Jemo Berdade is a farming town (in Ethiopia ‘towns’ are organized through local government structures termed Kebele Administrations) located in Ethiopia’s highlands about a four hour drive from the capital – Addis Ababa. Farmers in this region must contend with land that is often dry, with limited resources and few sources of support.

Boja Berka’s new ox has greatly increased his harvest.

The MBH Program is active in all four CPAR program countries in Africa. CPAR works with farmers and their communities to help confront and overcome the barriers that are preventing their families from meeting their food and nutrition needs year round – now and for the future. It was through the Ethiopian extension of this program that Boja received an ox that has empowered him to fundamentally change how he provides for himself and his family.

Since receiving the ox, Boja has been able to leave behind his work as a daily labourer for other farmers and focus on cultivating crops of his own. With the added support of the ox to plow his fields, Boja now harvests large amounts of teff each season (teff is a crop with many similarities to wheat, and is a staple in the Ethiopian diet – it is used to make ‘injera’ flat bread). With these healthy harvests Boja is able to provide a large portion of his family’s diet directly and is also able to sell his crops to buy additional food and save.

As the MBH program approaches its third year, Boja tells CPAR that his savings are growing and he has plans in the future to buy a second ox. This, he says, will help him to achieve even greater gains and to safeguard the health of his family in the long-term.

Support farmers like Boja by purchasing a pair of oxen through CPAR's Face of Giving program: www.faceofgiving.ca