From hunger to harvest

THE OBSTACLE: Hunger and Nutrition

When families struggle to meet basic food needs, children are often the first to feel the impact. Hunger and poor-quality food leave them undernourished, weak and more vulnerable to illness, making it harder to learn and grow.

Agere Beza, starts her day at dawn, harvesting fresh food from her garden. Like so many mothers around the world, she carefully prepares a tasty breakfast and packs lunches for her four children. It’s a healthy morning routine that wasn’t possible just a short time ago.

Here, in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, droughts have deepened, crop yields have declined, and food prices have risen. Conflict has made everything worse.

“I struggled to provide enough nutritious food for my family,” Agere says.

Children were going to school hungry and weak, making it hard to concentrate. Malnutrition and limited healthcare meant that illnesses lingered and children missed school. Missed school limits a child’s future.

Creating change

Through the five-year CHANGE project, funded by Global Affairs Canada, Children Believe is working with communities to strengthen food security, improve access to healthcare, and support women leaders like Agere.

Backyards are becoming home gardens, filled with leafy vegetables and farm animals. Climate-smart training, including irrigation, drought‑resilient planting, and seed preservation, has made nutritious food available year‑round. Health is improving, too, thanks to newly trained community volunteers and health workers who screen for malnutrition, connect families to care, and share practical nutrition and health advice before problems escalate.

For Agere, the change has gone beyond feeding her family. She sells surplus vegetables — cabbage, beets, carrots, and lettuce — to meet her family's needs. Nutritious food and good health mean two major obstacles have been cleared so children can reach their potential.

“Now my family eats nutritious food,” Agere says, “and I have money to buy school materials for my children.”

To get an even closer look at the work happening in Ethiopia, we invite you to join us for InsideRISE Live!

On July 29 at 12:00 PM ET, you’ll step inside Gale Kello, a community where years of drought and failed rains have left families struggling to grow enough food to survive. Our Program Officer, Erkiyihun Ashenef, will guide you through the community and share how hunger affects children and families every day.

Save your spot: InsideRISE Live — Gale Kello, Ethiopia