Case study: Helping rural communities in Ethiopia

“We have four goats. They are a hope for my family. Previously during the very bad months we used to go hungry but now we have been blessed with enough food.” Abeba, Ethiopia

Abeba and her family live in southern Ethiopia, an area plagued by severe droughts. In the past the family has had to rely on handouts. But thanks to support from CAFOD, Abeba and her husband can provide for their family all year round.

Providing Abeba with agricultural training and haricot bean seeds has enabled her to generate a reliable harvest and a small income. However, Abeba's prized possessions are her four goats. With CAFOD's help she was originally given two goats, but the nanny goat recently gave birth to two kids.

Goats are the perfect livestock for many families living in rural areas. They are relatively easy to look after and can provide up to 12 pints of nutritious milk a week. As Abeba has discovered, they also breed quickly. When her herd has grown a little more, Abeba hopes to sell a few goats so that she can buy oxen to farm her land.