Onions have layers 🧅 and so does the impact!

Just outside the town of Woliso, Ethiopia, you have to watch your step. The ground is so dry that deep, jagged cracks snake across the fields. Not much grows during the dry season.

But look closer.

Standing out against the dust are bright green patches of onions.

This is the work of a group of 21 women who took action to change their futures. After having some success selling chickens, they saw a bigger opportunity: selling onion seeds. At the time, local seeds were poor quality and didn’t grow well.

Thanks to donor support, iDE staff were able to connect the group with a supplier of quality onion seed bulbs. They also brought in a trainer to teach them about seed multiplication.

Even with supplies and training, trying something new can be scary and risky. But the iDE community helped pay for their first round of supplies through the Her Time to Grow project. They removed the fear of failure and replaced it with a chance to succeed.

With that support, and their hard work, the group’s first harvest was a success!

The onion seeds sold well, and their customers were happy.

With their profits, they covered all their expenses. Now, their future growing seasons are self-funded.

“Doing things that we never thought women could do is a big thing for us” one group member says. “We are supporting each other and showing leadership. We have become a women-owned business!”

Their success is catching on! Neighbours saw what was possible and are now starting their own onion seed plots. And don’t worry, there are more than enough customers to go around.

Donors like you gave these women the confidence they needed to take a risk and change their lives. Now, it’s growing into a brighter future for an entire community. This story is proof that when you invest in women, you can change the world.