37 years old mother of four Birtukan Dagnachew came to Addis Ababa, to collect her visa from the USA Embassy. This year, this tough farmer from a small town Mechare, around 36 Kilometres from Woldya city, is invited to the United States, Washington and Iowa states to deliver a key note at World Food Prize, which is also known as the Nobel Prize of agriculture. She is also going to meet makers and breakers of the global agriculture including senators, researchers and other influential figures. In her stay from October 9-21, she will share her experience as a women farmer in Ethiopia.
Birtukan is the winner of Female Food Heroes award from Amhara region last year. The award, annually organized by a local NGO Forum for Environment (FfE) with a financial support of Oxfam America, recognizes and celebrates the achievement and challenges of women food producers, and their significant contribution for food security and the general GDP of the country. Last year, Birtukan won the competition from Amhara region for her incredible success, in an area known for draught, famine and shortage of water.
While she was in Addis to collect her visa we had a short talk with her about her upcoming trip and her expectations.
Read the full interview here…