SOS Faim in Ethiopia

About the country

Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa, after Nigeria, with a population of more than 100 million. The only country in Africa never colonized in history, the second oldest Christian nation, but constitutionally secular, it is a landlocked country since the independence of its Eritrean province in 1994.

It ranks 174th out of 188 in terms of human development index, 30% of the population lives below the international poverty level ($ 1.25 / day), and unemployment affects 20% of the population.

80% of the population lives from a subsistence economy, to the detriment of the development of a local industry, except for the establishment of huge textile workshops: the very low cost of labor, the absence of taxes and tariffs to EU or US, free water and electricity, making it an alternative for factories in e.g. Bangladesh. Ethiopia exported less than $ 3 billion last year, of which only a fraction was manufactured, while it imported more than $ 17 billion, half of which from China.

Environmental degradation is symptomatic of subtropical African countries, soil erosion and degradation are amplified by a combination of overpopulation and heavy seasonal rainfalls. Soil cultivation techniques are rudimentary.

Main objectives

1

To enhance the infrastructure and skills of local farmers with a focus on durable and environment friendly agriculture (quality and quantity of inputs, impact of crops on soil regeneration, etc.). This is combined with disaster risk reduction aiming to reducing/preventing the impact of floods or drought;

1

2

To strengthen the organizational capacity and competitiveness of women operated dairy co-operatives, while establishing breeding in stabling, thereby limiting livestock roaming (deforestation, restriction of cultivated areas, soil compaction).

Key principles

1

(i) Construction of food storage building with purchase and transport of maize thresher machine to project area, purchase of improved seed for potato and corn farmers. (ii) Capacity building sessions and trainings for cooperatives' staff with a focus on women (financial and marketing management, improved agricultural practices and environment protection, cooperatives organization and governance);

2

(i) Building of milk collection centers, purchase of adequate milk equipment, together with the establishment of a dairy cows’ herd and fodder nurseries (ii) Capacity building sessions and trainings on livestock breeding, financial management and institutional capacity building.