Planting drought-resistant crops to feed her family

Ethiopia | 2024 | CBPF

Ethiopia, Oromia district. Alemitu Abraham Fayisa is a mother of five, including one child living with disability. She survives by farming.

Over the last few years, drought has ravaged her village in Seraro District, Oromia, leaving her and other families in deep distress.

“I had no choice but to go to people’s homes and beg for food,” Alemitu recalls. “My child needs special care, and I have faced so many difficulties raising my children alone. There were days when I didn’t know if we would make it.”

Seraro District has endured four consecutive years of drought, devastating agriculture and pushing families deeper into poverty. Recognizing the urgent need for sustainable solutions, the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF) prioritized localization by empowering local NGOs to lead humanitarian responses.

With support from EHF and local partner Positive Action for Development (PAD), Alemitu was one of nearly 1300 vulnerable farmers who received a helping hand in the form of crop seeds, specially chosen for their drought resistance and high yields. These are helping to restore food security for people struggling in the face of climate change.

“I received 25 kilograms of seeds,” Alemitu says. The new seeds grow better, even in these harsh drought conditions. “Now, I can feed my children and, hopefully, give them an education. I no longer have to rely on begging. I can provide for my family with my own hands.”

Girma Wedajo, an agronomist with PAD, has seen first-hand the impact of this joint approach. “For years, farmers in Seraro struggled with seed shortages, erratic rainfall, drought, and flooding. Now, with improved seeds and training, they have been able to secure harvests and even store seeds for the future. This variety has a higher market value, allowing families to sell surplus seeds and buy school supplies for their children. I would like to thank EHF and OCHA for recognizing the community’s needs and providing essential support.”

Integrated nutrition and health

Through Action for Social Development and Environmental Protection Organization (ASDEPO), NEXUS Ethiopia, and PAD, the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund is providing immediate relief and also building long-term resilience in Seraro.

NEXUS delivers critical health services through a mobile clinic reaching remote communities six days a week. In Seraro, where only 25 per cent of people have access to healthcare, these mobile teams provide free medical support, ensuring even the most isolated families receive care.

Meanwhile, ASDEPO is further strengthening the local health system, supporting a health centre that supports approximately 50,000 people. Their nutrition help reaches at-risk children, trains health specialists, and offers food support to mothers caring for their children in treatment. They’ve also trained women in the community to recognize and refer malnutrition cases.

For Alemitu, this help has made a difference. “They came here, they supported me. In this challenging time, it is hard to help others; but they have helped me and my family.”

Posted May 2025.

Pooled Fund impact stories

For more information on the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund.

Based on an original story from OCHA Ethiopia.