Her life changed when the Konso Development Association (KDA), a local development organisation supported by ForAfrika, introduced a pilot weather-resilient agriculture project in Fasha, dubbed “Brighter Future: Improving Food Security and Livelihoods Enhancement for Vulnerable Households”.

Ashawa, eager for change, was fortunate to be included in the project and became one of the first to adopt new techniques, starting with training on soil health and water conservation, mulching, and water trapping techniques like building trenches to capture rainwater. She received drought-resistant onion, cabbage and beans seeds and learned to use organic fertiliser made from goat droppings, steadily transforming her barren patch into a thriving field. Ashawa also received farm inputs like a watering can, spade and rake.

Her breakthrough came from irrigation. With support from the project, she installed a simple roof water harvesting system to collect water, which she then used to water her garden using a watering can. This allowed her to grow vegetables even during dry spells, a result she could never achieve in the past. Her income soared. She diversified, adding a few dairy goats, improving her family's nutrition, and generates supplementary income.

“The skills I received from the Farmers Training Centre (FTC) in Fasha helped me start a thriving vegetable business, specifically growing onions. I, in turn, trained my household members with the skills I acquired from the training.” she revealed.

Ashawa then set up two vegetable plots in her 0.25 hectare of land. Her first onion harvest produced about 120 kilogrammes. She sold most of that, earning her 8,000 birr (approximately USD60). Twenty kilogrammes were set aside for her family’s consumption.