Through learning business skills, people in Ethiopia can access markets and increase their incomes
Ethiopia has one of the richest histories of any country or culture on earth. Its archaeological remains show a continuous record of complex settlements for nearly 3,000 years. It also has the second largest population in Africa, of approximately 126.5 million people.
Much of the population currently face serious challenges, like persistent droughts, floods and locust infestations.
These crises have set back several decades of strong development progress as Ethiopians have sought to establish a stable political system and thriving economy after years of civil war.
A better world needs all of us. That’s why CAFOD has been working in Ethiopia for nearly 40 years. We’ve been providing both long-term support to farming families as well as emergency assistance when needed.
Our impact in 2024
In 2024 we reached 120,653 people in Ethiopia.
We helped 1,692 people learn new small-scale business skills to help them access markets and increase their incomes.
2,833 people accessed gender-based violence support services, including mental health support, healthcare and legal aid.
Why CAFOD works in Ethiopia
Many Ethiopians rely on farming and cattle herding to feed their families and make a living, but the changing climate means increased droughts, irregular rains and poor-quality soil. Crops and livestock are suffering. The traditional way of way of life is under threat.
Through the local Church, your donations mean we can get emergency shelter and cash to families facing crisis. We’re also working longer term with farmers and their communities to survive droughts, and to rebuild and adapt to new weather patterns caused by the climate crisis.
How we’re responding
Together, we can build a better world. With your support, teams of local experts can work through our trusted Church network to support the most vulnerable communities.
Working alongside local partners, the Ethiopian Catholic Church and our sister agencies (SCIAF and Trócaire), we focus our work on livelihood support, gender equality and gender-based violence, and disaster risk reduction.
Current projects
We’re making sure that families have access to nutritious food and steady work all year round. In 2024, 1,692 people took part in various livelihood training sessions that enhanced small-scale business skills, supporting them to access markets and resulting in increased incomes. We also increased the capacity of local resource management committees to improve resilience against climate-related hazards.
We’re strengthening the roles and voices of women and girls in their local communities. Vulnerable and marginalised women are forming self-help groups to improve numeracy, literacy and leadership skills. Women and girls are also learning more about their rights and speaking out against gender-based violence.
We’re helping communities to prepare for and cope with disasters, minimising the risk to lives and livelihoods.
News from Ethiopia
What we do
CAFOD is the official aid agency for the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
With your help, we reach out to people living in hard-to-reach places, in war zones and those who are discriminated against.