“ORDA is the reason for my success & reward”
From short-term success to a long-term vision
By Esubalew Dires
The Organization for Rehabilitation & Development in Amhara (ORDA) is playing a significant role for an overall development of the region. ORDA in its Graduation with Resilience to Achieve Sustainable Development (GRAD) project seeks to improve food security for chronically and transitory food insecure households at Libokemkem district. The project has planned to target 5,865 Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) households directly with 4,515 of them are expected to increase their incomes by $365/year and graduate from PSNP. Three interlinked results that will lead to GRAD achieving its goals are: enhanced livelihood options of chronically food insecure HHs in highland areas, improved community and household resilience and Strengthening enabling environment to promote scale and sustainability.
GRAD is one of the projects of ORDA at Libokemkem District which has been launched since 2011 and will exceed to 2016. Of the 22 PSNP Kebeles, GRAD is working in 19 Kebeles. The fund has been secured from USAID through CARE Ethiopia with a total budget of the project that accounted about 1,456,937 USD.
GRAD is a USAID-funded project that aims to support the livelihood options of chronically food insecure households in Ethiopia (Tigray, Oromia, SNNP and Amhara regions). The project emphasizes resilient strategies related to nutrition, gender, and climate change adaptation, aspiration to graduation, learning and dissemination of the lessons that work in lifting households (HH) out of extreme poverty.
We have visited different intervention kebeles and beneficiaries of the project. The young visionary farmer Mengiste Mihret a resident at Shamo Kebele is the one who is rapidly changing his life due to his involvement at the GRAD project of ORDA. This young farmer completed his 10th grade three years ago. He had no income of his own. He was living under poverty and highly relied on his family. By the time he got married, he obtained a hectare of land from his family. This visionary is father of a baby girl.
However, for many years, Mengiste used to harvest crops during the rainy season only. Consequently, he was not able to produce enough. Though he was graduated from safety net program in 2013, sooner, he joined to ORDA GRAD project. He is now a member of “Eshe Mesk” Village-based Economic and Social Association (VESA). At the very essence, farmer Mengiste used to save 10 Birr monthly and members have maximized it to 15 Birr. ORDA GRAD project strategically works on the establishment of VESA among the poor community.
The organization is targeting on assisting the poor on various income generating activities for a sustainable development. Hence, ORDA teaches them on how to save, facilitates for finance credit, and builds their capacity to look for other income generations. Farmer Mengiste began to be benefited since 2012/13 production year bringing 4 quintals of onion seed for 550 Birr each with credit from the project. Surprisingly, he got 16,000 Birr net profit in that same year.
Currently, his farmland is looking colorful with cereal crops (tef) and vegetables such as, onion, garlic, potato & tomato. He rented half a hectare of land and harvested faba bean. In the 2014 year, he expected to earn an average of 6 quintals of teff, 7 quintals of millet, 10 quintals of maize, a quintal of faba bean production. Mengiste ensured he now secured his family’s food. This young literate farmer exclaimed “ORDA is the reason for my success & award. Due to the help of the organization, I’m honored as model farmer. Also, VESA members are capable of getting credits with low interest rate. Honestly, I developed the habit of irrigation production twice & three times a year after the encouragement & unreserved support of GRAD project.”
Mengiste stated he had bought a land with 4,000 birr in a small rural town called “Ambo Meda” and he built a 32 corrugated iron sheet home. Moreover, he owns a cow which gives his family milk.
The farmer claimed that they have been in a dark life for many years, but today, they have started a shining life. As to him thanks to ORDA that it is doing better than what a mother & father can do to their sons’ and daughters.
We inquired him why he said it so. When replying “we all members of Eshe Mesk were living under extreme poverty. We were living with aid under safety net for longer years. We were not capable of looking to the resources we have around. In short, we were tied up by the aid offered physically and mentally. These all has come to an end thanks to ORDA GRAD project.”
They in actual fact hate a mere aid which couldn’t make them strong to improve their life.
The reason for change has come in the surrounding where they are living in. VESA members come together at the 7th date monthly in order to save money and discuss on various issues.
Capacity building, microfinance, gender, nutrition, soil and water conservation, irrigation, better use of agricultural technologies, climate change and aspiration to graduation and income generation activities are to mention a few.
Farmer mengiste envisions being a rich clever merchant. Within a few years, he hopes to buy a cereal grinding mill. In the long run, he will have a car, he said. He’s now in a state of dramatic change. In this case, undoubtedly, this young boy will change his dreams into reality. And many of them are building assets. Let’s give hands together to reach and change the livelihood of the poor!!
