Protecting futures
By giving a gift today you can help farmers provide for their families, while protecting the land they call home.
Life was not comfortable for us in the forest. During the night it was very cold. We had to make fires to keep warm. We got ill a lot during that time.
Kaamila
Every December, families take on long journeys that are dangerous, both for themselves and their animals.
Please make a donation today to protect their futures.
In the Bale Eco-region of Ethiopia, the dry season starts in December. In the lowlands of Bale, where Kaamila (pictured above) lives with her children, the earth becomes hard and the grass can dry up completely.
Lowland communities like Kaamila's rely on livestock to earn a living, but during the dry season, with no food or water for her animals, Kaamila was forced to take her children and her cattle on a dangerous three month journey through the forest, sleeping in freezing, damp conditions, just to survive.
Kaamila was one of many farmers risking everything, every year. But not only did this journey endanger the lives of both families and their cattle, the grazing of their animals also contributed to deforestation, which damaged the land and worsened the problem that forced them to relocate in the first place.
But this year, Kaamila and her family will not be making the journey.
Help farmers like Kaamila to find safe ways of providing for their families.
Farm Africa is working with lowland communities, helping them to form Rangeland Management Co-operatives. Members participate in training that provides them with the skills and knowledge to better manage their land, so they have year-round access to water and grass for their livestock. This means families like Kaamila's no longer need to relocate.
For Kaamila, being at home all year means that her children's education is not disrupted. She's also able to grow more crops to eat and sell, vastly improving her earnings. And crucially, by staying in the lowlands she's no longer worsening the damage to the precious Eco-region by allowing her livestock to graze in the forest.
The difference is you.
With your support, we could reach more families like Kaamila's. By helping farmers protect their livestock, we are also helping them protect their land for generations to come, and secure their futures.