Country
Ethiopia
Project
| In the drought-prone lowlands of Siraro Woreda, Oromia Region, farming is both a livelihood and a daily struggle. For Worke Lemma, a 51-year-old woman farmer and mother of six, the land has always been her family’s main source of survival – even as climate shocks repeatedly threatened to take it away.
Like many women farmers, Worke balances farming, household care, and community responsibilities. In recent years, recurrent drought followed by unexpected flooding destroyed most of her crops. Without savings or access to credit, she was unable to buy replacement seeds, putting her family’s food security and her children’s education at risk. Through a multisectoral emergency project supported by the Ethiopian Humanitarian Fund and implemented by Positive Action for Development (PAD), Worke received 25 kg of improved haricot bean seed. The support arrived at a critical moment. “I planted the seed on half a hectare, hoping it would survive,” Worke recalls. “When I harvested five quintals, I knew our hard work had not been in vain.” The harvest transformed more than just her fields. By selling part of the crop, Worke bought food for her family, covered school supplies for four of her children, and invested in goats as a long-term asset. She also saved 80 kg of seed to plant again — a rare opportunity for a farmer who once depended entirely on aid. “This seed was not only food,” she says. “It became security for my children and a plan for the future.” Today, Worke is planting again and looking ahead with confidence. She hopes to expand her livestock, buy oxen, and strengthen her family’s resilience against future shocks. Her story reflects the vital role women farmers play in sustaining agrifood systems — producing food, protecting livelihoods, and investing in the next generation, even under extreme conditions. “When women farmers are supported, the whole family stands stronger,” Worke says. “We don’t just grow crops — we grow hope.”
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