Aamiina*, a 33-year-old mother of eight children (three girls and five boys), lives in a remote village in the Somali region, an area described as one of the most drought-prone and flood-affected in Ethiopia. Over the years, her community has endured recurrent droughts, seasonal flooding, and other natural disasters, which have severely disrupted the livelihoods of families like hers. These frequent climate-related shocks have left many households, including Aamiina*’s, in a constant state of vulnerability, struggling to recover from the compounded impacts of environmental challenges.
In response to these hardships, Aamiina*’s family was recently selected to participate in a fodder support program designed to enhance resilience amongst vulnerable households. As part of the initiative, families received improved Sudan grass seedlings which are drought-resistant and high-yield fodder seeds. With determination and hard work, Aamiina* and her family cultivated the seedlings on their farmland, covering approximately one hectare. After months of careful tending, they successfully harvested the fodder, which is now being used to nourish their livestock. This achievement not only ensures a stable feed source for their animals but also marks a critical step toward improving the family’s overall food security and resilience to future climate shocks.
The support has gone beyond providing seedlings; it has equipped Aamiina* and her community with the knowledge and tools to adapt to climate challenges. Through training on sustainable agricultural practices and access to essential farming tools, families are now better prepared to withstand the impacts of droughts. The surplus fodder produced is not only used to feed livestock but is also sold to neighboring communities as an additional source of income. This economic boost has enabled families to invest in other livelihood activities, further strengthening their resilience.
Looking ahead, Aamiina* hopes to expand her fodder production and to explore other sustainable agricultural practices. By doing so, she aims to further enhance her family’s livelihood by reducing its dependence on external aid. Through initiatives like this, vulnerable households are not only surviving climate shocks but are also thriving, hence paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable future.
Aamiina*’s story in her own words (Quotes):
My husband and I are the proud parents of eight wonderful children-five boys and three girls. Our youngest fills us with great joy even amidst hardship. Before settling here, we lived near a river. Our life was stable. .
But then, six years ago, there was a devastating flood in our village which destroyed our and most of our belongings. I still remember that day; I feel sad and fearful. We fled for our lives. We took our children and the little we could take including some goats, a donkey and two cows. We lost a lot but were grateful to be alive.
We ended up here, where we have lived ever since -the loss is still painful. Our family has always relied on subsistence agriculture and livestock rearing as our primary means of livelihood. Livestock are our primary means of earning an income to survive, even in hard times. Unfortunately, the unpredictable climate in recent years has brought new challenges that worry us. Successive poor rainy seasons and terrible droughts have cost us many of our animals. Watching our livestock suffer and die from thirst and starvation has been terrible. Each loss affects our family’s future as we become unsure of how we can provide for our children.
It is difficult to see our hard work waste under the scorching sun. My husband and I hope for better days ahead as we continue to work hard to provide for our children and restore some of what we have lost. Thanks to Save the Children's support, we are more resilient now. We will be able to withstand climate-related crises in the future. Nowadays, the lack of access to education for our children is a concern. I believe that education is a powerful tool that can change our situation. However, our children cannot access school; the nearest one is almost a two-hour walk away from our village. This makes it very challenging for our children to regularly attend their education. We therefore would like to call upon our supporters to help build a school in a nearby village so that our children can learn without exhausting journeys each day.
Despite the challenges, I want to expand the fodder cultivation that is on some of our land. I hopeto scale up production to create a surplus that I could sell to others and earn extra income.
With the profit I earn from selling the surplus fodder, I want to invest in goat and cattle rearing and fattening to sell in the market. This will allow me to earn sufficient income to support my children and the entire family.
Abdullahi*, along with his wife Aamiina* and three of their eight children, stands in front of their home in the Somali region. Seifu Asseged / Save the Children
What is Save the Children doing to help Aamiina* and others like her?
Save the Children’s Anticipatory Action initiative, funded by Save the Children Italy, has introduced a climate-sensitive fodder production program to support communities vulnerable to climate shocks in the Somali Regional State. This innovative initiative promotes climate-smart livestock production technologies, including animal feed production, by providing fodder seeds to communities in the riverine areas of the region.
The program empowers these communities to produce and store fodder during periods of abundance, which can then be used or sold during times of high demand. This approach not only ensures a sustainable feed supply for their livestock—the cornerstone of their livelihoods—but also generates income to sustain their fodder production efforts. To date, 240 households have been organized into fodder-producing groups across four villages in two (Adadle and Gode) districts of the Somali region. These families have been supplied with improved fodder seedlings, farm tools, water pump generators for irrigation, fuel, rental tractor for land ploughing and soi conservation and 600-meter-long water hoses, enabling them to produce sufficient fodder for their animals while selling surplus seeds and grass to neighboring areas. This has become a vital source of income to support their families.
In addition to providing seedlings, farm tools, and agricultural equipment, Save the Children has trained development agents and agricultural experts on advanced fodder production techniques. SCI has also assisted communities in preparing farmland for fodder cultivation, ensuring optimal conditions for growth.
The participating households have achieved remarkable success, cultivating Sudan grass—one of the most productive and nutrient-rich fodder crops—on 120 hectares of land. This has benefited over 240 households, approximately 1,584 people. The produce is shared among group members to feed their livestock, while surplus seeds are harvested for expanding their own plantations and selling to others. This initiative has not only enhanced feed security for their animals but also created income-generating opportunities, strengthening the community’s resilience to climate shocks.
Looking ahead, Save the Children is collaborating closely with local livestock and agricultural offices, as well as the community, to ensure the initiative’s long-term sustainability. Efforts are underway to support the groups in obtaining legal accreditation from the district and regional cooperatives development agency. This will pave the way for the establishment of formal fodder-producing cooperatives, providing the groups with the recognition and legal certification needed to strengthen their operations and ensure continued success. Through this collaborative approach, the program is empowering communities to build resilience, adapt to climate challenges, and secure a sustainable future.
As the timeless saying goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime This initiative is not just about meeting immediate needs—it is about creating long-term opportunities and self-sufficiency for the whole community. Together, we can build a brighter future.
Abdullahi*, 38, is Aamiina*'s husband. He is carrying bundles of Sudan grass—a high-quality fodder he began cultivating after receiving improved fodder seedlings from Save the Children. Seifu Asseged / Save the Children
