“I was able to build a house, buy furniture, and also open a shop in Hida Village.”
“Before the project we used to pack our belongings onto the back of our camels and travel day and night in search of feed/pasture and water for our animals. It was while we were struggling with life like this that Allah sent Support for Sustainable Development to rescue us. SSD at the time built a grain store in Hida to provide us with food for our work in the construction of the irrigation project,” she says.
The irrigation project attracted many permanent settlers. Hida Village thrived around the grain store. Fatuma now has 1.5 hectares of irrigated land. “I did not have oxen for ploughing the land, so I had to rent them as well as hire labour. In two cropping seasons I was able to save enough to buy oxen as well as two young camels. I was able to build a house, buy furniture, and also open a shop in Hida Village. I have a refrigerator and a television!”
Fatuma was awarded a trophy from the Ethiopian Prime Minister for being an example of success.