New Hope for a Widow and Her Child
Abaru Gamada, a single mom from Ethiopia, once struggled to provide for her daughter Derartu. Ongoing drought was killing their crops, and hardworking families like hers had fallen deeper into despair.

Fortunately, a World Vision agricultural program that reaches out to single mothers has helped improve life dramatically.

"Before this program, I had nothing for myself," Abaru says. "First they bought me a sheep, then a dairy cow, and then I was given cabbage, beetroot, tomato, and onion seeds. Without this help I believe we would live, but we would be struggling. We have benefited greatly. We are getting hope."

Thanks to support from World Vision donors, Derartu, 10, and her mother now have plenty of nutritious food and their future is full of hope.

They have received quality seeds, livestock, and agricultural training. Derartu takes the animals to graze each morning and each afternoon she goes to school. "I like taking care of the animals so that we can have more," she says. "I like the cow the most."

Single Mom Makes a New Start
Since Etagegnew Derese's husband died seven years ago, she has been raising three children on her own and fighting an increasingly tough battle to provide for them.

A few months ago, rainfall during the main rainy season was much lighter than normal , destroying Etagegnew's hopes for a good harvest. Her greatest fear was that her children would get sick and even starve.

Now, though, Etagegnew has reason to hope. She has received training, a dairy cow, vegetable seeds, a spade, and mango seedlings from a World Vision agricultural program.

"I was trained on how to feed cows and take care of cows, and then I was even given a cow," she says happily. "I'm very happy with all the things I have received. My life is being changed. When the cow starts to give milk, we will use some of it for the children and some of it to sell in the market. With the money we save, we want to buy more livestock—maybe a goat."

Sponsoring a child is one more way you can help a struggling child and community. See the communities World Vision works in around the world.

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