Sharon is an Israeli who was born and grew up in Tel Aviv. She lived for 10 years in New York, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in Advertising from the New York Institute of Technology with honors. For her internship, Sharon joined SOS Sahel Ethiopia. The organization, which originated in an international body called SOS Sahel UK, has since gained autonomy and is run locally in Ethiopia. SOS Sahel aims to improve livelihood in rural areas. They engage in a variety of activities to achieve that goal: these include improving agricultural practices through environmental conservation, boosting income for women farmers, saving groups, energy conservation, women and youth empowerment projects, and much more. During her internship, Sharon’s task was to work with a project, “Improvement of Smallholder Farmers Livelihood Affected by Climate Change,” in the southern region of Ethiopia, and to write policy documents. She also visited additional locations running different projects and participated in innovation meetings with partner organizations such as Farm Africa and Christian Aid. The internship was valuable because it gave Sharon the opportunity to develop first-hand knowledge of the actual challenges that climate change has created for communities and the organization. 

The women of Shashamene Zuria VSLA- Oromia Region, Ethiopia | Sharon Manor 

To promote economic empowerment, each of the 45 female VSLA members received 10 pullets, to grow and sell eggs. The proceeds increased household incomes and reduced reliance on previous earning opportunities like firewood chopping. This promoted environmental protection and helped in forming a financial cooperative to allocate funds for ongoing necessities such as purchasing household animals, renovating their houses, or for special occasions. The opportunity alleviated the poverty experienced by VSLA members, improved their household lives, and bonded the female community. Their future aspiration: “to purchase a cow and drink milk.”

 

 

 

 

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