Making farmers proud!

Helping 250 farmers & 300 entrepreneurs in Hawassa!

Introduction
Ethiopia faces a youth unemployment crisis due to political and economic shocks and systemic challenges in education and skill development. Conflicts, droughts, and global disruptions have worsened shortages, food insecurity and job opportunities. Limited access to loans, business support, and market entry challenges hinder youth employment and entrepreneurship. Despite government efforts, technical and vocational training centers (TVETs) fail to equip graduates with marketable skills. Dorcas Ethiopia is implementing the SAYEP program in Hawassa to enhance agricultural development and youth employability, fostering economic resilience. SAYEP stands for: South Area Youth Employability Program.

Hawassa Area Livelihood Development Project
The intended program will be implemented in Hawassa town and Hawassa Zuria district. The program aims to improve food security and the livelihood situation of the targeted populations. The emphasis of the intervention is on agricultural development and youth employability.

Agricultural Development
The warm climate, access to lake water, and the very fertile soil surrounding Lake Hawassa make the area highly favorable for vegetable production. Additionally, its proximity to Hawassa, a large urban center with a population of over 500,000, creates an ideal market with an insatiable demand for vegetables. Despite these favorable conditions, a significant proportion of farmers primarily grow cabbages for family use. It is this combination of favorable conditions and market potential that prompted Dorcas to propose this intervention to empower local farmers to enhance their vegetable production. This initiative will improve food security in two ways: it will ensure a balanced diet for the participants households and enhance economic access to food through increased income.

‘Thanks to the support from Dorcas, my life has transformed. Engaging in vegetable production has not only improved my skills but also significantly increased my income. I am now able to provide a better future for my family.’ – Yonas, Farmer

Youth Employability
Youth unemployment is a major challenge in Hawassa town and Hawassa Zuria woreda, where the unemployment rate is estimated to be as high as 30%, and rising. To improve this situation, Dorcas Ethiopia focuses on offering vocational training, promoting Micro and Small Enterprise Development (MSEs), improving MSE loan access, and providing Business Development Services to startups.
Over three years the project will directly address a total of 250 farmers in agriculture and 300 youth through life skills and hard skills training over three years, indirectly benefiting an additional 3,300 people. Therefore, this project will have a lasting impact on the lives of 3,850 people!

‘Before receiving support from Dorcas, I felt hopeless and jobless. Starting my own small business has transformed my life, allowing me to earn an income and support my family. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to create a better future.’ – Azeb, small business owner

Budget
The 3-year project budget is $320,000, with $110,000 needed for the first year to launch in 2025. Funding will be used to train farmers in modern efficient technology and climate smart agriculture. Moreover, to support Selam Hawassa college to run a business incubation center, offer business development support, and improve public TVET and government offices.

Warm Recommendation from MissionInvest
During the middle of March, I got that chance to visit this successful project with a group of business people. We visited the vocational training center Selam and the agricultural part of the project in the rural areas outside Hawassa. We were thrilled to learn that the Selam Training Center, originally from Switzerland, is highly respected in Ethiopia due to the quality and success rate of their training; 100% of all trainees secure decent jobs! Amazing! It was absolutely fantastic to walk through the fields with a group of farmers and hear their enthusiastic stories about how much the project is already benefiting them!

The recent visit of this project, made us even more motivated to raise funding for this successful project. Therefore, MissionInvest USA is committed to scaling this project to help lift 250 more poor farming families out of poverty and in addition to initiate 300 small businesses! This project is all about bringing justice to the poor and giving them opportunities to realize their God-given potential! How much of this are you willing to contribute?