Ethiopia Youth Story - Animal Fattening Project

Each year, rural areas lose a promising share of their workforce, as youth leave their homes and migrate to cities or move abroad in search of a better future. The risks, unknown. The distress induced by poverty and a lack of employment opportunities push many youth around the world to search for jobs elsewhere. By addressing the links between distress migration and rural development, FAO is making a difference in Ethiopia. A project on youth mobility, food security and rural poverty reduction - in collaboration with the government and rural stakeholders - is striving to reduce the number of people migrating from rural areas out of distress.
Total Number of Migrants: 12,115,263
National Youth Out Migration Rate: 15%
With funding from the Italian Development Cooperation, the project was launched in 2015 to
provide motivated youth in regions of high distress migration with profitable alternatives. The aim is to promote innovative pathways for youth employment and entrepreneurship in rural
areas -and the impact is already being felt.
Over 350 youth in Ethiopia have now received the necessary training and equipment to launch a local agricultural activity. Animal fattening, sheep and goat rearing, dairy, poultry and egg production, beekeeping, as well as horticulture and fishing, are amongst the initiatives aimed at turning potential migrants into successful entrepreneurs. The pilot initiatives involve 152 youth in 11 groups in the Amhara region and 200 youth in 20 groups in the Oromia region.
FAO also works with the Government to ensure safe mobility, by increasing incentives for regular
and orderly migration.
Creating rural employment opportunities is benefitting both participants and their families.
By promoting agricultural enterprises in migration-prone areas, young entrepreneurs are given the choice to remain in their communities.

YOUTH STORY PACKAGE: ANIMAL FATTENING PROJECT
(RIAD HUSSEIN)
AMHARA REGION
Language: Amharic
Shot: May 2017

Interview
00:05 - 00:12: My name is Jamal Mohamed. I am 27 years old.
00:14 - 00:22: I am working with young people on animal fattening business.
00:24 - 00:27: I left to migrate as I had very limited opportunity here. It was frustrating.
00:29 - 00:38: Guided by a broker I left through a desert to Djibouti walking for days and nights with 62 other young people
00:40 - 00:51: Well it is clear that there are some migrants who are successful and managed to send money back home for their families
00:51 - 00:55: But this success came after suffering
00:57 - 1:02: There are also many young people lost their lives on the way. Money cannot compensate one’s life.
1:04 - 1:11: Many of the group members were on the verge of migration
1:11 - 1:14: This project at least saved 12 young people from migrating to another country.
1:16 - 1:37: What I do with the money…I will start keeping chickens at home. My wife will look after this. It will be additional income for my family
1:39 - 1:45: I advise the young people to stay at home and work hard and change
1:47 - 1:55 What I would like to say to my countrymen, even if there are challenges at home let’s work in our country together hand in hand.
1:55 - 2:00: Wherever we go it is somebody’s country, not yours. It is not a source of pride.
2:02 - 2:12: We can work here and change. We have good soil. Let us work here and strive for better.
2:12
B-Roll (Animal Fattening Project)
4:14
B-Roll (Cleaning barn; Dung used for fertiliser)
4:35
B-Roll (Making dung patties used as fuel by youth group)
5:38
B-Roll (At Home with Family)
6:11
B-Roll (Selling Oxen in Market)
6:43
B-Roll (Man Walking Away from Camera)

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