Ethiopia

Overview
Poverty in Ethiopia is widespread.
The majority of people depend on farming for their livelihood, yet Ethiopia’s agriculture is plagued by recurring drought, deforestation, poor infrastructure, and an increasing population – causing severe food shortages.
Quick Facts
Our Projects
Through Tearfund, your donations are helping to solve the hunger challenge.
Our projects in Ethiopia:
- Train farmers, so they can increase their crop output
- Provide families with savings groups to leverage their small incomes in order to start new businesses, purchase seeds and tools, and pay school fees.
- Through Tearfund, you will be working to empower churches through church-based community transformation to help them spread the gospel in a holistic way – lifting people out of physical and spiritual poverty and transforming their communities.

Kucha Project
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Problem
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Challenges
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Activities
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Details
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Outcome
Problem
Faced with immense physical and spiritual needs around them, Ethiopian churches are eager to respond. Hunger is a perpetual problem, with many families struggling to eat more than one meal a day 5-6 months out of the year.
Challenges
With limited theological training and no technical education, churches struggle to know where to start.
Activities
Church pastors and leaders will engage Tearfund’s church-based community transformation approach, participating in Bible studies and workshops to learn more about holistic mission and God’s mandate for them. They will be trained in conservation agriculture techniques, savings groups, and natural resource management to help them ensure sustainable development of their communities.
Details
- Location: Kucha, Ethiopia
- Timeframe: Oct 2019 – Nov 2020
- Funding needed: $15,107.50
Outcome
Twenty local churches will be mobilized and equipped to meet the needs around them, helping their communities escape physical and spiritual poverty. Farmers will be able to grow more crops to feed their families.
Zala Food Security and Women’s Empowerment
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Problem
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Challenges
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Activities
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Details
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Outcome
Problem
Faced with immense physical and spiritual needs around them, Ethiopian churches are eager to respond. Hunger is a perpetual problem, with many families struggling to eat more than one meal a day 5-6 months out of the year.
Challenges
Food insecurity in the region is due to a high population, environmental degradation, deforestation, recurring drought, and soil erosion. In addition, lack of access to good seeds and other farming inputs have significantly reduced crop output. Farmers also struggle with post-harvest losses from pests and mold.
Activities
Church pastors and leaders will engage Tearfund’s church-based community transformation approach, participating in Bible studies and workshops to learn more about holistic mission and God’s mandate for them. They will be trained in conservation agriculture techniques, savings groups, and natural resource management to help them ensure sustainable development of their communities.
Project Details
- Location: Zala Woreda Region
- Timeframe: Dec 2019 – Nov 2022
- Total Budget: $600,000
Outcome
Approximately 9,065 individuals will be more food secure and be on a sustainable path out of poverty.
Stories of Transformation

Beautiful things from dust
Looking over his dusty field, Wolde remembered a time where his family’s 30 acre farm was lush and vibrant. But inheriting land split between his siblings meant that his farm was both limited and overworked. Six months a year were marked with hunger, with only one meal per day to sustain him and his family.

The Trailblazer
For years her neighbours didn’t think she could amount to anything. As a widow and mother of 6, Felekesh had toiled on her farm day and night to feed her children. But then everything changed.

God's Every Blessing
Amarech clung to hope and determiningation, knowing there had to be a way to improve her crops in the hilly village of Chifisa, Ethiopia. Despite poor soil due to over-tillage and 9 months of drought, she believed that her farm could be a success. Hearing about conservation Agriculture changed everything.