Mennonite Central Committee Canada is supporting Migbaresenay Children & Family Support Organization with a three-year agriculture and livelihoods project in Debre Kelemo Kebele, East Goijam, Amhara region, Ethiopia.
Environmental degradation, population pressure, high unemployment, gender-based differences, and climate variability are the main causes of food insecurity for households in the project area. These causes make households vulnerable due to their reliance on agriculture. For example, climate variability has been causing frequent production losses and seasonal food shortages.
In response, this project will work to boost food production and availability by rehabilitating a watershed using a cash-for-work approach and integrating various soil fertility management and farming practices in order to increase soil and water conservation in the area.
The project will also work with households to build and diversify household income sources by providing skills training in accessing financial services, marketing, post-harvest loss management, off-farm activities, and help establish Village Saving and Loans associations.
Addressing gender differences is also a key activity. Women are often responsible for the majority of
farm work yet lack access to training, resources, and sufficient time that help them succeed. The project will work to promote women’s decision-making at all levels of farm management, encourage equal participation of men and women on all project committees, and conduct experience sharing workshops among men and women to help address household gender gaps.
In total this project will benefit 1,245 households (approximately 7,100 individuals).