Ethiopia
Given its natural resources, Ethiopia has the potential to feed all of its 75 million people without any help from the outside world.
Projects funded: 33
Yet antiquated farming techniques mean the entire agricultural sector is almost entirely dependent on rain for production and even in good years, farmers have little left over for reinvestment.
In fact, the success of any harvest is usually measured in terms of whether or not everyone gets enough to eat.
Compounding the situation, Ethiopia is plagued by cyclical drought resulting in millions of people frequently face the threat of famine.
Farming is the backbone of the Ethiopian economy with more than 90 percent of its population engaged in agriculture. And, in parts of the country where irrigation programs have been initiated, communities have not only seen their food security problems improve dramatically, they have experienced exponential increases in earnings.
In villages where A Glimmer of Hope-funded irrigation programs are operating, farmers have learned quickly how to double, triple or even quadruple their incomes.
They have been able to achieve this, for example, by double planting their fields with crops that have different growing cycles such as tomatoes and corn. Previously, this was impossible because crop cycles were limited by the duration of the rainy seasons.
In addition to ending rain dependency and producing additional harvests each year, irrigation is creating an upward spiral of prosperity.
Farmers who for the first time are earning profits are reinvesting that money in equipment and supplies for their farms which is in turn resulting in even greater returns.
In many cases, farmers are now making enough from the sale of their surplus crops to branch out into other businesses that are creating employment and opportunities for others in their communities.
