A mother’s promise

“My dream is to see my children become successful in their education. For this, I will do my best.”

This is the promise that Yeshi, a mother of two living in Ethiopia, has made for her children.

Her daughter Wolansa, 12 and son Abraham, 8, have no doubt that she will keep her promise – she always has.

A struggle to survive

It wasn’t always easy for the family to get by in their small town north of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The village faces the challenges of climate change, with erratic rainfall and periods of drought.

Yeshi and her husband supported the family by farming a small plot of land. As promised, she did her best to grow food – but their crops repeatedly failed. Everyone in the community faced the same problem, and the family struggled to survive in the face of food shortages and hunger.

Still, Yeshi was determined to keep her children in school. She sent Wolansa to school despite being unable to pay for fees and supplies. But as crops failed again and the food shortage worsened, Wolansa sadly had to leave school.

Yeshi searched for another way forward. Then, she found the answer.

Yeshi grew her herd from three to seven sheep, and sold three of them. The sale allowed her to buy grain for her family to eat.

Raising sheep for her children’s future

Yeshi was approached to join a CFTC supported program run by our local partner EDA. She received three sheep to raise and breed for extra income.

She soon discovered that raising livestock was a demanding task – and that she was good at it. Diving deep into her training, she learned the value of using local sheep breeds, best practices for feeding and selling animals, and how to maintain a sustainable herd.

In no time at all, Yeshi had grown her herd to seven sheep, and sold three of them.

That first sale brought the peace of mind she was searching for – she purchased grain for her family to eat.

Keeping her promise

Joining the EDA program meant that Wolansa and Abraham also got a great opportunity. They were supplied with new clothes and everything they needed for school while Yeshi got her sheep rearing business off the ground.

Now, with a steady income, enough food to eat and a chance for her children to complete their education, Yeshi is keeping her promise.

The journey is not yet over. She plans to continue her sheep breeding business, and extending her farm land. She also plans to purchase a water pump to increase her crop yields. It’s all part of chasing her dream of educational success for her children.

She’s grateful for all the support she’s received to get her family to where they are today – and she hopes to see the same for other women in her community. “There are a number of marginalized women-headed families who live in this community, and they need similar supports,” she says.

Thank you for supporting Yeshi, and other women like her around the world, to help them keep their promises to their children.