Hard work inspires community to follow footsteps
Asnakech Beyene is a 35 year old mother of four from the Shenkora Shesheng kebele (small village) located in Warka, Ethiopia. There they farm a small, half hectare of land which used to support the family. Due to the small land size Asnakech recalls, “Some days, there wasn’t enough food. We always had food gaps, especially in the months of August and September.”
When she heard about the training that CPAR Ethiopia offered through the Tadagiwu Farmer Field School (FFS) group, she decided to join as a way to improve her family’s livelihood. She was selected to participate in the Backyard Vegetable Production Project. Through this training Asnakech was able to receive practical, hands-on-training on planting, tilling and inter-cropping methods. The group discussed various topics such as nutrition, food storage and food preparation to assist with maintaining a well-balanced diet.
In May 2012, she was provided with 250 grams of cabbage, onion, beetroot, and tomato seeds. In three months time, her successes became evident.
So far, Asnakech has been able to provide nutritious meals for her family year-round, as well as sell vegetables at the local markets for a profit! She says, “I have been able to save money from the sale of my crops and I am planning to start sheep rearing in the near future to supplement my families livelihood.’’
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The fruit of her labor has not gone unnoticed. Shage, a neighbour of Asnakech’s, witnessed her hard work and says, Asnakech is a strong woman who has actively and skillfully applied the new technologies and techniques she has been taught . The abundance of fruit and vegetable production is considered as a good lesson for the community. We are ready to follow in her footsteps".