環(huán)球英語 — 531：Hope in Eritrea

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Voice 1

Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Liz Waid

Voice 2

And I'm Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 1

Government corruption.

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Lack of rain

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War and violence

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Lack of food

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All these things have affected the lives of people in Eritrea. Life can be very difficult here. But people are also finding hope. They are learning new ways to support themselves. Today's Spotlight is on the work of one group in this troubled country.

Voice 2

Eritrea is a country on the North East side of Africa. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. People here struggle with the most basic problem: food. Even in times with enough rain, people lack food. The country imports about half of its food.

Voice 1

But why has this happened? The first reason is conflict. Eritrea and its neighbour, Ethiopia, have been at war for many years. Today, the two countries have a peace agreement. But there is still concern that the conflict could start again.

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In Eritrea, this conflict directly affected the farms. Farms along the border with Ethiopia were damaged. Farmers had to leave these areas. In many places, they cannot return because of land mines buried in the ground.

Voice 1

Many men also left their families to fight in the conflict. Then the women have all the responsibility to get food and care for their families. One third of homes in Eritrea are led by women. They work very hard to provide for their families. And starting in two thousand two, the country faced three years of very little rain. As a result, the country did not have enough food for its people.

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Today, almost two thirds of homes in the country do not have food security. That is, two thirds of the people do not know if they will have food in the future. But people in Eritrea are getting help from a group focused on developing successful farms.

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The group is called the International Fund for Agricultural Development or IFAD. They work to help women and men in developing countries. They work especially for people who live in country areas. IFAD's goal is to work with people, and support their work. They help people to use natural resources well. They encourage new ways to earn money. And they find new ways for people to get health services and clean water.

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The group also gives people information and new technology for farming. It helps people with small loans to start a farming business. It also helps them find people who will buy the food they grow. And finally, the IFAD works with governments to find the best ways to help people in need.

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One of the ways IFAD is working in Eritrea is by helping people keep animals. In many dry areas of Eritrea, it is difficult to grow plants. But it is easier to raise animals. Animals, such as cows, can survive through dry times.

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There is one special kind of cow that is especially useful. This cow is from Sudan, a country near Eritrea. It is called the Hamerenya cow. Gbazghi Kefle organized the use of these cows. He describes the cows:

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"This is a very special breed of cow. It is calm. It does not get diseases easily. It provides more milk than other cows. And it can be milked when it is pregnant."

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The group gives farmers these cows as a loan. The farmers can pay back the cost of the cow over six years. Or they can pay the loan by giving a pregnant cow back to the group.

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These Hamerenya cows were given to families in Adi Quala, a village in the center of the country. The cows have changed the lives of people there. The milk is a good healthy food for the families. But these cows produce more milk than other cows. This means the families have extra milk to sell.

Voice 1

Adi Quala is far away from a milk collection center. This caused a problem for the farmers. There was not a good way to sell their extra milk. So the farmers found their own solution to this problem. They created a trading group to sell to families and eating places in the area. The group lets farmers sell about three litres of milk every day.

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IFAD did not just give the cows. They also gave training on ways to care for the cows. They showed the farmers how to save money from this business. In this way, the farmers can also pay for medicine and materials to keep the cows healthy.

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But Hamerenya cows are just one way that IFAD is helping people in Eritrea. Another way is by helping women earn money.

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Women in Eritrea have always been an important part of communities. They have helped grow food and raise animals. As we said earlier, one third of homes in Eritrea are lead by women.

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Supporting women is a good way to support whole families. So, in Western Eritrea, IFAD is working with women to develop new ways to earn money. The group has held classes for local women. The classes teach the women how to make things from palm leaves. The women weave the long leaves together. They make large flat mats, fans to move air, and basket containers.

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After the women finish their work around the house and take the animals out to feed, they all gather together. The women sit and create products from palm leaves. Brri Weldemariam talks about the new work she has.

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"We received training on how to work with palm leaves. Recently we have started using colored dye to make more beautiful products."

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The women sell their products at markets in the town center.

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"Before, we did not have any way of making money and depended entirely on our husbands' money. Now that we make these palm products, we are able to meet with other women and also make money. This is allowing us to buy food for the family and also tools to help us make our products. Our dream is to open a store on the main road to sell our products."

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These women's lives have changed because of a simple thing. The lives of farmers in Adi Quala have changed because of a new kind of cow. IFAD knows that even in a troubled country like Eritrea, making positive changes is not difficult. It is as easy as making a basket or milking a cow.