“During the drought in the last months, my cattle were safe. They didn’t die. I was feeding them the fodder. My life has improved now after I started working in fodder production.” said Abebe Lotuliya.
Abebe, a 25-year-old man with 5 children, is happy to be involved in a business growing fodder and bananas. He is a confident, energetic, and hopeful young man. He used to be a pastoralist and knew nothing about agriculture. When iDE came to his kebele offering fodder production training, as well as machinery and inputs, he saw it as a way to transition out of pastoralism and find a less climate-vulnerable livelihood.
In the past, he used to move his cattle to different places for grazing. His wife would collect wood from the bush which is far from his home and sell it in the market, buying food with the money to feed the children. Now, Abebe feeds his cattle on his own land while his wife sells the fodder in the market. He is able to feed his family and save half of his income in a finance institution.
“Because of the drought we encountered in the last months, many youths want to engage in this business,” said Abebe.
What's next for Abebe
Abebe and his group of farmers are eager to enhance their agricultural skills, particularly in areas like operating tractors for land plowing and cultivating fodder seeds.
Abebe's Details
Country
- Ethiopia
Sector
- Agriculture
Entrepreneur Impact
- Production
- Output Marketing
Ecosystem Impact
- Food & Nutrition Security
- Environmental Protection
- Local Economic Development
Country Profile
- 173/189
Human Development Index (HDI) Rank
- 31%
Poverty Rate
- 118 Million People
Population
iDE was started as a radical idea that business is a solution to move people out of poverty. 40 years later, we still don't give things away. We create long term change by powering entrepreneurs to end poverty for their families and communities.
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