"I regained hope in life after psychiatric treatment!"
This is the story of Ertuban Biset, a 30-year-old from Nakuteleab Kebele, in Lasta Woreda, North Wolo Zone, Amhara Region. For nearly a decade, she faced severe mental health issues. She was happily married for nine years enjoying motherhood with her firstborn child. She recalled she was pregnant with her second child when her family found out about the ancestral connection she had with her husband. It was shocking to learn that the life she built was about to collapse.
The forced separation caused significant anxiety and depression, eventually leading to serious mental health issues. "I suffered from prolonged sadness, lost interest in daily activities, neglected my children, experienced dramatic weight loss, and withdrew from society," she recalled. For nine years, Ertuban slept for extended periods and felt hopeless about her future.
A turning point came when a community health facilitator from the SPIR II program identified her condition during a home visit. "At that time, I couldn’t communicate due to the severity of my illness," Ertuban explained. The facilitator gathered information from her parents and arranged transportation for her to St. Lalibela Hospital for a psychiatric assessment.
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Farming has been my family’s main income for many years. The training from the MaYEA program changed how we look at beekeeping. Now, I am fully focused on beekeeping.
I’m Lubaba Hassen, and I live in Amhara Region, Oromia special zone, Bati woreda, specifically in kuni village Kuni village with my wonderful husband and our five amazing kids. We mainly depend on farming, focusing on growing cereal crops. As my husband’s partner in farming, I helped out with the crops, but honestly, our income was just enough to get by. I hadn’t thought much about other ways to earn money or even consider beekeeping, even though we had the opportunity right on our farm.
December 24, 2024, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia - Alemayehu Wassie (Ph.D.), the Executive Director of ORDA Ethiopia, wished donors and partners a Merry Christmas, hoping it brings peace, health, unity, and solidarity. He thanked donors and partners for their support and expressed commitment to strengthening these partnerships in the future.
Selemawit Mebirat's Transformation Through Beekeeping and Farming
Ten years ago, in Eritrea, a dream took place on the outskirts of the Red Sea, where the ideal climate fostered the beginnings of an apiculture journey. This was the humble start of Selemawit Mebirat, who, alongside her husband, dived into beekeeping. Five years later, in 2021, life led them to Ethiopia, where they settled in South Gondar zone, L/Gayent woreda, Yedro kebele 13, Keberomeda near her husband’s family and began to rebuild their passion with five traditional hives with a keen interest in farming and a desire to improve their quality of life.
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ORDA Ethiopia Showcases Achievements at 'Food Security in Action' Event
Addis Ababa, December 13, 2024 - The U.S. Government, through USAID, hosted the "Food Security in Action: Advancing Resilience" event at the Skylight Hotel on December 12-13, 2024. This event gathered important stakeholders, including Ethiopian government ministers, donor country representatives, agencies, and USAID partners to celebrate USAID's contributions to Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) and highlight various achievements and lessons learned.
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