Pastoralists and agro-pastoralists affected by drought and flooding. Credit: Barnaby Jaco Skinner/ Trocaire
As we move into autumn, a season of reflection and gratitude, we take time to give thanks for the blessings in our own lives and to remember those facing hardship around the world.
Thanks to the generosity of CAFOD supporters, families experiencing poverty are finding hope even in the most difficult circumstances. Your support is helping people to overcome the effects of climate change and rebuild their livelihoods, empowering them to have choices in the future.
Spotlight on Ethiopia: Water and Hope in Borena
One of the greatest challenges in Borena is the lack of permanent, year-round water sources. Families have traditionally relied on seasonal rivers, streams and ponds that fill during the rainy season. But as the climate crisis worsens, rainfall is becoming scarcer and less reliable, leaving these water sources dry for much of the year.
Moving north to more fertile regions is not a real solution. These areas are already overcrowded, and leaving would mean abandoning livestock - often a family’s only source of food and income - as well as their community, family ties and culture. For those who do migrate, day labour is scarce and poorly paid. Families are left with few choices, trapped between drought at home and hardship elsewhere.
CAFOD and our local partner CIFA (Community Initiatives Facilitations and Assistance) are working alongside communities to build resilience against drought. Together, we are rehabilitating rangeland, creating savings groups and constructing underground water tanks that store precious rainwater for the dry months.
Waré collecting water. Credit: James Cave / SCIAF
Before the droughts families had enough livestock to provide milk for children and food for the household. Children drank milk daily and could attend school regularly. Rainfall was predictable, with clear wet and dry seasons.
Now drought has killed livestock, leaving families without food or income. Children miss out on milk and are often withdrawn from school to fetch water. Women and girls, in particular, often walk hours each day to find water, leaving little time for education or earning a livelihood. The climate crisis has made droughts more frequent and severe and rains are unpredictable, with long dry seasons that stretch on for months.
When we were young, we had enough milk, enough livestock. But life has been changing. Even my two-year-old child had never known the taste of milk until recently.
But Waré did not give up. Through the CAFOD-supported project, she worked with her neighbours to build an underground water tank near her village.
Waré helped dig the earth, carried wood for fencing and gave her time alongside her community. Once filled by the rains, the tank will provide a safe, nearby water source and allow emergency deliveries to be stored locally.
It will mean no more exhausting daily treks up the mountains, and it will help keep children in school instead of on the road fetching water.
Waré is also part of rangeland rehabilitation, helping restore degraded land so that grass can grow again for livestock. She has joined a savings group with other women, building resilience for the future.
Most of all, she dreams of sending all her children back to school
How your gift helps
Please consider making a special gift this autumn. Your donation could:
Provide clean water to families in drought-stricken areas.
Support families to adapt their livelihoods to a changing climate.
Help children return to school, giving them the lifelong gift of education and the chance to break free from cycles of hardship.
Your faith and generosity are a true sign of God’s love in action, bringing hope to those most in need.
Contact us
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Waré (left) and members of CIFA
How do underground tanks work?
Underground water tanks act as reservoirs, collecting and safely storing rainwater during the wet season for use in times of drought. The tanks are lined and covered, keeping water clean and reducing evaporation.
When rain fails, families can draw on this vital supply for drinking, cooking and livestock, or even receive emergency water deliveries that can be safely stored in the tank.