As Aster Fasil walks around her home nestled in the rugged highlands of Tigray in northern Ethiopia, the air rings with the contented sounds of goats bleating and children playing. Sadly, this scene hasn’t always been the case.
After Aster’s husband died, she had to give up most of the family’s land, leaving her without an income, which forced her to take her children out of school and eventually send them away to live with other families – leaving her home silent.
But life changed when Aster was given three goats by Farm Africa.
“The goats changed my life” says Aster. “I have more courage and hope now, thanks to Farm Africa.”
Since receiving the goats, Aster’s goat herd has quadrupled, providing her with a steady and reliable income that has allowed her to bring her children back home and re-enrol them in school.
Aster’s story is unfortunately not uncommon and is typical of many of the vulnerable people living in her community. Land in Tigray is scarce, and many farm sizes are very small. Many women, especially widows, and increasing numbers of young people have little or no access to land and struggle to produce enough to feed their families. As life expectancy increases, the potential for sub-dividing farming plots reduces, leaving many young people with no assets.
Tackling poverty and hunger
With funding from the UK Department for International Development and Irish Aid, Farm Africa has been working in Tigray for more than 20 years to give people like Aster the support they need to work their own way out of poverty and hunger.
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