Our work in Ethiopia

Overview

The humanitarian needs in Ethiopia are escalating at an alarming rate because of armed conflict and climate change. The country is grappling with an increase in natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and desert locust infestations, all of which are contributing to a surge in extreme poverty. As a result, more than 10 million people across the nation are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The ongoing conflict between the government and armed groups in northern Ethiopia, which began in November 2020, has triggered mass migration, widespread food insecurity and a devastating loss of life and injury.

Our work in Ethiopia

Tearfund has worked in Ethiopia since the 1970s, partnering with institutional donors, faith-based organisations, and local partners to address extreme poverty and injustice. Tearfund collaborates with local development and relief organisations and is active in six regions: Amhara, Oromia, South Ethiopia, Central Ethiopia, Sidama, Benishangul Gumuz, Somali and Afar.

We help communities find lasting ways to improve their lives that are good for the environment and affordable. We work closely with churches using a method called Transforming Communities or Church and Community Transformation (CCT). This approach helps communities identify and carry out their own development projects using local resources. It also helps them work together to solve the root causes of problems like conflict, poverty and injustice.

Tearfund’s work in Ethiopia includes:

• supporting communities to access clean water and adequate sanitation
• conflict resolution and peacebuilding
• gender justice activities
• providing training and resources to enhance income generation
• responding to disasters, crises and emergency needs
• ensuring that people have enough nutritious food to eat all year round
• advocating for governmental policies that improve social services and create a more equitable future for everyone.

Peacebuilding

Community Conflict Transformation Dialogues (CCTD)
The CCTD programme equips community members to become ‘Peace Champions’. This means that they facilitate dialogues and workshops that encourage the community to examine their conflicts and come up with solutions. The programme helps the community identify and reflect on their own experiences and knowledge as the foundation for peacebuilding, rather than solely relying on external expertise.

The Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA)
JISRA is a partnership of 50 civil society organisations based in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda, with additional support in Europe and the USA. This international group works together to promote peaceful and fair societies where everyone has the freedom to practise their religion or beliefs.

Tearfund implements this project through its five faith-based local implementing partners across different parts of the country.

• Evangelical Churches Fellowship Ethiopia (ECFE)
• Ethiopia Kale Hewot Church Development Commission (EKHC DC)
• Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC)
• Iman Islamic Association (IIA)
• Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia (IRCE)

Through JISRA, we are directly supporting 28,381 people to promote peace in their communities.

Self-help groups

Self-help groups enable small groups of people to support each other, both financially and through mutual encouragement. Members begin by saving small amounts of money, which is used to start new businesses or to help when times are tough. This has proved to be an effective method for communities to lift themselves out of poverty.

More than 20,000 self-help groups have been set up around the country. The groups build up shared savings, which they can then use to set up income-generating activities. These saving groups comprise more than 300,000 members, who in turn transform the lives and livelihoods of around 1.5 million family members.

Adapting to climate change

We have been collaborating with more than 59,000 farmers to implement climate-smart and conservation farming practices. This has helped them to adapt to shifting weather patterns caused by climate change.

Because of this, more than 40,000 farmers are now growing more crops. These projects also fit with the Ethiopian Government’s aims: to make the economy stronger in the face of climate change, help people cope with climate change, and meet humanitarian needs.

Addressing sexual and gender-based violence

We’ve developed initiatives such as the Journey of Healing and Transforming Masculinities programme, which engages men in promoting gender justice, rebuilding positive masculinity, and eliminating sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

Our programmes create a supportive environment for SGBV survivors to heal, and train them to be gender champions in their community. We also encourage Women and Girls Friendly Spaces, where women can access psycho-social services and recreational activities, information on women's issues, and referral services.

Emergency response work

We are implementing Dutch Relief Alliance funded Ethiopia Joint Response Projects. Through these projects:

• We are restoring the livelihood and food security of 6,864 drought-affected communities with the provision of agricultural resources.
• We are improving access to clean water to 3,460 households.
• We are reaching 55,000 people with awareness-raising activities and campaigns to promote hygiene and sanitation.
• We are addressing the needs of 5,130 people through cash assistance.

Tearfund is also improving food security to support 11,000 drought-affected communities in Borena.

Innovation in disaster response

In Ethiopia, Tearfund is running the Digital Anticipatory Response (DAR) programme in partnership with the GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation. This initiative provides more than 20,000 farmers and pastoralist herders in drought-prone areas with vital tools: reliable weather forecasts, access to financial services, and insurance. These resources empower communities to prepare for and better cope with anticipated drought conditions.

Tearfund is also collaborating with Global Parametric to pilot an innovative insurance programme in Ethiopia. This programme uses weather data to automatically trigger insurance payouts when drought occurs, creating a swift and effective mechanism for Tearfund to provide timely assistance to affected communities.

The DAR programme in Ethiopia demonstrates the power of technology and innovation in reducing the effects of climate crises. By providing crucial information, financial tools, and insurance, the DAR programme empowers vulnerable communities to take proactive steps.

This is what the payouts could be used for:

• Giving cash directly to people so they can buy what they need.
• Improving access to clean water for people and livestock.
• Helping herders sell their livestock before they become too weak to sell.
• Protecting important breeding animals with vaccinations and food.
• Providing water purification tablets when clean water is scarce.