Communities tackling hunger | El Nino in Ethiopia

Thirty-two-year-old Shega is worried for her three children. While she lives just a few metres from a concrete water reservoir, she still has to walk for three miles to access water clean enough for her family to drink. For many mothers like her, the drought in Ethiopia is drying up water sources and destroying crops – two issues that are now being addressed through World Vision’s intervention…

“This water reservoir has been our source of drinking water for many years. But three years ago it stopped working. Since then, my children and I have had to fetch water from springs and from the river,” Shega said.

“The situation got worse when the drought started last year. The problem is with drinkable water. Many of the shallow wells are damaged and have dried up. Those that still have water are no longer fit for human consumption. Now we have to walk an even greater distance and as a result, my children are always late and sometimes absent from school,” she added.

In her village, like many other villages in Shashego district, the drought has forced many villagers to fetch water from the river and unprotected water sources. Water coverage is very low. In Hadiya, southwest Ethiopia, where 140,000 people live, less than 50 per cent can access safe water.

“The drought is unfortunate, but because of it this water reservoir will be fixed. Soon, we won’t need to walk for a long distance to get water. Water will again be accessible within our vicinity and we will soon have more time to do other things. My children will get to school on time!” exclaimed Shega.

We’re planning to repair over half of the wells in the district that are no longer functioning. Through an integrated emergency water, hygiene and sanitation programme, we constructed five new wells last year, and three additional shallow wells will be set up this year to help families like Shega’s stay safe from waterborne diseases.

Communities tackling hunger

In the same community, mother-of-seven Hundeya told us about a savings group supported by our local team that is helping women who are reliant on crops for food and income, and are bearing the brunt of the drought. Here, they learn how to start and manage a backyard garden, promote nutrient rich food, and develop a savings culture for times of adversity.

“Learning how to save money and cultivate nutritious food is helping me and my family survive these leaner times,” said Hundeya.

The group has enabled mothers like Hundeya form new friendships as they advise each other on how to grow their gardens and save even more. In Hundeya’s modest backyard, she now grows vegetables that give her family nutritious food to eat.

“I also sell the excess vegetables in the market. With that money I have been able to buy sheep and a variety of seeds,” she said.

Other mothers in Hundeya’s group also described how they’ve relied on their vegetable gardens for food, which has been a lifeline as the effects of an unprecedented El Niño take hold.

“Up until now, my husband was the sole breadwinner. He would go out early to work at the farm, but when the rain didn’t come, he couldn’t plant. Around that time, World Vision came and supported and trained us on how to save money, raise poultry, and produce fruit and vegetables right within our backyard. I planted onions, cabbages, carrots and beetroots. World Vision also provided us with six chickens. My children get to eat nutritious food, and I sold the surplus in the community,” said Shega, 28, and a mother of three children.

For another mother, Wosila, her vegetable garden is also helping to keep her children in school.

“My children are able to go to school with full stomachs. From the sale of vegetables, I am able to support my son who is now at university,” Wosila, a mother of nine children, told us.

Life continues to be tough for Hundeya just like many other people in her community. Every day many villagers could only wait for it to rain. But the mothers who are members of the gardening and savings group, know that they don’t need to wait for the rain to be productive. They know they can do something to help ensure that they have nutritious food to eat and they are confident that the income they get from their small gardens are contributing significantly to the survival of their families.

Ethiopia is currently experiencing its worst drought for decades, affecting an estimated 10.2 million people. More than 224,000 people have now got access to drinkable water after we restored 58 shallow wells, 13 deep wells and 13 springs in drought-affected areas. By acting now we can continue to help children and their families who've already been affected by El Niño and - crucially - we can protect others. Early intervention and preparation will protect children's lives and families' incomes, keeping communities afloat through the crises to come »