Changes Noticed and Signs of Impact in FSADP

ORDA’s involvement on the FSAD program roughly benefited 3.4 million people. This evaluation information can help to conclude changes have been derived involving these number of people. These changes are most noticeable particularly in the income generating activities and market development subcomponents.

These benefits of the programs were recognized by the beneficiaries such as Deacon Fisha Zenaw, Trit Sefiw and Kenubesh Gebre and Abraraw Taye.

Deacon Fisha Zenaw living in Kebele 03 special village of” Mehale Deber” Joined ORDA’s income generating program through Alemtshay Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLG) in October, 2009. Thereafter, he was engaging in different businesses which he managed to make improvements in his livelihood. With first round credit access, he generated a profit of Birr 3,000 paying back his debt, and then, builds his new corrugated iron sheets house, buy an Ox. Later he bought a dairy cow at a cost of Birr 2,300. 

In his second round loan accessed from ORDA’s project, he made profit amounted to Birr 8000.00 paying pack the loan. With the multiplier effect of the profit derived by the IGAs through the loan, he then managed to access tapped water at a cost of 2,573 and collected house construction stone amounting to birr 5,000.

Likewise, Trit Sefiw, 32, a dweller in Erfa kebele, Lasta district was struggling to maintain his livelihood from, 0.25 hectare of land that he inherited from his parents. While he was in such threatened situation, he joined ORDA’s  Lasta Lalibela Plan HVC bee keeping  project in 2012. With all appropriate supports from ORDA, he modernize his bee keeping practice and earned an income of Birr 4900 from 70kg of honey harvested in 2012 alone. He also unveiled what he felt about it: “I’m so glad that I have gotten the honey which I have never had and seen in my neighbourhood”.

Kenubesh Gebre  was another initially poor women who joined ORDA’s GRAD program being implemented in Libokemkem Woreda to contribute significantly to sustained food security for chronically and transitory food

insecure rural households. Initially Kenubesh was selling of fire wood to fulfill her family needs. She said in earlier ORDA’s interview “I was so sick for long time and has been hopeless because I don’t have stable income source for my family.” She was not thinking herself as able body to be engaged in any of high economic opportunities. In such hopeless condition, she joined the productive safety net program and started to be benefited. Later on, ORDA help Kenubish to get involved in cattle fattening value chain activities advising/training about the profitability of the business and linking with Amhara credit and saving institution to get loan from the household asset building program.

Accordingly, she took 4,000.00 birr loan from ACSI (often never counted this much in her life) and bought an ox for fattening at a cost of Birr 3,400.00 and feed important fodder for three months. After three months of fattening, she sold at the local market at a cost of 5,350 birr and got a net profit of 1,950 birr.

She later on switched to sheep fattening intentionally to escape from the seasonal lack of fodder to fatten an ox but she has a plan to be engaged in cattle fattening for the next time when her sheep will be sold. She is a VESA member and regularly save about 5 birr per month.

Kenubesh was feeling not only income security from the business she has engaged but also improved her social and psychological status in tying animals /an ox and sheep/ in her house like her neighbors which she had never seen. She is showing her ability and need of change in her life. Motivated by such outputs, she said that “the surround communities are inspired in my success and ambitious to participate in value chain activities”. Finally, W/ro Kenubesh expressed her feeling and said “Thanks to GRAD, I could see brighten future in my life”.

Such cases of Deacon Fisha, Trit, Kenubish, Abrarawand those not stated here who successfully achieved income diversification and livelihood improvement are the results of  ORDA’s interventions. These livelihood changes showed at household level are signs of impacts of the ORDA’s interventions on agricultural development and food security of the impoverished community.

As shown by the profit and expenditure patterns of the cases specified beneficiary households, they have spent major portion of their revenue for the purchase of agricultural and durable goods. This will also bring about improvements in agricultural productivity enabling them enhancing their livelihoods. These clarifies ORDA’s efforts have contributed to bring impact on productive asset building and impact on agricultural productivity as well.