Executive Director’s Message

The Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA) has been carrying out meaningful development achievements by designing short and long-term strategic programs and projects to fill in developmental gaps of the people and government in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.

In this regard, ORDA effectively operates four major/pillar programs. These are Environment and Forestry Development, Water supply, Hygiene & Sanitation and Irrigation Development, Agriculture and Disaster Risk Management, and Youth Enterprise and Private Sector Development Programs. Gender, Disability, Culture, and HIV/AIDS prevention activities are also being mainstreamed in those programs and projects.

ORDA currently has a total of 1,939 employees. In 2012/13, the organization received 1.42 billion birr (including 48% food aid) from 28 donors and implemented 31 integrated projects (2 emergency projects) in 47 woredas of the region, benefiting more than 1.4 million people. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has spent more than 53.9 million birr in the project intervention areas, providing humanitarian assistance, food and various protective materials.

In 2020 alone, more than 8.2 million indigenous and exotic seedlings were planted on 1 thousand 261 hectares under the Environment and Forest Development Program. According to a 2019 survey, seedling survival is counted 70%. Regarding enclosure of land from human and animal, 10 thousand 670 hectares of existing and 2 thousand 376 new hectares of degraded lands have been closed. In addition, it has introduced 480 fuel-efficient stoves, 400 solar-powered lamps/ lanterns, which have reduced gas emissions by 451 tons, and introduced farmers to practice technologies to better lives.