Alabaster in
Ethiopia

Agricultural Solutions to Food Insecurity

In working to foster health and wellness in communities across Kenya, Alabaster has seen the need for access to healthy food. In April 2022, Alabaster began working with representatives from Ethiopia and Kenya to initiate a new study of a drought-tolerant crop called Enset. Currently, Enset grows and is used for food only in Southern Ethiopia, but its potential to provide sustenance and food security across the drought-ridden East African region has been touted by agriculturists for years.

Now, Alabaster, along with our partner, Girl Child Network in Kenya, has launched a new endeavor: The Enset Food Security Initiative to further understand Enset and its ability to grow and thrive in famine-prone regions, especially in farms led by indigenous women.

Alabaster is honored to be partnering with indigenous women in Ethiopia, specifically the Gamo Highlands, to learn more about Enset farming and practices since Enset is exclusively cultivated by women in Ethiopia. We will also be working with Enset experts from the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute and Arba Minch University in Ethiopia and researchers from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya to conduct research and community surveys to establish Enset as a solution to food insecurity in the region.

To learn more about key milestones in our Enset Food Security Initiative, please click here:

View Timeline

Advanced Science meets Indigenous Knowledge

Alabaster, in partnership with Arba Minch University, has launched the university’s first-ever tissue culture laboratory dedicated to Enset cultivation. This state-of-the-art facility integrates advanced technology, scientific best practices, and the invaluable indigenous knowledge of female smallholder farmers—marking a groundbreaking milestone in the fight against food insecurity in Ethiopia. The lab will enable the mass production of disease-free Enset seedlings, which, after greenhouse acclimatization, will be distributed to farmers for sustainable planting. This initiative represents a critical leap forward in scaling resilient, climate-smart agriculture rooted in both innovation and tradition.

Women-Owned Handmade Enset Crafts Shop

Alabaster is proud to support the launch of the Dorze Women’s Cooperative’s first-ever Enset fiber craft shop, showcasing beautifully handcrafted products made entirely from the sustainable byproducts of Enset cultivation. What was once agricultural waste has now become a source of creativity and economic empowerment—transforming Enset fiber into a tool for financial independence and innovation for women in the cooperative. Each item is plant-based, organic, and thoughtfully handmade. To explore their collection and learn more, visit their exclusive website below.

Click here to visit the store.

Innovative Community-Based Enset Processing Site

Enset cultivation, harvesting, and processing are functions exclusively performed by women in Ethiopia. It is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process that can be very burdensome for female smallholder Enset farmers. AMU and Alabaster have teamed up to address this problem by constructing a permanent community-based Enset processing site in the Chencha district of the Gamo Highlands in Ethiopia. The site houses innovative Enset processing equipment and machines, eliminating the need to process Enset by hand. The community now has 24/7 access to the site, enabling women to more easily process Enset to provide food for their families, roof their homes, feed their livestock, and create business opportunities for economic empowerment. We believe reducing this burden on women will uplift the entire community!

Dorze Community Maternity Center

Nestled at 9,000 feet above sea level in the breathtaking Gamo Highlands of Ethiopia, the remote Dorze community is home to over 10,000 households. Despite its vibrant culture and resilience, the region faces significant challenges in accessing consistent and safe maternal healthcare.

To address this critical need, Alabaster has constructed a dedicated maternity center for the Dorze community. This state-of-the-art, five-room facility is designed to accommodate up to 15 expectant mothers at a time, offering compassionate nursing care, essential nutritional support, and access to skilled medical providers for managing potential birth complications.

Through this initiative, Alabaster is committed to transforming maternal health outcomes and supporting a healthier future for the Dorze community.

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Alabaster inEthiopia