum, 13 pounds of maize seeds, a spade and plow. In addition, Junedi joined a group of other farmers in his community who are learning how to make their farms more profitable through CRS-supported training.

As a result of his training, Junedi was able to use his recent purchases to generate income. With the equivalent of $29 in vouchers from CRS, he bought three goats for fattening. He kept them for nine months and sold them for $86, making a profit of $57. With his new beehive, Junedi was able to produce 22 pounds of honey, which he sold for $28. Junedi reinvested his income by purchasing an ox and four more goats.

'Life is Improving'

Junedi has steadily increased his household's assets and, consequently, improved his life. When he first joined the farmers' group, Junedi had a cow, four goats and three sheep, along with his acre of land. Even with these assets, Junedi could not support his family of four. After joining the group and receiving training and support, Junedi's income has greatly increased. He now owns two dairy cows, a heifer, an ox, 20 goats, 15 sheep and a beehive. He is able to buy clothes for his family, send his son to school and maintain a grass-roofed house.

Junedi can now provide enough food to feed his family 10 months of the year — more than three times longer than before he began participating in the Support Productive Safety Net project.

"I am happy that our life is improving," Junedi says. "My crop harvest has doubled. This year [2006], I have harvested 441 pounds of sesame. A pound of sesame is priced at about 45 cents, and I have a plan to sell 331 pounds for $150 and retain 110 pounds for seed for the coming season."