Aster Gebeyo is raising two children, including her one-year-old granddaughter, in an area of Ethiopia that has long suffered from food shortages, conflict and drought.
“I was struggling to feed my granddaughter, who was underweight, along with another young child,” Aster explains. “Thanks to cooking demonstrations, gardening training and poultry from International Medical Corps, I can now provide nutritious meals using ingredients I have at home. Adding eggs, potatoes, spinach and carrots has improved my granddaughter’s health. I can see her physical progress.”
Thanks to generous support from Earth Council Geneva, Aster’s was one of 120 households across 14 kebeles, or villages, that received small-scale poultry sets in Wolayta, an administrative zone in southwestern Ethiopia, in December 2024. Each set included concentrated feed, vaccines, four young hens and a rooster.
The poultry sets complement a gardening initiative that helps improve nutrition for children and their families. The project harnesses local knowledge and experience to feed malnourished children aged 6–23 months through backyard gardening and poultry farming. So far, the programme has reached 2,000 children in Ethiopia.
“This initiative is not only about immediate relief,” says Yemarishet Dulo, Nutrition Specialist with International Medical Corps, “It’s about planting seeds for a sustainable future, ensuring the long-term health of children in Wolayta.”
International Medical Corps has collaborated with the Southern Ethiopia Regional Bureau since 2021 to help ensure the program’s success.
“The ongoing collaboration between humanitarian organisations and local communities is crucial in tackling Ethiopia’s food insecurity,” explains Tsegaye Eka, Wolayta Zone Health Department Head. “Sustainable initiatives, like those by International Medical Corps, offer immediate relief and enable communities to develop resilient and self-sufficient food systems.”
According to the World Food Program, about 15.8 million people in Ethiopia needed food assistance last year. More than half of all children under 5 are malnourished. Many rural households can only produce enough food for less than six months of the year due to overlapping factors, including extreme weather, rapid urbanisation, natural disasters—including a recent cluster of earthquakes—and high inflation.
Tigist Tezera has two children—one of whom, Kalkidan Zekarias, is enrolled in the gardening programme. Tigsit and her family received a poultry set.
“After Kalkidan was enrolled in the programme, International Medical Corps provided training sessions for me to learn how to better manage my family’s diet,” Tigist explains. “I want to thank International Medical Corps for showing me how to ensure that my children have a healthy future.”
By providing training and ongoing services, International Medical Corps is helping families in Ethiopia move from relief to self-reliance. Learn more about our work in Ethiopia, and donate to International Medical Corps today to help people in underserved communities around the world.